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

Chapter 51: Openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass; advancing step by step, mutually exploiting each other!

China Film Group, Vice Chairman's Office.

Han Sanping flipped through the two scripts on the table, his expression somewhat surprised.

"An art film? A commercial film? Are you planning to develop them simultaneously?"

“Yes.” Lu Rui pointed to the cover of the script for “The Pursuit of Happyness” and emphasized, “This is my graduation project.”

Han Sanping immediately became interested and leaned forward: "What exactly are your plans?"

"I will direct one film myself, and I will find someone else to direct the other one," Lü Rui said very frankly. "I will also be the producer and supervisor, and I will oversee the entire process from casting to post-production editing to ensure quality."

Lü Rui made no secret of his ambition to become "capital".

In front of a seasoned veteran like Han Sanping, hiding things would only make one seem dishonest.

"Okay, I'll do as you say."

Given Lü Rui's past achievements, Han Sanping now trusts him implicitly and is naturally willing to provide strong support.

After saying that, he leaned back in his chair and squinted to carefully examine the young man in his early twenties in front of him.

Despite his young age, he exudes a drive that is beyond his years.

Over the years, he has seen too many ambitious newcomers, but very few have actually made a name for themselves.

But Lu Rui always gave him a different feeling, which made him curious: "How do you plan to allocate the shares of these two projects?"

The atmosphere in the office suddenly became subtle.

Before arriving, Lü Rui had already made up his mind and said without hesitation, "We will operate 'Hitch' in the same way as 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty'."

As for "The Pursuit of Happyness," I plan to personally oversee it and will not allocate any shares to external parties.

"Hmm?" Han Sanping raised an eyebrow. "Personally overseeing it? What do you mean?"

“I don’t plan to sell the rights to this movie because it also has an English version, and I want to try a different approach.”

Lu Rui first gave a brief explanation, and then began to narrate, focusing on the deeds of Chris Gardner, the real-life inspiration for the male protagonist.

"The story is actually based on the life of an American stockbroker. I negotiated the autobiography adaptation rights with him in Los Angeles, and even wrote the English screenplay..."

Han Sanping suddenly stood up from his chair, his eyes wide, and blurted out: "So, while you were doing special effects in Hollywood, you also managed to secure a copyright and adapt a script?"

“Yes.” Lu Rui nodded, but silently added in his mind: There’s more than one.

"You...you're going to develop overseas markets on your own?"

Han Sanping's voice rose unconsciously, and his tie rose and fell with his rapid breathing.

“That’s right.” Lü Rui nodded seriously.

The office suddenly fell into a suffocating silence, the hum of the central air conditioning amplified infinitely in the dead silence.

After a long silence, Han Sanping slowly sat down, supporting himself on the edge of the table, his eyes swirling with complex emotions: "You're planning to develop your career in Hollywood? Have you thought it through? Things abroad are different from those in China; those shrewd people in Hollywood are not easy to deal with..."

Lu Rui smiled, his tone as steady as a rock: "I've already assessed the risks. How will we know the extent of the problem if we don't try?"

The bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish!

Dennis Smith has successfully laid the groundwork, with script registration and copyright acquisition proceeding in succession.

Now is the window of opportunity.

We have a high-quality IP in our hands, there's no reason for us to just give it away!

Lü Rui will not give up that huge market!
Moreover, he has plenty of opportunities to try and fail; if all else fails, he can start over, since he has plenty of scripts in his head.

Han Sanping stared at his sharply defined profile and suddenly smiled.

That smile held both admiration for the promising young man and a hint of expectation: "Indeed, youth is an asset. If you really want to make your mark, the group can provide some resources..."

Upon hearing this, Lü Rui's lips curved into a perfectly timed smile.

That's exactly what he wanted to hear!

Because he knew all too well that those Hollywood financial giants had long coveted the Chinese market as well.

With a population of 12.9227 billion, what film and television giant wouldn't be drooling over such a vast blue ocean?
The prestigious brand of China Film Group is his sharpest bargaining chip.

With the backing of a leading state-owned film and television company, they can stand taller when they go to Hollywood.

Foreign capital that is planning to pry open the door to the Chinese market is also looking for a breakthrough, and once it takes that step, it will undoubtedly stand at the key fulcrum of the balance.

This is his confidence!
Next, the two sides quickly finalized a preliminary agreement.

"The Pursuit of Happyness" will be solely funded and controlled by Ruishijie, but distribution will still be handled by China Film Group.

As for "Hitch," Ruishijie still holds a 40% stake, China Film Group still holds 30%, and the remaining shares will serve as a bond of interest to connect various forces.

Meanwhile, the overseas adaptation rights for both films will be entirely transferred to Ruishijie.

The overseas screening and audiovisual rights will be shared and sold after the film's release. This deal may seem to sacrifice some short-term profits, but it opens up endless possibilities!

Selling copyrights is a last resort when one lacks sufficient capabilities and start-up capital.

But now, Lü Rui has gained some confidence, and his plans in Hollywood are gradually unfolding, so he will naturally not easily relinquish the adaptation rights.

At this moment, he is like someone who has grasped an untapped gold mine. He may lose some real money in the short term, but he can extract a hundred or a thousand times more value in the future!
"Oh, by the way, I noticed that the filming locations you specified in your project proposal are Shenzhen for one film and Shanghai for the other?"

Just as Lü Rui was about to get up and leave, Han Sanping suddenly called him back.

He turned his head and looked at me curiously: "Is there something wrong?"

"It's nothing." Han Sanping shook his head and reminded him, "There's no problem in Shenzhen, but if you're going to film in Shanghai, I suggest you talk to the Shanghai Film Studio."

This reminder was like a heavy hammer blow, instantly waking Lü Rui up.

A word suddenly popped into his mind.

"Local bully!"

If China Film Group is the dominant force in Beijing's film industry, then in Shanghai, you absolutely cannot avoid dealing with the behemoth that is Shanghai Film Group!

Before private enterprises have fully taken off, among the current giants in the domestic film industry, Shanghai Film Group is definitely a force to be reckoned with, capable of rivaling China Film Group.

There is also Huaying, but this company only has the right to distribute imported films, not the right to import them.

As for Xi'an Film Studio, although it is also a major player, it has been declining in recent years.

My mind is racing...

Lü Rui did not refuse, but nodded in agreement: "I will communicate with them."

Ruishijie has been established for less than two years and still has a long way to go before it becomes a true capital.

To go far and steadily, we must follow the teacher's teachings: make fewer enemies and more friends!

As the saying goes, one should not have too many plans, nor too few benefits.

Trying to keep everything to yourself will only lead to a narrower and narrower path.

This is precisely why Lü Rui wanted to pursue two parallel paths.

"The Pursuit of Happyness" was an experimental field in his hands, while "Hitch" was a cover network to balance the interests of all parties.

They openly repair the plank road while secretly advancing through the Chencang pass, proceeding cautiously step by step, and mutually exploiting each other.

These sixteen words of truth have been engraved in his heart!

……

He left the script with Han Sanping and asked him to help submit it for review.

Afterwards, Lü Rui drove to the school.

Right now, the industry is buzzing with excitement, with everyone's focus still on the huge sale of the rights to "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty".

On the other hand, the box office of "Infernal Affairs" is also soaring, easily surpassing the box office of director Xu Cai Nu's "My Father and I".

Hong Kong films are on a roll, putting immense pressure on the upcoming film "Warriors of Heaven and Earth".

Jiang Wen was so busy with promotion that he was completely overwhelmed every day.

To be honest, Lü Rui initially planned to ask Jiang Wen to help oversee the filming of "Everybody's Rival".

But upon closer examination, it seems somewhat unreliable.

After all, the project budget is only a little over ten million, and Jiang Wen is known for spending money extravagantly. If he were to be the producer, even 3000 million might not be enough!
Even worse, he might completely revise the script.

Even Lu Chuan couldn't hold on, and Zhao Peng was completely finished.

He had already heard that after Lu Chuan returned to the capital after filming "Kekexili", he refused to talk about his debut film "Looking for a Gun" when facing the media and friends.

He was hurt too deeply by Jiang Wen!

That's NTR right in front of your face!
In other words, his personality fits the stereotype of a weak and timid man in Japan. If he were to face anyone else, he would probably be tormented by Jiang Wen to the point of developing psychological trauma!
The same applies to "Hitch".

It was supposed to be a lighthearted love story, but if it were in Jiang Wen's hands, it might very well turn into—Shanghai is Pudong, and Pudong is Shanghai!

Zhao Peng is still young, but he can't withstand this kind of shock.

If the review fails or even the application is blocked, the investment will be completely lost.

If we were to trick him into "going into business," that would be a real sin!
"Forget it, I can't let my brother down. I'll take the trouble to keep an eye on things myself, and while I'm at it, I'll bring Ning Hao along so he can continue as the photographer..."

As for the cinematographer for "The Pursuit of Happyness," Lü Rui already has someone in mind.

That person just happened to be free recently, so asking him for help is definitely no problem!

(End of this chapter)