Huayu Entertainment: You have been directing for three generations, are you comparing your qualifica

Chapter 93 I'm the Trailblazer (Please Subscribe)
"Tian, ​​congratulations on becoming the best director in Berlin. Like I said last time, you should come to Hollywood. You belong here."

James drove along, rambling on and on. Tian Xiaole, as his financial backer, also kept up with news from the film industry.

"Thank you, I'm on my way to Hollywood now," Tian Xiaole said with a smile.

After checking into a five-star hotel, James asked him if he wanted to experience some local specialties, saying that as long as the money was right, even third or fourth-tier Hollywood actresses could be summoned.

"No, I still have work to do. Let's talk about it after I'm done."

Tian Xiaole wasn't in a hurry to experience anything; she wanted to finish the important business first.

The phenomenal box office success of "Saw" proves the huge potential of the horror film market.

This also reminded Tian Xiaole of several movies that had performed well at the box office and with critical acclaim: *Dead Silence*, *The Conjuring*, *Lurking*, and *Happy Death Day*...

During his trip to the United States, he prepared the script for "Dead Silence" and wanted to collaborate with Lionsgate, a company specializing in distributing R-rated films.

Having just succeeded with "Saw," they can see the potential in the script of "Dead Silence," which is also a horror film.

"You know, in Hollywood, no matter what you want to do, you need an agent. What do you think of me?"

James wants to take on an extra job and earn an extra salary.

"You passed the broker exam?"

Tian Xiaole's question poured cold water on James's hopes.

Agents also need to pass an exam; only by passing the California Talent Broker License Exam are they qualified to become freelance agents.

James muttered "I'm leaving," so he probably really wants to do this job.

Inside the hotel, Tian Xiaole was thinking about tomorrow, making preparations for both possibilities.

If Lionsgate can cooperate, that would be the best outcome, and everyone could happily make US dollars together.

If Lionsgate doesn't take it seriously, or even refuses outright.

Tian Xiaole then considered whether to film it himself and find a Hollywood company to distribute it.

In Hollywood, and even throughout the United States, it is extremely difficult for Chinese people to make a name for themselves.

Bruce Lee's brief but brilliant career promoted Chinese Kung Fu to the world, which made them wary.

Jackie Chan is an unparalleled figure in Asia. In 80, he made his first attempt to enter Hollywood with a budget of 800 million to film "The Killer," which grossed only 850 million at the box office, marking his first failure in Hollywood.

The reason for this is that Jackie Chan had no say in the matter, and his comedic aspects were cut.

In 95, "Rumble in the Bronx" was released in North America and grossed $3239 million, making it a huge success.

That led to "Rush Hour," which solidified their foothold in Hollywood.

Needless to say, Li Lianjie mostly appears as a villain.

Hollywood doesn't need perfect Chinese superstars; they just need Chinese comedians.

It's truly remarkable that Jackie Chan and Li Lianjie have managed to establish themselves in Hollywood; only two people like them have achieved this in decades.

In terms of directors, only the completely Westernized Lee An and the Chinese-American James Wan have been able to establish themselves.

Wu Yusen screwed over MGM and slunk back home.

They were even given high positions by certain film and television companies, which gave them the opportunity to make movies like "Red Cliff," which vilifies history.

Chen Kaige spent some time in Hollywood, filming the movie "Fatal Tenderness".

The attempt to blend Eastern and Western styles resulted in a film that was neither fish nor fowl, grossing only $297 million at the box office and failing to gain traction in Hollywood.

The director of "Shanghai" was originally Zhang Yimou, but he demanded final cut rights, which was ruthlessly refused, so another director was chosen to direct.

In Hollywood, apart from a few top directors, directors don't have much say, not even editing rights; it's an absolute producer-centric system.

in the country, the director is absolutely the core, and the quality of a film depends entirely on the director's skill.

It will be incredibly difficult for Tian Xiaole to make a name for himself.

Tomorrow's negotiations with Lionsgate will require him to take the initiative in order to gain a foothold.

The next day, James arrived, dressed very formally, like a Wall Street negotiator.

"Go to the screenwriters' guild first and register the script."

Tian Xiaole gave an instruction and got into the back seat of the vehicle.

The script for "Dead Silence" was written before I came here and hasn't been registered in Hollywood yet.

Although you can register on the official website, the review process is too slow. Going directly to the union is more efficient, and James is already a member.

Besides "Dead Silence," I also registered another script, which I prepared before coming to Hollywood.

In the afternoon, in Santa Monica, 22 kilometers away from Los Angeles, is the headquarters of Lionsgate.

Lionsgate originated in Vancouver. Last year's miracle film "Saw" and "Fahrenheit 9/11," which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, have firmly established Lionsgate in Hollywood.

On the way, Tian Xiaole pondered his conditions: excluding the sale of the copyright for "Dead Silence," he would not personally direct a horror film.

The best partnership is one where partners invest and share box office revenue.

Upon arriving at Lionsgate's headquarters in Santa Monica, James addressed the two blonde, blue-eyed women in uniforms at the reception desk:
"Inform your boss that Tian, ​​the youngest director to win an award at Cannes and the Silver Bear for Best Director at Berlin, has a big project he wants to collaborate with Lionsgate on."

James was very confident and spoke with great charisma.

Do you have an appointment?

Tian Xiaole and James both shook their heads. The receptionist was very professional, always wearing a smile.

"Please follow me."

The girl led the way, swaying her hips.

He led the two to a conference room and said with a smile:

"Please wait here for a moment. I will pass on your visit information, and the relevant leaders will meet with you when they have time."

"Tian, ​​your title of best director doesn't seem to be working so well."

James complained as he watched the receptionist walk away.

"Just wait, it's our fault for not making an appointment."

Tian Xiaole was quite open-minded. When Li Lianjie first entered Hollywood, he sat on the sidelines for three hours and didn't even get to see him.

After making a name for himself in Hollywood, Jeff Robinoff, the president of Warner Bros. who had initially refused to meet him, humbly sought a collaboration with him, only to be ignored for two hours before they finally met.

Therefore, in the United States, interests always come first, and discrimination has always existed.

After waiting for a while, James became restless and paced back and forth in the conference room.

“I’ll go and tell them that you’re a screenwriter and that the collaborative project you’re bringing this time is a horror script.”

Tian Xiaole was mentally prepared before coming, but now that she's been left out, the contrast is still huge.

in the country, everyone fawns over him, and he wakes up every day to praise and compliments.

Being in Hollywood is better than being an extra; filmmakers from all over the world want to strike it rich here.

Tian Xiaole's identity as a director is not an advantage, but rather a disadvantage, because he is too young.

Soon, James returned, followed by the receptionist.

The two were led into a spacious, bright, and luxurious reception room.

"Please wait a moment, Manager Mike will be here shortly."

Tian Xiaole nodded. He glanced at the time. If the person didn't arrive within ten minutes, he would leave without saying another word.

It's not necessary to cooperate with Lionsgate. If one doesn't work out, we can just find another one.

Soon, the door to the reception room was pushed open, and a middle-aged white man entered, dressed in a suit and tie.

"Hello, the youngest director to win the Silver Bear at Berlin, my name is Mike Burns, Chief Operating Officer and Production Manager at Lionsgate." "Hello, Mr. Mike."

The two shook hands politely, and Tian Xiaole introduced James's identity.

The three took their seats in turn, and Mike spoke first:
"Take out the script you brought; hopefully it will surprise me."

Tian Xiaole took the prepared script out of her bag and handed it to him, not indulging him:
"If you have a high enough appreciation level, you'll definitely like it."

Mike took the script, but didn't look at it right away. He looked at Tian Xiaole and said:
“I like your confidence. With the success of Saw, Lionsgate receives a lot of horror scripts every day. I took the time to meet with you because of your status as a screenwriter.”

Mike Burns' point is simple: Tian Xiaole's identity as a director is meaningless here.

"Dead silence!"

Looking at the title of the script, Mike unconsciously read it aloud.

Tian Xiaole sipped his coffee, completely at ease. He was very confident in the script and believed that Mike Burns could see its potential.

He was the producer of "Saw," and he definitely has a unique perspective on the horror genre.

Mike finished reading the script after his cup of coffee was almost empty.

His face was expressionless, but his eyes betrayed his inner turmoil with a hint of excitement at spotting his prey.

"The script has nothing new; audiences prefer to see bloody and violent scenes, like in 'Saw'."

Mike Burns belittled the idea, suggesting it was an attempt to drive down the price and buy the script.

"In that case, I won't bother you any longer."

Tian Xiaole got up to pick up the script on the table, but Mike grabbed it first.

Mike panicked; he hadn't expected Tian Xiaole to act so unpredictably.

"Mr. Mike, what do you mean by this?"

Tian Xiaole sat down again, knowing that as long as the other party was interested, he could take the initiative in the subsequent negotiations.

"Although this script is quite ordinary, Lionsgate is willing to buy it for $200,000, which is a good price."

You should know that many senior screenwriters in the Writers Guild only earn a maximum of one or two hundred thousand US dollars for a good script.

Mike spoke with great confidence, believing that Tian Xiaole would not refuse at this price.

Tian Xiaole snatched the script from Mike's hand and said, word by word:

"I think you've forgotten that directing is my main job, and I understand the value of this script better than you do."

James, who had been silent until now, finally spoke:
“You should check the information. My employer is the youngest winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes and the youngest director to win the Silver Bear at Berlin.”

"Let's go, James. We'll film the script ourselves. Hollywood has plenty of actors and film companies, so we can find other companies to distribute it."

Tian Xiaole stuffed the script into her bag, got up, and left.

"Wait, tell me your terms."

When Mike first received the notification from the front desk, he looked up Tian Xiaole's information, but didn't pay much attention to it.

I thought he was like other directors who came looking for opportunities, wanting Lionsgate to invest or something.

It wasn't until he received the second notification from the front desk that he took it seriously.

Such a young director, who wrote the entire script himself, that's why I thought of meeting him.

The script for "Dead Silence" was indeed amazing, and it gave him a fresh perspective. He realized that there were other ways to make horror movies.
He was thinking of buying the rights outright and having Lionsgate film and distribute it.

"I don't need any fees..."

"You want a share?"

Before Tian Xiaole could finish speaking, Mike Burns interrupted him, his tone full of disbelief.

James looked at Tian Xiaole nodding, his expression incredulous, as if he were shocked by such a bold idea.

"Impossible, Lionsgate will never accept this."

Mike spoke with absolute certainty and a very serious expression.

Only a handful of directors can secure a share of the budget in Hollywood.

Tian Xiaole has no achievements in Hollywood, yet he dares to make this request; it seems like he's insane.

Tian Xiaole calmly said:

"Mr. Mike should know a lot about the script. The success of Saw proves that horror films have a very good market prospect."

If Lionsgate is unwilling to cooperate, as I just said, I can easily film it myself and find other companies to cooperate with.

Moreover, the script is part of a series, and I believe other film and television companies won't miss this opportunity. The 300x return on investment for "Saw" is right in front of us.

Tian Xiaole's description was very tempting.

The comparison, especially the one with "Saw," left Mike speechless.

He had to admit that Tian Xiaole was right; as long as there was profit involved, there would be no shortage of opportunities for collaboration in Hollywood.

Moreover, he has the backing of a huge Chinese market, which is also a door that Hollywood wants to break through.

James snapped out of his daze and chimed in with a suggestion:

"I believe that Dead Silence is absolutely no less than Saw, in terms of both critical acclaim and box office."

The air in the meeting room seemed to freeze, and all three fell silent.

Tian Xiaole is no longer in a hurry and is even in the mood to drink coffee while waiting for Mike to make a decision.

How many shares do you want?

Mike asked tentatively.

Hearing this, Tian Xiaole breathed a sigh of relief and slowly said:
"Minimum 30%."

"impossible."

This is the second time Mike Burns has said it's impossible, and he's very firm about it.

"This is our first collaboration. I can prioritize working with you on the scripts I have in the future, whether it's distribution or co-production. Don't forget, our country's film market is growing rapidly..."

No matter what Tian Xiaole said, Mike Burns shook his head.

"The minimum is 25%, and it can't be any lower."

Tian Xiaole also knew that the quote was too high, so he lowered it appropriately.

"Wait a mininute."

Mike said one sentence and left the meeting room.

"Tian, ​​you really dare to ask for so much. It's one thing to ask for a share, but to ask for such a high amount."

James said with an expression of admiration.

"It's about giving Lionsgate a chance to cooperate, not begging them. You need to understand the priorities," Tian Xiaole said casually.

Don't let his easy tone fool you; he had absolutely no confidence before he came.

Mike Burns returned shortly after they were both kept waiting.

"After discussions among the company's senior management, we've decided to give you a maximum of 20%, which is only because you're so young and have already achieved so much."

Hearing this, Tian Xiaole smiled, stood up, and extended her hand:
"Wish us happy cooperation."

When they asked for 30% of the market share, they never expected Lionsgate to agree, giving them room to negotiate.

A 20% share is not low, and Tian Xiaole can accept it.

(End of this chapter)