Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 352 It’s not that simple

A retired special agent, in order to save his daughter, fights his way across the world...

That's right, Wu Yuchen was talking about "Taken," which starred Liam Neeson in the previous life. It only cost 2500 million to make, but the box office was 10 times that amount. It was a typical low-budget, high-return movie that became a blockbuster series.

Despite the high return on investment for "Taken," to be honest, Wu Yuchen himself wouldn't make another film like that. It wouldn't mean him any more.

Even if the return is 10 times, so what? The total box office is only a little over 2 million. For him to make this kind of thing is a step backward. But his not making it doesn't mean he's unwilling to invest.

Upon hearing this, Jackie Chan asked in surprise, "I'm playing a retired secret agent?"

Wu Yuchen nodded: "Yes."

In "Taken," the male lead is a retired special agent, and the role was originally intended for a middle-aged actor. Jackie Chan, now 51, is a perfect fit for the part.

Wu Baige also asked, "Director Wu, what is the general style of this film?"

Although Wu Baige was willing to work with Jackie Chan, he was also a little worried. After all, Jackie Chan's personal style was very distinct. If it was to be filmed in the style of kung fu comedy, he would have a lot of headaches. This was not his area of ​​expertise at all. In fact, it could be said that Wu Baige would simply become a puppet director, and on set, he would definitely listen to Jackie Chan completely.

Jackie Chan was also very concerned about this issue and couldn't help but look at Wu Yuchen.

Wu Yuchen smiled and said, "The action fights and gun battles are sharp and visceral, with every punch landing cleanly and crisply. The overall style of the film is rather cold and detached. In this respect, I hope to emulate the style of 'The Bourne Identity'."

When Wu Baige heard Wu Yuchen say that "Taken" was not a kung fu comedy, but rather an action film with gunfights, she was overjoyed, as this was exactly his area of ​​expertise!
Upon hearing Wu Yuchen's words, Cheng Long was taken aback for a moment, then quickly asked, "Director Wu, this sounds quite different from my style."

Jackie Chan's personal style is very obvious; it's all about kung fu comedy.

Wu Yuchen looked at Cheng Long and said, "Brother Long, didn't you say you wanted to change your style? This film, 'Taken,' is definitely different from your previous style. Doesn't that fit your requirements perfectly?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Long hesitated for a moment, then said, "Director Wu, I'm over 50 now. When I say 'transformation,' I mean I want to try moving towards more dramatic roles. Actually, I think my acting skills are still pretty good..."

Jackie Chan wasn't just saying this casually; he genuinely wants to shift his focus towards dramatic roles. Furthermore, he has always been driven by a desire for awards.

From the very first Hong Kong Film Awards, he had always longed for recognition from his hometown's awards ceremony. In his previous life, he even made a groundbreaking art film, "Shinjuku Incident," specifically for this purpose, but it was all for naught; he didn't even get a Best Actor nomination.

Even in 2014, when he was 60 years old and had been in the industry for 43 years, Jackie Chan had been nominated 10 times. On the Hong Kong Film Awards stage, he humbly pleaded: "Please consider me."

However, even 10 years later, when the Oscars awarded him a Lifetime Achievement Award, fully recognizing his talent, Jackie Chan still did not receive the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Now, Jackie Chan has returned to the Chinese film industry after failing in Hollywood. Although he is still following the commercial film route, he has actually considered switching to dramatic roles. "New Police Story" is one such attempt. The undefeated Jackie Chan began to kneel and beg for mercy in the film. The collapse of his heroic image is all part of his experiment.

During this period, Derek Yee even approached him, asking if he was interested in starring in a purely dramatic film called "Shinjuku Incident," aiming for the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor. This prompted Jackie Chan to consider it.

Wu Yuchen smiled after hearing Cheng Long's words:
"Brother Lung, of course I believe in your acting skills. But many judges are biased, especially against your kung fu comedies, and you, Jackie Chan, have become an icon, leaving a very deep impression. I understand that you want to pursue awards, but it's really not that easy for you."

Wu Yuchen then added, "Actually, you're only 50 years old. I think you're still in great shape, so filming action scenes won't be a problem."

Wu Yuchen isn't worried that Jackie Chan won't be able to film it. He thinks that in his previous life, Jackie Chan was 63 years old when he starred in "The Foreigner," which was also a story about seeking justice for his daughter and embarking on a path of revenge against a terrorist organization. Now, Jackie Chan is only 51 years old and he can definitely handle the action.

Cheng Long pondered Wu Yuchen's words, feeling conflicted. It was impossible for him to completely abandon action scenes; he simply felt that as he got older, he should reduce his action roles.

Moreover, this is Hollywood! This is an opportunity to work with Wu Yuchen, something many people would kill for, so he definitely wants to give it a try.

"Director Wu, since it's a project you initiated, it must be flawless. I have no problem with it!"

Wu Yuchen smiled and said, "Okay, I'll send the script to you two later!"

The three then chatted about trivial matters while drinking afternoon tea.

Wu Yuchen's reason for coordinating the production of "Taken" is twofold: firstly, the project is indeed profitable; secondly, it's also a way to repay favors, whether it's Wu Baige's help in winning the Palme d'Or or his previous request for a role from Jackie Chan.

After all, it doesn't matter who you cast. If it's not suitable, that's one thing, but the movie "Taken" is indeed a good fit for Jackie Chan. He is famous all over the world and gives people the impression of a tough guy.

As for Wu Baige, if nothing unexpected happens and she obediently follows her own requirements and the script for filming, there shouldn't be any major problems.

"Honey, are you really not going back?" Jiang Qinqin asked reluctantly in Wu Yuchen's arms.

Wu Yuchen touched her cheek: "You know perfectly well that the Batman crew is still waiting for me over there. I can't just abandon them like this, can I?"

Wu Yuchen then chuckled and said, "Alright, this time you guys can go back with the Golden Palm and enjoy yourselves!"

Jiang Qinqin simply hummed in agreement, holding Wu Yuchen tightly in her arms, reluctant to let go.

Wu Yuchen didn't stay in Cannes for long before returning to London. His scenes there were almost finished filming, and after a final check and rehearsals, Wu Yuchen took the crew to America.

Regarding *Taken*, Wu Yu-chen didn't manage it much afterward, instead handing it over to Miracle Pictures in Hollywood, letting them negotiate the details with Jackie Chan and Wu Bai-ge. He himself focused his energy on filming *The Batman*. Two weeks later, in Chicago.

"Pass!"

Hearing Wu Yuchen's voice, the entire crew breathed a sigh of relief. They had just filmed a car chase scene, mainly on Lower Wacker Avenue south of the Chicago River, and had received unprecedented support from the city of Chicago. Several city blocks were temporarily closed to film the crazy car chase scene.

After filming this car chase scene, the Batmobile scenes in "The Batman" were almost all finished, which put Wu Yuchen in a good mood.

At this moment, Wu Yuchen also saw Sean, a producer from Miracle Pictures who had been waiting for him. Wu Yuchen smiled at him and asked, "Sean, is there anything about 'Taken'?"

Regarding the film "Taken," Wu Yuchen approached Sean to be the producer. His visit to Wu Yuchen must have been to discuss something.

Sean walked up to Wu Yuchen and said, "Boss, there are indeed some things I need to tell you. Regarding 'Taken,' are the male lead Jack Chen and director John Wu indispensable?"

"Hmm?" Wu Yuchen was surprised to hear this, it seemed that something had really happened.

However, instead of answering, he asked, "Is there a problem with those two?"

Sean nodded and said, "Their salaries are too high! According to you, 'Taken' is just a low-budget production. But if we hire them, the entire movie will cost at least 5000 million, which is no small budget."

"5000 million?" Wu Yuchen was also surprised when he heard this.

"Yes, Jack Chen's agent is asking for $2000 million, and John Wu's agent is asking for $1000 million. Their combined salaries are $3000 million."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen immediately frowned: "Didn't you discuss the price?"

肖恩摊了摊手：“谈了。杰克陈经纪人说他在《尖峰时刻3》的片酬是2000万加15%的分成，因此2000万是他应得的价格。约翰吴的经纪人也认为他的客户拍出过《碟中谍2》和《变脸》，片酬不能低于1000万。”

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but think, "What the hell?" Didn't Cheng Long and Wu Baige have any self-awareness?
Yes, at their peak, both of them could earn 2000 million. But look at how far you two have ended up in Hollywood now!
Jackie Chan's "Around the World in 80 Days" lost so much money, how can you expect to get so much money for "Rush Hour 3" if it's only a series film?

And then there's Wu Baige. At least Jackie Chan has "Rush Hour 3" to keep him going, but you've been flopping one after another, and now you want 1000 million?
Wu Yuchen then said, "We will continue to negotiate with their agent. The film's cost must be kept below 3500 million. We will not accept their proposed profit-sharing conditions."

In Wu Yuchen's view, this already represented a considerable amount of room for negotiation. Considering that the production cost of "Taken" in his previous life was only 25 million, and he had increased the price by 10 million, it was already a significant margin.

Sean made a troubled expression and said, "Boss, this might be a bit difficult. These Hollywood stars who used to receive high salaries are unlikely to see their pay drop significantly. Many would rather not take on any roles than lower their pay."

Wu Yuchen was aware of this as well. Many Hollywood stars are indeed like this; few are willing to lower their salaries, and their agents often interfere. However, there is an exception: if they are acting in an art film with award potential, many actors are willing to take a pay cut.

Then Wu Yuchen thought about Jackie Chan's salary in his previous life. When Jackie Chan was filming "The Forbidden Kingdom", he and Jet Li each received $1000 million in salary as supporting actors.

In "The Karate Kid," he played the second male lead and received $1000 million plus 5% of the global box office revenue. The film grossed $3.6 million worldwide, and Jackie Chan earned $1800 million from his 5% share. In total, he earned $2800 million.

This applies to Jackie Chan as a supporting actor. If he were the lead, he would definitely ask for more. For example, he received $2000 million for "The Foreigner," just like his current asking price of $2000 million per film.

But Wu Yuchen had no chance of agreeing to that price. Making "Taken" was essentially him helping the two of them out; it was like he, the great director Wu, was giving two down-on-their-luck Hollywood stars a hand, and they were asking for such a high price!
This made Wu Yuchen realize that securing this collaboration wasn't so simple. He wanted to use "Taken" to promote the two of them, but they probably had no idea.

Wu Yuchen said directly to Sean, "Jack Chen, 1200 million; John Wu, 400 million. Let's negotiate at these prices! No rush. If we can't reach an agreement, we'll put it on hold for now."

Compared to Liam Neeson's previous salary of only 600 million, Wu Yuchen is already willing to pay an extra 1100 million.

He couldn't possibly talk to the two of them directly over the phone about something like this. The company represented his stance: let them negotiate; he wouldn't open the business if they couldn't agree on a price!
Sean understood Wu Yuchen's attitude: "Okay, boss."

Since returning from Cannes, Wu Baige has spent the last two weeks studying the script for "Taken." To be honest, he didn't find the script particularly brilliant; it was just a very simple and typical commercial action script, all about fighting, and it was far inferior to his "Face/Off."

However, this was Wu Yuchen's script after all. Even if he thought it was ordinary, he wouldn't say it. He was still fantasizing about collaborating with Jackie Chan and making a comeback in Hollywood!
However, he waited and waited, but still received no news about the deal for "Taken". He learned about the situation from his agent: "John, the offer from 'Taken' was too low. I think it's an insult to you!"

Wu Baige then realized that the two sides hadn't reached an agreement on his fee. He couldn't help but ask, "How much?"

"They're only willing to offer 400 million!"

Wu Baige was taken aback upon hearing this. When he first arrived in Hollywood 10 years ago, his salary for his first film was $200 million, followed by $500 million, $1000 million, $2000 million, and profit sharing…

And now, the salary for this film is only 400 million, which is indeed... too low! Although Wu Baige has stumbled twice, it shouldn't be that he has been brought back to where he was when he first came to Hollywood!

This made Wu Baige a little anxious, but he did value this opportunity. Even if he thought the script was ordinary, it was the only opportunity he could get from Hollywood at the moment!

Wu Baige thought it over and over. Although she knew it wouldn't be good to call Wu Yuchen directly, since it involved money, and it would be best to have his agent and company handle it, as talking to him directly would hurt feelings and save face, she still called Wu Yuchen anyway.

"Director Wu, yes, I really hope we can reach this cooperation. I can lower my salary to 500 million, and the rest can be converted into profit sharing..."

(End of this chapter)