Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 143 He really made me cry to death!
Not everyone wants to be in a big-budget production. For some aspiring actors, the mere opportunity to appear on screen in a big production is a dream come true, but for established actors, it's a different story. The higher the budget, the greater the risk. A production costing 100 million yuan is manageable, but at the 200 million yuan level, very few people dare to claim they can carry the box office.

Just as Leonardo DiCaprio and his agent were getting anxious about this, the phone rang.

The agent answered the phone: "Hello, this is Leonardo... Ah, Director Wu! Of course, Leonardo is in Los Angeles. He has time, no problem!"

After overhearing part of the conversation, Leonardo DiCaprio's ears perked up, and as soon as his agent hung up, he immediately asked, "Which Director Wu was it? Was it John Wu?"

The agent smiled and shook his head: "No, it's Wu Yuchen, the director of the currently showing film 'Frequency'!"

Everyone in the industry knows about "Frequency," which grossed over 100 million in just 10 days. Leonardo DiCaprio then asked, "What did he want from me?"

"They've invited us to discuss the script this afternoon." The agent went over and patted him on the shoulder.

Leonardo DiCaprio also raised his arm and shouted, "Yes!"

It wasn't that he was particularly eager to meet Wu Yuchen or collaborate with him, but now that a project was finally willing to contact him, and it was even the director of a project worth hundreds of millions of yuan who took the initiative to contact him, he was able to vent his pent-up frustration and relieve his anxiety a lot.

……

Inside a private room, Wu Yuchen was waiting for Xiao Li to arrive.

Now, due to its exorbitant cost, "Titanic" has become a joke. Almost no one in Hollywood believes the film will break even, and even Fox itself is pessimistic. But they have no choice; they're completely tied to this film and have to grit their teeth and go ahead with it.

But no one could have predicted how brilliantly it would achieve, not only making truck drivers "Kings of the World" but also propelling Leonardo DiCaprio to become a top star in Hollywood and even the world!
With Leonardo DiCaprio as the male lead, the promotion and exposure of "Phone Booth" will no longer be a problem.

To illustrate with a simple comparison, both films were Western period dramas produced for 3500 million yuan. Leonardo DiCaprio's "The Man in the Iron Mask," released during the Titanic's popularity, grossed 1.8 million yuan. Meanwhile, "Ride with the Devil," starring DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire, was a box office flop, a disgrace even to director Li An. Li An must be regretting not signing DiCaprio to the bone.

This is Leonardo DiCaprio's appeal after Titanic!

This is why Wu Yuchen initially considered Hugh Jackman as a backup option while waiting for Leonardo DiCaprio.

This current lull in the production is the perfect opportunity for Wu Yuchen to bring Leonardo DiCaprio on as the male lead. If this opportunity passes this month, it will be gone. That's why he was in such a hurry to start finding producers and preparing the production team last month – so that filming could begin as soon as possible.

He wanted "Phone Booth" to be Leonardo DiCaprio's first movie to be released after "Titanic." In his previous life, "The Man in the Iron Mask" had taken that opportunity, but this time he was determined to make sure DiCaprio was the first to be released!
The knocking interrupted Wu Yuchen's thoughts, and then he saw the stunningly handsome Leonardo DiCaprio enter the room accompanied by his agent.

Wu Yuchen stood up with a smile to greet him, and Leonardo DiCaprio also greeted Wu Yuchen warmly in return.

"Hello, Director Wu! Actually, I was very impressed with you back at the Berlin Film Festival this year. Your film 'Run Lola Run' really amazed me!"

Wu Yuchen laughed and said, "Berlin Film Festival Best Actor, Leonardo, you are also unforgettable! When I saw you, I knew I had to work with you someday!"

The two do indeed have some connection; at the Berlin Film Festival this February, one won Best Director and the other won Best Actor.

Looking at Wu Yuchen, Leonardo DiCaprio was also filled with emotion. At the beginning of the year, when he met him, Wu Yuchen had only won the Best Director award at the Berlin Film Festival. He never expected that Wu Yuchen would become a director with a box office of over 100 million yuan so quickly!
The United States has always held itself in high regard, and Hollywood's attitude towards the three major European awards is rather lukewarm. They don't compare to the Oscars, and even the Golden Globes carry less weight, largely because many Americans don't pay much attention to international affairs. Therefore, in Hollywood, a director earning a hundred million dollars carries far more weight than any of the three major European awards.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Wu Yuchen stopped talking and took out the script for "Phone Booth" for Leonardo DiCaprio to read.

The protagonist of "Phone Booth" can be described as a fame-seeking, profit-driven, and habitually lying scoundrel. Of course, he hasn't committed any major evils, and the entire film is a moral trial of him by the mastermind behind the scenes. Under the pressure of death, the protagonist goes from being arrogant at the beginning to breaking down at the end, revealing all his secrets and repenting for all his sins in front of a public audience.

This character isn't a good guy; he's a scoundrel among ordinary people, but he's incredibly compelling, and this kind of role is exactly what Leonardo DiCaprio loves!
When people mention Leonardo DiCaprio, their first impression is Jack from "Titanic," and his stunning good looks. But actually, the roles he loved to play in his early career weren't really those of handsome men.

From the moment he entered the industry, he always harbored an artistic dream and a passion for awards. Just look at the roles Leonardo DiCaprio has played in the past:
The abusive and tormented teenager in "Boys' Life," the mentally challenged Yanni in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," the drug-addicted Jamie in "The Edge of Life," and the melancholic gay man in "Total Eclipse"—these are just some of the marginalized characters!
It was only in the last two years, at the urging of his agent, that he began to move towards mainstream film roles, and went on to star in films such as Romeo and Juliet, Titanic, and The Man in the Iron Mask.

However, Leonardo DiCaprio still harbors a fondness for these unconventional roles, especially since the script for "Phone Booth" was of such high quality that it completely captivated him.

After reading the script, Leonardo DiCaprio looked up in delight and exclaimed, "Director Wu, I absolutely love this story!"

The agent tugged at Leonardo DiCaprio, telling him not to rush into showing his emotions, as it would hinder his subsequent negotiations.

Wu Yuchen smiled and then asked directly, "Leon, how about it? Are you interested in being the male lead in my movie?"

Leonardo DiCaprio smiled politely this time: "Of course, I really hope to join 'Phone Booth'!"

At this moment, the agent standing nearby spoke up at the opportune moment: "Director Wu, could you please inquire about the details of the 'Sniper Phone Booth' project? Which company is involved? How much was invested? And what is the filming schedule...?"

Wu Yuchen naturally didn't intend to hide this: "This is an independent film, produced by my own company. The investment is around 1000 to 1200 million..."

The agent frowned slightly upon hearing this. His previous plan for Leonardo DiCaprio was to move more towards the mainstream, ideally taking on more projects from the Big Eight studios, but this particular project was an independent production with such a low budget…

"How much are you willing to pay Leonardo DiCaprio for his role in this film?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen held up three fingers: "300 million is already a very generous offer for our production team!"

The agent considered it for a moment. Leonardo DiCaprio received $2.5 million for "Titanic" and $3.5 million for "The Man in the Iron Mask" six months ago. The fact that the production company was now willing to offer $3 million was indeed within his acceptable range. Moreover, the fact that a production company with a budget of around $10 million was willing to offer $3 million to the male lead showed great sincerity.

The agent glanced at Leonardo DiCaprio, who in turn gave him a look indicating that he could accept the pay.

Wu Yuchen continued:
"As for the filming schedule, I hope we can start filming as soon as possible. My crew has been preparing for half a month, and I think we should be able to finish in about two weeks. The filming location is Fifth Avenue in Los Angeles, and the permit application from the city government should be approved by then..."

Hearing this, the agent and Leonardo DiCaprio exchanged a glance, and then DiCaprio couldn't help but say:

"Director Wu, but Titanic is releasing on December 19th, and I'll be starting a busy promotional campaign with Fox soon..."

Wu Yuchen pondered for a moment, then said, "I can wait until the end of the month to start filming. By then, your premiere promotions will be over, and the Christmas promotions should be mostly finished. Besides, the filming locations for this movie are very simple, so the filming speed will be fast, and it can be completed in half a month."

"Director Wu, I think we need to go back and discuss this further. Thank you very much for valuing Leonardo!"

A moment later, Wu Yuchen watched Leonardo DiCaprio and his agent leave, and sighed. The decision wasn't in his hands. He could tell that DiCaprio had been quite interested when they discussed the script and the role, but being interested was one thing, and whether he was willing to take the role was another.

After Leonardo DiCaprio and his agent returned home, the agent asked, "Leon, are you really keen on taking this role?"

"Of course! Putting everything else aside, this script is really fantastic. It's not the kind of arthouse film you're against. The story is very fast-paced, and it would be amazing if it could be made into a movie!"

Moreover, Director Wu is indeed a talented director; didn't he just prove himself with *Frequency*?

The agent nodded, then patted Leonardo DiCaprio on the shoulder:
"Leon, calm down. We need to be careful right now. I don't deny that it's a good script, and Director Wu is a talented director, but this is a low-budget independent film, and unlike Harvey's, it doesn't have a big company behind it. Its marketing and distribution might be a problem."

You should understand that a film's success depends not only on the film itself, but also on its production and promotion. What I'm hoping for now is that you can accept a film offer from one of the top eight film studios. That way, even if *Titanic* fails, you'll have a chance to make a comeback with this film.

“But we can’t find any other opportunities right now, can we? ‘Phone Booth’ is the only one that’s come knocking on our door,” Leonardo DiCaprio said.

The agent sighed upon hearing this; such was reality. He paced back and forth. Leonardo was his most promising artist, and now they were at a crucial juncture, so decisions had to be made with utmost care.

There's a lot of pessimism surrounding "Titanic" right now, and these people are insiders on the set, so they know more about the situation. Fox executives have argued with Cameron countless times. Fox originally wanted to cut the movie to two hours to increase screenings, but Cameron insisted that unless he was killed first, no one could cut the film!

In the end, Fox had no choice but to release the three-hour version. This led to theaters being unwilling to allocate too many screenings, which further dampened the outside world's expectations for "Titanic".

"Leon, given the current situation, it's highly likely that Titanic will fail, so your choice of the next film is crucial. If Titanic fails, at most your salary will drop significantly, and people will say it's Cameron's fault. You can still work in independent films. But if another film fails, that would be truly devastating!"

After hearing his agent's words, Leonardo DiCaprio had to temporarily suppress his love for "Phone Booth." He knew his agent was right; this was a crucial moment for him.

……

That evening, Wu Yuchen received a call from Leonardo DiCaprio. "Leon, what's your decision?"

"Oh, Director Wu, I'm so sorry, I really love the script for 'Phone Booth' and I'd love to work with you, but given my current situation..."

Leonardo's somewhat regretful voice came from the other end of the phone.

Wu Yuchen immediately frowned: "Leon, what's the reason? Is it because you think the pay is too low? Or is it because the filming schedule conflicts with your promotional schedule?"

“No, no, Director Wu, these are not problems. You should understand my situation. I was put in a very awkward position by 'Titanic,' and I can't afford to fail in my next film. If it were a year or two ago, I would have taken on 'Phone Booth' without hesitation, but I don't have the luxury of being willful now…”

Wu Yuchen understood now. Because his film was a low-budget independent film without a large company behind it, the other party was worried about its failure.

"Leon, are you worried about the film's marketing and distribution? Don't worry, the film's marketing and distribution won't be a problem."

Wu Yuchen naturally knew that Leonardo DiCaprio would have a natural increase in exposure after "Titanic", but he couldn't say it out loud.

At this moment, Leonardo DiCaprio's agent took the phone: "I'm sorry, Director Wu, it's not that we don't trust you, but you should also know that Hollywood films rarely succeed without proper promotion and marketing. Even Lucasfilm's 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones' series rely on the distribution channels and promotional efforts of the Big Eight studios. Leonardo can't afford to make a mistake now..."

After hanging up the phone, Wu Yuchen frowned. He had originally planned to find a second-tier publisher and ride on Leonardo DiCaprio's popularity to launch his film. But now it seemed DiCaprio was being very cautious; he wouldn't dare participate unless it was a major studio.

After thinking for a moment, Wu Yuchen dialed producer James's number again, intending to have another good talk with him about publicity and distribution issues.

……

As time went by, Leonardo DiCaprio couldn't think about that anymore and had already thrown himself into the promotional work for "Titanic," with the giant ship beginning to make its presence felt in the public eye on a large scale.

On December 14th, "Titanic" held its American premiere in Los Angeles. This premiere was five days earlier than its public release on the 19th, as Fox wanted to allow word-of-mouth to build up beforehand and maximize its opening weekend box office potential.

However, the female lead, Rose, was absent from the premiere, and actress Kate Winslet attended her ex-boyfriend's funeral, leaving Leonardo DiCaprio, the male lead, to walk the red carpet alone. This cast a shadow over DiCaprio's heart.

Five days later, amidst much anticipation, "Titanic" was released to the public.

After midnight, Leonardo DiCaprio sat in a chair, shaking his leg repeatedly to relieve his tension. Inside the room, director James Cameron sat silently. Just a few steps away were Fox executives, who were all unable to sleep at this hour and had come in person to await the box office figures.

Although everyone is pessimistic about the future of the film due to the pessimistic outlook from the outside world, they still hold onto hope in their hearts, thinking that maybe it will succeed?

A moment later, a staff member walked in with a data file. Seeing so many important people focusing their attention on him, he couldn't help but swallow hard, because he had just looked at the data and it didn't look good.

"How much?" a Fox executive immediately asked.

The staff member forced a smile that looked more like a grimace: "866 million."

"what?!"

"Did you read that correctly?"

Several incredulous exclamations rang out, and Cameron stepped forward and snatched the document, which clearly stated the opening day box office of "Titanic": $866 million.

A blockbuster with an investment of $250 million failed to gross even $10 million on its opening day, which almost broke Cameron's resolve, and his face turned pale.

The others also snatched the documents from his hands to look at them, and a moment later, a barrage of curses erupted.

"Cameron, you bastard! You should slit your throat with the razor you prepared!"

After Cameron finished editing, he argued with Fox executives, then took out a razor blade and said that if the movie failed, he would personally slash his editing machine screen with the blade and never direct again.

The shouting woke Cameron up, and he retorted defiantly, "This is only the first day, this is just the beginning!"

Although everyone felt he was making excuses, Fox had no other choice, and a senior executive offered words of comfort:

"That's right, it's only the first day. We got great reviews at the premiere, and maybe things will get better tomorrow!"
Leonardo, you absolutely must keep your promotional efforts going these next couple of days, and try to attract even more viewers!

Leonardo DiCaprio nodded blankly, but in his heart he already felt that the movie was about to end...

On Saturday, the box office was 1067 million.

Sunday, 930 million.

Titanic grossed $2863 million in its opening weekend.

When this result came out, everyone in the production team, including the Fox executives, felt that it was all over...

Hollywood has conducted professional surveys showing that for commercial popcorn movies, the first two weeks account for 70% of the total box office, and of course, the better the word-of-mouth, the lower this percentage becomes.

However, Titanic's box office this weekend was ridiculously low!

Two years ago, "Waterworld" grossed over 20 million in its opening weekend and ultimately reached 2.55 million worldwide. "Titanic," however, had a significantly higher budget than "Waterworld"!
The media launched a massive attack, declaring the film a disaster for Fox, comparable to the sinking of the Titanic. Some even suggested Fox should file for bankruptcy protection…

Leonardo DiCaprio and his agent stood there, speechless.

With a blank expression, Little Li asked woodenly, "Will the Eight Greats still come looking for me now?"

The agent said bitterly:

"I didn't expect the box office to be this bad in the opening weekend..."

"I should have let you take on 'Phone Booth'!"

Leonardo DiCaprio thought of the main actors in "Waterworld," whose careers were greatly affected. They either transitioned to behind-the-scenes work or became television actors.

And now, Titanic is in an even worse situation than Waterworld...

Just then, his phone rang, and Leonardo DiCaprio silently picked it up and answered it:
"Hello, Leon, I am Wu Yuchen."

Little Li wanted to say that he wasn't feeling well at all, but Wu Yuchen's call still stirred something within him. Could it be...?

Wu Yuchen continued, "Leon, I watched 'Titanic,' it was really fantastic! Your performance was also outstanding, and I think everything will be alright from now on!"

"Thank you, Director Wu!" Little Li said sincerely. Anyone who would call at this time was truly looking out for him, not some snobbish opportunist.

"Leon, I'm extending another invitation to you. How about the lead role in 'Phone Booth'?"

A warm feeling welled up in Leonardo DiCaprio's heart. He hadn't expected Wu Yuchen to be waiting for him all along. He couldn't help but ask, "Director Wu, aren't you worried that the film will be criticized because of me?"

"Haha, Leon, I believe in you! Even if you fail this time, it's nothing. I believe you will definitely become famous in the future!"

Oh, and I'll still give you 300 million in salary. Also, you don't need to worry about publicity anymore; I've contacted Sony and Columbia for distribution, and the publicity budget is 1000 million!
"So, Leon, do you still have any concerns?"

Upon hearing this, Little Li was immediately shocked!
When his starring film flopped at the box office in its opening weekend and the whole world was laughing at them, Wu Yuchen was still willing to offer him a salary of 300 million yuan, plus so much publicity expenses, when he was at his most desperate!
He really made me cry to death!
It was as if a ray of light had illuminated his darkest moment. Little Li's eyes welled up with tears, and a surge of emotion welled up in his heart. He felt that he would do anything Wu Yuchen asked him to do!

(End of this chapter)