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

Chapter 222 Share Allocation... A windfall from heaven, an absolute steal! (6000 words, please vote!)

"The Sun Also Rises, a drama film co-produced by Yinghuang, Taihe Films and Buyilehu Pictures, directed by and starring Jiang Wen, with Chen Chong, Zhou Yun, Jaycee Chan, Cui Jian and others in supporting roles, grossed 433 million yuan on its opening day."

"After interviewing several audience members, reporters found that 'obscure and difficult to understand' has once again become a major label for Jiang Wen's films..."

"Huayi has announced a series of good news: following Fan Bingbing and Li Bingbing, and Zhou Xun, the artist management department has added two more powerful talents, Huang Xiaoming and Deng Chao, who have officially joined the team."

"Zhang Jizhong Studio and Huayi Brothers Pictures jointly announced that they will reach a strategic alliance cooperation."

...

As the new day begins, the release of "The Sun Also Rises" unsurprisingly dominates entertainment news and becomes the focus of heated discussion across the internet.

When Lü Rui turned on his computer in the morning, he casually browsed the movie review section and the discussions on social media.

He soon discovered that the netizens' comments were almost identical to the conclusions he had drawn after watching the film the day before.

The film received extremely polarized reviews.

A small number of viewers who understood the film's metaphors hailed it as a "masterpiece," analyzing its cinematic language frame by frame on online forums, their words filled with praise.

However, many ordinary viewers said they were completely confused.

Even though I was staring at the screen the whole time, I had no idea what the story was about. It felt like the screen was full of cryptic and pretentious nonsense.

Some people even joked that after watching it, they went to Tudou.com to look up the analysis, but the more they watched, the more confused they became.

The words "obscure and difficult to understand" have once again firmly stuck to the label of Jiang Wen's films, and cannot be removed.

Lu Rui closed the webpage, understanding dawning on him.

This result was exactly what he expected.

Jiang Wen had clearly foreseen this situation.

Faced with external controversy, he neither gave interviews to explain nor spoke out on social media, completely adopting a "let nature take its course" attitude.

After all, some things can't be said outright.

Especially the metaphors about the "sun" in the film; if they were to be pointed out, who knows what trouble it might cause.

He doesn't want to go through the experience of being banned from directing for five years again.

More importantly, the film had already sold its overseas rights at Cannes, and with the domestic investment sharing the costs, it had already recouped its expenses long ago.

It would be good if he could make more money at the box office, but even if the box office performance falters later, it wouldn't be a big deal for him.

With this in mind, he simply gave up on publicity altogether, spending all his time by his wife's side, single-mindedly waiting for the baby's due date, and devoting all his energy to his family.

As for the ups and downs of box office revenue and public opinion controversies, he no longer cares about them as much as he used to.

Beyond the controversy surrounding "The Sun Also Rises," the actions of Huayi Brothers have also attracted considerable attention.

Following the signing of Fan Bingbing, Li Bingbing, and Zhou Xun, Huayi Brothers Media Corporation has officially announced the addition of Huang Xiaoming and Deng Chao, further strengthening its star-studded lineup.

Following this, Zhang Jizhong's studio and Huayi Brothers Media jointly announced a strategic alliance to jointly develop television drama projects in the future.

A series of actions further enhanced Huayi's influence in the film and television industry.

No one expected that the two Wang brothers would have such skills!
Last year, Wang Jinghua led a large number of artists away, almost draining half of Huayi Brothers' brokerage business and severely damaging the company.

But just one year later, they revitalized the brokerage department.

While attracting a host of popular artists, the company also signed many talented actors from Hong Kong and Taiwan, managing to stabilize its struggling agency business and even making it more successful than before.

Such ability has earned the secret admiration of many in the industry.

But behind the excitement, the doubts have never stopped.

Many experts and professors in the film and television industry have publicly analyzed at industry forums that:
"Huayi has not produced many blockbuster film and television works in recent years. It relies on signed artists to maintain its image. It may seem powerful, but it is likely to be all show and no substance."

These voices were like a bucket of cold water, poured directly onto Wang Zhongjun's long-planned "listing plan".

If the company were to go public at this critical juncture, it would likely be accused of "raising funds for personal gain," and its image would inevitably be affected.

As a result, the upcoming films "The Banquet" and "Rob-B-Hood" have become Huayi Brothers' "lifeline".

These two movies must be huge hits, and at the same time, they need to boost the company's reputation to pave the way for an IPO.

This is why Wang Zhonglei has been frequently appearing in interviews with various media outlets in recent days, his words brimming with ambition:

"In the future, Huayi will not only expand its domestic film and television industry, but also adhere to its plan to export its films overseas..."

We're going to collaborate with Hollywood and go international! Not just as investors, we'll participate in production and even launch Sino-US co-productions. Stay tuned…”

This is not just empty talk.

When reporters pressed for details about the plans, he didn't keep it completely to himself and revealed that the company had already started preparations for a Sino-US co-production fantasy kung fu film.

However, he refused to say more about the actors, plot, or other details, citing that "the project is still in the confidential stage."

However, when these messages reached Lü Rui's eyes, he already had an answer.

If I'm not mistaken, the co-production project Wang Zhonglei mentioned should be "The Forbidden Kingdom," a film that Jackie Chan and Li Lianjie collaborated on in their previous life.

He remembers clearly that when the film was being prepared and started filming, it made a huge splash with the gimmick of "the first collaboration between two kung fu superstars", and the media coverage was overwhelming!
However, when it was actually released, the results were not satisfactory.

The plot is loose and the logic is weak... Even with the support of two kung fu stars, the box office and word-of-mouth can only be described as "a matter of opinion," and it fell far short of the expected blockbuster effect.

"It's not going to be easy to open up the international market with a co-production that's more about hype than substance."

Looking at Wang Zhonglei's confident demeanor in the news, Lü Rui shook his head inwardly.

Hua Yi was far too eager to prove herself.

However, the film and television industry ultimately depends on the quality of the works themselves; relying solely on "big moves" and "gimmicks" may not lead to long-term success.

However, to his surprise, while Wang Zhonglei's "bragging" interview clips were being played online, he himself quietly went to Ruishijie.

When he knocked and came in, the sharp edge he had shown during the interview was gone from his face; instead, he had a polite smile on his face.

"Chairman Lü, busy?" Wang Zhonglei said, placing the two exquisitely packaged boxes of tea he was carrying on the table.

"Oh? What a rare guest! What brings you here, Mr. Wang?" Lu Rui stood up to greet him.

"Actually, it's nothing much. I just wanted to talk to you about Pacific Rim. Do you think... Huayi Brothers can help in any way?"

My family knows their own affairs.

Wang Zhonglei knew exactly what was going on.

The outside world says that Huayi is "strong on the outside but weak on the inside," and that's not entirely wrong.

The film and television industry is too risky. Whether an investment project can make money depends entirely on luck, and losing money is the norm.

Many small companies may struggle for years without being able to produce a theatrical film.

Just like in 2005, although the mainland produced more than 260 films, an increase of more than 40% compared to 2004, breaking the production record of 170 films in 1992, only about 50 of them actually dared to be released in theaters.

In contrast, Ruishijie's films released in theaters from last year to this year have all grossed less than 1 million yuan, and its total annual box office has consistently ranked first in the industry!

With such strength, how could Huayi not be envious?

Therefore, currying favor with Rui Vision and cooperating with Lü Rui has long been an important strategic plan for Huayi over the next two years.

Including the previous initiative to give shares to Lü Rui, it's clear that he wanted to latch onto this "big shot" and ask him to lead the company to success, thus stabilizing the company's current situation.

To put it bluntly, if Lü Rui were to open a harem at Huayi Brothers' agency now, Wang Zhonglei would demand that numerous actresses wash themselves clean and strip naked, allowing him to choose freely.

How would you like to help?

Lü Rui leaned back in his office chair, watching him with a leisurely air.

"Tell me how you want to help, and I'll help you however you want!" Wang Zhonglei patted his chest, ready to go to great lengths for his brother. "As long as Huayi can get a share of 'Pacific Rim,' everything else is negotiable. Huayi will provide money and manpower without hesitation!"

"Haha, alright, it's rare to see Mr. Wang being so generous, then I won't stand on ceremony."

Lu Rui wasn't embarrassed at all and immediately said, "This project needs a lot of behind-the-scenes staff, such as stagehands, props team, and post-production support team."

"Doesn't Huayi have a well-established team? They could lend a hand and help relieve some of my pressure."

"Sure! No problem!"

Wang Zhonglei agreed without hesitation.

As long as he can ride the coattails of Pacific Rim's popularity and secure a share of the project, he'd be willing to send his team to help, or even have his subordinates do the unpaid labor.

The subsequent negotiations were exceptionally friendly.

Under the pretext of "wanting people," Lü Rui managed to extract a lot of good things from Hua Yi.

Not only did they bring in two experienced prop teams, but they also "borrowed" a senior producer to coordinate matters at the filming locations.

His idea was that once the movie was finished, he could simply keep the person there if necessary.

People strive for higher positions, just as water flows downhill; his forte is poaching talent with money.

Wang Zhonglei, on the other hand, smiled throughout the entire process, hoping to finalize the share allocation as soon as possible.

Finally, Lü Rui relented and gave Huayi a 5% share of the project.

This 5% may not seem like much, but when converted, it amounts to $1000 million, or about 8300 million RMB!

For Huayi, this is already the maximum investment they've made.

Firstly, the company currently does not have sufficient internal working capital and cannot come up with more money.

Secondly, the $2 million investment was too daunting, and Wang Zhonglei was unsure of himself. He was afraid the film would flop and he wouldn't be able to recoup his costs, so he could only choose a "safe" share first and dared not gamble too much.

Thirdly, Huayi Brothers does indeed need to launch a Sino-foreign co-production project, which requires financial support, so they need to be cautious.

When he saw Wang Zhonglei off, Lü Rui couldn't help but smile at the way Wang Zhonglei looked so pleased with himself.

Hua Yi's eagerness for stability actually allowed him to easily acquire a wave of resources and also gain a personal favor.

This deal wasn't a bad one.

...

There are quite a few people keeping an eye on Pacific Rim right now.

The news of Wang Zhonglei's appearance at Ruishijie spread quickly, which resulted in Ruishijie's conference room being packed with representatives from various investors early the next morning.

Han Sanping from China Film Group, Ren Zhonglun from Shanghai Film Group, Zhang Piming from Xi'an Film Group, Ye Ning from Wanda Group, Wang Changtian from Enlight Media... even Dong Ping, who hasn't been seen in a long time, came.

Clearly, everyone wants a piece of the pie from this $2 million project.

Lu Rui gathered everyone together, laid out the project proposal, and got straight to the point: "Everyone knows the unique nature of science fiction. Although we can complete some location shooting and live-action filming domestically, the post-production special effects must be done in Hollywood. Therefore, the $2 million budget is not only indispensable, but it may also need to be increased depending on the complexity of the special effects..."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone else lowered their heads to flip through the project proposal, calculating the investment and risks.

Han Sanping's eyes, however, were frighteningly bright!
There's no way around it; he just has a penchant for projects with "high investment and large production value," and the more money he spends, the more excited he gets.

Before anyone could speak, he slammed his fist on the table: "China Film Group, take 20% first! I'll coordinate the resources. I can mobilize all the staff at Beijing Film Studio. From location approval to equipment support, I'll give you the green light all the way, and we won't delay the schedule at all..."

The fact that they could take more than 3 million RMB without hesitation demonstrates the confidence of this leading state-owned enterprise.

Lu Rui felt nothing but admiration.

Before Han Sanping could finish speaking, Ren Zhonglun interrupted, "Shanghai Film Studio can also get 20%! Pacific Rim needs to film the ocean and mechs. I'll coordinate the ports and industrial areas around Shanghai to ensure smooth filming."

As for the design of robots and monsters, I've got the professors from the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts helping out; they're guaranteed to produce masterpieces..."

“You two,” Lu Rui interrupted, raising his hand with a wry smile, “I know that China Film Group and Shanghai Film Group have strong financial resources, but 20% is too much. We can only give you 10% at most.”

This project requires support from multiple sources, and I need to bring in more investors and integrate resources to move it forward.

Han Sanping and Ren Zhonglun exchanged a glance, but didn't hesitate for long, and nodded in agreement.

For them, whether the investment is profitable or not is actually secondary.

After all, being able to participate in China's first $2 million sci-fi blockbuster is more valuable than simply making money, both in terms of promoting the film and television industry and enhancing one's own political achievements.

A 10% share is enough to achieve this goal.

On Xi'an Film Studio's side, Zhang Piming looked somewhat troubled.

After all, Xi'an Film Studio has been short of funds in recent years and is struggling to make ends meet, with very little working capital.

But missing out on this project would be such a shame.

It was not easy to connect with Ruishijie. If the cooperation is broken now, it will take a lot of effort to get on board in the future.

After thinking about this, Zhang Piming finally gritted his teeth and made the decision: "Xi'an Film Studio will take 5%. We can do our best to coordinate the filming locations around Xi'an and provide some experienced production staff."

Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse; if Xi'an Film Studio really goes all out, it can still pull out quite a few good things.

As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Ning took a different approach: "We can't invest too much money right now, but Wanda is pushing forward with the IMAX giant screen plan. In the future, IMAX theaters across the country can give priority to screenings of 'Pacific Rim'."

Furthermore, we can cover all the promotional resources for the cinemas, in exchange for just 5% of the market share.

Lü Rui readily agreed.

Wanda's current cinema resources are crucial to the later box office performance of a film, making this exchange worthwhile.

Filming is expected to begin in the second half of the year, and the movie won't be released until at least 08.

By then, Wanda will be able to provide far more help than it does now.

However, in the conference room, some people were smug while others were worried.

Bona was previously excluded from the discussion because of a disagreement with Ruishijie regarding their cooperation.

Yinghuang didn't even bother to get involved, probably because they felt that a $2 million project was simply out of their reach.

Right now, as long as we make a good film of "New World", everything else will be fine.

Only Dong Ping sat in the corner, his face full of helplessness.

He was indeed keen to gain market share, but the Hong Kong and Taiwan resources that he had relied on for survival over the years were becoming increasingly useless with the rise of Ruishijie.

Whether it's coordinating with Hollywood special effects teams or arranging filming locations in China, Ruishijie can handle everything on its own and doesn't need his help at all.

Therefore, he could only watch the opportunity slip away and sigh in vain.

Apart from him, Wang Changtian didn't say much from beginning to end, but he kept his eyes fixed on Lü Rui.

No one knew that he had already made up his mind.

He absolutely has to get this share today, and it has to be no less than that of China Film Group and Shanghai Film Group!

After the other investors left one after another, Wang Changtian did not rush to leave, but followed Lü Rui straight into the office.

"Chairman Wang, is there anything else?"

As soon as Lü Rui sat down behind his desk, he saw Wang Changtian standing opposite him, looking even more solemn than he had in the conference room.

"Chairman Lü, I'd like to discuss something with you privately." Wang Changtian got straight to the point.

Lu Rui pointed to the sofa opposite him: "Sit down, and tell me slowly."

He had a vague guess in his mind that it was probably still about the share of "Pacific Rim".

After all, Wang Changtian hadn't mentioned any conditions during the meeting.

But he didn't expect Wang Changtian's next words to be so direct.

After sitting down, he made an outrageous demand: "Chairman Lü, Enlight Media wants a 10% share of the Pacific Rim project."

"10%?"

Lu Rui frowned slightly, somewhat surprised.

Enlight Media has indeed been very strong in its promotional channels on terrestrial television over the years. It has achieved almost full coverage of film and television drama advertisements and trailer releases on hundreds of local television stations across the country, which has been very helpful in the early promotion of "Pacific Rim".

Even so, exchanging promotional resources for a 10% market share is still not enough.

10% corresponds to $2000 million, which is about 1.6 million RMB. Relying solely on advertising channels cannot support this price.

His original idea was to give Enlight Media a 5% investment share and let them be responsible for some of the ground promotion, so that it would be an equal exchange.

Before Lü Rui could finish speaking, Wang Changtian changed the subject, his tone becoming firm: "Publicity resources are an additional condition. My main intention is to exchange 10% of Enlight Media's shares for this 10% share."

"what?"

Lu Rui's eyes widened suddenly, his face showing even greater surprise.

In 2006, Enlight Media, though not yet listed on the stock exchange, was already experiencing rapid growth.

Not only does it firmly hold the top position in the industry in terms of terrestrial television advertising channels, but its entertainment programs such as "Entertainment Live" cover the whole country, and it can also make a lot of money every year by distributing TV dramas. It is recognized in the industry as a "cash cow".

Why would Wang Changtian be willing to give up 10% of the shares of such a well-run company, which is not short of money or resources, in exchange for a share of a film project?

Are you kidding me?
He quickly started calculating in his mind.

The initial investment in Huayi was primarily driven by its brokerage business and industry connections, a "short-term arbitrage" consideration, with the possibility of profiting from the share price difference later.

In any case, the remaining 8% of shares will definitely have to be sold off, otherwise they'll be stuck with them.

But investing in light is different.

Enlight Media's terrestrial television channels are a "unique weapon," and in the future, whether it's making movies or TV series, promotion will be indispensable.

Holding a 10% stake in Enlight Media would be equivalent to having a promising publicity channel firmly in one's hands.

This is absolutely a win-win situation that guarantees a profit!

In fact, Lu Rui had considered investing in Enlight Media before, but Enlight Media has always been operating stably, neither raising funds nor expanding its share capital. He couldn't just rashly go to their door and say, "I want to invest," could he?

That would be too likely to cause resentment and could even damage the relationship between the two parties.

Unexpectedly, Wang Changtian brought it up today, which is like a windfall!

"How did you come up with the idea of ​​exchanging shares for more shares?" Lu Rui suppressed his excitement and asked as calmly as possible.

Wang Changtian was quite frank, sighing as he said, "Enlight Media has always focused on television and distribution, and film has always been a weak point for them."

The film and television industry is increasingly emphasizing the entire chain of 'investment + production + distribution,' so I want to use the 'Pacific Rim' project to officially enter the film industry, and also to find a new growth point for the company.

At this point, he looked at Lü Rui with a hint of sincerity: "Rui Vision's strength in film production is obvious to all. I feel at ease working with you, and it will also help me avoid some detours."

If we can form an alliance, I hope Mr. Lü will offer his guidance and support in the future if I encounter any difficulties in the film industry.

That's it!

Lu Rui understood perfectly. Wang Changtian wanted to ride the coattails of the popularity of "Pacific Rim" to secure a share of a major project and establish a connection with Enlight Media, paving the way for Enlight Media's film business...

Clearly, this is a move aimed at maintaining stability.

He immediately laughed and extended his hand, saying, "Chairman Wang, you're too kind. It's not a matter of 'helping' you. From now on, we're partners, and it's only right that we help each other out."

"I'll trade 10% of our shares for a 10% stake in 'Pacific Rim.' I've agreed!"

Wang Changtian breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he had agreed: "Then I thank Chairman Lü in advance. I will have my legal department contact you as soon as possible regarding the subsequent share transfer agreement."

With a stable and reliable partner like Vision, the future prospects for LightSpeed ​​are definitely brighter than they are now.

Wang Changtian has already decided that once he's done with this busy period, he'll draft a plan and ask Lü Rui for his feedback.

Now that we're family, surely he won't hold back anything, right?

More than half an hour later, Wang Changtian got up, said goodbye, and left.

Watching his retreating figure, Lü Rui felt a surge of joy.

Not only did they secure the distribution of shares for "Pacific Rim," but they also unexpectedly acquired shares in Enlight Media. This move was incredibly profitable!
At this point, 45% of the share had been distributed.

Lü Rui plans to reserve 25% for Rui Vision.

As for the remaining 30%, one portion will be reserved for Ruixing Film Industry, and the other two portions will be used to attract other foreign investors.

This project is destined to be a Sino-foreign co-production, and in addition to domestic actors, foreign actors will naturally be included.

With the support of foreign investors, subsequent promotion and distribution can also receive some benefits.

Before officially setting off abroad to "scam" overseas investors, Lü Rui first finalized the preliminary preparation plan for "Pacific Rim".

China Film Group contributed the most.

Han Sanping promised to take full responsibility and personally handle matters involving cultural approvals, location coordination, and the use of special equipment, which require liaison with relevant departments.

The main reason he was so enthusiastic was because this film was of great significance to the domestic market!
On the one hand, it can fill the gap in hard science fiction in Chinese-language films, and on the other hand, it can drive the upstream and downstream industries such as technology, props, and post-production, and even cultivate a group of professional talents.

Based on this, according to Lü Rui's judgment, the relevant departments will most likely give him the green light all the way.

After all, the scale and significance of Pacific Rim have long exceeded the scope of ordinary commercial films, and it can be considered an "industry benchmark" project!

At the same time, while finalizing the details of the charter, Lü Rui also officially announced the casting requirements for "Pacific Rim" through official media.

Unsurprisingly, the news caused another sensation in the Chinese entertainment industry!
Quite coincidentally, Stephen Chow also joined in...

(End of this chapter)