Chapter 262 Kung Fu, See Kung Fu Again

After learning that the classic Hollywood animation "Kung Fu Panda" was actually "abandoned", Lin Mingyang's mouth was so big that it could almost fit a walnut, and he didn't react for a long time.

Confused, Jeffrey Katzenberg kindly asked, "Sir, are you alright?" ”

Lin Mingyang, who knew that he was out of shape, hurriedly closed his mouth, he temporarily suppressed the curiosity in his heart, and smiled a little embarrassedly. He did not continue to ask, because he was worried that if he said too much, he would lose money, which would arouse the suspicion of the other party.

Of course, Jeffrey Katzenberg wouldn't mind this, since he had decided to carry out the cooperation to the end, he wanted to discuss with Lin Mingyang the details of the merger and acquisition at this time, but he asked a lot of questions and said that he had many ideas, but Lin Mingyang's absent-minded answer on the side was more like a sloppy response.

Lin Mingyang's impolite performance made Jeffrey Katzenberg very angry at first, but at this time the fool would tear his face with Lin Mingyang, and he kept telling himself in his heart to calm down. It worked, and after a few silent recitations, Jeffrey Katzenberg basically controlled his emotions.

During this period, Jeffrey Katzenberg thought of a saying circulating in Hollywood that the real management of MGM was actually in charge of Ex, and as the supreme controller of the company's power, Lin Mingyang seemed to be more focused on his film career, and he was put on the back burner in business operations.

This is the only reason why Lin Mingyang's attention to the details of the cooperation after finalizing the cooperation framework is not as good as his interest in a certain film. After figuring this out, Jeffrey Katzenberg decided to change his strategy and start with the film that Lin Mingyang was interested in. In any case, winning Lin Mingyang's favor first, and then negotiating with MGM will be smoother.

"Whether it's Shrek, who wants to regain his chaser, or Madagascar, the animals who are tragically moved out of the zoo and trying to find their way home, DreamWorks' animation department has been working on the kind of 'fool-to-hero' animated stories that audiences of all ages love. Because everyone has had similar experiences or dreams, and this kind of entertainment-based animated blockbuster can just make them have a certain empathetic effect, at least on a moral level. ”

Thinking of Lin's half-Chinese ancestry and rumors of his fascination with Eastern culture, Jeffrey Katzenberg quickly found a breakthrough in the conversation. "John Stephenson, the director who used to make Shrek, came up with an animation idea to me three years ago, and he wanted to make a work that would allow children to have fun and be educated at the same time, with the central idea of 'be your own hero'. The truth they want to interpret is very simple, my understanding is that while doing your best, don't always pin your hopes on others, as long as you really work hard, you can get everything you want, and strive to present the best part of yourself... It is based on this idea that they created a round, tired, sluggish, and endearing giant panda, whose life should be leisurely holding bamboo, but he has a dream in his heart that has never been realized, that is, to become an expert in the field of martial arts with agile speed, mental deterrence, and light radiating nerves, and the story of "Kung Fu Panda" was born. ”

"It's such an awesome thought"

Jeffrey Katzenberg took the initiative to provoke the topic, but Lin Mingyang became cautious, and the evaluation was also point-to-point.

Jeffrey Katzenberg sighed softly, "But at that time, many people thought that the whole story showed a stupid idea of 'courage and no strategy', so the company hesitated for a long time on the question of whether to shoot or not." ”

Lin Mingyang naturally scoffed at such a statement, "Didn't the so-called heroism that Hollywood has always believed in start with such an appeal?" ”

"When we finally decided to make this film, the debate over whether to use the panda as the protagonist of the story continued, and the final decision on the role was made possible by another director of the film, who is an avid Chinese kung fu fan, and the panda is a unique representative animal in China, and the combination of the two has derived a legend that took place in ancient China."

Jeffrey Katzenberg spent so much time to introduce the origin of "Kung Fu Panda", and Lin Mingyang finally couldn't hold back the curiosity in his heart: "Then why did you give up in the end, or because of the problem of funding?" ”

Jeffrey Katzenberg nodded helplessly, "In fact, two years ago, the problem of insufficient funds in DreamWorks has already appeared, the long production cycle of animated films, and the slow recovery of costs have led to our production funds being continuously cut, in order to ensure quality, we had to suspend some of the projects we were working on, and the production of "Kung Fu Panda" was suspended at that time. ”

"If you were to restart the production of this film, how long would it take for the film to be completed?" Unconsciously, Lin Mingyang's tone had already acquiesced to the idea of being ready to invest in this film.

"With plenty of money, it's probably going to be more than a year," Jeffrey Katzenberg conservatively gives a number.

In Lin Mingyang's memory, the movie "Kung Fu Panda" should have been released at this time, and it seems that his appearance has caused some deviations in the original historical trajectory. Whether from a commercial point of view or from the emotional belonging of his heart, Lin Mingyang feels that he has an obligation to save this cartoon that died halfway. Although "Kung Fu Panda" is essentially a Hollywood-esque inspirational story, there is also a madly mesmerizing charm to the veneer of oriental culture that wraps around it.

After making up his mind, Lin Mingyang felt that the implementation of the plan to acquire the animation division of DreamWorks was imminent, so he called Ex on the spot and finally decided to start merger negotiations with Jeffrey Katzenberg the next day.

――――

Jeffrey Katzenberg came with Spielberg and left alone. Although Jeffrey Katzenberg was willing to send it to Lin Mingyang for Lin Mingyang to poach, Lin Mingyang always felt a little embarrassed at the thought of meeting Spielberg. He originally wanted to avoid this meeting, but Spielberg took the initiative to come to the door.

Sitting in the tent, Lin Mingyang didn't know what to say, and Spielberg didn't mean to take the initiative to speak, and the meeting between the two sides fell into an awkward silence at the beginning.

In the end, it was Spielberg who was the first to break the silence, he first sighed helplessly, and then said slowly: "I have worked with Jeffrey for more than ten years, and suddenly we are separated like this, and I feel really uncomfortable. ”

Lin Mingyang replied: "I believe Mr. Katzenberg is also helpless. ”

"I know he's complaining about me," Spielberg smiled self-deprecatingly, "I shouldn't have been thinking about making movies and leaving the company's affairs alone." DreamWorks has come to this point, and I have a lot of responsibility, and if I had chosen to work with other studios, maybe Jeffrey wouldn't have had to make such a painful decision... Perhaps, as he said, I have never been suitable to be a director, and I can only be a director. ”

"Focus people tend to be more likely to succeed, and that's best proven by you."

Spielberg, who had always had a determined look in his eyes, suddenly became confused at this moment: "During this time, I often wonder if it is worth it for the sake of so-called success. ”

Lin Mingyang didn't answer, and he couldn't answer this question for Spielberg.

"In some ways, Jeffrey is like me, he's also a focused and stubborn guy, and his biggest goal is to beat Disney in the cartoon market... Now it seems that he is one step closer to his goal. Spielberg looked at Lin Mingyang very seriously, "Maybe one day in the future, I will envy his decision today."

"I'm not as you and others think... Awesome" The self-evident hint in Spielberg's words made Lin Mingyang feel a lot of pressure, and just saying this made him think about it repeatedly for a long time.

"But in fact, no one can ever guess your mind, and those who despise you have proven to be stupid, and I can even imagine how many nights Disney executives will not be able to sleep after learning that you and Jeffrey Katzenberg have teamed up... Disney must now regret that they made you popular in the first place, and now they have also set up a terrible competitor for themselves. ”

Lin Mingyang smiled noncommittally, "In Hollywood, there has never been such a life-and-death competitor, everyone will become a competitor because of interests, and they will become partners because of interests." ”

"I just hope that this partnership of ours will last forever in the Transformers franchise." The partnership with Disney has made up for DreamWorks' financial shortcomings, and Spielberg will have enough money to shoot "Transformers 3" for the foreseeable future, and the only thing he is not sure about is whether Lin Mingyang will continue to play the leading role.

This is a very headache, Michael Bay specifically mentioned this matter to him today, at least so far, there is no male star in Hollywood who can replace Lin Mingyang well, if he refuses to star, it will bring unpredictable losses to "Transformers 3".

"If it is the last part of the Transformers series, even if MGM is not involved in the investment of the film, I will participate in the filming of the film as an individual and fulfill my role mission."

After all, it was prying the other party's wall, and Lin Mingyang could only give such a promise, which could be regarded as a little compensation.

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The second shift is still around 10 o'clock, asking for all kinds of tickets

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