It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 220 The Vision of an Eastern Disney! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"This morning, the Film Bureau issued a notice that the science fiction script 'Pacific Rim,' written and directed by Lü Rui, has successfully passed the review."

"It is reported that Pacific Rim tells the story of a giant monster from another world emerging from a cave on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and attacking a series of cities along the Pacific Rim..."

To defend against their attacks, humanity launched a military program called "The Hunters," forming an army equipped with cutting-edge technology to fight these monsters.

"Reveal Technology has announced: Pacific Rim has been officially greenlit today; the film's estimated production cost is $2 million!"

"The film's casting plans have not yet been announced. Please stay tuned..."

...

Unsurprisingly, when the announcements of Pacific Rim's approval and project launch hit the market, the previously wildly popular Soldier Sortie was completely forgotten by netizens.

Films like Feng Xiaogang's 1.2 million yuan investment in "The Banquet," Zhang Yimou's 3.6 million yuan production of "Curse of the Golden Flower," and even the big-budget Hong Kong film "Dragon Tiger Gate" instantly became "the worst of the worst."

This news has completely dominated the discussion in the film and television industry!
All analyses of other works pale in comparison at this moment!

This shock caught Zhang Weiping, who had been making a lot of noise recently, completely off guard.

Just two weeks ago, he made a bold statement in front of the media, saying, "Among domestic directors, Zhang Yimou is the only one who truly understands and can carry a big production."

In his eyes, Lu Rui's "Taken," which cost 1 million RMB, was not a real big-budget production at all.

Only epic works like "Hero" that cost 3 million yuan and shook the global market, or projects like "Curse of the Golden Flower" that cost 3.6 million yuan, created audiovisual spectacle, and burned through 6500 million yuan on promotion alone, deserve the title of big-budget production.

At that time, he was very convinced that Zhang Yimou's "historical blockbuster + all-star + high marketing" model was the only way to break the deadlock in Chinese cinema.

But today, the figure of "2 million US dollars" hit him like a heavy hammer, leaving him completely stunned.

At this moment, a new scene appears.

Zhang Weiping sat in his office, repeatedly refreshing the official announcements from Ruishijie, his right hand trembling uncontrollably.

"Curse of the Golden Flower," which grossed 3.6 million RMB, is already what he calls the ceiling for domestic films.

The $2 million budget for Pacific Rim is equivalent to nearly 17 billion RMB, almost five times that of Curse of the Golden Flower!
What alarmed him even more was that the money was not going to be spent on the period drama genre he was used to, but on hard science fiction, a genre that almost no one in China dared to touch!
Lü Rui is actually going to make a brand new movie genre where "giant monsters" fight against "top-tech military"!

The assistant then pushed open the door and walked in, carefully approaching him and handing him a report of industry data that he had requested to be collected.

"Chairman Zhang, last year the average investment per film in the entire mainland film industry was less than 1000 million US dollars. Director Lü has directly raised the bar to 2 million US dollars..."

Zhang Weiping did not respond.

He suddenly realized that all his previous arguments about "big-budget production standards" had become a joke.

Before this, he always thought that having Zhang Yimou in his hands was equivalent to holding the key to wealth in Chinese-language cinema.

But Lü Rui's move directly defied the rules of the game he had set.

This isn't catching up; it's clearly starting on a completely new track!

He stared at the words "2 million US dollars" for a long time before finally managing to utter, "This kid... is trying to drag Chinese films directly into the Hollywood way of doing things!"

Seeing Zhang Weiping's furrowed brows, the assistant cautiously pressed, "So... will 'Pacific Rim' be a success?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Weiping remained silent for a long time, and finally shook his head, his tone full of confusion: "You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"

He knew better than anyone else that what he and Zhang Yimou had been chasing all these years was, in the end, Li An's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," which was filmed in 2000.

The two have always wanted to use their story, packaged with Eastern aesthetics, to compete for international awards.

Even their focus is either on the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film or competing for a few technical awards; they're just going around in circles within the same framework.

But he wouldn't even dare to think about the kind of thing that Pacific Rim did, which involved spending $2 million on hard science fiction. So where would he get the confidence to judge its success or failure?

In his view, the "ceiling" of Chinese-language films is ancient costume spectacle like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".

On the other hand, Lü Rui's move had already gone beyond what he could understand!
At the same time, not only Zhang Weiping's side, but also many other film crews were in an uproar!

The news of the "Pacific Rim" project being greenlit was like a bomb dropped into the domestic film and television industry, sparking heated discussions:
"Holy crap? Lü Rui actually dares to make a big-budget sci-fi production?"

"Wow, this is what you call a big production! All the things we prepared before were just small fry!"

"Chinese-language films making sci-fi? What a joke! Special effects, script, world-building—how can they compare to Hollywood? They'd go bankrupt!"

"Whether we'll make a profit or not is hard to say, but we definitely can't rely solely on the domestic market! With a budget of $2 million, the domestic box office will at most only bring in a few hundred million. If we don't target the global market, we're doomed."

"Looking at it this way, Director Feng is too stingy. The investment in 'The Banquet' is only 1.2 million RMB, which is nothing compared to the 2 million USD. It probably won't have any amazing effects."

Feng Xiaogang was once again caught in the crossfire, feeling both angry and powerless, yet he didn't even have the will to refute it.

There was nothing he could do; faced with the figure of "2 million US dollars," he felt completely weak.

Compare?
Compare it to what?

Even if Huayi Brothers supported him, it would be impossible for them to come up with $2 million to let him make a movie.

This level of investment has long exceeded the capacity of domestic private film and television companies.

He didn't even have the courage to daydream, because doing too much of that can easily lead to mental illness.

Meanwhile, in a bustling corner of the film and television industry, Chen Kaige remained unusually low-key.

He didn't participate in any discussions about "Pacific Rim," but quietly had his team send the newly polished Peking Opera script "Mei Lanfang" to the Film Bureau for review.

Compared to Lü Rui's ambition to conquer the world, he now prefers to calm down and focus on his work.

The film "The Promise" was a box office and critical failure, and his dream of making big-budget films was completely shattered in a short period of time.

Now, he only wants to use a work that focuses on Peking Opera masters to regain the glory and brilliance of the "Farewell My Concubine" era!
As for the rest, let's wait until he wins another Palme d'Or before we talk about that.

He is determined to take back what he lost in the past, tenfold this time!

……

The main entrance of Ruishijie's company was completely blocked by a swarm of media reporters.

Camera lenses and voice recorders were all pointed at the doorway.

Even though the security guards on duty downstairs tried their best to stop them, they couldn't stop the reporters' enthusiasm to ask questions about "Pacific Rim".

After all, this is a $2 million sci-fi blockbuster, unprecedented in the Chinese film industry, and everyone wants to be the first to know!
Unfortunately, all the reporters came up empty-handed.

With the boss not home, Hou Hongliang had no choice but to step in.

Faced with a barrage of questions such as "Who are the candidates for the role in Pacific Rim?", "How will the $2 million budget be allocated?", and "When will filming begin?", he spread his hands, looking utterly helpless.

“This project is really not under my jurisdiction. There’s no use in you blocking the way here. Chairman Lü hasn’t been to the company for the past few days… How would I know where he went? He’s the boss, but I’m not his boss. I can’t keep an eye on him every day, can I?”

The reporters refused to believe it, but they waited until dark without seeing any sign of Lü Rui, and had no choice but to leave disappointed.

In fact, his phone was not turned off, nor was he deliberately avoiding anyone; he had genuinely gone out to "conduct research."

No matter who calls to ask about the project's progress, his excuse is always that he's out looking for inspiration, doing research, and refining the project proposal.

"This won't do! It's been a month, and the project proposal is still not finished? You need to be more efficient! You're so young, why are you procrastinating like this? You should learn from Zhang Yimou. Look how tightly he kept track of the schedule when he was filming 'Curse of the Golden Flower'!"

"..."

Holding his phone, Lü Rui listened to Han Sanping's words and was speechless for a moment.

Compared to Zhang Yimou?
Are you kidding me?
That guy is a well-known "workaholic," a "workhorse" among directors in the industry. He's always either making movies or thinking about movies, working almost non-stop without a break.

But he is different.

With two companies, Ruishijie and Ruixing Cinema Line, in his hands, as well as a large number of invested companies, he has to keep an eye on them from time to time. How could he possibly devote himself to one project like Zhang Yimou?

"I'll do it as soon as possible, Mr. Han. Please don't rush. Slow and steady wins the race."

After a brief, perfunctory reply, Lü Rui quickly hung up the phone.

Actually, he wasn't lying. He really wasn't in the capital right now, and he was indeed "conducting research."

However, the research subject wasn't some sci-fi mecha, but rather a newly acquired movie theater.

During this period, he and Zhou Haoran visited all the cinemas they had acquired shares in, checking their operations firsthand. The cinemas they took over from Warner Bros. were currently experiencing stable customer traffic and the equipment was functioning normally, so there was basically nothing to worry about.

The cinema project, a collaboration with Jinyi Cinema, has been under construction smoothly since the funding was secured, with workers busily working on the site every day.

The next key tasks are, firstly, building new cinemas, and secondly, renovating and acquiring existing cinemas.

However, neither of these tasks is progressing very quickly.

Building a cinema inevitably involves negotiating partnerships with commercial entities, either by collaborating with real estate developers building commercial complexes or by purchasing properties directly.

Then comes signing contracts and going through approval processes; each step is incredibly complicated and can't be rushed.

Lu Rui specifically instructed Zhou Haoran: "First, take over those poorly managed old cinemas and focus on upgrading and renovating them."

As for the construction of the new cinema, we can proceed steadily without rushing the process. The market is only so big, and we've already taken the first step; we have plenty of time to expand gradually.

"Yes, Chairman Lü."

Zhou Haoran naturally understood what to do.

Previously, the team had worked out a complete plan after discussions.

For standard cinemas in second-tier cities, it would be best to cooperate directly with major commercial entities, with all parties holding shares together.

At worst, they could buy property and build their own multi-purpose cinema.

For high-end cinemas in first-tier cities, it's a bit more complicated, since the scale of investment in cinemas is large and requires a lot of capital.

Even so, it still has to be built.

First-tier or future new first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Tianjin, and Hangzhou should not be overlooked.

Anyway, we should act early, acquire the land first, and then take our time with the rest.

...

After nearly a week of traveling around, Lü Rui finally returned to the capital.

Then, he immediately went to see the land he had bought from Chen Jingfei for 2 million yuan.

Standing at the entrance of the construction site and looking into the distance, the construction of Ruixing Industrial Park has already taken a rough shape.

The most eye-catching thing is the company building where the foundation is being poured.

Even before construction began, Lü Rui had already finalized the plans and arrangements with the designers.

Ruixing Group's office building, Ruishijie's independent office building, animation department, and post-production center—each business segment needs its own dedicated space.

Unfortunately, due to funding constraints, construction can only be carried out in phases, and it cannot be completed in one go.

"We'll also need to add an office building for Ruixing Cinemas here in the future, along with a flagship cinema..."

Lu Rui pointed to a corner of the construction site and muttered to Zhou Haoran, "Our own movie premiere can be held in our own cinema, saving us the trouble of borrowing venues from others. Isn't that great?"

However, as soon as he finished speaking, he couldn't help but sigh.

To achieve these things, you still need money, and even more money!
He suddenly realized that the more money he earned, the bigger the deficit became, as if no matter how much he earned, it was never enough.

"Alas, if you don't work hard when you're young, you'll regret it when you're old. I'm still too poor now, I have to work hard."

Lu Rui stood at the dusty entrance of the construction site, sighing earnestly.

Zhou Haoran, standing to the side, kept his head down and didn't say a word, but he couldn't help feeling a surge of unease inside!

At 24, with a net worth of over 50 billion according to Forbes, he topped the list of income among post-80s celebrities. Is this what you call "too poor"?
What else do you want?

Are you even letting other people your age live?
At the same time, Liang Lulu, the secretary next to her, secretly looked up at the sky and couldn't help but roll her eyes.

The smug aura emanating from her boss at these times was so intense and provocative that she sometimes found it hard to bear.

……

After leaving Ruixing Industrial Park, Lü Rui did not rush back to the company, but instead took a detour to visit several companies in which he had invested.

At Tudou.com, Wang Wei is busy preparing for the second round of financing, with his office piled high with financial statements and financing plans.

When he saw Lü Rui coming over, he even pulled him aside to analyze user growth data, his words full of anticipation for the future.

Regarding the second round of financing, Ruixing Group will definitely participate; the next step is to see what price Tudou will offer.

Immediately afterwards, Lü Rui flew to Hengdian.
The main building of the Ruishijie Hengdian Production Center, built with an investment of tens of millions of yuan, has now been completed.

The workers are currently busy with interior decoration, and it will be officially put into use in about two months.

At that time, whether it's a film crew coming to shoot a movie, actors training, equipment storage, or even temporarily using it as a hotel to accommodate staff, everything can be solved in one stop, which is very convenient.

After that, he visited several other animation companies that he had invested in.

Blue Arc Culture and Guangdong Wingsound are working together to produce two new "GG Bond" games, and a sample of "Jelly Trio" has also been released.

Following the immense popularity of "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf," Original Force launched "The Great Battle of the Strange World," meticulously crafting both the script and visuals.

Ruosen is still deeply involved in technology and is currently trying new animation rendering methods.

Meanwhile, Vismei Pictures was simultaneously airing "Spicy Little Darlings" and pushing forward the production of "Tico Winter Edition" and "Cool Cube".

As for the headquarters of Ruiyue Animation, the production of "Qin's Moon: The Night Ends and the Dawn Begins" is currently half completed.

Everything is progressing smoothly.

But after going around in circles, Lü Rui discovered a problem.

Although these animated works are very popular with both children and adults and have good viewership ratings, the copyright fees sold to TV stations can only cover the production costs at most, and it is almost impossible to make a lot of money from them.

This also exposed the shortcomings of these companies: their profit channels are too singular!

Aside from content streaming, there are almost no other sources of income.

Even if they did exist, those pirates would have messed things up so badly that it would be impossible to earn a commensurate profit.

Sitting in the car on his way back to the company, Lü Rui stared at the street scenes flashing past the window, and the image of Disneyland suddenly flashed through his mind.

He subconsciously wondered how Disney made so much money from animation.

After careful reflection and analysis, he discovered that Disney's success is not just about the distribution of movies and TV series, but more importantly, about the subsequent copyright management!

They license their characters to toy manufacturers to make dolls, collaborate with children's clothing brands to create co-branded apparel, and even build theme parks to provide visitors with immersive experiences...

Thinking of this, Lü Rui's eyes lit up, and at the same time, a bold idea popped into his mind:

“I now have existing IPs like ‘GG Bond’ and ‘Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf,’ as well as film and television production and theatrical/platform distribution channels. If I can integrate these resources, could I create an ‘Oriental Disney’?”

Once the idea popped into my head, I couldn't suppress it.
First, establish the copyright operation of the animation IP, then gradually expand to derivative products and offline activities. Once the IP's influence is large enough, you can even consider building a theme park.

This not only solves the problem of animation companies' difficulty in making a profit, but also forms a complete closed loop from content to consumption, which is much more promising than just selling broadcasting rights!

While devising this plan, Lü Rui also thought of the "Kung Fu Panda" movie project.

Several months have passed, and Peter Griffin's work abroad is progressing very well.

The company has moved to a new office location, and the framework for the animation and special effects departments has been successfully established. Personnel and equipment are being gradually added.

It's time to go to Hollywood again and reorganize the resources.

But just then, the phone in my hand suddenly rang.

Lu Rui glanced at the caller ID, a smile playing on his lips, and pressed the answer button: "Hello?"

A clear, sweet voice came through the phone: "Senior, do you have time tomorrow? Uncle Jiang's 'The Sun Also Rises' is showing tomorrow, shall we go see it together?"

(End of this chapter)