Nobody knows movies better than me

Chapter 129 Breaking Superstition

After the celebration banquet, the promotional period for "Bad Genius" officially came to an end.

There are still some follow-up tasks, such as negotiating copyrights with overseas film distributors and arranging distribution in Hong Kong and Taiwan, but Zhang Jun no longer needs to worry about these matters personally.

Guanzhi Pictures has accumulated enough experience over the years, and He Xuan's team members are all capable of handling things independently.

After Ye Xiaoyi returned from the United States, she took over these administrative tasks. She studied production management at UCLA, which was a perfect fit for her.

Zhang Jun was happy to have some free time, so he could focus on planning his next project.

As Zhang Jun's films became box office hits one after another, his popularity in East and Southeast Asia grew.

Although he is relatively unfamiliar to the European and American markets, Zhang Jun's name already carries considerable weight in the Chinese community.

The timing of his arrival was quite interesting.

The golden age of Hong Kong cinema has passed. Hong Kong films, which once dominated the East Asian cultural scene, now produce only a few decent works a year.

Hollywood conquers and rakes in box office revenue worldwide.

Just then, Hollywood started a craze for kung fu and period dramas, causing the Chinese film industry to follow suit and rush to make period blockbusters, claiming it was to "connect with international standards."

Zhang Jun himself was no exception.

"Reign of Assassins" is a period martial arts film he directed, and it is also his best-selling film overseas to date.

It not only resonated with audiences in East Asian cultural spheres, but also achieved good sales results in Europe and North America.

The German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung even gave it a high rating, saying that Reign of Assassins is the best Chinese-language film since Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Zhang Jun doesn't know if this assessment is exaggerated. But one thing is certain: "Reign of Assassins" did perform well at the North American box office.

Sony Pictures Entertainment acquired the North American distribution rights to "Reign of Assassins," and the film ultimately grossed $11.2 million at the box office.

This number may not seem like much, but it's a very good achievement for a Chinese-language film.

Zhang Yimou's "Curse of the Golden Flower" only sold a few million dollars in North America, which is less than "Reign of Assassins".

Because of this achievement, Zhang Jun has come to the attention of Hollywood film companies.

Of course, it's just "coming into view".

Those people at the big Hollywood studios know that there's a director from the East named Zhang Jun whose movies sell better in the North American market than Zhang Yimou's new film, but that's about it.

They didn't know much about Zhang Jun himself; some even thought he was an old artist in his fifties or sixties who had made movies all his life.

Even if someone from the Chinese branch sent a report back saying that Zhang Jun was actually a young man under thirty, the people at headquarters wouldn't take it to heart.

Hollywood has so many things to do every day; the age of an Eastern director is not worth their attention.

After the hype surrounding "Reign of Assassins" died down, Zhang Jun disappeared from Hollywood's radar.

He didn't care; he never expected to break into Hollywood with just one movie. That's just wishful thinking; actually doing it wouldn't be that easy.

However, another matter made Zhang Jun feel somewhat emotional.

In the past two years, many of China's top directors have suddenly developed a strong interest in the Oscars.

The reason was "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," Ang Lee's film, which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, immediately whetting everyone's appetite.

So it turns out Oscars are achievable, and Chinese-language films can also stand on that stage.

The subsequent Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film for "Hero" only fueled the fire. Suddenly, winning an Oscar became a common goal for many top Chinese directors.

Zhang Yimou was no exception.

"Curse of the Golden Flower" was submitted by China Film Group to the Oscars, but it only received a nomination for Best Costume Design and didn't even come close to winning Best Foreign Language Film.

Zhang Yi was definitely unhappy, but he didn't say anything and just went about his business.

The preparations for the Olympic Games opening ceremony alone kept him busy enough.

Zhang Jun and Zhang Yi met several times, all at meetings related to the preparations for the Olympics. Zhang Jun was not a core member, but he was invited to serve as an advisor on several occasions, discussing creative directions for the opening ceremony.

After one meeting, the two sat down together for tea and their conversation drifted to the Oscars.

Zhang Yimou said, "This year we submitted 'Curse of the Golden Flower,' and we only got a costume nomination. China Film Group said they had done their best, and the American distribution company also helped us with the process."

But the foreigners didn't take it seriously and just went through the motions.

Zhang Jun smiled upon hearing this.

Seeing his expression, Zhang Yi asked, "What, you don't think that's the reason?"

Zhang Jun said, "Director Zhang, this Oscar thing isn't that simple."

Zhang Yi looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

Zhang Jun continued, "The Oscars require public relations. You can't just rely on China Film Group to submit your work or on the American distribution companies to help you with the process."

You have to pay out of your own pocket, real money, hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars, to have a chance of getting a nomination.

Even after receiving a nomination, you still need to continue public relations efforts to win the award.

Zhang Yi was stunned for a moment, somewhat incredulous: "Really? This is the Oscars, you can't just buy your way in?"

Zhang Jun understood his reaction.

People of this generation, especially directors of Zhang Yimou's caliber, still have a certain superstition about foreign things.

Subconsciously, I felt that foreigners are fair, follow rules, and that if you have the ability, you can get ahead.

The Oscars are the Nobel Prize of the film industry; how could they possibly be bought with money?

Zhang Jun does not have this superstition.

He'd seen too many examples; he knew foreigners were human too, with their own social interactions and exchanges of benefits. The Oscar selection process might seem fair, but in reality, there was a great deal of room for manipulation.

Zhang Jun asked, "Director Zhang, do you know Miramax Films?"

Zhang Yi nodded: "I know, the one that was acquired by Disney. The original owners were the Weinstein brothers, who later started their own business."

Zhang Jun said, "Yes, those two brothers. Especially Harvey Weinstein, he's a master at Oscar PR."

He paused, then continued, "The biggest winner at the 1999 Oscars was 'Shakespeare in Love.' The film was produced by Universal Pictures, but Miramax was in charge of managing the Oscars."

Do you know how much money Harvey Weinstein prepared? Several million dollars, specifically for public relations.

Zhang Yi frowned slightly as he listened.

Zhang Jun said, "Shakespeare in Love was a huge winner at that year's Oscars, taking home the Best Picture award and Gwyneth Paltrow winning the Best Actress award."

But this matter is particularly controversial because that year saw the release of "Saving Private Ryan" and "Life Is Beautiful".

Any one of them is more substantial than "Shakespeare in Love".

Gwyneth Paltrow's performance was also far inferior to that of the other candidates.

What did the media say afterward? They called her the "most undeserving Best Actress," and said her million-dollar PR fee was well spent.

Zhang Yi was silent for a moment, then said, "This is just an isolated case, isn't it?"

Zhang Jun laughed: "Whether it's an isolated case or not, you can find out by asking around in Hollywood. This isn't a secret in the industry; it's all out in the open."

Zhang Yimou remained silent.

Zhang Jun added, "Director Zhang, I'm not saying the Oscars are all about spending money, that's not true either. The film itself has to have a certain quality for public relations to have a foundation."

But quality alone is not enough; you have to make the judges see you, make them remember you, and make them willing to vote for you.

These things all require money and effort to manage.

He paused, then his tone became more serious: "There's one more thing I think we Chinese filmmakers need to understand. Foreigners are human beings just like us."

They also consider interpersonal relationships, input and output, and interests.

We can't always assume that things from abroad are good, or that foreign awards are fair.

Thinking that way will likely lead to losses.

Zhang Yi listened without showing any expression on his face.

After a long while, he said, "You little rascal, you're not that old, but you have a lot of ideas."

Zhang Jun laughed and said, "I don't know if I have many ideas, but I have really thought about these things."

Zhang Yi picked up his teacup, took a sip, and didn't say anything more.

Zhang Jun knew that he might not listen. Directors of this age and status have their own judgment and principles, and they cannot be changed by a few words from others.

But Zhang Jun didn't care. He had said what he needed to say, and whether or not people listened was their business.

Later, Zhang Yimou was busy preparing for the opening ceremony of the Olympics, so the matter was put aside. The Oscar journey of "Curse of the Golden Flower" ultimately ended with a costume nomination.

Zhang Jun occasionally recalls that conversation and ponders it.

He didn't necessarily want to persuade Zhang Yimou, but he felt that people of this era, especially those in the arts, had a natural admiration for things from abroad.

This kind of ideological imprint cannot be broken overnight.

Zhang Jun himself didn't have this kind of ideological steel. He knew that foreigners were also human beings, some good and some bad, some genuine and some fake, some capable and some incapable.

Of course, there are many other beasts—but we'll leave that aside.

The Oscars are indeed the top awards in the film industry, but the underlying operating logic is not fundamentally different from that of various domestic awards.

Once you understand this, it's not mysterious at all.

In mid-August, the overseas rights sales for "Bad Genius" began.

He Xuan was extremely busy, dealing with film distributors from various countries and regions every day.

The distribution agreement for Hong Kong and Taiwan has been finalized. Several film companies were vying for the rights, but the highest bidder ultimately won.

Several Southeast Asian countries have also signed contracts, and the prices are better than expected.

What surprised He Xuan the most was Japan.

Japanese film distributors have shown great interest in "Bad Genius." Logically speaking, the Japanese market has always been rather lukewarm towards Chinese-language films; aside from a few familiar faces, it's difficult for others to break into the market.

But "Bad Genius" is different. The Japanese distributor said that this kind of subject matter is rare in Japan, and since it is well-made, it will definitely have a market.

The final price negotiated was even higher than that for "Reign of Assassins".

When He Xuan spoke to Zhang Jun on the phone, her tone was filled with excitement: "The Japanese side offered a very attractive price, and the contract has already been signed."

South Korea and Singapore are also in talks, and I expect they can get a good price.

Zhang Jun said, "Okay, you just keep an eye on it."

He Xuan added, "By the way, a few companies in Europe have also inquired, but their offers aren't ideal. I told them I'd think about it some more and there's no rush to sign."

Zhang Jun said, "No rush, let's talk slowly. With the copyright in hand, we can sell it whenever we want."

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