Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 146 I am the key man you are looking for!

At the very beginning of the movie, Leonardo DiCaprio, dressed smartly and with a roguish charm, appears before the distributors in the theater, signaling to them that he is the male lead from start to finish.

The movie didn't drag on. Within minutes, he walked into a phone booth. After Leonardo DiCaprio finished calling his lover, he instinctively answered the ringing phone. The voice coming from the other end was immediately recognized by everyone present. It was Sylvester Stallone. After all, he was so famous that almost everyone who had seen a few of his movies could recognize his voice.

The film moves at a fast pace, revolving entirely around this small phone booth. Because of Stallone's role as the assassin, everyone's emotions rise and fall with Leonardo DiCaprio's. The cramped phone booth space also creates a lingering sense of suffocation and tension, like the protagonist's inescapable mental prison.

Anxiety and suspense accompanied everyone throughout, and an hour and a half passed by in the blink of an eye. Finally, Stallone appeared in person and said some pretentious things in front of Leonardo DiCaprio. The movie ended with Stallone's inexplicable smile, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"A crime thriller with a fantastic pace!"

"This Wu is really something. He managed to tell such a captivating story about just a phone booth!"

"I initially thought that with such a short production time, it would be a rather rough film, but I didn't expect it to be so wonderful!"

"The important thing is that the whole movie revolves around Leonardo DiCaprio, he's the absolute male lead, and I can already imagine the scene of those crazy women who are obsessed with him waving their money into the movie theater!"

Representatives from several cinema chains sat together and chatted. Unlike distributors, they didn't compete with each other, so their conversation was quite harmonious.

At this moment, Leonardo DiCaprio, sitting in the front row, was also quite surprised. To be honest, Wu Yuchen had only taken less than a month from the start of filming to production, which was too fast, and it made him worry that the quality of the film might not be very high.

However, after watching the entire movie, in his opinion, it was definitely a wonderful crime thriller, and his performance in it was also excellent!
At that moment, the lights in the theater came on, and Leonardo DiCaprio immediately and enthusiastically grabbed Wu Yuchen, saying:
"Director Wu, the film is fantastic! You are truly talented; I've never seen such a fast-drawing director before!"

Wu Yuchen smiled and said, "Don't be fooled by how quickly I filmed it; I spent quite a bit of time preparing beforehand. And your excellent performance also contributed to the success; otherwise, it might have taken even longer."

Upon hearing this, Leonardo DiCaprio remarked, "It's truly fate. If I were in this state of mind to film 'Phone Booth,' I probably wouldn't have been able to perform as well!"

Leonardo DiCaprio is now being hailed as a superstar, and he himself feels dizzy from time to time. He's so happy he's practically out of his mind, a stark contrast to his anxious and even devastated state of mind a month ago. Naturally, this doesn't fit the mindset of the protagonist in "Phone Booth".

Stallone was still replaying his final appearance in the movie in his mind; it certainly had a certain air of superiority. Throughout the film, he maintained a haughty demeanor, manipulating the protagonist and outmaneuvering the police, giving off an aura of immense power—perfect for Stallone's image as a master.

At this moment, the distributors in the theater also came over to congratulate Wu Yuchen, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sylvester Stallone, and other members of the film crew.

The major publishers, however, remained unhurried. A representative from Sony Columbia calmly smiled at the others around them and said:
"Gentlemen, you may have made a wasted trip. Wu has always had a close working relationship with Sony."

Fox chuckled: "Leonardo and our Fox are still in their honeymoon phase~"

Warner scoffed, "Close collaboration? Then why did he decide to become an independent producer? Enough with the nonsense, let's all rely on our own abilities now!"

……

The distributors also had their pride. Although they watched the movie together, they couldn't actually bid against each other. They all chose to contact the "Phone Booth" crew privately.

Wu Yuchen didn't take it seriously. Although he had invited some small and medium-sized distributors, he didn't actually intend to hire them for distribution. He just wanted them to be part of the atmosphere team. He didn't talk to them personally at all; he left the producer, James, to handle it all.

Meanwhile, Wu Yuchen is currently in friendly negotiations with Sony.

"Wu, didn't you have a very pleasant collaboration with Sony before? Together we created the success of 'Frequency,' and this renewed partnership will surely create even greater achievements!"

Wu Yuchen smiled at him and said, "Of course, I have great confidence in Sony's capabilities. As long as the price is reasonable, I am very willing to cooperate with Sony Columbia again!"

The Sony representative opposite him simply held up two fingers:
"2000 million, we'll buy out the rights to your film outright. We can meet all the conditions you mentioned before, whether it's marketing and distribution costs or the release within a month!"

Wu Yuchen chuckled and shook his head: "I'll take it as a joke. Leonardo DiCaprio's salary alone is probably 2000 million now."

"2500 million, Wu, that's a price you can easily double in a month, what's there to hesitate about?"

Wu Yuchen picked up his coffee, took a sip, and then said, "Let's talk about the distribution agency fee."

In its previous life, "Phone Booth" already grossed nearly 100 million at the box office with its ordinary cast. Now that Leonardo DiCaprio and Sylvester Stallone have joined the cast, how could he possibly sell it at a low price?!

Therefore, he didn't want to listen to any of these buyout talks anymore. What 20 million, 25 million? You dare to ask for less than 50 million?
Seeing that Wu Yuchen had no intention of selling, the Sony representatives had no choice but to give up and instead said:
"Director Wu, the movie is pretty good. Usually, for low-budget films like this, Sony takes 20% of the North American box office as a distribution fee. But for your sake, Director Wu, I'm willing to lower it by one percentage point. Considering Leonardo DiCaprio and Sylvester Stallone are involved, I'll lower it by two more points, how about 17%?"

Wu Yuchen simply scoffed:
"I don't see any sincerity from Sony. You should know the quality of my movie, and you should also know what it means for Leonardo to face off against Stallone when everyone is crazy about him these days!"

The Sony representative tried to continue arguing, saying, "However..."

Wu Yuchen interrupted him abruptly: "I have Leonardo!"

"But……"

"I have Leonardo!"

"but……"

"I have Leonardo!"

The Sony employees were practically blushing!

……

That evening, Wu Yuchen and producer James sat down together, and Wu asked, "What's the situation on your end?"

James said, "They're all very aggressive; one small publisher even offered 7%. But I guess you wouldn't be impressed with their capabilities. What about you?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen shook his head: "These big companies are too in sync. Whether it's Sony, Warner, or MGM, once they've lowered it to 13%, they're unwilling to lower it any further."

James wasn't surprised at all; he shrugged and said:

"That's how big studios are. Marketing and distribution are their strengths and advantages. Although they compete with each other, they also maintain some tacit understanding. Your foundation in Hollywood is still too shallow. If it were Lucasfilm's 'Star Wars,' you should be able to sign 10%."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen rubbed his head. The commission rate for distribution wasn't taken from their profits, but rather from the total North American box office. He was certain that "Phone Booth" would be a huge box office success, so each percentage point could potentially be worth millions of dollars.

Although I think 13% is acceptable, it's still a bit frustrating to think that with Leonardo DiCaprio and Sylvester Stallone on board, I still can't get a lower price.

James advised, "13% is actually pretty good. If you can't accept that, there's another option: find a few small and medium-sized publishers to co-publish it. That should get you a lower agency fee, but even then, the results might not be as good as those from big publishers."

Wu Yuchen naturally understood this principle, which is why he didn't give much consideration to small and medium-sized publishers.

Just then, Wu Yuchen's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and saw it was someone from Fox.

After Wu Yuchen answered the phone, he heard the other end say:
"Hello, Director Wu, we've discussed the distribution agency fee for 'Phone Booth' again since we got back. We can offer you some further discounts, but there are some conditions."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen immediately asked, "What are the conditions?"

"Come to us tomorrow; there are some things we need to discuss in detail."

After agreeing, Wu Yuchen hung up the phone and then asked James, "What conditions would the other party usually propose in this situation?" James was also a little confused:

"I'm not entirely sure either. The usual practice is to clarify things at the negotiating table. Could it be that they're interested in you and want to sign you to a film contract? But they shouldn't have kept that a secret beforehand..."

The two discussed it for a while but couldn't figure it out, so Wu Yuchen stopped guessing and figured he would know when he went to Fox tomorrow.

……

The following day, at the 21st Century Fox Building, Wu Yuchen met the people he had negotiated with the day before. However, he was not the leader at this time; the person sitting in the main seat was another middle-aged man in his fifties.

He smiled warmly at Wu Yuchen and said, "Wu, congratulations on making another wonderful film! A talented Chinese director like you must be an honor for your country and highly regarded there!"

Wu Yuchen took it as a polite remark and replied with a smile, "Mr. Bernoulli, you flatter me."

Bernoulli smiled and said, “Wu, I’ve dealt with Chinese people before, and you’re always very humble. Regarding the distribution fee for ‘Phone Booth,’ I can promise to lower it by two percentage points, as long as you can do Fox a favor.”

"Please tell me."

Wu Yuchen was a little puzzled. What was it that such a big company as Fox would ask him for help?

Bernoulli didn't beat around the bush and said directly:

"Titanic is currently enjoying immense popularity worldwide, but it has yet to be released in your country, China. For some reason, your censors are holding Titanic off the censorship process, which is causing us considerable distress."

Our distribution staff told me that in China, we need to find someone with influence and connections to resolve this issue. Director Wu, I've heard that you're being hailed by official newspapers as the most talented director in China. Given your status in the Chinese film industry, I think you should be able to help us solve this problem, right?

Wu Yuchen was stunned after hearing this. Good heavens, so that's what they came for!

No wonder Fox came looking for them; they'd run into Big Scissors, a force that even Hollywood can't control.

However, Wu Yuchen knew that "Titanic" was bound to be released, because someone later spoke up, and the big scissors had no choice but to immediately let it go.

Looking at Bernoulli across from him, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but feel overjoyed. How could he possibly encounter something like this? Wasn't this a free gift delivered to his door?

Wu Yuchen immediately flashed a confident smile, crossed his arms, and struck a tactical lean back:
"Hehe, Mr. Bernoulli, you're very lucky, I am the key man you are looking for!"

Just as Bernoulli was about to laugh, Wu Yuchen immediately said, "However, Mr. Bernoulli, this matter is not so easy; it will require some of my resources and connections. Two points are not enough; I need five!"

Bernoulli frowned as he looked at Wu Yuchen holding up five fingers: "Wu, five points is too much. After all, even if Titanic is released in China, we will only get 13% of the box office revenue."

Wu Yuchen smiled and said, "I know your purpose is not only for the current box office, but also to cultivate the market and conquer Chinese audiences with 'Titanic,' which has already conquered the world."

Bernoulli shook his head: "We're not that noble, selflessly sacrificing for all our Hollywood colleagues. Okay, I'll lower the rate by a maximum of 3%, that's the limit. But you have to guarantee that 'Titanic' will pass censorship and be released in China."

Wu Yuchen thought for a moment. A 10% distribution fee was a very good deal in Hollywood; Lucasfilm offered the same treatment. He smiled and said, "Deal! I guarantee that *Titanic* will be released as you wish!"

Wu Yuchen and Bernoulli shook hands, and then signed a contract. The contract stipulated a 10% distribution fee for "Phone Booth," with Fox initially covering the remaining ten million yuan in marketing and distribution costs. The two then negotiated with pre-arranged theater representatives, setting the release date for "Phone Booth" as February 20th.

……

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, which is two days before the New Year, Wu Yuchen stepped off the plane. Although Beijing was much colder than Los Angeles at this time, it could not extinguish Wu Yuchen's fiery heart.

Chinese people always cherish the tradition of family reunion during the Spring Festival. He had thought he might have to spend the holiday in Hollywood, but he never expected to be able to make it back!
Sitting in the car that came to pick him up, Wu Yuchen remembered Fox's instructions and made a phone call:
"Hey, Director Han, I'm back in Beijing. Have you managed to get in touch with Big Scissors for me?"

"Why don't you go back and rest first?"

"Hey, I might as well just run the whole trip and then stay home and not want to do anything."

"Hehe, I've already spoken to Director Zhang over there. Actually, he already knows about you. With your current reputation, he wouldn't stop you if you just went over and gave your name."

"Haha, Director Han, it's not as exaggerated as you say~" Wu Yuchen said modestly.

In the office, a middle-aged man warmly asked someone to pour Wu Yuchen a glass of water.

"Director Wu, I've heard so much about you! You're the only one in China who can make a $100 million box office in North America and conquer America! If they knew you were here with me, the reporters would probably be surrounding our office!"

Since the news that Wu Yuchen's film "Frequency" grossed over $100 million at the North American box office came back, it has caused a stir among many people in China. The media has been eagerly awaiting his return, but he just hasn't shown up.

"Director Zhang, it's just a little achievement."

Director Zhang said with a smile:
"Your achievement has really made us proud! By the way, I heard from Lao Han that you came here to ask about the review of imported films, right?"

Don't worry, your film *Frequency* is on the import list this time, and it's completely uncut! China Film Group acquired the film at the end of last year, and the translation and dubbing are all done. It will be released in a couple of days during the Spring Festival, so we can all see your blockbuster!

Wu Yuchen had heard Han Sanping mention this before when he called, and now many people are waiting for his Lunar New Year film.

Wu Yuchen was also glad that this movie was a heartwarming family film; if it were a horror movie, what would be the point of celebrating the New Year...?

Wu Yuchen then smiled and said, "Thank you for your consideration, Director Zhang, but I came here today to inquire about the progress of another film?"

"Oh? What?"

"It's 'Titanic.' Fox contacted me, wanting me to help find out why it keeps getting rejected." Wu Yuchen didn't hide anything and said it frankly.

Director Zhang suddenly realized: "You mean Titanic! You've seen that movie, haven't you?"

Wu Yuchen nodded. He had naturally seen it and could roughly guess the reason, but since he was asked to come and ask in person, he did so.

"Then you should know that it contains nude scenes, so it's impossible for it to pass approval."

Wu Yuchen thought to himself, "That's the reason," and then asked, "Then why don't we just have them cut that scene?"

Logically speaking, the Ford Focus shouldn't be this stubborn, right?
Director Zhang smiled and shook his head: "They have no objection to cutting the latter part, but they absolutely refuse to cut the first part, the nude portrait that was pulled out of the sea."

Wu Yuchen immediately understood: if you cut the sketching scene, the storyline won't flow, no wonder Fox disagreed.

Then Director Zhang continued with a smile, "Director Wu, you should also know that we must follow the rules and regulations. This is something that cannot be broadcast, otherwise we will be punished."

Wu Yuchen naturally understood this principle, and then didn't mention the matter again. After chatting with Director Zhang for a while, he took his leave.

Director Zhang watched his departing figure, shaking his head with a smile. Last time, they hinted to Fox that they couldn't resolve this matter and would need to consult their superiors. Unexpectedly, Fox misunderstood and brought in Wu Yuchen instead. Even if he's a good director, he's still just a director; how could he possibly oversee their censorship?

(End of this chapter)