Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 694 I'm already grateful he didn't stab me in the back.

The Los Angeles sun was as blinding as ever.

Wearing sunglasses, Wu Chen walked out of the airport terminal, and a wave of heat hit him.

The Universal Pictures team was already waiting on the tarmac, all dressed in black suits, making quite a grand entrance.

Wu Chen had just sat in the extended Cadillac when his phone rang like a death knell.

It's Xu Dong.

"Boss! You're finally here! I can't hold on much longer!"

On the other end of the phone, Xu Dong's voice sounded as if he had just been pulled out of the water, filled with the relief of surviving a disaster. He then began to tell Wu Chen about the major events happening in China.

"Boss, what should we do? After the meeting, Ye Ning from Wanda asked me privately, 'Which side will we stand on?'"

Wu Chen's expression was strange.

"They haven't even decided which side Xingchen is on yet, and they've already invited you to the meeting?"

“Who says otherwise?” Xu Dong chuckled. “I guess he’s really afraid that you, boss, will side with Zhang Weiping.”

Wu Chen knew exactly what was going on.

To put it bluntly, this is just a fight between the production company and the theaters over their own profits; neither side can claim to be the noble one.

What do other people in the industry say?

"The production team doesn't seem very united; most of them are playing dead, and there's very little information."

Xu Dong reported.

"Independent producers like Fang Li did speak out, but their point was that they thought the film was good and could compete with theaters, just like haggling over prices when buying vegetables."

Oh, by the way, director Feng Xiaogang also stepped forward and posted on Weibo to support the production company.

"Heh, still fighting their own battles." Wu Chen curled his lip. "But that's normal, everyone's afraid of offending the theaters and getting their films retaliated against later."

"Alright, you keep at it with them for now, don't express your opinion. This matter won't be resolved so quickly, it's good for them to test each other's limits."

Wu Chen hung up the phone and smiled calmly.

Although Zhang Weiping is not very good at anything, and although he did this for his own benefit, objectively speaking, he did do something good for the entire film production industry.

But the thought that Zhang Weiping insisted on waiting until he boarded the plane before making his move made Wu Chen shake his head again.

"The vision is still too narrow."

If he could have teamed up with others beforehand, or contacted him, he might have been able to help him out.

But since things have come to this, I might as well become Zhang Weiping's employee; at least someone can play the villain.
Liu Yifei listened to the whole thing from the side, blinking her big, expressive eyes, silently asking him what he planned to do.

"Observe the situation and then make a final decision."

Wu Chen smiled at her.

That evening, Universal Pictures hosted a small welcome dinner for the creators of Interstellar at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills.

As soon as Matthew McConaughey saw Wu Chen, he gave him a big Texas-style hug.

"Hey, Wu! You've finally arrived! If you hadn't come, I would have thought you'd been abducted by aliens!"

"Matthew, what's with all those muscles?" Wu Chen patted his muscular arm and teased him with a smile, "I heard you took on a new role and lost dozens of pounds for it? How come you look even stronger than me now?"

"Oh, that damn Dallas Buyers Club!"

Matthew made an exaggerated expression, "For that role, I only ate one apple and a few slices of cucumber every day, and I felt like I was about to ascend to heaven."

Now that filming is finished, I need to quickly eat back the weight I gained!

Jessica Chastain also came over and greeted Wu Chen and Liu Yifei warmly.

The cast and crew reunited, and the atmosphere was very lively.

The next day, Universal arranged for them to participate in the recording of their own "The Tonight Show".

As one of the most popular talk shows in North America, The Tonight Show's influence is undeniable.

The appearance of Wu Chen, Liu Yifei, Matthew McConaughey, and Jessica Chastain together boosted the ratings that night.

Various anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories about the film's production spread throughout the United States through Jay Reno's humorous and witty remarks.

That very evening, various press releases were published.

[The creators of "Interstellar" appeared on "The Tonight Show," and Wu Chen revealed that the film will have "unprecedented" visual spectacles!]

Matthew McConaughey stated that Wu Chen is one of the best directors on the planet.

【.】

Meanwhile, in China, the battle between cinemas and Zhang Weiping had been completely ignited.

Eight major cinema chains jointly issued a strongly worded statement, declaring that they would never accept New Pictures' "unreasonable terms" and collectively refused to attend screenings of "The Flowers of War." They even went so far as to declare, "If we can't reach an agreement, we will refuse to screen the film!"

"A person who only makes one film a year needs to be clear about their own position!"

Zhang Weiping's side was not to be outdone and immediately retaliated through the media, and the two sides were completely at odds.

Even Wu Chen, far away in Hollywood, didn't have any peace and quiet. He frequently received inquiries from theater chains, and Ye Ning would often offer her comfort and support.

"Hey, Director Wu, things have been really tough for us theater owners lately with all this commotion."

Wu Chen smiled upon hearing this, knowing that Ye Ning was currently representing the cinema chain and had been testing his stance.
However, as the creators began to travel to various countries and cities and "Interstellar Day" approached, the popularity of "Interstellar" reached its peak.

This ten-minute IMAX exclusive clip is the second blockbuster film shot in native 3D worldwide, following Avatar.

Both ordinary viewers and production companies in the industry are keeping a close eye on the progress of this film.

However, Han Sanping couldn't sit still any longer.

Because Zhang Weiping has stirred up a lot of trouble in the industry, production companies and theater chains are almost at each other's throats.

"What exactly are you thinking on this side?"

After holding back for a long time, Han Sanping finally called Wu Chen.

“Chairman Han,” Wu Chen smiled, “China Film Group is the producer, the theater chain, and even the distributor. What do you think?”

Upon hearing this, Han Sanping fell silent.

"The development of our film industry is actually very unbalanced. Producers bear the greatest risks, but most of the time they can only make money through box office revenue sharing."

Raising the revenue-sharing ratio from 33% to 43% is already quite an achievement. However, the cinema industry is also a capital-intensive sector with significant fixed costs; it's not like Zhang Weiping described, where you can just set up a few chairs and make money effortlessly.

At this point, Han Sanping wanted to punch Zhang Weiping.

What kind of mouth do you have? There are only a few chairs in a movie theater. How could you say something like that? You're just asking for trouble.
"So, it's best to find a balance," Wu Chen said leisurely. "Each side should take a step back."

Han Sanping was slightly taken aback, but instantly understood. Although Wu Chen had been abroad these past few days, he must have been keeping a close eye on the situation on the mainland.

That's true. If Starry Night Pictures really spoke out, the theater owners would definitely have to sit down and have a proper talk, instead of it being like this now, like fighting cocks.

"Chairman Han, the bureau must also want to mediate, right?" Wu Chen's voice came through.

"Of course we want to, but someone has to speak up and get everyone to sit down."

Han Sanping's meaning is quite clear.

"Let Xu Dong represent me. I can't go back right now because I have to go to Europe for promotions. My proposal is to use a box office tiered revenue sharing model."

"A few hundred million in box office revenue, we used the new ratio; a few hundred million more, we'll use the old ratio. The higher the box office, the more the theaters earn, and they can accept that."

"Mainly Zhang Weiping's side."

“I’ll talk to him.” Wu Chen took the job directly.

He knew that if Han Sanping were to handle the conversation, Zhang Weiping's casual remark on the phone, "Zuo Shandiao," might steer the matter in a completely different direction.

Meanwhile, various domestic film production companies also had their own ideas.

Huayi Brothers, Wang Zhonglei and Wang Zhongjun are discussing it.

"Just let Xiao Gang say a few words on Weibo, don't really offend the cinemas," Wang Zhongjun instructed.

Wang Zhonglei nodded, then asked, "Brother, shouldn't we take this opportunity to do something? This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance!"

"The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. Why should we be the nail?" Wang Zhongjun snorted. "Whoever takes the lead should bear the consequences. We'll just shout a few words from behind."

Wang Zhonglei immediately understood that it was better to fish in troubled waters, so that he could both make a living and please both sides.

Bona's Yu Dong clearly has the same plan.

When Zhang Weiping received Wu Chen's overseas call, he was initially a little flustered, thinking that Wu Chen was going to interfere and oppose him.

After listening to Wu Chen's proposal and hanging up the phone, he started cursing and swearing in his office.

"Damn it! He's reaping the benefits without lifting a finger! This guy is so damn cunning!"

Zhang Weiping unleashed a barrage of attacks on Zhang Yi.

"Yi, you must stay away from this kid from now on! I've played the good cop, I've played the sinner, damn it, in the end I've made him happy!"

Zhang Yimou stood to the side, looking helpless.

“I already told you, you don’t have to avoid Wu Chen. Maybe if you talk to him, things will go more smoothly.”

"Someone like him?" Zhang Weiping scoffed.

"I'm already grateful he didn't stab me in the back!"

(End of this chapter)