Chapter 371: Monkey King: Hero is Back

He Yuanguang and Luo Mo have collaborated so many times now that Luo Mo is already one of the major shareholders of Tongguang Studio.

He knows that Luo Mo is a person with many ideas and many thoughts.

Therefore, no matter what subject matter for a major animated film Luo Mo said he wanted to make, he shouldn't have been as excited as he is now.

But there is no helping it; this is, after all, a Journey to the West subject.

People in this country usually have a different kind of attachment to Sun Wukong, especially those of them who are in the animation industry.

What's more... don't forget that his teacher is Huang Lun!

He is the person who made the Blue Star version of the Journey to the West animation!

You have to know, the popularity and influence of his '91 version of the Journey to the West animation are absolutely no lower than that version on Earth!

Luo Mo looked at He Yuanguang, who had even stopped eating his crayfish, and nodded with a smile: "That's right, it is indeed a Journey to the West subject."

"Have you already thought through the story content?" He Yuanguang asked.

"I have, or to be precise, it was written long ago." Luo Mo continued to pick out cucumber from the crayfish broth.

"Then why didn't you send it to me!?" He Yuanguang was exasperated.

"It's just that I've been too busy lately. Even if I sent it to you, this project couldn't be started, so wouldn't you be even more miserable?" Luo Mo felt he was being very considerate.

"Send it to me quickly." He Yuanguang said urgently.

"Look, I knew you would be dying of impatience." Luo Mo spread his hands helplessly.

He looked at He Yuanguang and said: "It's too late today, so I won't send it to you. I'll save you from reading a little bit and then not sleeping, and then having to drag me into a discussion about it."

"Aren't you heading back to Shanghai tomorrow? I'll send it to you after you leave, and you can watch it on your way back." Luo Mo said with a smile.

"But with you doing this, I'm definitely going to have insomnia tonight." He Yuanguang became even more annoyed all of a sudden.

"You having insomnia alone is better than you dragging me into having insomnia with you." Luo Mo was extremely heartless.

In the past, whenever each project first started, He Yuanguang would have to drag him into talking for at least four hours or more; it was too torturous.

The most unsolvable part was that Luo Mo himself was the type to get more and more hyped the more they talked.

As he talked and talked, his own interest would also rise.

Therefore, sometimes it started with He Yuanguang not letting him leave, and it eventually evolved into him not letting He Yuanguang leave.

Every time, Guang Shu would end up begging for mercy: "The livers of us animation people are very fragile."

At this moment, since Luo Mo refused to give him the script, He Yuanguang had no choice.

He could only say: "Then you at least have to tell me what the budget for this major animated film is, right?"

"And also, what is the film title."

Luo Mo looked at him, did not state the specific investment figure, and just raised his hand to gesture the number 9 to him.

Looking at this number, He Yuanguang couldn't help but feel his heart rate accelerate again.

After all, times are different now; if this represented 9 million, that would certainly not be enough to make a so-called major animated film.

Then, it could only represent...

"Nine... nine digits?" Guang Shu asked.

Luo Mo nodded.

One hundred million, looking at any type of film in Huaxia, is not considered a small investment.

And if it is said to be a major animated film, that is even more unprecedented!

"Do you know what people will say about you if this number gets out?" He Yuanguang's breathing even became heavier.

"What do you mean what they'll say about me? It's more like how they'll curse me." Luo Mo smiled and said: "I reckon many people will think I'm just a big idiot."

You have to know, up until now, the box office record for a domestic Huaxia animated film is only a little over one hundred million!

Their total box office is only a little over one hundred million, and although there are subsequent copyright revenues of various sizes, it certainly can't make a production cost of one hundred million break even!

According to the Blue Star's revenue-sharing system, if the box office doesn't hit three hundred million, basically don't even think about recovering a cost of one hundred million directly from the box office.

"Let's discuss this project again." Even He Yuanguang had the thought of trying to persuade Luo Mo.

This kind of behavior can no longer be described as crazy; it is truly losing one's mind!

Luo Mo did not follow his line of conversation, but instead changed the subject: "By the way, Guang Shu, aren't you curious about what the film title is?"

He stood up, preparing to return to his own hotel room.

Yes, he was eating crayfish in He Yuanguang's room, leaving the smell in Guang Shu's place.

"It's called Monkey King: Hero is Back."

………

………

Luo Mo left.

He Yuanguang muttered the name blankly: "Monkey King: Hero is Back?"

From the film title, he could guess that this was definitely not an animated film shot entirely according to Journey to the West; it was likely just borrowing this subject matter and worldview.

"But... he is willing to invest over a hundred million." He Yuanguang looked up at the ceiling.

For some reason, this animation person even felt, is Luo Mo trying to save the animation industry?

Is he trying to open up a new era by losing money?

Yes, the current animation industry is in a very awkward state.

There are many animated films abroad that are finely produced and have very high box office returns.

In some countries, major animated films even rank at the top of the national box office charts!

Even a fool understands that big productions and high standards cost money! They really need money!

However, even if the technology in the country meets the standard, no one is willing to do it this way.

For no other reason than the fact that the box office records are sitting right there.

Both animation professionals and investors share a voice in their hearts: "The current domestic animation film box office market simply cannot support a big-budget production."

There are many reasons for this.

For example, the inherent impression everyone has of domestic blockbuster films, and the fact that many people are naturally unwilling to spend money at a theater to watch so-called cartoons.

However, animation professionals like He Yuanguang are very clear that if they keep falling into this vicious cycle, then it's game over!

This is just like Earth's Huaxia, which had a film called "Hero".

Although its reputation was severely polarized and its box office didn't defy the heavens, one must admit that it officially started the blockbuster era for Earth's Huaxia cinema!

Before that, no one dared to play like that.

He Yuanguang's mindset, to put it simply, is the hope that the domestic animation industry could truly have a god-like person who crazily throws money around to make an attempt, to do something that dares to be the first.

But preferably, this god-like person... is not one of his own!

Just thinking about it, it's bound to lose money, and it would definitely not be as simple as losing a few million or even ten million.

He Yuanguang's own internal upper limit is fifty or sixty million.

This is still because he is an animation professional with dreams, ambition, and sentiment.

Any more than that, and he would feel it is purely radical.

Therefore, Guang Shu naturally suffered from insomnia tonight.

………

………

On the other side, after Luo Mo returned to his room and washed up, he exchanged goodnights with Xu Chujing on WeChat and fell straight to sleep.

He certainly didn't expect that Guang Shu would view him, this "Kindness" expert 【Earth】 teacher, as a tycoon who wanted to "donate" to the animation industry.

Or even a hero!

His selection of "Monkey King: Hero is Back" was the result of careful consideration.

At the same time, after checking a wave of Blue Star data, he was quite confident in his heart.

Many big-name directors and investors often have "the trend of the times" on their lips.

Sometimes, a big box office hit for a film requires the trend of the times.

Heavenly timing, geographical advantages, and human harmony—not one can be missing.

It is the timing, and it is also fate.

When Luo Mo was chatting with He Yuanguang, there was a reason why he said there needed to be a household-name animation character.

He could be certain that if he filmed an original animation character now, it would absolutely not achieve the effect he wanted.

In other words, there might be money to be made, but it probably wouldn't be as much as he envisioned.

Why do people always mysteriously keep the phrase "the timing is not yet ripe" on their lips?

Because many times, one really needs to wait for the timing to be ripe.

The audience's concepts, the general environment of the market... all sorts of factors are sitting right there.

You will be very restricted.

Just like the great success of "Nezha" on Earth, achieving such a heaven-defying box office, it was also thanks to the years before its release, where one after another decent domestic animated blockbuster films laid a solid foundation.

Therefore, the first card Luo Mo plays must be "Monkey King: Hero is Back", preferably "Monkey King: Hero is Back".

"After all, the Great Sage is different."

……..

……..

The next day, He Yuanguang returned to Shanghai.

Just as he said, he really only came to find Luo Mo for a result.

Luo Mo didn't lie to him; the moment he left, Luo Mo immediately sent a portion of the content for "Monkey King: Hero is Back" to his email.

When they parted, he noticed that Guang Shu had dark circles under his eyes, and the man looked somewhat exhausted and haggard; he had clearly suffered from insomnia.

The look he gave Luo Mo revealed struggle and hesitation.

Luo Mo could roughly guess why there were such emotions in his eyes.

Therefore, he sighed in his heart: "Guang Shu really is an excellent and pure animation professional."

After watching He Yuanguang leave by car, Luo Mo headed to the film crew.

Just as he arrived at the crew, he received a WeChat message from He Yuanguang.

"Ask you something, can I send this script to my teacher to take a look?" He Yuanguang asked.

Although the old gentleman Huang Lun was highly respected, this kind of thing definitely still required Luo Mo's consent.

"Sure." Luo Mo nodded in agreement.

"Mm, okay." He Yuanguang could feel Luo Mo's trust in him.

Luo Mo was actually quite curious about what thoughts old gentleman Huang Lun would have after reading the script.

The older generation doesn't necessarily have the same thinking and ideas.

Not to mention that he was the father of "Journey to the West".

He Yuanguang made a call to his teacher while in the car.

He first exchanged the usual pleasantries before starting to talk about business.

"Luo Mo?" Huang Lun was slightly stunned after hearing the name.

"The Luo Mo you are collaborating with?"

"The Luo Mo who made 'That Year Those Rabbits' and 'Fog Hill of the Five Elements'?" Huang Lun followed up.

"Mm, it's him." He Yuanguang said.

It was very clear that although Huang Lun had been retired for many years, he still paid close attention to the domestic animation industry.

He had actually watched both "Year Hare Affair" and "Fog Hill of Five Elements," and had finished them both.

This was not just because He Yuanguang was his prized student.

"Send it over quickly," Old Master Huang said.

(PS: First update.)

(End of this chapter)