Chapter 218: Successive Visits

The finalization of the Spider-Man matter allowed Wu Yuchen to breathe a huge sigh of relief. Being able to help Marvel redeem 30% was the best he could do. The most difficult part was the little Spider-Man; other copyrights, such as Black Widow, were easier to negotiate.

Of course, not everything went smoothly. For instance, Universal did not budge on the Hulk, a super-popular hero. Universal is jokingly called the "Monster Movie Studio" and has always favored this type of monster character. However, Wu Yuchen didn't care too much. In his past life, the film adaptation of "Hulk" wasn't exactly a success. With the time he had now, it was great to produce the "Spider-Man" trilogy first; he didn't have the energy to deal with the Hulk anyway.

On July 14th, "X-Men" was released, grossing 54.47 million in its first three days, which made several major Hollywood studios sit up and take notice. Suddenly, Marvel's superheroes received attention once again, which naturally led the Marvel team to pop champagne and celebrate thoroughly.

Although the copyright for "X-Men" was not in their own hands, the film's success proved that their superheroes had appeal, which would make their future path to superhero film adaptations much smoother.

At the same time, people from Sony personally came to the "Pirates of the Caribbean" set to visit Wu Yuchen.

"Wu, you really made a cost-effective deal."

The Sony team was slightly depressed. If they had known "X-Men" would have such good box office numbers, they might not have been willing to agree to Marvel's request to redeem the Spider-Man copyright, or at least they wouldn't have let them redeem as much as 30%.

Wu Yuchen shook his head with a smile: "Hey, isn't this good news for us? It means the chances of our Spider-Man succeeding are very high!"

"That's why we're coming to you now. The company has decided to launch the 'Spider-Man' project as soon as possible, and we are all waiting for your script. You aren't going to say you'll wait until after 'Pirates of the Caribbean' is released to start writing, are you?"

Sony hadn't been in a rush before, but now, stimulated by "X-Men," they immediately accelerated their actions.

The current Brad Pitt could marry Jennifer Aniston, the sweetheart loved by all of America; the outside world felt Pitt was punching above his weight, and his fame and status did indeed move up a level because of it. Five years later, when Pitt cheated on Angelina Jolie while filming "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," and the two subsequently married, it caused another huge stir. Being able to climb from a restaurant waiter and odd-job worker to the top tier of Hollywood, Brad Pitt is no simple man!

Wu Yuchen also received an invitation, but he was busy filming and naturally couldn't attend. After seeing the various news reports in newspapers and on television, he just smiled and let it pass. To be honest, Brad Pitt certainly had talent, but one cannot deny that he benefited immensely from both of his marriages.

Seeing this maneuver by Carina Lau, Jiang Qinqin felt a sense of empathy for some reason. A sense of crisis arose in her heart, and the idea of running over to stay by Wu Yuchen's side emerged.

"It is true, and it is also false." Wu Yuchen sighed upon hearing this.

On July 29th, the public opinion in Hollywood was occupied by a wedding. The super-popular American sweetheart Jennifer Aniston married Brad Pitt. A floral crown, 50,000 fresh flowers, 4 bands, and hundreds of celebrity guests—coinciding with the new millennium, this wedding was called the wedding of the century, blessed by the whole world.

Actually, this year's Cannes Film Festival was a great victory for Chinese-language films. On the mainland side, Jiang Wen's "Devils on the Doorstep" won the Grand Prix; from Hong Kong, Tony Leung won Best Actor at Cannes for "In the Mood for Love"; and Taiwan director Edward Yang won Best Director for "Yi Yi." All three regions received major awards, which could be called a happy ending for everyone. However, as soon as Jiang Wen returned, news spread that he had been banned, causing quite a commotion.

Jiang Qinqin sighed upon hearing this and then said to Wu Yuchen beside her: "Then you must be careful~"

"What is true and what is false? Don't keep me in suspense~" Jiang Qinqin asked curiously.

Wu Yuchen smiled: "You can take the script back and read it first. If you have no objections, then you can look for a suitable director. I suggest finding a director who already loves Spider-Man, and whose style fits the style of the script."

Jiang Qinqin shook her head: "I am your little assistant now, of course I have to act together with you, Director Wu~"

Wu Yuchen rubbed her shoulder: "Don't worry, I'm not that easy to ban."

Take the past life, for instance, when Li An filmed "Lust, Caution." If it had been an ordinary director, it certainly wouldn't have even been allowed to be released, yet "Lust, Caution" was released after all. When it comes down to it, the influence of a big director is just different.

This time, he would have Marvel go to the bank for a loan, using Marvel's income for the next 5 years as collateral, while he would act as the guarantor. That is to say, if the film loses money and Marvel's income for the next five years isn't enough to pay back the debt, then Wu Yuchen, the guarantor, would have to pay it.

Wu Yuchen chuckled: "Don't worry, Marvel will definitely invest the full 30% share."

Watching Wu Yuchen direct the crew of over a hundred people as they operated in an orderly fashion, and seeing him giving orders to this group of foreigners, Jiang Qinqin couldn't help but feel a deep sense of admiration, love, and pride.

It is said that many influential people felt the censorship standards were too strict, and this incident even sparked a discussion about the reform of the film censorship system, but it eventually fizzled out.

Having fought hard to win back 30%, he wouldn't let Marvel miss out because of money. However, this time he didn't intend to provide Marvel with any interest-free loans. Doing this once when he first arrived was enough to win people's hearts; being a "good guy" all the time doesn't necessarily bring good rewards.

In the past, when the "Big Scissors" banned someone, they would issue a clear document and give it to the relevant people, but this time Jiang Wen didn't receive one.

In the previous two months, Wu Yuchen had continuously registered scripts for multiple films, which also startled the Writers Guild. This matter spread, making many people click their tongues in wonder and giving Wu Yuchen another title: "Creative Master."

Wu Yuchen smiled and said: "Why not sleep a little longer? You just arrived, get over the jet lag properly."

Actually, Jiang Qinqin had come here specifically, naturally with the intention of keeping an eye on Wu Yuchen, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Last year, the Gao Yuanyuan incident at the Xiangshan Film and Television City had left her wary. And when walking the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival in May, Tony Leung held the hands of both Maggie Cheung and Carina Lau. At the time, the media widely rumored that Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung had developed feelings because of the film, and that Carina Lau was worried about their relationship and insisted on following them to hold onto Tony Leung.

"Wu, are you really not considering directing it yourself?"

Seeing the attitude of this Sony team coming to urge him in person, Wu Yuchen knew they were truly impatient. Fortunately, during this time, in addition to filming, he had already finished the script for the first "Spider-Man."

In the evening, after returning to the room, Jiang Qinqin, who had watched Wu Yuchen filming all day, couldn't help but ask:

"The female lead in your crew looks quite young~"

Hearing this number, the Sony people couldn't help but gasp, and then said to Wu Yuchen:

"Wu, this is not a small number. We have to go back and evaluate it carefully according to your script. However, are you sure Marvel has the money to participate in the investment?"

However, this situation wouldn't happen. He was full of confidence in "Spider-Man." This was the little Spider-Man who grossed over 800 million at the global box office and completely doubled the value of Marvel's superheroes!

"Alright, one more thing, what is your rough estimated budget for this project?"

The current Wu Yuchen had become a flagship figure of Chinese cinema, and his films were not something ordinary people dared to ban; they all had to ask for instructions from above.

Wu Yuchen waved his hand: "My energy is truly limited. Isn't this something we already discussed beforehand?"

However, this didn't concern Wu Yuchen; he could just watch the fun. At this moment, a pair of jade arms hugged him from behind, and a clear, beautiful face emerged. Wu Yuchen turned around and took the opportunity to gently hold her in his arms; it was none other than Jiang Qinqin.

Calling her a little assistant, it would be good if she didn't add to Wu Yuchen's trouble. However, Jiang Qinqin's arrival could relieve Wu Yuchen's lovesickness. Filming for months at a time, he also needed comfort and nourishment!

What? The female lead Keira Knightley?

The beach on Saint Vincent Island was extremely beautiful. For the sake of filming, the crew specifically built 3 piers here to shoot the exterior scenes of Port Royal and Tortuga. At this time, the three most important ships in the film—the Black Pearl, the Dauntless, and the Interceptor—were already docked here. The crew also hired professional personnel to teach the crew members how to operate these large ships for sailing, because they would be filming live.

Jiang Qinqin had just finished filming director Huo Jianqi's "Life Show" and wanted to relax, so she ran to America to find Wu Yuchen. Wu Yuchen naturally had no objections and welcomed her arrival very much. "Pirates of the Caribbean," if nothing else, had very beautiful location choices, which would allow Jiang Qinqin to go sightseeing, although Wu Yuchen couldn't accompany her to play.

Because of Wu Yuchen, many people now paid much more attention to film awards, so this year's Cannes Film Festival also attracted considerable attention.

"The 5-year ban on directing is true, but there is no clear document."

Just two months ago, Jiang Wen, without approval, privately took "Devils on the Doorstep" to participate in this year's Cannes Film Festival and even won the Grand Prix.

Jiang Qinqin held Wu Yuchen's arm, chatting as they walked: "Hey, is the matter of Jiang Wen being banned true?"

Seeing the script that Wu Yuchen had already finished writing, the Sony people couldn't help but show joy: "Wu, the industry is saying you are a creative master, and it really lives up to its reputation!"

Although there was no document, the fact that he couldn't film for 5 years was certain.

Not to mention that Keira was only 15 years old and he wouldn't make that kind of mistake, just Keira's "A-cup" flat chest didn't give Wu Yuchen much interest either.

Wu Yuchen held up a finger:

"Superhero movies must focus on special effects and must have big scenes, so the production cost cannot be low. If 'Spider-Man' wants to make a splash, the production cost cannot be lower than 100 million, preferably over 130 million."

Wu Yuchen glanced at her: "Of course she's young, she's only 15."

"15?! Do Europeans and Americans develop so early?"

"Don't girls mature early anyway? If the nutrition keeps up, it's not strange for them to be fully grown at fourteen or fifteen. In a few years, when our average living standard in China goes up, it will be like this too."

Jiang Qinqin was completely relieved upon hearing this. Besides Keira, the female lead, there were no other beauties in the crew, and Wu Yuchen wouldn't make a move on such a young girl.

Then she subsequently asked: "Eh, then how much is her salary?"

"200,000 US dollars."

"200,000 US dollars? That's higher than my salary for filming in China!" Jiang Qinqin clicked her tongue.

"My dear Qinqin, this is Hollywood. Their unit is calculated in US dollars, so of course it's high!"

Jiang Qinqin wrinkled her nose and complained: "When I was 15, I couldn't even earn a few hundred yuan. Comparing people really makes you angry!"

Wu Yuchen held her upon hearing this: "Be content, you don't know how many actresses in China envy you~"

"It's just that I suddenly feel it's a bit unfair. Everyone is an actor filming, the gap is so big..."

"Why is Hollywood the place where actors from all over the world chase their dreams? Isn't it essentially because they earn more money?

If you want to break into Hollywood, I'll give you one piece of advice: practice martial arts well and film action scenes, otherwise it's very difficult for Asian actors to make it in Hollywood."

Whether it's Jackie Chan, Jet Li, or Michelle Yeoh among the actresses, they all rely on action scenes to establish themselves in Hollywood. As for Chow Yun-fat, without "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in this lifetime, Wu Yuchen estimates it would be very difficult for him to make it in Hollywood.

Jiang Qinqin made a bitter face upon hearing this: "Forget it then, I'm no good at being an action star, it's enough to just be your dear, good wife~"

Wu Yuchen smiled upon hearing this and kissed his dear, good wife on the cheek.

Jiang Qinqin stayed with the crew for over half a month before leaving. Seeing Wu Yuchen having to split his attention to care for her while filming, she didn't want to be a drag and affect Wu Yuchen's 140 million dollar project.

The crew is like this; people coming and going is very normal. A few days after Jiang Qinqin left, the crew welcomed Steven Spielberg.

"Wu, is the filming going smoothly? I heard that when you were filming a night scene before, the small boat on the return trip hit a reef?"

Wu Yuchen nodded: "Small situations happen from time to time, but they are all within control."

Spielberg smiled upon hearing this: "With such a large crew, it's normal to have some small troubles. I believe you can handle them properly. How about the actors, are they all obedient?"

Wu Yuchen knew as soon as he heard it that Spielberg was asking about Johnny Depp, after all, he is a famous eccentric.

"Not bad, his daughter came to see him a few days ago, which made him very happy."

"Haha, sure enough, having children makes people mature." Spielberg was relieved now.

Wu Yuchen understood Spielberg's mindset; after all, it was a 140 million dollar production, so he wouldn't be at ease without coming to see it himself. Currently, the 8 million paid to Depp was quite cost-effective. However, by the time the sequels and the third film come around, Depp's salary will probably be a bit of a headache.

Actually, Wu Yuchen also wanted to sign some kind of three-film contract with Depp at the beginning, but the guy wouldn't sign at all; neither he nor his agent were stupid.

Some might mention Robert Downey Jr.'s 5-film contract with Marvel. The reason Downey was willing to sign from the beginning was that he had ruined his own future, causing many incidents with drugs for several consecutive years, and had even been to prison. He was already down and out at the time, and only by signing could he grasp the opportunity to rise again. Johnny Depp's situation was completely different from Downey's at the time.

Although Depp is an eccentric and often plays non-mainstream types of roles, his fame has never been bad. He doesn't quite reach the level of a Hollywood A-list star, but he can be considered the best among the B-list; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a quasi-A-lister. Therefore, it was basically impossible to get him to sign a contract that severely limited his salary for sequels.

Wu Yuchen shook his head; he would wait until after filming to think about these things, thinking about them now just adds unnecessary trouble.

At this time, Spielberg introduced the strange middle-aged man beside him to Wu Yuchen: "Wu, this is Brian Grazer, a great producer, he wants to talk to you."

"Wu, hello, I have long admired your great name!"

"Hello, Grazer, very happy to meet you~" Wu Yuchen was a bit strange; why would Spielberg introduce this person to him?

Grazer smiled and said to Wu Yuchen:

"Wu, actually I have already dealt with you before."

"Hmm?" Wu Yuchen cast a questioning look.

"To be precise, it was with your agent."

"Carl?"

"Yes. He contacted me wanting to buy the copyright to a novel, but I refused."

Wu Yuchen had previously let his agent go buy some novel copyrights, and naturally, there were some that didn't succeed; he just kept having people follow up.

"Oh? I wonder which novel you are talking about..."

"A Beautiful Mind."

Wu Yuchen narrowed his eyes upon hearing this and asked another question: "The one by Sylvia Nasar?"

"That's right, 'A Beautiful Mind: The Life of John Nash,' the biography of John Nash, the mathematician who founded game theory and won the Nobel Prize in Economics."

Hearing that it was exactly his target, Wu Yuchen immediately revealed a smile: "Grazer, I didn't expect the copyright to this novel to be in your hands."

"A Beautiful Mind"—this was the film he planned to shoot next to compete for the Oscars again. There are several types of subjects that are easy to win awards at the Oscars, such as the Holocaust stories of the past few years, or future black civil rights, racial discrimination, women's rights, etc. But Wu Yuchen didn't want to film anything about Jews or blacks.

However, there is one type of subject that has always been favored by the Academy, and that is celebrity biographies. Of course, you have to film it well and to a certain standard. And "A Beautiful Mind" was of a high standard. In his past life, it won multiple major awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress. For Wu Yuchen, it was a very good subject for a film to win awards, and it was also a target he had his eye on, only the novel copyright had already been bought when he had his agent contact them before.

Grazer smiled and said: "After the novel was published the year before last, I was deeply moved after reading about Nash's ups and downs, so I bought the film adaptation rights from the author."

Wu Yuchen sighed. Actually, "A Beautiful Mind: The Life of John Nash" wasn't a bestseller at all. He originally thought buying it wouldn't be difficult, but even this kind of novel had been snatched up by someone else.

Wu Yuchen asked with a sincere tone:

"Grazer, I am also shocked by Nash's experience, and because of that, I have had many inspirations. I have even made a shooting plan for it. I wonder if you could part with it and transfer the adaptation rights to me? I would be very grateful to you!"

"Of course I can, but I want to change the way. How about we cooperate?"

After Grazer finished speaking, he pointed at Spielberg: "The three of us cooperate."

Wu Yuchen looked at Spielberg and asked: "Steven, what is your opinion?"

"I heard Grazer mention that you wanted to buy the copyright to this novel, and I knew you wanted to film it, so I specifically brought him over. I am very willing to be able to facilitate this cooperation~"

Actually, films like "A Beautiful Mind" were exactly what Spielberg most wanted Wu Yuchen to film. Because no matter how high the cost of this kind of film is, it won't exceed 100 million; even if you hire a big-name star, 60 or 70 million would be the limit. And looking at the films Wu Yuchen has filmed in the past, they are suitable for this kind of film where the cost isn't too large and the character is the core.

Wu Yuchen looked at Spielberg, who was smiling at him, and roughly understood. These two must have discussed it before coming. At the same time, he guessed in his heart that the Grazer in front of him was 80 or 90 percent likely to be Jewish.

Subsequently, he looked at Grazer again: "Alright, how do you want to cooperate?"

Grazer revealed joy upon hearing this and then asked: "Wu, you just said you have made a shooting plan. If you are the director, I wonder how much money you plan to use to film it?"

"Sixty to seventy million."

"I can put up ten million, plus the novel adaptation rights, and my producer salary, accounting for 20%. How about that?"

Wu Yuchen didn't answer immediately after hearing this, but looked at Spielberg.

Spielberg said to Wu Yuchen: "Wu, if you can control the cost at 60 million, according to what we said at the beginning, 20% full copyright director salary."

Hearing this director salary, Wu Yuchen nodded with satisfaction, but still said: "Hey, Steven, how about allocating some more investment shares to me for this film?"

"Wu, is 20% full copyright salary not enough to satisfy you?"

"Steven, didn't you complain before that DreamWorks' finances were a bit tight? I just want to help you share some of the pressure~"

Spielberg smiled and shook his head: "'Gladiator' currently has very good box office revenue, DreamWorks' finances are under no pressure now. And this film won't be filmed until next year anyway, right?"

Wu Yuchen sighed in his heart upon hearing this. He actually still wanted to get a bit more investment. This film's box office was also super profitable; in his past life, the global box office was 480 million, which could be called a double harvest of box office and reputation.

Unfortunately, the copyright wasn't in his hands now, and the two people opposite had clearly already discussed it. So, earning a 20% director's full copyright salary was passable. However, thinking from another angle, he was mainly aiming for awards by filming this movie. Now that the project could reach his hands, it could be considered achieving his initial goal after all.

"Deal." ===== CHAPTER 219 =====