Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 566, Section 564: Car Crash

April 2, 2004, Beijing, Jingxin Building.

The early autumn morning light streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm golden hue over Wang Sheng's spacious and bright office.

He had just finished an internal conference call with China Film Group Corporation regarding the National Day film schedule when his assistant, Li Tingting, walked in briskly with a folder in her hand.

“Boss, I have a rather unexpected meeting request.” Li Tingting placed the folder in front of Wang Sheng. “A project team from DreamWorks Animation would like to meet with you.”

DreamWorks?

Wang Sheng raised an eyebrow and put down the custom-made fountain pen in his hand.

He was certainly familiar with the name. Founded in 1994 by the three giants Spielberg, Katzenberg, and David Geffen, the company has established itself in the Hollywood animation industry with films such as The Prince of Egypt, Ants and Menasor, and the Shrek series in recent years. It is now a true rising star in the animation film industry, rivaling Disney and Pixar.

"Yes."

Li Tingting opened the folder, which contained the information she had initially verified and compiled. "The other party is a formal request transferred through our subsidiary in the United States. They claim to be an animation project team that is currently in preparation and is currently conducting... well, in their words, 'cultural research and material surveys' in China."

During their visit, they happened to see the "Panda Po" comic series published by our "Shuguang Comics Studio" in a bookstore. They felt that the panda protagonist's image and design were remarkably similar to some of the ideas in their project, and they hoped to discuss it with you.

Li Tingting's words were clear and calm, but Wang Sheng caught the subtle "similar effect" in her tone.

A thought flashed through his mind like lightning.

Po the Panda...

This project, created by "Shuguang Comics Studio" (a branch of a special effects animation company that originally collaborated with the Beijing Film Academy's Animation School), a wholly-owned subsidiary he had authorized to establish as early as 1998, had an extremely simple and direct purpose—to hijack the project.

With his memories from his past life, Wang Sheng clearly remembers DreamWorks' "Kung Fu Panda," which will become a global phenomenon.

As far as he knows, the creative concept for "Kung Fu Panda" within DreamWorks was proposed by an executive as early as 1993, but it was shelved until recent years when it began to be truly promoted, and it is expected to officially start production next year.

This is a crucial period for them to conduct preliminary research, find inspiration, and determine their style.

Wang Sheng's "Panda Po," created by Shuguang Studio, is completely different from DreamWorks' "Kung Fu Panda" in its core story.

He tells the story of Po, a kind-hearted panda with superhuman strength who lives in the bamboo forests of Sichuan. Under the guidance of a reclusive old Taoist priest (not Master Oogway), he comprehends the concept of "following the natural way" and uses his innate strength and his own "clumsy kung fu" to fight for justice and protect the community.

The style leans more towards a combination of Eastern chivalry and Taoist thought, rather than the Hollywood-style "chosen one" underdog story.

However, the core image—that round, black-and-white, seemingly wise but actually foolish panda—under the guidance of Wang Sheng's core design and sketches based on his memory, and after years of refinement by the studio's artists, its endearing yet chivalrous charm is almost identical to the Po on the future big screen.

This is Wang Sheng's goal: to seize the initiative in brand image. Over the past six years, the "Panda Po" comic has quietly published seven series of standalone volumes. With its solid artwork, interesting storylines, and precise distribution channels, it has gained some fame among domestic comic book enthusiasts, accumulated a group of loyal readers, and its brand image copyright registration is complete.

In Shengying Media's vast business empire, the animation sector appears low-key, but in reality, under Wang Sheng's strategy of "casting a wide net and snapping up IPs," multiple similar studios have secretly "created" several comic characters and story frameworks that will become huge hits in the future, waiting only for the right time or the right technology to allow them to be animated.

"How long did they conduct their research in China?" Wang Sheng asked calmly.

"According to our sources, this project team has been in China, mainly in Sichuan and Guangxi provinces, for more than half a year on and off. They have reportedly visited many places, including Qingcheng Mountain and Emei Mountain, to observe martial arts and study Chinese architecture and cultural elements."

Li Tingting replied, "They saw 'Panda Po' in the comics section of a bookstore in Chengdu. After seeing it, they immediately contacted Shuguang Studio, only to later learn that the copyright was held by the parent company, Shengying."

Wang Sheng could almost picture the scene: DreamWorks artists, brimming with creative passion and believing they were unearthing unique cultural treasures, suddenly discover in a bookstore corner a local comic that has been on the market for years, featuring a chubby, kung fu-wielding panda as the main character… The shock and frustration of such a “collision” would probably leave them “numb.”

They may have initially considered directly acquiring the rights to the image, which is standard practice for Hollywood giants when facing potential conflicts.

However, a closer look revealed that "Shuguang Comics Studio" was actually a wholly-owned subsidiary of the booming Shengying Media Group.

Sheng Ying Media's dominance in the film market and its ambiguous relationship with Hollywood have forced DreamWorks to treat it with caution.

A direct acquisition would be difficult to negotiate and might not even be successful, so they could only go through official channels, with DreamWorks stepping in to try and have a high-level dialogue with Wang Sheng, the "person in charge".

"Boss, do you want to see him?" Li Tingting asked.

She knew that her boss had always had long-term plans for the animation sector, but it was still unexpected that DreamWorks would take the initiative to approach her, especially in such a subtle way.

Wang Sheng leaned back in his comfortable executive chair.

Kung Fu Panda... This is a super IP worth billions of dollars.

Although he currently has no shortage of projects and cash flow, if he can take this opportunity to establish a deeper connection with DreamWorks, especially in the field of animation... the potential for future collaboration would be enormous.

Should we stand firm in defending the copyright, or pursue collaborative development? Or... could we gain more?

His mind raced through DreamWorks' trajectory over the next few years and its eventual acquisition by Paramount.

Perhaps this is not just a crisis of IP dispute, but also a potential opportunity for investment or cooperation.

“Tell them,” Wang Sheng pondered for a moment and made his decision, “I would be happy to communicate with our friends from DreamWorks. Please arrange a time, in the next couple of days, and the location… the company conference room is fine, nothing too formal, just a meeting.”

"Understood." Li Tingting quickly took notes. "I will coordinate with the other party as soon as possible to confirm the specific time."

(End of this chapter)