Chapter 136: Miss Jing, what benefits can you offer this director?

Soon, news of the post-meeting discussion spread. Some, the so-called seniors, thought Wei Jin had gotten carried away; some, his industry competitors, were waiting to see him make a fool of himself; and others, the smart ones who fully believed in Wei Jin, were preparing to jump on board and invest.

"Brother Wei, I don't care what you say, we two brothers must collaborate this time."

Wang Changtian's attitude on the phone was very firm, which made Wei Jin somewhat surprised; this guy had always been quite timid.

"Brother Wang, I appreciate your trust. Let's find a time to meet and talk."

After hanging up, Wei Jin felt a bit emotional. Someone who usually appeared timid and conservative was the first to follow up this time. It seemed his reputation had truly been established in the industry. This kind of treatment was no worse than that of Chen Shiren or Zhang Yimou, right?

Sure enough, China Film Group, Western Film Group, and Wanda all called soon after to inquire about the investment. Wei Jin did not refuse, indicating he would set a time for a face-to-face meeting.

Since he was going to do something big this time, the more friends, the better. With such a large plate, it was impossible for Wei Jin to eat it all alone.

With the strengthening of his body, Wei Jin could now organize a Memory Palace in his mind to avoid being plagued by too many useless memories. His previous habit of having Liu Yan massage him was also partly for this reason.

The film he was preparing this time was The Martian, which he had only remembered after seeing Matt Damon earlier.

The original film was shot in 2014, and Wei Jin hadn't intended to bring it out so early, but it didn't matter now; he just needed to plan it out. After spending two days finishing the script, he went to China Film Group. This film wasn't just about raising funds; there were many things that required preliminary preparation.

"Wei Jin, you finally came. For the past two days, I've been worried that you might have quietly ditched China Film Group and started on your own."

Seeing Wei Jin enter with the script, Han Sanping felt reassured, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Han Dong, that's slander. When have I ever had a good thing without thinking of you? But this time, I really do need your help."

"Oh? Is the film hard to handle?"

Han Sanping naturally didn't think Wei Jin lacked money. Although he didn't know Wei Jin's exact net worth, he could estimate the profits of Wei Jin Company from last year.

What's more, the Forbes Celebrity List had been updated a few days ago, and Wei Jin's personal income last year reached 75 million, still ranking second. And this was before The Invisible Guest and Brotherhood of Blades had even been released; as the director, he had box office shares for both of those films.

"Fine, you take a look at the script first, so I don't have to explain it."

After handing over the script, Wei Jin sat on the sofa and closed his eyes to ponder.

This film needed to stand firm on scientific theory, which required the help of professional teams and personnel. Only by smoothing these out in the early stages would shooting be effortless.

In addition, there were many difficulties regarding props and shooting locations, which required the cooperation of relevant units. As a state-owned enterprise, China Film Group would undoubtedly make handling these matters much easier.

However, the film's theme was excellent. On one hand, it showcased the development of the national aerospace industry, and on the other, it embodied the breadth and spirit of a great nation. Its values were very upright, so he believed everything outside of the actual filming would be given the green light. Wei Jin only needed to control the quality.

"Tsk tsk, I really don't know what to say about your brain."

Han Sanping closed the script and sighed in admiration: "But this script is very difficult to handle; it will take a lot of effort."

Han Sanping was also a veteran in the film industry; he knew from reading the script that there was a lot of preliminary preparation involved. He then asked: "Have you made a detailed budget? Do you really need 300 million?"

"I haven't calculated the details, but this film has a lot of special effects, and the requirements are very high. Besides that, there are spacecraft, spacesuits, etc. This requires a large number of CG shots or on-location shooting of special terrains. In short, the cost won't be small. 300 million is a very conservative estimate."

"Can't Shanhe Ink handle the special effects?"

Han Sanping wasn't scared by the number; several of the projects China Film Group invested in this year were not necessarily lower than this. He was just curious if the special effects company Wei Jin had spent a high price to acquire was actually capable.

"No, currently they can at most share a portion, no more than half."

Shanhe Ink's special effects technology came from Digital Domain. Although it was a top Hollywood special effects company, it had only been a short time, and many technologies and software still needed time to be mastered. That was how technological breakthroughs worked; there were no shortcuts. "Besides, this film definitely can't rely on just the two of us. I plan to call in a few capable companies and let's work together. I refuse to believe that we can't shoot a sci-fi blockbuster domestically."

"Good, that's the spirit. China Film Group will fully support you."

Han Sanping's obsession and determination for large-scale productions were beyond what others could imagine. To a certain extent, he truly deserved to be called a promoter of the film industry.

"By the way, when do you plan to release Twilight? I'm still waiting to count the dollars."

"Post-production has just finished, and we are still choosing the release date. It's expected to be in June or July."

Back during the Oscar ceremony, Hunter had sent news that Twilight had wrapped up. Summit Entertainment was very confident in the film and planned to compete in the Summer Slot.

In Hollywood, those who didn't achieve high box office results during the Summer Slot and Christmas Slot couldn't be called top-tier companies in the industry. Summit Entertainment was planning to completely prove itself.

Wei Jin was very supportive of this. Once this film was released, Summit Entertainment would have five profitable, mature film series. Why not take a peek at the position of the Big Six? In addition, Insidious 2 had already been released in North America. As of now, it had been out for 12 days, and the global box office had reached 86 million USD. The road to the top for Summit Entertainment had already begun. — That night, in the villa study.

"Brother Wei Jin, what are you writing?"

Jing Tian tilted her little head, looking curiously at Wei Jin typing characters on the computer.

Since returning from North America, Jing Tian would occasionally come to Wei Jin's place to spend the night. Anyway, school had started, so she just said she was living on campus.

"A sci-fi novel."

Since he had decided to do something big, he had to utilize everything that could contribute to the box office. Wei Jin used his old trade, filled out the story of The Martian, and published it on Qidian. Of course, the copyright was still Wei Jin's—just kidding, he was the major shareholder.

Nowadays, the number of people reading web novels was much higher than those reading physical books. Moreover, by building hype on the internet first, the physical books could continue to be published later. This move was aimed at the strong opening of a fan-based film.

Those Years had used this tactic before, but as Wei Jin's brand became increasingly solid, he hadn't done this for a long time. It showed that Wei Jin was really going all out this time; after all, it was an investment of several hundred million.

"Ah, is that the film you're going to shoot?"

The news that Wei Jin was going to shoot a sci-fi blockbuster had already spread, and many people in the circle were asking about it. It was no surprise that Jing Tian knew, but neither China Film Group nor Wei Jin had revealed a single word of detail.

"Yeah, Han Dong's side has almost finished the preparations. Once the script passes the review, the project will be officially launched."

Han Sanping's efficiency this time was surprisingly high. The China National Space Administration and Aerospace Science and Industry were very supportive, even willing to provide technical and personnel support for free.

The Institute of Geology was also very efficient, providing many selectable on-location shooting sites. They specifically recommended the Hongya Region to Wei Jin and attached detailed geological data. Aerospace Science and Industry had already sent a professional inspection team to survey the site.

During this time, the budget team also provided detailed data. Sure enough, Wei Jin's estimate was spot on: 350 million, and that was without counting Wei Jin's director fee.

"Then, Brother Wei Jin, is there a role suitable for me? I won't hold you back..."

Jing Tian's little face was full of expectation, fearing she might hear bad news.

Stopping his hands from typing on the keyboard, Wei Jin turned around and placed his hands on Jing Tian's slender waist, a playful look on his lips:

"That depends on what benefits Miss Jing can offer this director."

"Ah, you're so bad. Tell me, is this how you act on set... mmph."

The innocent Miss Jing Tian encountered her first "hidden rule" from the entertainment industry bully, Mr. Wei. Fourth update today, I humbly ask all readers for subscriptions, follow-ups, and collections. Thank you all! (End of chapter)