My teacher is Bruce Lee, who dominated Hollywood.

Chapter 162 Too Many Olive Branches

When Kad Walker heard Qin Han say "another, more profound and more shocking film," his smile froze slightly.

Lending Jodie Foster out to play a rebellious, foul-mouthed teenage girl in "Alice Isn't Here" was already a risky move for Disney.

Looking at Walker's expression, Qin Han knew that if he told him now, the next step would be for the blond little angel to stand on the streets of New York's dirtiest and most chaotic neighborhoods. Card Walker would definitely call security personnel on the spot and kick him out of Disneyland.

As a business tycoon who climbed from the bottom to the top of a media empire, Walker was well-versed in the art of emotional management and did not refuse outright.

Hans Films just solved an extremely difficult problem for them, and it would be unwise to kick someone after they've served their purpose.

He turned his gaze to the window, looking at the spire of Sleeping Beauty Castle in the distance, and took a sip of his coffee: "Qin, as you know, Mr. Walt Disney founded this company with the intention of providing a happy haven for children and families all over the world."

"I will always remember the responsibility shown by Hans Films. We are very pleased to see Judy achieve a breakthrough in her acting under Martin's guidance."

He put down his coffee cup and looked at Qin Han with sincere eyes: "However, for us, this involves the continuous transformation of underage actors, which requires a rigorous evaluation."

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"This is not only about being responsible to the company, but also about being responsible for the young actor's career."

"So, regarding our next collaboration—" Walker looked regretful, "Perhaps we could slow things down a bit. Let's wait until 'Alice' wraps up filming, see the finished product, and get the real feedback from the market and critics, then we can sit down and discuss the new script in more depth. What do you think?"

They didn't rule out any possibility of future collaboration, but cleverly set a very high bar for borrowing people? Sure, first prove with your work that you haven't messed things up.

Qin Han revealed a knowing smile, while secretly rejoicing in his heart:

Thank goodness! Before coming here, he had calmed Martin Scorsese's heart, which was burning with passion because of "Taxi Driver".

If I had let that hot-tempered Italian director ruin the preparations for "Alice," I wouldn't be sitting in this office so easily now.

"A very fair suggestion, Mr. Walker." He readily accepted the offer, his smile undiminished, seemingly oblivious to the delaying tone in the other's words: "Hans Pictures has always believed in letting the work speak for itself. 'Alice' will not only be an important stepping stone in Judy's acting career, but also a cornerstone of our long-term trust. I look forward to the day I visit you again with the finished film."

Seeing that Qin Han was so sensible as not to continue pursuing the matter of renting actors, Walker secretly breathed a sigh of relief and found the young man in front of him even more pleasing to the eye.

Knowing when to advance and when to retreat, and understanding boundaries, it's no wonder that he was able to establish such a good cooperative relationship with Universal and Warner in just a few months.

"Speaking of your work, Qin, there's something I've always been very curious about."

Walker picked up his newly refilled coffee, relaxed into the large sofa, and steered the conversation toward business.

"The unveiling ceremony of the Sunset Tower was a truly unforgettable night. Even now, at the dinner in Beverly Hills, people are still talking about Hans Films' stellar film slate."

"I remember very clearly that in your speech that night, you promised all of Hollywood that you would soon present an original script that you had personally written, and even asked everyone to prepare their checkbooks in advance."

Walker smiled and joked while looking into Qin Han's eyes, as if trying to dig out some important business secret.

"Later, during the party, I noticed that you and Frank from Paramount were chatting for a long time in a corner, and the way Frank left looked like a gambler who had just won the jackpot in Las Vegas."

"So, how's it going? Has that mysterious original script been booked with Paramount yet?"

Faced with this blatant probing, Qin Han let out a hearty laugh: "Mr. Walker, isn't that how Hollywood parties are? After a couple of drinks, everyone thinks they're the next Orson Welles."

"Frank and I did discuss some ideas, but it's still just a concept; we haven't even finalized the outline yet."

"As you know, Han's Film Studios has expanded its operations too much. 'Jaws' is about to start shooting at sea, and 'Rocky' is in talks with Warner Bros. about casting."

"I don't even have enough time to sleep each day, how can I have the energy to perfect a new script? As for Paramount, we're still a long way from a real collaboration."

He gave Walker a series of evasive answers, neither denying the existence of "Chinatown" nor revealing any useful information, while also making the progress seem like it was a long way off.

Kad Walker listened quietly to Qin Han's "complaints," his smile unchanged.

Qin Han's initiative to visit him was an extremely rare opportunity for him.

The CEO who heads the vast Disney empire is currently being gnawed at by a deep sense of anxiety.

What the outside world sees is the daily crowds at Disney theme parks, and Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck raking in money all over the world.

But only he himself could clearly see that the foundations of this kingdom were facing a tremendous shock.

In 1966, Walt Disney, the company's founder and a visionary leader, died of lung cancer.

Then, in 1971, Roy Disney, who had been struggling to keep things afloat, also passed away.

These brothers, who pioneered the era of animated films, passed the scepter into his hands.

From that moment on, Card Walker found himself mired in a terrible quagmire.

He is an exceptionally skilled marketing expert and a top-notch financial manager, but he is by no means a creator with a wildly imaginative mind.

Whenever he sat in the conference room facing those cutting-edge, risky project proposals, a nagging question would involuntarily surface in his mind—

"What would Walter do?"

This question weighed heavily on the minds of every Disney executive, like an invisible mountain.

To protect this prestigious reputation from being tarnished, and to avoid becoming the sinner who would destroy the legacy of a great man, Walker chose the safest and most conservative strategy:

Reject all risks and repeat past successes.

On the surface, this conservative strategy did indeed allow Disney to stabilize itself during the turbulent 1970s.

Take the animated feature film "Robin Hood," which was just released this year, for example. The production department kept the budget at the level of five million US dollars.

Leveraging Disney's powerful distribution network and the brand's family-friendly appeal, the film grossed $32 million worldwide!

A terrifying return of up to six times!

When the financial statements were delivered to his desk, the old guys on the board even suggested popping champagne to celebrate.

But Card Walker couldn't bring himself to laugh.

Because he knew better than anyone what hidden dangers lay behind these impressive figures.

In order to cut costs, the production team of "Robin Hood" dug out old negatives from decades ago from the archives!

The long take of the group dance at the jungle party in the movie, the movement trajectory, the character positioning, and even the swaying leaves in the background are exactly the same as those in the 1937 film "Snow White"!

The bear "Little John" in the forest, with its every smile and swaying gait, is exactly like the character from "The Jungle Book."

The "Balu" in the picture was directly pressed onto the copy table and traced stroke by stroke, only the color of its fur was changed!

This kind of "copycat" animation, which is almost like an assembly line operation, might fool ordinary viewers, but it can't escape the eyes of veteran film critics and industry insiders.

Criticisms of "Robin Hood" being "shoddy," "inventory bankrupt," and "relying on past successes" have begun to appear in the art sections of major newspapers.

But what terrifies Walker most is not the negative reviews from the outside world.

Rather, it's the people within the company who truly hold the reins of Disney's success—the artists.

Under Walt Disney's leadership, they created one masterpiece after another that challenged the limits of art, such as "Pinocchio," "Fantasia," and "Cinderella."

But what about now? The management is forcing these proud and arrogant artists to sit in front of lightboxes every day and trace the drawings made by their predecessors decades ago.

Change a singing bird into a dancing rabbit, and depict a black bear as a brown bear.

This is a form of mental torture for any aspiring creator; resentment has been building up in the animation building of the factory for a long time.

Walker had heard reports from below more than once that several core artists, in private gatherings, made no attempt to hide their extreme contempt for the current management.

If these artists are not given new "momentum," an unprecedented talent earthquake could erupt at any time.

If all the masters who possess the core technologies were to leave, Disney's foundation would completely collapse.

Controlling this super-sized ship, Card Walker felt like he was walking on thin ice every day.

He didn't dare to easily attempt those big-budget productions that might lose tens of millions of dollars, nor did he have the courage to open up a completely new route.

Until he witnessed the meteoric rise of Hans Film Studio.

We saw how this young man named Qin Han managed to influence Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures.

Every project presented by Han's Film Studio is brimming with the vigor of new filmmakers and commercial potential that any discerning person can immediately sense.

Now, even Paramount, one of Hollywood's oldest studios, seems to be being dragged onto that high-speed chariot by him.

Walker's mind began to race: since he dared not take any risks easily—

So, could we leverage this amazing up-and-coming producer to inject some vitality into Disney through external collaborations?

Let him bear the risks of creativity, while Disney, like Warner and Universal, only needs to share the benefits of success.

"Qin, actually, besides checking on the progress of 'Alice,' I have another very frank idea for me that I invited you here today."

Walker lowered his stance, his tone carrying a hint of sincerity.

"Disney's position in the animation industry is beyond question. But in the last two years, there have been some voices criticizing us for being too conservative and needing fresh blood and a more discerning eye."

"Han's Film Studios' capabilities in script development and project packaging are well-known throughout Hollywood. If, and I mean if, you could write a suitable script for an animated or live-action film—"

"Disney is very willing to work with Hans Pictures with the highest level of investment to bring a little shock to Hollywood."

"In terms of funding, distribution channels, and even the development of the park's surroundings, as long as the project is suitable, Disney can provide resources that are no less than those of Warner Bros. or Universal."

Faced with this sudden temptation, Qin Han was momentarily stunned: Why would someone suddenly offer him a perk?

He began to quickly recall in his mind what changes Disney had experienced in the 70s.

He quickly realized that there was only one reason why Kad Walker had been so sincere in his recruitment: the leader was desperate.

Disney is sick, and seriously sick.

Qin Han recalled the most famous "revenge" story in Hollywood history:

After the short-sighted financial success of "Robin Hood," Disney not only failed to wake up but instead went even further down the wrong path of "cost-saving" and "reusing old materials."

The oppressive atmosphere in the animation department finally reached a breaking point. A few years later, a "mass exodus of animators" that shocked the entire Hollywood broke out.

A top animation director named Don Bruce, unable to tolerate this meaningless creative work, pushed open Walker's office door on an ordinary Friday afternoon and announced his resignation.

What's even more terrifying is that he was followed by more than a dozen of Disney's top concept artists, animators, and special effects artists.

These masters collectively removed their name tags bearing the logo of Michelangelo and walked out the door without looking back.

On that day, Disney's animation building was mostly empty, and even movies in production faced a standstill.

These artists who fled did not retire from public life.

Led by Don Bruce, they founded an independent animation studio called "Sullivan Bruce".

This group of artists, holding their breath, vowed to use the most exquisite hand-drawn art to completely shatter their former employer's rigid assembly line.

They have successively launched a series of well-made and exquisitely illustrated animated masterpieces, such as "The Mysterious Tale of the Mouse", "American Mouse Tale", and "Little Feet Travel the World".

Throughout the 1980s, this independent studio was like a thorn in Disney's side, defeating the once invincible animation giant in both box office and critical acclaim, almost forcing Disney to abandon its animated feature film business.

It wasn't until the early 1990s, when Disney changed its management, that the new leadership finally learned from their mistakes and collaborated with Broadway to produce masterpieces like "The Little Mermaid" and "The Lion King," thus saving Disney's reputation and ushering in the "Disney Renaissance."

The reason Don Bruce was able to break away from Disney and go head-to-head with the giants with multi-million dollar productions is because he had a shrewd and powerful backer.

This big spender is currently taking his highly anticipated robotic shark on a flight to the Atlantic Ocean!

The successful Spielberg, in the future, became Disney's biggest nightmare!

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