Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 326 Celebration Banquet

At this moment, Wu Yuchen was attending a grand celebration banquet, not for "Step Up," but for "The Pirate King 2."

Just three days ago, "Pirates of the Caribbean 2" officially surpassed the $10 billion mark at the global box office, and the producers naturally had to hold a big celebration party for it!
Actually, everyone had been waiting for this day to come. Everyone knew that "Pirate King 2" could break the $10 billion mark, but when it actually did, everyone involved was overjoyed!

After all, this is $10 billion, making it the third film in history to break the $10 billion mark!

The number one spot goes without saying, as "Titanic" set an astonishing record of $18 billion back then.

The second film to break the 1 billion mark is "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," which is still showing in theaters. Its box office has now reached 11.4 billion, almost exhausting all its potential, and it is unlikely to grow any further.

"The Pirate King 2" is the third one, and judging from the current box office trend of "The Pirate King 2", it is very likely to surpass "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" and become the second highest-grossing film in history.

In fact, before 2010, breaking the $10 billion mark at the box office was a very difficult challenge, and several films came very close.

For example, 1993's *Jurassic Park* grossed 9.78 million yuan, but ultimately fell short of the 1 billion yuan mark. In fact, achieving that box office result in that era was incredibly impressive, arguably even surpassing *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King* and *The Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales*. But it didn't break the record. It wasn't until its 2013 3D re-release that *Jurassic Park* finally broke the 1 billion yuan mark.

Then came Star Wars Episode I in 1999, which grossed $9.24 million and joined the billion-dollar club thanks to a re-release more than a decade later.

Then there's 2001's "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," which became a global phenomenon when it was first released, grossing $9.75 million. Although the difference was small, it ultimately didn't break the $10 billion mark.

This year, with two films, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" and "The Pirate King 2," both surpassing 1 billion, Hollywood is proclaiming a booming film market.

Of course, everyone has noticed that both of these films are part of a film series. This proves that successful film series are becoming increasingly attractive to audiences, so major studios have begun to adjust their plans, focusing more on film series.

From this perspective, Warner Bros.' decision to secure Wu Yuchen with $2000 million plus 25% of the global box office revenue was a preemptive move; otherwise, it's hard to say whether other major studios would have joined the competition.

After all, there are only a handful of directors who have proven their ability to make successful film series. Wu Yuchen went to Warner Bros., which means he's essentially tied to them for the next few years, so other companies won't be able to invite him even if they want to.

On stage, Wu Yuchen, Johnny Depp, Hugh Jackman, Keira Knightley, and other crew members broke the large, long ice sculpture of the number 1,000,000,000 on the table, then smiled broadly, and the whole audience cheered. The publicity staff snapped photos of the scene.

Besides the film crew, many other Hollywood people also attended the celebration party, and Wu Yuchen was constantly being congratulated: "Wu, congratulations! You've created a great film series!"

"Wu, do you know? In my eyes, you are greater than Cameron! Whether it's creative ability or box office success, you have surpassed Cameron!"

Wu Yuchen smiled and thanked him. However, he took these compliments as mere politeness, reminding himself not to get lost in their allure.

Cameron has more than just Titanic; he also has the Terminator series, both of which are groundbreaking works.

After a while, Spielberg, holding a wine glass, chatted with Wu Yuchen:

"Wu, are you really not planning to develop 'Pirate King 4' anymore?"

Wu Yuchen shook his head: "Steven, the Pirate King trilogy is a complete story. For me, Pirate King is over. I will not linger or dwell on a story that has already ended."

Spielberg sighed inwardly upon hearing this. Post-production on "Pirates of the Caribbean 3" was complete, and he had seen the finished film. The quality remained high, and he believed that it would achieve at least $8 million at the box office when it was released next year.

Therefore, Spielberg really doesn't want this super profitable series to end just like that. DreamWorks is now counting on "Pirate King"!

Spielberg wasn't willing to let it go so easily. After thinking for a moment, he continued, "Wu, even if you don't want to be a director anymore, what about as a producer? Do you have any other ideas for it? As long as you create stories related to the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' world, I believe all audiences will be willing to pay for them! We can continue to develop this IP!"

Wu Yuchen shook his head again: "Oh, Steve, let me rest, let Captain Jack rest too!"

As you should know, I will be focusing my energy on the Batman trilogy from now on, and I can no longer worry about The Pirate King.

Furthermore, after the release of the third Pirate King movie, audiences will need a buffer period; otherwise, they will experience some aesthetic fatigue with the series. I'm sure you understand this better than I do.

Spielberg, of course, understood that as someone who had also produced multiple film series, he knew that audiences would lose interest as time went on, and that the best option at that point was to take a break for a few years.

Wu Yuchen then added, "Moreover, Steve, Depp's salary is also a problem. Are you willing to give him more than 20% of the global revenue share, or are you willing to give him a salary of $1 million? As things stand, neither is a good option."

Spielberg felt a pang of pain when he heard about Depp's salary. He had tried to gauge Depp's offer before, but they weren't given any chance to negotiate.

In the previous two films, Wu Yuchen paid Depp's salary entirely in cash. At the time, Spielberg thought it was too risky, but now he really thinks it was a wise move.

The reason he agreed not to give Depp a share was because director Wu Yuchen had already taken a portion of the box office revenue, including global box office revenue. If Depp were to receive a share as well, the production company's remaining profit would be too small, essentially making them work for the two of them.

Spielberg thought for a moment, then sighed: "Maybe you're right, it's time to give 'Pirate King' a few years' break."

But then he changed his mind and said, "But it can't be for too long. You're not really planning to permanently shut down this series, are you?"

Wu Yuchen thought for a moment and said, "Maybe four or five years from now, that should be a better time."

If they were to release *Pirates of the Caribbean 4*, it would definitely be profitable. However, Wu Yuchen wanted to wait until after 2010, when theaters worldwide would have undergone renovations due to *Avatar*, 3D and IMAX theaters would be widely adopted, and ticket prices would rise. This is why breaking the $1 billion mark at the box office would be much easier after 2010. By then, even if they paid Depp another $10 million, the production company wouldn't feel so bad. It's essentially inflation; the actual value of Depp's $1 million salary would have decreased.

If you want to make "Pirates of the Caribbean 4," Johnny Depp is indispensable. After the first three films, he has become a guarantee to attract audiences to theaters. Even if Wu Yuchen is the director, he can no longer suppress him.

The previous "Pirates of the Caribbean 4" had a budget of $4.1 million and a box office of $10.46 billion, so it was still profitable overall. Although the box office profit was relatively low, it could still make a lot of money through various merchandise and copyrights, so there was no reason not to do it.

Therefore, John Woo also plans to produce "Pirates of the Caribbean 4," but he won't personally participate to avoid damaging his reputation. He will only have Miracle Pictures invest, since the plot is significantly weaker than the first three films, and it's only Depp who's keeping it going.

Wu Yuchen lightly clinked his glass against Spielberg's, then took a sip of his drink and suddenly asked, "Steve, I heard DreamWorks has started a new project, Michael Bay?"

Spielberg smiled and nodded: "Yes, a science fiction film, The Island. Michael Bay is very good at big scenes, so it should be a box office success. At the same time, he also wants to make a breakthrough and better integrate commerce and art. I think this is a good project."

Upon hearing the title "The Island," Wu Yuchen knew his prediction was correct; it seemed DreamWorks had indeed fallen into a huge trap! With an investment of 1.3 million and a global box office of only 1.6 million, they suffered a massive loss, which in his previous life directly led Spielberg to sell DreamWorks Pictures.

Actually, it wasn't just one movie that caused DreamWorks to collapse. Just like Wu Baige's "Windtalkers" for MGM, it was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

But things are different now. DreamWorks has the Pirate King series as its crown jewel, so it's estimated that at most it will suffer minor damage, but not serious harm.

Wu Yuchen said with a smile, "Steven, are you trying to recreate The Matrix?"

The Matrix is ​​also a successful example of blending science fiction, ethics, and commercial appeal.

Spielberg laughed and said, "It's just an experiment."

"Then I wish you success~" Wu Yuchen didn't intend to reveal his true thoughts.

Actually, there haven't been any particularly good movies about cloning so far. Schwarzenegger's "The 6th Day" is considered to be a pretty good one.

Moreover, the topic of cloning was quite popular only during the decade from 1995 to 2005. In a few more years, the hype will fade. Do you think there will be many people talking about cloning in a decade or so?

It's better for DreamWorks to lose more money, as this will highlight his importance and may allow him to get involved in projects that interest him in the future.

Then he remembered Scarlett Johansson, the female lead of "The Island". The huge loss of this movie also ruined Scarlett Johansson's commercial film career, and she could only return to art films. Later, she had no choice but to take on the role of Black Widow, and thus the Black Widow was born.

A smile involuntarily crept onto Wu Yuchen's lips. Good thing he lost money! It would be better if he could soothe the girl's heartbroken feelings after losing money!
Wu Yuchen went to the restroom to relieve himself and wash his face. Just as he was about to turn back, a voice called out from behind him: "Hey, Wu!"

Wu Yuchen turned his head and smiled, "Kayla, how was your day? Did you have fun?"

Kayla's face was slightly flushed, clearly from drinking some alcohol, but she seemed quite sober.

"Of course I'm happy! I'm only the third actress in the world to win a billion-dollar box office!" Kayla laughed heartily.

Wu Yuchen smiled when he saw her like this. To be honest, Keira Knightley became famous worldwide thanks to "Pirates of the Caribbean." She wasn't just a pretty face in the series; her screen time was no less than Hugh Jackman's, second only to Johnny Depp.

She then walked over to Wu Yuchen, took his arm, and said, "Wu, come with me, there's something I want to talk to you about."

"Hmm?" Wu Yuchen was a little puzzled.

Could it be that Kayla is trying to ask him for a project or a leading role? Or has she heard about some opportunity and wants him to recommend her? If it's just a matter of him asking, he wouldn't mind lending a hand.

However, Wu Yuchen didn't ask directly. He let Kayla lead him to a room. He and Kayla had known each other for several years and were quite familiar with each other, so he wasn't worried that she would harm him.

As Wu Yuchen entered the room, he was about to turn on the light when he felt a delicate body throw itself into his arms. His neck was wrapped in a pair of arms, and his lips were pressed against a pair of soft lips.

Wu Yuchen was genuinely caught off guard by the sudden attack; he simply hadn't expected Kayla to do this to him. After all, the two had collaborated on the "Pirate King" trilogy, and the filming had taken so long—if anything were to happen, it should have occurred long ago, but nothing had, so he hadn't even considered this possibility.

Wu Yuchen grabbed Kayla's shoulders with both hands and pushed her away, saying, "Hey, Kayla, what are you doing?"

Kayla's breathing was already heavy, her chest heaving, and she shouted, "Fuck you!"

The next moment, she offered a passionate kiss, and with a kick, wrapped both legs around Wu Yuchen's waist.

Wu Yuchen thought to himself, "Damn it, I didn't bother with you before, and you've become so arrogant?"

He was determined to teach this girl a lesson today, to let her know why he, Director Wu, was called "Great Director"!

He held Kayla in his arms and pinned her against the door. Soon, the sounds of a fierce fight erupted from inside the room, and the door shook violently, while Kayla continued to sing loudly without any regard for the danger.

Even if someone passing by the room overheard this, no one would care. After all, this kind of thing is perfectly normal at Hollywood parties and celebrations. Everyone's here tonight to have fun and party!

(End of this chapter)