Chapter 1680 - The animation film production is initiated!

Translator: Legge Editor: Legge

The press conference ended.

Some reporters hurriedly left the venue.

Some reporters hurriedly made some calls.

And there were some reporters who had shocked looks as they stood there in a daze.

This breaking news had come too unexpectedly! Zhang Ye was already a true blue international B-list celebrity now, and he was also one of the most popular idol celebrities currently. His fame and popularity were no longer the same as before, so everyone would naturally be more attentive to his developments. This was especially so after Man vs. Wild got really popular around the world, leaving many people wondering what his next step would be.

An animated film?

What kind of joke are you cracking!

Isn’t that something that children watch?

…

On the other side.

Boss Qian Jr. said dumbfoundedly, “What’s this about?”

Little Wang was also stunned. “What just happened!?”

“Director Zhang! You—” Ha Qiqi facepalmed and looked at Zhang Zuo. “You! Why didn’t you stop him!”

Zhang Zuo said, “I couldn’t react in time. You were standing closer. Why didn’t you hold him back!”

Ha Qiqi said, “I’m a woman, like I’d have the strength to hold him back.”

Tong Fu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Sister Ha, Brother Zuo, please don’t blame each other. What should we do now? Director Zhang has already announced his intentions!”

Qian Haitao also came over. “Teacher Zhang, what was that about?”

Zhang Ye smiled. “Didn’t I already agree to make a movie for you?”

Qian Haitao looked at him and said, “But what I mentioned was a live-action movie, a Hollywood blockbuster, a platform that would allow you to showcase yourself without restraint. Now that we didn’t manage to acquire the studio, that agreement would naturally be null and void. I only have an animation studio now, but you’re the director of a Top 100 global box office movie, so why would you want to direct an animated film under me? You—wouldn’t that be a joke?”

But Zhang Ye said, “Is an animated film not a movie?”

“It’s a movie,” Boss Qian Jr. said hurriedly, “but they’re movies for children.”

Zhang Ye laughed. “Whoever told you that?”

Boss Qian Jr. was taken aback. “What do you mean who told me that? Everyone knows it.”

Zhang Ye said, “The animated films that I make are naturally going to be different from other people’s.”

Boss Qian Jr. said, “It’s all the same whoever makes them!”

Ha Qiqi advised, “Director Zhang, this is a big deal. You should really consider carefully whether it will work or not. A movie’s production cycle is very long. If we really spend time on making it, and it ends up with no one watching it, that would be a blow to your career for sure. Your popularity will definitely drop if that happens. We’re currently on the rise, and it wasn’t easy getting onto the International B-list Rankings, so we had better not fall from grace overnight because of this. In any case, I don’t agree with making an animated film!”

Zhang Zuo said, “I don’t agree either. No matter how the overseas response to your previous movie was, Wolf Warrior 2 is still a production that earned 4.8 billion yuan at the box office. With this as a benchmark, how much would we need to earn to be considered a success if our next project is an animated film? 1 billion? 2 billion? I’m afraid that wouldn’t be enough at all. Moreover, the historical global box office earnings for animated films have never crossed 200 million USD before. The animated film market is only so large with a niche demographic, so it will be very difficult to achieve any results.”

Everyone was trying hard to persuade him.

But Zhang Ye said, “I don’t think that’s how it is.”

Qian Haitao said in a serious tone, “What are you thinking then?”

“I’m thinking of pulling off another big one!” Zhang Ye said.

Pull off a big one?

Again?

How many big ones have already you pulled off this year!

The studio staff were flustered when they heard that. Whenever Director Zhang said something like this, he would always come up with some earth-shattering move. They had already learned to be afraid of him.

Boss Qian Jr. said with a wry smile, “Are you really planning on making the movie?”

Zhang Ye said, “Of course! I’ve already announced it, haven’t I?”

Qian Haitao said, “Will it really work?”

Zhang Ye said, “It will.”

Qian Haitao asked, “Are you sure?”

Zhang Ye nodded. “I’m very sure.”

Qian Haitao said, “OK, I believe you.”

“To a happy cooperation.” Zhang Ye stretched out his hand.

Qian Haitao grasped his hand and said, “We’ll be depending on you then.”

Zhang Ye cautioned them. “You all know very well how I am. I either don’t do it, or I do it to the best of my abilities. Therefore, the project’s budget might get a little large.”

Qian Haitao said domineeringly, “I lack everything but money.”

Talking to me about money?

Can you be any funnier!

Besides, how much funding could an animated film possibly need?

Qian Haitao said, “Is 100 million enough?”

Zhang Ye blinked. “RMB?”

Qian Haitao was taken aback. “Yeah.”

Zhang Ye shook his head. “That definitely isn’t enough.”

Qian Haitao said without hesitation, “How about 200 million?”

Zhang Ye said, “It’s still not enough.”

Qian Haitao said, “Ah? 200 million is still not enough? Even a big production like Wolf Warrior 2 only cost 200 million to make, right?”

Zhang Ye quoted an astonishing figure next. “I’m thinking more like a billion to start.”

Qian Haitao’s smile froze!

Everyone present was dumbfounded as well!

How much? A billion? For a start? This is only an animated film, alright! The highest box office record for an animated film did not even reach a billion RMB in earnings, yet you’re asking for a billion RMB investment as a start? Even if this was a Hollywood blockbuster, even if many international A-listers were invited to take part in the movie, and even if it was going to be filmed in 3D, there should still be leftover change with a billion RMB budget, right? But that’s not what we’re making! Ours is just going to be an animated film! Have you gone crazy or something? Isn’t that a little too much? They finally had a taste of what Zhang Ye’s “pull off a big one” really meant. Just look, even China’s richest man had been shocked by him. Zhang Ye was probably the first person who could give a scare like that to China’s richest man and China’s son-in-law over a matter of money.

Boss Qian Jr. said nervously, “Does this movie require that much money?”

Zhang Ye acknowledged, “Yes, it definitely does.”

Qian Haitao gave him a look. “But it’s just an animated film.”

Zhang Ye nodded. “I know that.”

Qian Haitao said, “Then do you know what the average cost of production is for other Hollywood animated films?”

“That, I’m not sure about,” Zhang Ye said.

Qian Haitao said, “The average cost is only 20 to 30 million USD.”

Zhang Ye smiled and said, “This animated film of mine is different.”

Over there, one of the managers said, “We also have a limit to our cash flow over here. We just spent a great deal of money to acquire Star Moon, so there might be some issues with the—”

Zhang Ye directly said, “I’ll fork out the bulk of the funding.”

Wolf Warrior 2’s box office profits had already been paid out. Together with the endorsement fees he received from The Cola Company, his earnings from Man vs. Wild, and so on and so forth, Zhang Ye had a net worth of over 2 billion RMB. Moreover, this 2 billion RMB was purely in cash deposits too, so he could take them out to use at any time he wanted.

The manager looked at him in amazement.

Qian Haitao also said in surprise, “Can it really break even?”

Zhang Ye said, “If there are no mishaps, yes.”

Boss Qian, Jr. said, “What if there are?”

Zhang Ye replied very domineeringly, “In my dictionary, there isn’t such a word.”

If anyone else had said this, they would definitely have refuted them.

But since it was Zhang Ye who said it, no one could refute him!