Chapter 899: Hollywood Blockbuster

In mid-April, Lu Yan He also held an online meeting with Chen Yin, Chen Ziyan, and others to discuss the production of the three spin-off films of *Seventeen Layers*.

"For the three spin-off films of *Seventeen Layers*, we decided to do the one for Jiang Jun's character first," Chen Yin said. "Jiang Jun is currently one of the Chinese actors with the highest international visibility and the best box office results. With him taking the lead, everyone will have more confidence."

Lu Yan He nodded.

"Except for you not returning as the lead, we have already communicated with the other actors, and they are all willing to return. We are adopting a '1+1+1' lead structure," Chen Yin introduced. "For example, for Jiang Jun's film, there will be another lead, Lin Chan, joining, and then we will find another actor who has never participated in the *Seventeen Layers* universe to form a three-lead model."

"The one led by Chen Bige later will have Yan Zhimeng starring with her. The one led by Li Yuefeng will have Shen Yue."

Lu Yan He understood.

To put it plainly, of the seven leads in the original TV version, except for him, each film will have a lead capable of carrying the box office bringing another lead, and then invite an actor from outside.

This operation is the most stable and safest.

Lu Yan He said: "This is quite good. Have they all agreed?"

"Yes, they have all agreed," Chen Yin said. "Of course, HP is still lobbying us, wanting you to return as well, at least to make a cameo."

Lu Yan He said: "Do you think it's necessary for me to return?"

"We hope not," Chen Yin said bluntly. "Because we hope to use these three spin-off films as a starting point to build the *Seventeen Layers* series universe in the future. It's not just for HP, including various possibilities later, your return as a lead would be a trump card for us in further negotiations, and we can't let them get what they want so easily."

Lu Yan He nodded, "Okay, I understand."

Chen Yin: "For these three spin-off films, we wanted to invite director Lian Bei to direct, but HP has different opinions. They want to find an A-list director from Europe or America to direct. They probably had a hard time biting off the piece of meat that is *Seventeen Layers* from Maxine, and now they have to compete with Maxine and Chen Pinhe's *Seventeen Layers* spin-off film, so they want to increase the stakes and use an A-list European or American director to further open up this IP in the European and American markets—after all, *Seventeen Layers* previously exploded mainly in the Asian market, and in Europe and America, it's famous, but it hasn't formed a craze like *Squid Game*."

Lu Yan He: "Is this what Tang Mu White said?"

"He relayed it. For these spin-off films, HP is the main investor. They proposed wanting to use an A-list European or American director, also to make the film better. Before communicating this with you, I couldn't firmly refuse," Chen Yin said.

"Must refuse. Lian Bei is the soul of *Seventeen Layers*, including the script by Feng Qiyue," Lu Yan He said. "Since we are doing the original cast, we must retain these core creators. For these three films, since I am also a producer, I must be responsible for the content. You tell Tang Mu White that I insist on using director Lian Bei to serve as the director of these three spin-off films. Without him, even if these three films find A-list European or American directors, they will most likely flop at the box office."

Chen Yin said okay.

Chen Ziyan asked: "Yan He, are you using your own reputation to guarantee Lian Bei?"

"It makes no sense that when I collaborated with Solon on the *Men in Black* series, I could let Fu Kai direct independently, but when it comes to *Seventeen Layers*, an IP we built with our own hands, we have to let the original director be out of the game," Lu Yan He said seriously. "Moreover, the *Seventeen Layers* IP comes from our trilogy, original and authentic. Lian Bei is the creator. He and Feng Qiyue are incomparably familiar with this worldview and these characters, and have a complete conception. Kicking Lian Bei out, are you kidding me?"

Chen Ziyan: "I also don't approve of letting an A-list European or American director direct. If there is a disagreement in the creative direction, who do we listen to?"

"Yes," Lu Yan He said. "These three spin-off films are copyright issues we solved, and they are also what we are going to use to compete with the spin-off film version of Jingtai and Maxine Chen Pinhe. If we can't grasp the initiative of creation in our own hands, how can we guarantee the quality of the film?"

"That's right," Chen Ziyan said. "Chen Yin, you make an appointment with Tang Mu White, and I will go with you to talk to him clearly in person."

"Okay."

"Also, we have reserved 8% of the investment for Green Valley for this film, letting them enter the market in advance to ensure the overseas distribution of these films in the future," Lu Yan He said. "Let them also arrange for people to communicate with HP together. We are not the only European or American partner HP has."

Chen Ziyan nodded and said okay.

"Is there anything else that needs to be discussed about the *Seventeen Layers* spin-off films?"

"Yes," Chen Yin nodded. "For these spin-off films, should we invite A-list stars from Hollywood to join. According to our initial plan, we invite some actors from different countries to perform, such as Thailand's Caina, Japan's Yoshimoto Ayaka, Germany's Tania Bailey..."

These actors are either foreign actors signed or collaborated with by Shi Huo, or foreign actors who have collaborated before.

However, none of them are Hollywood actors.

In other words, none of them are actors with great fame on a global scale.

Lu Yan He said: "Must invite."

His decision was made very quickly.

"This is a commercial film. Since it is film production, the visual effects must be more sophisticated, thrilling, and exciting," Lu Yan He said. "To some extent, although its production cost is not as high as those real commercial blockbusters, in terms of visual effects and genre scale, it is comparable. For every film, we must make it look star-studded. We can refer to the actor selection direction of the film *Flypaper*. Only in this way can this film be known to a wider range of people."

Chen Yin said: "Then which Hollywood actors are more suitable?"

Lu Yan He said: "We have already set some roles, so for the roles of Hollywood actors, you leave it to Green Valley and HP to consider. They will find suitable candidates."

"Okay."

Chen Yin said: "The things that need to be discussed about the *Seventeen Layers* spin-off films are currently these. Now there is another project. D19 contacted us not long ago, wanting to remake *Summer Villa Horror* and *Corpse Phase*. Actually, it's not just them, many other countries' production companies want to remake them. Because we have sequel production plans for both of these films, we haven't sold the remake rights for the time being. But D19 is the world's most famous film company for shooting thriller and horror themes. If they remake them, it will be of great help to the international visibility of these two IPs, so I'm a bit unsure whether to sell them."

Lu Yan He said: "If D19 remakes them at this stage and can accept that the protagonists of these two films continue to serve as the protagonists of the Hollywood remake version, then we can sell."

Chen Yin was a little confused for a moment.

Lu Yan He's idea, at first glance, feels like he has no intention of letting D19 get the remake rights at all.

No matter how he thinks about it, he doesn't feel D19 will agree.

However, after pondering carefully, it seems it's not impossible.

First of all, many Hollywood films now have started using Chinese people as protagonists. This point has long since ceased to be a ceiling limitation.

Secondly, this is D19. D19 is a film company that has eaten huge benefits from playing the "race card." The *Mist* film series made them earn a lot of money, and Lu Yan He also fired the first shot of his box office myth in Europe and America from this film series.

Chen Yin hesitated for a moment and asked: "Why is this?"

Lu Yan He said: "Hollywood remake films rarely remake frame by frame according to the original version. They often only retain some core creative settings and story kernels. Therefore, even if it is a remake, for many audiences, it is also a brand-new film. For Li Yuefeng and Wang Jing, this will be an opportunity for them to step directly into Hollywood."

Lu Yan He saw his thoughts from Chen Yin's face—

But Li Yuefeng and Wang Jing are not actors signed by Shi Huo.

Lu Yan He said: "They can both be called our deep partners at Linghe. The most critical point is that for both *Summer Villa Horror* and *Corpse Phase* to be successful, we must admit that this has a lot to do with their courage to take the lead to act at the beginning. We push them at a critical moment, why not do it? By the way, besides them, there is one more point: the original director and scriptwriter must participate in the production of the Hollywood remake version, provided they are willing to participate. I hope more and more Chinese creators will go to see how those top-tier production companies produce a film. I used to think that Hollywood only had strong global distribution capabilities, but after I have collaborated with them deeply for so long, I realized that they have experience and levels that are ahead of us in every link. Especially this kind of commercial film production."

"Okay," Chen Yin said. "I know, I will go talk to them."

Lu Yan He's requirements are strong.

However, D19 has already understood his way of doing things after collaborating with Lu Yan He on two *Mist* films.

Especially his "favoritism" and "inclination" towards using Chinese people in various film and television projects, which he never hides, have long been known to everyone. His proposing such a requirement didn't even make D19 feel surprised.

D19 only needs to study and judge whether, if they remake these two films and need to use the original Chinese actors as leads, the film's follow-up can help D19 make a profit.

On one hand, they do relevant research, and on the other hand, they are also a bit depressed. How to say it, D19 discovers good stories in film markets around the world every year, buys copyrights, including remake rights for high-quality works from various places. The one who can so strongly propose these requirements is Lu Yan He.

Currently, only Lu Yan He.

They fell into a very uncomfortable state—

These two stories of yours are not that top-tier or awesome, it's just because the copyright owner is Lu Yan He that you can open your mouth like a lion.

Where does Hollywood need to bear this kind of grievance?

Actually, not buying is also fine—

Although it is said so, the emotions are still put aside by them.

*Corpse Phase* and *Summer Villa Horror* not only achieved good box office results in China, but under the distribution of the global film merchant channels that Linghe has already established, they even achieved tens of millions of dollars in overseas box office.

Is it difficult to achieve tens of millions of dollars in overseas box office? To say it's not difficult is to not understand the industry. Every year, except for American films, how many films can achieve tens of millions of dollars in box office overseas outside their home country?

But to say it's difficult, to be honest, if your distribution is really established, this market sells a million dollars, that market sells hundreds of thousands of dollars, fifty or sixty markets sell, and you don't know which market will explode.

*Corpse Phase* and *Summer Villa Horror* both obtained overseas box office this way.

Especially in Asia.

The situation that Linghe has opened up overseas in recent years relying on Lu Yan He's various film and television dramas is far more than just the box office achieved by these works themselves.

Despite this, despite the fact that you can say these two films obtained overseas box office results by relying on many distribution channels—

But in other words, aren't Hollywood films the same? If Hollywood films were handed over to British or Korean film merchants for distribution, how much box office could they get?

Does this prevent the copyright value of Hollywood films from being more valuable?

Hmm, *Summer Villa Horror* and *Corpse Phase*, the reality is that they are not worried about selling, and they don't want to sell for the time being. Linghe itself still wants to continue developing sequels.

Now it is you D19 who comes to buy, so I open a back door for you, put forward some conditions, you agree, and I will sell to you.

If you are not happy, then forget it, we don't really want to sell anyway for now.

The attitude is here, the one who holds the initiative is Linghe.

D19...

Can only admit it.

After another calculation, these two films are shot into English versions, packaged in the Hollywood way, and there is full hope of obtaining high box office.

Hmm, still can make money.

In late April, Lu Yan He and Xike finally finished all the location shooting and transferred to Los Angeles to start filming green screen scenes in the studio.

The studio where he and Jiang Yuqian and Jiang Jun are is less than five kilometers away.

So, Lu Yan He immediately invited them out for dinner.

Besides the two of them, Lu Yan He also called the male lead of *Doomsday*, Derien Dillon, and his partner in *Men in Black*, Xike.

Derien is also the Hollywood superstar who collaborated with Lu Yan He on *Hurricane 2*.

The five people ate together, all speaking English.

Jiang Jun and Jiang Yuqian are now both speaking very fluent American English.

The language barrier is completely not a problem for the two of them.

Derien Dillon joining *Doomsday* was because Lu Yan He was the one who threaded the needle behind the scenes—

At that time, it was to squeeze Chen Pinhe out of this project.

For Derien Dillon, getting the *Doomsday* project and achieving box office success is naturally a good thing.

He has always had a good impression of Lu Yan He.

It's a pity that in Hollywood, "kings don't see kings"—

It is almost impossible to let Lu Yan He cameo in Derien Dillon's film like *Hurricane 2* again.

Unless one day Derien Dillon comes to cameo in Lu Yan He's film once.

Then follow-up might be able to continue to reciprocate.

Of course, this does not affect their private relationship.

Being friendly with each other, in film and television projects and other aspects, they can all collaborate.

The five people ate together, took a group photo, and subsequently, Jiang Yuqian posted the group photo to the social platform.

The leads of the two major film crews, *Men in Black* and *Doomsday 2*, joined together.

Because no other fresh major events happened that night, major global entertainment media published this photo as the front-page headline.

A media outlet in the United States used the headline: "Hollywood blockbusters are starting to be occupied by Chinese people!" ===== CHAPTER 900 =====