Although hes virtually unknown in the West, the Chinese pop star-turned-screen neophyte Lu Han has emerged as the defacto face of Hollywood in China.
In his capacity as Star Wars:The Force Awakens “ambassador”, Han served as an honorary member of the “Jedi Order” in China, appearing in local advertising spots and at promotional events, while a special remix and music video for his single “The Inner Force” was the official Chinese promotional theme song for Force Awakens.
Han also put his personal brand to work on behalf of DreamWorks Animation. He released “Deep”, a music video promoting Kung Fu Panda 3, the US-China co-production from the Oriental DreamWorks joint venture. The video, in Mandarin and English, was directed by Raman Hui, the filmmaker behind Monster Hunt, which became the highest-grossing pic ever in China over the summer in 2015.
Next, Han will appear opposite Matt Damon and Willem Defoe in director Zhang Yimous period epic The Great Wall, from Thomas Tulls Legendary Pictures—arguably the second most-anticipated US-China collaboration of 2016 behind the Kung Fu Panda sequel.
So, who is this Chinese pop phenom, and why are so many Hollywood heavyweights banking on him?
Han features boyish looks and messy mop of hair and he has legions of young female fans spanning Asia. Born and raised in Beijing, he pursued university studies abroad in South Korea, where he was scouted to become a founding member of South Korean-Chinese boy band EXO. In October 2014, Han broke from the group and began a solo career, as well as a transition into film acting, starring in 20 Once Again and The Witness. Both films became sizable hits in China.
Perhaps more valuable to Disney and DreamWorks, Han has cultivated an influential celebrity brand on Chinese social media. He holds the Guinness World Record for most comments on a single Weibo post. His post announcing his Star Wars gig—“I am honored to be the Star Wars ambassador to China. May the Force be with you!”—has been retweeted some 1.5 million times.
Hans appeal among young female filmgoers may also have been a decisive factor for Disney, as young Chinese women have emerged as an increasingly vital demographic for movie marketers.
盡管中国的流行明星鹿晗在西方的知名度并不高,但作为歌手出身的演员新秀,他成功地成为好莱坞影片在中国的代言人。
作为《星球大战:原力觉醒》的中国代言人,鹿晗以中国“绝地武士团”荣誉成员的身份出席了该片在中国当地的广告和宣传活动,而鹿晗发行的单曲《原动力》的特殊混音版MV也成为宣传《原力觉醒》的中文官方主题曲。
同时,作为梦工厂动画公司的代言人,鹿晗充分发挥了他的个人品牌作用。《功夫熊猫3》是一部中美合拍片,由中美合资企业上海东方梦工厂影业负责制作。鹿晗为该片推出了中英文歌曲MV《海底》,该 MV的导演是许诚毅,后者也是2015年暑期中国最卖座的电影《捉妖记》的制作人。
接下来,鹿晗将出现在张艺谋执导的史诗大片《长城》中,他将在片中跟马特·达蒙、威廉·达福飙戏。托马斯·图尔的传奇影业负责该片的制作和发行。《长城》成为继《功夫熊猫3》之后,2016年第二部最受期待的中美合拍片。
那么,这位中国流行偶像到底是谁?为什么这么多好莱坞重磅巨制都会看上他?
鹿晗长着一张娃娃脸,头发略显凌乱蓬松,在亚洲拥有大量的年轻女歌迷。他在北京出生、长大,大学赴韩国留学期间,被星探发掘,成为中韩男团EXO的初始成员之一。2014年10月,鹿晗离开EXO开始单飞,同时也开始涉足影视圈,先后主演了《重返20岁》和《我是证人》。这两部影片的票房成绩都不错。
也许对于迪士尼和梦工厂动画公司来说,鹿晗最有价值的地方在于,他在中国的社会媒体上是一位重量级的明星。他的一条个人微博的评论数创造了吉尼斯世界纪录。他的另一条微博——宣布自己成为《星球大战》官方大使:“很荣幸可以成为《星球大战》中国大使,愿原力与你同在!”——已被转发了约150万次。
鹿晗对于年轻女性影迷的吸引力,也是迪士尼选择他担任官方大使的一个决定性因素,因为中国的年轻女性已经越来越成为电影营销的重要部分。