China Film Group, Vice Chairman's Office.

In the familiar reception area, Wu Yuan and Han Dong sat opposite each other.

Both of them were holding a cup of tea and sipping it.

"Whew." With a comfortable sigh, Han Dong put down the teacup first.

"Director Wu, the Asian box office of "Your Name" must have more than one billion yuan, right?"

"This is even more powerful than "Heroes"!"

Han Dong's eyes were full of shock.

How much is invested in Heroes?

$30 million!

How much is invested in Your Name?

60 million RMB! (including the cost of publicity and distribution in the Mainland)

Nearly four times the difference in investment, but achieved almost the same, or even better box office returns!

How could this not surprise Han Dong.

Yes, he has indeed seen the world's biggest hits.

For example, the giant ship, which ate $1 billion at the box office around the world, even Haolaiwu himself was scared.

But he really didn't think that a Chinese-language romance movie could be killed in both China and Japan!

The results of the explosion of the Japanese market are simply exaggerated.

"Haha, good luck." Wu Yuan said modestly with a smile.

Compared with the exaggerated performance of the "Your Name" anime in the dream that the box office exceeded 10 billion yen in 28 days, and the total box office score was 25 billion yen, the results of the live-action version of "Ling's Name" this time are really nothing.

It can only be said that it is a "foreign" movie after all, and it is not an anime movie, and the acceptance of Japanese fans is still not so high.

"Director Wu, you are really powerful." Han Dong, who has been shocked many times by Wu Yuan's movie results, was still a little frightened this time.

"Domestic commercial film directors, you are the most able to sell at the box office."

"Even Wu Baige can't compare to you."

"It's really a blessing that Huaxia Film has produced such a talented director as you."

Han Dong patted his little belly with a sigh.

As the helmsman of the mainland film industry (the chairman is basically semi-retired. Han Dong is naturally heartbroken for the development of the mainland film industry.

In this era of all economic theory, if the film industry wants to do well, it must also make excellent performance at the box office.

It's not enough to come out with a "Hero", and one Zhang Yimou!

Wu Yuan didn't make commercial films in China before, but he was worried.

Now with "Your Name", the real king of Chinese commercial films has returned to his homeland, and Han Dong is certainly happy to see it.

What makes him even happier is that Wu Yuan not only makes movies by himself, he also works as a company and takes other directors to make commercial films together.

"Director Zhang's "If Love" has been set for this year's Qixi Festival."

"and the "Butterfly Effect" made by your company, which has also started filming."

"Director Wu, the prosperity of the mainland film industry, half of the military merit medal will be given to Zhang Yimou, and half will be given to you!"

In the face of Han Dong's sudden praise, Wu Yuan was a little uncomfortable.

Nothing to be courteous, either a traitor or a thief!

He put down the teacup in his hand and said with a strange expression: "Han Dong, we are all old acquaintances, if you have something, just say it directly, don't praise me here." ”

"Haha." Han Dong didn't show the slightest embarrassment of being poked on his face, and still said in a respectful tone: "Where am I touting?" ”

"It's all the truth!"

"You go out and ask a random Chinese film employee, in their hearts, this Chinese film industry just can't live without you!"

Wu Yuan smiled, unmoved, folded his hand and said, "It can't be without Zhang Yimou, it can't be without Chen Kaige, it can't be without Feng Xiaogang, and it can't be without Jiang Wen, right?" ”

"Hey, you can't have ginger lines." Han Dong interrupted.

The two looked at each other and laughed in unison.

Jiang Wen, who has been banned for five years, really can't say anything if he doesn't ridicule a few words.

"Alright, no kidding." Han Dong looked straight and began to get down to business.

"I'm looking for you, in addition to congratulating you, there are indeed some things I want to talk to you face-to-face."

got up and took a script from the desk, and Han Dong put it on the table in front of the two.

"I've read the script of "Painted Skin", and it's really interesting."

"We also want to participate in the investment."

"The premise is that you have to direct the movie yourself."

Han Dong sighed, "That. The director called Wu is good, it's your senior brother, right? ”

"A rookie director, even if he is filming your "Butterfly Effect" now, can't he directly become the director of such a big project, right?"

"Director Wu, this is 150 million, not 15 million, even if it is 15 million, you can't use such a director!"

Han Dong looked at Wu Yuan with sincere eyes, and persuaded him bitterly: "How can a director shoot such a big production as soon as he comes up?" ”

"Even you, the most talented director in China, didn't you also shoot "The Night the Comet Comed" in the mainland, Haolaiwu filmed "Juno", and "The Undertaker", so there are "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Your Name"?"

"You let him, a newcomer, shoot a "Butterfly Effect" with an investment of only 10 million or 20 million, and come to shoot "Painted Skin" with an investment of 150 million, isn't this a trouble?"

"Even if you are the producer, the risk is too great."

The script of "Painted Skin" was sent to China Film last month.

The reason why China Film was sent was because Wu Yuan wanted to pull China Film to do this project together.

The company made a preliminary project budget for "Painted Skin", and if it wanted to make the film to a high-quality level, the $15 million was not enough.

At least 150 million yuan, or about $17 million, must be invested to make this movie.

Of course, with so much money invested, the final result will be better than the original "Painted Skin".

150 million is not a small amount of money, although Wu Yuan knows that this movie will definitely make money, but the money in his hand can't be turned around for a while.

30 million voted for "Fairy Sword", and 60 million voted for "Your Name".

Even if the domestic account of "Your Name" can be received within this year, it will be more than 70 million, plus the profit of "Fairy Sword", it will be almost 130-140 million.

As for "If Love" and "The Butterfly Effect", the money for both films will have to wait until 2005.

The settlement of the overseas account of "Your Name" can only be reached on a large scale in 2005.

Wu Yuan, who only has more than 100 million yuan in his hands, really can't throw all the money on "Painted Skin", he has other projects to prepare.

So he wanted to pull China Film to do this project together, and China Film now has a lot of money in hand.

At the beginning, Han Dong who saw the script was very excited!

Wu Yuan is finally going to make a blockbuster!

A big director like him, it's a waste of his talent not to make blockbusters!

After reading the script of "Painted Skin", he was extremely satisfied with the script.

The Chinese people's own fantasy movie, and the person who wrote the script is Wu Yuan, who has filmed "Pirates of the Caribbean", this is definitely a high-quality project!

This is much more reliable than Chen Kaige's "Wuji".

Without hesitation, Han Dong wanted to agree to participate in the investment.

Until, he learned that Wu Yuan did not plan to shoot this movie himself, but found a senior brother from Nortel to shoot it.

Isn't that?

Zhang Yimou's "Hero", if you change the director to shoot it, does anyone dare to vote?

Chen Kaige's "Wuji", if you change the director to shoot it, does anyone dare to vote?

For a blockbuster like this prepared by a big director, the management has never come for any script or actor selection, but for the director himself.

If the "Painted Skin" project was not filmed by Wu Yuan, it would not be a fragrant dumpling, it would only be a poisonous steamed bun.

"Director Wu, if you come to shoot this "Painted Skin", we will follow without blinking, you tell you the number, and I will immediately arrange the financial payment."

"But if you let that Wu Yishan come to shoot, then I can only say that this cooperation may not be able to be discussed."

No matter how kind he usually behaves, Han Dong is a man called "mountain carving" by Zhang Weiping after all.

When confronted with such a matter of principle, he will not make any concessions.

Looking at Han Dong's serious expression and experiencing his aura of "mountain carving", Wu Yuan sighed in his heart.

He did take it for granted.

He knows that Wu Yishan is the material that can make fantasy movies, but other people don't know, and the public doesn't know either.

It is indeed a very risky thing to let such a newcomer shoot such a big production, even if there is Wu Yuan's endorsement, it is possible to lose money.

Even going to sea is a big problem.

Dongbao is willing to cooperate with Wu Yuan and go all out to release the movies he made, but he is not necessarily willing to go all out to release the movies of the light and shadow era.

"It's that I'm thinking it's too simple." Wu Yuan nodded and admitted his mistake.

Han Dong immediately laughed on his face, and the solemn atmosphere in the office was swept away.

"Then Director Wu, have you changed your mind? Filming "Painted Skin" yourself? Han Dong said excitedly: "This book is still very good." ”

"The cost of 150 million, but I imagine that if it is released in Asia, it will get a box office of more than one billion!"

"With your influence in Japan, this story is an oriental fantasy story, and the Japanese market is absolutely acceptable!"

Wu Yuan's "Your Name" achieved a movie-watching boom and exaggerated box office results in Japan gave Han Dong great confidence.

In his opinion, Wu Yuan, who now holds the two major markets in China and Japan, will not lose any movie.

For other domestic directors, investing more than 100 million yuan in a movie, the risk of loss is very large, except for Zhang Yimou, no one dares to shoot.

But for Wu Yuan, who has a background in the Japanese market, a film with an investment of more than 100 million yuan is not risky at all.

Who said that the current Japanese film market is ten times that of the mainland!

"If I shoot it myself. It's a bit of a rush in time. Wu Yuan sighed and said with some hesitation: "I still have a good "Rush Hour 3" to shoot in the second half of this year, and then I also have a plan to shoot a literary film next year." ”

"Pirates of the Caribbean 2 is estimated to be launched next year."

"If I want to shoot "Painted Skin" in person, I'm afraid I won't be able to find time to shoot that literary movie." Wu Yuan said wistfully.

"Literary films?" Han Dong is a little strange, Wu Yuan is a director of commercial films with a box office of hundreds of millions of dollars, what kind of literary movie are you going to make?

Now the domestic market is also paying more and more attention to commercial films, and in terms of art films, although there are also film funds to support them, the degree of attention is not as high as before.

"yes, I want to make a movie about love." Wu Yuan spread his hands.

It is precisely because he knows that the influence of art films in the domestic film industry is declining, so he wants to make art films.

For a director, the authoritative art film festival award is the greatest recognition for them.

It's like actors' dreams are to win Best Actor and Best Actress.

As a director, Wu Yuan certainly wants to win the Best Film and Best Director awards in Berlin, Cannes, and Venice.

But he knows that after 2010, the influence of the three major European ones in China will become smaller and smaller, and the Chinese people will gradually pay less attention to these art awards.

After 2015, even if you win the top three European actors or the best film, there will be no splash in China.

If it's a human being, then there will be vanity.

Of course, Wu Yuan didn't want to win the award, but no one appreciated it.

So he wants to win the awards of the three major European film festivals as soon as possible.

The sooner these awards are won, the greater their influence and the higher their own status and achievements.

Look at Zhang Yimou, who won the Golden Lion and Golden Bear in the eighties and nineties, and since then, he has firmly sat on the position of the first director in China.

Even if Wu Yuan's career box office far exceeds that of director Yimou now, he dare not say that he is a director who is more powerful than Zhang Yimou.

The public's impression of him is also the "king of commercial films", the highest-grossing director in China, not the best director.

Chinese art films, it still depends on Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige.

Art is more advanced than business, and this is something that is recognized by people in the film industry around the world.

Wu Yuan naturally has to make efforts in artistic achievements, and he can't just be satisfied with the commercial box office.

Now he has "Pirates of the Caribbean" with $720 million at the box office at Hollywood, and "Your Name" in Asia.

In a short period of time, his achievements at the commercial box office have been high enough, and it is time to work artistic achievements.

"I made a script." Wu Yuan said with a calm expression: "It tells the love story between a pair of retired music teachers who are over seventy years old. ”

"In this movie, I used aging, illness and death, the three most feared things of human beings, to make the ultimate consideration and test of love."

"It's going to be a very meaningful movie."

Wu Yuan stared at Han Dong's eyes with blazing eyes, "I plan to compete for the Palme d'Or with this movie." ”

"Seriously?" Han Dong's expression also became serious.

He reacted, too.

Any aspiring director will make the three major European goals his life's work.

Of course, Wu Yuan is also a director with aspirations, and it is normal for him to make such a literary film, and it has nothing to do with the good sales of his commercial films.

"The hero and heroine are both in their seventies?"

"This condition is very harsh, can you find a suitable actor?" Han Dong asked with some concern.

"I already have a goal." Wu Yuan said in a relaxed tone: "We still don't lack this kind of old drama bones in Huaxia. ”

"Actor, I want to find Mr. You Benchang to play."

"He is 71 years old this year, just the right age, and his acting skills have nothing to say."

"As for the heroine, I would like to ask Ms. Wu Yanshu, I have already worked with her twice, and I believe she can do this movie."

Han Dong nodded approvingly.

You Benchang and Wu Yanshu are both veterans who have acted in dramas and dramas all their lives, and they really don't have to worry about their acting skills, and their image and age are also appropriate.

"What is this movie called?" Han Dong asked curiously.

"Love!" Wu Yuan smiled slightly: "Love." ”

"The eternal subject of humanity."

(End of chapter)