Nobody knows movies better than me

Chapter 111 The cooperation fell through right after it started.

Chapter 110 The cooperation fell through right after it started.

The offices of Guanzhi Pictures are still in the same place, but there are many more people inside.

He Xuan recruited a group of new people, some to handle distribution, some to handle publicity, and some to be specifically responsible for overseas business.

When Zhang Jun returned to the company, He Xuan was having a meeting with several employees. Seeing him come in, He Xuan waved her hand, indicating that he should find a place to sit down.

Zhang Jun sat down on the sofa in the corner and listened to their meeting.

The meeting discussed the company's future investment direction. Guanzhi Pictures has Zhang Jun, but it doesn't want to put all its eggs in Zhang Jun's basket.

After the meeting, He Xuan came over and handed him a stack of documents.

"Please sign the Hong Kong Film Awards application form."

Zhang Jun took it and flipped through it, seeing that there was a huge list of reports.

"Have you spoken to Andy Lau yet?"

"I hit him."

He Xuan said, "He said it wasn't a big problem, but he couldn't guarantee it. The Hong Kong Film Awards are still decided by people from Hong Kong Island. Whether our mainland films can win awards depends on luck."

Zhang Jun signed the document and returned it to her.

"Did Ning Hao submit it too?"

"I can't get a refund."

He Xuan said helplessly, "There are no Hong Kong actors or teams involved in 'Crazy Stone,' so we can't apply for it."

Zhang Jun smiled. He wasn't surprised at all; the Hong Kong Film Awards were just that exclusive.

Early February, the Spring Festival is just around the corner.

Post-production on "Bad Genius" has begun, with editor Tian Ke, Zhang Jun's long-time collaborator, having worked together since "Little Miss Sunshine".

The two of them sat in the editing room, going through the footage frame by frame, sometimes only managing to edit one minute out of a whole day.

Zhang Jun wasn't in a hurry, even though he had undergone surgery for the film. With the original film as a reference, he still knew what he wanted.

During a break from post-production, Zhang Jun received a call from Han Sanping.

Han Sanping invited him to tea, saying he had something to talk about.

When Zhang Jun arrived at a teahouse in Beijing, Han Sanping was already sitting in a private room. On the table were a pot of Longjing tea and two plates of pastries.

"Sit down," Han Sanping said, pointing to the chair opposite him.

Zhang Jun sat down and poured himself a cup of tea.

Han Sanping didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "Big Scissors is studying a new document, which contains several opinions on foreign investment in the cultural field."

I know about the big moves you and your big boss have been making lately, so I wanted to let you know.

Han Sanping picked up his teacup, paused for a moment, and then said, "There's a clause that prohibits joint ventures in operating cinemas."

Zhang Jun was stunned for a moment.

The news came suddenly. Ye Bingcheng had just signed an agreement with Warner and the IMAX theater was already renovated. Why did this happen at this time?

Han Sanping smiled at his expression: "What's wrong, scared?"

Zhang Jun shook his head: "It wasn't fear, it was an accident."

"That's exactly what I expected."

Han Sanping put down his teacup: "This document is still under research. When it will be released and how it will be implemented are all unknowns."

But the direction is clear: we cannot allow foreign capital to control our cinema chains.

Zhang Jun quickly ran through his mind. If this policy were to be implemented, the cooperation between Chengxin Cinemas and Warner would have to end.

What about Ye Bingcheng's investment? Can the IMAX theater still be used?

His past life experiences couldn't help him make a judgment, since the era he lived in was too far removed from the present.

He can remember the details of a movie, but he really can't remember things like industry policies.

Zhang Jun only knew that Wanda had apparently collaborated with major Hollywood companies when it was building its cinema chain.

But for some reason, Wanda Cinemas later parted ways with major Hollywood studios.

If the document is authentic, then Wanda should have been affected by it, except that in the current timeline, Wanda has been replaced by Chengxin Cinemas.

Warner's people are already here, the technology is in place, and they've learned the experience.

If the policy really blocks joint ventures, Warner Bros. will have to leave, and what's left will all belong to Chengxin Cinemas.

The projection system was purchased, the screen was installed, and the theaters were built. Warner Bros. couldn't take all of that with them; all they could take were their employees.

But those employees have already trained a group of locals.

Zhang Jun shared his thoughts, and Han Sanping glanced at him after listening.

"You're quick-witted, kid."

Zhang Jun smiled and said, "I learned it from you."

Han Sanping didn't respond to that, and continued, "China Film Group has been working on its own projection system, but it's not going very smoothly. They lack technology, talent, and experience."

If Chengxin can really come up with something, we can cooperate.

Zhang Jun nodded: "I'll go back and talk to President Ye."

"No rush."

Han Sanping waved his hand: "Let's wait until the documents are finalized. Talking about this now is just empty talk."

Zhang Jun picked up his teacup and didn't continue the topic.

The two chatted about this year's film market and Zhang Yimou's new film. Han Sanping spoke highly of "Curse of the Golden Flower," saying that the visuals were indeed beautiful, but the story was a bit weak.

Zhang Jun didn't comment, so it's not his place to comment on Zhang Yimou.

After leaving Han Sanping's place, Zhang Jun immediately called Ye Bingcheng.

Ye Bingcheng answered quickly: "What's up?"

Zhang Jun relayed the news that Han Sanping had told him.

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then Ye Bingcheng's voice came through: "Is the information reliable?"

"If President Han said it himself, it must be true."

Ye Bingcheng was silent for a while, then after about ten seconds, he said, "I understand, thank you, Zhang Jun."

O

"You're welcome."

Zhang Jun hung up the phone.

He knew that Ye Bingcheng needed time to process the news and come up with a solution, but Zhang Jun believed that Ye Bingcheng could handle it.

This person started out in real estate and has experienced far more ups and downs than this.

Three days before the Spring Festival, post-production on "Bad Genius" came to a close. Zhang Jun gave his team a holiday and also returned to Kunming himself.

The parents were the same as always. The mother, Yao Xia, was busy preparing the New Year's Eve dinner, while the father, Zhang Yuncheng, sat on the sofa watching the news. Zhang Linwan was also home on holiday and immediately asked her brother to bring her a gift as soon as she entered the door.

Zhang Jun brought her a set of cosmetics he bought in Hong Kong, and the little girl jumped for joy.

During the New Year's Eve dinner, Zhang Yuncheng asked about the movie.

Zhang Jun briefly explained that filming for "Bad Genius" has been completed and is currently in post-production; it is expected to be released around the middle of the year.

Zhang Yuncheng nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

He didn't really understand his son's job, but he knew his son was doing a good job, and that was enough for him.

On the first working day after the Spring Festival holiday, Zhang Jun received a call from Ye Bingcheng.

"The document has been finalized."

Ye Bingcheng's voice was unreadable: "Joint ventures to operate cinemas are not allowed. Existing contracts can continue to be executed, but new projects are not permitted."

Zhang Jun asked, "What did Warner say?"

"They were quite disappointed."

Ye Bingcheng said, "But there's nothing we can do. They understand the policy issues. The cooperation is ending, so let's part ways amicably."

"The people have been evacuated?"

"Some of them were withdrawn."

Ye Bingcheng paused for a moment: "But the technology remained. Before they left, their engineers taught a lot of things to our people."

Zhang Jun breathed a sigh of relief; this was the best possible outcome.

Wanda went through this experience in its previous life and developed quite well. Most importantly, its technology, management, and philosophy were all preserved.

Moreover, while the partnership with Warner Bros. has ended, IMAX is not included in this scope, which means that the partnership between Integrity Cinemas and IMAX remains valid.

"What are your plans next?"

Ye Bingcheng is ambitious: "We'll do it ourselves. Chengxin Cinemas has already opened 25 cinemas, and we plan to open another 30 this year. The IMAX theaters will not be affected and will continue to operate as usual. We will handle the technology ourselves."

Zhang Jun recalled Han Sanping's words and said, "President Han told me that China Film Group is interested in cooperating."

Ye Bingcheng paused for a moment, then asked, "Han Sanping contacted you?"

He mentioned it to me.

Ye Bingcheng said, "Okay, I understand. I'll arrange to talk to him after the New Year."

After the Lunar New Year, Zhang Jun returned to Beijing, and post-production on "Bad Genius" continued. Editing, color grading, sound mixing, and music composition were all carried out step by step.

Zhang Jun spends every day in the editing room, sometimes for more than ten hours at a time.

Yang Mi often visits him, and while she's there, she also watches the finished cut of the movie. She was incredibly excited when she saw the complete scenes from the film.

Based on the quality of this film, Yang Mi is very confident that it will be a huge hit.

At the end of February, post-production of "Bad Genius" was completed, and Zhang Jun and Yang Mi sat in the screening room and watched it in its entirety.

The 120-minute film was fast-paced, with excellent acting and a clear story. From Lin Wei's first act of cheating to her final repentance, every step kept the audience on the edge of their seats.

Yang Mi was also very satisfied with the result: "When will it be submitted for review?"

"As soon as possible."

Zhang Jun said, "I'll try to get in after the college entrance exam, just to ride the wave of popularity."

Yang Mi is already looking forward to it: "How much do you think this movie will gross at the box office?"

Zhang Jun shook his head: "It's hard to say, but you'll definitely become a big star."

Ms. Yang, are you ready for the day you become famous?

Yang Mi rolled her eyes at Zhang Jun: "You're the kind of person who always jokes with me—"

In early March, "Reign of Assassins" was released in North America.

Sony Columbia gave it a decent distribution scale, with over 300 screens. However, the film's box office performance was mediocre, earning less than two million US dollars in its opening weekend, though it received positive reviews.

It has a 78% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 85% audience score.

The Los Angeles Times film review said: "This is a film that truly understands martial arts. It's not about showing off skills or being pretentious, but about honestly telling a story of the martial arts world."

A New York Times film review stated, "Zhang is a name to watch; his lenses possess both an Eastern charm and a modern perspective."

Zhang Jun was drinking tea in the office of Guanzhi Pictures when he saw these comments.

He Xuan came in with a newspaper and put it on his desk.

"It came from North America, take a look."

Zhang Jun was quite surprised when he saw the report: "The media reviews are all pretty good. I didn't expect it to be so highly rated."

He Xuan asked, "Jiang Tao said we could apply for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, what do you think?"

Zhang Jun was tempted for a moment, but in the end he shook his head: "Forget it, I'm not Ang Lee, so don't bother."

One reason why Chinese film directors are now flocking to make period dramas is that they want to replicate the success of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and compete for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

But period dramas eventually become tiresome, and the Oscars are the first place to get tired of them.

Having seen so many previous period dramas fail, Zhang Jun didn't believe "Reign of Assassins" would be a success either. Of course, he could spend money on public relations; getting a nomination for a million dollars wouldn't be a problem.

But Zhang Jun felt it wasn't worth it; he had already made enough money with "Reign of Assassins" and didn't need any more accolades.

At present, Zhang Jun believes that he should focus on his work on "Bad Genius".

>