Chapter 24: Capital Circle Cooperation

In the 1990s, as Hollywood blockbusters entered China, the domestic film market's embryonic form gradually took shape.

Various private film companies began to rise and show vigorous vitality, while traditional film studios successively embarked on the path of reorganization and reform.

The reason is simply that the time had come when change was unavoidable.

Take, for example, the Changchun Film Studio, the first film studio of New China, which created multiple firsts in New China's film history.

Yet in the 1990s, when the market economy was rising, it encountered an unprecedented crisis.

By 1997, it had suffered losses for six consecutive years, teetering on the brink of collapse, and was only restructured into the Changchun Film Group in 2000.

The other film studios, while not as dire as Changchun, were no better off, all struggling to maintain themselves, awaiting the fate of restructuring and reorganization.

But with The Matrix hot in theaters and earning an astonishing 1.43 billion, the minds of various studio leaders began to stir again.

It wasn't that they wanted to oppose reorganization; they just thought that if they could cooperate with Jiang Heng, earning some money to pay workers' wages and benefits would also be good!

Just thinking that Jiang Heng's production and distribution companies could receive nearly fifty million yuan in box-office dividends made all the studio leaders envy them to no end.

If we also count The Matrix's profit-sharing and copyright income from Hong Kong and overseas, it would certainly be at least one or two hundred million!

Although we don't know exactly how much Jiang Heng's production cost, making a big profit is certain.

For this reason alone, we must find a way to cooperate!

The Xi'an Film Studio was the first to call, but possibly affected by the box-office failure of their co-production with Zhou Xingxing, The Westward Journey, the attitude of the Xi'an Film Studio was not firm.

After two calls, hearing Jiang Heng say he still had no ideas, they stopped contacting him.

The others, such as Shanghai Film Studio, August One Film Studio, Xianggang Film Studio, and Emei Film Studio, each made one call; seeing that Jiang Heng seemed unwilling to cooperate, they gave up.

Only Han Sanping of the Beijing Film Studio seemed determined to co-produce a film with Jiang Heng, repeatedly calling to invite him to the capital, saying the subject, inspiration, and timing could all be discussed—just as long as they co-produced.

Jiang Heng knew Han Sanping's future prospects, so it was naturally hard to refuse.

Moreover, Hong Kong cinema was declining, and he intended to focus his future career on the mainland, so he could not afford to offend.

In late February, Jiang Heng again flew to the capital, still staying at a hotel, but he had the idea of purchasing property and a car there.

After dinner, he finally made the call to inform them of his arrival.

Han Sanping asked about the flight time, then complained, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? I would have sent someone to pick you up!"

Jiang Heng laughed, "No trouble—I just called the hotel, and they sent a car."

He was staying at a five-star hotel, which offered airport pickup service.

Han Sanping said, "How can that be the same? We are partners; I certainly want to fulfill my duties as host!"

Jiang Heng smiled and did not take up the conversation.

Han Sanping glanced at the time and greeted everyone to go out for a drink.

Jiang Heng said he had just eaten dinner; Han Sanping replied, "No problem—let's just have a drink, chat a while, and wait for me to make the arrangements!"

After hanging up, about half an hour later the call came back; the meeting place was set at Donglaishun, Jiang Heng freshened up, and took the hotel's car there.

After getting out of the car and walking just a few steps, he saw Han Sanping leading a group of people out.

"Director Jiang, long time no see!" Han Sanping warmly stepped forward to shake hands.

Although the two had not had much prior contact, when The Matrix was released, due to the Beijing Film Studio's production and distribution of Party A and Party B, they were still considered competitors.

Moreover, thanks to the movie-going craze stirred up by The Matrix, combined with the quality and genre of Party A and Party B being well suited to the New Year's slot, the film ultimately grossed over 27 million, not much less than in the previous life.

Compared to an investment of over six million, just the box-office income already yielded a handsome profit, let alone the subsequent revenue from videotapes and TV broadcasts.

This made the Beijing Film Studio's leadership and the main creators of Party A and Party B very pleased; tonight, besides the studio's senior executives, there were also Feng Xiaogang, Ge You, Liu Bei, and the great beauty Xu Qing.

The latter, now almost thirty, still appears bright and charming, full of youthful aura—no wonder she could play the role of Ren Yingying in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer three years later.

Han Sanping thought Jiang Heng didn't know them, and warmly introduced them, but Jiang Heng could name several works Liu Bei and Xu Qing had done since their debuts, causing the several men present to be greatly astonished.

Feng Xiaogang whispered to Ge You, "This kid doesn't have good intentions, does he? How does he know everything?"

Ge You, fearing he might be reckless, hurriedly whispered, "No way, no way!"

He thought to himself, "Young and wealthy, having made over a hundred million from one film, and a renowned director—now it's not him coveting female stars, but many female stars coveting him!"

After entering the private room and taking seats, the conversation naturally turned to The Matrix's overseas distribution, and Han Sanping asked how the talks with the Americans were going.

Jiang Heng said they were using a profit-sharing release with Columbia, the schedule set for mid-March, which is less than a month away.

Ge You exclaimed, "Amazing—that our Chinese-language film can get profit-sharing distribution in Hollywood; your The Matrix must be the first, right?"

Jiang Heng gave a slight nod, smiling, "Well, probably yes."

According to his knowledge, Cheng Long's first film to gross big in Hollywood, Rumble in the Bronx, was an outright sale; after redubbing, it was released nationwide in over 2,000 U. S. theaters in February 1996.

Before that, non-American films could only get small-scale releases in a few dozen theaters.

Such a large-scale release of a non-American film was still a first in Hollywood.

Jiang Heng's The Matrix, however, belongs to the first large-scale profit-sharing release of a Chinese-language telephone in the United States.

Cheng Long wanted to get box-office dividends, which would have to start from his 1998 film Rush Hour.

At this moment, in the eyes of everyone present, Jiang Heng had already barely surpassed Cheng Long.

Thus everyone couldn't help but utter a word of praise; although Feng Xiaogang felt displeased inside, he couldn't help but go along with the flattery.

Although Party A and Party B had made his name known in the film circle, in front of Han Sanping he still dared not act rashly.

After discussing the sale of The Matrix's copyright, Han Sanping couldn't help but ask, "Director Jiang, have you had any good creative ideas lately?"

Jiang Heng laughed and shook his head, "You guys don't know— for the film's release I've put in so much effort, negotiating repeatedly with distributors from various countries! So far I've sold it to over forty countries, and each one takes more than a month a day!"

As soon as he said that, the Beijing Film Studio's senior executives all felt envious, their teeth aching with sourness.

Feng Xiaogang listened until his eyes turned red; he considered a film with less than thirty million yuan in box office a sign of success.

But compared to Jiang Heng's achievements, it's utterly heaven and earth apart!

Selling distribution rights to over forty countries—just how much money must that earn!

The two actresses present thought of Li Meiqi, who played the female lead and became an international star as the film was released; their gazes at Jiang Heng grew ever brighter.

Please collect and recommend!

(End of Chapter)