Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 81 Make a fortune

"The Night the Comet Came" became a hit; Wu Yuchen doesn't need to look at anything else, just the attendance rate speaks for itself.

The Sydney Film Festival screened films for two consecutive weeks. During the weekdays, most of the films did not have high attendance rates, but crowds would flock to watch them after get off work in the evening.

However, even on weekdays during the day, "Coherence" had an attendance rate of over 70% in every screening, which is a very high figure!

Moreover, Wu Yuchen spotted several familiar faces among the audience, who seemed to have come to watch the film countless times before, clearly avid fans of suspense movies.

On the fifth day of the screening, film distributors had already approached us.

However, it wasn't the major British or American film studio that Wu Yuchen had hoped for, but a small local Australian studio that wanted to buy the screening rights to "Coherence" for $5, and worldwide at that.

"Hey Wu, you only used 1 in cost, and our price is five times that, isn't that enough to show our sincerity?"

“Mr. Jason, I’m sorry, I’d like to wait until after the film festival to talk.”

Although he phrased it rather tactfully, Wu Yuchen's attitude was firm: "You think you can rip me off with this price? Dream on!"
Don't be surprised. Many local film companies try to find bargains. There's no harm in trying out a quote, and who knows, they might just make a deal.
At that point, they won't even need to handle the distribution themselves; they can make a lot of money just by reselling the copyrights.

"Wu, you should know very well that the Sydney Film Festival favors art films, and your 'Coherence' is a science fiction thriller. It won't win the judges' favor!" This person still wanted to stay and said some things that would shake Wu Yuchen's confidence.

Wu Yuchen's expression immediately turned cold: "I think we have nothing more to talk about. Should I call security to ask you to leave?"

Seeing Wu Yuchen's resolute attitude, the man knew there was no chance, so he didn't say anything more, snorted coldly, and left.

Although Jiang Qinqin had been practicing English for several months, she still couldn't fully understand the two people's fast conversation. However, Tang Yu had been translating for Jiang Qinqin.

She walked up to him, gently took Wu Yuchen's hand, and asked with some concern, "Is it really as he said?"

Seeing her expression, Wu Yuchen squeezed her hand to reassure her, then smiled and said:

"Art films are favored at most film festivals, but there are 10 films vying for Best Film, so it's not impossible. And even if you don't win, it's okay—consider it a free trip to Sydney!"

Over the past few days, Tang Yu has basically figured out the situation. In addition, after seeing the popularity of their exhibition hall, the organizers assigned two staff members to help, so Wu Yuchen has had time to take Jiang Qinqin around.

How can you attend the Sydney Film Festival and not see some good movies?

Wu Yuchen took Jiang Qinqin to the exhibition hall of "Shining Glory" first.

This movie is truly a classic. Even though he had seen it in his previous life, he was still deeply moved when he watched it again.

Wu Yuchen remembers that in Stephen Chow's "King of Comedy", the idol poster in the male protagonist Yin Tianchou's room was of this movie.

Geoffrey Rush's performance as the male lead was also truly superb; to win the Best Actor Oscar next year for an Australian film speaks volumes about his talent. He later played the villain Captain Barbossa in "Pirates of the Caribbean."

Just as Wu Yuchen was leisurely taking Jiang Qinqin on a sightseeing trip, a not-so-intense debate was taking place among the judges.

The Sydney Film Festival's jury consists of five members each year, one or two of whom are Australian filmmakers. Several of the top ten films each year are Australian, which serves as a form of protection for local cinema.

"I recommend 'Coherence,' which explores human nature in a very interesting way. I am me, but I am not me. In order to kill me, I have to try my best to pretend to be me. When people are selfish, they are even so ugly that they are jealous of themselves!"

If Wu Yuchen were there, he would definitely recite the classic line from "My Own Swordsman" where Lü Xiucai kills Ji Wuming: "Who made me stupid, and who did I kill!"

However, another man shrugged and said, "But it's a science fiction thriller; it's really not that artistic."

In direct opposition was a woman wearing glasses:
"Come on, Paul, we have 10 spots. Do you want to pick 10 films that are all what you call art films?"
The Sydney Film Festival's official slogan is that it welcomes films of any genre!
Do you want me to read the film festival's theme to you?
"I hope the film will be bold and avant-garde, employing unconventional methods to express its themes."

Isn't the satirical approach to human nature in *Coherence* novel enough?

Seeing that the man was speechless for a moment, another judge smiled and tried to smooth things over:
“Paul, this year we have ‘Shine’, art films are already dazzling enough, I think we should give other genres a chance. After all, film festivals should maintain an open and inclusive attitude.”

Paul readily agreed, saying, "You're right, 'Shining Glory' is really fantastic! I've seen the short film 'Car 44' by this new director Wu, and he's definitely a very creative young man."

……

After a week of fun, Wu Yuchen stopped taking Jiang Qinqin out for fun in the two days leading up to the closing of the film festival and returned to the exhibition hall to focus on his work.

On the afternoon of the day before the closing ceremony, a staff member came over with a smile and said, "Director Wu, please make sure you attend our closing ceremony and awards ceremony tomorrow!"

"Thank you!" Wu Yuchen smiled upon hearing this.

Tang Yu, who was standing next to him, was already about to cheer. He now knew that this meant there was a high probability of winning an award tomorrow.

The next day, Wu Yuchen wore a suit and tuxedo, but he didn't want Jiang Qinqin to wear a dress. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend the money, but it was still winter in Australia in June, and he was worried she would get cold in the sub-10-degree weather.

The two walked the red carpet arm in arm, with Tang Yu by their side. This time, they received much more cheers than in Berlin, as word of mouth had made "Coherence" a hot film at the festival over the past two weeks.

As for the awards ceremony, to be honest, there's not much to say. The Sydney Film Festival awards are for ten best films, with no particular order or suspense. Compared to the Berlin Film Festival, the atmosphere and tension were definitely much weaker. Each film crew took turns going up to accept their award, and at the end, representatives from all ten crews took a group photo.

Having experienced Berlin, Wu Yuchen and Jiang Qinqin were much calmer this time, while Tang Yu was overjoyed to witness a film winning an award for the first time.

Wu Yuchen looked at the small Best Picture trophy in his hand. He didn't value it that much, but it was a stepping stone to get into the sights of British and American film companies.

There were quite a few British and American film distributors at this year's Sydney Film Festival, arguably the most in recent years, all thanks to the film "Shine".

Ever since the film premiered at the film festival, discerning companies have been quick to contact the company. Fox Searchlight, Sony Classics, Buena Vista International, and many others have all come forward, all wanting to acquire the distribution rights for the film in the United States.

"Damn it, Bowei moved so fast!" Frank cursed as he unbuttoned his collar. He had come all the way from America specifically to personally inspect "Shining Glory".

Two days ago, he went to see the movie as soon as he arrived at the film festival. It was indeed very good. Moreover, this kind of biographical film is very suitable for the Oscar race. The old men at the Academy love this type of film the most. With a little manipulation, it can get an Oscar nomination, and it is not impossible for it to win the award in the end.

However, he was too slow. By the time he wanted to talk to the producers of "Shining Glory," they had already reached a cooperation agreement with Boway International. His visits over the past two days were fruitless, which left him somewhat frustrated but helpless.

Seeing that there was little hope for "Shining Glory," but not wanting to have made a wasted trip, Frank asked his subordinates:

"Daniel, are there any other good films at this film festival?"

Daniel thought for a moment and said, "Boss, there's a sci-fi thriller from the East that's really popular at this film festival. Its concept is absolutely fantastic!"

Frank's interest was piqued by this. Hollywood's formulas had become stale over the years: "Tell me about it."

"Parallel worlds, where time and space intersect..." Frank kept muttering after hearing this, his eyes sparkling.

"Coherence" was playing in a theater, but unlike at previous film festivals, the theater was almost empty, with only about ten people sitting in it.

Wu Yuchen glanced at the group of people who were engrossed in watching the movie. Besides the Fox Searchlight team, there were also people from Sony Classics and an English film company.

Wu Yuchen didn't expect that "Shining Glory" would attract the attention of several higher-level executives from various companies, which also brought his film "The Night the Comet Came" into their view. They even wanted to rent a theater for them to watch it again.

When the movie ended and the lights in the theater came on, the people from the various film companies didn't react much.

Frank scoffed, "The first ten minutes are too boring; most viewers can't get through them."

The Sony Classics guy next to him shrugged: "Yeah, I thought it was some brilliant idea, but it turns out it's just the same old time and space stuff, something Hollywood's already done."

"With so many Asian faces, I think the audience will suffer from face blindness."

"The movie's visuals were also a bit rough; I watched it with a frown on my face."

The head of the English film company next to them remained silent, watching with interest as these two Hollywood colleagues put on their act. The two took turns criticizing the film's shortcomings, but neither of them showed any intention of leaving. Hehehe.

Seeing Wu Yuchen approach, the two exchanged a glance and realized they couldn't really fool each other, so they stopped playing any tricks.

Frank laughed and said, "Okay, I admit this movie is kind of interesting."

The Sony representative said, "Frank, you don't want us to just bid like this, do you?"

Frank nodded: "To avoid losing face for a low-budget Eastern film, how about we agree on a fixed price later?" "OK."

After Wu Yuchen walked over, Frank asked directly:

"Wu, our time is very precious; we're returning to China tomorrow. What's your quote?"

These guys are all seasoned veterans. If they could know his expectations, they would be better off buying the copyright from Wu Yuchen at a lower price, so they wouldn't offer a price proactively.

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen smiled faintly and said in a relaxed tone, "Oh, that's the opposite for me. I have plenty of free time. So I plan to attend all the film festivals in the second half of the year, such as Toronto and Sitges. I think I'll find a suitable buyer eventually."

Wu Yuchen's statement, which revealed nothing but clearly stated his attitude, made the others realize that this kid was not easily fooled.

Frank smiled and said, "Wu, I'm somewhat interested in movies. Directors' time is precious, and you don't want to waste your energy on travel, do you? $50 for North American screening rights and DVD rights."

Wu Yuchen clicked his tongue in admiration. As expected of a major film producer, this was much more generous than the Australian bumpkin who had tried to fool him a while ago!

Upon hearing Frank's offer, the Sony Classics representative next to him laughed and said, "Wow, Frank, it seems I'm a bit more sincere than you. I'll offer $60."

"Really? I suddenly think that $65 might be a better figure."

Frank immediately chimed in, saying that he had long since abandoned his proposed fixed price, and that it was all undignified!
He originally came for "Shining Glory," but unfortunately, he didn't get the part and really didn't want to leave empty-handed. This film, "The Night the Comet Came," gave him an unexpected surprise.

The Sony Classics representative glared at him, then looked at Wu Yuchen: "75. Wu, I heard that you sold the adaptation rights to your short film to Sony Classics. You should trust our reputation and sincerity."

Wu Yuchen looked at Frank again, but Frank didn't look at him. Instead, he looked at the people at Sony Classics and announced a number: "100 million."

"You!" The Sony Classics staff glared at Frank, this scoundrel.

Wu Yuchen, meanwhile, looked expectantly at Sony Classics, hoping they could continue to perform well and raise the bar even higher.

But the head of Sony Classics disappointed him; instead of reporting any more figures, he said to Frank with a sullen face:

"This movie has absolutely no chance of making any money at the box office in North America!"

"I'm willing, can't I just consider it filling Fox's film library?" Frank said calmly.

The Sony Classics staff ignored him and handed Wu Yuchen a business card: "Wu, if you have any ideas, feel free to contact me anytime."

After saying that, he straightened his clothes and turned to leave.

Wu Yuchen then smiled and asked Frank:

"Mr. Frank, are you sure it's $100 million?"

"Of course, aren't you satisfied yet?"

"Oh no, I'm just afraid you'll change your mind."

Wu Yuchen spoke politely, but he didn't put away the business card in his hand.

Frank scoffed, "I wouldn't do something so untrustworthy. But the $100 million comes with conditions: Fox Searchlight has the right of first refusal for the North American adaptation rights to the film."

Upon hearing that it was only a right of first refusal, Wu Yuchen readily agreed.

Frank had his plans. First of all, what the Sony Classics people said earlier was correct: this movie basically couldn't be shown on a large scale in North America; it could only be shown in some Chinatown and Asian-populated areas to try it out.

However, "Coherence" will likely perform very well in the DVD market. Not only is the concept appealing and the plot worth watching repeatedly, but the mere hype of a $1 sci-fi movie is enough to attract a large audience. He wasn't sure how much it would actually generate, but he was certain the deal wouldn't be a loss.

Don't assume that foreigners don't watch Chinese films or that they all have face blindness. Hong Kong martial arts films have always sold well on DVD, and in the last two years, Jackie Chan's action films have been especially popular. DVD sales and rentals in the Bronx even broke into the top ten in North America at one point.

Frank planned to take it back and test the waters first. If the results exceeded his expectations, he would then acquire the adaptation rights and remake an American version. This movie looked like a low-budget production, so it wouldn't cost much to make.

After watching the spectacle unfold, the English film distributor standing nearby finally spoke up with a smile:
“Director Wu, I think you don’t need to go to the Sitges Film Festival anymore. $80 for European screening rights plus DVDs, I think my price is fair.”

Compared to the United States, the people at this English film company are more optimistic about "Coherence".

Because, to some extent, Europe is actually more tolerant of films and doesn't care too much about whether the protagonist of an independent film is white.

Back in 96, the parallel narrative and self-destruction concept in "Coherence" was absolutely brilliant. Anyone interested in suspense films would be deeply impressed. Therefore, he was very confident that the film would be a huge success in Europe.

Wu Yuchen hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement. The price was indeed quite good, and he really didn't want to wait a few more months.

Since Yahoo went public in April, he wants to take advantage of his current ability to operate overseas and invest the money he earns in Yahoo stock. Waiting a few more months would be less desirable.

Regarding the movie "The Night of the Comet," he himself doesn't plan to do any more filming, but Tang Yu is still involved!

For the Sitges Film Festival in the second half of the year, I suggest he take us there again, and hopefully we can win another award. Then the film rights from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South America can all be sold for a fortune!

After everything was settled, the English film distributor smiled and said to Wu Yuchen:
"Wu, your short film 'Car 44' and this film 'Comet' show that you are a very thoughtful director with an international perspective. If you have the opportunity, I suggest you showcase your talent on a bigger stage."

Frank, upon hearing this, was also intrigued and smiled, saying, "I completely agree, Wu. Feel free to contact me if you have any suitable scripts; I'm always happy to help! Perhaps you could even get a chance to direct in Hollywood!"

Frank was actually thinking that if Comet were to be remade into an American version, Wu would be a director worth considering.

"Thank you both for your suggestions. I will definitely consider them carefully. If you have time, I would like to invite you both to dinner tonight."

Wu Yuchen extended the invitation, hoping to learn more about the current state of European cinema and Hollywood from the two of them. Although he had experience from his previous life, it could only serve as a reference; the information he received from these two was more timely.

"Haha, then we won't stand on ceremony!" The two exchanged a glance and laughed.

……

Wu Yuchen, Jiang Qinqin, and Tang Yu waited in Sydney for a few more days and received a total of $190 million.

100 million in North America, 80 in Europe, and 10 in Australia.

Some might find selling a film for nearly two million US dollars a bit exaggerated, but if you know that the Pang brothers from Hong Kong sold the North American rights to their two films, "Silent Fire" and "The Eye," for $90 and $100 million respectively, then the figures don't seem so outrageous. "Silent Fire" was only released in 99, not many years ago, and its remake rights, starring Nicolas Cage, were later bought.

This 190 million, plus the 30 he had previously deposited in the bank, totaled 220 million. He used 200 million of it to buy Yahoo stock.

Yahoo went public on April 12th of this year, closing at $33, but instead of rising in the past few months, it has fallen below $20. Wu Yuchen wasn't clear about the details, only remembering that Yahoo's market capitalization at its peak was several hundred times higher than at the time of its IPO. He still decided to believe in Yahoo's past glory and bought $2 million worth of Yahoo stock at $18.55.

He planned to take the remaining $20 back to China, which would be enough for him.

He definitely wouldn't reveal how much money he made from selling the rights to "The Night the Comet Came," otherwise a bunch of people would be envious. However, he planned to give each actor in the crew a generous red envelope of 6666 yuan, and the crew members would also receive bonuses—mainly because this time they really made a lot of money!

As for the domestic release, he'll ask the Beijing Film Studio and Shanghai Film Group if they're willing to release it. If so, Wu Yuchen is willing to subsidize some of the distribution costs himself. He's not after the domestic box office revenue; he just wants the crew to be able to see their film in theaters, so everyone will feel a sense of accomplishment and won't feel like they've worked for nothing.

It was already July, and Jiang Qinqin had only stayed in Beijing for two days after returning. After a tender and reluctant farewell with Wu Yuchen, she went straight back to her hometown. After all, she hadn't gone back for the Spring Festival, and she couldn't afford not to go back this summer.

The first thing Wu Yuchen did upon returning was to gather the cast and crew of "We Two," and they are now ready to film the summer scenes.

The summer scenes in the movie perfectly capture the warm and harmonious time the two spend together. Every little thing they do together makes you feel their care and warmth for each other, just like a real grandmother and granddaughter.

Zhou Xun and Grandma Jin Yaqin are now very familiar with each other, so filming this scene was a natural process, and it was completed in just 5 days!
The filming of "We Two" has now wrapped up. At the wrap party, the elderly lady Jin Yaqin even invited Zhou Xun to visit them often, showing that they have indeed formed a deep friendship.

Wu Yuchen, on the other hand, has been working on post-production. The three seasons of winter, spring, and autumn that have already been filmed have been edited out, and all that's left is to cut out the summer segment and connect it.

As for the music, it's quite a coincidence that Dou Wei was commissioned to compose the music for the movie "We Two" in his previous life. However, Dou Wei can't play the guqin now, so Wu Yuchen couldn't just choose him.

So he went to the Central Conservatory of Music and found Dou Wei's guqin teacher, Wu Na. Through Wu Na, who had just enrolled, he found her teacher, the famous guqin master Li Xiangting, and finally completed the music.

The reason for insisting on using the guqin is that this instrument, with its deep tone and lingering resonance, is perfect for the film. It evokes a sense of tradition and the passage of time.

(End of this chapter)