Kenneth Huang was known for his particular taste in wine.
He collected a team of experienced and trusted Hollywood executives who got to work making movies.
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THC was a legitimate operation and Huang appeared to be the real deal.
(L-R)Kenny Huangat an L.A. event with Marc Ganis and Sid Ganis in 2012Jonathan Leibson/WireImage
Until he was not.
Some did not wish to speak at all.
Id rather not jump into the ring with a crazy billionaire, jokes one person.
Huang has not responded to repeated requests for comment.
Several sources say he was diagnosed with cancer during the pandemic and has been receiving treatment in Asia.
Kent says he was not privy to his brothers financial arrangements, but acknowledges that people are owed money.
He has not heard from Huang in more than six months.
The THC brand limps on, meanwhile, with Kent at the helm.
Huang tried on guises like Abagnale tried on Pan Am pilot hats.
He had some success stories, but a series of ambitious investment deals he captained crashed and burned.
For his Hollywood friends, the warning signs were hiding in plain sight.
Huang, now 61, was born in Guangzhou to a successful family with strong business and government ties.
It facilitated deals to bring Lionsgate, MGM and Paramount content to Chinese audiences on government-owned streaming service M1905.com.
Marc declined to comment.
A studio executive who knows Huang says the conditions were right for a man of his skills.
It was a moment when Chinese money and entertainment were fusing themselves together, this person says.
It was the perfect time for someone like Kenny to come in.
Huang was not your average fixer.
Moore declined to comment.
He made our lives really good, a former Paramount executive recalls.
He was charming as f*ck, was the summary of one former ally.
Shortly after I met Kenny he flew me in a private jet to Beijing.
He was always a gracious and generous host.
There was no script, writer or story outline for the feature.
It was typical of Huangs showmanship.
AlthoughJourney to the Westwas never made, there were tangible outcomes from Huangs connections.
Jiaflix brokered a first-of-its-kind deal with Paramount to film a chunk ofTransformers: Age of Extinctionin China.
Paramount executives flew out to crown victors including beauty pageant queen Candice Zhao.
Associates are fuzzy on how he had accumulated his wealth, connections and access to investment.
The writ was laterdismissed by a Miami court.
Paramount experienced first-hand Huangs penchant for attracting lawsuits.
Paramount sources suspect Huang or his acolytes over-promised Pangu, but the matter was eventually settled.
Huang and his Jiaflix co-founderssaid Pangus claims were false and inaccurate.
For some, it would come to symbolize the perils of Paramounts new-found reliance on China.
Paramount declined to comment.
The deals collapse coincided with Huang wanting to switch from middleman to self-styled film mogul.
His studio, The H Collective, announced itself to the town in June 2017.
Huang put roots down in L.A. in December 2017, spending $6.8M on a mini-mansion in the hills.
Huang referred to the palatial five-bed property on Stone Canyon Road as his Bel-Air house.
Also spending time at the property was his alleged girlfriend Jane Wu, a glamorous Chinese actress.
Wu did not respond to a request for comment.
Associates say Huang would drift in and out of town, being vague about business affairs overseas.
Other onerous tasks for the young assistant included house-sitting the Bel-Air home.
The franchise grossed nearly $1B worldwide and built a loyal fanbase in China.
Diesel declined to comment.
What Huang had not revealed was that Diesel had a claim to half ofxXx.
Messages disclosed in the complaint showed Huang personally assuring Mikitani that THC owned 100% ofxXx.
This could not have been true based on the deal he had done with Weying.
In short, the strikingly similar lawsuits claim Huang induced Weying and Rakuten to invest inxXxunder false pretenses.
Weying says THC did not share this revenue and failed to provide any records of the investments.
He adds that any finance that did hit THC bank accounts was used to fund prep work onxXx.
We were not just collecting money and doing nothing, Kent claims.
As the messyxXxrights situation burbled away, THC was attempting to mount the fourth movie.Return of Xander Cagehelmer D.J.
Caruso confirmed his involvement but did not comment further.
ToxXxsarmy of online fans, it looked like all systems go.
Meanwhile, Huang had surrounded himself with established Hollywood executives at THC.
Fresh fromGuardians of the Galaxy Vol.
By Gunns telling, he agreed to collaborate onBrightburnduring the drive home from a lunch meeting with Huang.
Huang did secure a wish to thank credit onThe Suicide Squadin 2021, long after THCs collapse.
Gunn declined to comment.
ButBrightburndid not go to plan.
He was fired fromGuardians of the Galaxy Vol.
Weying says THC never paid the money.
THCs Hollywood team was unaware of the Weying drama, but warning signals were flashing.
THC did pay the CEO back, but there was concern the incident put the companys credibility at risk.
The Japanese companys lawsuit says the funding was provided on the promise that THC was already bankrolling the movie.
Rakuten and ex-THC insiders say Huang never contributed.
Some saw Covid as a convenient excuse.
THCs Hollywood team was furloughed, never to be reunited.
I couldnt get anyone on the phone, I wasnt getting paid.
It was terrifying, recalls one ex-staffer.
As THC atomized, Huang disappeared to Asia under a deluge of lawsuits.
Four years on, Deadline understands that Crawley and Clark have not been paid.
Both declined to comment.
THC was not mentioned in Weyings press release.
Weyings complaint was withdrawn in 2021 without prejudice, meaning it could resurrect the litigation.
The company could not be reached for comment.
THC never paid, despite Huang assuring Rakuten boss Mikitani that his money would be returned.
Rakuten sued THC in February 2021 claiming it was the victim of a crumbling Ponzi scheme.
Sources say it is unlikely that Rakuten ever received a dime from THC.
Rakuten declined to comment on payment.
The actor declined to comment.
Rakuten and Weyings lawsuits do not suggest Diesel was aware of Huangs activity.
Any hope of the billion-dollar franchise returning seems to be buried under litigation.
Elsewhere, THC defaulted on its mortgage obligations on Huangs Bel-Air home, which was sold in December 2020.
Archer declined to comment.
Those owed money are resigned to never recovering their cash.
Rakuten alleges that finances were funneled through entities in the Cayman Islands or diverted to Asia.
Kent Huang acknowledges that people are out of pocket.
Other scripts are in limbo.
Attempts are also being made to extractThe Beastfrom the THC wreckage.
Some think that ifBrightburnhad been a hit, things would have worked out differently.
Perhaps his luck ran out?
Another senior source thinks the answer lies in China.
Kent hopes he would have been told if Kenny had died but he is not certain.
Its really concerning, to be honest, I also want to find out what happened, Kent says.
Partners, investors and shareholders have been chasing me for updates.
Unfortunately, theres nothing we can do with Kenny not responding.
This is a very specific case of making it to the tops of Paramount, Sony, and others.
Thats what makes it unique.
His absence means all thats left is an impression of Huang.
A fiercely smart, enigmatic figure, who was briefly a colorful presence in the lives of Hollywood luminaries.
