Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 109 Transactions and Awards

Four films generated a lot of buzz at this year's Berlin Film Festival: The English Patient, The Sex Writer, Romeo and Juliet, and Run Lola Run. This buzz refers not to awards, but to overall popularity, including the amount of discussion surrounding them.

In the marketplace of the three major film festivals, popular films are naturally the object of fierce competition among major distributors. But look at these films: *The English Patient* is from Miramax, now a Disney subsidiary, which can leverage Disney's distribution channels; *Romeo and Juliet* is from Fox; and *Sex and the Beast* is also a Hollywood production with eight major labels. How are European distributors supposed to negotiate with them?

Therefore, of the four blockbuster films, only "Run Lola Run" remained as a target for these film companies. This gives an idea of ​​just how popular Wu Yuchen was.

He was aware of this, so even though he had a vague idea of ​​cooperating with EMI Pictures, he did not take the initiative to contact them, but instead met with these film companies one by one.

In fact, he politely declined most of the offers from smaller film studios, partly because they lacked the resources and partly because they couldn't afford the prices he wanted. He met with several major European distributors, including Gaumont and Mk2, and even some of the Big Eight studios, as they were also very interested in the blockbuster "Run Lola Run" and would be willing to acquire it if the price was right.

Sure enough, two days later, Harris from EMI couldn't sit still any longer and came to visit again. This time, the two met at a coffee shop.

Wu Yuchen arrived late and smiled at Harris, saying, "Sorry, Mr. Harris, I've been quite busy these past few days and haven't been able to get away."

"Haha, I understand. Wu, your talent has attracted the attention of all of Berlin."

Wu Yuchen smiled and didn't deny it. After ordering a coffee, he started exchanging pleasantries with the other person.

Harris remained very polite, but after the routine greetings were over, he asked:
"Wu, I wonder what your decision is? We at Baidai are extremely sincere!"

Wu Yuchen said with a smile, "Mr. Harris, I think sincerity should be reflected in the price, shouldn't it?"

“$400 million, I think that price is already very sincere, and Wu, we will help Run Lola Run in as many ways as possible.”

Wu Yuchen chuckled and shook his head: "Mr. Harris, your sincerity isn't that great. You know what? Miramax approached me, and it was Harvey Weinstein himself, offering $1200 million for global rights and promising me worldwide distribution."

Harris frowned upon hearing this. Harvey Weinstein was now extremely famous, and Miramax was no longer a small company from a few years ago. Now, its parent company belonged to Disney, and they could use Disney's distribution channels.

Furthermore, Miramax films have consistently garnered awards at the Big Three and the Oscars. For example, Harvey Dufresne, a PR whiz, personally led the team behind "The English Patient." Global distribution combined with the allure of the Oscars makes it incredibly appealing to aspiring directors.

Therefore, when Harris heard that Harvey Weinstein was involved, he felt that things were getting a bit tricky, and he didn't know how much he had to raise the price to win the bid.

At this point, Wu Yuchen continued, "Harvey also told me that he regrets selling the rights to 'Pulp Fiction' for only $12 million, because it grossed over 100 million yuan at the European box office. He made a losing deal. He was heartbroken to see so much money going into your pockets!"

Harris was very unhappy. Although they had indeed made a fortune with "Pulp Fiction," it was risky, and they only made so much money by taking risks. Of course, he also had to admit that he was willing to spend so much money to buy "Run Lola Run" because he saw its potential to become a blockbuster like "Pulp Fiction."

He simply advised, "Wu, we can give you 500 million. Although Harvey is very famous, he is not a good partner. He is a greedy and arrogant guy. Believe me, he won't be willing to take out 1200 million at once."

Unexpectedly, Wu Yuchen on the other end nodded in agreement:

"Yes, I know, that's why I didn't agree to his conditions. I also really hope to cooperate with EMI Pictures. As long as you agree to one condition, I can sell it to you for 500 million."

Harris was overjoyed; he had originally planned to raise the price to $600 million: "Wu, please speak!"

"I want 10% of the box office revenue from Run Lola Run in Europe, which is over 3000 million euros."

This surprised Harris. Box office revenue sharing was a privilege usually reserved for big-name directors. He was about to say something when Wu Yuchen stopped him with a gesture.

Wu Yuchen continued, "Mr. Harris, this price is already very considerate of you. I know that Pathé Pictures has its own distribution channels in Europe, and even its own cinemas. You can get at least 40% of the box office revenue of a film, maybe even more."

"Buying the rights for 500 million, you can break even with 1200 million. Given the current situation of 'Run Lola Run,' it's a low-risk deal. All I want is 10% of the box office revenue exceeding 3000 million, which greatly reduces your risk, doesn't it?"

After Wu Yuchen finished speaking, he remained silent, waiting for Harris's reply.

Harris frowned in thought. He was indeed very optimistic about "Run Lola Run," and $12 million was certainly no problem for him; otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to quote that price. However, he felt that even if a film starring an Asian actor became a hit, it wouldn't reach the level of "Pulp Fiction," which grossed over $100 million in Europe. It might only reach $30 million at best, and $50 million at best.

He did the math in his head. Even if the box office reached 50 million, he would only get an extra 2 million from the other party. Adding the 5 million copyright fee, it would only be 7 million. Meanwhile, Hundred Degrees Pictures could earn 20 million. This deal was definitely profitable.

Harris glanced at Wu Yuchen's resolute gaze and said, "Wu, wait a moment, I need to make a phone call."

Wu Yuchen gestured for him to go ahead, and Harris picked up his phone to communicate with headquarters. After a moment, he put down his phone and said to Wu Yuchen:
“Wu, in principle, EMI agrees to this deal, but we hope you can also sell the DVD and video rights to ‘Run Lola Run’ together.”

Wu Yuchen smiled and said, "Mr. Harris, I'm willing to sell, but are you willing to pay this price?"

“Four million US dollars, Wu, that’s no small sum!”

Wu Yuchen shook his head: "Mr. Harris, I think we should wait until the movie is released before discussing the DVD rights. The current price is a bit far from what I'm looking for."

When Harris saw that Wu Yuchen didn't even want to negotiate the price this time, he knew that it was really far from his expectations. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Then we need to get two rights: the right of first refusal for the disc rights and the film adaptation rights."

Wu Yuchen didn't care about the right of first refusal, which proved that the other party was optimistic about the deal. He then extended his hand and shook hands with Harris: "It's a pleasure to cooperate with you!"

Now that the two sides had reached an agreement, Wu Yuchen didn't hold back and said, "Mr. Harris, about the awards..."

Harris smiled upon hearing this: "Wu, we will definitely do our best to try. As far as 'Run Lola Run' is concerned, I think we have two directions to work towards."

Wu Yuchen gestured for me to listen attentively, and Harris continued:
"The first is the ultimate Golden Bear prize, which is difficult, but not impossible."

Your play, *Run Lola Run*, is very popular with women. I know that the female judges in France are quite interested in it. If your compatriot, Ms. Zhang, is also willing to vote for you, that would be two votes. In that case, Mr. Lang can help you win it over.”

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen sighed and said to Harris, "Harris, I can't guarantee that Miss Zhang will vote for me."

Harris frowned upon hearing this, and then said, "In that case, it's hard to say. We can only hope to win over the jury."

Then he continued, "The other award is Best Director. Wu, this film, 'Run Lola Run,' fully demonstrates your talent as a director, so I think you have a good chance of winning this award."

Wu Yuchen nodded upon hearing this. To the audience, the protagonist of the movie "Run Lola Run" is undoubtedly Lola, but those in the industry can tell at a glance that the real soul of the film is the director.

"However, Wu, there's one thing you need to understand. Nowadays, the three major film festivals, unless the jury president is a very powerful and eccentric person, will follow the principle of dividing the pie, so there's a high chance that there will only be one of these two awards."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen fell into deep thought. The Jury Prize and Best Director?

After parting ways with Harris, Wu Yuchen also re-examined the deal that had just been reached.

Harris was right about one thing: *Run Lola Run* is an Eastern story, destined to never fetch a price like *Pulp Fiction*'s $12 million. Even for the screening rights alone, no one in Europe was willing to pay over $6 million, because that's a significant amount and inherently carries risk. That's why he preferred to accept $5 million in exchange for a share of the box office revenue exceeding $30 million. Perhaps the other party thought a box office of 30-40 million would be more realistic, but Wu Yuchen still held onto some hope for *Run Lola Run*.

Moreover, this is a share of the box office revenue, not a share of profits. Box office figures are not as easy to hide as profits. In Europe and America, they don't dare to blatantly steal box office revenue as they do in China now.

As for Harvey Weinstein, Wu Yuchen only used him as a wingman; he didn't know how much of the promised 1200 million would actually end up in his hands.

Wu Yuchen has stopped thinking about box office revenue and is now focused on awards. Now that he has partnered with EMI, they are a community of shared interests. It's just a matter of whether he can win any awards in the end.

A few days later, unsurprisingly, Wu Yuchen received a notification inviting them to the awards ceremony the following day, which was entirely within his expectations.

This greatly excited Li Xiaoran, because in film magazine predictions, her character Lola was a strong contender for the lead role. There was no denying the immense buzz surrounding the strong female lead archetype. Now that "Run Lola Run" had been invited to an awards ceremony, she couldn't help but wonder if her role as the lead actress would win the Berlin Film Festival's Best Actress award.
……

The following day, the red carpet was brightly lit and filled with cheers from movie fans; the closing ceremony's red carpet event was incredibly lively.

To be fair, Berlin was more popular this year than last year, thanks in no small part to the presence of several Hollywood films, including "Run Lola Run".

Wu Yuchen was naturally no stranger to the red carpet, having experienced it last year. Dressed in a black suit, he stood tall and straight, walking arm in arm with Li Xiaoran, stopping and starting, constantly smiling and waving to both sides of the red carpet.

"Lola, you're amazing!"

"Lola, you fascinate me!"

"Lola, you're so cool! Keep it up!"

"Lola, crush all obstacles, charge! Charge!"

There are many fans of "Run Lola Run", mostly young people, who start shouting and yelling when they see Li Xiaoran.

Li Xiaoran walked the red carpet for the first time without any stage fright. She waved excitedly with Wu Yuchen while listening to the cheers on both sides, enjoying the feeling of being the center of attention. She truly experienced what it was like to be a star, and she felt completely immersed in it!

Seeing this, Wu Yuchen smiled broadly; the level of support was no less than that of several Hollywood movies.

The only thing he found somewhat regrettable was that domestic media hadn't yet started sending reporters from the three major media outlets every year like they would ten years later. The reporters taking pictures of them were mostly foreign journalists. He did see a few Chinese faces, but they spoke Cantonese and seemed to be reporters from Hong Kong.

After walking the red carpet and taking their seats in the hall, the lights were turned off, leaving only the brightly lit awards stage. The host then took the stage with a smile, and the awards ceremony officially began.

As usual, there were some small prizes at the beginning. Li Xiaoran was very interested since it was her first time there and kept asking questions. Wu Yuchen answered them all with a smile, and the atmosphere in the room was very relaxed.

After all the other awards were announced, with only a few major prizes remaining, the relaxed atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense.

"Next up is the Best Actress award, let's take a look..."

As the words "female lead" appeared on the big screen, Wu Yuchen felt a tightening in his hand, realizing that Li Xiaoran must also be starting to get nervous.

After a brief introduction, without keeping the audience in suspense, the award presenter announced the award directly:

"Best Actress, Juliette Binoche, for *The English Patient*!"

When Wu Yuchen saw the disappointment on Li Xiaoran's face after hearing the result, he squeezed her hand and whispered in her ear, "There will be other opportunities in the future."

Li Xiaoran nodded in agreement. This was her first film role, and she was already vying for Best Actress—something to be proud of. She composed herself and then clapped with Wu Yuchen.

The next award is naturally Best Actor, and the competition is quite fierce this time. Woody Harrelson for "Sex Books," Ralph Fiennes for "The English Patient," and Leonardo DiCaprio for "Romeo + Juliet" were all considered frontrunners.

"The best actor is..."

Wu Yuchen calmly observed the various candidates, especially Little Li, whose face was tense and whose eyes were fixed on the award stage.

Although the Berlin Film Festival is far less important to Leonardo DiCaprio than the Oscars, since he was already there and surrounded by the atmosphere, how could he not want to win an award?
"Leonardo DiCaprio, Romeo and Juliet!"

Leonardo DiCaprio jumped up immediately, a bright smile spreading across his face. He hugged those on either side of him before going on stage to accept his award.

Looking at Leonardo DiCaprio, who was holding his award and beaming with joy on stage, and then thinking about how he later cried himself to sleep in the Oscars bathroom several times, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but laugh.

To be honest, if I hadn't come to attend this Berlin Film Festival, I would have forgotten that Leonardo DiCaprio has also won the Berlin Film Festival Best Actor award!

The tension didn't disappear, it just shifted. After Leonardo DiCaprio walked off the stage completely relaxed, it was Wu Yuchen's turn to get nervous. Because the next award was Best Director!
The host spoke again: "Next up is the Best Director of this year's film festival, please welcome Ms. Brecht!"

This Brecht was the French female judge on the jury. She first smiled and nodded in acknowledgment, then made a troubled and frustrated expression:
"Oh, this year's Best Director award was truly a difficult choice! There were so many outstanding directors this year, making it very hard for our jury to decide. We held multiple rounds of discussions and voting, and whoever wins deserves this honor!"

She wasn't lying; Wu Yuchen's competitors were all very strong.
Anthony Minghella, the director of "The English Patient," won the Academy Award for Best Director for this film!

Eric Hermann, the director of "Port Gemma," is a French director who has won the Venice Golden Lion, the Cannes and Berlin Jury Awards, and the Berlin Best Director Award. He has received countless nominations and has been in the industry for nearly 50 years. He can be considered a super veteran of the three major film festivals. At this moment, he appears very relaxed.

Milos Forman, director of "The Sex Book Tycoon," won the Academy Award for Best Director twice, for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Amadeus," an honor that is truly enviable.

Tsai Ming-liang's "The River" is a Taiwanese film. Director Tsai Ming-liang won the Golden Lion Award at the 94 Venice Film Festival with "Vive L'Amour," beating "In the Heat of the Sun."

It's fair to say that each of his competitors, all directors, is far more experienced than Wu Yuchen, so he lacks confidence at this point.

Although a cooperation agreement has been reached with EMI Pictures, it doesn't guarantee that it will be successful. Just because you have connections doesn't mean others don't. Compared to them, Wu Yuchen is probably the weakest in terms of seniority and connections.

Wu Yuchen glanced at Mr. Lang, the chairman of the jury, sitting in the center of the panel. He wondered how much Mr. Lang had helped him and which award he had focused his efforts on. If he had misdirected his efforts, the worst outcome might be that he would get nothing at all.

With Wu Yuchen feeling somewhat uneasy, and with everyone holding their breath, Brecht tore open the envelope:
"The Best Director at the 47th Berlin International Film Festival is..."

Brecht glanced at the audience; several directors, ranging from 20 to 77 years old, with skin ranging from yellow to white, were all staring at her expectantly.

"Wu, Run Lola Run!"

(End of this chapter)