It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 50: Final Script... Commercial Debut Earns Money Before Release!

The Huabiao Awards ceremony has just concluded, and in the blink of an eye, the Beijing Film Academy is welcoming the start of the new school year.

Lu Rui couldn't find many memorable faces among the students of the Class of 03, so he didn't pay much attention to them.

However, when he drove into the school gate, the long, slender legs of the students at the freshman reception area of ​​the performing arts department still caught his eye.

In recent years, the Beijing Film Academy has increasingly placed emphasis on appearance when recruiting students, while the acting skills of its students have been less than satisfactory...

"Brother Rui!"

As the car passed the reception area for new students of the Directing Department, Zhao Peng immediately recognized the eye-catching car logo and waved to greet it.

Lu Rui rolled down the car window, glanced at the freshmen from the directing department dragging their suitcases, and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Zhao Peng stared enviously at the Mercedes-Benz emblem: "Teacher Jiang asked me to pick up the new students."

"Okay, you get busy first."

The car window slowly rolled up, and Lü Rui drove towards the directing department dormitory building amidst the envious gazes of his classmates.

"Senior? Was that... Director Lü Rui?" a freshman asked curiously.

Zhao Peng straightened his back, his face full of pride: "That's right! The great director who won the Silver Bear at Berlin and the Silver Lion at Venice last year, the pillar of our directing department, and the most outstanding student!"

Instantly, a gasp of amazement rang out from the new student reception area.

In 03, it was rare to find a student at the Beijing Film Academy who could drive a Mercedes worth over two million yuan to school.

Not to mention students who have won international awards while still in school, they are extremely rare.

...

On September 5th, "Infernal Affairs," the last glorious chapter of Hong Kong cinema, officially premiered in mainland China.

This film was shelved for a whole year before it was finally released.

Lü Rui took Zhao Peng and Shen Ao to see the movie.

With two award-winning actors, Lau Tak-wah and Tony Leung, delivering a powerful and compelling performance, the drama is truly captivating.

Ironically, Liu Jianming, who plays an undercover agent for the triads in the film, actually became a link in promoting exchanges and cooperation between the two places in real life.

In contrast, Chen Yongren, the undercover police officer in the film, gradually strays from the right path in real life...

To determine whether someone is crooked or not, sometimes just looking at their face is far from enough. You have to rely on time, details, and words to discern their true nature, just like peeling back the layers in a movie to find an undercover agent, in order to see their true face!

On September 6, when Lü Rui finished the first drafts of the Chinese translation of the scripts "The Pursuit of Happyness" and "Hitch," Han Sanping called from Venice.

"All done. Guess how much the copyright cost?"

Lu Rui's heart leaped into his throat!

His previous purchases of real estate and luxury cars, along with overseas copyright acquisitions and stock investments, had left him with very little savings. He was hoping that the copyright fees from "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" would come in handy so he could start a new project.

"How much?" His voice tightened involuntarily.

Han Sanping asked in a lighthearted tone, "Guess first?"

“Four million US dollars?” Lu Rui considered his offer.

The film incorporates fantasy elements and has a novel theme, so it will definitely fetch a good price.

It's a pity that it's not a genre favored by the three major European film festivals; otherwise, with the added bonus of awards, the copyright fee would definitely have doubled!
"Haha, you underestimate yourself too much. 400 million US dollars? This isn't like selling cabbages at the market!" Han Sanping's laughter pierced through the receiver.

“$500 million?!” Lu Rui’s breathing quickened.

"Alright, I won't keep you in suspense any longer. It sold for a total of $673 million."

"Wow? Which nouveau riche offered such a price? So wealthy and powerful?"

20th Century Fox.

"As expected of the six giants!" Lu Rui clicked his tongue in amazement.

It's not surprising, given that Fox made a fortune last year with "Ice Age" and this year "X-Men 2" has raked in even more.

For them, acquiring the North American and overseas rights to "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" for over $600 million was just a drop in the ocean.

Amazed, Lü Rui began to calculate frantically.

$673 million, which is equivalent to... 5570 million RMB.

Based on Ruishijie's 40% stake, it should be able to earn at least 2000 million!

Combined with previous advertising revenue, the investment cost of 5000 million yuan was directly covered, and the film will be pure profit after its release!
"Wow! We've made a killing!" Lu Rui's eyes lit up instantly.

"Should we make it public?" Han Sanping pressed.

"Of course!"

Lü Rui didn't hesitate; this was an excellent opportunity for publicity.

He was already looking forward to Feng Xiaogang's expression when he heard the news; it would definitely be "spectacular".

At the same time, it's time to launch the new project!

Han Sanping then asked about the film's release schedule: "How do you plan to arrange the release date?"

Lu Rui pondered for a moment.

Preparations were insufficient in September, a flood of imported blockbusters arrived in October, and the market was sluggish in November…

“December, I guess.” He said firmly. “Hey? Are you going to go head-to-head with Cellphone?” Han Sanping laughed.

“Feng Xiaogang has already set up his defenses. If I back down, wouldn’t I just become a laughingstock?” Lü Rui was very confident.

Han Sanping knew the significance of this work, so he naturally wouldn't discourage it. He immediately said, "Okay! I'll pick a good day for you when I get back to China!"

After hanging up the phone, Lü Rui breathed a sigh of relief, calming his excited emotions.

A moment later, he focused his attention back on the open script.

The first draft of the Chinese translation of "Everybody's Rival" is nearing completion.

He set the story in Shanghai.

Urban men and women under the neon lights are trapped in an emotional maze, while the male protagonist is a "love strategist" who navigates through it all.

He has a deep understanding of human nature and can design romantic encounters for shy programmers in their cubicles, as well as help dating novices break the ice with customized plans.

Those secret codes hidden in the corners of cafes and carefully planned "encounters" in subway stations can always accurately strike at the target's defenses.

The story takes a turn during a tricky commission.

The second male lead, who is overweight but has a gentle personality, asks the male lead to pursue a popular female celebrity.

During this process, the male protagonist unexpectedly encounters the female protagonist, a fashion magazine reporter.

The sharp-witted female reporter keenly sensed his extraordinary nature and pressed him relentlessly in order to uncover an exclusive story.

From their sharp exchanges on the Bund to their unexpected collaboration in the alleyways, the two gradually developed a romantic connection through their back-and-forth banter...

As a pure commercial comedy, the film's selling point is very straightforward.

The film features sharp and witty dialogue, hilarious romantic maneuvers, and insightful observations on urban emotions hidden behind the humor.

At a time when domestic films still mainly focus on serious themes, this lighthearted and stress-relieving romantic comedy is undoubtedly a refreshing remedy, accurately targeting young audiences who are eager to release stress and pursue new trends.

They type away at keyboards in office buildings and search for love on the streets late at night, and this movie happens to weave a romantic dream that is within their reach for them.

Compared to the lighthearted comedy adaptation of "Hitch," the localization and reconstruction of "The Pursuit of Happyness" is much more complex.

After much deliberation and considering the historical context, Lü Rui finally wrote the following story:
In the mid-to-late 1990s, the wave of layoffs in state-owned enterprises reached its peak. The male protagonist lost his job due to factory restructuring, and his wife, unable to bear the financial hardship, filed for divorce, leaving behind only their young son.

To make a living, he scraped together enough money to buy a batch of pagers, but they became unsellable due to the increasing popularity of mobile phones...

In dire straits, the arrival of a bull market in the Chinese stock market made Southern Securities' high-salary recruitment advertisements a lifeline.

Despite lacking a financial background, he managed to secure a three-month unpaid internship thanks to his hard work and the connections he had built up as a former state-owned enterprise employee.

During the day, he rode his old bicycle through wholesale markets and private businesses, explaining fund knowledge to merchants and newly rich bosses in a clumsy but sincere way.
At night, he and his son would stay in the cramped dormitories of their coworkers or make do in the waiting room of the train station.

However, a sudden and severe rainstorm struck the city, flooding the streets and paralyzing traffic.

With the internship assessment deadline fast approaching, clients were anxious due to market fluctuations, and calls kept coming in.

The male protagonist braved the rain, riding his bicycle and struggling through the flooded streets. His trousers were covered in mud, and his shoes were filled with water.

He gritted his teeth and visited clients one by one, analyzing market trends and developing investment strategies for them under leaky eaves and in makeshift rain shelters.

Those investment plans soaked by rain, those bloodshot eyes—ultimately became the cornerstone of client trust…

In the end, he successfully completed his internship!
Standing on the street after the rain, watching the city slowly recover under the sun, he went from going against the flow of the crowd to going with it, and he excitedly gave himself encouragement and applause!

The story shares the same theme as the original.

After enduring the harsh winter, happiness will eventually arrive!
The confusion swept up by the tides of the times, the resilience of those struggling at the bottom, and the silent yet passionate affection between father and son will eventually converge into a highly infectious "Chinese-style declaration of happiness".

Ordinary people persevere through the mire of fate and eventually see the dawn breaking through the gloom!

On September 10th, "Me and My Dad," directed and starring Xu Jinlei, was released in theaters.

On the same day, Lü Rui bound the finalized script into a book and rushed to China Film Group.

Meanwhile, the entertainment industry has already been turned upside down by several pieces of news!

"The 60th Venice International Film Festival has come to a close, with Chinese-language films winning nothing."

"The commercial debut of up-and-coming director Lü Rui, 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,' premiered at the Venice Film Festival and successfully sold its rights for a high price of US$673 million, equivalent to approximately RMB 5570 million!"

"The film's product placement fees reached a staggering 2000 million... The film has already made a profit even before its release!"

China Film Group's publicity campaign, coupled with the support of several investors, made the news that "Lu Rui's commercial debut is making money before its release" sweep the entire film and television industry within 48 hours!

Wang Zhonglei stared at the computer screen, practically kicking himself!

In order to align themselves with Feng Xiaogang, and because they were not optimistic about Lü Rui's commercial films, Huayi resolutely withdrew its investment.

Now, seeing "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" making a fortune, he is filled with regret, but there is nothing he can do...

Meanwhile, Feng Xiaogang, who was just about to announce the copyright fee for "Cellphone," hurriedly picked up the phone and urgently withdrew all press releases.

He traveled to major film festivals around the world and talked himself hoarse before finally securing $300 million in copyright fees. This was the total amount from the major European and North American markets, plus the Asian market.

However, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty sold 673 million copies in the European and American markets alone.

That's almost double the price!
How to compare?
"This is impossible……"

Feng Xiaogang paced back and forth in his office, his ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts. "What has this new director actually produced? Can he really possibly suppress the box office of 'Cellphone'?"

Anxiety washed over him like a tidal wave. Although the box office battle between the two sides had not yet begun, he had already lost his composure...

(End of this chapter)