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, considered one of its youngest and strongest leaders.
Based mostly within the southern Chinese language tech-hub of Shenzhen, Wanda Movie is the most important 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 true estate-heavy Dalian Wanda Group, which offered its 51 p.c controlling stake within the movie unit to an funding arm of China Ruyi Holdings, which incorporates movie manufacturing and streaming providers amongst its numerous holdings. Native media reported the deal was price 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 sequence 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 virtually 10-year stretch as president of the corporate earlier than the February change.
The Chinese language movie trade has this week converged on the 26th Shanghai Worldwide Movie Competition 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 concerning the position you’ve taken on at Wanda? What do you see because the challenges, what excites you, and what’s the particular talent set you’ve dropped at the corporate?
Prior 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 change into extra complicated and various, so it contains theater administration, movie and TV sequence 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 developments by the Chinese language movie market, in addition to from being a producer of a single movie to being a service supplier for the complete Chinese language movie trade. I’m very excited to attach with and dedicate myself to the movie trade with a wider perspective.
Are there particular challenges you’ve 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 change 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 offered, 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 allure of films. The challenges we face proper now are widespread to the worldwide movie market, which is how can we drive viewers development, particularly amongst youthful moviegoers in an period of more and more various leisure choices.
What are you able to share concerning the firm’s instant plans by way of movie manufacturing?
This summer season we’ll see the discharge of two movies we’re concerned in, by way of funding and distribution. The primary one is the comedy Successor, starring Shen Teng and Ma Li, which will likely be launched on July 18. The second is the Mild Chaser animated movie, White Snake 3, which will likely be launched on August 10. By way of movie manufacturing, our initiatives are various, 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 most important cinema community protection in China, and capabilities to advertise movie tradition throughout the entire nation. And we’ve got growth and manufacturing capabilities. As a producer for a number of years, my manufacturing expertise has been shortly built-in. So, from my perspective, the longer term 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 technology appears to have taken the reins at Wanda. How do you are feeling about main this?
We’ve got a historical past of round 20 years, which just about coincides with the rise of the business movie trade in China. Because of this, we’ve got a really mature {and professional} administration group, and we’ve got additionally attracted younger and proficient folks from the trade to hitch Wanda. I’m personally captivated with this and making a younger inventive group.
Do you see your self as a job mannequin for Chinese language ladies within the company world and within the movie world?
Properly, I can’t say I’m a job mannequin. I simply discovered my path a bit 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 standard paths, and artwork is filled with the unknown and journey. Initially, I selected the appearing division of the Central Academy of Drama. After commencement, I entered the movie trade as an actress, however I shortly realized that this was not the sector during which I might greatest use my expertise. I found that I take pleasure in 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 fervour.