The only sun in Huayu

The air in the conference room seemed to freeze for a few seconds.

Han Sanping himself was stunned.

Crackling!

After a brief silence, the flashbulbs in the audience started flashing wildly.

The reporters were excited and rushed to record this dramatic scene.

At the premiere media event for "Red Cliff," the head of China Film Group blurted out the name "The Eunuch"!

"The Eunuch" has been off the screens for several months.

Moreover, during the preparation of "The Eunuch", there were rumors about a conflict between Wu Yusen and Shen Shandeng.

There are even rumors that John Woo has privately blacklisted Shen Shandeng in the Hong Kong entertainment circle.

Although it all seems like a joke now, as film industry journalists, they all know that the rumors have a certain degree of truth to them.

Han Sanping quickly regained his composure, showing no panic or apology on his face.

Without explanation, he simply continued speaking calmly, staying on topic.

"I hope that 'Red Cliff' can also create a box office miracle like 'The Eunuch,' bringing more surprises and shocks to our Chinese film market and to the general audience."

The words were meant as blessings, but the quick-thinking reporters in the audience all sensed a different meaning.

Han Sanping is publicly demonstrating that he values ​​Shen Shandeng more than he values ​​Wu Yusen.

This is to prevent Shen Shandeng from misunderstanding!

Therefore, they would rather make the mistake than leave any possible interpretation that suggests their blockbuster strategy still relies on "Red Cliff" or John Woo.

Reporters immediately seized the opportunity to ask questions.

"Mr. Han, do you think 'Red Cliff' has the potential to replicate or even surpass the box office performance of 'The Eunuch'?"

Han Sanping answered calmly and confidently: "Every successful film has its unique value. The success of 'The Eunuch' is phenomenal, and 'Red Cliff' also has its own grand scale. We look forward to a positive response from the market."

The focus remains firmly on the benchmark set by "The Supervisor".

Although this was the press conference for "Red Cliff", Han Sanping was more focused on "The Eunuch" and the blueprint drawn up by Shen Shandeng.

Wu Yusen, standing to the side, had a face so dark it looked like it could be wrung out.

Who is he?
The return of this internationally renowned director, who once made his mark in Hollywood and directed top-tier productions like "Face/Off," to the Chinese-speaking world is like a god descending to earth!

An internationally renowned director has arrived in the slums of mainland China!

In the past, John Woo did indeed enjoy such treatment, basking in the glow of Hong Kong's elite and carrying Hollywood experience.

The mainland market receives exceptional treatment from both capital and government officials.

His clever scheme of "borrowing a hen to lay eggs" was not something he needed to hide; he played it with great success.

But ever since Shen Shandeng suddenly appeared, everything has changed.

China Film Group, especially Han Sanping, has visibly hardened its stance.

It's just normal cooperation.

Compared to Hollywood producers, Han Sanping wasn't particularly tough.

No matter how powerful the mainland is, it can't compare to Hollywood producers.

Hollywood is a producer-centric system from beginning to end, with capital taking precedence.

Conversely, in mainland China, where the director is often demonized, the director is shown rare respect for his creative work.

But can these be the same?

In Hollywood, he follows the rules; that's freedom.

Here, in order to be free, he should not be constrained.

When asked again by reporters about his expectations for the box office of "Red Cliff," John Woo finally found an outlet for his emotions.

"An epic production like Red Cliff, with its massive investment, is the ultimate test of a director's all-around abilities."

"Only by experiencing the tempering of such a large-scale production can a director truly be called a great director."

“Small to medium budgets may achieve temporary commercial success, but ultimately their scope is limited, making it difficult to achieve true top-tier status.” Wu Yusen did not name names, but everyone present knew he was referring to Shen Shandeng.

"The Eunuch" had an investment of just over ten million yuan and leaned more towards exploring the direction of industrial films.

The hottest topic right now, the currently showing film "Lost in Thailand," is a low-to-medium budget comedy.

Wu Yusen's words almost directly denied Shen Shandeng's qualifications as a "great director" and subtly belittled the scope of his work.

Han Sanping, who was standing next to him, felt a sinking feeling in his heart.

No?

Is this a denial of Shen Shandeng? This is a slap in the face to him on the spot.

This negates Han Sanping's film industry upgrading strategy and his approach of supporting emerging local talent and building an independent film industry!

If it were the old Han Sanping, he might have considered the bigger picture, smoothed things over, and swallowed his anger.

After all, Hong Kong directors are an important force he relies on.

But these days are different.

After "The Warlords," he completely demystified Hong Kong directors.

Although "The Warlords" did not receive excessive resources, it still received promotional support commensurate with its scale.

The results of it?
The box office is just about to break 100 million, which is extremely disappointing!
If it weren't for the fact that it was truly a dismal film, and China Film Group had to put in extra effort at the last minute, they still couldn't even salvage the fact that it grossed over 100 million.

The overseas rights couldn't fetch a good price either; who would want to watch Jet Li act in such dull, dramatic scenes!

I endured it before because I had no better choice.

But it's different now.

Shen Shandeng was not only capable of winning battles on his own, but also of training new talent and securing resources.

sometimes.

Han Sanping hoped that Shen Shandeng wouldn't be so easy to deal with, as there was really no room for him to make a difference, making him seem superfluous.

Before the rebel leader Li Zicheng emerged, Han Sanping had to be patient.

Even if the rebel leader comes, we still have to endure it.

Who can bear this?

Han Sanping approached the microphone, his expression unchanged, and stated first: "As one of the main producers, China Film Group will rely on the national cinema network to do its utmost to distribute this major production, 'Red Cliff,' well. This is our due responsibility."

Then he added, "Of course, filming 'Red Cliff' was indeed very difficult, and we went through a lot of things before and after. I think Director Wu and all the lead actors here understand the joys and sorrows the most."

"To be able to complete it successfully is a victory in itself."

If "Red Cliff" hadn't involved a huge investment and a wide range of people, and hadn't also carried the task of boosting morale for the Olympics, Han Sanping wouldn't have been so restrained.

However, what Han Sanping perceived as "restraint" was his subconscious comparison with Shen Shandeng.

Compared to Shen Shandeng, who treated the artistic director of a European film festival like a dog, he was far too restrained.

But to the reporter, Han Sanping's reaction was incredibly intense!
Tit for tat!

Never before have I ever publicly made sarcastic remarks towards international and Hong Kong directors!

First, express support, then mention "a lot of work," "hard work," and "successfully completing the task is a victory"—it's an obvious warning!

Especially when such words come from Han Sanping, it is almost tantamount to a merciless criticism.

The scene fell silent for a moment.

Previous slips of the tongue may have been unintentional, but this statement is definitely deliberate!
A suppressed commotion of excitement erupted in the press section, and the sound of camera shutters clicking filled the air once again.

Big news!
The head of China Film Group publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the project's progress and the director at the premiere of "Red Cliff"!

There were rumors before, but rumors are just rumors; this is something I've personally verified!

Wu Yusen's smile froze completely, turning into an extremely ugly expression.

It's one thing to do it in private, but to do it in public like this is a slap in the face!
He clearly sensed the tremendous changes in Han Sanping.

The Han Sanping who had been so polite and even looked up to him had vanished. (End of Chapter)