Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 347 Cannes Opening

Wow! This photo studio is huge!

At this moment, Jiang Qinqin and others followed the Batman film crew, praising the film.

The large-scale model of Gotham City was built at Cardington Studios, a former aircraft hangar located in North London. Cardington's massive Hangar No. 2 is 812 feet long and 180 feet high, with an interior area equivalent to 16 Olympic-sized swimming pools and capable of accommodating 8338 London double-decker buses—a feat unmatched by most film studios.

There are very few film studios in China, and even fewer as large as Cardington Studios, which amazed the crew of "Departures" and broadened their horizons.

Although Wu Yuchen was in Cannes with his film "Departures," there were still two weeks until the festival's opening. Therefore, he first flew to London to oversee the crew and local staff in setting up the soundstage. Wu Yuchen was making the most of his time.

While a film studio was being set up, Wu Yuchen led a team to the Montemore Tower, a property built by the Rothschild family in the 1850s. This is the Rothschild family, rumored online to control the world's economic lifeline!

Montmorency Tower, located in North London, is a country house estate where all the interior and exterior scenes of Wayne Estate will be filmed.

Wu Yuchen didn't have time to manage Jiang Qinqin and the others, so he let them tour the city or explore London. However, they all unanimously chose to spend a few days with the Batman film crew, as opportunities to get up close to such a top-tier global production are rare!
"Just seeing these sound stages, their various props, sets, and preparations, I immediately felt the gap! Chinese-language films still have a long way to go!"

"This is all made with money! The cost alone is over a hundred million US dollars. Which Chinese movie can afford to be made like this?"

"You can't say that. They're willing to invest so much money because they can make it back. The American market is huge, and Hollywood has influence all over the world."

Consider that director Wu's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" cost over $200 million to make, but it grossed a whopping $13.8 billion, the second highest in film history! How much money did it make?

"That's why they dared to invest so much! But only Director Wu has that kind of ability. Their money doesn't come from thin air; they only dared to invest over 2 million because they were confident in Director Wu!"

"That's right! Look at the whole crew of foreigners on set, they all completely obey Director Wu!"

After the visit, the group was quite moved and chatted with each other.

Since its release last year, "The Pirate King 2" has been showing in almost all the regions it was supposed to be shown in, and most of them have already been pulled from theaters. Its final global box office was $13.8 billion, successfully surpassing "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" and currently ranking second in film history.

By now, it's fair to say that Wu Yuchen's influence is no less than that of James Cameron. Although the truck driver's film "Titanic" shocked the world, he had been on hiatus for seven or eight years. This period coincided with Wu Yuchen's rise to prominence, during which he not only won numerous Oscars but also achieved great success with several films, especially the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, whose second-highest box office ranking in film history is still talked about today.

"Okay, that's about it for today. Let's call it a day."

After a day of filming, Kate Winslet, the female lead in "The Batman," walked towards Wu Yuchen.

Kate is British, and she wasn't with the crew beforehand; she just waited in London for them to arrive.

She smiled and said to Wu Yuchen, "Wu, would you like me to show you around London?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen immediately shook his head: "Kate, we're filming right now, work comes first, let's forget about it~"

Kate chuckled softly, then teased Wu Yuchen, "Is it because of work, or because of the woman next to you? Let me guess, is she your official girlfriend?"

Wu Yuchen didn't deny it, but instead asked, "Why do you care about this?"

"Of course I care, otherwise I'm afraid I might suddenly barge into your room at night and cause you some unnecessary trouble. In that case, I won't bother you anymore~" With that, Kate walked away with a charming laugh.

Wu Yuchen smiled as he watched Kate's retreating figure. He was quite satisfied with this woman who knew her place. He certainly didn't want Jiang Qinqin to know about his scandalous affairs in Hollywood.

It took Wu Yuchen more than ten days to complete all the filming scenes at Wayne Manor, especially the outdoor scenes, which relieved him. Everything was completed according to plan, and with Cannes opening in three days, he could take the "Departures" crew to Cannes.

The 58th Cannes International Film Festival officially opened on May 11.

Compared to the Berlin and Venice Film Festivals, the Cannes Film Festival is much more lively, truly deserving of its reputation as one of the top three European film festivals.

Of course, for Wu Yuchen, who has participated in the Oscars multiple times, this is nothing new. However, Jiang Qinqin, who is next to him, is exceptionally excited. The last time she came to the three major European theaters was when she was filming "Car 44".

On the Cannes red carpet, when Wu Yuchen and the cast of "Departures" slowly walked up, the audience on both sides screamed and cheered, while the reporters frantically pressed the shutter button, snapping photos.

"Wu! I love you!"

"Wu! Wu! Wu!"

"Director Wu, look this way!"

Wu Yuchen led the group past at a leisurely pace, waving to both sides continuously.

After the red carpet event, Cannes Film Festival President Jacob walked over to Wu Yuchen with a smile and said, "Wu, the Cannes audience really loves you, and we hope you'll fall in love with Cannes too!"

Wu Yuchen smiled and said, "Mr. Jacob, the warmth of Cannes makes me very happy. I think this trip to Cannes will be very enjoyable~"

Wu Yuchen and his film "Departures" were the biggest favorites at this year's Cannes Film Festival. The moment Wu Yuchen decided to attend Cannes, it was already a done deal. Cannes is the most commercially oriented of the three major film festivals, and the fact that they were able to invite Wu Yuchen, a director who has achieved success in both commercial and artistic fields, was a great encouragement. Therefore, Wu Yuchen was naturally given the best treatment and given top publicity.

The results were excellent, attracting a significantly larger audience to the film festival. Undoubtedly, Wu Yuchen's commercial success and influence were on full display on the red carpet.

It's only 2005, and the Cannes Film Festival's "carpet star" phenomenon hasn't even begun in the Chinese-speaking world yet. However, quite a few Chinese-language films have come to Cannes this year, some for competition, others for promotional purposes.

Wow! The big director is here!

Seeing Wu Yuchen walk over, Cheng Long smiled and went forward to greet him, then gave Wu Yuchen a warm hug.

"Brother Long, this is my first time in Cannes. You have to tell me what's fun to do," Wu Yuchen said with a smile. Jackie Chan wasn't in Cannes to compete; he was there to screen his new film, *The Myth*. The Cannes Film Festival isn't just a gathering place for competing films; it also hosts numerous screenings and sales events.

Jackie Chan's trip to Cannes is to sell the European rights to his film "The Myth".

"Don't be modest, you're the grand finale. If you want a guide, the organizers will definitely arrange it perfectly for you!" Cheng Long patted Wu Yuchen and said.

Then Jackie Chan pulled over a beautiful woman next to him and introduced her to Wu Yuchen: "Director Wu, this is my leading lady, Kim Hee-sun."

Wearing a formal dress that showed off her great figure, Kim Hee-sun immediately bent down, looking excited, and took the initiative to reach out and shake hands with Wu Yu-chen, repeatedly saying "Hello" and "I love you" in Chinese.

Kim Hee-sun held Wu Yu-chen, the world-renowned super director, in the highest esteem and was extremely respectful, showing him the utmost courtesy.

Wu Yuchen also shook hands with Kim Hee-sun: "Ms. Kim Hee-sun, it's a pleasure to meet you too."

Ignoring Kim Hee-sun, Jackie Chan winked at Wu Yu-chen and whispered, "The number one beauty in South Korea, absolutely top-notch!"

Wu Yuchen was taken aback by Cheng Long's words, then gave Cheng Long a strange look. "Brother Long, what are you doing? Recommending women you've been with to me? Damn it, I don't want to be one of you!"
However, Wu Yuchen guessed that Cheng Long meant well. It's like when brothers go to a club together and have a great time with a top-notch guy, they recommend that guy number so-and-so to their brothers, saying, "You guys have to try this next time!"

Wu Yuchen coughed lightly and gestured to Cheng Long that Jiang Qinqin and others were following behind him. Cheng Long immediately went up to greet them.

After Wu Yuchen let go of the reluctant Kim Hee-sun, he accepted greetings from other people.

Actually, it wasn't just Jackie Chan there. After Jackie Chan, there were also people like Gu Tianle, Simon Yam, Johnnie To, Hou Hsiao-hsien, and Shu Qi who came over to greet Wu Yuchen.

In addition to "Departures," the Chinese-language films competing at Cannes this year include "Election" from Hong Kong, "Three Times" from Taiwan, and "Shanghai Dreams" from mainland China.

"Director Wu! My name is Wang Luodan! I'm from the 01 acting class at Beijing Film Academy!"

Looking at his junior colleague, who was brimming with youth, sunshine, and enthusiasm, Wu Yuchen smiled and praised her, "Not bad, not bad. You're so young to be here in Cannes. You have a bright future!"

Wang Luo beamed with joy upon receiving such a compliment from Wu Yuchen.

Standing next to Wang Luodan is Wang Xiaoshuai, who had just greeted Wu Yuchen. "Shanghai Dreams" is a film he's been preparing for several years, and Wang Luodan is the female lead he's chosen. He hopes to achieve something at Cannes this time.

In her previous life, Gao Yuanyuan played the female lead in "Shanghai Dreams." However, due to Wu Yuchen's influence, Gao Yuanyuan had no interaction with Wang Xiaoshuai, so she wasn't cast as the female lead in this film. It wasn't really Wu Yuchen's deliberate interference.

The opening film of this year's Cannes Film Festival is not any of the competing films, but the Hollywood blockbuster "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith"!
The three major film festivals have always loudly proclaimed their opposition to Hollywood and commercialism, but in reality, they all hope that big-budget commercial productions can bring popularity to the festivals, especially Cannes.

Although the Cannes Film Festival rarely includes high-grossing American blockbusters in its competition section, the Cannes organizing committee often employs a roundabout method to increase the festival's influence, such as premiering a Hollywood blockbuster at the festival. Additionally, some Hollywood stars also grace the red carpet.

This shows Cannes' emphasis on commerce, and it's no wonder that it has become the most influential of the three major Cannes Film Festivals.

That evening, Jiang Qinqin was still brimming with excitement when she got home, chattering nonstop with Wu Yuchen: "Honey, what award do you think we'll win in the end?"

"How could I know? I might not find anything at all~" Wu Yuchen teased Jiang Qinqin.

"Huh? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Jiang Qinqin said firmly.

Wu Yuchen flicked Jiang Qinqin's nose: "Oh ho, so confident?"

“I have confidence in you!” Jiang Qinqin emphasized.

"So what kind of award do you think we can win this time?"

"I think……"

Jiang Qinqin thought for a moment and said, "At the very least, I should give you the Best Director award!"

"Hey! Why don't you think about winning an Best Actress award yourself?"

"Oh, I'm serious! How could I, a supporting actress, possibly win Best Actress?"

Wu Yuchen smiled and stopped teasing Jiang Qinqin: "There will definitely be an award, otherwise I'll say bad things about Cannes. But what award it will be, I can't say for sure. Best Director, Jury Prize, or Palme d'Or, all are possible."

Jiang Qinqin hesitated for a moment, then said, "Honey, why don't you do more public relations? That way, we'll have a better chance of winning."

Jiang Qinqin is no novice either, and having followed Wu Yuchen for so long, she has heard him talk about all sorts of public relations matters related to the Oscars.

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen smiled and shook his head: "Don't think too much about it. Just treat this trip as a good time to relax."

Wu Yuchen did indeed engage in public relations when he attended the Berlin Film Festival many years ago.

However, times have changed. Back then, he was still weak and needed awards to elevate his status. Now, he doesn't care much about things like the Palme d'Or; it might just satisfy his collecting hobby, but it doesn't bring him any real benefit.

Given Wu Yuchen's current status and position, even if he doesn't win an award for a film like "Departures," a large group of people will still defend him and criticize the Cannes jury for being blind.

Moreover, since the de facto president of Cannes had personally invited him, it was tantamount to guaranteeing him a substantial reward. He already had the upper hand, and under these circumstances, he didn't want to make any more moves. He wanted to leave some suspense and see what award he would ultimately receive.

Even if he doesn't win the Palme d'Or, there's still the Oscars next year, right? With his influence in Hollywood, he can easily win Best Foreign Language Film with "Departures" next year, which would be enough to satisfy Jiang Qinqin's desire for awards.

(End of this chapter)