When watching "Drunken Country Ballad" in the previous life, Lan Li didn't notice the cat called Ulysses, and was more immersed in the melody of the ballad, unable to extricate himself, but when he looked back on the movie again in this life, the afterglow and reflection became more and more profound, and the image of Levien-Davis became clearer and clearer, and the meaning of the cat gradually became clearer.

On the one hand, because of the aristocratic education in his childhood, he really understood the huge book "Ulysses", and also really understood the Ulysses in ancient Greek mythology, this kind of accumulation and precipitation was not possessed in the previous life; on the other hand, because after starting to chase his dreams again, the former tempering and precipitation were gradually integrated into the blood, and he naturally had more understanding.

For a long time, the average golden age of an actor in Hollywood and European cinema is between 35 and 50 years old. Aside from the sexism against actresses, it makes sense to focus solely on the perspective of artistic creation.

After years of precipitation and life realization, the actor's understanding, reprocessing, and re-creation of performance will be more mature, wiser, and more profound; at the same time, the physical strength and energy at this stage are also at their peak, and even if they are filming for a long time and super intensity, they can still deliver high-quality performances.

Lan Li strongly agrees with this.

If he were not a born-again, then it would be almost impossible for him to climb to the top at the age of twenty-two or twenty-three, and although his biological age was only in his early twenties, his mental age was fifty-five years old, and in half a hundred years and two lifetimes, the things that he could not understand, could not see, and could not comprehend before were now gradually becoming clear.

It's like now.

encountered the "Drunken Country Ballad" again, and met the cat Ulysses again, but Lan Li's mentality was completely different.

"Also, are you allergic to cats?" Ethan asked earnestly.

Lan Li showed a big smile and shook his head, "No, it won't. ”

Ethan naturally didn't know about Lan Li's psychological perception, but just nodded in affirmation, "That's great." I think...... That should be all there is to it. ”

After thinking for a moment, Ethan was still not sure, turned his head to look at Joel again, and asked Joel if there was anything else he needed to add, after Joel shook his head, he looked at Lan Li again, "So, what about you? Do you have any special requirements? Regarding this cooperation, any requirements?"

Lan Li spread out her hands and kept smiling, "Personally, everything is fine. But for other specific situations, you can contact my agent Andy to complete the rest of the contract. By the way, I need the script, and the mastering. ”

So neat and tidy, and another surprise, Joel couldn't wait to start rubbing his hands together, "Wow, that's how it is, that's great!How, can we get to work now?About the script, about the characters, about the co-actors, shouldn't we start talking?"

Looking at Joel in front of him, he seemed to be ready to get into work at any moment, and this time, Lan Li raised his hand to stop them, and said with a smile, "Hey, don't forget, this is the 'Gravity' photography base. Now, we're blatantly talking about another work project here, are you sure?"

Although the words were so, Ethan immediately understood what Lan Li meant:

Lan Li needs to rest. At least today and tomorrow, no matter how anxious the work of "Drunken Country Folk Songs" is, Lan Li also needs to get rid of the performance state of "gravity" first.

Further, Ethan also understood Lan Li's request just now: the script and master tape, this is how Lan Li prepared for the performance.

So, Ethan cut off Joel's topic, "Of course, this is absolutely impolite. In a moment, we will have to pay a special visit to Alfonso to express our apologies and thanks. ”

"But, Ethan!" Joel reacted half a beat slowly, and before he could turn the corner, he tried to defend himself, but then his gaze moved to Ethan and Lan Li, and gradually came back to his senses, and then he touched his nose and cleared his throat in a wry, "Yes...... I also think...... Be...... Then ...... Well......"

Finally, with an unwilling expression, he leaned heavily on the sofa, looking like a child's temper, and then began to carefully study the teacup next to him.

Ethan tugged at the corners of his mouth in embarrassment, "Now you should know, why don't we have many friends in Hollywood?"

Lan Li can't help it.

From meeting to negotiating, the whole process only lasted less than ten minutes, and the two sides had reached a consensus, and after going around for more than half a year, Lan Li finally became attached to "Drunken Country Folk Song" again, and decided on his next work.

After winning the Oscar last year, everyone is discussing the potential impact of the "Little Golden Man Curse" on the career of Lanli, and the selection of follow-up works is bound to be cautious and cautious. Especially after the box office success of "Edge of Tomorrow", this concern has become more and more obvious.

Because "Edge of Tomorrow" is a work that was filmed before the Oscars, Lan Li's treatment and status have not reached the highest value. Now, with the blessing of the little golden man and the halo of 500 million in North America, Lanli's positioning of his career, people's expectations for Lanli's works, and the film company's attention to the proportion of revenue will reach a new height.

The gap between expectations and reality often brings many uncertain variables, which is the "Little Golden Man Curse".

But as a party to the party, Lan Li seems to be unaware of the existence of the curse, first "Les Miserables", then "Gravity", and now "Drunken Country Ballad".

Although people are worried that science fiction movies like "gravity" still have a high risk of box office avalanches, although people are worried that directors with unique styles like the Coen brothers are likely to steal the demeanor of actors, although people are worried that the young Lan Li is likely to lose himself in the spotlight and fall into the trap of Vanity Fair, although people are worried that Lan Li is greedy and chews too much, after the Oscars, the density of filming is really too high, which will lead to a decline in the eyes of quality......

However, the matter was settled smoothly:

"Drunken Country Folk Song" opened its arms and welcomed Lan Li's joining.

Andy Rogers immediately completed detailed communication with the Coen brothers, and the whole negotiation process went very smoothly. For independent films, the director is full of sincerity, and the actors are more focused on their performances, which also makes the negotiation of cooperation agreements relatively simple.

As industry leaders, the Coen brothers have never lacked film companies willing to invest in their works, but their works have always been shot on a small scale, and the investment cost has never been high, with 25 million for "No One for the Old", 7 million for "Serious Men", and 38 million for "Thunder".

This time, the cost of "Drunken Country Ballad" is between 10 million and 15 million, and there is no exact amount, but obviously, the Coen brothers still hope to save some.

The reason why "Earth Thunder" is so expensive is because it is set in the 70s, and it is a western movie, in order to truly present the sense of the times, the cost of scenes and costumes is extremely expensive, and "Drunken Country Ballads" is set in the 60s, but it is in Greenwich Village, New York, and all the characters are relatively modern, so all the costs are saved a lot.

In the end, Lan Li's salary for starring in "Drunken Country Ballads" was $500,000, and there was also a 5% box office dividend.

Objectively speaking, half a million dollars is an ultra-low salary figure. Even if it is a friendship starring, this is just the income of the supporting role.

But in fact, the Coen brothers proposed a salary of $1.5 million, and Andy finally refused, instead choosing the way of 500,000 plus dividends.

Everyone knows that the Coen brothers' work has never been a box office hit, and in 2010, "Thunder of the Earth" swept $170 million in North America, which was a beautiful accident, while "No Country for Old Men" grossed 74 million, "Serious Man" had only 9 million, and "Burn After Reading" had 60 million.

Earlier, their works did not even appear on the big screen, and were more widely circulated in the form of videotapes.

In other words, a box office dividend of five percent is not worth mentioning at all, but more like a sincerity, a sign, and a signal.

As a broker, Andy naturally doesn't trade at a loss.

rejected 1.5 million, chose 500,000 and an unknown, the difference in the middle is about 1 million US dollars, but it can be exchanged for the trust and connections of the Coen brothers, as well as the reputation and recognition in the industry, which is a good deal.

What's more, Andy didn't intend to make money through "Drunken Country Ballad", and the real money should be works like "Edge of Tomorrow" and "Gravity".

Instead of chirping for 500,000 or 1 million, it is better to generously give up this salary, so that the Coen brothers can use the cost more effectively and shoot a masterpiece, maybe Lan Li can also impact next year's Oscars, which is an unexpected gain.

After all considerations, Andy made his choice.

Of course, the salary is only one aspect, and the agent will definitely not relax the details of the treatment of the actors in the crew, and the most important thing is that Lan Li doesn't care about the salary, which has never been the focus of his attention.

"Well, don't you mind?" Andy said over the phone, confirming Lan Li's opinion.

Lan Li chuckled, "Shouldn't I be the one to ask you about this sentence? 500,000 is really not enough for an innovative artist agency." Are you sure you're in a good position with the company right now?"

Such a joke made Andy laugh out loud, "Don't worry, I'm doing well now, in fact, very good, I now feel that maybe I have a chance to become a partner this year." ”

"Wow. Congratulations. Lan Li exclaimed and congratulated.

Andy smiled and replied, "Thank you." ”

A pun intended.