Cinemas are the most important link in Zhangran's ecological chain construction. If there is no cinema, the entire industrial chain will be incomplete and there will be a lack of one link. In addition, when film and television companies encounter financing needs, it will be more troublesome because there is no fixed assets for mortgage. After owning cinemas, they will have more say when financing. Therefore, after completing the acquisition of Jiahe, Century Peak began to open cinemas in the name of Jiahe.

The focus of the peak layout of the century is not first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, but second- and third-tier cities. There are cinemas in bustling areas of first-tier cities, and there are even three or four cinemas in many places. If you squeeze it into it, it will become vicious competition. However, second- and third-tier cities lack high-quality cinemas, and there is room for blockbusters to explore.

Take Nanchang for example. With the People's Cinema and Cultural Hall fading out of the market, there are only three state-owned cinemas in Nanchang, namely Hubin, Jiangxi Art Theater and Baihuazhou, which are operating. The entire market is relatively depressed. In 2005, the total box office of Nanchang movies was only 6 million yuan. However, in April 2006, the five-star theater built by Wanda on the top floor of the Walmart Shopping Center was opened. In just 6 months, it has achieved a box office of 8 million yuan, surpassing the whole year of Nanchang last year.

This is not an isolated example. In 2005, the box office of Nanning Wanda Cinema also doubled the total box office in Nanning in 2004; the Harbin film market originally had a box office revenue of less than 8 million yuan. After the opening of Harbin Wanda Cinema, a cinema earned 17 million yuan.

Starting from the beginning of this year, Century Peak began to purchase one or two floors of bustling commercial buildings in second- and third-tier cities, and operated as a movie city. By now, Century Peak has 4 cinemas opened, and 5 are under construction and will be opened soon.

Zhang Ran believes that by four or five years later, when other theaters are crowded into these cities, the peak of the century has completed its layout and has turned into fourth- and fifth-tier cities. Of course, first-tier cities are not giving up, they just don’t make ordinary cinemas, but boutique cinemas, and imax cinemas with better audio-visual enjoyment.

After reading the data of the four Warner Cinemas in his hands, Zhang Ran found that the business was good, and it was designed completely according to American standards, with excellent hardware and software. If we can win these four theaters, we must win it. However, there are problems with the equity of these four theaters. Zhang Ran said: "The shares of these four theaters are only 49%, and Shenzhen Guotou accounts for 51% of the shares. If we cannot control the shares, it will be meaningless. Is Shenzhen Guotou willing to sell the shares in his hands?"

Wu Ruide explained: "Shenguotou is a trust investment company, and the cinema built has always been run by Warner Cinema. In July this year, China Resources Group acquired 51% of Shenzhen Guotou's shares, and China Resources did not understand the theater industry and was unwilling to continue investing, so they were willing to sell their shares."

Since you can control the shares, Zhang Ran has no doubts: "These cinemas are good, have great potential, and are worth winning. You can just make your own decisions. It should be not only these four cinemas when you come to me, right?"

Wu Ruide asked with a smile: "We have 4 now, and there are only 7 cinemas in Warner's three already built! Next, we are going to prepare to build our own theaters!"

Zhang Ran was stunned: "We want to establish cross-provincial theaters. We need at least 15 cinemas to establish cross-provincial theaters. We are still missing 8? We don't join, so how can we solve the remaining 8?"

In February 2004, the state adjusted the film financing policy, and theaters were opened to capital outside the system for the first time, including private capital, and theaters could be built solely. According to regulations, private enterprises must establish theaters solely, and the establishment unit must invest no less than 50 million yuan within three years for the construction and renovation of cinemas in the cinema company. At the same time, the establishment of theaters within the province must have 10 theaters, and the establishment of cross-provincial theaters must have 15 theaters distributed in different provinces.

50 million investment is not a big deal for the peak of the century. The real trouble is that it is necessary to have 15 cinemas to establish cross-provincial theaters.

Of course, if you go through relationships, it is not difficult to get a theater license. For example, when Wanda Cinema was established, there were only 5 cinemas, but the General Administration allowed Wanda to set up theaters on the grounds that the five cinemas of Wanda were outstanding, which was actually a relationship. Zhang Ran now has many enemies, and he doesn't want to leave a message to others, and plans to follow the normal process.

Wu Ruide smiled and said, "Acquisition! The negotiations between us and Yinxing Cinemas are almost the same. We inject 40 million yuan, accounting for 60% of the shares. Yinxing Cinemas is renamed Jiahe Yinxing, and we will supply the films and carry out brand management in a unified manner!"

It is not new to invest in theaters. Since the implementation of the theater system in China in 2002, with the continuous participation of foreign capital and social capital, mergers and reorganizations between theaters have continued to occur. At the end of 2003, 12 cinemas of the former Zhejiang Xingguang Cinemas joined the Magic City Lianhe; in early 2004, four cinemas in the Emei Cinemas in Xichuan collectively switched to China Film Star Art Cinemas; in 2005, Jiangsu Yangzi Cinemas and Oriental Cinemas officially merged; in the same year, Liaoning Northern Cinemas joined Peking New Film Union; Jilin Chang Cinemas in Wanda; and Hengdian Group successively invested in Zhejiang Xingguang, Guangdong Zhujiang and other theaters.

Zhang Ran is familiar with the top theaters in China and is unfamiliar with Yinxing. He asked: "What is the specific situation of this theater?"

Wu Ruide introduced: "Yinxing Cinema was jointly established by Qingdao, Zibo, Weihai and other film companies in September 2002. Currently, there are 20 theaters and 30 screens. Currently, there is a five-star cinema under construction in Qingdao. It is similar to other old cinemas in China. It lacks funds and has neither the ability to transform old cinemas nor the ability to build new cinemas on a large scale. Due to the old equipment, it lacks attractiveness to the audience and its business situation is not very good. Now, foreign theaters such as Wanda have begun to build cinemas on a large scale in cities such as Qingdao, so Yinxing is under even greater pressure. We have funds and brands, and cooperation with us is undoubtedly the best choice." Speaking of this, Wu Ruide suddenly remembered something: "By the way, the leaders of Qingdao City met me, and they hope that the Asian Film Academy Award can be settled in Qingdao!"

In Zhang Ran's impression, Qingdao attaches great importance to the development of the film and television industry. In 2009, under the promotion of the municipal government, the Golden Phoenix Award organized by the China Film Performing Arts Society was settled in Qingdao. In 2013, it even promoted Wanda to build the Oriental Film Capital in Qingdao. He waved his hand and said, "The Academy Award will be held in Japan next year. It will be the year after that. There is no hurry to return to China."

Wu Ruide looked at Zhang Ran and said, "The municipal government talked to me about one of their plans, hoping to turn Phoenix Island, a small island surrounded by the sea on three sides, with very beautiful scenery. They hope to turn Phoenix Island into a coastal resort with the theme of mid-to-high-end leisure and vacation, film and television culture and entertainment, and international standards. They are promoting a concept that is to develop Phoenix Island into a Hollywood in China. We have plans to build a film and television industrial park in the future. If it is placed in Qingdao, it will be a good choice. The government itself is promoting the concept of Hollywood in China. Land acquisition will be very cheap and there will be many policy discounts!"

Zhang Ran suddenly realized that no wonder Wanda will spend tens of billions of dollars to build Oriental Film City in Qingdao in the future. So that's the case. The film and television industrial park he planned is close to Wanda's Oriental Film City. It is indeed a good choice to place it in Qingdao. However, there are so many cities across the country, and it may not be more suitable: "We have to do a lot of things now. The industrial park needs too much funds and the time is not. We cannot take too fast, otherwise it will be easy to get rid of the eggs! Or the matter of theaters, since the negotiations of Silver Star are almost done, we will finalize as soon as possible. Warner's four cinemas are boutique cinemas, which are good for enhancing our brand image. We will also win them as soon as possible, and then submit approval to the General Administration to build our theaters as soon as possible!"

"After the theater chain is established, we must find someone to take responsibility. We need a general manager!" Wu Ruide came here this time, actually for this matter.

"Let Gao Jun serve as the other party first. He was originally the general manager of Xinying Lianhe, and the theater chain was his own business. What do you think when you get on the right track before finding someone to take over?" Zhang Ran didn't have a particularly suitable candidate now.

Wu Ruide nodded: "I also think Gao Jun is the most suitable candidate at the moment. But I think the current situation is very different from our initial idea. We should attract some theaters to join, and Gao Jun also means this!"

The advantage of joining theaters is that they expand at a fast speed, but the adhesion between joining theaters and theaters is very low. Many cinemas are still subordinate to this theater today. If other theaters are offered better conditions tomorrow, they will immediately change jobs; on the other hand, joining theaters is not direct, and the quality of theaters is uneven, and there are difficulties in management, such as missing box office, stolen membership cards, poor service experience, etc., which are difficult to solve.

Zhang Ran knew the disadvantages of joining theaters and insisted: "What I mean is to insist on building your own, don't join!"

Wu Ruide hopes to join the franchise, and there is a reason: "We have to deal with Huayi now. The more theaters we have, the more pressure we put on Huayi. Huayi's movie "Mo Gong" will be released next month on the 23rd. If we have one less, "Mo Gong" will lose one box office. If the theaters we have made efforts at the same time, then "Mo Gong" will suffer a lot of losses. Whoever wants to cooperate with Huayi in the future will have to consider it!"

Zhang Ran felt that this was indeed reasonable. If you had enough theaters in your hands, just shouting that I would not oppose Huayi’s films, it would further compress Huayi’s living space and force the Wang brothers to raise funds: “You are right, but not only Huayi, but also a bunch of experts who don’t understand can jump out, shouting about the pinnacle of the century and the Paramount Act!”

Wu Ruide said disdainfully: "We only have many theaters in our hands, what kind of monopoly? As for the Paramount Act, no one who truly understands the American film industry will make this a big deal. The Paramount Act caused a disaster to the American film industry!"

Zhang Ran smiled bitterly and said, "The problem is that there are too few who really understand the American film industry. Forget it, don't talk about this, just do it, I'll take care of the scolding!"

On October 25, media reported that Warner will withdraw its investment from China, and Century Peak will take over Warner Cinema.

This news did not cause much reaction. After acquiring Jiahe at its peak last century, it began to build cinemas in China under the name of Jiahe, and it was not surprising that it took over Warner's cinemas.

However, on the 28th, when the news of the peak acquisition of Yinxing Cinemas in the century spread, the industry was shocked. Taking Yinxing is equivalent to getting a theater license, and Jiahe's theaters will probably join Yinxing next.

However, everyone's estimate is wrong. On November 15, Jiahe Cinemas passed the approval of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, and was officially established in Peking. Yinxing was incorporated into Jiahe Cinemas. This is the second private wholly-owned theater in China after Wanda.

Before everyone could come back from their shock, on the 20th, a more sensational news came out. Northern Cinemas withdrew from the New Film Union and joined Jiahe Cinemas.

This news has no response from the public, but it is tantamount to a magnitude 10 earthquake in the circle, and the effect it brings is shocking.
Chapter completed!