Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 265 Hong Kong Circle Takes notice: the beautiful and fierce Yan Sheng
In mid-March, Yan Li left Hengdian for a day to attend the premiere of "Protégé".

The film was originally scheduled to be released after the Spring Festival, but it was postponed due to censorship issues.

Well, this movie is a bit too explicit, and it's told from an undercover and crime perspective. It also touches on drugs, which are a very sensitive topic in mainland China, so the relevant departments are being quite cautious.

During this time, Yan Li also intervened and suggested that the production team not wait any longer and release the film as soon as possible to avoid any unforeseen circumstances.

So even though March was a rather unconventional release date, "Protégé" didn't dare to delay any longer after passing the censorship.

The premiere had a large lineup, as director Derek Yee is well-connected in the Hong Kong film industry, with even Jackie Chan making a special trip to show his support.

Yan Li learned from Cheng Long that the latter and Derek Yee were preparing to make a gangster film about overseas Chinese in Japan.

Yan Li was quite interested in hearing that it was Jackie Chan's new movie.

These days, there are only a handful of filmmakers who can guarantee box office success, and Jackie Chan is definitely among the top.

Upon hearing that his older brother wasn't planning to focus on action this time, but rather on artistic themes, Yan Li's smile became somewhat forced.

From an actor's perspective, he understands Jackie Chan.

He's made movies for so many years, his box office success is undeniable, and he has received numerous accolades, but people still perceive him primarily as a boxer, rather than an actor.

At Cheng Long's age, one thing to consider is a career change, and another is that he has basically reached the pinnacle of fame and fortune, so he definitely needs to have new pursuits.

But pursuing something doesn't mean you can achieve it!
Jackie Chan's biggest selling point is kung fu comedy. Will audiences buy into his art films?

Yan Li held a conservative attitude towards Jackie Chan's film, but Bona Film Group's Yu the Fat didn't care and chatted enthusiastically with Jackie Chan.

To reiterate, Bona's style is to cast a wide net, daring to gamble and willing to take risks, thereby acquiring numerous film distribution rights, enhancing its strength and influence in the industry, and seeking a listing.

Therefore, Fatty Yu and Yan Li have different attitudes towards film investment.

The latter will assess risks and tend to prioritize project profitability, while the former cares more about market share and company influence. Profitability is also important, but not the top priority.

It's not a matter of who's right or wrong, but rather that their development and styles are different.

Fatty Yu and Jackie Chan were having a good chat, and Yan Li wasn't without others to talk to either; Alan Mak, the director of "Infernal Affairs," was also present.

This was the first time Yan Li had met this director. He was a typical Hong Kong director, whose works were mainly local and who mostly worked in the Hong Kong film industry, rarely coming to the mainland.

Mai originally worked with Andrew Lau, whose financial backer was Media Asia.

However, judging from what Yan Li saw today, Mai seems to be getting quite close to Derek Yee again, and even seems to be making contact with Bona Film Group and other mainland company bosses.

Did they have a fight?

Or is it just that Huanya Resources is having problems?

Or perhaps they simply couldn't hold on any longer in the Hong Kong market and were preparing to head north to find a backer and a financial backer in the mainland?
This is almost an inevitable trend among Hong Kong directors.

It has become a consensus that the Hong Kong market is finished, or rather, has no future. The markets in Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia are also gradually declining, and more and more Hong Kong filmmakers are going north to make a living.

However, the mainland market is not easy to navigate, especially the film industry, where it's not a simple matter of getting a share of the pie.

Aside from the major film giants and related film capital, relatively independent filmmakers basically fall into three categories.

One option is to remain independent, collaborate with small and medium-sized film companies, and raise investment or participate in a project on their own.

This group has the largest number of people; some are doing well, and some are not, depending on their individual abilities and opportunities.

One is to cooperate with several giants such as Yinghuang, Huanya, and Anle.

These people are the core of the Hong Kong entertainment circle's move to the mainland. Other approaches also involve cooperation with several Hong Kong entertainment giants. The idea that the Hong Kong entertainment circle is sticking together is not just empty talk.

Another option is to seek refuge with mainland bigwigs. Bona Film Group, Huayi Brothers, Stellar Media, and even Yan Li's Yi An all have Hong Kong film figures in their ranks.

Today, the male lead of "Protégé" is Julian Cheung, Ju Jueliang, who has starred in many Yi An and Gu Long dramas, and even Gordon Chan, who is rumored to be the director of "Painted Skin". To outsiders, they are all Hong Kong filmmakers who work with Boss Yan.

Mainland tycoons have money, resources, and connections, and they respect the Hong Kong entertainment circle. However, whether they can get in touch with them and achieve cooperation depends on opportunity and ability.

Bona Film Group's Yu Jianlin is arguably the easiest mainland bigwig to get along with, but he prefers to associate with a few Hong Kong industry giants.

Huayi Brothers is neither opposed to nor enthusiastic about it, and there are too many internal factions and the competition is fierce.

Yan Li is considered a newly emerging bigwig in mainland China. He hasn't been in the spotlight for long. He recruits people, but his standards are high, and he doesn't look down on ordinary people.

As a core creator of the "Infernal Affairs" series, Mak Siu-fai is definitely good-looking enough to meet the minimum requirements for a gift. Whether or not to accept him is another matter, but we can talk about it when the opportunity arises.

...

"President Yan..."

When Yan Li was socializing at the premiere, his company artist Julian Cheung also brought his wife Anita Yuen to greet him.

I don't know if it was Derek Yee's weird sense of humor, but after casting Julian Cheung, he brought in Cheung's wife to play Cheung's "sister-in-law" in the movie.

It's worth mentioning that "Protégé" features a passionate scene with Julian Cheung; I wonder if Anita Yuen was present during filming.

"Thank you, Mr. Yan, for taking care of my husband, Zhilin."

Anita Yuen is known for her straightforward and outspoken personality, and she is not fussy about details. She was once rumored to be one of the four most notorious villains in the Hong Kong film industry, along with Sandra Ng.

To put it bluntly, he has a bad temper and is not someone to be trifled with.

However, even the worst temper depends on who it's directed at. In front of Yan Li, a mainland entertainment tycoon who holds her husband's future in his hands, Anita Yuen's temper is very kind and gentle.

Yan Li had met Yuan before, but they weren't very close.

Now that she was a family member of a company employee, Yan Li's attitude was naturally not bad. He even gave her face by calling her "Sister Liangliang," and with just a few words, he turned the somewhat nervous Anita Yuen into a laughing auntie.

“My husband is right. Yan Sheng is really beautiful, capable, and eloquent. If she had been born a few years earlier, there would have been no Four Heavenly Kings in Hong Kong.”

"You can't say that today. Brother Hua is over there, and he'll object if he hears it."

Yan Li smiled, but Anita Yuen didn't care: "Even if you hear it, you have to say it. Yan Sheng is more handsome than the Four Heavenly Kings. Don't you think so, husband?"

Julian Cheung rubbed his forehead slightly. His wife was notoriously bad at reading people's expressions and couldn't control her tongue, offending countless people.

Yan Li didn't seem to care much. He was very forgiving, especially since the person was one of his own and meant no harm. Besides, it was just a joke.

After chatting for a while, Anita Yuen went to catch up with another old friend, while Julian Cheung was kept behind by Yan Li, who found a somewhat secluded spot for him.

"You and your wife need to be careful. I've heard that someone is trying to get you."

Julian Cheung had a good year, starring in "Protégé", and has become one of the representative artists from Hong Kong who have moved to the mainland.

This can inadvertently cause resentment and block the way for some people!

Julian Cheung was a little confused, then a little nervous: "Boss, what's the general approach?"

"Hard to say."

Yan Li shook his head, but offered a guess: "They'll most likely start with your wife."

Julian Cheung isn't a saint; he has his share of scandals and controversies, but the evidence and the damage aren't enough. To make a significant impact, his wife, Anita Yuen, is the real weapon.

This woman's dark history is far more interesting than her husband's.

A couple's fortunes are intertwined; if one suffers, the other suffers. Dragging Anita Yuen into this mess will also have a significant impact on Julian Cheung.

"Don't worry, the company is on your side."

Yan Li patted Zhang Zhilin on the shoulder. The latter was Yi An's man, and messing with him was messing with Yi An. Yan Li would not stand idly by.

"thank you boss."

Julian Cheung left with a mixture of gratitude and unease.

Yan Li himself remained calm; this commotion was nothing compared to his previous attack on Fan Xiaopang. The entertainment industry is a place of fame and fortune, but also a battleground; climbing to the top is never easy.

Yan Li didn't even bother to find out who was behind it, because theoretically, it could be any of the competing Hong Kong, Taiwan, or mainland actors' teams and companies.

If it were him, and other mainland or Hong Kong actors got into trouble, Yi An would also join in, adding fuel to the fire and kicking them when they were down.

Good people can't make it in the entertainment industry, nor can they succeed in business.

Despite possessing an intelligence network, Yan Li sometimes feels he is too naive, never leading the charge in plotting or scheming against others.

At this point, Yan Li glanced at Zhang Jingchu, who was talking to Derek Yee not far away.

According to his understanding, Julian Cheung is not the only one being targeted.

He starred in Derek Yee's "Protégé", Gu Changwei's "Springtime", and also appeared in Jackie Chan's "Rush Hour 3".

She's popular in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Hollywood, even more so than the "Four Dan and Two Soldiers" (a term referring to four top actresses and two top male actors), it's no wonder she's coveted.

But this has nothing to do with Yan Li. In fact, if Julian Cheung's situation becomes unfavorable, he could consider using Zhang Jingchu to get out of trouble.

...

Yan Li finished watching the movie "Protégé". This was not the first time he had seen it. He had seen it before and there were many details that were not in the theatrical release.

Personally, I think the quality of this movie is quite good.

The way the female lead's role is particularly brilliant is a stroke of genius, making it an absolutely fantastic anti-drug warning film.

The most outstanding actors in the movie were Andy Lau and Zhang Jingchu, while Julian Cheung's performance was rather conventional due to his role.

Putting everything else aside, Yan Li's performance in "Protégé" actually shows that he quite approves of Zhang Jingchu's acting skills, and there are other reasons why those directors like to cast her.

It's a pity. If this woman had a reliable company, she might be able to get a Golden Horse and Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actress award.

Yan Li shook his head and did not attend the banquet. He only gave instructions on the distribution of "Disciple" before returning to Hengdian.

"Protégé" is of excellent quality, with Andy Lau leading the charge. It was distributed by Bona Film Group and Yi An Entertainment. Although the release date was not ideal, it still delivered a good result.

The box office in mainland China reached 740 million yuan on its opening day!
The box office in Hong Kong also exceeded 300 million.

This figure is unparalleled in the Chinese mainland market this year, second only to the Hollywood blockbuster "Casino Royale" released in January.

The impressive box office figures attracted the attention of the production team and distributors, leading to increased investment in promotion and distribution.

Yan Li personally directed the operation to dismantle two locations selling pirated goods.

The production team also cooperated more. For example, Andy Lau reserved more time, Julian Cheung and Zhang Jingchu cooperated throughout the process, and Louis Koo, who was not a core lead actor, also took leave from the crew to participate in the roadshow.

Thanks to the efforts of all parties, the box office of "Protégé" continued to rise.

1500 million!
3000 million!
5000 million!
...!
The film is expected to gross 8000 million yuan at the box office in mainland China and approximately 3000 million Hong Kong dollars at the box office in Hong Kong.

Don't think it's low. Last year's box office champion in Hong Kong, "Fearless," only made a little over 3000 million Hong Kong dollars. And there's another film, "Rob-B-Hood," that made over 2000 million.

In other words, "Protégé" has the potential to compete for the title of Hong Kong's highest-grossing film this year.

The popularity of the film in both the mainland China and Hong Kong markets led to the successful sale of its copyrights.

Film distributors from Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia are in talks, with prices varying.

Yan Li did the math: Yi An invested 800 million yuan, giving her a 20% share of the film. Based on the current projected returns, she would definitely make a profit, but not too much—a few million yuan at most.

However, as mentioned earlier, Yan Li invested in this film not just to make money.

Other reasons, such as testing the waters, exploring new paths, building connections, enhancing influence, and promoting others, are more important. Now that he can also make a small profit, Yan Li is still very satisfied.

While the movie "Protégé" was a huge hit, something both expected and anticipated happened.

Zhang Jingchu is repeating the same old story about being a director magnet, but this time with even more fanfare, dragging her old nemesis Jiang Wenli into it.

This woman is no ordinary person!

Among the older generation of actresses still active in mainland China, she is currently the most successful, with strong momentum, unparalleled popularity, status, experience, and connections. She has subtly replaced Liu Xiaoqing as the representative of the middle-aged actresses in mainland China.

With her influence, it's hard to say whether she can handle four actresses and two soldiers, but dealing with Zhang Jingchu would definitely be easy for her.

What's even more remarkable is that in the past, the older generation would remain calm and composed in such situations, maintaining a dignified and considerate demeanor.

It's unclear whether Jiang was provoked or Zhang Jingchu was too ruthless, but Jiang Wenli showed no mercy and openly targeted her.

Rumors circulated that Zhang Jingchu had many scenes in Gu Changwei's new film "Li Chun," but they were almost completely cut, supposedly due to pressure from Jiang Wenli.

Zhang Jingchu is deeply mired in trouble, and Zhang Zhilin is also suffering.

Just as Yan Li had guessed, his own scandals weren't fatal enough, so they started with his wife, exposing her past as a mistress to a wealthy man.

This matter is not a secret, and it was also a scandal in 2001, but this time it has a greater impact because Julian Cheung is popular, and the negative influence is blowing in his favor.

Yi An's artist management department, which was prepared, quickly mobilized and launched a targeted guidance and counterattack.

The same thing can be analyzed and explained from different angles, leading to different understandings.

Entertainment public relations, to some extent, is about turning black into white.

It's pointless to deny an open secret; it's better to admit it. Whether it's playing the victim or accusing someone of youthful naiveté, it can mitigate negative feelings and prevent your image from collapsing.

This was directed at Anita Yuen, but for Julian Cheung, it meant loving and protecting his wife and standing firmly by her side.

Husbands and wives are like birds in the same forest; the more they suffer, the more their true feelings are revealed. At this time, sticking to Anita Yuen's side is actually more beneficial to Julian Cheung's image.

If you can tolerate some ridicule, you will win the favor of many passersby and women.

A crisis can also be an opportunity; some negative information can become a stepping stone to success.

Of course, that would be too simple. The real problem is that the wealthy man who was kept by a sugar daddy back then started spouting nonsense.

This guy was a big shot back in the day, having slept with many female celebrities. But he went bankrupt and became a scoundrel, making a living by exposing the female stars he had relationships with.

Zhang and Yuan had been disgusted by him before, and since they couldn't do anything about it, they just gave up and let him mock them. That's how they managed to get through this guy.

Now, Julian Cheung's career is booming, and he's no longer single; fortunately, he has powerful backers.

This tycoon had many friends in Hong Kong's social circles back then. Although he had fallen on hard times, there were still some connections between them. Even if he offended someone, he had support from various parties and wouldn't be killed. This is why Zhang and Yuan couldn't do anything to him.

But Yan Li is different. He has little contact with the Hong Kong entertainment circle, so he doesn't have many entanglements and doesn't need to consider anyone's feelings.

Anyone who gets in his way of making money, he'll get his hands on!

Moreover, other wealthy mainlanders might not be able to reach that far; at most, they could issue a warning. Yan Li, however, has an intelligence network, so he can do much more.

So, one of the wealthy man's debtors suddenly started chasing him for debts. He was beaten up first, and then a trivial criminal case from the 90s was brought up. He was immediately arrested and couldn't even afford bail.

Less than three days later, Yan Li received a call from the famous Liu, who had some connections with him and stepped in to mediate.

Yan Li was very accommodating, apologizing and keeping quiet—just those two things.

That evening, the tycoon, who had just been released on bail, apologized to the media, saying that he had deliberately sought attention to make money, which had hurt the relationship between Zhang and Yuan. He said he would learn from his mistake and wished the couple a long and happy life together.

At the general public level, it's nothing more than a piece of gossip to be discussed over tea.

But within the circle, especially in Hong Kong, many were astonished by Yan Li's immense influence, and the name "Yi An Yan Sheng" (易安颜生) became increasingly renowned in Hong Kong circles…

　(53000)

　　
　
(End of this chapter)