Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 351 Intention to Cooperate
“Mr. Chairman, I would be very happy to. Cannes is one of the best stages in the world, and no one would refuse!” Wu Yuchen replied with a smile.

Wu Yuchen naturally wouldn't refuse such an offer; it would indeed be a win-win situation. However, there's a prerequisite: the timing must be right. If he schedules it for the Christmas season, he can't possibly premiere it in Cannes in May, can he?

Jacob left satisfied after hearing Wu Yuchen's answer. One of the reasons he was able to make Cannes increasingly successful, becoming the leader among the three major film festivals, was that Cannes was better at marketing. The more popular a film festival is, the more directors and good works it can attract. Popularity can't be achieved solely through art and literature; the presence of world-renowned directors brings popularity to Cannes.

Wu Yuchen watched the other person leave with a smile. In any case, Cannes had given him a Palme d'Or, and he would remember this favor.

Wu Yuchen had just turned his head when he saw a short man, about 1.6 meters tall, standing proudly in front of him. It was none other than Wu Baige.

Wu Baige, holding a glass of wine, raised it to touch Wu Yuchen's glass: "Director Wu, what I said back then has come true. 'Departures' has indeed won the Palme d'Or!"

It's obvious that Wu Baige is here to claim credit. He really put in a lot of effort on the jury this time, engaging in heated debates with the judges, and ultimately helping "Departures" win the Palme d'Or!
Upon seeing Wu Baige, Wu Yuchen immediately smiled and said, "Director Wu, thank you so much this time!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Baige laughed and said, "Not at all, it's all thanks to Director Wu's profound skill. 'Departures' itself is very impressive."

But the next moment, he took the initiative to talk about some things that happened during the judging process: "However, there were indeed some twists and turns during this judging process..."

Wu Baige talked about the review process, and of course, the focus was on highlighting the efforts he, Wu Baige, made this time.

Wu Yuchen naturally understood the meaning behind Wu Baige's words and said with a smile, "Director Wu, I know your abilities. 'A Better Tomorrow,' 'The Killer,' and 'Face/Off' are all classics, so I really hope to work with you once."

Wu Baige was overjoyed upon hearing this. Having secured the Palme d'Or for Wu Yuchen, his film *Red Cliff* certainly had a bright future. Wu Baige knew that Miracle Films was a leading company in the Chinese film industry; with Miracle Films' investment and support, *Red Cliff* was guaranteed to be a success!
Wu Baige excitedly said to Wu Yuchen, "Of course I'd be more than happy to. Actually, I've always had a dream of the Three Kingdoms and wanted to film the story of Red Cliff, I..."

However, the next moment, Wu Yuchen waved his hand and said, "Director Wu, I have a script here. Are you interested in making a comeback in Hollywood?"

Wu Baige was stunned upon hearing this. What? Return to Hollywood?

The collaboration they're talking about, isn't it about "Red Cliff"?

However, upon hearing "Hollywood," Wu Baige felt a surge of excitement. He knew that Wu Yuchen had considerable influence in Hollywood, and his scripts were always highly sought after. Was this a collaboration with him?

If he could make a comeback in Hollywood, Wu Baige would naturally be willing! Wasn't he making "Red Cliff" precisely because he couldn't make it in Hollywood anymore?

Wu Baige immediately gave a thumbs up and said, "Director Wu, your script is universally acknowledged as excellent. I would be more than willing to work with you!"

Wu Yuchen chuckled and then said, "Since you're willing, Director Wu, let's discuss this in detail tomorrow. I'll also call the male lead over."

"The male lead? In Cannes?" Wu Baige asked curiously.

Wu Yuchen nodded: "You'll know when you meet him tomorrow."

"Alright, alright, I won't disturb your celebration any longer, Director Wu. See you tomorrow!" Wu Baige left with an even happier mood than when she arrived. Hollywood, ah!

Wu Yuchen smiled as he watched Wu Baige's retreating figure.

To be honest, the "Red Cliff" project did not lose money; on the contrary, it made a considerable profit.

According to Han Sanping's interview in his previous life, "Red Cliff" adopted a cooperative model of joint investment and regional sales. Simply put, investors from eight countries and regions jointly invested a sum of money, and the distributors took the film to their respective countries and regions for sales. Among them, China Film Group invested 1.07 million yuan (approximately 14 million US dollars) in "Red Cliff," thereby obtaining the permanent sales rights in mainland China.

Looking at the mainland market alone, let's do the math. The production cost of *Red Cliff* was 1.07 million yuan, plus 4500 million yuan in distribution fees, bringing the total cost to 1.52 million yuan. The total box office was 5.9 million yuan, and with a 40% revenue share, the film brought in 2.3 million yuan. Adding in advertising revenue and broadcasting rights from movie channels, the final total revenue reached 2.6 million yuan. In other words, *Red Cliff*'s profit was 1.08 million yuan, almost a 100% return. In the film industry, a 100% return on investment is considered extremely profitable.

Not only in mainland China, but also in Japan, Red Cliff performed even better at the box office, making the Japanese investors a fortune.

However, Wu Yuchen didn't want to invest in "Red Cliff." He felt that Taiwanese filmmakers were truly incapable of making historical films; their vision was too narrow. The only memorable line from the movie was Lin Chi-ling's: "Mengmeng, stand up!"

What's the point of investing in this kind of movie? He's not Lin Chi-ling's sugar daddy, using this movie to promote her.

Wu Baige wouldn't be cut out for films like *Red Cliff* or *The Crossing*, but he could handle action movies, which is his forte. His Hollywood successes like *Broken Arrow*, *Face/Off*, and *Mission: Impossible 2* are all in that genre. His later attempts at films like *Windtalkers* and *Paycheck* show a lack of self-awareness!
Wu Baige was happy, but elsewhere in Cannes, another person was somewhat depressed, also holding a glass of red wine.

Seeing her husband drinking alone in silence, Chen Hong came over and asked, "Kaige, weren't the copyright sales going quite smoothly? Why are you drinking all by yourself now?"

Chen Kai forced a smile: "It's nothing, the trip just went smoothly, so I'm having a few drinks to cheer myself up."

Chen Hong walked to the table, poured herself a glass, and said, "Then I'll drink with you."

As she spoke, she raised her glass and clinked it against her husband's: "Come on, let's toast!"

Seeing his wife like this, Chen Kaizi didn't raise his glass to drink, but instead sighed.

Chen Hong said directly, "Kaige, I'm your wife, we're one. I'll be there for you when you're feeling down, so why are you hiding it from me?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Kaizi put his arm around his wife's shoulder and said, "I just keep thinking about how happy I was when I was here ten years ago! Things have changed so much! Sigh!"

Chen Hong knew, of course, that her husband was referring to the time more than ten years ago when he won the Palme d'Or at Cannes with "Farewell My Concubine." It was China's first and only Palme d'Or, and it was the honor he was most proud of in his life!
But tonight, this is no longer the only one...

Chen Hong couldn't help but say to her husband, "Kaige, even if someone else wins the Palme d'Or in the future, you'll be the first! I saw 'Departures,' and it can't compare to your 'Farewell My Concubine.' In my eyes, 'Farewell My Concubine' is the best film from China, and you are the most amazing director from China!"

Hearing his wife's comforting words and encouragement, Chen Kaizi felt a warmth in his heart. "Farewell My Concubine" was indeed his proudest work; he didn't think it was inferior to any other film. However, the thought that Wu Yuchen had not only won the Palme d'Or with "Departures," but also the Golden Lion, the Golden Bear, and an Oscar—a grand slam winner—made him feel powerless even if he wanted to compete again. The thought was enough to make him despair!
Kai then shook his head. He had made up his mind two years ago that he couldn't compare himself to Wu Yuchen, but tonight he was unconsciously stirred up again.

Chen Kaizi smiled at Chen Hong and said, "I'm the best director, so you're the best wife. After 'The Promise' is released, you'll be the best producer!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Hong instinctively threw herself into Chen Kaige's arms.

……

The next day, Wu Baige woke up very early. He had been thinking about Wu Yuchen's talk about returning to Hollywood all night.

However, he waited and waited, but several hours passed without any contact from the other party. As afternoon approached, Wu Baige grew increasingly restless and uneasy.

Just then, his phone rang. Wu Baige immediately picked it up and answered it. Wu Yuchen's voice came from the other end:

"Hey, Director Wu, sorry, we celebrated for a while last night, so I overslept today~"

Upon hearing this, Wu Baige breathed a sigh of relief and immediately smiled, saying, "Of course, otherwise how could it be called a celebration banquet!"

"Director Wu, then come to xxxx now. Let's talk first. Whether this matter can be accomplished is not up to me; we also need to consider the opinions of others."

"Okay, I'll be right there!" After hanging up the phone, Wu Baige immediately headed towards the address Wu Yuchen had given her.

A moment later, in a restaurant in the hotel, Wu Baige saw Wu Yuchen sitting by the window, drinking afternoon tea and admiring the scenery outside.

After walking over, Wu Baige said with a smile, "Director Wu, you have such refined tastes!"

Wu Yuchen shook his head and laughed, "I'm not used to foreigners' black tea. Our own Chinese tea is still the best!"

Wu Baige chimed in, "When it comes to tea culture, it's definitely China that has a long and rich history, something foreigners can't compare to! When I was in America..."

Now that Wu Baige has arrived, she is no longer in a hurry and chats with Wu Yuchen about their past experiences in Hollywood.

"That Tom Cruise is really difficult to deal with..."

A moment later, just as Wu Baige and Wu Yuchen were talking about Tom Cruise, a voice came from the side:
"Directors Wu, I am truly delighted to have tea with you both today!"

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Wu Baige turned her head and immediately stood up, smiling as she hugged him: "Ah Long!"

"Brother Sen!" Cheng Long also gave Wu Baige a big hug.

Jackie Chan and Wu Baige can be said to have met when they were both struggling. In 1973, Jackie Chan served as the action director for Wu Baige's first film as a new director, "Iron Man's Tenderness".

At the time, Jackie Chan was going through a period of uncertainty, and Wu Baige comforted him and recommended him to Golden Harvest, but unfortunately, he wasn't chosen. However, the two became friends because of this, and later collaborated on "Shaolin Temple".

Later, one of them became a big star, and the other became a famous director...

When Wu Baige saw that the person who came was Cheng Long, and thinking of the male protagonist that Wu Yuchen had mentioned last night, she already understood what was going on.

After Jackie Chan sat down, Wu Yuchen asked with a smile, "Brother Chan, it seems you had a good time at Cannes."

Jackie Chan's trip to Cannes, like Chen Kaige's, was to sell his film. Given his star power, "The Myth" will certainly have no trouble finding buyers, especially since it blends Jackie Chan's kung fu comedy style with the currently popular Chinese period drama.

The film *The Myth* cost HK$1.6 million to make. In its previous life, after its release, it grossed HK$9700 million in mainland China and HK$1700 million in Hong Kong, leading many to believe that Jackie Chan had completely flopped. However, these people never considered that Jackie Chan had already made a considerable amount of money simply by selling overseas distribution rights!

"Oh, not at all, I just made some money selling the copyright. I can't compare to Director Wu, who won the Palme d'Or! I'm truly in awe of you!" Jackie Chan said, slightly exaggeratedly.

Wu Yuchen smiled upon hearing this, and the three of them chatted over afternoon tea. Since they had all worked in Hollywood, the conversation naturally turned to this topic.

Wu Yuchen decided to stop beating around the bush: "It just so happens that we're all in Cannes this time, so it's fate that we've met. I have a script here, and I'd like to invite you, Brother Long, to star in it, and Director Wu, to direct it. I'll handle the production and distribution. What do you two think?"

In fact, Cheng Long and Wu Baige already knew roughly what it was about before they came, and of course they were also interested in it, otherwise they wouldn't have come. However, neither of them expected that the cooperation partner Wu Yuchen mentioned would be the other party.

Wu Baige spoke first: "Great! Director Wu's script is highly praised in Hollywood, and with Ah Long in the lead role, the three of us joining forces will definitely make a name for ourselves!"

Currently, both Jackie Chan and Wu Baige have encountered significant setbacks in Hollywood, leading them to return to Chinese-language films. However, Jackie Chan's situation is somewhat better, as he has "Rush Hour 3," a film series that still gives him a chance to make a name for himself in Hollywood.

Wu Baige is in a precarious situation, which is why he is the one who most hopes this project can proceed.

At the same time, Wu Baige felt more grateful to Wu Yuchen, after all, this opportunity was far more valuable than what he had given for Wu Yuchen!

Jackie Chan smiled and said, "I'd definitely love to work with both of you directors! But Director Wu, what's the story behind this? Is it suitable for me?"

Wu Yuchen smiled and said, "It's basically a story about a retired special agent who fights his way across the world to save his daughter!"

(End of this chapter)