Huayu Entertainment: Tianxian really wants to improve

Chapter 328 A Backstab from Zhang Ziyi
Excuse me!

Gu Bei walked over to Wang Zhongjun.

After noticing Gu Bei's figure, Wang Zhongjun immediately put down his hand on his female companion, watched Gu Bei's arrival with a faint smile, and then extended his hand to Gu Bei.

In an instant, flashbulbs went off everywhere, and the media's attention was focused on the two of them.

This is huge news!

There had been rumors circulating that Gu Bei and Huayi had a conflict.

However, this rumor has never been confirmed.
Two years ago, Gu Bei subtly criticized Huayi in the media.
Meanwhile, when Linlang Entertainment was established last year, it was also rumored that Gu Bei angrily confronted Wang Zhongjun at the press conference's cocktail party.

However, there has never been any concrete evidence of discord between the two in public.

"Mr. Wang, I wonder who invited you here?"

Gu Bei glanced at Wang Zhongjun's hand but didn't take it, showing Wang Zhongjun no respect whatsoever.

In 07, I was just a director.
In 08, Linlang Entertainment was just a startup.

Now that Linlang Entertainment is fully grown and Rose Pictures is taking shape, they still have to give Wang Zhongjun face. Does that mean all my efforts over the past few years have been in vain?

Gu Bei's words caused a slight commotion in the room.

It seems that the conflict between Gu Bei and Huayi is real!

Gu Bei's words were a veiled criticism of Wang Zhongjun for coming uninvited.
Faced with Gu Bei's sarcasm, Wang Zhongjun simply smiled and said, "I wasn't invited, but I came here this time to learn about Hollywood filmmaking from Director Gu."

Upon hearing this, Gu Bei immediately understood that Wang Zhongjun's uninvited visit this time must have been for his own purposes.

really,

Before Gu Bei could even speak,
Some media outlets outside immediately asked, "Mr. Wang, what's the point of learning from Hollywood's experience?"

Wang Zhongjun turned around, finding a good angle to face the media cameras: "Of course, it's because Huayi has reached a film slate agreement with Lionsgate in Hollywood."

Huayi Brothers will officially enter Hollywood, just like Director Gu, to absorb Hollywood's experience and contribute to the development of Chinese films. Director Gu, you won't be stingy with sharing your experience, will you?

"Of course not, welcome, welcome!"

Contrary to Wang Zhongjun's expectations, Gu Bei did not feel as uncomfortable as if he had swallowed a fly. Instead, he took the initiative to applaud, appearing to agree with his own thoughts.

Gu Bei, what happened to you?
Wang Zhongjun was somewhat puzzled.

In his memory, Gu Bei dared to turn against his brother even when he had no foundation, and when he founded Linlang Entertainment, he even drew a line between himself and him in front of a group of film and television bigwigs.

Why is everything so mild today? I was hoping to make a big splash!

However, overall,

The situation is still under Wang Zhongjun's control today.
Using the premiere of Starship Entertainment as an excuse, they announced the collaboration between Huayi Brothers and Lionsgate, disgusting Gu Bei and stealing the headlines!

"Mr. Wang, now that you've gotten such a good deal, can you release your actors now?" Gu Bei whispered to Wang Zhongjun.

"nature."

Wang Zhongjun maintained his smile, but inwardly he was somewhat displeased; Gu Bei's reaction was far too calm.

Actually,
Although Gu Bei was unaware of what agreement Huayi and Lionsgate had reached,
But all he wants to do now is applaud Wang Zhongjun.

it is good!
What a great collaboration!

Do you really think Hollywood is like Columbia Pictures' Asian division, someone you can easily fool?
Those people in Hollywood are killers who have reaped the profits from Wall Street capital and Middle Eastern oil capital; their track record is verifiable!

Gu Bei remembered before his rebirth,

The most popular time for domestic entertainment industry to invest in Hollywood is five or six years from now.
It just so happened that the entertainment industry was overflowing with capital.
Finally, another achievement of Chinese capital was added to Hollywood's record.

But now it's been brought forward by six years.

I wonder if Huayi was too envious of how much money he made, because they actually made such a terrible move!

It's worth noting that the total box office revenue of the Chinese film market last year was only 43 billion yuan, which translates to a mere 6 million US dollars, less than the North American domestic box office revenue of The Dark Knight.

In this situation, Huayi's collaboration with Lionsgate to enter Hollywood can only be a temporary measure for Lionsgate.

But what can you do when the financial crisis broke out last year?
Hollywood is now in a state of utter despair.

The writers' strike broke out at the beginning of last year, and the financial crisis broke out at the end of the year. Countless independent studios went out of business in that year.

Lionsgate, as one of the "Big Six" film studios, doesn't have a powerful backer like the other "Big Six" studios. So when Huayi Brothers offered it to them, they had no choice but to take it!
Gu Bei stood beside Wang Zhongjun, barely managing to suppress his laughter.

This world is truly a giant makeshift operation!

Before he could even make a move against the enemy, they all rushed into the trap to their deaths.

After leaving the media,

Gu Bei then ignored Wang Zhongjun.
He walked into the back lounge and, upon seeing Liu Yifei and the others, shared with a smile, "Qianqian, I have something funny to tell you. Huayi just announced that they're going to enter Hollywood!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yifei pondered for a moment, then revealed an amused expression.

Even though she's currently acting as a hands-off manager, all information about Rose Pictures is publicly available to her, despite her being the owner of the company.
Under the influence of what one sees and hears,

She knew very well how many unfortunate people were hidden in Hollywood's agreements.

"Director Gu, shouldn't Huayi's foray into Hollywood be a very impressive thing?" Yang Mi asked, somewhat puzzled.

"That's pretty impressive, giving money away like that is certainly impressive!"

Gu Bei said lightly.

Then, he glanced at the time and said, "It's almost time, I'll head over now."

Upon seeing Gu Bei's departing figure,

Yang Mi gritted his teeth.

She said to Liu Yifei, "Qianqian, I'm going out for a bit."

Then she caught up with Gu Bei.

Shu Chang glanced at Yang Mi's figure suspiciously: "Could she be going to see Director Gu? Qianqian, aren't you worried?"

Liu Yifei looked at Shu Chang speechlessly and tapped Shu Chang's forehead with her fair finger: "You played such a clever little fox, why didn't your brain get any smarter?"

"How am I not smart?"

Shu Chang was somewhat unconvinced.

"The one who should be worried isn't me, it's you!" Liu Yifei said irritably.

In the corridor,
Yang Mi caught up, panting, "Director Gu!"

Gu Bei turned around and glanced at her, frowning slightly. "Is there something you need?"

"I……"

Yang Mi already had a plan in mind.

She originally planned to recount her experiences at Rong Xinda to evoke Gu Bei's sympathy, then casually mention her sisterly bond with Liu Yifei, and finally bring up the matter of joining Linlang Entertainment.

However, after seeing Gu Bei's indifferent eyes, she hesitated slightly and abandoned all her previous thoughts.

She stated very directly, "Linlang Entertainment currently only has two female artists. I want to join Linlang Entertainment. I am willing to put in several times the effort of others to make money for the company!"

"I reject!"

Gu Bei stated bluntly, "Linlang Entertainment already has two female artists of the same age, and we do not plan to sign any more artists with similar image."

Although Yang Mi, this workaholic, is indeed very good at making money.

But the other party also has great ambitions.
The more famous the other party is, the less money the company makes.
Moreover, if Linlang Entertainment has two top-tier actresses born in 85, Shu Chang and Yang Mi...
The company is likely to become a battleground between the two teams.

Most importantly, Gu Bei's special assistant, Li Wanyun, has already collected a large number of internet copyrights for classic films and television dramas for him. Linlang Video is coming soon. What's better than an artist agency than a platform?
After Gu Bei finished speaking,

Yang Mi was left alone, looking dazed.

Since Linlang Entertainment was no longer an option, the only recourse was to accept her former manager's invitation and try her luck in the Hong Kong entertainment circle.

The premiere of Starship began soon.
Compared to Huayi Brothers' premiere of "Kung Fu King," which was comparable to an awards ceremony,
The premiere of "Starry Night" hosted by China Film Group was fairly standard.
The main thing was that they invited a bunch of celebrities and big names to help them.
Then, some warm-up activities were held to start the show.
Play the movie again.
After the final screening, the main creators were invited back for an interview.

Moreover, since the premiere was held at Liu Yifei's alma mater, Beijing Film Academy, in addition to the celebrities in the first few rows, there were many students from Beijing Film Academy in the back.

"The first questioner is a young man from our Beijing Film Academy. Do you have any questions for Director Gu or Teacher Liu Yifei?"

The person chosen to ask the question was a boy with a buzz cut.
His opening remarks nearly made Gu Bei drop the microphone: "Hello, Director Gu, my name is Bi Zhifei. I would like to ask why your film is so loosely made and lacks any artistry?"

Artistic quality is all about circles and circles, right?

Gu Bei suppressed the urge to sing, then picked up the microphone: "I guess you haven't read the original novel, have you?"

Bi Zhifei nodded: "I read a bit, but I felt it had no literary merit, so I didn't continue reading."

"Novel adaptations can be categorized into several types: those that completely break down character relationships, those that retain most of the character relationships but rewrite some characters, and those that completely respect the original work."

Gu Bei naturally wouldn't argue with him about whether the book "Star Fortune" was good or not. He simply said, "The movie 'Star Fortune' is the last type. It completely respects the original work and is a film made for fans of the original."

The reason I was able to make films like *The Sound Engineer* and *Whiplash* is largely due to the fans who bought the book; this film is dedicated to them.

After a pause,

Gu Bei added with a smile, "Of course, an even more important reason is that I was twenty years old when I wrote this book and twenty-two years old when I made this movie. Two years is not enough time for me to have a completely new understanding of life and death."

If I were to remake *Star Trek* in twenty years, when I truly hear the footsteps of death, I might consider a completely new adaptation, incorporating my entirely new understanding.

"Clap clap clap!"

The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause.

Gu Bei's response thanked the original owner's fans for their support of his career, while also promising a remake of Star Fortune twenty years later, perfectly distorting Bi Zhifei's doubts about him.

Bi Zhifei held the microphone, hesitated for a while, and finally reluctantly handed it back.

If Gu Bei were to discuss filmmaking theories with him

He had a long speech in his mind, confident that he could defeat Gu Bei in a heated debate and become famous overnight.

However, Gu Bei's topic had nothing to do with creation, leaving him with nowhere to release his pent-up feelings and no room for attack.

"Our students at Beijing Film Academy ask such sharp questions!"

The host took control of the situation and, incidentally, brought Liu Yifei into the conversation, asking, "Ms. Liu Yifei, did you attend any premieres held on campus when you were still in school?"

"Of course I've participated! I've even seen senior students boo the film's creators off the stage!"

Liu Yifei replied with a smile, "I think it's normal for this kind of questioning to happen at Beijing Film Academy. Beijing Film Academy has always been a place with a lot of arguments, and everyone has made progress together through these arguments."

The host picked up the thread: "Ms. Liu Yifei spoke very well. Let's invite the next questioner, who is also a student from Beijing Film Academy, a young lady. Do you have any questions?"

Gu Bei and Liu Yifei looked down.

They hadn't realized that the second questioner was a ticking time bomb.
The female student from Beijing Film Academy held a phone in one hand and a microphone in the other: "Since we've brought up the topic of questioning, then I'll ask on behalf of Teacher Zhang Ziyi: Liu Yifei, did you get so many resources because of Director Gu?"

boom!
There was an uproar at the scene.

I thought Huayi's announcement of its foray into Hollywood was already big news.

But unexpectedly, the students from Beijing Film Academy were so helpful that they broke out an even bigger news story: Zhang Ziyi betrayed Gu Bei and questioned whether Liu Yifei obtained resources through Gu Bei's connections.

Before Gu Bei and Liu Yifei could react,

The female student dodged the security guard who tried to grab the microphone and continued speaking into the microphone: "I didn't just make this up! It's something that Ms. Zhang Ziyi said herself at the Perfect World roadshow this afternoon, and it's gone viral on Weibo!"

Gu Bei glanced at Liu Yifei beside him.
Although Liu Yifei looked somewhat surprised, she remained quite calm, seemingly already accustomed to being bombarded by negative news.

Even when she noticed Gu Bei's gaze, she still had the composure to give him a smile, a smile so skillful it was heartbreaking!
Gu Bei picked up the microphone, his mind racing, and said first, "I haven't seen the roadshow content you mentioned, nor have I heard Zhang Ziyi say anything to me."

However, there is a story I can share about Xingyun and Zhang Ziyi.
When the Star Project was launched, I went to find Xixi, and she happened to be with the Mei Lanfang film crew. Of course, I also ran into Zhang Ziyi.

When we were talking about the project, Zhang Ziyi asked me if there were any roles suitable for her. I did suggest that she play the role of Sisi's mother.

However, the two actresses were too close in age, so in the end, Yang Ziqiong was chosen to play Sissi's mother.

Gu Bei's story didn't have much effect.

Any journalist who wants to improve,
Everyone knows how to write something that gets more traffic.

The day after the premiere of Starship, the film, which had been showing in North America for two and a half months, still made the front page of newspapers.

In fact, the news was already on portal websites on the day of the premiere, not even until the next day.

It was also through news from portal websites.
Gu Bei only then learned about Zhang Ziyi's betrayal of him during the roadshow.

Of course, Zhang Ziyi isn't the only main character here.

(End of this chapter)