Chapter 209

A big director's low budget is also relative.

Just like Wang Shoufu's small goal, first make him a hundred million.

Chen Kaige decided to return to China to film Mei Lanfang, with a budget tentatively set at one hundred million.

After winning the Oscar, Jiang Heng prepared to return to China to film Pacific Rim 2, with a budget tentatively set at 1.2 billion US dollars.

Yes, tentative.

Considering the original film's box-office failure, Jiang Heng plans to improve the special-effects scenes in this movie.

So this time he plans to greatly increase the nominal cost, with the initial idea being two hundred million US dollars.

In short, as long as we don't lose money.

In fact, those Hollywood blockbusters with ultra-high box office mostly achieve huge returns due to massive production investment.

Like the 1997 Titanic, which swept the world film scene, with total investment reaching 200 million US dollars, an absolute astronomical figure in the late 1990s.

Upgrade the scenes, upgrade the special effects, upgrade the investment, upgrade the plot, and don't let Da Tian Tian visit the set.

"Come pick you up!"

Jiang Heng's multiple blockbusters externally claim budgets between fifty million and one hundred million US dollars; to Hollywood companies they seem about to fall into the 'low-to-mid budget' category, yet the special-effects scenes always stay above standard, subconsciously attributed to China's abundant human resources and low labor costs.

Moreover, Jiang Heng's Beautiful Times Special Effects Company has now become Asia's largest special-effects firm, not only doing good work but also offering relatively low quotes.

Furthermore, the female lead mostly uses newcomers, and the supporting cast are basically unknowns.

It attracts clients from China, Japan, and Korea, and even some Hollywood films have cooperated with Beautiful Times Special Effects Company.

"How come you're here?"

As for actor pay, it's much lower than Hollywood films.

"What are you picking me up for?"

Others like Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3 are also massive productions costing two to three hundred million US dollars.

Jiang Heng gave up most of the special-effects company's profits, obtaining a firm as strong as industry giants Industrial Light & Magic and Weta Digital, whose filmed movies have low production costs, which better explains the situation.

Being able to achieve "good quality, low price" while also paying employees well has only one cause: the boss isn't making any money.

The special effects companies in Haolaiwu think that "Beautiful Times" is engaging in malicious competition, squeezing workers' wages.

Um, the last point is just wishful thinking—there's no suitable reason!

As a result, just after leaving the airport, I ran into Da Tian Tian.

Actually, the salary offered by "Beautiful Times" is highly competitive among all the major internet companies.

As for the male lead, the fee for a first‑tier Haolaiwu male star is about twenty million US dollars.

And the Wu Yanzu that Jiang Heng uses, because he signed a "block deal" in advance, his fee is much lower.

But this time, he plans to go big.

Jing Tian wears a gray wool overcoat paired with black sunglasses, exuding strong Hong Kong style.

Also, Avatar, which broke the record for a "big ship", cost 300 million US dollars.

With heavy foot traffic at the airport, Jiang Heng feared being surrounded, so he didn't dare to linger and strode forward.

Jing Tian followed behind, took a few quick steps, and smiled, saying, "You're my male lead!"

Jiang Heng laughed, "When did I agree to be your male lead?"

Jing Tian got anxious, "Just a little while ago, you said you wanted one hundred million, I said okay, but you had to direct and star in it yourself, and then you agreed!"

"Did I, agree?"

Jiang Heng's steps paused slightly, and Jing Tian, who was following behind, almost bumped into him.

"Of course, you're such a big director, you wouldn't want to default on the debt, would you?" Da Tian Tian said angrily.

Jiang Heng gave a wry smile; his casual chat with Jing Tian was purely to tease a kid, and he didn't really take their conversation seriously.

Moreover, a fee of one hundred million—he wouldn't dare be that extravagant even for a special‑effects blockbuster; Heavenly Rich and Noble Flower is being willful!

Back when they filmed Warring States, ten million yuan was enough to knock Sun Honglei unconscious; this amount could do it ten times!

"What kind of script is it?"

"Houyi Shoots the Suns!"

"Huh?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Heng froze and stopped instantly; Jing Tian, not paying attention, bumped straight into him.

"How can you just say stop and stop?" Da Tian Tian rubbed her nose.

"Sorry, I'll give you a heads‑up next time!"

Da Tian Tian asked puzzledly, "What's wrong?"

"Where did the script come from?"

"Someone was serializing a novel online; I thought it was pretty good, so I bought the rights and had someone adapt it into a script."

Jiang Heng hearing this felt even more that something was off.

"What does this novel talk about?"

"Naturally, it's the tragic love story of Chang'e and Houyi, where Houyi shoots down the suns for Chang'e!"

Jiang Heng laughed and cried at once, realizing he had overthought it; a girl like Da Tian Tian could only read romance novels!

He immediately strode forward, saying only, "From now on, read less romance fiction!"

"Hey, hey, you promised me!"

"I've been busy lately!"

Seeing this, Da Tian Tian also gave up chasing, her expression a bit dejected.

She had originally wanted to make a tragic love epic with Jiang Heng, like Titanic.

Unfortunately, she was mercilessly rejected.

The female assistant beside him said: "Do you think Director Jiang would think you refused because you want to shoot Hou Yi?"

Jing Tian had already taken off her sunglasses, eyes wide open, "No way? Why?"

The assistant said: "I saw online that Director Jiang raised a movie universe concept, wanting to turn all the figures from Chinese mythology into big special-effects blockbusters; Hou Yi is definitely in his plan, right?"

Jing Tian was startled, took a step back, and said: "Oh, that's what it is, you scared me to death; I thought he disliked me!"

She immediately turned her head, pleading: "Why didn't you remind me earlier?"

The assistant thought: "Your expression back then, you had already figured out the opposing scene with Director Jiang—how could I say anything?"

But she said: "I also just thought of it!"

Jing Tian exhaled: "All right, if we don't shoot, we don't shoot; I'll just find another script!"

She walked two steps, turned back, and said: "What do you think of that 'My Beautiful Boss'?"

The assistant looked helpless: "That could only be made into an urban romance film; are you really sure you want to spend a hundred million on the fee to hire Director Jiang?"

"Yeah, what else could we shoot? We can't possibly shoot Journey to the West; I really don't want to play the Daughter Country King!"

The assistant said: "Why don't you have a good talk with Director Jiang, ask what he wants to shoot; you put up the money and the manpower, and he gets the better deal!"

Da Tian Tian nodded, deeply agreed, and said: "That makes sense!"

She walked two steps, turned back, and said: "I just feel something's not right!"

The assistant didn't dare let her think too much, hurriedly pushing Jing Tian: "Let's go quickly; if we're late, maybe he won't have time to hear about this!"

Jing Tian nodded and hurriedly chased after.

Arriving at the parking lot, she found Jiang Heng's car, went up, first gave a sweet smile, and said: "Brother, weren't you angry just now?"

"What do I have to be angry about?" Jiang Heng countered.

"Then that's good, then that's good!"

Jing Tian thought and said: "I've thought about it; rather than me randomly picking scripts, why don't you pick one you want to shoot but also don't really want to shoot—what do you call that in textbook terms?"

"Chicken rib!"

"Exactly, exactly! It's what you think is a chicken rib— a pity to discard, tasteless to eat."

Now Jiang Heng was surprised: "You still remember that?"

Da Tian Tian put on a proud, cute look: "I'm very smart!"

(End of chapter)