Chapter 1658
Replacing the Cage with a New Bird
The next day, Guo Fan witnessed a scene that he could hardly believe.
A leading man in Hollywood, a famous family man, and a globally renowned superstar who earns over ten million US dollars per film.
He forced a smile in front of him, stretched out his thick arms, and apologized.
My bodyguard was incompetent and too rough.
I hope to gain your forgiveness.
Guo Fan was dumbfounded.
Is this still the tough guy I see on screen?
Why are you speaking so softly now?
There are very few truly indestructible men in the world; you can't find many even after searching through all 24 histories.
Most of them are fake.
The tough guys on screen are just on the big screen.
Even Schwarzenegger and Stallone are often cunning in private.
Besides, does the United States, the beacon of democracy, still tolerate tough guys?
Even the good families of generations are almost exhausted, just like the Ming Dynasty after the Tumu Crisis.
Eating a few protein powder meals and gaining a few pounds of muscle doesn't make you a tough guy.
"Say your lines!" Zhang Yuan reminded the bewildered Guo Fan.
"Ah... I accept your apology."
Old Fan tilted his head and shook hands with him.
Then...
"open!"
She turned and hugged him, patting each other on the back.
"A tiny misunderstanding."
“Yes, we always have some little misunderstandings,” Zhang Yuan whispered in his ear.
"Fan, you are a very persevering person."
"However, some things cannot be accomplished simply by having perseverance."
"I hope there won't be a next time."
Upon hearing his words, the bald man understood that they were a warning and a taunt, and instinctively wanted to tighten the hug.
But just as he was about to increase his strength, his body suddenly relaxed.
He realized that his usual strength was not superior to that of this person.
If you do that, you'll only end up hurting yourself.
"See you on set later." After they parted, Zhang Yuan smiled and patted his shoulder, not too hard.
The other person left without saying a word.
"This actually works!" Guo Fan, who was standing to the side, hadn't fully recovered yet.
"Of course you can, so don't panic when something happens, especially when you're out."
"I understand, at least it's resolved."
"Do not."
Guo Fan had just breathed a sigh of relief when Zhang Yuan interrupted him.
"If a white person is swearing at you, it means they're really out of options."
"If someone is all smiles at you, there's a good chance there's something wrong with them."
“Look at his state just now.” Zhang Yuan pointed in the direction where the family hero had left.
"Who knows what Universal Pictures and he might have discussed behind the scenes?"
"Then, then shouldn't we have never... otherwise we wouldn't have all this trouble?"
"No, what needs to be done still needs to be done; trouble is inevitable." Zhang Yuan didn't care: "We'll deal with it when it comes up."
The fact that the bald guy was so polite in coming over to apologize means that Universal Music must have offered him some kind of deal.
For me, things can't get much worse.
I'm not like those domestic actors who immediately kneel down when they see a Hollywood studio.
I'm not relying on you for food; we're just taking what we need.
Moreover, this is only a short-term measure, a matter of mutual benefit during this special period.
The relationship between China and North America is characterized by peaceful exchanges, but long-term confrontation is the norm.
It's uncertain how long these days of making money from both ends will last.
After that, everything went smoothly.
As it turns out, most problems are caused by people.
Once everyone calmed down and started doing their jobs, the filming process went smoothly.
"NO!"
On this day, in the rear compartment of the plane.
He gripped Gadot's arm tightly with his hand.
The other person, strapped with wires, looked relieved.
He trembled all over, his veins bulged, and his eyes were bloodshot.
"Release!"
At the command of the martial arts instructor, Zhang Yuan's small hand slipped.
Gadot was quickly pulled to the ground by the wire, landing steadily on several layers of safety mats.
"Card!"
"GREAT!"
With that, their scenes in the film were finished.
Zhang Yuan stepped forward and greeted the director.
He took another photo with Gadot.
This person even pouted as if to kiss him.
It doesn't matter how intimate she is with the other person, because she is a woman.
But I cannot respond.
Even if the other party is willing, excessive physical contact can easily lead to being weighed.
The atmosphere around the lighthouse has begun to subtly change.
"See you next time." He then found the other lead actors and hugged them one by one.
"Paul, honestly, you should avoid Porsches or any other modified cars."
“I think the original factory car is the best,” he reiterated.
"I know, BRO, but I still think it's more fun to modify my own car." He didn't take it seriously at all, a typical case of forgetting the pain once the wound healed.
Anyway, I've given all the advice I could.
"Fan, see you later."
"Of course," Old Fan replied in a lukewarm tone.
"Not necessarily..."
After he waved and left, Jiarenxia watched his retreating figure and quietly added a comment.
Zhang Yuan did not return to China directly, but instead went to Los Angeles again.
Then, they called another meeting with Tull, the owner of Legendary Pictures.
Several things. First, Pacific Rim is already in post-production, and the company hopes to release it during the Christmas season.
The corresponding time period is the Chinese New Year film season in China.
"That won't work." Zhang Yuan shook his head upon hearing this decision.
"The Christmas season is certainly good for the North American market."
"But in China, the best time slots during the Lunar New Year holiday season are reserved for domestic films as much as possible."
"Especially in recent years, the box office performance of domestic films has been excellent."
"So at this point in time, it's difficult to release the film simultaneously, and we'll run into a bunch of competitors with very strong marketing and distribution capabilities."
After listening, Tuer thought about it.
"So what's your suggestion?"
"It's simply a matter of bringing it forward or postponing it."
“I prefer to move it forward,” Zhang Yuan said with unusual firmness.
"Because nearly 30% of China's annual box office is concentrated in the two months from the end of December to the beginning of February."
"The pressure will only increase as we go on."
"Only blockbuster movies like Avatar don't care about competition."
“Pacific Rim didn’t have the popularity of its predecessor, it didn’t have a big IP, and the director and actors weren’t globally renowned stars, and even fewer people in China knew about it.”
"They are inherently at a disadvantage in terms of attractiveness."
"If it's released during the prime time of the Lunar New Year holiday, around the time of the Spring Festival, it will only be worse."
"So, your suggestion is to release it earlier, even before North America?"
"Yes," Zhang Yuan replied steadily.
"Hollywood movies are always released in North America first."
“But there are examples of other regions releasing the film first, aren’t there?” Zhang Yuan advised.
"But piracy and unauthorized recording are very serious problems in the Chinese market," Tuer said with concern.
"Are you worried that piracy will affect box office revenue in North America?"
"Yes."
Actually, the two countries that love piracy the most in the world are India and Russia. One makes money from everything, and the other has superb internet technology.
Russian hackers are no joke.
"This is a blockbuster movie that focuses on special effects."
"Pirated copies, especially those recorded in theaters in the early days, have very poor picture quality, which severely diminishes the viewing experience."
High-definition pirated versions of movies are generally not available one or two months before their theatrical release.
Those pirated copies are either copies of officially released CDs or leaked by insiders.
Otherwise, where would we get high-definition sources?
Blu-ray piracy will appear even later, because studios will release Blu-ray discs even later.
"If we're satisfied with such poor visuals, then we're not our target audience." "If you want to watch this movie, you won't tolerate this kind of visuals."
Just like college students who want to watch something but don't have the money, so they watch pirated versions to make do.
Without piracy, these people wouldn't go to the cinema and spend tens of dollars on tickets; how much is their monthly living allowance?
However, for office workers who have the purchasing power and are interested, they will not be satisfied with pirated products.
Just like with "Avatar," pirated copies and theatrical viewing are completely different things; it's almost like watching the same movie.
"My conclusion is that the film will be released in China first, so the impact will be minimal."
"As long as the difference isn't too great and it's within a few weeks, there shouldn't be any problem."
"I will also try my best to control the spread of piracy in China, especially on several major video platforms."
He can't control the scattered downloads, and he really can't control the guerrilla-style downloads.
However, blocking uploads to large platforms like Youku can improve the quality by 6-7%.
After thinking it over, Tours said he would discuss it with his subordinates, showing a good attitude.
Zhang Yuan urged him to give him an answer as soon as possible, and I also need to start the publicity campaign in the China region ahead of schedule.
He made this suggestion because it would be advantageous for him to release the film first in China!
"So, what about the rest?"
"For example, the investment and profit distribution of 'The Great Wall'."
"I hope that as a partner of China, I can increase the revenue share of China and surrounding regions."
"In exchange, I will appropriately reduce the proportion of revenue from Europe and America, how about that?"
“I can consider it, but I want more revenue from island nations and South Korea,” Tull replied immediately, clearly having considered the matter.
"I'll think about it and give you an answer as soon as possible." This was what he hoped for, but he couldn't rush it.
"There's one more thing," Zhang Yuan said with a smile.
Tuer felt a headache coming on when he saw this.
Why are the Chinese people like licorice candy, both tough and sticky?
He knew perfectly well what Zhang Yuan was talking about, but could only offer a vague answer.
"The Godzilla project is still in the early stages of preparation and will take time."
"And we've reached the stage of formal casting."
Zhang Yuan chuckled softly, then looked up again a few seconds later.
“Tour, do you know?”
"Since my debut, I have never failed to get the projects I wanted or the roles I wanted."
Not even once.
Seeing his confidence, the white boss was somewhat moved.
"You will definitely choose me."
"And I will give you ample reasons."
He stood up and straightened his suit.
"I hope we can continue to cooperate."
After saying that, he left decisively and didn't bother to linger.
After all, this isn't something you can resolve by rolling around on the floor of someone's office and acting like a rogue.
He returned to China with Guo Fan and took him on a tour of his special effects company located in the Shanghai metropolitan area.
"Mr. Huang, this is Director Guo."
"The Adventures of Li Xianji is his work, and you should have been familiar with it."
"Yes, welcome." This Hong Kong man surnamed Huang was wearing an Adidas sweater, Converse sneakers, and had a hairstyle with long hair on top but shaved sides.
They thought it was trendy, but Zhang Yuan thought it was greasy.
Of course, whether you look trendy or greasy depends mainly on your face.
Just like Edison Chen, he looked trendy in anything he wore when he was 20, but now at 40, he looks greasy if he dresses like that. It's clearly the same person.
This Mr. Huang thought Guo Fan had a new work and came to visit it.
of course not.
"Mr. Huang, I plan to arrange for Director Guo Fan to intern at the company for a while."
"Because he had just spent more than half a year studying in Hollywood. Although it was tough, he also gained a lot."
“I want to arrange a position for him as the deputy director of product, so that he can participate in the discussion of any projects the company receives.”
Mr. Huang's face stiffened, and he subconsciously stammered, "Okay, okay..."
But I knew in my heart that a leader had been parachuted in.
"Don't be polite to him."
"Give him more work, even overtime or all-nighters are fine."
Guo Fan: Are you alright?
“I will evaluate him once a week.”
"Make sure he doesn't slack off."
"You all do the same, dumping all your work on him."
Zhang Yuan said magnanimously, his hands behind his back.
They were giving off a "don't hold back" vibe, as if they were going to mess with Guo Fan.
We definitely need to assign him work; how can we find out the problems if he doesn't get involved in work?
The more you interact with, the faster you discover problems.
"Does Mr. Xie know about this?" Brother Huang asked, rolling his eyes.
Zhang Yuan took out his phone in front of him and called Young Master Xie.
"Yes, I want to give my directors some experience."
"Go check out his films, he has great potential."
"I want to train him to be a well-rounded director, especially one who can do special effects."
It was just a matter of a phone call.
He owns more shares in the company.
It was actually a bit impolite of Brother Huang to mention Nicholas Tse to his face.
Who is the boss?
Whom do you recognize?
My words don't count?
So he retaliated by calling the other party in person.
In Zhang Yuan's eyes, this was a sign that the other party was guilty.
But he didn't show any anger or disgust; instead, he replied very kindly.
"I've already spoken to Nicholas Tse."
"If there are any problems later, you can also report them to him."
After saying that, he took Guo Fan away.
Arriving at a nearby noodle shop in Shanghai, he ordered a bowl of braised pork intestine noodles and a bowl of yellow croaker noodles for the other person.
"Can you get used to the food?"
"The food in Shanghai is quite different from that in your hometown of Shandong."
"It's alright..." Guo Fan raised his hand and took out chopsticks from the chopstick holder: "Even if it's not very good, it's still Chinese cuisine. It's better than eating pizza and hamburgers for months on end."
Pizza and burgers are nice to eat occasionally, though they can be quite satisfying.
Most Chinese people couldn't stand eating that every day.
Moreover, the place they've been staying in these past few months is Britain, a place that makes the capital city, often jokingly called a "food desert," look quite charming.
The British Empire, which once possessed spices and resources from all over the world, ended up producing only tomato beans and fish and chips.
You said that the old emperor created a lot of waste or fermented food because the people were poor and had no other choice.
What's going on with your Great British Empire acting like this?
They were both eating.
Halfway through the meal, Guo Fan put down his chopsticks and hesitated before speaking.
"You didn't bring me to this company for technical work or learning, did you?"
"Your guess is correct, but not entirely."
When Zhang Yuan saw that he had asked, since he was going to tell him anyway and it was only a matter of time, he took the initiative to tell him everything.
"When you're replacing a bird with a new one, you have to take the old one out first."
"We have to take it swiftly, and not let the old birds flutter around."
"If you break the cage, I'll still want it."
"You understand?"
Guo Fan nodded helplessly.
I understand, this is to make me the one to stick my neck out.
His role was somewhat similar to that of Dong Mingzhu recruiting Wang Ziru in later generations.
They say they're working on new media and online channels.
Actually, she wanted Wang Ziru to help her sort out those old channels and relationships, using him as a tool. When her old friends were being attacked and complaining bitterly, Sister Dong would then jump out and expel the "culprit," making herself the good guy.
This way, the matter can be handled without offending anyone.
Sister Dong just didn't expect that Wang Ziru's ability to maneuver so freely was a bit too much; he even became close friends with those suppliers...
Not in a physical sense, but at the dinner table.
Wang Ziru isn't stupid, okay...
Guo Fan wasn't stupid; he knew he would offend people, and many of them at that.
But Zhang Yuan had already promised him a bright future.
The cage needs to be cleared out so that you, the new bird, can get in.
Of course he wanted it.
Besides...
He thought that even if he offended someone, Zhang Yuan would definitely be able to help him get things sorted out.
After all, the foreigners have already been taken care of.
In his hands, even Vin Diesel would have to bow down and apologize to him.
A few Hong Kongers...it's no big deal! (End of Chapter)