National Tide 1980.

The extra bonus was settled quickly, and then everyone sat down together to talk about making the movie.

If Ning Weimin's actions just now successfully won the respect of everyone present, moved everyone, and further enhanced his personal reputation...

So when he actually revealed the key film project he had prepared for tonight—Resident Evil—for discussion, the impact was even greater.

Once they heard his detailed explanation and future plans, the respect that everyone at the party had for him came from more than just admiring his wealth and how much he was willing to spend.

What amazes everyone even more is his brilliant film concept and his investment vision that far surpasses that of ordinary people.

Everyone regarded him as a business genius with boundless imagination.

"...That's basically the overall story background and the general plot of the first film. I believe you're all familiar with zombie movies. Hollywood has made many similar films, such as 'Dawn of the Dead,' 'Braindead,' and 'From Dusk Till Dawn,' which you've probably all seen. But these films are almost all low-budget horror movies, with very rough overall effects and no spiritual core. They're only suitable for a niche audience who like ghost stories. For most people, they're just blood and gore movies for the thrill of watching. Some people with low tolerance for horror might even find them nauseating. But my 'Resident Evil' is different."

After spending ten minutes giving a general overview of the story, Ning Weimin should have given everyone a chance to discuss it, but he didn't.

In fact, to help everyone better understand the needs of this film and to generate more valuable ideas in the discussion, he patiently began to introduce his understanding of the Resident Evil film series and explained in detail the unique positioning of his film, which is completely different from previous zombie films.

All the guests present gradually abandoned the relaxed and casual feeling they had just had, as if they were simply listening to a horror story, and their expressions gradually became serious.

"First of all, the zombie setting in Resident Evil is completely different from the traditional witchcraft, curses, and mysterious powers; it is all based on science. This is a disaster caused by the T-virus leak, genetic modification, and uncontrolled bioengineering, with a logically consistent technological core. Our zombies are not monsters that appear out of thin air. Nor are they the slow-moving, low-intelligence walking corpses of the past. Our zombies will evolve layer by layer, giving rise to more monstrous forms and more threatening powers. Therefore, for the audience, the sense of crisis and tension they feel will be on a completely different level."

He paused, then continued, "Secondly, this film is a commercial film, but it's also one that makes people think. At its core, the story points to a despairing tale about environmental protection, humanity, and the uncontrolled flow of capital. Umbrella Corporation represents capital; for profit, it secretly conducts prohibited experiments, disregards life, and ultimately gets burned. Essentially, it's humanity's advanced technology and blind ambition that drag the entire world into disaster. I want to criticize capitalist greed, uncontrolled technology, and corporate hegemony, and also expose the most authentic aspects of humanity in this apocalyptic world."

"Third, the selling point of 'Resident Evil' is its visual effects, but it will definitely not rely on gore and sensationalism. I hope it will be an action-disaster film that blends elements of mystery, suspense, thriller, adventure, and revenge. And unlike the low-budget films of the past that were shot in a small area, this story will involve a rich and grand scale. The scope will no longer be a small-town horror story, but a global crisis. It will spread from a closed laboratory to cities, wilderness, and even across borders to present a truly post-apocalyptic wasteland worldview. Therefore, one movie cannot do it; it must be planned as a series of consecutive films. Each movie will build on the plot of the previous one, progressing layer by layer, in order to fully unfold the entire worldview."

"Fourth, regarding character design, I also want to completely overturn the traditional formula of a tough male protagonist saving the world. Instead, I'll focus on an independent, strong, and intelligent female lead. She'll be supported by companions of different professions and races, including special forces soldiers, scientists, agents, and undercover agents, to fight alongside her... allowing the survivor group centered around the protagonist, Alice, to gradually grow from ordinary people trying to escape into heroes willing to fight against the conspiracies of a giant corporation and shoulder the hope of rebuilding the world. As for zombies, in this movie, they're just background elements, a kind of environmental threat. The real main storyline is actually the struggle between humanity and capital, the confrontation between humanity and conspiracy, and the redemption of humanity itself. This is the 'Resident Evil' I want to make. It will be a completely new type of zombie film."

As soon as he finished speaking, the wine cellar fell silent, with only the candlelight flickering softly.

Alain Delon, Catherine Deneuve, Luc Besson, Jean Reno...

These established figures in the French film industry looked at Ning Weimin with not just admiration, but utter respect.

Even Kelly Shi, Monica Bellucci, and Patricia Case, who were quietly observing from the sidelines and didn't know much about filmmaking, held their breath, their eyes shining brightly.

It's no longer about understanding the film itself, because through Ning Weimin's concise, precise, and vivid explanation, everyone was captivated by the unique setting of the film as described by him.

Ning Weimin was like an excellent salesman; he successfully stirred everyone's emotions with just his verbal descriptions, making almost everyone feel that this movie had great potential.

Not only do I wish I could be a part of it, but I also hope the movie will be made as soon as possible so I can see it.

After a moment of silence, someone started clapping.

Then the meager applause quickly transformed into a continuous, enthusiastic response from the entire audience.

Ning Weimin responded with a very gentlemanly smile.

To show his flattery, he covered his chest with his hand as a gesture of gratitude.

A few minutes later, after the applause had subsided, the next step, which required everyone to discuss together, finally began.

"Alright, everyone's so enthusiastic. I believe you all have a basic understanding of this film series and seem to be starting to get interested. So, as friends and future partners, I hope everyone can offer some suggestions for this film and brainstorm some ideas. For example, what parts I just described that you think are unclear or need to be revised? Or do you have any good ideas about the filming methods? Please feel free to speak your mind, even if you think I'm fanciful or a dreamy idiot, that's fine. You can even point out objective problems that you think are unsolvable. As long as you're honest with me, I can take the criticism."

Ning Weimin's self-deprecating remark made everyone laugh, which undoubtedly helped restore a relaxed environment where people could speak freely. "Then I'll go first."

As the director, Luc Besson was clearly interested in the film series, and he spoke first, regardless of whether others wanted to speak.

“Ning, I admit, your story is incredibly compelling. I’m already itching to design the storyboards myself. But the most practical problem is that if this film series were to follow your suggestion—starting with the locked room and gradually expanding to the city, then the whole world, creating a global post-apocalyptic disaster—the investment would be enormous. It might even cost more than a top Hollywood production. Just think about how much it would cost to make props and set design? It’s an astronomical figure…”

“Oh, my director, your concerns are very real, but there’s no need to worry.”

Ning Weimin smiled and raised his hand, his tone calm and unhurried. "Don't worry about the money. Here's what I'm thinking. If we're filming the first movie, since the main locations are all enclosed spaces, I think 200 million francs should be enough. Although Hollywood's *Terminator 2* cost over 100 million dollars to make, that was all for the massive outdoor explosions and large-scale scenes, not to mention the numerous computer-generated effects. Our first *Resident Evil* movie, on the other hand, is entirely set in the underground Hive. We only need to start by filming the scenes of the virus spreading globally, and then focus the money on the laser tunnel killing hell scenes and the creation of the Red Queen's electronic form. What do you think? If I gave you that much money, are you confident you could create the same adrenaline-pumping carnage as *Terminator 2*, the kind of thrilling scenes that audiences will rave about?"

Two hundred million francs in those days, according to the exchange rate, was roughly equivalent to thirty-five million US dollars.

If we're only making the first film, then it's actually quite a lot. The production cost for the most popular A-list French stars is only between eight million and ten million francs for a single film.

So Luc Besson was actually quite looking forward to it.

Given the conditions in France, it's absolutely impossible for anyone to come up with such a large sum of money to let him make such an innovative and technically challenging film.

Even from a career aspirations perspective, he really wanted to give it a try.

"I think it's fine. If it's the first one, I have no problem with it."

Luc Besson made confident promises to Ning Weimin, but he was still a little worried about the subsequent filming.

"But I need to remind you that if the second film requires a lot of outdoor scenes, such as in a small town, and considering the monsters' upgrades, you'll need to increase the budget by at least 100 million francs. As the plot progresses and the scenes become more varied, it might cost even more money, so be prepared."

This was all pre-arranged, and Ning Weimin didn't mind at all. "Thank you for reminding me, but you don't need to worry about the rest. Leave it all to me. Here's what I'm thinking: I won't invest blindly, but we can shoot in stages and prepare for each scene separately. The first film will focus on the laboratory chamber, with concentrated scenes, so the cost will be relatively controllable. Subsequent films will gradually expand the scenes, simultaneously connecting with filming locations around the world. There are also some existing scenes that we can use. For example, a shut-down industrial base in Germany, an abandoned factory in the United States, a deserted amusement park in Japan, and even a castle in France can be incorporated into the post-apocalyptic setting, which will save on construction costs and increase the visual quality. In addition, for towns like Raccoon City, we can simply build one. Just like the Japanese built an ancient city when filming 'Dunhuang,' this might be more convenient for filming."

"Build one?" Luc Besson frowned and pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly. "You have a point, but putting aside the cost, will it be on time? How many people would be needed to build such a large project? Labor is too expensive in France. And the workers aren't very efficient. I'm worried that filming won't be able to wait. Besides, even without building the town, just applying makeup to the zombies would be exhausting enough. That would require a lot of makeup artists and prop masters, at least dozens of people."

“You mean building the town and hiring prop masters?” Ning Weimin said confidently. “I know that resources in France aren’t ideal for that. But that’s okay, maybe we can find some Chinese people to help. Actually, whether it’s experienced construction workers or skilled workers like prop masters, finding the right people to do the work is easy for me. And if I find the people, it will reduce labor costs. So, you just need to focus on the filming itself, bring your camera language and narrative rhythm to the extreme, and leave all the logistics and funding issues to me.”

Hearing this, Luc Besson was completely relieved, and an excited smile appeared on his face.

"Alright! Since you're so confident, what else can I say? As long as you can solve the problems with the sets and props, I guarantee I'll make a movie that will shock even Hollywood."

As soon as Luc Besson finished speaking, Alain Delon raised his glass and spoke, his tone filled with curiosity and anticipation.

"Ning, I really like the setting of your movie, but I have a question—you said that besides the female lead Alice, there are many other important characters who can team up with her. But how do you film this kind of character change every movie without it feeling abrupt? And you've decided to subvert the tough guy male lead formula, so what kind of roles can we male actors play? We can't just be insignificant supporting characters, can we?"

Upon hearing this, Renault nodded slightly in agreement.

"Yes, Mr. Ning. I'd love to participate too. Are there any suitable roles for me, the kind where I can live a long time? I don't want to end up like in the first 'Taken,' where I die after just one movie. Besides, I'm a bit tired of playing pure villains again."

Ning Weimin smiled and responded, his gaze sweeping over the two of them. "Alan, Jean, your worries are unnecessary. Although I'm focusing on a strong female lead, the male characters are equally important, just not purely 'saviors' anymore. For example, Alan, you could play a high-ranking executive at Umbrella Corporation, seemingly gentle and refined, but actually ambitious, a key antagonist who drives the plot. This kind of morally ambiguous character is more challenging than a simple tough guy. You'll definitely be memorable to the audience; your screen time may be limited, but your importance will be no less than the protagonist's. Jean, you could play a small-town policeman in the second part, calm and skilled. You could be Alice's ally, assisting her in crucial moments, and also a suppressor at times, forced to become an enemy hindering the protagonist's investigation due to your police status and duties. What do you think? This kind of role is more complex, completely different from your previous roles, but also more realistic."

These words instantly ignited their interest, and Alain Delon's eyes lit up.

"A villain who is both good and evil? Interesting. I've never tried this kind of role before. It's very challenging! And you're right, my friend. I'm in charge of managing our business now, so having fewer scenes suits me better."

Jean Reno nodded slowly. "The relationship between the small-town policeman and the female protagonist is complex, and I really like this concept. It has more depth than simple fighting and killing. I will seriously consider it." (End of Chapter)