Huayu: A Commercial Director

Chapter 242 It Was Him All Along, the Billion-Dollar Director

He was familiar with Han Jianu; she was Han Sanping's daughter, and he had also attended Han Sanping's retirement banquet.

The person greeting them at the door was Han Jianu. Which of his generation of filmmakers hadn't received Han Sanping's help? Everyone knew that at the retirement banquet, Han Sanping was toasting them, but actually it was for his daughter's sake, to play matchmaker for her.

If his daughter were to work in any other industry, that would be one thing, but since she's going into the film and television industry, he should naturally use his abilities to pave the way for her.

It's been over two years since I graduated, and I haven't heard anything from them. I never expected that they would write such an excellent script.

He thought it was very good after watching it, and even wanted to direct the film himself.

"No, Wen Mu is also an agent. Behind him are not only Third Master Han and Han Jianu, but also other people."

Xu Zheng is a seasoned veteran in the film and television industry, and he analyzed a problem from Wen Muye's words.

The film has already been approved, and he is just an actor, while Wen Mu is the director. This means that the investment has already been secured, and the investors behind the scenes are the real driving force behind the film.

He had read the script earlier, and the content was very sensitive. Even if he wanted to film it, he wouldn't dare to act recklessly. Ignorance is bliss, but it would obviously offend even greater forces. Without approval from above and a sufficiently powerful investor, even if the script passed censorship, it wouldn't be filmed so easily.

How could a newcomer like Wen Mu possibly launch such a large project? After all, he was the lead actor, and his salary was not low. He was unsure whether the movie would be released, so he planned to keep all the salary and not worry about the specifics.

"Director Wen, may I ask who the investors are for this film?" Xu Zheng asked curiously, as did his agent next to him.

With Han Sanping's endorsement, there's no shortage of investors. It would be best if they could also get involved, since they could build a relationship with Han Sanping.

Although Han Sanping has stepped down and is no longer the chairman of China Film Group, his influence in the mainland film and television industry is such that everyone will give him face.

They see it as worthwhile to spend some money to cultivate this relationship.

Moreover, for a film to be made and released, it needs a sufficiently strong investor and a production company to provide support so that it can pass censorship and be released smoothly.

Xu Zheng was very curious about the investors behind the scenes; who exactly was in charge of this film?

“Since you two have both signed confidentiality agreements, it’s fine to say it. It’s true that the original script was written by Jia Nu, but the version that Director Xu has is actually modified by Director Chen Shou. He originally planned to personally direct it, but considering the impact, he asked me to direct it instead. He is the producer and supervisor,” Wen Mu said.

"Chen Shouzhe!!"

Upon hearing the name, Xu Zheng and his agent locked eyes.

They knew better than anyone the power of this name in the film and television industry. Although Chen Shouzhe was not officially the number one director in mainland China, he was invincible in terms of international influence and the film market.

Every director considers Chen Shouzhe an insurmountable mountain. His box office records have always weighed on the heads of all directors in China. Who doesn't want to surpass him, and who can?

Seeing his record can only be described as despairing. Considering his achievements abroad, perhaps only he could take on this kind of role.

“No wonder. Even I couldn’t achieve the same level of script completion, whether it’s the dialogue or the shot composition. I’d heard that Director Chen has a habit of including shot composition in the script,” Xu Zheng said, recovering his composure.

"So I'm just a tool; the actual control depends on Director Chen." Wen Mu smiled as well.

"Congratulations to you, Director Wen, for catching Director Chen's eye. You'll definitely have plenty of opportunities in future films," Xu Zheng said with a hint of envy.

Although he is already a successful director and his films have grossed over 10 billion yuan, in front of Chen Shouzhe, he is still just a successful director.

Moreover, his journey had been fraught with setbacks, and compared to his friend Huang Bo, with whom he had parted ways, he felt immense envy. Huang Bo had run into Chen Shouzhe on the plane, and after speaking up, he got the opportunity; both of his films had been successful.

Stone established his reputation, and with the race car about to break the 10 billion box office mark, Chen Shouzhe will definitely continue to support him.

Directors like Wu Ershan, Guo Fan, Wu Jing, and Huang Bo were all mentored by Chen Shou. Now, with the addition of Wen Muye, they are completely outmatched compared to the alliance of directors he and Ning Hao created.

If Chen Shouzhe were willing to go public, he could definitely become the first listed company in China's cultural and entertainment industry. With a sufficient film reserve and a continuous stream of film production, he would be the envy of countless investment institutions.

It is said that major internet companies are still harassing Chen Shouzhe, wanting to invest in his company.

Unfortunately, Chen Shou maintained firm control over the core of both companies, while Yang Mi's company was about to go public, and Tencent had already secured its second round of financing from them.

An artist management company was valued at 10 billion, all thanks to Chen Shouzhe's financial support. If Chen Shouzhe himself wanted to, he could immediately become the youngest self-made billionaire.

Of course, he is already a billionaire, and everyone knows that Chen Shou has a large amount of cash on hand.

“No, no, what does Director Xu think? Your role was decided by Director Chen. If you’re willing, you can sign immediately,” Wen Mu said.

"The role assigned by Director Chen?" Xu Zheng asked in surprise.

“Yes, we decide on the other roles first, and then Director Chen makes the final decision. But your role was decided by Director Chen, and you were the first actor I contacted,” Wen Mu said truthfully.

"Then I must thank Director Chen for his consideration. I'll take the film; I happen to have two months available." Xu Zheng nodded and decided to accept the film. Besides, he had to give face to Zuo Shandiao and Chen Shouzhe; it was also a matter of personal favor.

"Thank you, Director Xu." Wen Mu also stood up and shook hands with Xu Zheng.

Once Xu Zheng was chosen, Wen Mu immediately informed Chen Shouzhe.

The other actors will be contacted by other members of the team, and the supporting roles will be found slowly.

Filming is expected to begin in June, and there's nothing else going on in the meantime.

"I never expected that the mastermind behind this was Chen Shouzhe," Xu Zheng said to his agent in the car with a smile.

"If you can say that you've gotten involved with him, Huang Bo's movies are almost worth 10 billion."

"I wish I could get the script from him."

"We'll give it a try then."

The two chatted and laughed as they drove away.

Huang Bo's movie box office is gradually decreasing, maintaining around 20 to 30 million a day, with a surge on Saturdays and Sundays. It looks like he's on track to reach 1 billion.

After Huang Bo's movie, Wu Jing's movie will be released on July 27th. A month later, on August 28th, Yang Mi's Seattle will also be released, which is Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day).

Then in October, Operation Northern Myanmar will be released, followed by the Lunar New Year season, The Lost City will be released, and finally, during the Spring Festival season, Chen Shouzhe will probably let Guo Fan wander the earth.

This arrangement ensures that all the release slots for the entire year are covered by his movies. Fortunately, not many people know about this yet, otherwise people would start cursing.

(End of this chapter)