Actor: Thank you.

Zhang Yuan knew that he had been targeted by a small group of people these past few days.

In the eyes of a small group of well-informed people, it was a big piece of meat.

Just like those who are relocated, if you paint a "demolish" sign on your wall, people will come to play cards with you that very night, not even a day later.

Then all sorts of unfamiliar relatives, classmates, and friends suddenly appeared.

They'll find all sorts of ways to take you out to have fun.

They'll do everything – eating, drinking, gambling, whoring, and so on – until they've drained you dry.

Zhang Yuan was perfectly lucid.

He felt as if he had reaped the benefits of Youku's IPO and made a fortune.

But if you invest blindly, you'll be ruined in two or three years.

Unexpected wealth may not enrich the poor, but one must be able to seize it.

So when Bren called him, he knew immediately that the news of his extravagant house purchase had reached Bren's ears.

I'm still considering the Teddy Bear book I got from Universal.

If it were a project like "Lurking" or other works by James Wan, which are quick, efficient, and cost-effective, then that would be fine.

He said it was a friend's project, but Zhang Yuan figured it was definitely impossible to get it done for just one or two million US dollars.

So he didn't really want to talk; the feeling of being watched was unpleasant.

Besides, I have to go home to be with my aunt and disturb our sweet time together.

Since they were friends after all, he casually asked a few questions.

But after hearing the title of the work, I became interested.

"I'm back." Back in her rented mansion, Sisi was reading a book by the window, enjoying the beautiful sunset view.

"It's been so long." She snapped the book shut, stood up, and hugged him tightly, cheek to cheek.

"I know, it took some time."

"We can go play golf, tennis, or baseball the day after tomorrow, we can try any of those."

"Okay, I want to try everything." She's interested in everything and wants to try everything.

In fact, she learns new things very quickly, which is a genetic talent passed down from her parents.

However, they seemed insignificant in front of Zhang Yuan.

But she reacted quickly.

"the day after tomorrow?"

"So what should we do tomorrow?"

"You're busy with something again." She pouted, a hint of dissatisfaction in her eyes.

"Yes and no. I'll take you out to play tomorrow and meet a Hollywood superstar."

"How big is a big star?"

"That's quite a big name."

The next day, they drove to a mansion in Beverly Hills.

“You have so many friends in North America.” Sisi glanced at the yard through the car window and took a deep breath.

You don't even need to go inside to know that this house is very valuable.

She immediately adopted a dignified posture, not wanting to embarrass herself.

"They're not my friends, but I was just about to get to know them."

"And this house... never mind." Zhang Yuan frowned and didn't continue.

After getting out of the car, the two straightened their clothes, went to the door, and knocked on the bat-shaped door knocker.

Hi, nice to meet you.

"You must be Zhang. I've seen your movies."

"This is... I know you, but I'm sorry, I don't remember your name."

Upon opening the door, a tall, thin middle-aged man with a receding hairline and beautiful lake-blue eyes appeared inside.

He's quite talkative, gesturing wildly as he speaks—the typical American-style exaggerated conversation style.

"My name is Crystal." After nodding and introducing herself, Sisi still couldn't hide her surprise.

As Zhang Yuan said, this is the home of a Hollywood star.

This person is none other than the famous Nicolas Cage.

This person is a bit neurotic in daily life, but quite enthusiastic, and doesn't have the typical arrogance that white people have towards Asians.

Because my brother really likes Chinese culture.

Xiaolongnu looked at him, and Zhang Yuan nodded.

No mistake, it's him I'm looking for.

That's why he hesitated to speak about the house before.

Because at this point, Cage was on the verge of bankruptcy.

This house won't be lived in for long before it has to be sold.

"Come in, you're very welcome," Cage said, gesturing for the two to enter the house.

As everyone knows, Nicolas Cage is an Oscar-winning actor who has contributed countless outstanding works and roles.

Around 2000, this person's salary reached world-class levels, earning over 00 million US dollars per film.

He debuted in the early 80s and has been in the industry for over 30 years, earning at least several hundred million US dollars.

He's a movie star, incredibly capable, and has top-notch acting talent.

Moreover, he has the personality of an artist, the kind that's a bit eccentric.

This person is highly regarded in China, mainly thanks to the movie channel and film critics, who frequently broadcast his shows.

Although she debuted with her family name hidden, she truly rose to prominence thanks to her uncle's support.

That is, the famous director of "The Godfather" series, Francis Ford Coppola.

Cage's last name is also Coppola.

This guy is ruthless and capable; he even changed his name to try and prove himself.

But to say that he achieved this entirely on his own is nonsense.

This person grew up in the Beverly Hills area and never experienced poverty.

However, Zhang Yuan did not reject this kind of "connection person" at all. He had real skills, so what if he had connections?

It's better than something that's ugly and bad, yet they insist on praising it.

If those people in China had even half of Cage's professional skills, no one would be cursing them.

He led them into the house and showed them around, first showing them his collection.

Unlike many wealthy people in China who love collecting calligraphy and paintings by celebrities, Cage, like many of the characters he plays, collects things that are quite neurotic.

Keeping giant lizards, snakes, and spiders; collecting Native American wood carvings and totems.

He also has a large collection of animal specimens and dinosaur bones.

Zhang Yuan didn't like it, and Xixi also felt it was a bit strange.

He was trying to say that he actually preferred to meet his uncle, but Coppola was more appealing.

He quickly led the two men to his garage.

That shouldn't be called a garage, it should be called a parking lot.

Many people have seen Iron Man 1, where Stark collects a bunch of classic luxury cars in his basement.

Cage had about the same number of cars and motorcycles.

This wasn't even the peak of his collection. At his height, he owned over 100 supercars, luxury cars, and motorcycles, and also bought four yachts.

One of the largest ships costs tens of millions of dollars; it's a luxury floating villa with a ballroom and more than a dozen bedrooms.

When she saw luxury cars and motorcycles, Xiaolongnu's eyes lit up.

She was somewhat interested in these cool things.

But this is also why Cage went bankrupt.

This guy is a spendthrift!
Not only did they sell hundreds of cars, but they also bought more than a dozen houses in Europe and North America!

And let's not even talk about mansions, let alone castles, especially castles.

This man was a neighbor of "Captain Jack Sparrow," Johnny Depp, in his early years, and they both shared a dark and punk aesthetic.

Cage bought the castle because he likes vampire culture.

Anyway, he just acted recklessly and ruined himself.

The company had been facing funding problems for several years, and when the subprime mortgage crisis hit in 08, it was completely finished.

Many of his high-priced collectibles have been sold, and most of his houses have also been sold.

This guy's most famous incident was bidding against another superstar for a Tarbosaurus skull at an auction.

In the end, Cage spent $30 to snatch it up.

The person he was competing with was Leonardo DiCaprio, the male lead Jack from Titanic.

These Hollywood stars all have quirks, or rather, white people have a quirk of collecting bones.

Shortly after the photo was taken, Interpol came knocking and discovered that the dinosaur skull was stolen property smuggled from Mongolia.

Ultimately, he had no choice but to return the items to Mongolia for free, losing $30. But that only accounts for half the reason.

The other half is that this guy's private life is also messy.

Hollywood celebrities having messy private lives is nothing to worry about; it's all the same.

But his personality is too "artistic," and he gets easily carried away.

She got married five times in total!

In North America, divorce is like being skinned alive, it can even cost you your life.

He's been able to hold out for so long, which means he's incredibly resilient.

As Zhang Yuan watched, he spoke to Xixi in Chinese about his experiences.

“You can’t be like him, wasting money,” she said after hearing this.

"I'm not that stupid."

Not only do I not buy things recklessly, but I also don't get married and divide the property.

It's all my money!
After strolling around and sitting down for coffee, a white man soon arrived and met with them.

Cage was later dubbed the "King of Bad Movies" simply because he was desperately taking on roles to pay off his loans.

Many of his houses were bought with loans, and after the subprime crisis, he kept some of them because he was reluctant to sell them, so he made a living by doing odd jobs to pay off his debts.

Taking responsibility and not going bankrupt and running away shows a sense of responsibility.

In recent years, there hasn't been a single role he's not afraid of. He'll take on roles that pay 2000 US dollars, let alone 50 million.

That's why we met today.

The new white man was a director, the friend Brun mentioned, named Matthew Vaughn.

The guy has a bit of a reputation in the industry. Ning Hao's Crazy series imitates British director Guy Ritchie's Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

This guy, Matthew, is the producer of two films.

Now I want to be my own director and take the lead role.

Then a problem arose.

Similar to the director of "Ted", he sought cooperation with a big studio, and they were willing to invest in him, but not only did they make a bunch of ridiculous demands, they also dragged their feet on the promised budget.

Large film and television companies often make decisions that contradict each other due to internal conflicts; what is agreed upon today may be overturned tomorrow.

This time, he approached another major studio, Lionsgate, aiming to capitalize on the current superhero craze sparked by Marvel and adapt a superhero comic.

They found a cartoonist named Mark Miller.

This Mark is quite a character; this isn't the first time his work has been adapted into a comic book.

The movie "Wanted," starring Angelina Jolie, where bullets can curve, was based on his comic book.

Later, the movie "Kingsman" was also his work.

The film that brought Zhang Yuan together with Cage and Matthew today is called Kick-Ass.

To be precise, this is not a work about heroes, but rather an anti-hero story.

After all, the male protagonist not only lacks superpowers, but is also quite useless.

But he had a heart that longed to be a hero.

The character who truly resembles a hero is actually the second male lead, "Big Daddy," played by Nicolas Cage.

Both its design and abilities are inspired by Batman.

Initially, director Matthew Vaughn approached Mark Wahlberg, the lead actor in "Ted," for the role.

In the end, the older brother chose "Ted" because "Kick-Ass" was less expensive.

Cage said, "Leave the low-paying ones to me."

That really suits you.

After hearing the name of the play, Zhang Yuan decided to come and discuss it.

Because even though this show is low-budget, it's packed with talented people.

Let's not even talk about Cage. Although he's going through a low period right now, to be honest, there aren't many actors in the world who can outperform him.

Dissent against a master is a crime; Zhang Yuan has come to see the master.

Not only Cage, but also director Matthew Crawford met the comic book artist through this film, and later directed "Kingsman".

And because of the huge success of "Kick-Ass", he also received an offer to star in "X-Men: First Class".

The director was also a great man in the future.

The remaining young actors include Aaron Johnson, who later played Quicksilver alongside Elizabeth Olsen as her sibling.

The supporting actor, Evan Peters, played Quicksilver in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Both actors who played Quicksilver were not yet famous in this movie.

These people are not famous now, but they will all become big names in the future.

Another highlight of the film is Chloe Moretz's portrayal of "Hit-Girl," who was still a child star at the time.

The problem also lies with her.

Director Matthew and Lionsgate had a good initial discussion about the film, but as filming was about to begin, Lionsgate raised a lot of objections.

One of the most important reasons was that they felt the little girl assassin in the comics was "too childish" and wanted to change her to a blonde, big-breasted image in the movie.

The director firmly disagreed, and in the end, they completely broke up, and the investment was lost.

Director Matthew still has a good eye; if they had really changed it according to Lionsgate's suggestion, this movie would definitely be a terrible film.

The contrast between the little girl's extraordinary skills and her cuteness and ruthlessness is very exciting and can never be replaced by an ordinary blonde.

The good thing is that Chloe Moretz's performance was phenomenal.

The girl was about the same age as Yang Mi, 13 years old, and had worked for 10 years.

So the director is now raising money himself, with a target of $2000 million.

We've already gathered quite a few people, and all the actors have been found. Everyone is very supportive.

Those arrogant film and television company executives don't understand, but surely actors understand the quality of a script?
In fact, director Matthew was forced to make the film after being messed with by Lionsgate, and he wasn't really confident about it.

They risked everything, and after filming was finished, they were in a panic.

No other major factories wanted them either.

Later, a trailer was shown at San Diego Comic-Con, which received a great reception, and the show finally found a way to succeed.

Lionsgate came running back, saying they were willing to help with the distribution.

With a final cost of 20 million, the box office alone reached 100 million US dollars, making a huge profit.

The arrogant Lionsgate pocketed several million in distribution fees and dividends; if you had just made a good film from the start, you could have earned at least tens of millions.

Moreover, although the original comic book for this film has been sold by Marvel, the director still managed to get Stan Lee to make a cameo appearance.

This effectively cemented the film's status as a superhero movie.

There are far too many excellent works like this, both at home and abroad, that have been overlooked.

Zhang Yuan didn't even need to count on his fingers; a quick mental calculation showed he'd earn more than three times the profit, plus the chance to meet a bunch of rising stars.

Cage is a comic book fan and has always wanted to play Superman or Batman. He has a lot of rare comics and figurines at home.

So when he heard that the director was interested in investing, he was very willing to help him and invited everyone to his home to chat.

This guy is a bit crazy, but he's a decent person.

You can say he acts in bad movies, but his performances are never subpar.

No matter how bad the acting is, he still performs well, and that's what you call professional ethics.

In the end, it was this spirit that allowed me to recover.

"What do you think?" After the director finished explaining the general plot, Zhang Yuan turned to ask Xiaolongnu.

"It's alright, quite interesting."

"Since you think it's interesting, then I'll vote for it."

"Tell me, how much more money do you need?"

Sisi looked at him with a blank expression. "No... I was just saying it casually to give him some face. Are you serious?"
Are you crazy, or are you spoiling me too much?
"We've now raised a budget of $1500 million, everything is ready, and filming will begin in two weeks."

"Logically speaking, we're still short $500 million," the director said seriously.

"But if we want to do better later and also reserve some funds for publicity and marketing, then we need to add another 500 million to the budget."

"That's 1000 million US dollars, right?" Zhang Yuan replied casually.

"Yes."

"No problem, I'll pay the money."

"Huh?" The director was a little confused.

I begged and pleaded for over half a year to raise 1500, and you only gave me 1000 after just one hour of chatting...

I should have contacted you earlier; why bother with all that trouble?

Zhang Yuan extended his arm, and the other person hesitated for a moment before shaking hands with him.

Director Matthew discovered a brilliance in the eyes of this young Chinese man that he had never seen before.

This radiance seems to be saying something.

Who still has dreams! (End of Chapter)