I perked up and immediately forced myself to shift my attention, saying, "Hmm, tell me about it."
I know that during my recovery period, Yang Wei didn't rest for a single day. She devoted almost all her energy, except for spending time with me, to the film company. That script was written by someone she hired at a high price. She also stirred up controversy in the media, fueling the fire. At the same time, she meticulously studied many of the industry's rules…
Many times, she would even stay in the ward with a pile of documents, keeping me company while looking at them.
“A big-budget, blockbuster movie can easily make hundreds of millions in profit! Naturally, everyone wants to make that kind of money.” Yang Wei thought for a moment and said, “At first, I was also puzzled as to why those film companies were willing to share such lucrative opportunities with others. While a big-budget movie can cost hundreds of millions, which is astronomical to ordinary people, for those giant film companies… they're not short of money! The reason, besides diversifying investment risk, is largely a compromise.”
"The more profitable an industry becomes, the more complex it becomes! Countless people will desperately try to get in… For one thing, the fact that organized crime uses movies for money laundering is an open secret… and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Large, giant film companies usually have their own backgrounds and influence, and won't be blackmailed into letting their funds in. But even those powerful film giants have their reservations! For example…" Yang Wei said, counting on her fingers, "Banks, various funds, investors, production companies, and even many insurance conglomerates, and so on… It's a market of capital!"
Ultimately, the flow of capital boils down to the pursuit of profit! Once profit is generated, it's difficult for any single entity to monopolize it… After all, this is no longer the era of 'trusts'! While those major film studios aren't afraid of low-level organizations like gangs… if it's a truly top-tier gang, like a Mafia family, they will still have to compromise.
As for massive interest groups like banks, they are even more forced to bow down! The industry is only so big, and the relationships between them are incredibly complex, with each party intertwined with the others. There's even a strange phenomenon in the US that's hard for Easterners to understand... many film companies hold shares in each other! This kind of relationship means their connection goes beyond simply being competitors within the industry.
Rather, it's a situation where friend and foe are indistinguishable. More often than not, they'll unite to pursue greater interests! This has become an unwritten rule within the industry. No one can violate it, and no one dares to!
Just like when we first arrived, I tried to drag the banks into it and tie them to us. If a film has multiple investors, although the profits will be diluted, the benefits are numerous! Because those investors are all shrewd and capable! For example, if there's an investment fund from a bank among the investors, then it's like having a powerful ally in the financial sphere!
No film company can guarantee that it won't need to rely on a bank in the future!
Other investors joined under the same conditions.
Sometimes, there is even government or military involvement! For example, a movie like "Independence Day" that openly promotes American nationalism, can you say that it didn't have the support of the US government behind it?
And sometimes, a film invested in by one film company might even have investments from other competitors! For example, a film invested in by Warner Bros. might also show traces of Paramount and other companies… This is quite normal. Hollywood has developed for a century, and almost every company here, especially the big ones, is intertwined with each other!
Yang Wei finished speaking in one breath, took a sip of wine, caught her breath, and smiled at me.
I pondered for a moment, then looked up and said, "Since you said... that we should share some investment opportunities with others, even though it will dilute our profits, it will also help our long-term development. So, shouldn't we do that?"
"No!" Yang Wei shook her head firmly, rejecting my idea.
She sat up from my lap. At this moment, she exuded confidence, an air of complete control, the demeanor of a powerful, assertive woman. Such an expression was certainly inappropriate for her to continue clinging to me like a little bird.
"First of all, we don't intend to stay in Hollywood long-term. Chen Yang, to put it simply, we're speculating, not investing! If we planned to develop Billy Mountain Film Company and concentrate all our funds, strength, and resources on the film business, then I would suggest you give up a significant portion of your investment in this film! Even if we earn less, we'd gain friendships from all sides! That's important… but we don't need to do that. Our plan is to make a few big hits in Hollywood and then leave! We don't intend to put down roots here. In short! We're here to make money! Not to build a business!" Yang smiled slyly.
"As for the second point... you don't need to give up any profits now. Other film companies are willing to give up profits largely because they're worried about offending their allies and having them sabotage their films. But you don't have that worry at all now! Don't forget, almost half of Hollywood's celebrities owe you a huge favor!! This favor is an immeasurable network of relationships for you! At this point, if anyone tries to make things difficult for you, you probably won't even have to lift a finger; a bunch of big shots eager to repay the favor will come and send them packing!! Of course, this isn't because they genuinely like you or want to help you. They're just eager to repay the favor! Although once this favor is repaid, they won't help you anymore, at least for a while, in Hollywood, or rather, in the American entertainment industry, almost no one dares to mess with you!! Do you understand? In other words, since we don't plan to be in the film industry long-term, and since no one dares to mess with you now... then we don't need to give up our money-making opportunities! We can keep them all for ourselves!"
I nodded.
Based on these analyses, I still have great faith in Yang Wei. This woman's mind is indeed very sharp!
"There's another point we need to understand," Yang smiled slightly. "This movie you have now... Under normal circumstances, the safest film is a sequel to a blockbuster! Because the huge success of the first film has already proven that this approach is successful, and the safest way is to replicate that success! Therefore, sequel films are evaluated as having the lowest risk. But our movie... According to the analysis of the experts I've consulted, they've arrived at a number that will make everyone envious: the risk rate of our movie is less than five percent!!"
Yang Wei's eyes flashed, and a hint of excitement even appeared on her face: "Do you know what this means? It means that unless a natural disaster or man-made calamity occurs, or the United States suddenly experiences a large-scale war, or the American economy suddenly collapses, or the world ends... and so on and so forth. Unless these things happen that even God cannot control, otherwise... our movie is guaranteed to make a profit!!!"
Yang Wei's analysis was exceptionally meticulous, examining the entire sequence of events from several perspectives. She analyzed all the possibilities and prospects! Clearly, this woman's competence is extraordinary! Among the people around me, including the brilliant lawyer Zhou, I honestly feel I can't find anyone who can compare to Yang Wei!
This woman is truly the most intelligent person I've ever met in my life...
What surprised me was that at that moment, as I looked at Yang Wei, a strange thought suddenly popped into my head. This thought even puzzled me.
Hmm... Perhaps, what I've needed most all along is someone like this by my side?
After the plan was drafted, I had no objections. Yang Wei immediately began to implement it.
First, the initial publicity work went exceptionally smoothly for me. Although Billy Hill Films wasn't a huge name, as the boss of that film company, I was practically the most famous celebrity in America!
The sensation caused by my upcoming investment in this film was immediate and quickly spread like wildfire!
This time, a miracle was created that is hard to imagine in the history of American cinema... regarding the casting of the film!
Later, in an internal film industry annual report at the end of that year, the following sentence was recorded:
"Such a miracle can only happen once, and it will only happen once! It is unlikely that such a crazy thing will happen again in the future, even in three hundred years!"
The storm began when Yang Wei, under orders, conducted a small survey in a newspaper, asking readers and viewers for their expectations regarding the casting of the heroic roles and various male and female characters in the film.
It's safe to say this is pure hype. Audiences and readers are bound to come up with all sorts of candidates! They've nominated almost every handsome and beautiful A-list Hollywood actor they admire. And the film's director is even more diverse, ranging from Spielberg to rising stars—fans have nominated them all.
It's easy to imagine that this is entirely a media hype. No film could possibly feature so many big-name stars! It's a near-absurd illusion.
The very next day, the situation changed... and what followed was a global gasp:
Hollywood has gone mad!!
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter 161: Dazzling Choices
"In a recent interview, Tom Cruise addressed the fan nomination for a role in the Billy Hill Pictures film 'The Big Heist,' giving a positive response. Cruise stated that being nominated by fans was a privilege, and he clearly expressed his strong interest in starring in the film." —The Washington Post
"Jim Carrey has expressed interest in playing the psychopathic terrorist leader in 'The Big Heist,' and also expressed his gratitude to Chan for everything he has done for Hollywood." — USA Today
"The latest survey shows that most fans favor Keanu Reeves for the role of 'Chen' in the film, given his one-eighth Chinese ancestry and the cool martial arts skills he displayed in 'The Matrix' series that had a strong Chinese kung fu flavor. Some fans also mentioned Jet Lee, a Chinese actor known for his kung fu. Jackey Chen was also nominated. All three actors' agents have publicly expressed interest in the film." — Los Angeles Times
"Who's the Leading Lady?"—a huge headline in The New York Times! Undoubtedly, this report is also about the upcoming film "The Big Heist." The article includes almost all of Hollywood's top, young and beautiful actresses! From Nicole Kidman to Angelina Jolie to James Cameron... and so on, but ultimately the majority of the discussion focuses on Jessica Chastain!
The media has already uncovered that I attended the event with Jessica that day. And Jessica's role was that of my date at the party! This immediately excited the media, as if they hoped I would have some kind of scandal with a Hollywood actress. They quickly dug up a lot of "clues" to "prove" that there was a relationship between Jessica and me.
And naturally, Jessica, my party date, was cast as the lead in a movie. It almost became a given that she would get the role.
Even the Wall Street Journal, which leans towards finance and securities, later began to discuss this issue with me... Of course, the Wall Street Journal mainly discussed my views on the positive impact of the revival of Hollywood on the American economy...
Three days later, Time magazine featured a photo of me on its cover!
Regardless, appearing on the cover of Time magazine is undoubtedly an astonishing achievement! Because very, very few Chinese people have ever graced the cover of Time… Although many celebrities in China often boast about their supposed appearances on the cover of "Time" magazine—note the quotation marks around "Time"—it's important to understand that what they're referring to as appearing on the Asian edition of Time magazine is actually just that.
The official Time magazine, widely recognized as the legitimate American edition, is the one that truly makes the cover of Time magazine. Only those featured on the cover of the American edition are considered to be genuine Time magazine cover personalities.
Subsequently, as if unwilling to be outdone, world-class print media such as "Picture" and "People" put me on their covers.
My home was frequently visited by people from several media outlets, and I also gave one interview after another.
When the topic is repeated over and over again, the question I get asked most often is still: Who plays the main character in the movie?
Things have gotten to an insane point! You could say even the seven major Hollywood studios are starting to feel jealous... because when have they ever had so many A-list stars actively seeking even a small role in their films?
On Yang Wei's desk lay written faxes from six top Hollywood agents. At least eleven A-list Hollywood actors were vying for the lead role of "Chen." Even Will Smith, a handsome Black actor, had joined the competition…
What's even more interesting is the speculation surrounding the female lead.
Because the script for this film is largely adapted from reality, its proportion of factual information is very high. In addition to the lead actress, the script also includes a supporting female character.
The female lead was clearly derived from Jessica's identity that day. Moreover, in accordance with the traditions of Hollywood superhero action films, the script explicitly portrays a romantic relationship between the female lead and the male lead.
However, this second female lead is even more subtle. After reading the script, I realized that this second female lead is clearly an alter ego of Yang Wei herself!
In the script, the second female lead is the male lead's friend and also a business partner (all of this is based on real life). She's intelligent and devises her first escape plan, which ultimately fails. However, she remains a very distinctive and charismatic character.
The male protagonist is the owner of a film company. He is young, rich, handsome, brave, skilled, and charming.
Of course, to appeal to American audiences, the script didn't require the male and female leads to be Chinese. Especially the male lead, which wasn't required to be played by a Chinese actor. Instead, the character's racial identity was blurred.
The competition for the male lead can only be described as intense, but the competition for the female lead is practically white-hot!
Ever since Angelina publicly expressed her desire to star in this film, I received a personal call from her that very evening, expressing her wish to work with me. And after the news spread, even Hollywood's famous "Black Pearl," Halle Berry, got involved...she expressed her desire to play the second female lead.
This situation left everyone in the film industry dumbfounded!
This completely overturned the traditional procedures for film companies to plan and select actors for a film!
It's important to know that... in the past, when film companies were casting for movies, they would prepare the script, send it to their favorite actors, and then wait for the actors to read the script before negotiating their fees, schedules, and other issues...
Now, so many Hollywood stars, all of them without even having seen the script, have unanimously requested to star in the film! Some even said their salaries were negotiable... and their schedules were no problem at all.
Even Yang Wei was starting to have a headache over this situation.
It turns out that the most painful thing in the world is not having no choices... but having too many choices and being overwhelmed!
Finally, after our discussion, the first actor was decided... Old Bruce!
He will be playing himself in the movie! He's the first actor confirmed.
Then, regarding the female lead, in order to cater to the current most popular opinion, it was temporarily decided to choose Jessica, who is currently extremely popular.
Actually, Yang Wei and I made a mistake. We didn't need to rush the casting process. Normally, we could have chosen a director first, and then invited the director to participate in the casting process.
It's safe to say that the list of candidates currently on Yang Wei's desk is enough to drive anyone mad with envy!
From Spielberg to Michael Bay, who recently gained renewed popularity with Transformers, Luc Besson, and many others, and even Mel Gibson, a recognized rising star director.
Spielberg needs no introduction; he's currently Hollywood's biggest star, a godfather-like figure of power! I think anyone who enjoys watching movies knows his name. Behind that name lies a string of classic films that have made movie fans worldwide blush: *Indiana Jones*, *Jurassic Park*, *Schindler's List*, *A.I. Artificial Intelligence*, *Saving Private Ryan*, and so on…
Luc Besson, a name that evokes both love and hate from film fans worldwide, is a man who claims he will only act in ten films in his lifetime. In reality, he has far more than ten works to his name, but most of the time, he works as a producer. His most famous work is, of course, "Léon: The Professional."
Michael Bay, best known for films like "The Rock" and "Transformers," is a typical commercial action film director.
Mel Gibson, a veteran Hollywood action movie star! He transitioned from actor to director with his self-directed and starring film *Braveheart*, even winning an Academy Award for Best Director! But this guy is both a genius and a maverick; his religious film *The Passion of the Christ* shocked countless film critics! It's hard to imagine that a purely commercial action movie star could create such a profound film on a religious theme! And his later film *Apocalypse* almost completely recreated Mayan culture!
Others, even gangster film masters like Martin Scorsese, got involved.
This string of highly coveted names would make any film investor envious! And now, these names are right there on Yang Wei's and my desk; all we have to do is casually circle them with a pen...
In terms of influence, without a doubt, Spielberg is the biggest name here... He is also the biggest director on the planet right now!
However, the film experts in the company raised a concern after analysis.
It seems Spielberg isn't suited to directing purely commercial hero action films. Moreover, his previous works don't cover this genre... although there was one, *Indiana Jones*, that was over twenty years ago!
Luc Besson has made quite a few action films, but this old man is too mischievous and sometimes goes too far! And while he has made many good films, he has also made a lot of bad ones! This is our first film, and we were a little worried about getting him to handle it.
Mel Gibson… this guy who once directed an epic action masterpiece like Braveheart, has been making increasingly artistic and profound films in the last two years… this is not what we want.
As for the other directors, Michael Bay is the most suitable in terms of temperament. His breakthrough film, *The Rock*, is a typical Hollywood commercial action blockbuster. However, in terms of directing skill, he doesn't seem to reach the level of a master.
Normally, getting him to direct would be fantastic news... but now, among a long list of master-level candidates, he doesn't stand out.
And finally, a new name appeared on our list!
James Cameron!!!
First of all, he is also an Oscar-caliber film director! While his status in Hollywood may not be on par with Spielberg, it's not far off! His film "Titanic," in particular, was a global phenomenon!
Secondly, he is also a director who is very skilled at making commercial action films! And all of his films are classics!
The first two Terminator movies! Plus True Lies!! And the second installment of the First Blood series! (which is also widely considered the best in the series), these are all classic commercial action films!
Moreover, it could even be said that he single-handedly made Schwarzenegger an action superstar! (The two Terminator movies and True Lies).
In terms of fame, reputation, experience, directing skills, and suitability, there's no doubt that James Cameron is the best choice!
The director's only flaw is... extreme obsession and stubbornness... plus, he burns through money!!
If stubbornness can be seen as a display of a genius director's personality... then the habit of burning money is enough to drive any film company crazy!
Among his classic works, the second Terminator film was originally planned to have a budget of $60 million. However, by the time filming was completed, it had cost a staggering $120 million, causing the film company that invested in it to go bankrupt! Similarly, the production of True Lies exceeded its budget by more than double! Although it was a box office hit, it resulted in James Cameron's own film studio being acquired.