Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 90 I Only Accept Directing Myself

Seeing Kitano Takeshi's suddenly stern face, Wu Yuchen wasn't intimidated. He slowly put down his teacup and looked directly at Kitano Takeshi:
“Mr. Kitano, nothing is impossible.”

First of all, "We Two" has won both the Jury Prize and Best Actress awards at the Tokyo International Film Festival, which greatly facilitates your publicity.

Secondly, I imagine you've also investigated the screenings of "We Two" during the film festival; almost every show was sold out, and some viewers even brought their families for second or third viewings. Given the enthusiasm of Japanese audiences for "We Two," 3 million yen isn't an unattainable goal.

In Japan, many art-house cinemas screen some films for up to six months. "Postmen in the Mountains" was screened for over a year, and despite receiving no awards before its release, it grossed 8 million yen solely through word-of-mouth.

Even if "We Two" can't compare to "Postmen in the Mountains," based on Wu Yuchen's observations, 3 million yen shouldn't be a problem, and even 4-5 million yen is possible.

Then Wu Yuchen continued:
"Moreover, you can sell the television rights to 'We Two' to TV stations after the theatrical run ends, and then release a premium DVD collector's edition, which is all profit."

After a pause, Wu Yuchen added one last sentence:

"Note that I am referring to the copyright across Asia, including all regions except mainland China. This includes copyrights in South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and even Hong Kong. As long as you can operate it, how much you sell it for is your business, Takeshi Kitano Studio. I don't care."

Yes, Wu Yuchen didn't want to go through any more trouble, so he decided to sell everything in one go. He didn't have the channels or the energy to do these things himself.

Takeshi Kitano's eyes lit up upon hearing this. If that's the case, it's not entirely out of the question. How much they could earn depended on their studio's capabilities. These economically developed regions all have art-house cinemas, and there's a market for art films. "We Two" has won two awards at the Tokyo International Film Festival, so they could negotiate deals in other regions as well.

“70 US dollars…” Takeshi Kitano, having already done the math in his head, began to haggle with Yu-Chen Wu.

Ultimately, the two parties reached a deal for $120 million. It wasn't that Takeshi Kitano had lost his mind; rather, Wu Yuchen had also included the European and American rights in the deal. Kitano simply didn't have the channels or energy to handle it all, and even with Tang Yu at the company, he couldn't manage it all.

Tang Yu has already taken "The Night the Comet Came" to the Sitges Film Festival, hoping to win an award and sell the rights to Asian and South American regions.

In his past life, Jia Zhangke earned 500 million yuan from "Xiao Wu"—note, that's 500 million yuan just for him; the distributors must have earned even more. It's not surprising that the rights to "We Two" sold for 120 million US dollars. Takeshi Kitano, with his connections and ability to generate revenue, is bound to make money, perhaps more than doubling it.

Wu Yuchen saved energy and time; wouldn't it be easier to invest that money in the stock market to buy Yahoo instead of running around the world selling copyrights?
Speaking of Yahoo stock, he invested $200 million a few months ago, buying it at $18.55. Now it has risen to $23.5, and the stock's market value has reached $253 million.

Well, although I've made a considerable profit, Yahoo doesn't seem to be in a growth phase yet. On the other hand, Changhong, which I bought in the domestic stock market, has been skyrocketing. I initially invested 80 yuan, and even withdrew 16 yuan to film "The Night the Comet Came," and it's still worth 328 million yuan now. That's amazing!

However, the domestic stock market wasn't his biggest asset. Before Wu Yuchen came to Japan, Wu Jianping's publishing house had already paid him royalties for 200 million copies sold, totaling 438 million yuan after tax. Don't think it's a small amount; the main reason is that book prices back then were far lower than they would be ten years later.

438 million was a huge sum of money in 96, and the money in the account left Wu Jianping and Zhou Shulan in a daze for several days.

Before Wu Jianping could even discuss the money with Wu Yuchen, Wu Yuchen had already flown to Tokyo.

In fact, as soon as Wu Yuchen arrived in Tokyo, he contacted an agency and asked them to help him register several scripts in the United States.

Furthermore, after making inquiries, Wu Yuchen discovered that he also met the requirements for joining the Writers Guild of America. The American film adaptation of the short film "Car 44" has already been released, grossing $12.5 million on a budget of $1.7 million. As the original screenwriter, he was credited, and Sony Classics made a profit by issuing him a letter of recommendation, which was naturally no problem.

The reason for registering the script in the United States is naturally to pave the way for the future. Some movies simply cannot be made in China, and it will take at least 10 years for the domestic film market to grow. During this period, he will most likely still need to go to the United States to gain experience. Moreover, if he doesn't register some scripts now, it will be too late in a few years. Writing them now and putting them up there will attract attention and also serve as a bargaining chip.

Not long after he finalized the deal with Takeshi Kitano, he received a call from America. The caller was Frank, the Fox Searchlight who had previously bought "Coherence".

Shortly after returning from Sydney, he arranged a limited release of "Coherence" in theaters in Asian-populated areas. Initially, the response was lukewarm, not particularly surprising. However, the attendance rate didn't drop at all in the following two weeks. This allowed Fox Searchlight to expand to more independent theaters, and the total box office reached $630 million in two months.

Frank believes that if an American version were made and released on a larger scale, it could potentially earn over ten million dollars.

“Wu, could you stay in Japan for another week? I’ll send someone over to discuss the adaptation rights for ‘Comet’ with you.”

“Sure, but Frank, I think we can discuss the price negotiations over the phone.”

"Okay, Wu, I know you're a very opinionated person. Just tell me the price you want."

"Frank, for the sake of our long-standing friendship, I won't ask for too much. How about 100 million?"

"Heh, isn't this just asking for the moon? It's just the adaptation rights. We can buy the adaptation rights to some movies in Europe for only $50."

Wu Yuchen didn't refute it, but instead smiled and said into the phone:
"Frank, you know that not all movies are the same. My film, 'Coherence,' relies entirely on creativity, and the essence of the entire film lies in the script. Moreover, the production cost was extremely low. Even if you found a low-level director and had him shoot the original version, you could definitely manage to make it for under $50."

The adaptation rights are worth 100 million, plus the filming cost of 50, which is only 150 million, but I believe it will definitely bring you far more than 150 million in revenue.

If you really can't accept that, then I'll have to go find Sony Classics.

Wu Yuchen now understands very well that the box office performance of "The Night the Comet Came" in 2014 was poor, partly due to its lengthy opening and partly because the concept was no longer fresh. With "Triangle" already released, this imitation formula naturally didn't feel particularly novel to audiences.

But this was the 90s, and these highlights were enough to amaze many moviegoers. Therefore, it achieved better-than-expected results both in China and the United States. The $100 million adaptation rights fee really wasn't that high.

Frank paused for a moment, then said, "Alright, Wu, then it's $100 million. No need to contact Sony anymore. I'll have someone head to Japan right away."

"Don't worry, Frank, I'm always a man of my word. By the way, I just registered three new scripts in America; you can take a look if you're interested."

"Oh? Then I'll have to take a good look!"

After exchanging a few words of laughter, the two ended the call.

Fox Searchlight acted quickly; the day after the call, its employees arrived in Tokyo and, without rest, went directly to Wu Yuchen with the contract.

Everything went smoothly. The contract was signed and the money was transferred immediately. Even before Takeshi Kitano's studio received the $120 million, Fox Searchlight's money arrived first, confirming to Wu Yuchen that *Coherence* must have performed well in America. And the very next day, Frank called again, immediately praising the film:

"Wu, you are truly, truly talented! I'll take all three of your scripts as a package, how about $150 million? That's a high price for a screenwriter!"

"Frank, thank you for the compliment. I only plan to sell one for now. Which one do you value most?"

Frank hesitated for a moment on the other end of the phone, then said, "Frequency."

The Chinese title of the movie "Frequency" is "Black Hole Frequency", also known as "Life and Death Frequency" or "Saving the Future from Another World". In fact, the latter two titles are more descriptive, as the movie has nothing to do with black holes.

"Frequency" was released in 2000. It tells the story of a son in 1999 who travels through time to communicate with his father in 1969 through an old radio, and how his father changes the past to influence the present.

It can be said that this film pioneered the genre of changing the past and influencing the present within the same timeline. For example, later films such as England's "One Call," Spain's "Mirage," South Korea's "Signal," and the Hong Kong TV series "To Be a Better Man" all carried forward this idea, with some simply changing the medium to a telephone.

This movie can't be filmed in China. Putting aside the plot, just consider what era China was in 30 years ago. Even if it were changed to 20 years ago, it still couldn't be filmed. Therefore, Wu Yuchen simply didn't consider localization; it was pointless.

Frequency was a commercial and critical success, which is why Wu Yuchen listed it as one of his scripts for the American film industry.

"Wu, your creativity regarding the themes of time and space is truly amazing. You are absolutely a genius in this field!"

Frank kept praising the script, saying that with the success of "Coherence" as a precedent, "Frequency" was the first script he was interested in.

"Frank, the price of 50 is no problem, but I have one condition."

"Just say it!"

"I want to be a director."

Frank on the other end of the phone was silent for a moment, then after a few seconds, he smiled again and said:
“Wu, you want to be a director? No problem. I can give you ‘The Night the Comet Came’ and a million yuan in filming funds. I think that’s enough for you to make…”

Wu Yuchen interrupted directly: "Frank, you should understand what I mean. I want to be the director of 'Frequency'."

Frank sighed, then said:

"Wu, I'm sorry, Fox will not agree to your request. After reading the script, I knew it was a multi-million dollar project. Although your 'Comet' is doing well so far, it is only a Chinese film."

Wu Yuchen immediately understood, meaning that he was not qualified enough to direct a project with a budget of tens of millions.

“I won’t sell the rights. I’ll only direct it myself. Frank, if you trust my abilities, I’ll definitely give you a surprise.”

“Wu, this isn’t about ability. In Hollywood, everything is a deal; you need to have enough leverage to get equal opportunities.”

I have a suggestion: if you're willing to direct the American version of "Coherence," and it grosses over ten million at the box office, you'll gain valuable experience, which might help the company agree to your proposal.

"Maybe?" Wu Yuchen asked.

“Yes, maybe,” Frank confirmed.

Wu Yuchen chuckled. That's just how it is. Hollywood isn't easy for outsiders to get in, and it also has prejudices against people of Asian descent.

If he were Jewish, even if he only made the short film "Car 44," he might have gotten a directing opportunity with "Frequency." But Asians have to prove themselves good enough before they can even get noticed by Hollywood.

Wu Yuchen smiled:

"Frank, thank you for your suggestion, but an artist's life is precious, and I don't want to do repetitive and meaningless things. Also, it won't be long before you ask me to be your director, I mean definitely!"

Frank sighed and didn't try to raise the price anymore. It wasn't important anymore. The other party, like many directors, clearly valued the directing opportunity most. That's just how these people are.

After hanging up the phone, Wu Yuchen let out a sigh of relief. Breaking into America wasn't that easy. Wu Baige only got a chance because of the DVD sales of so many Hong Kong action movies he had made in America.

Since Hollywood said he wasn't qualified, Wu Yuchen decided to make a time loop movie that would be considered a classic.

Wu Yuchen then started to consider the extra 2.2 million yuan, planning to divide it into three installments.

Buying another $100 million worth of Yahoo stock should be a safe bet and a stable investment.

The second $80 was brought back to China to buy Changhong shares. Based on Zhou Shulan's prediction of a 20-fold increase in stock price in his previous life, Changhong should still have room to increase by 4-5 times. Seeing Changhong's rapid rise, Wu Yuchen also planned to make some quick money.

The third $40 will be kept for now, as funding for the next film. For example, the courtyard where "We Two" was filmed can be bought for $45, far less than the later exorbitant prices, mainly because the courtyard itself was small and dilapidated. The remaining money should be enough to make the next film.

As for the more than four million yuan I earned from writing the book, I'll put it with my parents. I don't need the money for now, and it can be considered an emergency reserve.

However, regarding the filming of my next movie, I need to go back and ask around. I don't know if it should be a co-production, so I need to find someone to help me make connections.

With that in mind, Wu Yuchen didn't hesitate any longer and immediately bought a return ticket for the next day. This trip to Japan had been very fruitful; he could go back now. Grandma Jin Yaqin was probably still waiting for his trophy!

(End of this chapter)