Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 144 Shameless Bastard
After signing the contract and putting down his pen, Xiao Li breathed a sigh of relief, then stood up again and gave Wu Yuchen a warm hug, saying in a grateful and sincere tone:
"Director Wu, I don't know what to say, thank you so much! I promise to join the crew the day after Christmas and do my best to make 'Phone Booth' a great film!"

Wu Yuchen was delighted to see him sign the document, and smiled as he asked, "The day after Christmas? Are you sure you don't need to do any more promotion for 'Titanic'?"

Leonardo DiCaprio seemed annoyed when he heard about "Titanic," and complained:

"I've done everything I could for Titanic, and Fox only gave me $250 million, but it's put me in such a predicament. I've already done more than enough by helping them with the Christmas Day promotions!"

The agent standing next to Wu Yuchen also assured him:
"Director Wu, rest assured, we've been working on this wrecked ship for over half a month. Fox has no reason to ask Leonardo to do anything more. In fact, they're in dire straits themselves right now!"

Wu Yuchen nodded upon hearing this. He was naturally even happier to start filming a day earlier. He smiled and said to Leonardo DiCaprio:

"Leon, don't worry. I can't guarantee much, but I'm confident that 'Phone Booth' will gross over 100 million!"

Leonardo DiCaprio was taken aback. Aside from the big-name directors, even small-time directors wouldn't dare make such a claim before filming. However, Wu Yuchen's "Frequency" is currently doing well, which lends more credibility to his words.

However, Leonardo DiCaprio felt that Wu Yuchen was saying this to give him confidence and encouragement, and thought that Director Wu was really heartwarming. He then returned Wu Yuchen's smile.
"Director Wu, then I must perform even better and strive for a box office of 100 million yuan!"

He thought Wu Yuchen meant the global box office was over 100 million. He didn't dare to think about the North American box office being over 100 million, after all, the film only cost tens of millions to make. After "Titanic", he really didn't have confidence in his own box office appeal.

In fact, even if the box office reaches 50 million, let alone over 100 million, it would be enough to stabilize the situation and help him get out of his current predicament.

Wu Yuchen laughed heartily: "We'll definitely succeed. Leon, we'll need your hard work for the promotions then!"

"Director Wu, I will naturally give it my all, as long as the media and audiences don't criticize me because of 'Titanic'..."

Little Li shook his head slightly with a bitter expression, then assured Wu Yuchen.

Wu Yuchen chuckled and didn't say anything more to Leonardo DiCaprio. Everyone in later generations knows that *Titanic* created a miracle in film history, grossing a staggering $18 billion worldwide, doubling the previous box office record, and is undoubtedly a milestone in world cinema.

However, few people know about this process. Unlike most blockbuster movies, "Titanic" is not known for its explosive power, and its performance in the first three days of its opening weekend was actually quite poor. The box office of 2863 million is definitely a terrible result for a blockbuster with a box office of more than 200 million.

But the endurance of this giant ship is astonishing, holding the number one spot at the North American box office for 15 consecutive weeks! This completely overturned everyone's expectations!

Therefore, Titanic is currently surrounded by ridicule and mockery. Leonardo DiCaprio, James Cameron, and even Fox all thought they were doomed. These voices in the market will not disappear or change until a month after the film's release.

However, by then, Wu Yuchen should have already finished filming "Phone Booth." This is one of the reasons he chose "Phone Booth"—it could be completed within two weeks!

As for his previous promises to Leonardo, they were certainly genuine.

Paying Leonardo DiCaprio 300 million yuan for a film now might seem foolish to some, but two months from now, the fee will have to be 2000 million yuan!
Leonardo DiCaprio's first film after Titanic, The Beach, earned him a top Hollywood salary of $2000 million.

He's giving Wu Yuchen 300 million now. Even if things turn around a month later, and Leonardo DiCaprio finds himself not only out of trouble but at the peak of his career, he won't hold a grudge against Wu. He'll remember Wu's timely help and will wholeheartedly promote the film. Wu Yuchen wouldn't take advantage of this situation to lower the price, risking a breakdown in their relationship and leaving only business; it's not worth it.

There's also a promotional budget of over ten million yuan, which is written into the contract. It doesn't necessarily have to be Sony or Columbia; any of the eight major studios will do. We'll discuss this with them after the film is released to see who offers the lowest agency fee. By then, Leonardo DiCaprio will have become a household name and will have leverage in negotiations, so Wu Yuchen is confident he can secure a lower agency fee.

Publicity and distribution are indeed unavoidable hurdles. Even someone like Lucas, at the top of Hollywood, has no shortage of connections and resources, but film publicity and distribution still require cooperation with major studios. Therefore, after much discussion, Wu Yuchen and James finally decided to partner with the Big Eight studios for publicity and distribution.

Wu Yuchen touched the contract in his hand. The most important male lead in the movie was now secured, so it was basically a done deal, though it wasn't impossible to do even better. Thinking of the villain in the movie, the image of an old man flashed through his mind.

……

After parting ways with Wu Yuchen, the manager breathed a long sigh of relief:

"Leon, you're really lucky this time. You actually met someone like Director Wu who extended an olive branch when you were in trouble!"

"Yes, I didn't expect his attitude towards me to remain unchanged at all. There are so few people like that in Hollywood! I now have a lot of goodwill towards Chinese people!"

Leonardo DiCaprio said with a laugh, “Phone Booth” was like a rope in his despair that pulled him out of a sinking ship.

The agent smiled and then said to Leonardo DiCaprio:

"By the way, Leon, I've inquired. Director Wu's orientation is perfectly normal. He had an intimate relationship with the female lead during the filming of 'Frequency,' so you don't need to worry!"

Leonardo DiCaprio didn't show anything on the surface, but he felt a sense of relief. With his stunning good looks, it's impossible to say he hasn't received invitations and harassment from gay men in Hollywood, but he managed to refuse them all thanks to his agency's protection.

Wu Yuchen's kindness towards him this time aroused suspicion in his agent, who naturally wanted to investigate further. However, Wu Yuchen's behavior remained normal throughout. Moreover, in Hollywood, deals are usually made by directly stating the terms. Now that the contract is signed, the other party has no leverage left, so there's no need to worry anymore.

Leonardo DiCaprio now has a very good impression of Wu Yuchen and spoke up for him, saying, "Director Wu is a very gentlemanly director; you're overthinking it."

The agent shrugged and joked, "Of course! But the look on your face when you first got that call made me think you were ready to offer your ass to him!"

"Oh! Come on, how could that be! My ass isn't that cheap! No, I mean I would never do such a thing!"

Leonardo DiCaprio and his agent chatted and laughed as they went back, knowing they would continue their promotional tour for "Titanic" in the next few days.

……

Sylvester Stallone is very happy now. He has made a comeback with "Frequency," which not only caused a box office explosion, but also earned him rare praise from many media outlets for his acting skills.

Frequency has been showing in North America for five weeks now, grossing $1.39 million and receiving positive reviews. If it continues to be shown, $150 million is definitely achievable, and it might even reach $160 million.

Keep in mind that his original contract with Søren Columbia was for an $800 million salary plus 12% of the North American box office revenue. Even if we calculate it at $1.5 million, he would receive $1800 million from the revenue share alone, which is equivalent to a $2600 million salary in one go. That's no less than anything he's ever received before!
With both fame and fortune at his disposal, he found Wu Yuchen, who had found him, particularly pleasing to the eye and treated him with great hospitality.

Wu Yuchen rubbed his finger against the cheek of Sylvester Stallone's eldest daughter, Sofia, making her giggle. Stallone watched with a smile, knowing that he wouldn't let anyone touch his precious daughter when they were on set last time!
After enjoying a sumptuous lunch, Stallone accepted the script from Wu Yuchen.

"Sylvester, I'd like to ask you to play a major villain. Of course, he's not really that bad; in some ways, he's a judge who punishes evil and promotes good, and he'll definitely be a very cool character in the eyes of the audience!"

Sylvester Stallone smiled at Wu Yuchen, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

"I heard you're producing this film independently. Can you afford my salary? You know I'm very expensive!"

“Sylvester, you’ll only be on screen for two minutes, and the filming time won’t exceed half a day. How can you bear to accept such a high fee from me?” Wu Yuchen made an exaggerated expression of disbelief.

"Two minutes, half a day, are you sure?" Stallone asked.

“Of course! I’ll pay you a million if you’re more than a minute over!” Wu Yuchen said confidently. Stallone pondered for a moment, then said, “Then I’ll give you a friendly price, a million dollars. But I need to see the script first.”

He naturally knew that Wu Yuchen was looking for a cameo role like this to use his name for publicity. The 100 million yuan price was mainly for image rights. Wu Yuchen had no objection to this; it was within his acceptable range.

After a while, when Stallone finished reading the script, he found it to be excellent, a truly great story. However, he roared at Wu Yuchen:

"Are you sure this is only a 2-minute scene?!"

He clearly saw many of his lines in the script; it was a dialogue between him and the male lead from beginning to end.

Wu Yuchen maintained his smile: "Of course, Sylvester, think about it carefully, didn't you only appear briefly at the very end of the film? In reality, it might not even be a minute in total!"

Seeing Stallone pointing to the script, he explained, "You can do the voice-over for your lines in post-production; you really don't need to be there during filming."

"You cunning little rascal!" Stallone slapped the script, both amused and exasperated.

His character has a strong presence in the film, but he only makes a brief appearance at the end, and otherwise exists entirely as a voice.

This kid in front of me is too good at cheating and slying!
"One million is simply not enough!"

"Sylvester, how about I pay you your voice acting fee with the highest possible salary?" Wu Yuchen said shamelessly.

"Shameless bastard! How dare you say that?" the old man roared.

"Just consider it a way to support the independent film industry!"

After a series of friendly negotiations, Stallone agreed to take on the role for $200 million. This was based on their past friendship from "Frequency," his optimism about Wu Yu-chen's future, and the fact that the script was truly excellent.

After leaving Stallone's house, Wu Yuchen breathed a sigh of relief. However, it seems the movie has gone over budget. 10 million is not enough. Leonardo DiCaprio and Stallone's salaries alone amount to 5 million. It is estimated that the final production cost will need to be raised to 12 million.

……

"Wu Yuchen, everyone in the country is eagerly waiting for you to come back. Has this big-name director with hundreds of millions of dollars been blinded by the glitz and glamour of America and is reluctant to come back?"

Hou Keming joked with Wu Yuchen over the phone.

"Dean Hou, you've wronged me! I'm busy preparing for my second Hollywood movie, and filming starts tomorrow!" Wu Yuchen shouted into the phone, protesting his innocence.

"What?! You've started filming again so soon?" Hou Keming exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, the crew is all set up. We'll start filming as soon as the male lead joins the crew tomorrow."

"You're moving way too fast, kid!" Hou Keming knew that Wu Yuchen was a fast writer with a constant stream of inspiration, but he didn't expect him to be the same in Hollywood. His previous movie was still showing in theaters when his next movie was already in production.

"There was no other way. When inspiration struck and the timing was right, I took the picture. It would have been a real shame to miss it," Wu Yuchen explained.

"Okay, then. You can focus on filming over there. I'll help you spread the word. The Golden Rooster Awards just ended, and some people were initially unhappy that you didn't participate, but now that I've explained things to you, it'll be fine."

Hou Keming said with a smile, "Attending an awards ceremony is nothing compared to making a movie, especially one in Hollywood."

Wu Yuchen immediately asked, "Dean Hou, what were the results this time?"

Wu Yuchen's film "We Two," which he filmed last year, has been nominated for this year's Golden Rooster Awards.

"I thought you didn't care anymore! Your crew's old lady Jin Yaqin won Best Actress, and you, the great director, didn't come away empty-handed either, winning Best Directorial Debut Award."

Wu Yuchen wasn't surprised after hearing this. Everyone knows what kind of things these domestic awards are like. Seniority is the norm, and they justify it by saying that young people need to get some experience.

However, given Wu Yuchen's numerous awards abroad, it wouldn't be appropriate not to give him one. Therefore, he received the Best Director Debut award as encouragement. Furthermore, the Best Actress award was given to your film crew – that's quite a show of respect.

Jin Yaqin is already quite old; awarding her the Best Actress award is perfectly reasonable. As for Zhou Xun, a newcomer, she's naturally been relegated to the training and development category!

Unsurprisingly, the Best Picture went to Xie Jin's "The Opium War," while the Best Director award went to the patriotic film "The Great Turning Point."

Wu Yuchen chuckled, not taking it to heart. To be honest, domestic awards no longer added much value to him. Besides, these people might not give him anything for a year or two, let alone hold him back for three to five years. He wasn't without connections or influence!

In my previous life, the movie "Phone Booth" was also filmed in winter. The original filming location was set on West 53rd Street on Broadway in New York. However, after filming for a day, the entire crew was suffering from the biting cold wind. Upon seeing this, the director decisively moved the location to Los Angeles, where it is spring-like all year round. Even so, the filming was completed in just 12 days.

This time, Wu Yuchen didn't need to go through any more trouble. On Fifth Avenue in Los Angeles, the camera focused on Leonardo DiCaprio, who was dressed in a smart black suit, a flashy red shirt, and sunglasses. He exuded the air of an elite, and was accompanied by a little assistant who admired him. Every move he made showed that he was a successful person.

Simply put, the male lead is just showing off from the start, and everyone can see that. Leonardo DiCaprio plays this kind of role effortlessly because he himself is very good at showing off!

However, his current look is slightly different from his appearance in "Titanic." First, he appears more mature, not a naive young man, but a social elite. Second, his handsomeness is different. Jack in "Titanic" was a handsome young man, while in "Phone Booth," Leonardo DiCaprio's look is roguish and charming, giving off a bad boy vibe.

"Crack!"

Leonardo DiCaprio, who had picked up the receiver inside the phone booth, looked at Wu Yuchen after hearing his voice.

Wu Yuchen pointed to his left hand, and Leonardo DiCaprio suddenly realized what he meant. He immediately made an apologetic gesture to Wu Yuchen: "Sorry, director, I forgot!"

Wu Yuchen wasn't angry; instead, he stepped forward and patiently explained to him:
“Leon, you are a married man, but you are about to make a phone call to your lover, so you take off your wedding ring before making the call. This shows that you know your behavior is immoral, that you subconsciously feel guilty towards your wife, and that you are also dissatisfied with the constraints of marriage. This kind of detail cannot be ignored; it will make the character more fleshed out.”

Listening to Wu Yuchen's calm explanation, Leonardo felt that Wu Yuchen was a million times better than Cameron, that tyrant on set who could only yell. After listening, he immediately nodded and promised, "Okay, Director Wu, I won't make this mistake again!"

The male protagonist in the movie, Stu, is an entertainment agent. He is portrayed as a shameless scoundrel who is smooth talker, lies, and womanizer. He is arrogant towards people of lower status than him, disrespectful to ordinary people, and even flirts with pretty girls while he has a wife.

Although Leonardo DiCaprio might not want to admit he's a jerk, he does resemble the male lead, Stu, quite a bit. Having been in the entertainment industry for so long, isn't it natural for him to be so condescending and bossy towards those less fortunate?

As for being a womanizer, everyone on Earth knows how much of a womanizer Leonardo DiCaprio has been; he's lost count of how many girlfriends he's had.

Therefore, after Leonardo DiCaprio joined the crew, he quickly got into character and simply played himself, making the filming go surprisingly smoothly.

(End of this chapter)