Chapter 55: Worries

"That kid has a super ability to escape, he won't escape the eyes of reporters, right?" Mark couldn't help but worry, he still remembered what happened half a year ago, Liang Xiaolong refused to be interviewed by the media, and the media released a large number of paparazzi to follow him, but he was easily dumped by him. And this time the news of Liang Xiaolong's return to the United States only told him and Carl, but he but Carl had bad intentions at the same time, released the news to the media reporters, and asked the reporters to go to the airport to intercept Liang Xiaolong.

They are also taking advantage of the east wind, the exposure of Bruce Leung and Rachel's relationship not only swept the UK, but also caused a gust of wind in the United States, which attracted the attention of a large number of fans, and media reporters naturally wanted to interview him as soon as possible to confirm the matter. Therefore, at this time, releasing the wind to reporters will definitely achieve the greatest attention and the best publicity effect.

Liang Xiaolong didn't know that he had already been sold before he returned to the United States, but when he found out, it was too late, and as soon as he stepped out of the airport gate, he was surrounded by dozens of reporters, bombarded with long guns and short artillery at the same time. Liang Xiaolong couldn't help but smile bitterly, it was impossible to escape, so he could only pretend to be generous: "Everyone, I can't hear you gossip like this, come one by one." However, I still have business to attend to, so I can only ask one question per person. ”

A reporter from the Chicago Sun preemptively said: "Mr. Liang, is it true that you are Miss Weisz in love?" Liang Xiaolong said: "Of course." The Sun reporter asked again: "When did you start falling in love?" Liang Xiaolong smiled: "I'm sorry, each person can only ask one question." ”

A New York Times reporter helped ask, "When did you start dating?" Liang Xiaolong said: "It's been a long time, and "Tomb Robbery" has just started filming. The Guardian reporter asked, "Mr. Liang, what is your relationship with Miss Julia?" Liang Xiaolong said: "I should have answered this question many times, but unfortunately you still don't believe it, I will reiterate in the end, I am just good friends with Sister Big Mouth." ”

As long as the news is confirmed, as for the love story, the media can make up their own affairs, and it is more attractive to readers, so the reporters did not continue to dwell on this issue. A reporter from the Los Angeles Times asked: "Mr. Liang, you have won two nominations for the Oscar for Best Screenplay, do you have the confidence to win the little golden man?" Liang Xiaolong said: "A filmmaker who doesn't want to take the little golden man is not a good filmmaker, of course I hope to win the little golden man, as for the result, leave it to the judges." ”

After answering dozens of questions, Liang Xiaolong finally broke out of the encirclement, and he didn't fight directly, but first got rid of the paparazzi who were following behind and preparing to take a candid photo, and then went to the company, and directly buckled Carl with his grappling hand: "Man, that's how you keep it secret for me?" Karl hurriedly forged: "Brother, I'm not thinking about you, the power of the scandal is the strongest, and the best publicity effect can be achieved with the help of this hot wind." Let go of me, no one will work for you when your hand is broken. ”

Liang Xiaolong let go of his hand and kicked him in annoyance: "I can be regarded as making your kid miserable, and now the major British media have written me as a bad wolf." Carl laughed: "But it is undeniable that this will allow you to gain the highest popularity, and if you look on the Internet, your popularity is not weaker than that of Hollywood A-list superstars." ”

Liang Xiaolong gave him a blank look: "I don't want to live under long guns and short cannons all day long, what my brother needs is a quiet life." By the way, have you contacted Stan Lee? Karl smiled bitterly: "We have met, but that old man is very stubborn and does not sell." Not only did he not sell to us, but other companies approached him to talk to him, but he also did not sell. Liang Xiaolong couldn't help but wonder: "Why?" What does he say? ”

Carl said: "The old man said that "Spider-Man" is the most satisfying work in his life, and he must make it a work that can satisfy him." And now Hollywood's special effects technology is far from meeting his requirements. Liang Xiaolong asked again: "You didn't tell him, we just want to buy out the copyright first?" Karl smiled bitterly: "The old man's meaning is very clear, when the special effects technology can meet his requirements, you can go to him to buy the copyright." ”

Liang Xiaolong asked again: "What about Weta Digital Studio?" Carl laughed: "It went well, injected $80 million and bought 45% of the shares." Liang Xiaolong couldn't help frowning, although this business is very cost-effective, and even profitable, but in this way, the company's liquid cash has decreased sharply, which is likely to affect next year's shooting plan.

Carl also saw Liang Xiaolong's worry, and then smiled bitterly: "Brother, there will be gains and losses, and there is no way to do it." Liang Xiaolong couldn't help but smile bitterly, he had to admit this fact, who made Yanhuang Company's foundation weak? How much liquidity does the company have? Carl smiled bitterly: "I only got a part of the box office share, and the rest will have to take a while to get it, and it cost $10 million to buy the adaptation rights of "The Lord of the Rings", and only part of the money to invest in Weta Digital Studios has been transferred, and I have to wait for next year to pay it back." ”

These two places cost him $90 million, and the local box office of "Cops and Thieves" can only get about 75% in the end, and if you pay taxes, you can only get 65% at most. In other words, excluding overseas box office and CD sales, the local box office must exceed $140 million for the company to have liquidity.

According to Liang Xiaolong's estimate, the local box office is about 160 million, and if you want to make a new film next year, the funds will have to rely on the profits from overseas box office and CD sales. Among them, the overseas box office can only get 20%, even if it exceeds 200 million, it can only get 40 million, and as for CD release, it can only get 35% of the net profit, which is estimated to be not much.

"Originally, I was going to make a blockbuster joint venture with Paramount, but now it seems that there is no drama." Liang Xiaolong couldn't help but smile bitterly: "And I have to continue to shoot with small and medium-sized investment next year, I have to think about the script carefully." Carl proposed: "If you don't make a sequel to 'The Cops and Thieves' first, you can change the script and reduce the cast, it probably won't cost much." ”

Liang Xiaolong shook his head again and again, "The Police and the Thief" is his only original script, and it must not be ruined because he wants to save money: "Don't worry, just leave the script to me to solve, but next year we may invest in multiple films at the same time, and then you will have to be a producer, and you have to make up for this information." Carl smiled: "Don't worry, I knew that there would be such a day since the day I accepted the company, and I have been preparing for it a long time ago." Liang Xiaolong smiled: "That's good, by the way, Disney will give me the 9 million manuscript fee for "Tomb Robbery", if the company is in a hurry to use the money, I can transfer the money in." ”

Carl shook his head and said, "The company can still maintain normal operation now, you don't need to invest any more money, you just need to write the script quickly." Liang Xiaolong said: "When I finish writing the script for the sequel to "Tomb Robbery", we will write our own script immediately, and then the distribution system will not have problems again." Carl smiled: "This time it's the Christmas schedule, and there is no way to do it." ”

The Christmas schedule is indeed quite frustrating, if "Cops and Thieves" is released in 3,000 theaters at the same time for the first time, the box office will be at least $50 million higher than it is now in a month. And because of the problems of the distribution system, the $50 million can only be wasted, which is distressing and helpless, which is also the biggest sorrow for choosing the Christmas schedule to be released. Of course, this is also the sadness of the immaturity of the company, if they were rational enough at the time, they didn't want to use Rachel and Brandon as a promotion, and saved the film for early next year, it would definitely be worth tens of millions of dollars.

When he returned home, Liang Xiaolong began to rush to the draft, and when the box office of the new week came out, the script of "The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" had been completed for most of the time, and it would take three or four days at most to complete. And this week, the box office of "Cops and Thieves" is still strong, with 28 million won locally, firmly occupying the top spot in the box office list, and the total local box office is also as high as 148 million. However, Liang Xiaolong and Carl have already seen that in the next week, the local box office will inevitably drop sharply.

The overseas box office is also still strong, winning $42 million, and the total overseas box office is as high as $154 million, and there should be no problem to break through 200 million. However, Liang Xiaolong also knows that the overseas box office will be strong for another week at most, and then it will drop as sharply as the local box office. This is also the biggest sorrow of films without connotation, like "The Police and the Thief", the quality is excellent, the publicity is in place, and the big names are in charge, if there is a little more connotation, maybe it can be screened for six or seven weeks, but because of the lack of connotation, even if it can lead the trend, it must encounter Waterloo, and it is already very good to have a month's hit.

A film with connotation is different, it can lead people to reflect, and even make people walk into the cinema many times to feel the expressions, dialogues, psychological activities of the characters in the film in detail, and even study the story background of the film. Just like "The Sun Is Like Me" and "Never Compromise", many fans have walked into the cinema many times, and one of the old professors of the School of Psychology even walked into the cinema seven or eight times to watch "The Sun is Like Me", and when the CD came out, he bought another one, and then did many more research after returning home.

The hotter the box office of "The Cops and the Thieves", the more regretful the major film companies are at the helm, this great opportunity was in front of them, but because they didn't believe in a young man, this opportunity was wasted, and they lost hundreds of millions of dollars in income.

Among them, the person who regrets it the most is none other than Mark, if he had agreed to invest at that time, then Liang Xiaolong would not have pulled the banner himself, and it was very likely that he would have obtained Liang Xiaolong's follow-up script. But now, at least there is no chance to get the script of a small investment film from Liang Xiaolong, and the invisible loss is incalculable: "Xiaolong, you have to hurry up with the script of the sequel, Stephen has been arguing all day long to start forming a crew, and I am afraid of him." ”

Liang Xiaolong rolled his eyes, secretly disdainful, obviously he was in a hurry, and he had to use Stephen as an excuse: "It's fast, it will be completed in three or four days, but Mark, you have to promise, don't change my script." This is also what Bruce Leung is most worried about, Hollywood in this era likes to spoof the image of Chinese people the most, and no one can guarantee that Disney will also have this kind of low-level bad taste. And if Disney does this, spoofing the image of the Chinese and spoofing Chinese culture, then he, the editor, will have to bear the final infamy, and maybe he will be infamous as a traitor and be despised by thousands of Chinese people.

In his previous life, "The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" was a lesson from the past, and Liang Xiaolong had to be cautious.

ps: About the book review, Bai Gu is very ashamed to read it, indeed, the first time I wrote an entertainment article, the more I wrote, the more I looked for information, I found that the water was deeper, there were indeed many flaws in the early stage, Bai Gu tried to work hard, this book has entered the second stage, Bai Gu tried to improve, yy has to be more reasonable, work hard!

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