Just before Christmas, Ronan signed formal financing contracts on behalf of the Pacific Film Foundation with three entertainment companies, each of which invested $25 million, or a total of $75 million.

Compared to the long-term credit bank of the island nation, the amount of investment is much smaller.

However, this is the amount invested in the same tranche of financing.

In other words, the three entertainment companies have only signed investment contracts with the Pacific Film Foundation for the first phase for the time being.

This investment is also for three years, with a fixed rate of return of 12 percent, and the investment is paid in two installments over a period of four months, with the first payment after the New Year.

In terms of cash flow, the three entertainment companies are certainly not as good as financial investment institutions such as the island country's long-term credit bank, but the $75 million will at least allow Shahai Entertainment to meet the production budget of three lower-mid-sized film projects.

Ronan is very satisfied with this cooperation, and the three entertainment companies have strong intentions to invest in Hollywood, and they have also expressed enough sincerity.

The two sides also agreed that if the cooperation is satisfactory, the Korean side will continue to cooperate with the Pacific Film Foundation.

In addition, Ronan also talked to them about the North American Internet copyright licensing of Korean film and television works, and the heads of the three entertainment companies are willing to act as intermediaries between Netflix and Korean film and television production companies.

With these local snakes matchmaking, Netflix's work of including the copyright of Korean film and television works will also be smoother.

Netflix's copyright library needs to be expanded step by step, and North America is the most troublesome to talk about, but the copyright of overseas works is much easier.

Only by increasing the volume of copyright and the number of products to choose from can we further attract customers.

On the day Ronan led the team to leave Seoul, Kim Young-min accompanied him to the airport to see him off.

"Mr. Anderson. Kim Yingmin shook hands with Ronan vigorously: "I hope this is the beginning of our cooperation, and we can become strategic partners in the future." ”

Ronan said with a smile, "I believe that day will come soon. ”

Jin Yingmin said politely: "This time the time is too tight, there are places where the hospitality is not good, please forgive me." ”

"I am very pleased with your hospitality. Ronan said politely, "I fully feel your warmth and hospitality. ”

Kim Yingmin seemed to have misunderstood Ronan's words, lowered his voice slightly, and said, "Mr. Anderson will come to South Korea next time, and I will arrange it for you." ”

Ronan said, "Thank you. When Mr. Kim arrives in Los Angeles, he must visit me. ”

Kim Young-min said conclusively: "Definitely." ”

The two shook hands again, and Ronan followed the negotiators into the gate.

Kim Young-min watched Ronan's figure go farther and farther, but he was a little worried, Jun Ji-hyun and Song Hye Kyo can be said to be the top actresses in the local entertainment industry, next time the other party comes back, can they find a better one?

It's really not good, but the quality is not enough, and the quantity is made up.

There are not many other companies under SM Entertainment, but the girl group can come up with a dozen.

Ronan and his entourage did not stop in East Asia, but took a flight back to Los Angeles.

On the one hand, Christmas is just around the corner, which is the most important holiday for Americans, and the team also needs to rest and adjust after this period of high-intensity overseas work.

On the other hand, the goal of financing has been fully achieved.

Not counting the financing after the first phase, counting the first phase of financing of the Pacific Foundation next year, the island country's long-term credit bank and South Korea's three major entertainment companies will raise a total of $275 million.

In addition, Ronan has other sources of financing.

Even if it may be troublesome to raise money from the private sector in Abu Dhabi after the 911 terrorist attacks, Relativity Entertainment was still able to raise money from the Mountain Foundation in Mumbai, India, and Koch Films in Germany.

In this way, even if Shahai Entertainment has multiple medium and large-scale production projects in the original work at the same time, the funds are quite sufficient.

With the goal of financing achieved, there is no need for Ronan to go to the unspeakable country, after all, there are some huge risks there that cannot be described in words.

Especially for big scissors, there is no unified and clear standard, which is really unreassuring.

After Ronan returned to Los Angeles, he took a short break for Christmas for three days and quickly got to work.

He first met with Inoue Icio who came to Los Angeles, briefly chatted about the situation after the other party came to Los Angeles, and then hosted a banquet to entertain Inoue Icio and his party.

The specific licensing negotiations were handed over to Netflix's Mark Randolph.

The film and television works of the island country cannot be sold at a high price in North America, and the price of Internet licensing is even lower, and after Netflix has received the capital injection from Relativity Entertainment, the current liquidity is quite sufficient, and it is not a problem to win the authorization of some film and television works from overseas.

Netflix is on the path of a commercial company, not a small street store or a workshop-style operation, and many things that touch on the provisions of copyright law must be paid attention to.

Before the New Year, Jun Ji-hyun, accompanied by his agent, came to Los Angeles from South Korea, Ronan was busy with work, and had a quick meeting with her, so he asked Connie to take him to Warner Studios to find Shonda Rhames and ask the crew to arrange Jun Ji-hyun for an audition.

In the script of "Grey's Anatomy", there is an Asian character named Christina Young, who plays the second or third supporting actress.

At the beginning, Shonda Rhames found an actress named Sandra Wu according to Hollywood's consistent aesthetics, and Ronan originally had no opinion, but after seeing the actress's photo, he directly rejected the candidate.

This so-called Asian beauty actress really accepts incompetence.

Ronan felt the need to redefine the standard of Asian beauty in Hollywood.

It just so happens that Jun Ji-hyun can be pulled to try first.

The only problem is that compared to the role of the intern, Jun Ji-hyun is a bit young, but fortunately, makeup can solve it.

Ronan is the owner of the investment company and the first producer of the project, and Shonda Rhames doesn't have any capital to say no now, Jun Ji-hyun passed the audition very smoothly, and called Ronan and said that he would invite him to dinner to express his gratitude.

Since there was no time for the time being, Ronan pushed it to the back.

Ronan spent the past few days at Warner Studios late to exchange views with director Gore Verbinski on the filming and preparation of Pirates of the Caribbean.

The project has a production budget of $120 million, and the total investment is expected to reach $200 million with publicity and distribution costs.

According to the general situation in Hollywood, the first part of "Pirates of the Caribbean" must reach $600 million at the global box office in order to ensure that it can achieve a return on cost through the box office.

For both the investor and the director, the pressure is quite high.

"Ronan, I want a definite time. ”

In the office, Gore Verbinsky asked directly: "Not counting the shooting, there is still a $40 million funding gap in the preliminary preparations, when will the funds be available?"

Ronan knew that Gore Verbinski was under pressure and assured: "You can rest assured that before January 5, the crew will have an extra $20 million on their books, and the remaining $20 million budget gap will be available to the account of the guarantor of the finished film at any time when you need it." ”

The island's long-term credit bank has been in contact with the Pacific Film Foundation, and the two sides are negotiating the flow of funds, and the first $100 million financing will be available soon.

South Korea has been positive, and on the third day of Ronan's return to Los Angeles, the first funding of up to $35 million went to the Pacific Foundation.

But the money was not invested in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" crew, but was prioritized for the launch of "Hurricane Rescue" and "Summer of Jeans".

Especially in "Hurricane Rescue", the director and the two leading actors are all in place, the script has been finalized a long time ago, and the crew has been established, and comprehensive preparations will begin after the funds are in place.

"Summer of Jeans" is still in the script refinement stage, but after the New Year, the project will also enter a period of rapid operation.

For these three projects, Ronan also contacted Tony Koch, and after the New Year, Koch Films will apply for tax rebates in Germany according to the established procedures.

Especially for "Pirates of the Caribbean", the production budget of up to $120 million, once the tax refund application is approved, the tax refund amount of 10% of the expected income will be as high as tens of millions of dollars.

This kind of legal income, of course, Ronan can't let go.

Gore Verbinski discussed some more filming plans with Ronan and said, "Once the $20 million is funded, I'll take most of the crew to Rosario, Baja California, where I'll make the final preparations." When filming, I will also give priority to filming scenes over there. ”

Ronan agreed: "Yes. He then instructed: "You communicate with the special effects team in advance. ”

"Hmm. Gore Wibinski said: "I have already said hello to them. ”

Soon after the crew was formed, Ronan decided to outsource the special effects production of "Pirates of the Caribbean" to Industrial Light & Magic, a subsidiary of Lucasfilm, which is the most powerful film production company in Hollywood and even in the world.

Special effects are one of the selling points of Pirates of the Caribbean, and of course the quality must be guaranteed.

Leaving the crew's office, Ronan went to Studio 3 to see the training of the main actors, including Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, Jeffrey Rush and Christian Bale, who were training in professional swordsmanship suitable for film shooting.

Movie swordsmanship training is not the same thing as competitive swordsmanship, and the former must ensure that swordsmanship is beautiful and good-looking on the basis of a certain degree of authenticity.

According to Ronan's requirements, the crew's action direction team removed a lot of things that were too fancy when designing the movements.

In the past two years, under the influence of action directors from Hong Kong City, Hollywood's action drama is undergoing a huge change, and while abandoning the old-fashioned fighting, a new style has not yet been formed, so there will be a strange dance hit film like "Breaking Bad".

After watching the training, Ronan didn't bother the actors and quickly left Studio 3.

He got the good news that Robert Iger was back in Los Angeles.