[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starting-from-stealing-the-role-in-1995-huayu":3,"chapter-starting-from-stealing-the-role-in-1995-huayu-starting-from-stealing-the-role-in-1995-huayu-chapter-322":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Starting from Stealing the Role in 1995 Huayu",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2321311,4540,"Chapter 322","starting-from-stealing-the-role-in-1995-huayu-chapter-322",322,"\u003Cp>Warner, at this moment, was holding a crucial meeting, and the core topic of discussion was Wu Yuchen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gentlemen, we’ve revisited Wu again, but now he’s demanded new terms: $20 million plus 25% of global box office revenue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it! Isn’t 20% enough for him? How dare he do this!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than a year ago, Warner had already negotiated with Wu Yuchen about collaborating on the Batman trilogy, but his initial demand of 20% global box office share had left Warner hesitant, and no deal was ever reached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, following the massive success of Pirates of the Caribbean 2, most members of Warner’s committee agreed to Wu’s terms—only to find out he had raised his price again!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“$20 million plus 25% global box office? What does he think he’s doing? Does he believe any major Hollywood studio will satisfy this fantasy of his?!” an old man barked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The conference room erupted in outrage, many faces twisted with displeasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the room quieted slightly, the same man who had spoken first resumed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In fact, Wu told us that MGM, to lure him back to reboot James Bond, has offered him $20 million plus 30% global box office revenue…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, the conference room exploded again!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?! Is MGM insane?! This is completely disrupting the market!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“MGM is out of its mind! They’re on the brink of bankruptcy! They’re gambling everything now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can Warner let MGM dictate our moves?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We cannot accept his terms! Absolutely not!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a voice spoke up: “Gentlemen, I don’t understand what you’re hesitating about. Wu has already proven his excellence with Pirates of the Caribbean 2’s box office! Do you still doubt it will break $1 billion?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speaker was Jeffrey, one of Warner’s committee members—and the youngest among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An old man retorted stubbornly: “Until the results are final, we cannot be certain of the outcome.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeffrey waved dismissively: “Oh, come on! I’d bet 99% that Pirates of the Caribbean 2’s total gross will exceed $1 billion! The other outcomes you mention? Less than 1% chance!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another man then spoke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, Jeffrey, we’re just saying $20 million plus 25% global box office is too high. Any minor setback could cause massive losses. The risk is still too great.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of setback? Don’t you see the massive success of Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and Spider-Man 2? And you’ve all read the reports—how much profit the merchandise and licensing from Pirates and Spider-Man generated!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t care about giving Wu an extra 5% global box office. What we should care about is the tidal wave of merchandise and licensing rights that will follow Batman’s success—not just one film, but three! Think of the profits!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room fell silent for a moment, but the old man still shook his head: “You’re talking about success—but what if it fails? Who will be responsible for this impulsive investment?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Impulsive? Calling an investment in a director who’s consistently successful ‘impulsive’? Then every past Hollywood investment was impulsive!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Universal gave Peter Jackson 20% global box office for King Kong. Why can’t we give Wu Yuchen 25% for Batman? Do you think Batman is worse than King Kong? Or that Wu Yuchen is inferior to Peter Jackson? Or that Warner lacks the boldness of Universal?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room fell into another silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, a middle-aged man said: “Let’s vote by show of hands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Yuchen had not lied to Warner—MGM had indeed approached him, offering $20 million plus 30% global box office for James Bond. There was no reason to lie; the news would spread soon enough, and Warner could easily verify it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, Wu Yuchen himself was stunned when he first heard it—Is MGM really this bold?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then, remembering MGM’s current situation, he understood: they were cornered, with no other options left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>MGM was now over $2 billion in debt, unable to raise funds even for new projects. With such massive liabilities, which investment firm or bank would dare lend them more money?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless MGM made some desperate moves, bankruptcy was their only fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So MGM was willing to offer Wu Yuchen 30% global box office—just to lure him in. With Wu’s current fame and the legendary James Bond franchise, banks and investors would surely pour money into this new project.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If James Bond could be revitalized under Wu’s direction—even if it didn’t match Pirates of the Caribbean 2’s ferocity, and grossed over $800 million globally—it could pull MGM back from the brink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So MGM wasn’t stupid—they were fighting for survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After realizing this, Wu Yuchen sighed repeatedly. MGM’s sincerity was undeniable, but he had no desire, nor any need, to become their white knight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given MGM’s condition, even if James Bond succeeded, he worried how long it would take to actually receive his promised 30% share.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had $2 billion in debt—dragging payments out for years? There was nothing he could do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather than exhausting himself trying to save MGM while risking never getting paid, it was far better to collaborate with Warner on Batman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was using MGM to drive up his price. He’d initially asked for 20%, but circumstances had changed—now he had leverage to negotiate further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Yuchen’s fee wasn’t arbitrary—it was based on the standard of Avatar from his previous life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his previous life, Avatar earned James Cameron $350 million, or 13% of its $2.7 billion box office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the studio had actually reserved room for up to 25% in profit-sharing. Because Avatar’s $400 million budget was so enormous, Cameron initially lacked confidence and sought a major star to carry the box office—he approached Matt Damon and convinced the studio to offer him 10% global box office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Matt Damon turned it down, claiming he wanted to make The Bourne Ultimatum. After Avatar’s release, Cameron could only laugh bitterly through tears…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a $400 million blockbuster like Avatar, the studio was willing to give 23% global box office. Wu Yuchen, using this as a benchmark, could easily deduce Warner’s acceptable range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His current stature was no less than Peter Jackson’s, and his track record of successful projects far surpassed Jackson’s. If Peter Jackson got 20%, why shouldn’t he get 25%?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with MGM’s timely bid raising his value, not negotiating hard with Warner would be a waste of all the hard work he’d poured into his past hits!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While waiting for Warner’s decision, Wu Yuchen received another visitor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Great Wu! King of the North American Summer!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stan Lee, the father of Marvel, greeted him with hugs and effusive praise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t alone—Kevin Feige and two other Marvel executives had come with him. Seeing them arrive together, Wu Yuchen had a hunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some pleasantries, Stan Lee asked with anticipation:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wu, both Spider-Man films have been huge successes. I think Marvel should now launch our own true superhero!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Marvel had invested 30% in Spider-Man, the bulk of the rights belonged to Sony—so Spider-Man wasn’t truly Marvel’s own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, with the profits from these two films, Marvel’s coffers were full and confidence soaring—they wanted to build a true Marvel superhero universe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re planning to launch Iron Man?” Wu Yuchen asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Wu—we’re already eager to begin!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Wu Yuchen had invested in Marvel, he’d promised to create a Marvel superhero universe plan—and Iron Man was its starting point. Marvel knew this well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, launching Iron Man now wasn’t impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the actor he had in mind for Iron Man—was he even ready yet? Had he kicked his addiction? Wu Yuchen wasn’t sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking for a moment, Wu Yuchen told them:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I think the timing isn't right yet. First, Spider-Man 3 hasn't been filmed. I suggest Marvel use Spider-Man 3 to gain more experience and accumulate expertise in superhero filmmaking—then launch Iron Man with a much higher chance of success!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then turned to Kevin Feige: “Kevin, I’ll recommend you as producer of Spider-Man 3. After that, you’ll personally launch Iron Man.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kevin Feige’s eyes lit up instantly. “Mr. Wu, thank you—I won’t let you down!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he’d participated in Spider-Man 2’s production, he’d only been a co-producer, often reporting directly to Wu Yuchen, with no real authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, as the true producer of Spider-Man 3, this would be a major shift in his status. At just 31, being entrusted with a project like Spider-Man 3 was an astonishingly fast rise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing their boss say this—and Kevin Feige already accepting—the others had no grounds to object. They reluctantly accepted Wu Yuchen’s arrangement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Iron Man?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of the perfect actor for Iron Man, Wu Yuchen paused. He’d need to personally observe and evaluate him before deciding if he was ready.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miracle Pictures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following a beautiful secretary into the office, he found Wu Yuchen seated in the boss’s chair, reading a newspaper. Wen Ziren didn’t dare interrupt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boss, Director Wen is here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the secretary’s reminder, Wu Yuchen put down the newspaper and smiled: “Sophie, please close the door when you leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he turned to Wen Ziren. Though still slender and small, his entire demeanor had undergone a complete transformation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How’s Hollywood treating you lately?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Wu Yuchen’s concern, Wen Ziren immediately grinned: “Thank you for asking—I feel amazing! In Hollywood, I’ve learned so many new theories and knowledge about filmmaking—I feel like I’m improving every day!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Ziren wasn’t a film school graduate—he was a self-taught genius.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How’s work going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ve finished shooting Saw 2—it’ll be released this Halloween! Saw 3’s script is already done with Lei, and we plan to shoot it next year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Yuchen nodded: “Good. Have you chosen the lead actor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Ziren immediately knew Wu Yuchen might have someone in mind and shook his head: “No. Do you have any recommendations?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Yuchen smiled and pushed the newspaper toward him. Wen Ziren picked it up and quickly found a report.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Deborah Finocchiaro, exhausted and unable to endure living with an addict any longer, has officially filed for divorce from Robert Downey Jr. and secured full custody of their child!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deborah Finocchiaro had stood by this marriage for twelve years, hoping for her husband’s redemption—but fate betrayed her… No woman, no matter how good, could tolerate Robert Downey Jr. as trash…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Ziren had heard of Robert Downey Jr.’s notorious reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the 90s, he lived wildly—mainly drugging himself, once driving naked in a sports car until police stopped him, finding illegal substances in the vehicle. A month later, he was hospitalized after overdosing, brought in by a neighbor. He’d been repeatedly exposed for scandals, a repeat offender in and out of prison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, according to the news, his wife of twelve years had finally lost all hope, divorcing him and taking their child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Ziren stared at the article, then looked up at Wu Yuchen, tentatively asking: “Director Wu… you’re thinking of Robert Downey Jr.…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Yuchen’s lips curled slightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just had a very interesting idea. This guy is infamous—everyone has a terrible impression of him. If we throw such a real-life villain into Saw, and let Jigsaw torture him… wouldn’t audiences rush to buy tickets?”\u003C\u002Fp>",1849,"2026-06-20T16:09:30.828Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ea868e403f5663a66f073eadf9d47590cc7fd7b69ae9c708b04f1f76e927156e","starting-from-stealing-the-role-in-1995-huayu-chapter-323","starting-from-stealing-the-role-in-1995-huayu-chapter-321",335,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarting-from-stealing-the-role-in-1995-huayu-cover.jpg"]