萬達如今已是一家娛樂巨頭。自2012年萬達以26億美金收購北美院線AMC之后,萬達對歐美電影公司連連出手。然而在高歌勇進的背后一直存在著陰影。
經(jīng)典怪獸再度歸來
本周五(3月24日),一部稱得上是本月最受期待的好萊塢大片將在內地上映,它的名字叫《金剛:骷髏島》。《魔獸》北美票房撲街、《長城》并未收回成本,同樣以“打怪獸”為賣點的《金剛:骷髏島》成為萬達入主之后傳奇影業(yè)的翻盤之作。
King Kong has returned as the giant ape with a tender heart in Kong:Skull Island, a revival of the old Hollywood franchise that hit number one at the US box office.It is a relief for Legendary Entertainment, the film's producer, and Legendary's owner Dalian Wanda, the Chinese property conglomerate.
金剛以內心溫柔的巨猿模樣再度歸來,《金剛:骷髏島》——經(jīng)典好萊塢大片的新版演繹,一舉奪得美國票房榜的冠軍。這讓作為電影制作方的傳奇影業(yè)公司(Legendary Entertainment)松了一口氣,它的所有者是中國地產集團“大連萬達”。
Wanda needs some good news after the failure of its $1bn deal to acquire Dick Clark Productions, the US television group behind the Golden Globes and other award shows.It does not want to turn into another classic Hollywood character:the foreign investor with stars in its eyes that attempts to muscle its way into La La Land and ends up being fleeced.
萬達10億美元收購美國迪克·克拉克制作公司(Dick Clark Productions)以失敗告終,這之后確實需要來點好消息。美國電視制作公司迪克·克拉克制作過包括金球獎頒獎禮在內的許多節(jié)目。萬達并不想成為這樣一個刻板典型的好萊塢角色:眼冒星光的外國投資人發(fā)宏愿,想在好萊塢夢想之地大干一番,到頭來反被敲筆竹杠。
中國資本進軍好萊塢
據(jù)《安徽商報》消息,去年11月,安徽蕪湖的A股上市公司鑫科材料以約23.88億元現(xiàn)金收購Midnight Investments L.P.的80%出資權益,后者主要資產為好萊塢獨立影視公司Voltage Pictures,曾主導《拆彈部隊》等大片制作,榮獲過九項奧斯卡獎及兩項金球獎。
There are dual risks for the Chinese companies that have lined up recently to pump money into Hollywood, including a copper processing company from Anhui province that fancied breaking into the movies.Not only could they be humiliated in US entertainment, but they could hurt their business at home by alienating Beijing.
最近排著隊要到好萊塢砸錢的中國公司,包括想進軍電影業(yè)的一家安徽銅加工企業(yè),都面臨著雙重風險。他們不但可能在美國娛樂業(yè)出丑,還可能因為與北京政策不合而使國內的業(yè)務受損。
Wanda is not yet in disgrace but, as owner of both Legendary and the AMC cinema chain, it is the most prominent Chinese company in Hollywood and thus most in the spotlight.It is time for Wang Jianlin, its billionaire founder, to practise some patience, rather than continuing to bang loudly at the gates of the big six film studios in Los Angeles in search of another acquisition.
萬達雖然尚未陷入顏面盡失的境地,但傳奇影業(yè)與AMC院線老板的身份使它成了好萊塢最舉足輕重的中國企業(yè),同時也將它推向眾人關注的焦點。對坐擁億萬身家的萬達創(chuàng)始人王健林來說,此刻需要培養(yǎng)耐心,而不是繼續(xù)在洛杉磯六大電影公司門前猛砸,盤算將哪一家收入囊中。
萬達的“好萊塢夢”
“傳奇影業(yè)幾千個IP知識產權,將來會變成整個旅游行業(yè)或者兒童娛樂行業(yè)巨大的生命,實現(xiàn)電影產品的延續(xù)”。2016年初,王健林收購美國電影制片公司傳奇影業(yè)時,就已對自己建立“電影帝國”的野心直言不諱。
Mr Wang has so far adopted the same Kong-like bluntness in entertainment as he has in Chinese property, building a swath of Wanda Plaza shopping and leisure centres across the country.Having made an international cinema chain out of AMC in the US and Odeon and Nordic Cinema in Europe, he says openly that he would be “a happy buyer” of a studio such as Paramount.
萬達的購物休閑中心已遍及全中國,同在中國地產業(yè)一樣,王健林在娛樂業(yè)也似金剛一般任性而為。除已在美國收購AMC國際連鎖影院外,又在歐洲拿下Odeon and Nordic院線集團。他公開表示很愿意買下六大電影公司的一家,比如說“派拉蒙”(Paramount)。
He holds a strong position in some ways.Wanda has plenty of capital, which he can use as he wishes.He can offer preferential access to China, which is a restricted market:there is a cap on the number of Hollywood films that can be shown there each year but it does not limit Chinese co-productions.Studios also get a higher share of Chinese ticket revenues on co-productions.
王健林在某些方面的確占據(jù)了強勢地位,畢竟萬達雄厚的資本都能為他所用。而且他能使電影優(yōu)先進入受限制的中國市場:因為每年允許上映的好萊塢電影數(shù)量有上限,與中方合拍的電影卻不受此影響。合拍片在中國市場的票房收益能為電影公司帶來了更可觀的分成。
好萊塢六大電影公司:
20世紀??怂梗?0th Century Fox Film Corporation)
華納兄弟公司(Warner Bros.Entertainment, Inc.)
迪士尼電影(The Walt Disney Company)
環(huán)球電影公司(Universal Picture)
哥倫比亞影業(yè)公司(Columbia Pictures)
派拉蒙影業(yè)公司(Paramount Pictures)
But Hollywood does not operate solely on brute force and deep pockets, as others have found before.It matters as much whom you know, and whether you are trusted by its closest insiders.It has a history of enticing wealthy newcomers but never quite delivering them their promised rewards.
然而,好萊塢并非像一些人之前所認知的只是仰仗強力與財富經(jīng)營。重點仍在于你結識的人是誰以及你是否被好萊塢的核心人士所信任。但好萊塢慣于誘使富有的新來者卻疏于兌現(xiàn)給他們的回報。
Legendary faced setbacks after Wanda acquired a majority stake for a hefty $3.5bn in 2015 and its founder Thomas Tull retired in January.The $1bn that Wanda was due to pay for Dick Clark was also seen by rivals as high.
在2015年萬達斥35億美元巨資收購其大多數(shù)股份后,傳奇影業(yè)公司遭遇了重挫。創(chuàng)始人Thomas Tull也于今年一月辭職。在競爭對手看來,萬達以10億美元收購好萊塢制片商Dick Clark,價格有點高的離譜。
Photo Credit:Getty images
Mr Wang's big difficulty is that he is seeking something that does not yet exist:a global film market.Hollywood's reliance on financing from China has led to more films being made there and more Chinese performers, such as the Kong actress Jing Tian, on screen.But while the world is accustomed to US heroes, American film-goers have little appetite for Chinese fables.
王健林的一大困境在于他在尋找某樣根本不存在的東西:全球電影市場。好萊塢對中國市場的資金依賴致使越來越多的電影在中國制作,也讓越來越多的中國演員出現(xiàn)在好萊塢銀幕上,比如《金剛》里的女演員景甜。鑒于全世界都吃“美國英雄”那一套,愛看美國電影的觀眾對中國寓言故事不免興趣寥寥。
The Great Wall, Legendary's clunky effort to bridge the gap with a monster action film set in the Song dynasty starring Matt Damon, did poorly at the US box office in February.That in turn clouds the prospects for Wanda's Oriental Movie Metropolis.
傳奇影業(yè)為了彌合這一缺口,將《長城》這部怪獸動作電影的背景時代置于宋朝,并由馬特·達蒙(Matt Damon)主演。但二月份的美國票房榜表現(xiàn)不盡人意,這份努力更似笨拙。《長城》的失利也為萬達東方影都(Oriental Movie Metropolis)的前景蒙上了一層陰影。
詞匯總結
conglomerate[k?n'gl?m(?)r?t]
n.聯(lián)合大公司;企業(yè)集團
It is a relief for Legendary Entertainment, the film's producer, and Legendary's owner Dalian Wanda, the Chinese property conglomerate.
這讓作為電影制作方的傳奇影業(yè)公司(Legendary Entertainment)松了一口氣,它的所有者是中國地產集團“大連萬達”。
fleece[fli?s]
v.敲詐;敲竹杠
The foreign investor with stars in its eyes that attempts to muscle its way into La La Land and ends up being fleeced.
眼冒星光的外國投資人發(fā)宏愿,想在好萊塢夢想之地大干一番,到頭來反被敲筆竹杠。
pump into 向…大量投資;注入大量資金
There are dual risks for the Chinese companies that have lined up recently to pump money into Hollywood, including a copper processing company from Anhui province that fancied breaking into the movies.
最近排著隊要到好萊塢砸錢的中國公司,包括想進軍電影業(yè)的一家安徽銅加工企業(yè),都面臨著雙重風險。
alienate['e?l??ne?t]
v.使(與某群體)格格不入;使疏遠
Not only could they be humiliated in US entertainment, but they could hurt their business at home by alienating Beijing.
他們不但可能在美國娛樂業(yè)出丑,還可能因為與北京政策不合而使國內的業(yè)務受損。
deep pocket 資產;財富,財源
But Hollywood does not operate solely on brute force and deep pockets, as others have found before.
然而,好萊塢并非像一些人之前所認知的只是仰仗強力與財富經(jīng)營。
hefty['heft?]
adj.很大的;超出一般的;可觀的
Legendary faced setbacks after Wanda acquired a majority stake for a hefty $3.5bn in 2015 and its founder Thomas Tull retired in January.
在2015年萬達斥35億美元巨資收購其大多數(shù)股份后,傳奇影業(yè)公司遭遇了重挫。