China Entertainment’s rescue plan is hard to come by

Chapter 735 Try Venice

The script of "Edge of Tomorrow" was snatched away by Warner Bros. Although the deal has not been officially executed, a letter of intent has been signed.

With Warner's strength, it is not so short of these small things. Even if the novel has a comic version and has some fame, it can only sell for a few hundred thousand dollars more at best.

The film and television adaptation rights of a novel can reach $100 million, which is a huge threshold.

This number is nothing for Starry Sky, let alone Warner.

Therefore, it is unlikely to get the adaptation rights to Star Sky in terms of money.

Sun Yi didn't even think about it.

Warner is not stupid. From the fact that they later adapted this movie, it can be seen that they still attach great importance to "Edge of Tomorrow".

Even if it is not filmed now and is just used to enrich the script library, once Star Sky goes to buy it, it will definitely attract Warner's attention.

You know, today's Star Sky is no longer an unknown small company. It is a presence that cannot be ignored both in Asia and in Hollywood.

Don’t say that Star and Warner are partners. The two companies have cooperated in film and television production, but this contract is not the long-term contract signed by Legendary Pictures and Warner to jointly produce 10 films in 15 years. It is just a temporary production cooperation for 3 films, and the binding force is not great.

Moreover, in the mind of Warner's head Barry Meyer, he is still thinking about how to control Sun Yi.

If Sun Yi came to buy the knife at this time, he would be like handing the knife handle into someone else's hand.

Of course, it doesn't mean that you can't buy it with money. After all, the two companies have a relationship of cooperation mixed with competition. Overall, the relationship is stable and progressive.

But it will not be easy to break the arrogance of "I am the boss" that is inherent in Warner Bros.

If Star Sky insists on buying the rights to this movie, Warner will definitely ask for a huge price.

Even if the price were to increase several times to three or five million dollars, Warner wouldn't even bother making a move.

Although Sun Yi was confident that he could make the money back even if he spent it to buy the adaptation rights, he still felt uncomfortable.

Aren’t you the one being taken advantage of?

But Sun Yi still feels a little itchy about this film.

Without mentioning anything else, let’s just talk about the role positioning of the heroine in the film.

It’s perfect for my little girl!
The heroine, known as the "Battlefield Angel", is the embodiment of bravery and strength, just like China's Mulan.

It is very suitable for Liu Yifei.

After the filming of "Gravity", Sun Yi began to consider Liu Yifei's career development.

Although Liu Yifei has gained a certain degree of fame internationally, especially in Hollywood, after Pacific Rim, it is still far from being that important.

If we use a quantitative standard, Liu Yifei's current influence in Hollywood is definitely not at the top level, and is not even close to being at the first-tier level. She is probably somewhere between the first-tier and second-tier levels.

Although the girl has many fans in North America, the recognition from her fans is still different from the recognition from the industry and the majority of movie fans.

Therefore, Liu Yifei still needs to continue to expand her influence in Hollywood and internationally.

To achieve this, we need one high-quality work after another.

As an actor, your works speak for you.

However, given the differences in living habits, aesthetic standards and personal preferences among movie fans in different countries and regions, it is difficult for general types of movies to achieve this.

Once upon a time, the only two types of films that China could export were costume films and kung fu films.

But now, foreign moviegoers are tired of watching Chinese costume films. Once the novelty wears off, they have no interest anymore.

After all, the current public opinion environment and international situation make it difficult for foreign movie fans to take the initiative to understand Chinese culture.

As kung fu movies have aged, with the aging of a generation of kung fu superstars such as Jackie Chan and Jet Li, foreign moviegoers' attention to this aspect has also declined a lot.

Then, only science fiction films are left.

After all, imagination is a beauty shared by all human beings.

This is vividly reflected in science fiction movies.

Similarly, big-budget hardcore science fiction movies can develop the visual effects of the film to the extreme in order to achieve the purpose of attracting attention.

So, it still has to be a science fiction movie.

And the novel chosen by Gu Tianle is, it must be said, truly remarkable.

However, the copyright issue is the only thing that makes people feel helpless.

Sun Yi even once wondered whether in his previous life, Gu Tianle had also noticed this novel and liked it very much, but due to various reasons, he missed the opportunity to watch the American version of "Edge of Tomorrow" being released, leaving behind regrets.

Otherwise, why would he invest so much money to produce a movie called "The Tomorrow War" ten years later?

Not only are the overall backgrounds of the films roughly the same, even the names are not much different. He has also mentioned many times in front of the media that his idea was born ten years ago and he has been working hard to prepare for it since then.

Looking at it now, it definitely has something to do with "Edge of Tomorrow".

Sun Yi was a little annoyed. How could he have forgotten about this film when he was collecting scripts?

It's really passive!
I don’t know what Warner Bros. thinks about this movie.

Judging from the results of the later movie released in 14, if nothing unexpected happens, filming will start next year.

Thinking of this, Sun Yi frowned, still feeling somewhat unwilling.

He picked up the phone on his desk and dialed a North American number.

"John, there is something I need you to investigate. Please do it quickly and get back to me as soon as possible."

After finishing the call, Sun Yi paced around the office and stopped after a long time.

Give it a try. It would be best if you can get the adaptation rights. If not, just use other films.

A living person can be suffocated to death by urine.

Just when Sun Yi made up his mind, someone knocked on the office door.

"Boss Sun, Director Jia Zhangke and Director Ning Hao have arrived. They are at the entrance of the base."

"Okay, I'm going out right now."

Ever since Star Sky attracted a lot of investment and co-produced with various film and television companies when filming "Gravity", Sun Yi suddenly became "busy".

This "busyness" does not refer to the busyness of filming movies, doing special effects, and post-production, but rather the busyness of socializing.

In the past, Sun Yi was very low-key and would only appear in front of the public when movies were released. Moreover, he was not only like this to his fans, but he was also relatively low-key in the circle.

Rarely participate in various "bureaus".

It’s not that he hates this kind of socializing, but he thinks it’s unnecessary to waste time on it.

If you have this much time, why not use it to massage your wife's legs?

It's fleshy and feels great.

But now, no more.

Since Xingkong has decided to take up the banner of China's private film and television company, he, as the leading figure of Xingkong, must step forward and deal with various forces.

Just like what Han Sanping said to him at the forum a few days ago.

"In the past, we focused on points in the starry sky, but now we need to focus on the entire surface."

No one can doubt Sun Yi's current ability as a director.

But there are many things that he still cannot control, or even has no solution at all.

Sun Yi is not someone who likes to meddle in other people’s business, but when you are in the circle, you cannot avoid these “bad things”, and one day, they will happen to Xingkong.

Instead of doing this, it is better to take the initiative and strive to participate in the formulation of industry rules and nip those wild ideas in the bud early.

But he can't do it yet. Right now he is just a director, and at best he can be described as excellent.

If you want to enhance your own and Starry Sky's voice in the industry, you cannot do it alone. You must have helpers to cheer you on.

Therefore, Sun Yi also began to consciously expand his social circle and interact more with people in the industry who are compatible with him, respectable and upright.

Who knows when, he might just raise his hand and call for help, and the crowd would follow him.

Han Sanping has always hoped that he could do so, otherwise he would not have stood up for Starry Sky so many times and helped establish Starry Sky's "leading" status.

As for Jia Zhangke and Ning Hao who came today, they had made an appointment at the forum a few days ago. Jia Zhangke wanted to visit the now famous Starry Sky Digital Production Center, so he brought Ning Hao and made a request to Sun Yi.

It just so happened that there was a recording of "The Voice of China" today, and Sun Yi brought Liu Yifei to participate, and had been waiting for these two.

"This is our multifunctional studio, which includes Asia's largest deep-water studio with seven sections in total. Next door is the digital special effects studio, and our special effects department is also here."

Sun Yi took Jia Zhangke and Ning Hao for a walk around the studio.

Jia Zhangke was full of praise all the way, he has seen the world.

Although his films are basically focused on humanistic themes, it does not mean that he does not understand special effects.

I’ve never eaten pork and I’ve never seen a pig running.

He really didn't expect that Starry Sky's technical strength had reached such a level.

"Sun Yi, from what I can see, the level of sophistication of your studio has already reached Hollywood standards, far exceeding those in Europe."

"I've visited many European studios, and none of them can compare to yours in terms of scale or technical level. I guess only Hollywood's can compare."

Jia Zhangke sighed, Sun Yi smiled but said nothing. Instead, Ning Hao, who was standing next to him, explained something for him.

"Old Jia, you are being too conservative. His studio is considered top-notch in Hollywood. Do you know how much it cost?"

“One hundred million!”

Ning Hao raised a finger, with a look on his face as if money was not money, and "criticized" Sun Yi harshly.

He had been to Sun Yi's place and envied Sun Yi's wealthy behavior from the bottom of his heart.

But since I don't have it, I can only feel sour about it.

Jia Zhangke subconsciously looked around again. He was also knowledgeable about this business. Investing 100 million yuan in such a large studio was not bad.

But it shouldn't be that shocking.

Sun Yi knew at a glance that Jia Zhangke had misunderstood, and added softly.

"Dollar."

"!!!"

Jia Zhangke's eyes widened.

One hundred million US dollars, isn’t that 7 million RMB?

How many film and television companies can't earn this much in ten years? Star Sky has only one studio, but it has invested so much?
At this moment, Jia Zhangke felt a sigh in his heart, and he admired the young man in front of him who was more than a generation younger than him from the bottom of his heart.

Just this one studio has elevated China's film production capabilities to a higher level.

At the same time, he also felt that the purpose of his visit today was very wise.

He was once again certain that it was the right thing to do to approach Sun Yi about this matter.

"How's No Man's Land?"

As they walked and talked, Sun Yi asked about Ning Hao's willful work.

"Hey, what else can I do? I'll keep revising it. I'll submit it once every six months, get rejected, and then revise it again. I'm used to it."

Ning Hao was a bachelor, he answered nonchalantly while pulling the big gold chain around his neck.

It can be seen that he has been worn out to the point where he has no temper left.

Sun Yi recalled the scene when "Hidden in the Dust" was released last year, and he couldn't help but feel a little emotional. Thinking of his friendship with Director Tong, he couldn't help but ask:
"How about I go and ask for your help, what exactly does it mean? We can make targeted changes and we can't just keep dragging it out like this."

Hearing this, Ning Hao shook his head and quickly stopped Sun Yi.

"Well, don't do that. You are a legitimate person now. Don't drag me into this again. It's not worth it."

"Besides, I've become indifferent to it now, so I can change slowly."

Faced with Ning Hao's good intention of not wanting to take off his clothes and go into the water, Sun Yi was about to say that it was not necessary. At this time, Jia Zhangke on the side suddenly waved his hand at Sun Yi and said with a smile:
"Which of you two has more experience than me in this matter? It doesn't matter. It's just a matter of wind. I think it will be almost ready next year. You don't need to worry about him. He is already a dead pig that is not afraid of boiling water."

"Hahaha~"

Sun Yi was amused by Jia Zhangke.

Unexpectedly, this leader of the sixth generation of directors is actually quite humorous.

Ning Hao really didn't care about Jia Zhangke's teasing and was in a very cheerful mood.

"What's the saying 'a dead pig is not afraid of boiling water'? I am focusing all my attention on the new movie. I have to look forward."

"Oh? A new movie?"

After hearing Ning Hao's words, Jia Zhangke and Sun Yi were very curious.

"Well, it happened during the puppet Manchukuo period. A small gangster got involved in a robbery of Japanese people planned by the underground party."

When Sun Yi heard Ning Hao talking about this, he immediately thought of Ning Hao's "The Golden Robbery".

He once felt that this film did not have the amazingness of the previous "Crazy" series, and even felt that Ning Hao had "run out of ideas".

But now from the perspective of a director, this is precisely the evolutionary history of Ning Hao gradually establishing his own style after "No Man's Land".

From simple plot weaving, it gradually shifts to character creation and analysis of human nature within the mainstream commercial narrative framework, while telling the story in a more easy-to-understand way.

This is an inevitable stage in a director's maturity.

Afterwards, Sun Yi took the two to visit Star Digital and watched some sample footage of "Gravity" in advance.

I have to say that after two years of rapid development, Starry Sky's special effects department has grown really fast.

The overall special effects of the movie have been almost completed, and it won’t be long before it can be officially completed.

"Sun Yi, if I'm not mistaken, the opening scene of your movie was shot in one take, right?"

Jia Zhangke is also a well-known director with a wealth of filming experience. How could he not tell whether it was a one-shot shot or not? It’s just that this segment in “Gravity” is really too shocking.

Even he, an experienced director, was afraid to admit it and had to ask Sun Yi for confirmation.

"um, yes."

"Awesome, really awesome."

Jia Zhangke had nothing to say. He really didn’t know what words to use to express his feelings at the moment.

"By the way, when will your movie be completed?"

"Another month, that's about it."

Sun Yi didn't know why Jia Zhangke asked this, and thought about it carefully in his mind.

Excluding some finishing work on special effects, editing, dubbing, music, and subtitles, it can be completed in about a month.

"Hey, I heard that your film didn't start shooting until April, and it's only August now. How can special effects of this level be completed in 4 months?"

Ning Hao was surprised. He really couldn't understand the production speed of Starry Sky. He asked Sun Yi while counting on his fingers.

"How is that possible? Even if we work faster, we can't finish it in 5 months." Sun Yi quickly shook his head and began to explain to the two:
"My film was officially launched in the middle of last year, and preparations were completed in August. The relevant special effects work has been carried out since September. Fifty percent of the scenes are pure special effects and do not require the participation of actors. Counting the actual one month of shooting, I spent the remaining ten months on special effects production."

"Oh, that's how it is."

Ning Hao thought to himself.

I mean, no matter how awesome the special effects of the starry sky are, they can't reach this level.

If the production cycle is ten months, then there will be no problem.

However, it is amazing enough that it only took ten months to create special effects that are comparable to those of top Hollywood movies.

"Director Sun Yi, if we hurry up with your film Gravity, can it be finished before the end of the month?"

Jia Zhangke changed his tone to a very formal one and asked Sun Yi seriously.

"The end of the month? Half a month is not going to work. What's wrong, President Jia?"

Sun Yi was a little curious and didn't know why Jia Zhangke suddenly brought up this.

“Venice Film Festival at the end of September.”

(End of this chapter)