Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 234 War of words
"60th Anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor!"

"An event that changed the fate of the world—the attack on Pearl Harbor!"

"Never forget the pain of history!"

Wu Yuchen smiled as he looked at the headlines in the newspaper. For some time now, he'd seen similar news almost every day; though not front-page headlines, it was a constant stream of reports.

The attack on Pearl Harbor occurred in 1941, and this year does indeed mark its 60th anniversary. However, the actual attack on Pearl Harbor took place on December 7th, which is not even May yet. There are still more than six months until the anniversary. The fact that they're releasing this news so early is clearly Disney's doing, as it's part of the Pearl Harbor promotional campaign!

Since the Oscars ended in March and April began, Disney has been promoting Pearl Harbor. This continuous promotion of the Pearl Harbor attack is to arouse people's interest in the movie Pearl Harbor!
With this in mind, Wu Yuchen also made a phone call to Spielberg:
"Hey Steven, I've already seen the massive advertising campaign for Pearl Harbor, but what about our Pirate King?"

“Wu, of course we’ve started too. We’ve already started advertising in subway stations and posting posters in shopping malls, but you’re busy filming on set every day, so you don’t see it at all,” Spielberg explained.

“Steven, you can’t blame me for this. Besides, I see news about Pearl Harbor every day on set, but I rarely see news about Pirate King.”

"Oh, Wu. You can't expect us to compete with Disney in terms of financial resources, can you? Do you know how much Disney approved for marketing and distribution of 'Pearl Harbor' this time?"

"How much?" Wu Yuchen asked.

"One hundred million! One hundred million in North America alone! That's insane!"

Upon hearing this number, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but gasp. Although in later generations, it was not uncommon for Hollywood blockbusters to spend hundreds of millions on publicity and distribution, in this day and age, a publicity fee of 1 million US dollars was still extremely high.

$1 million, that's almost the production cost! Keep in mind that Pearl Harbor only cost $1.4 million to produce! This is enough to demonstrate Disney's ambition for Pearl Harbor!

The next moment, Wu Yuchen asked, "Steven, what about us? What's our publicity budget?"

"We're tentatively setting it at 50 million. If the box office is good, we'll increase the marketing and distribution budget," Spielberg said.

Good heavens, this is only half of what the other party has. No wonder he sees news about "Pearl Harbor" coming in every day on set, while there's very little news about "The Pirate King." They're already half as bad in terms of money.

Spielberg then said, "Wu, 5000 million is not a low amount. It's enough to ensure that the marketing for 'Pirate King' is no less than any previous big-budget production."

Wu Yuchen nodded, understanding the logic, but after thinking for a moment, he asked, "Steven, what about our plan to stage an accident?"

Since their marketing budget can't compete, they naturally have to associate themselves with "Pearl Harbor." They already had a war of words with the other side when filming started, so they can continue to do so now, making people think of "The Pirate King" when they mention "Pearl Harbor," thus turning the other side's publicity into their own.

“We’ve already made some arrangements, but isn’t ‘A Beautiful Mind’ still being filmed here?”

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen said, "A Beautiful Mind will be finished filming in a week at most!"

Filming for "A Beautiful Mind" has been ongoing since February. To maintain the continuity of the actors' emotions and enhance the film's realism and emotional impact, it was shot chronologically according to the story's timeline, which took over two months. If a skip-shooting method had been used, it would definitely be finished by now.

Spielberg laughed and said, "That's good. I was worried about whether there would be any conflicts with the promotional schedules I've arranged for you and the stars of 'The Pirate King' in May."

"Don't worry, Steven, it won't delay the arrangements and plans for 'Pirate King'."

After hanging up the phone, Wu Yuchen looked at the Pearl Harbor in the newspaper and thought of the movie "Pearl Harbor" from his previous life.

In my previous life, Hollywood considered Pearl Harbor a failure, which many domestic movie fans didn't understand. Because, judging solely by box office revenue, Pearl Harbor's global gross of $4.4 million compared to its $1.4 million budget meant it should at least have broken even, if not made a huge profit. And if you factor in the DVD releases, it definitely made a profit.

However, this is because the hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising expenses were not included. If the advertising and distribution costs were included, the cost would be 2.5 million dollars, which would immediately turn the profit and loss around.

Moreover, as Disney's main project this year and its most expensive film in history, it not only failed at the box office but also suffered a lot of criticism from the media, resulting in a double loss in terms of box office and reputation, and thus becoming a failed project.

However, Wu Yuchen smiled. In his previous life, because Pearl Harbor was so popular, no other big production dared to compete with it in the same period. It essentially dominated the release window and ultimately achieved a box office of $1.8 million in North America.

This time, Wu Yuchen wanted to see how well "Pearl Harbor" fared after it met his "The Pirate King"!

……

Michael Eisner has been having some troubles lately. At the shareholders' meeting held more than a month ago, many people expressed their dissatisfaction with Disney's stock price, which has been declining for nearly a year.

And then there's Roy Disney, that old geezer. It's one thing for him to cause trouble for Eisner within the company, but at the shareholders' meeting he even led the way in finding fault with him, criticizing his incompetence in leadership in all aspects. If he weren't representing the Disney family, Eisner would have kicked him out long ago.

Fortunately, Eisner had a strong background at Disney, and he firmly shut down these voices. However, he also promised at the shareholders' meeting that Disney would deliver results to prove itself to shareholders.

With that in mind, Eisner called Miles: "How did the Pearl Harbor test screening go?"

The movie "Pearl Harbor" was a key project that Disney had been focusing on developing for two years. After the huge success of "Titanic", Disney set its sights on "Pearl Harbor".

On the one hand, it coincides with the 60th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, which is a great gimmick; on the other hand, if "Titanic" could rake in so much box office revenue with just a big ship and a disaster-love story at sea, then "Pearl Harbor" with its aerial romance and plenty of large-scale war scenes, also a disaster-love story, would surely be a box office hit.

To make "Pearl Harbor," Disney secured substantial support from the U.S. military. Disney's vision was grand: even if it didn't reach the success of "Titanic," taking only half of its box office, which would be $10 billion, would still be a huge profit!
Furthermore, Eisner has high hopes for *Pearl Harbor*, expecting not only a box office hit but also an Oscar sweep next year, just like *Titanic* did a few years ago. If that's the case, *Pearl Harbor* would be a powerful work that would significantly boost Eisner's prestige!
Miles carefully considered his words before saying, "The preview screening went very well..."

The preview screening of "Pearl Harbor" was a specially organized event for people from all walks of life, intended to gauge initial market feedback.

Michael Eisner nodded in satisfaction, but the next moment Miles said, "There are some dissenting voices that I think I need to report to you."

Eisner immediately frowned and asked with concern, "What's going on?"

Miles stated, "Mr. Tateishi, president of the Japanese American Civic Association, protested our 'Pearl Harbor' film, believing it excessively demonized Japanese people and presented stereotypes about them. He hopes..."

"what?"

"He wants us to cut out the 40 minutes of bombing footage."

"Fuck! He's dreaming!" Eisner cursed loudly upon hearing this.

The reason they hired Michael Bay to direct Pearl Harbor was because they valued his expertise in filming explosion scenes, right? If they cut out the bombing scenes, what would the audience watch?
After muttering a few curses, Eisner began to ponder again. Although Japan was America's junior partner, they still had to consider the opinions of the Japanese, because the Japanese film market was now a major box office contributor for Hollywood. Take "Titanic," for example; Japan contributed $2.5 million to the box office, more than any other country outside North America, which was something they couldn't ignore.

He then told Miles, "Don't move the bombing shots. Let Michael Bay do some editing on other scenes to calm the Japanese down."

"Yes, Mr. Eisner!"

Then, as if remembering something, Eisner asked, "By the way, what about 'Pirate King,' which claimed to be our rival last year? What's their status now?"

"The Pirate King is scheduled to be released on the same day as us, May 25th, during Memorial Day."

"Heh, what arrogant guys! They actually dare to do that!"

Eisner couldn't help but reveal a slight sneer, then said, "Let's begin then, we'll use them to attract everyone's attention!"

"Yes, Mr. Eisner!"

……

"Pass!"

After watching the film several more times, Wu Yuchen stood up and shouted to the crew, "Beautiful Mind, wrap filming!"

The crew breathed a sigh of relief as soon as he said those words.

At the wrap party that evening, Wu Yuchen said to Russell Crowe:

"Russell, I really wish you could win another Oscar for Best Actor with this film, but I think you know the chances are slim..."

Russell Crowe just won the Best Actor award this year for "Gladiator," so the chances of him winning it again next year are extremely slim, even if he gives a great performance in the film.

Winning two consecutive Oscars for Best Actor is extremely difficult. Only two actors in history have achieved this. One was Spencer Tracy, who won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1937 and 1938, becoming the first actor in Hollywood history to win the award twice in a row.

The other one is Tom Hanks, also known as Big Tom. He won the Best Actor award in 1993 and 1994. The reason he was able to win it back-to-back was because the movie "Forrest Gump" was just too right, right in every way. It would be a crime not to give him the award!
Wu Yuchen is well aware that "A Beautiful Mind" cannot compare to "Forrest Gump," so even if Russell Crowe performs well in this film, it will be difficult for him to win Best Actor again.

Russell Crowe was well aware of this, and laughed heartily, saying, "Director Wu, it's already an honor for me to participate in such an excellent film!"

Wu Yuchen patted him on the shoulder, then smiled and said, "Although winning an Oscar for Best Actor is a bit difficult, I guarantee that after the movie is released, you'll become a member of the 2000 million club!" Russell Crowe's eyes lit up: "Thank you, that would be the best gift for me!"

Now that he's won an Oscar for Best Actor, his biggest goal is naturally to increase his market value and status. Currently, he earns $1500 million per film, which isn't quite at the top of Hollywood, but entering the $2000 million club would mean becoming a top Hollywood star.

……

The next day, Wu Yuchen woke up, looked at Jennifer Connelly on the bed, and smiled. Although she played the male lead's wife in the movie, she climbed into his bed every night. After filming wrapped, she had to rush to other work and would be separated from him for a while, so they naturally had a wild night together.

Although filming for "A Beautiful Mind" has been completed, he will be quite busy for some time to come, as he has to work on promoting "The Pirate King," producing "Spider-Man," and post-production for "A Beautiful Mind."

When Wu Yuchen arrived at the entrance of DreamWorks, he was caught by several reporters who were waiting there and immediately came up to interview him: "Wu, what do you think of Pearl Harbor?"

Wu Yuchen, assuming this was arranged by DreamWorks, smiled and said, "The 60th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack is a very memorable event, but that doesn't mean the Pearl Harbor movie will be any better..."

However, before he could finish speaking, another reporter next to him shouted, "Wu, did you know? Just this morning, Peter Schreid, the chairman of Disney Studios, said you're far inferior to Michael Bay!"

Hmm? Wu Yuchen narrowed his eyes upon hearing this. It seemed to be different from what he had expected. So Disney had also started to criticize "Pirates of the Caribbean"? That's perfect!

Wu Yuchen chuckled: "Peter Schreid? I know him, he's just Eisner's mouthpiece. I dealt with him two years ago during the filming of 'The Sixth Sense,' and he doesn't understand film at all. The fact that Disney's films haven't improved much in recent years, apart from my 'The Sixth Sense,' is proof enough!"

Hearing Wu Yuchen's outburst, the reporters were extremely excited and quickly took notes. They even asked:

"Wu, do you think Pearl Harbor is inferior to your Pirate King?"

Most people would be humble in their answer, since they haven't seen the other person's movie yet. But Wu Yuchen is deliberately stirring up trouble and challenging "Pearl Harbor."

"Of course, Pearl Harbor will definitely lose to The Pirate King, and I don't have high hopes for Pearl Harbor's box office."

"Wow! Wu, do you think Pearl Harbor will fail? Are you saying that Michael Bay is incompetent?" The reporter, always eager for drama, kept stirring things up.

Wu Yuchen shrugged and said, "Michael Bay's explosions are not bad, but compared to Cameron, I think there is still a considerable gap."

Wu Yuchen's implication is that Pearl Harbor is constantly comparing itself to Titanic, but in reality, it is far inferior.

"Wu, what do you think of Michael Bay compared to you?"

"Wu, where do you think Pearl Harbor failed?"

Although the reporter kept asking questions, Wu Yuchen did not answer again. He said that he had said enough for today and could not say it all at once. He wanted to take it one step at a time to build up the atmosphere.

After hearing Wu Yuchen's account of the incident, Spielberg at DreamWorks was slightly exasperated: "Wu, I was going to remind you, but since you've already started, go ahead. However, be mindful of boundaries; pay attention to certain aspects, and don't cross the line with your words!"

Wu Yuchen smiled and nodded: "Don't worry, Steven, I haven't been in Hollywood for nothing these past few years. I know what I can and can't say."

Spielberg then nodded.

……

Wu Yuchen's interview was quickly published, and Pearl Harbor soon responded.

The one who responded this time was director Michael Bay himself:

"Wu is a decent director; he has some talent in storytelling, but I think he's too arrogant. Yes, arrogant. No director would dare to boast that their work is better than others' without having seen their work."

Moreover, his past directorial works have all been small-scale productions with limited scope. As everyone knows, small-scale productions and big-scale productions are different concepts. Going from tens of millions to 1.4 million is not easy to manage, and I seriously doubt whether he can make good use of such a large sum of money.

He had good grades in the past, but this time he'll pay the price for his arrogance.

Michael Bay spoke in a relaxed tone, as if he were a senior lecturing a junior.

Wu Yuchen smiled as he looked at the newspaper. Beside him, Spielberg said, "Wu, I've spoken to Michael Bay. After this matter is over, no matter what the outcome, I'll treat you both to dinner at my house."

Spielberg and Michael Bay are both Jewish, so I contacted Michael Bay this time and said that this was just a publicity strategy between the two sides, and I hope that he and Wu Yuchen will not really have a conflict because of this.

Wu Yuchen naturally understood what he meant and said with a smile:

"Of course, no problem, Steven. Don't worry, I won't act arrogantly towards losers."

Spielberg was already used to Wu Yuchen's confident attitude. Then he heard the other party ask, "Steven, how was the effect of our long-distance communication this time?"

Spielberg laughed and said, "Very good. Many media outlets have spontaneously started reporting on the two of you and comparing you two. The number of times 'The Pirate King' is mentioned has obviously increased."

Wu Yuchen nodded in satisfaction, then said, "It can't just be the two of us directors. The main actors will have the most exposure in the crew. Now, get Depp and Hugh ready, we're about to start the next round of insults!"

……

The Pearl Harbor crew.

"Should this speech be cut?" Michael Bay asked.

“There’s no other way; their market is a crucial box office base to cope with those troublesome little days,” producer Bruckheimer replied.

In an effort to appease the protesters, they removed a segment of Becksner's speech at the end of the film.

Michael Bay shrugged: "Well, actually I don't think removing this part makes any difference. It doesn't change the fact that the Japanese are the villains in the movie."

Bruckheimer, not wanting to discuss it further, changed the subject, asking, "Michael, I heard Spielberg called you?"

Michael Bay nodded: "Heh, Steven wants to mediate."

"Did you agree?"

"Why not? We still have to give Steven face, and besides, I'm really curious to see what kind of expression that guy will have after he fails!" Michael Bay said with a smile.

He was speaking the truth publicly. While he acknowledged that Wu Yuchen's past works had proven his ability, they were clearly all small-scale productions. Big-budget productions are not so easy to handle!
Michael Bay, on the other hand, started out making films with large-scale scenes. "The Rock" had a budget of $7500 million, and "Armageddon" had a budget of $1.4 million. The large-scale scenes of "Pearl Harbor" were no problem for him, but it might not be so for others!

Just then, the assistant jogged over to the two of them and handed them a newspaper.

Michael Bay and Bruckheimer immediately looked up: "Wu Yuchen criticizes the casting failure of 'Pearl Harbor'!"

“Josh Hartnett is an idol actor, a typical pretty boy, and doesn’t have the bearing of a soldier… In contrast, our Pirate King cast is full of serious actors…”

Michael Bay and Bruckheimer frowned after reading it, then said, "This Wu is really going to put 'Pirate King' at war with us!"

Bruckheimer shook his head: "I thought it was just a normal publicity stunt, but I didn't expect them to go this far. It seems like this is going to escalate into a real fight!"

It's no wonder Josh Hartnett was bothered by Wu Yuchen's comments.

"Let Josh Hartnett respond tomorrow."

……

The following day, Josh Hartnett responded to Wu Yuchen's remarks:
"I know that coming from American TV series and teen movies might lead many people to have a stereotype of me, but in recent years I have been constantly improving my acting skills through my own efforts. Being selected for Pearl Harbor is a great affirmation for me. As for the idea that I am not suitable to play soldiers, I think we should let the audience judge for themselves. By the way, I should also mention that I play a soldier in Ridley Scott's new film Black Hawk Down."

Josh Hartnett, who comes from an idol background, didn't dare to directly criticize Wu Yuchen, an influential director, and only dared to defend himself.

He didn't dare to speak out, but others did, such as Peter Schreid, the chairman of Disney Studios who spoke out earlier:
“Josh Hartnett was absolutely the best choice for Pearl Harbor. We spent several months scouting him!”

What I'm saying is, Wu must be blind to have chosen Johnny Depp, this weirdo, as the male lead in a $1.4 million blockbuster!

(End of this chapter)