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Chen Zhixi, the previous actress and producer overseeing China’s largest cinema chain, discusses the challenges going through the exhibition sector, plans for the corporate’s manufacturing arm and creating new alternatives for ladies.
Chen Zhixi, the previous actress and producer overseeing China’s largest cinema chain, discusses the challenges going through the exhibition sector, plans for the corporate’s manufacturing arm and creating new alternatives for ladies.
Chen Zhixi is now 5 months into her position as chairperson and president at Wanda Movie. Taking the position was a transfer that made Chen one of many few ladies on the prime of the historically male-dominated Chinese language movie enterprise — and, at 42, one in all its youngest and strongest leaders.
Based mostly within the southern Chinese language tech-hub of Shenzhen, Wanda Movie is the biggest cinema chain in China, operators of upwards of 900 cinemas with greater than 7,500 screens, and a large film manufacturing enterprise too.
Chen took the reins at Wanda Movie in February as the corporate transitioned from the management of Chinese language billionaire Wang Jianlin and the actual estate-heavy Dalian Wanda Group, which bought its 51 % controlling stake within the movie unit to an funding arm of China Ruyi Holdings, which incorporates movie manufacturing and streaming providers amongst its varied holdings. Native media reported the deal was value round $310 million.
Again within the 2010s, Wang had made headline-grabbing strikes into the worldwide leisure market starting in 2012, shopping for up a collection of main worldwide cinema chains, together with AMC within the U.S. (for $2.6 billion) and Australian operators Hoyts ($1 billion). He additionally made a daring play for Hollywood by shopping for Legendary Leisure ($3.5 billion).
Chen has introduced a wealth of expertise to her new place, having graduated out of each Beijing’s prestigious Central Academy of Drama and the Tsinghua College, the place she earned a grasp’s diploma in finance. Having labored beforehand as an actress in each movie (Misplaced in Thailand) and TV (Miss Unfortunate), Chen has additionally produced home hits just like the 2021 comedy Hello, Mother, which grossed round $840 million and has been slated for an English-language remake by Sony.
Chen moved into administration at Shanghai Ruyi Tv Manufacturing in 2015, and spent an nearly 10-year stretch as president of the corporate earlier than the February swap.
The Chinese language movie trade has this week converged on the 26th Shanghai Worldwide Movie Pageant and Chen was amongst their quantity over the opening weekend, internet hosting a Wanda social gathering on The Bund. The Hollywood Reporter linked with the busy exec for a dialog about her plans to revitalize the Wanda movie model.
Can we begin by speaking in regards to the position you’ve taken on at Wanda? What do you see because the challenges, what excites you, and what’s the precise talent set you’ve dropped at the corporate?
Up to now as a movie producer I used to be solely chargeable for one movie throughout one interval. Now I’m working at a completely built-in movie firm and work has develop into extra advanced and numerous, so it contains theater administration, movie and TV collection funding manufacturing and distribution, merchandising and the corporate’s gaming enterprise. So, my focus has expanded from the success of a single movie to the general traits by way of the Chinese language movie market, in addition to from being a producer of a single movie to being a service supplier for all the Chinese language movie trade. I’m very excited to attach with and dedicate myself to the movie trade with a wider standpoint.
Are there particular challenges you could have recognized at Wanda?
Chinese language cinemas have lengthy lacked diversification, and I hope to carry extra distinctive experiences to our cinemas primarily based on our creativity. I need our cinemas to develop into a spot the place administrators can maintain exhibitions of movie, the place movie followers can collect in film fan golf equipment, the place extra film merchandise might be bought, and co-branded promotions can be found. I need film lovers to really feel like they’ve entered the world of movie as soon as they step right into a cinema, and to completely benefit from the attraction of films. The challenges we face proper now are frequent to the worldwide movie market, which is how can we drive viewers progress, particularly amongst youthful moviegoers in an period of more and more numerous leisure choices.
What are you able to share in regards to the firm’s fast plans when it comes to movie manufacturing?
This summer season we’ll see the discharge of two movies we’re concerned in, when it comes to funding and distribution. The primary one is the comedy Successor, starring Shen Teng and Ma Li, which might be launched on July 18. The second is the Gentle Chaser animated movie, White Snake 3, which might be launched on August 10. By way of movie manufacturing, our initiatives are numerous, which is what we actually care about.
‘White Snake 3’
Courtesy of Shanghai Movie Fest
What do you see as Wanda Movie’s strengths as a company?
Wanda has the biggest cinema community protection in China, and capabilities to advertise movie tradition throughout the entire nation. And we now have improvement and manufacturing capabilities. As a producer for a number of years, my manufacturing expertise has been rapidly built-in. So, from my standpoint, the long run is to create a high-quality expertise for the viewers from content material manufacturing to the viewing. I see this because the distinctive benefit of Wanda.
A brand new, youthful era appears to have taken the reins at Wanda. How do you are feeling about main this?
We now have a historical past of round 20 years, which nearly coincides with the rise of the business movie trade in China. Consequently, we now have a really mature {and professional} administration workforce, and we now have additionally attracted younger and gifted folks from the trade to affix Wanda. I’m personally enthusiastic about this and making a younger artistic workforce.
Do you see your self as a job mannequin for Chinese language ladies within the company world and within the movie world?
Effectively, I can’t say I’m a job mannequin. I simply discovered my path a bit of bit early in life. In China, whether or not within the enterprise world or within the movie trade, I need folks to see the indispensable position of ladies. I hope that I can work along with all the ladies in our trade and to make it higher. That’s the path I’m aiming for.
What led you into the movie trade?
I don’t like typical paths, and artwork is stuffed with the unknown and journey. Initially, I selected the performing division of the Central Academy of Drama. After commencement, I entered the movie trade as an actress, however I rapidly realized that this was not the sector wherein I may finest use my expertise. I found that I get pleasure from organizing and planning in addition to creating content material. This led me to the position as a producer and investor — and I’ve lastly discovered my path and keenness.
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