"If we take a step forward, we may fall into the abyss and be crushed; Standing still, we may be able to survive for a while, but we will die a little slower. In a board meeting where the topic of the company's survival was hotly debated in the executive conference room of MGM Pictures' headquarters, President Lupin made a metaphor for the company's current situation, saying, "If I had to choose between the two, I would rather choose the former, and even if I failed, it would at least prove that I had tried." ”

"Have you considered the risk of using such a large sum of money for filming?" A director asked.

"There's a risk in any movie until it's released." Lupin stood up abruptly, his gaze wandering around the conference room, and then asked loudly, "I want to ask you, what is the greater risk for MGM than to remain in this half-dead state forever?" ”

"Even if we want to make a big production like this, we can have a better choice." Another director, while supporting Lupin's judgment on the company's current situation, disagreed with Lupin on the goals of his investment, "such as launching a new 007. ”

"We just spent $140 million on the most luxurious 007 movie in history." Lupin was referring to the new version of the 007 film "Choosing to Die" starring Pierce Brosnan, which was once considered a "lifesaver" by MGM after "The Wind Whisperer".

As a tribute to the 40th anniversary of the 007 series, the film invested heavily and was shot in the United Kingdom, Cuba, and Iceland. Among them, the scene of 007 driving Aston Martin to fight the enemy on the ice field can be called a classic plot in the history of movies, the cars of both sides are simply a super combat vehicle, radar, infrared imager, missiles, heavy machine guns, and mortars take turns to fight, which is one of the most handsome drag racing scenes in history.

In order to get further publicity effects, the producer also specially invited Madonna, the queen of the music industry, to sing the theme song, but these did not become a guarantee of high box office. After the film was released in Europe and the United States, the audience reacted strongly, but in Asia, due to the plot of the United States giving instructions to the Korean [***] team in the film, although the film ranked fifth at the box office in the first week of its release in South Korea, it soon fell sharply at the box office, and dropped out of the top ten in the second week, and a theater in Seoul stopped showing it, and many second-round theaters stopped showing it.

Some have linked the film's extensive smear against North Korea to the North's military's hard-line posture during the latest round of six-party talks, claiming that the film angered the North Korean authorities, which, although unconfirmed, almost led to a political crisis.

Despite the high expectations, the final result of the film is still somewhat unsatisfactory. Lupin seized on this and questioned the director's proposal. "Some people say that the film didn't succeed as expected because Pierce Brosnan was old. But I think that aside some subjective factors, this film did not satisfy everyone here, mainly because our expectations were too high at the beginning. A series of movies that lasted for 40 years and made 20 different genres, even if it is classic, is unlikely to create any box office miracles. ”

Everyone on the board was silent, and Lupin was saying a fact that they had been avoiding but had to admit.

"Looking back, let's seriously reflect on ourselves, what did the 007 movie bring us? In addition to fame and wealth, it also limits our creative thinking, and when other film companies have innovated and won audiences by constantly changing the theme, we are still lying on the hotbed of 007 honor. Whenever we encounter difficulties, we always want to make another 007. Such a result will only make us more and more dependent on 007, and lose the ability and motivation to innovate. ”

"Change to a younger actor and replace it with cooler and stronger props, so that you can ensure that the next 007 can attract the audience?" Lupin pointed to his head, "I think the change here is the main thing." ”

"Let's talk about the script you like!" Pindick, the chairman of the board of directors, who had not spoken, changed the subject at this time, which was tantamount to showing his attitude to others.

"Before I do that, I want to show you a set of data." Lupin pressed the controller in his hand, and he used the projector to show a set of movie posters, "This is a low-budget film that we bought for $5 million not long ago, maybe everyone here has accompanied their children to see this film in the cinema, I won't comment on its quality here, we use data to speak." ”

Several bright red numbers appeared on the projector's light screen, "The first opening box office was $8.5 million, and a week after its release, the North American box office was $35 million." Everyone should know what such an achievement means for a low-budget film produced by Reading Power. ”

"I'm not here to show you this set of data, not to prove how accurate my personal vision is, but I just want to tell you that the director, screenwriter and actor of this film is the author of the script we just discussed, and I want to remind you that he is only 16 years old this year. So far, he has only starred in three films in Hollywood, all of which have been hugely successful; He also wrote a novel called Twilight, which has sold 20 million copies worldwide; He is Felix Lin, who is known to the Hollywood media as 'Wonder Boy'. ”

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"You now have a new nickname, and everyone in the newspapers calls you 'Wonder Boy'!" Ackes brought a bunch of newspapers to Lin Mingyang, each of which could see a report about the film "Cinderella's Glass Phone", "I think this is the success you want!" ”

The smile on Lin Mingyang's face was a little reluctant, because of a large number of media reports on the film "Cinderella's Glass Phone", and the photos of Lin Mingyang and Kate Beckinsale holding hands intimately at the press conference were also turned out by the media, Lin Mingyang spent a full three hours explaining this matter to Meghan who was far away in New York, which finally calmed the other party, but Exx brought him more unexpected news: Kate has agreed to sign under the name of Ex's agency, and he has not seen Ex for a while. It's because he's been busy looking for the right assistant for Kate.

"You don't seem happy to hear that?" Ex asked quips.

"These things in the newspaper are enough to distress me!" Lin Mingyang angrily threw these newspapers aside, "Tell me how the progress is on MGM's side?" ”

"This is the second good news I bring to you, Lupin is very optimistic about this script, he has persuaded the board of directors to choose your script, the initial investment budget is about 80 million to 100 million US dollars, it seems that MGM is really determined to fight against the odds this time, if it is not successful, it will go bankrupt!"

"That's all?" Lin Mingyang asked again, and Ex's answer obviously didn't capture the question he really cared about.

"The actor must be you, the producer is Mr. Brooksheimer, and the other candidates are undecided!" Ex spread his hands, "That's all I know, more questions, I think you'd better leave it to ask our Mr. Lupin!" ”

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Lupin offered to meet Lin Mingyang as a relationship between the two, which is not common in Hollywood, and it can also be seen that Lupin himself attaches great importance to this movie. Sitting with Lupin was producer Brooksheimer, and this kind of formation made it easy for Lin Mingyang to guess what the next conversation would involve.

After all, the other party is the president of MGM Films, and the emaciated camel is bigger than a horse, and when they met for the first time, Lin Mingyang still seemed very restrained, which was also a kind of respect for Lupin.

"Welcome to our 'Wonder Boy', I'm Lupin Richard." When Lin Mingyang and Ex walked over, Lupin stood up to greet him, and Lin Mingyang had to make a "flattered" look on his face to further win the favor of the other party.

"Mr. Brooksheimer just commented that you are 'a stubborn and unruly wild horse,' and it seems that the situation is better than I thought." Lin Mingyang's impression of Lupin was not as "bad" as Brooksheimer said.

"That's because you haven't met the time when this guy is stubborn." The bad words he said behind his back were exposed in person, Brooksheimer did not have any embarrassment and unhappiness on his face, he looked in a good mood now, and his eyes were much more pleasing to the eye when he looked at Lin Mingyang.

Lu Ping smiled and shook his head, the main purpose of today's meeting was not to discuss Lin Mingyang, so he didn't continue to expand on this topic, but went straight to the point, "Felix, about the shooting plan of this film, I think Mr. Ex has already told you, so I want to hear your opinion." ”

Lin Mingyang's question was very direct: "On which aspect?" ”

"Everything you can think of." Lupin added, "There is no need to have any scruples, what I want to know is your truest thoughts." ”

Even dared to put forward the request of changing the script and actors, Brooksheimer, who was on the side, didn't think that Lin Mingyang would have any scruples, but he didn't make a sound, but quietly watched Lin Mingyang's "performance" on the side.

"Regarding the investment in the film, the more the better!" Lin Mingyang mentioned this somewhat sensitive issue very unceremoniously at the beginning, "I think at this point, Mr. Brooksheimer's thoughts should be the same as mine." ”

Lu Ping hesitated embarrassedly, "For this film, we have invested a lot. ”

"Now that Mr. Lupin has made up his mind, the result of investing a little more will be the same for MGM now, but the effect that may be produced in the future will definitely be very different." Lin Mingyang's meaning is very simple, MGM is already like this now, and he doesn't care about investing more, if he fails, he will be bankrupt anyway, but if he succeeds, he can bring more box office revenue and word of mouth to the company. Now that a piece of meat has been cut, then it doesn't matter if there is a little more blood.

"Your suggestion, we will seriously consider it." Lupin nodded.

"When it comes to directors, it's best to find someone who is familiar with the genre. There are many such directors, and the key is that he must be able to accurately grasp the thematic elements in the play, rather than making this film a simple action movie. ”

"What do you think?" Lupin turned his gaze to Brooksheimer.

"I think Doug Liman is a good fit, his 'Spy' has just set a new paradigm for action movies, and I think he's going to be interested in the script." Brooksheimer gives his opinion.

"A young director." Although Doug Liman is approaching 40 years old, it is not an exaggeration to say that Lupin is young, which is relative to the average age of the entire industry, and a freak like Lin Mingyang directing a film at the age of 16 is naturally excluded.

"And what about the heroine?" Lupin didn't make a decision right away, but changed the subject.

"Do you need my opinion on this?" Lin Mingyang asked tentatively.

"You've actually done it before, so why bother doing it again?" Lu Ping also had a little humor this time, referring to the problem that Lin Mingyang gave him last time.

"I need a beauty who is older than me, good at action acting, and preferably a hot surname!" Lin Mingyang did not directly name the candidate, but the Hollywood actresses who really meet his requirements have actually been compressed to a very small range.

The word "surname is hot" came out of Lin Mingyang's mouth, and no one else said anything special, probably no one here would really regard Lin Mingyang as a minor.

"Nicole Kidman, Catherine Zeta-Jones." Brooksheimer casually reported two popular Hollywood movie stars, both of whom are known for their charming surnames, but they are obviously too far from the age setting of Jane, the heroine in the play.

"I think Angelina Jolie is a good fit." Exx, who had not been involved in the discussion, muttered quietly at this time.

No one answered, and Ex noticed that everyone else was looking at him, and then he scratched his head and explained with some restraint: "I just thought of Laura in "Tomb Raider" from Felix's description, and Angelina Jolie just played this role, she played it well, I don't know if everyone here agrees with this, anyway, I bought the movie ticket for her!" ”

Brooksheimer frowned: "Her marriage seems to have gone a little wrong lately. Angelina Jolie married Billy Bob Thornton lightning in 2000, but recently there have been rumors that the two are not compatible.

"Her relationship with her father seems to have been strained lately." Lupin added that Julie's father, the actor, criticized Julie through a letter and a public television interview, and Julie, in a fit of rage, applied to the court to remove her father's surname. This matter has caused a stir in Hollywood.

"I love this beautiful 'sister'!" Lin Mingyang is now very impulsive to kiss Ex, because this guy said the person he was most looking forward to at a critical moment.

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Two more, ask for recommendations

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