Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 322 Interesting Ideas

At Warner Music, an important meeting is underway, and the core of the discussion is Wu Yuchen.

"Gentlemen, we have already visited Wu again, but he has now offered new terms: 2000 million for 25% of the global box office revenue."

"Damn it! Isn't 20% enough to satisfy his appetite? How could he do this!"

More than a year ago, Warner Bros. had discussed the collaboration on the Batman trilogy with Wu Yuchen, but the 20% global box office share that Wu Yuchen asked for made Warner Bros. hesitate, and no agreement was reached.

However, with the huge success of "Pirates of the Caribbean 2", most of the Warner Bros. committee members agreed to Wu Yuchen's proposed conditions, but unexpectedly, Wu Yuchen has now raised the price again!
"2000 million plus 25% of the global box office revenue? What does he want? Does he think Hollywood will have any big studios to satisfy his delusions?!" an old man cursed angrily.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was tense, with many people showing expressions of dissatisfaction.

After the meeting room quieted down for a while, the man who had spoken first spoke again:
"In fact, Wu told us that MGM had offered him a high price of $2000 million plus 30% of the global box office revenue in order to get him to come out of retirement and reboot '007'..."

Upon hearing this news, the meeting room erupted in chaos once again!

"What?! Have MGM gone mad?! This is completely disrupting the market!"

"MGM has gone mad! They're on the verge of bankruptcy! They're gambling with their lives!"

"How can Warner Bros. let MGM lead us by the nose?!"

"We can't agree to his demands! We absolutely can't do that!"

Just then, a voice rang out: "Everyone, I don't know what you're still hesitating about? Wu has already proven how excellent he is with the box office success of 'Pirate King 2'! Do you still think 'Pirate King 2' can't break 10 billion at the box office?"

This person was Jeffrey, one of Warner's committee members, and also the youngest among them.

An old man said defiantly, "We cannot be certain of the final outcome until we have a real result."

Jeffrey waved his hand dismissively and said, "Oh! Come on! I bet there's a 99% chance that 'Pirates of the Caribbean 2' will gross over $1 billion! And the other directions you mentioned have less than a 10% chance!"

At this moment, another person said:
“Hey Jeffrey, we just think $2000 million plus 25% of the global box office revenue is too high. Even the slightest mishap could cause huge losses. The risk is still too great.”

"What kind of surprise are you trying to say? Can't you see the huge success of 'Pirates of the Caribbean 2' and 'Spider-Man 2'? Besides, you should all be able to see from the research reports how high the profits are generated by the merchandise of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and 'Spider-Man'!"
I don't care about giving Wu a mere 5% more global box office; what we should care about is the massive sales of merchandise and copyrights that will follow the success of *Batman*! Not just one film, but three! Just imagine how much profit that will generate!

There was a moment of silence in the meeting room, but the old man still shook his head: "You're talking about success, but what if it doesn't succeed? Then who will be responsible for this impulsive investment?"

"Impulsive? Investing in a director like Wu who has always been successful can be called impulsive? Then all the investments in Hollywood in the past were impulsive acts!"

Universal was willing to give Peter Jackson a 20% global box office share for *King Kong*, so why can't we offer Wu Yu-chen a 25% share for *The Batman*? Do you think *The Batman* is inferior to *King Kong*? Or that Wu Yu-chen is not as good as Peter Jackson? Or perhaps Warner Bros. doesn't even have the guts of Universal?!

The conference room fell silent once again.

After a moment, a middle-aged man said, "Let's vote by raising our hands!"

……

Wu Yuchen wasn't lying to Warner Bros. MGM did indeed approach him, offering $2000 million plus 30% of the global box office revenue for "007". There was no need to lie about this; the news would have spread sooner or later, and Warner Bros. would have found out easily with a little inquiry.

To be honest, Wu Yuchen was also shocked when he first heard it. Damn, is MGM really that bold?!
But then, thinking about MGM's current situation, he realized that MGM was in dire straits and there was nothing more they could do.

MGM currently has over $20 billion in debt and can't even raise money to start new projects. With such a high level of debt, which investment institution or bank would dare to lend money to MGM?

If MGM doesn't make some crazy attempts these days, it will only end up bankrupt.

Therefore, MGM was willing to offer Wu Yuchen a 30% share of the global box office revenue. As long as they could attract him, given Wu Yuchen's current fame and the renowned "007" franchise, banks and investment institutions would inevitably invest in this new project.

If "007" can shine brightly in Wu Yuchen's hands and be reborn, even if it is not as successful as "The Pirate King 2", and can reach a global box office of more than $8 million, then it can bring MGM back!

So MGM isn't stupid; they're fighting for survival!
After figuring this out, Wu Yuchen sighed repeatedly. MGM's sincerity was indeed sufficient, but he had no desire for it, nor was there any need for him to be MGM's knight in shining armor!

Given MGM's situation, even if "007" is a box office success, he is very worried about how long it will take to receive the 30% box office revenue share he was promised.

They have $20 billion in debt; if they drag this out for years, there's nothing you can do!

Instead of going through all the trouble to save MGM and risking not getting paid, they might as well go and collaborate with Warner Bros. to make "Batman".

He's using MGM to inflate his own price. He initially demanded 20%, but the situation is different now. He now has the leverage to negotiate further.

Wu Yuchen's salary wasn't set arbitrarily; it was based on the standards set for his previous work, "Avatar."

In his previous life, Avatar brought director James Cameron $3.5 million in revenue, accounting for 13% of the $27 billion box office.

However, the profit-sharing margin set by the producers was actually within 25%. Because Avatar's $4 million budget was so huge, Cameron initially lacked confidence and wanted to find a big star to carry the box office. So he approached Matt Damon and persuaded the producers to give him 10% of the global box office revenue.

But Matt Damon backed out, claiming it was to film *The Bourne Ultimatum*. When *Avatar*'s box office results came out, Damon was naturally left with a bitter smile and tears in his eyes…

For a blockbuster like Avatar, which cost $4 million, the producers were willing to give up 23% of the global box office revenue. Wu Yuchen can then deduce Warner Bros.' willingness to do so.

His current popularity is no less than Peter Jackson's, and he has far more successful projects than Peter Jackson. If Peter Jackson can get 20%, it's not unreasonable for him to get 25%, right?

With MGM raising the price at the right time, it would be a waste of all the hard work he's put into so many successful films if he didn't have a good talk with Warner Bros.!

While waiting for Warner's decision, Wu Yuchen received another visit.

"The great Wu! The king of the North American summer blockbuster season!" Stan Lee, the father of Marvel, greeted Wu Yu-chen with a hug and showered him with compliments upon their first meeting.

Stan Lee wasn't the only one present; Kevin Feige and two other Marvel executives were also there. Seeing them arrive together, Wu Yuchen had some guesses in his mind.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Stan Lee asked with some anticipation:

"Wu, with the two Spider-Man movies already achieving huge success, I think it's time for Marvel to launch its own true superhero franchise!"

Although Marvel invested 30% in Spider-Man, the lion's share ultimately went to Sony, so Spider-Man cannot be said to truly belong to Marvel itself.

Now, thanks to the revenue from these two films, Marvel's coffers are fuller, and its confidence is soaring, as it wants to create truly Marvel-owned superheroes!

"Do you want to start 'Iron Man'?" Wu Yuchen asked.

"Yes, Wu, we can't wait!"

When Wu Yuchen invested in Marvel, he promised to create a Marvel superhero universe, and the starting point of this plan was Iron Man, something Marvel was well aware of.

Actually, starting an Iron Man movie now wouldn't be a bad idea.

But is the actor he envisioned for Iron Man actually suitable now? Wu Yuchen doesn't even know if he's kicked his addiction...

After thinking for a moment, Wu Yuchen said to the group:

"I don't think the timing is right yet. On the one hand, Spider-Man 3 hasn't been filmed yet. I hope Marvel can gain more experience and knowledge from Spider-Man 3, and then start Iron Man, which will have a greater chance of success!"

Then he turned to Kevin Feige and said, "Kevin, I'll recommend you to be the producer of Spider-Man 3. After that, you'll be in charge of Iron Man!"

Upon hearing this, Kevin Feige couldn't help but show his excitement and immediately said to Wu Yuchen, "Mr. Wu, thank you. I will definitely not let you down!"

Although he had participated in the production of "Spider-Man 2" before, he did so as a co-producer and often had to report to Wu Yuchen. He didn't actually have all the power in his hands.

But this time, for *Spider-Man 3*, he will be a producer with real power, which is a significant change in his role. Keep in mind, Kevin Feige is only 31 years old this year, and to be able to become a producer for a major project like *Spider-Man 3* is incredibly fast!
Seeing that Wu Yuchen, the big boss, had said so, and Kevin Feige had already agreed, the others couldn't bring themselves to persuade him any further. In the end, they had no choice but to accept Wu Yuchen's arrangement.

Iron Man?

Thinking of the actor who would be most suitable for Iron Man, Wu Yuchen pondered for a moment. He still needed to find someone to personally investigate and observe him before he could determine whether the current actor was suitable for the role.

……

Miracle Pictures.

After following the pretty female secretary into the office, Wen Ziren found Wu Yuchen sitting in the boss's chair reading a newspaper, and he didn't dare to make a sound to disturb him.

"Boss, Director Wen is here!"

Upon hearing his secretary's reminder, Wu Yuchen put down his newspaper and said with a smile, "Sophie, please close the door when you leave."

Then Wu Yuchen looked at Wen Ziren. Although he was still thin and small, his spirit and energy had undergone tremendous changes.

"How are things going? How's Hollywood?"

Upon hearing Wu Yuchen's caring greeting, James Wan immediately replied with a smile, "Thank you for your concern. I feel fantastic right now! In Hollywood, I've really learned a lot of new theories and knowledge about film, and I feel like I'm improving every day!"

James Wan is not actually a film directing student; he is a self-taught or late-blooming genius.

"How's work? Is everything going well?"

"We have finished filming Saw 2 and it will be released this Halloween! Ray and I have also written the script for Saw 3 and plan to start filming next year."

Wu Yuchen nodded upon hearing this: "Very good. Have you decided on the selection of the male lead?"

Upon hearing this, Wen Ziren knew that Wu Yuchen probably wanted to recommend someone, so he shook his head and said, "No, Director Wu, do you have any suitable candidates to recommend?"

Wu Yuchen smiled and pushed the newspaper in his hand over. Wen Ziren picked it up and looked at it. He quickly found a report.

"It is reported that Deborah Fao-Connor, exhausted and unable to tolerate sharing a bed with a drug addict any longer, has formally filed for divorce from Robert Downey Jr. and has won custody of the children!"

Deborah Fao Connor persevered in this marriage for 12 years, hoping her prodigal son would return, but things didn't go as planned... Even the best woman can't tolerate trash like Robert Downey Jr...."

James Wan had also heard of Robert Downey Jr.'s bad reputation.

In the 90s, he led a dissolute life, mainly due to drug use. When high, he was pulled over by police while driving a sports car naked, and they found prohibited items in the car. A month later, he was hospitalized by neighbors after falling into a coma due to an overdose. He was subsequently embroiled in numerous scandals, becoming a frequent offender, and not just once…

Now, according to the news, his wife of 12 years has finally become completely disappointed in him and has divorced him, taking their child with her.

As James Wan read the report, he looked up at Wu Yu-chen and tentatively asked, "Director Wu, do you want Robert Downey Jr. to..."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen's lips curled into a smile:

"I just had a really interesting idea. This guy has a terrible reputation, and the public has absolutely no good impression of him. If we throw such a notorious villain into 'Saw' and let the stick torture him, do you think the audience would want to buy tickets to the movie theater?"

(End of this chapter)