Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 360, Section 358: Everyone Wants to Be a Dog

The heat of August still lingers in Beijing.

Jingxin Building.

Office of the General Manager of Shengying Media.

There was a gentle knock on the office door, and Cai Yinong, the deputy general manager of Enlight Media, walked in carrying a stack of documents.

"Mr. Wang, another batch has arrived." Cai Yinong placed the documents on Wang Sheng's large desk, which was quite thick.

Wang Sheng put down the report on the preparation progress of the "Night at the Museum" project, without immediately looking at the documents Cai Yinong had put down. He simply asked casually, "Which batch is it this week?"

“This week alone, there have been no fewer than ten groups of people who have explicitly reached out to me seeking cooperation or to visit me, including Hong Kong film company owners, directors, and independent producers.”

Cai Yinong said with a wry smile, "My office phone and the line to my assistant's are practically turning into a hotline for Hong Kong Island Film Studio in Beijing."

"Shaolin Soccer" has been a box office hit in mainland China, breaking 23 million yuan in its opening weekend. With its momentum soaring, it looks set to break the 100 million yuan mark.

This is not only a victory for Stephen Chow's personal influence, but also a concentrated manifestation of the powerful production, distribution and channel capabilities demonstrated by Wang Sheng and his controlled Shengying Media and China Film Shengshi Cinema Line.

It proved to everyone that in mainland China, a film can make so much money and trigger such a large-scale social and cultural phenomenon.

On the other hand, his collaboration with Jackie Chan on the "Night at the Museum" and "Jackie Chan Happy Garden" projects, with a total investment of over 400 million yuan, demonstrates a grand vision and financial boldness that transcends traditional film production.

This innovative model of "film and television IP + real-world cultural tourism + capital circulation" has dazzled and captivated Hong Kong filmmakers who are accustomed to the small market and single box office revenue model of Hong Kong Island.

More importantly, Wang Sheng's collaboration with Stephen Chow and Jackie Chan provided them with great inspiration and room for imagination.

Compared to the strict rules for co-productions in mainland China (such as the proportion of main actors, the inclusion of mainland elements, and script censorship), Wang Sheng has shown a more flexible and trusting approach: he has given free rein to invest, granted creative control, and used his strong mainland resources and market network to support the project.

For Hong Kong filmmakers who are currently experiencing a downturn and are eager to find new ways out, Wang Sheng's "angel investor" model of "only providing money and channels, and not easily interfering with the creative process" is undoubtedly fatally attractive.

"Who are they?"

Wang Sheng casually flipped through the stack of documents.

Cai Yinong began her report as if reciting a familiar list. These names almost connected half of the Hong Kong film industry, reflecting the urgent desire of Hong Kong filmmakers to move north during that specific period in 2001:
Tsui Hark: This "old monster" had just finished "The Legend of Zu" (released in 2001). His extreme pursuit of special effects and ambition for a grand narrative led to close cooperation with Hollywood and Japanese and Korean teams, but the film was expensive and difficult to recoup in the Hong Kong local market.

He keenly noticed the potential for combining the fantastical special effects of "Night at the Museum" with cultural tourism, and through his assistant expressed his desire to discuss the "new concept of Eastern fantasy" with Wang Sheng.

The project proposal he brought vaguely revealed the prototypes of later films such as the "Detective Dee" series and "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate," but he urgently needed a partner like Wang Sheng who could understand his visual ambitions and provide massive market support.

Lin Xiaoming (owner of Universal International): Universal has been developing steadily in Hong Kong Island in recent years, but the market ceiling is obvious.

Lin Xiaoming personally called Cai Yinong, his attitude extremely sincere.

He had some mature commercial film scripts and series plans (similar to later crime action films such as "Invisible Target" and "Firestorm"), but he was hampered by the quota restrictions on co-productions and the uncertainty of censorship in mainland China.

He stated that he was willing to cooperate with Shengying in any flexible way, even proposing that Shengying hold a controlling stake in the project, while Universe would only be responsible for production and Southeast Asian distribution. What he valued was the "entry permit" and box office guarantee that the Wang Sheng system could provide.

Xiang Huaqiang (Chairman of China Star Group): The influence of the Xiang couple is well-known in Hong Kong. They communicated through intermediaries, maintaining a very humble attitude.

China Star owns a large number of Hong Kong film IPs and star resources, but its traditional strengths, such as gangster films and gambling films, often face the greatest censorship obstacles when entering the mainland market.

They hoped Wang Sheng could offer guidance on how to integrate his strong production capabilities and star resources with the mainland market rules. Some were even willing to invest in projects led by Wang Sheng in exchange for opportunities to learn about and enter the mainland market. Behind this lies a widespread anxiety about the transformation of Hong Kong genre films in the mainland market.

Johnnie To and Wai Ka-fai (core members of Milkyway Image): Milkyway Image is renowned in the film industry for its unique dark fatalism and auteur style, but its works often tend to be dark and cold, which is quite different from the tastes of mainstream audiences and censorship requirements in mainland China.

Du Qifeng, through a mutual friend, expressed to Wang Sheng his desire to "find a balance between art and commerce".

Chen Jiashang: Having just finished filming "Okinawa Rendezvous" (2000), he was in a period of creative transition.

He possesses both the ability to direct commercial films and a certain degree of auteur expression (from the early "Fight Back to School" series to the later "Beast Cops").

His letter was filled with admiration for Wang Sheng's creation of the "Shengying Series" content, and he put forward some ideas on the development of "urban romantic comedies" and "low-to-medium budget genre films" in mainland China, hoping to obtain investment and distribution support from Shengying.

He represents another group of directors who seek a safer, more genre-specific breakthrough.

Wen Juan and Liu Weiqiang (Best Partners): This duo, who dominated the scene with films such as the "Young and Dangerous" series and "The Storm Riders", have also felt the chill of the market.

The "Young and Dangerous" series has difficulty entering the mainland market, while special effects blockbusters such as "Chinese Hero" have high production costs.

They hope to explore new cooperation models, perhaps projects that are more martial arts or fantasy-oriented but have more universal values, hoping to replicate the success of "Kung Fu Soccer".

Wang Rui: This "quick-knife expert" will naturally be present.

He extended his goodwill to Wang Sheng through multiple channels, indicating that he possessed a large number of mature commercial scripts and the ability to quickly assemble productions, and was willing to produce "customized" content entirely based on the needs of the mainland market.

He deeply understands that whoever grasps the pulse of the mainland market will control the future. His pragmatism and efficiency may complement Wang Sheng's business strategy in certain specific projects.

There are countless independent producers and second- and third-tier companies who bring all sorts of project proposals, from low-budget horror and romance films to formulaic undercover stories, hoping to gain Sheng Ying's favor, even if it's just to participate in investment and share the distribution network.

Listening to Cai Yinong's report and looking at the familiar names and the demands they represented, Wang Sheng leaned back in his chair and fell into deep thought.

This surging undercurrent clearly marks a turning point in an era—the golden age of Hong Kong cinema is fading, and integration with the mainland has become an irreversible trend.

He himself inadvertently stood at the forefront of this wave, becoming a "guide" and "financial backer" for many Hong Kong filmmakers to access the vast mainland market.

These individuals and companies, each with their own strengths, challenges, and ambitions, hope to establish connections with the mainland market through him.

In other words, they all want to be the leader's lackey.

"Mr. Wang, how should we respond?" Cai Yinong asked softly, interrupting Wang Sheng's thoughts.

Wang Sheng slowly sat up straight: "No need to rush to reply..."

He pondered for a moment, then said, "Here's what we'll do, Ah Nong, you take the lead in setting up a temporary team specifically to sort out and evaluate these cooperation intentions from Hong Kong Island."

Let's clarify our existing project resources, the approximate schedule for next year, and the basic bottom lines for cooperation—such as adherence to mainland values ​​and respect for creative principles, but with the final approval authority remaining with us.

"I understand."

Cai Yinong nodded.

(End of this chapter)