Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 219 The Thoughtful Fan Bingbing
Wu Yuchen had a clear vision for the "A Beautiful Mind" project: its primary goal was to win an Oscar. If DreamWorks was to take the lion's share of the investment, they would undoubtedly do everything in their power to help "A Beautiful Mind" achieve its Oscar ambitions. The interests of both parties were aligned, and it was impossible for a repeat of Disney's betrayal of him.

And this time it's not just DreamWorks...

Wu Yuchen glanced at Glazer again. This guy was able to directly approach Spielberg and negotiate business with DreamWorks, so he must have some influence in Hollywood and among Jewish people. This gave "A Beautiful Mind" an extra boost in its Oscar chances.

With the project finalized, all three smiled. They then discussed the matter further, concluding that "A Beautiful Mind" definitely wouldn't be filmed this year, as Wu Yuchen's focus was currently on "The Pirate King."

However, Wu Yuchen also agreed with the two that they could finish the script for "A Beautiful Mind" within a month, and then Glazer, as the producer, would begin the pre-production work for the film, while Spielberg would be responsible for persuading John Nash.

John Nash, who won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 94, is only 72 years old this year and still alive and well. If you want to adapt his life story into a movie, you naturally need to get his consent. And for someone as prestigious as Spielberg to persuade him, that's the most suitable person to do.

September arrived slowly, and Fan Bingbing was quite happy. In the past two months, she collaborated with Huang Haibing and others, playing the female lead Zhu Qiqi in the drama series "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," enjoying the treatment of a leading lady. This was something she had dreamed of for almost five years in the industry!
Meanwhile, during the summer vacation, "Young Justice Bao," which she filmed last year, was also broadcast as scheduled, and it swept across the country as soon as it was released, instantly becoming a phenomenal hit drama.

The most eye-catching actor in "Young Justice Bao" is undoubtedly Zhou Jie, who plays the male lead Bao Heitan. He rose to fame a couple of years ago with his role as Erkang in "My Fair Princess," but now he has successfully transformed his image with Bao Heitan, showcasing his talent and acting skills to audiences both inside and outside the industry. The female lead, Gao Yuanyuan, also boosted her popularity again with her role as Ling Chuchu.

Although Fan Bingbing only played the second female lead, Pang Qiuyan, her role was quite substantial and her performance was outstanding. This was her second representative role after Jin Suo. More importantly, this time she was no longer a maid. Even when she was out shopping, people recognized her and didn't just start calling her "Jin Suo, Jin Suo." Instead, many people remembered her name as Fan Bingbing!
Putting everything else aside, the simplest thing is that the company told her that there are now many more advertisers wanting her to be their spokesperson, and the endorsement price has at least doubled compared to before.

However, the company advised her not to accept the role yet, since she was only the second female lead in this drama. They suggested that once "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" airs next year, Fan Bingbing's value as the female lead would definitely skyrocket again, and it wouldn't be too late to accept the role then. Fan Bingbing naturally agreed.

Just thinking about how she would become a household name as the female lead after "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" aired next year filled Fan Bingbing with a warm feeling and made her tremble with excitement. It wasn't just because of the large sums of money she would receive; the feeling of being in the spotlight and having her fame grow was truly intoxicating.

Then, Wu Yuchen's image immediately flashed into Fan Bingbing's mind. She knew how she had gotten everything she had. Without Wu Yuchen's care and arrangements, how could she have had such a smooth life these past two years? She might have ended up in a lawsuit with Qiong Yao, losing everything, and perhaps even her dream of becoming a star would have been shattered.

More importantly, if she wants to go further in her future career, she must cultivate a closer relationship with Wu Yuchen, after all, he is currently China's number one director, who has a great influence both at home and abroad!

With that in mind, Fan Bingbing immediately grabbed her packed suitcase, took her passport, and headed straight to Beijing Capital International Airport to board a flight to America and pursue her dream!
……

In a booth at the bar, Keira Knightley plopped down, picked up a bottle, and was about to pour a drink into a glass when a large hand grabbed her.

“Hey, my dear Kayla, you’re only 15, you can’t drink alcohol~” Hugh Jackman winked at Kayla and said with a smile. In Europe and America, there are regulations on underage teenagers drinking alcohol.

Kayla rolled her eyes at his words: "Come on, Hugh, who cares about these rigid old customs? I don't believe you haven't secretly drunk alcohol before! I'm not a child anymore!"

"No wonder Wu chose you to play Elizabeth; you're just as rebellious at heart!"

Hugh Jackman smiled and slowly released his grip, but still said, "Only one drink allowed."

Kayla looked at Johnny Depp sitting across from her: "Hey, even Depp can sneak a drink here! Why aren't you doing anything about him!"

Upon hearing this, Depp let out a burp, then shook his head with a delicate gesture: "Oh no, no, no, little Kayla, I'm not drinking secretly, I'm drinking openly!"

"Didn't Wu forbid you from drinking?"

"Aha, I've lifted my abstinence from alcohol because I'm about to film some scenes, and I need to drink to get into the mood!"

Depp laughed heartily, and then toasted with Hugh Jackman.

Kayla joined in and clinked glasses with the two of them. After putting her glass down, she said indignantly, "Damn it, I really want to grow up faster!"

Seeing her like this, Hugh Jackman couldn't help but laugh and ask, "Kayla, are you still thinking about what Kate told you? Didn't Wu tell you that this is for both sides' publicity needs?"

A few days ago, after filming wrapped up on "Pearl Harbor," the crew members were asked about "The Pirate King" during an interview. Since both films feature leading ladies from England, comparisons were inevitable.

In an interview, Kate Beckinsale, the lead actress in "Pearl Harbor," mentioned Keira Knightley, saying that it was hard to imagine a 15-year-old girl playing the lead role in such a big production, adding that she was still laying the foundation at that age, and wishing her little sister good luck.

Although she didn't say anything offensive, she spoke in a condescending tone, like an older sister looking down on her younger sister, and even advised her to study hard and build a solid foundation so that she could go further in the future. This openly lecturing attitude naturally made Kayla very unhappy.

Kayla took another sip of her drink, then asked the two men, "Hey, do you guys really think our 'Pirate King' can beat 'Pearl Harbor' next year?"

Depp raised his glass and shouted, "Of course! The great Captain Jack Sparrow will sail the Black Pearl and spread his glory all over the world!"

Kayla, seeing Depp's half-drunk and half-crazy state, completely ignored his ramblings and then looked at the more composed Hugh Jackman.

"What's wrong, Kayla? You seem a bit insecure. Do you think you didn't act well? Or do you think we're not as good as the other one?"

Kayla explained, "That's not what I meant. It's just... Hugh, you know, we're doing a pirate movie, and Pearl Harbor, with its war, romance, and big scenes, is a popular genre these days, a favorite of audiences. You know what I mean."

Hugh Jackman understood her meaning, which was also the consensus among many outsiders. He swirled the wine in his glass, a faint smile appearing on his face.

“I believe in Wu. I have personally witnessed him go from a rookie director in Hollywood to where he is today. He can create miracles.”

Kayla pursed her lips upon hearing this, and then said, "Miracle Director Wu is currently welcoming his new girlfriend."

A month ago, she met Jiang Qinqin, who came to the film crew, and now another Asian woman who seemed to have a close relationship with Wu Yuchen has arrived. It is obvious that she is not the same one as before.

Hugh Jackman frowned upon hearing this, then a serious expression appeared on his face:
“Kayla, it’s very impolite to gossip about other people’s private lives behind their backs, especially about someone like Director Wu. I can pretend I didn’t hear it, but it’s best not to do it again in the future. Otherwise, even if you’re still young, it will make people disgusted if it gets out.”

Kayla opened her mouth upon hearing this, but realizing she had spoken out of turn, she shrank back and turned to look at Depp across from her. Seeing that he was still engrossed in his wine and seemed completely oblivious to their conversation, she breathed a sigh of relief.

In fact, Kayla was right. Wu Yuchen was indeed giving Fan Bingbing a proper welcome and a thorough cleaning, personally washing her clean in the bathroom.

When the two emerged from the bathroom together, Fan Bingbing's face was radiant, her beautiful cheeks flushed with the unique blush of rain. Her jet-black hair, still wet, clung to her skin, adding an extra touch of allure. She wore only a bathrobe, which accentuated her perfect S-shaped figure.

Beneath the bath towel were two long, shapely legs, fair and exceptionally beautiful. Her skin, even among female celebrities, was outstanding, a shade whiter than the bath towel itself, making one want to take a bite.

She was holding Wu Yuchen's arm tightly at that moment:

"Director Wu, you don't care about me at all. I flew all the way from Beijing to Los Angeles, a journey of over ten hours, and then rushed here without stopping. You've been putting me through all that trouble as soon as I arrived. My legs are completely numb from squatting just now!"

Wu Yuchen chuckled and patted her shapely bottom: "Hehe, just giving you some extra nutrition and essence!"

Although Fan Bingbing was a bit clumsy just now, the feeling of this first experience was still wonderful.

Upon hearing this, Fan Bingbing gave him a flirtatious wink.

Wu Yuchen led her to the table, where a cake was laid out. He smiled and said to Fan Bingbing:
"Bingbing, it's your birthday today! I've prepared the cake!"

Upon seeing this, Fan Bingbing immediately showed a look of delight and kissed Wu Yuchen on the cheek again: "Brother Chen, thank you, you're so good to me! I'm so touched!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen reached out and stroked Fan Bingbing's dark hair: "Bingbing, make a birthday wish!" Fan Bingbing immediately replied, "I wish to be Brother Chen's little darling forever~"

"Bingbing, you should always make your wishes silently~"

Fan Bingbing shook her head, snuggled into Wu Yuchen's arms, and said sweetly, "Brother Chen, my heart belongs to you, what secrets could I possibly have?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen was in high spirits. Looking at the stunningly beautiful face that had grown up, he directly embraced Fan Bingbing's waist and kissed her. Her soft lips carried a slightly sweet taste. His large hand reached down to her waist and caressed her smooth skin, revealing a girl's unique innocence.

After their lips parted, Fan Bingbing, her eyes misty and her gaze somewhat unfocused, looked at Wu Yuchen and asked breathlessly, "Brother Chen, I also prepared a birthday cake for you~"

"Oh?"

Wu Yuchen looked at Fan Bingbing's cake, which was smooth and shiny all over, and seemed to be glowing white!
The cream on the outside of the cake was white and tender. Wu Yuchen first reached out and touched it, then put it in his mouth and tasted it gently. It was very smooth, and the light fragrance lingered on the tip of his tongue, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

Wu Yuchen's eyes lit up. Fan Bingbing's cake was simply superb, far superior to anything he had prepared!
Wu Yuchen lit the candles and savored the incredibly tempting cake, which was being made for the first time. Then, he hugged Fan Bingbing and sang a happy song together to celebrate her birthday!

Having celebrated her birthday, Fan Bingbing was overjoyed. She knew that after this birthday, she would truly be reborn, and her future path would be a bright and promising one, guaranteeing her a place among the top female stars in China.

However, while on set with the Pirate King, seeing the huge sailing ships and docks built specifically for filming, Fan Bingbing felt even more ambitious. One day, she wanted to truly step into Hollywood and become an international superstar!

Wu Yuchen is quite satisfied with Fan Bingbing. It's not that she's bad at looks or figure, but in those aspects she's definitely top-notch and will be a future ceiling-level beauty in the Chinese entertainment industry!

What pleased him even more was Fan Bingbing's attitude. Without him even having to say anything, Fan Bingbing took the initiative to solve his problems, saying that it would definitely not affect his relationship with Jiang Qinqin and Gao Yuanyuan. If there was anything she could do, she would even help Chen Ge smooth things over, hoping that Wu Yuchen would remember a little bit of her kindness.

Tsk tsk tsk, not only does she give Wu Yuchen whatever he wants, but she also considers his feelings thoughtfully. How could she not win Wu Yuchen's heart?

Wu Yuchen made up his mind; this time, he had to arrange another leading role for her. A thought flashed through his mind—he remembered the projects Cai Yinong had mentioned on the phone earlier, like "Love Across Time."

He may not be as good as Zhang Ting in the original version, but what does Zhang Ting have to do with him? He's definitely supporting Fan Bingbing, who is completely obedient to him!

As for movies, that could be arranged for her, but we need to find some projects first to hone her acting skills. Her acting is still a bit immature, so it's best to find some suitable roles for her first. Wu Yuchen couldn't help but think of Xiao Gang. When was his movie "Cellphone" filmed again?

Wu Yuchen looked refreshed and energetic, and with his improved spirits, he became more motivated. With his constant encouragement, the filming progressed more smoothly.

The Pirate King crew has now moved to the treasure cave where they filmed the climax scene. This treasure cave wasn't so simple; finding a suitable cave took a long time, and then the crew had to repair and decorate the interior to meet the requirements. Hiring people to build the cave took a lot of effort and time; just filling the cave with 30 gallons of water took three or four days, so putting it at the end is just right.

As the main villain Barbossa collapsed to the ground in disbelief, a shout of "Filming wrapped!" echoed throughout the set, followed by cheers.

This shoot took nearly five months, making it the longest shoot of Wu Yuchen's career, so he was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

However, even though filming has wrapped up, it doesn't mean Wu Yuchen can relax. There's still post-production waiting for him. Not to mention editing, he also has to oversee the production of special effects. He has to check the effect of each one to see if it meets his requirements. As for the music, they directly brought in Hollywood's music master Hans Zimmer, who was the composer of the original score.

However busy he was, he still had to attend to some social engagements and social obligations. For example, this time, one of DreamWorks' three founders, Katzenberg, specifically introduced him to a certain person.

"Wu, this is Roy Disney. He's a member of the Disney family, has Disney blood in his veins, and is the true owner of Disney!"

"Roy, this is Wu. I don't need to introduce him. You should know him."

Looking at the 70-year-old man in front of him with gray hair and simple clothes, Wu Yuchen extended his hand and said with a smile, "Mr. Roy, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

Old man Roy shook hands with Wu Yuchen and then said:

"Wu, I've seen your movies. You're a really talented young man, just like Katzenberg. You two young talents should have been great partners of Disney!"

Katzenberg replied, "Roy, I'll never forget what happened to me at Disney. I didn't feel respected; it was betrayal, a complete lack of contractual spirit!"

Wu Yuchen nodded: "Roy, my experience with Disney is probably no secret to you. No director can tolerate this!"

Roy argued, "Hey, you need to get this straight, this wasn't Disney's intention, it was all Michael Eisner's personal action. You can't equate his actions with Disney's!"

Katzenberg shrugged. "But isn't he the emperor of Disney now? He's the helmsman of Disney, and his will will be carried out by Disney. So we should all unite to oust him!"

Wu Yuchen chimed in, "Roy, Katzenberg is right. Disney is no longer Disney; it has completely become the shape of Eisner. If this continues, Eisner will turn Disney into a mess, completely deviating from the spirit that Disney was founded on and losing its soul. The recent sharp drop in Disney's stock price is proof of that."

Roy Disney shook his head: "Eisner is Eisner, I will oppose him, but I will not do anything to betray Disney."

Katzenberg said, "Hey Roy, you need to distinguish between long-term pain and short-term pain. If you don't get Eisner out of the company, Disney won't be Disney in a few years. You're not betraying Disney, you're saving it!"

“You don’t need to say anything more. I will only do what I believe is right,” Roy Disney said firmly.

Wu Yuchen had figured it out: this Roy was an old man who identified himself with Disney and was absolutely loyal to Disney. He opposed Eisner's rule, but didn't want to harm Disney.

Then Roy sighed, "What a pity. I had the best chance with Frank. If only he were here..."

Many people only know Michael Eisner, the "Emperor of Disney," but Frank Wells was another who joined Disney at the same time and turned the company around. The two of them, one playing the good cop and the other the bad cop, transformed Disney, which had a market value of only $14 billion in 1984 and was at the bottom of the Hollywood studios, into a company with a market value of $280 billion in 10 years, a 20-fold increase.

Unfortunately, Frank Wells died in a plane crash in 1994, and from then on, Disney became Michael Eisner's domain, and he became an unchallenged tyrant.

Then Roy Disney said, "I'll find the next Frank."

Katzenberg gave a mocking smile: "Even if you find him, it won't matter. Eisner won't allow another Frank to appear!"

……

Michael Eisner has indeed been having a rough time lately, mainly because Disney's stock price has plummeted, prompting complaints from many shareholders. Within the company, the opposition, led by Roy Disney, has started picking on him again. However, for someone who has been with Disney for 16 years, this isn't a major problem, given the current unfavorable economic climate.

However, seeing a news article cheered him up:
On September 29, 2000, Apple announced revised earnings estimates for the fourth quarter of 2000. Because the results fell short of expectations, Apple's market capitalization was halved that day. That's right, in one day, Apple's stock price dropped by 52%!

You know, Apple's CEO is Steve Jobs now. Apple's market value has halved in a single day. He can only imagine that Jobs must be in a terrible state right now! Seeing Jobs get his comeuppance makes Eisner feel very satisfied!
He did sign Pixar to Disney initially, but it was to keep Katzenberg in check and show that Disney wasn't indispensable without him, that Pixar was there as a backup. However, after he got rid of Katzenberg, he became increasingly resentful of Jobs because he received absolutely no respect from Jobs!

Although Pixar's works are hugely successful and have made a lot of money for Disney, Eisner doesn't like Pixar and has only visited the company once so far.

Of course, his greater animosity towards Jobs stemmed from a rumor he had heard that some shareholders behind Disney wanted Jobs to replace him as the head of Disney!
This touched a nerve with Eisner; anything that threatened his authority had to be eliminated!

With Apple's market value plummeting, it's a significant blow to Steve Jobs's personal prestige. Those who once wanted to support Jobs will likely abandon this outrageous idea.

(End of this chapter)