Actor: Thank you.

Artistic works have always been an extension of the real world.

Even the most sophisticated and profound science fiction films are at most an extension of human philosophy.

For example, 2001: A Space Odyssey.

This play is an extension of Nietzsche's philosophy of the Übermensch.

That incredibly famous theme song, which is included in the list of the 100 most classic Hollywood film and television scores, is called "Thus Spoke Zarathustra".

Thus Spoke Zarathustra is Nietzsche's philosophical work on the Übermensch (Superman).

When Bren spoke with Zhang Yuan, a shareholder, after "Lurking" became a huge hit, he mentioned the script for "The Purge," which deeply resonated with Zhang Yuan.

Many low-budget films involve the writer, director, and screenwriter all working together, and this film is no exception.

The director and screenwriter are both a guy named James DeMonaco.

This person had worked as a screenwriter for many years before finally making his own art film.

It was invested in by the French investment guru Luc Besson.

Art films don't care about box office revenue; they're not made for profit.

But when he was filming his debut film, he often went to France to meet with Luc Besson.

It was during this time that this American discovered a problem.

Violent incidents are rarely reported in French news.

There are no shootings every day, let alone any; terrorist attacks are also rare.

The most violent thing is a general strike.

But every time there's a strike in France, it's the police who lead it, and they shout the loudest.

The French have a very advanced mindset; they live a very comfortable life.

After all, if you really encounter an insurmountable obstacle, it's best to just raise both hands and say yes.

But whenever he returns to North America, he always sees news reports of murders, shootings, robberies, and other violent acts on TV.

He also lived in Canada, which is right next to a lighthouse, yet, like France, its news coverage was quite harmonious.

My brother sensed something was wrong.

Are we North Americans living in misery every day?

He has to think about why.

The result of his reflection was that he felt North America was shrouded in a kind of collective violence and planned "cleansing".

Congratulations to this person for discovering the kill threshold...

That's how the script for "The Purge" came about.

The story is set against the backdrop of an unprecedentedly prosperous North America, with an unemployment rate of less than 1% and an astonishingly low crime rate.

All of this is thanks to the annual 12-hour "cleanup" program.

Within those 12 hours, all government organizations and public institutions in North America, including police stations and hospitals, were shut down.

During this period, no crimes will be recorded, and everyone can kill, abuse, and destroy at will.

This reminded Zhang Yuan of one of Guo Degang's crosstalk performances.

The content is the same as always, talking about Brother Qian's father.

Old Master Yu is kind-hearted and can't stand the poor, so he wants to drive all the poor people around him away!
If you kill all the unemployed people, the unemployment rate will be lower.

If crime is legal, then the crime rate will be low.

He's simply a genius.

Just like public intellectuals used to say, there is no official corruption in the Western world.

That's right.

Because as long as it's legal, it's not considered corruption.

When I first read this script, I found it interesting, but it was somewhat surreal and extreme.

In retrospect, it seems a bit conservative.

Because the lighthouse's true "cleaning plan" is never just 12 hours a year, but is carried out every moment.

Why does a country that prides itself on its cocktail culture and imports a large number of immigrants every year have an unusually slow population growth rate?

Why does the country of Lighthouse itself publish its own Alice Line, which is the poverty line for 37% of its population?

This perfectly matches the ratio of the natural constant to the population, which is 1/e.

This suggests that the social structure of Lighthouse, especially in the post-pandemic era, is very close to the primitive state of natural selection.

And this was not formed naturally, but was intentionally created.

Because the highest legal lending rate in North America is 36%, which is close to the ratio of the natural constant.

They've all planned it out; that's what "governing the country scientifically" means.

Like a meticulously designed casino, it will lure you in with its glamorous exterior, luxurious interior, and attentive service.

Once inside, there will be winners and losers.

People who go to casinos always think they will be the winners.

Just like those gentle people.

In reality, only the house always wins.

Today you are the winner, treated like royalty; tomorrow you will be the loser, thrown out by bodyguards and left next to a trash can in an alley.

The beauty of a show like "The Purge" lies in its connection to life, yet it transcends it, creating a chilling and unsettling experience.

Zhang Yuan definitely deserves our support.

Not only should we support them, but we should also film them well and film more.

I would also strongly recommend that a large company like Universal Pictures produce and distribute this film.

The film was originally intended to have many outdoor scenes, especially chaotic gunfights in the streets.

But Bren felt that doing it that way was too costly and wanted the director to change the script to a horror movie formula, where everything would happen in just one house.

That's how it was originally filmed; the filming cost was only 300 million US dollars.

Blumhouse Films is just that stingy.

But after Zhang Yuan's persuasive explanation, the people at Huanqiu found it somewhat interesting.

Furthermore, Zhang Yuan's keen eye and the fact that he rarely made mistakes formed a habitual way of thinking in them.

If Universal decides to fund it, then they'll probably be able to afford a big production.

This series went on to produce five or six movies and even a TV series, becoming a well-known IP.

Collaborating with large companies on this kind of project has advantages, especially in terms of distribution.

James Wan doesn't need it because he himself is the brand.

Just like Cameron and Nolan, people will watch any movie they make, no need for promotion.

For a film like "The Purge," where the director isn't well-known or influential, collaborating with a major company is a good option.

He also planned to go back and try to persuade his brother Brun.

Because if this matter is accomplished, I, as the "middleman," can also secure my position.

The vice presidents at Global were having a pleasant chat with him until Zhang Yuan said it was getting late and he was getting ready to leave, at which point they realized what was happening.

That's not right!
It's not that we tricked him into giving us a bargain, how did it become that he tricked us into spending money?
You didn't order any dishes, so I'll give you a free serving of braised food.

"Please wait a moment."

"Regarding the horror film 'Lurking' and the new project you mentioned, we can put them on hold for now," the person in charge of IP operations said.

"There's one more thing we'd like to discuss with you."

"It's a project."

“We have been preparing for a long time. The project’s main creators and director have arrived. We can meet and talk.”

So she coaxed him with words and led him to another small meeting room.

Zhang Yuan kept asking what kind of project it was.

The other party stated that this is a large-scale film project based on a well-known IP.

Upon entering the house, he first saw a large, fat white man with short hair and a big beard.

His image is somewhat similar to Gabe Newell, the owner of Steam who can't count to three.

Zhang Yuan didn't recognize him, so someone nearby introduced him.

"This is director Guillermo del Toro."

"This is Zhang from China."

Upon hearing the name, Zhang Yuan's shoulders tensed.

I don't recognize the person, but I know the name!
Foreigners' names are hard to remember, and he often gets confused about them.

But this man's surname is unique; it's Toro.

Therefore, he is generally known as the "Spinning Top Director" in China.

This man is known as one of the "Three Heroes of Mexico".

The remaining two are Alfonso Cuarón, director of *Gravity*, and Alejandro González Iñárritu, director of *Birdman* and *The Revenant*. All three are highly accomplished Mexican directors.

But the remaining two are more "artistic," while Toro is more commercial.

He directed both Blade II and Hellboy.

He also created the rather cult fantasy film "Pan's Labyrinth".

You can tell from this person's style that they like eerie and gloomy art styles.

One should not let a chance to meet a wise person slip by; it would be good to have a chat with them.

After shaking hands, Zhang Yuan began talking to the other party.

Only after talking to him did I realize that this was yet another huge trap that Universal Music had set for him.

Well-known IP and big production – both points the other party mentioned are correct.

But it's also a little different.

The well-known IP they mentioned is H.P. Lovecraft, the creator of the "Cthulhu mythos".

The copyright to one of his most famous novels, *At the Mountains of Madness*, is held by Universal.

Universal Pictures plans to hire Toro and invest over $100 million to remake this Cthulhu classic.

I approached Zhang Yuanlai because I wanted him to contribute money to the project.

He listened and pondered for a long time.

In his memory, "At the Mountains of Madness" was never made into a movie...

I learned that it was Toro himself who really liked it and had been working on the script since 06.

The film is rated R, and he has many bold ideas, wanting to build his own Cthulhu world and a series of movies.

An R-rated movie with an investment of over 100 million US dollars... Zhang Yuan felt that these two factors were very risky.

In addition, Cthulhu culture sounds like a big IP, but it is actually a very niche phenomenon.

All of these factors combined into one film make it an extremely risky project.

That's right. If it's a risk-free, guaranteed profit opportunity, why would you white people come to me?
They really think I'm a nouveau riche!

Director Guillermo del Toro spoke with some excitement, and a hint of anxiety, about this project that had been in the works for many years.

The more anxious others are, the less anxious he should be.

They began to ask increasingly detailed questions.

The other party stated that the film is currently $5000 million short of funding to begin production.

Zhang Yuan: ...

what?
The project is worth over 100 million, but it's short 50 million US dollars.

You want me to pay for everything?

You're making me think this is the Qing Dynasty. You might as well just make me pay compensation.

Toro's gaze was so earnest that it made him feel a little embarrassed.

It's a renowned director, and his work is the result of his painstaking efforts. Wouldn't it be inappropriate to coldly reject it to his face and embarrass him?

But the vice president in charge of finance at Global only needed one sentence to bring him back to reality and make him extremely calm.

“Zhang, we know you’ve made a lot of money on Wall Street lately.”

"If all this money were transferred to your country in China, wouldn't you have to pay a lot of taxes?"

“But if you invest in our movies, you can avoid most of the taxes and convert them into cash, which you can then transfer to North America.”

Zhang Yuan turned his head and looked at the person who had spoken.

The other person even winked at him.

"You don't need to worry, we have cooperated with many Chinese investors."

We have experience in doing this... that's what they mean.

But Zhang Yuan's heart sank.

Indeed, many people in China use investing in Hollywood films as a way to legally transfer assets.

Yes, there is such a way; he had heard of it.

Sigh, I'm so angry at their lack of ambition.

Our country should keep a closer eye on this and increase the relocation costs.

There's also the cost of leaving Chinese citizenship. It's like in North America, where leaving citizenship means being skinned alive, or even having your flesh ripped off.

Perhaps, some people are preventing the establishment of barriers.

investment?

funny!

Zhang Yuanxin said that as long as I don't withdraw the money, the domestic taxes and fees won't be that much.

Moreover, I couldn't even submit enough applications domestically, so I had to send them abroad.

Unlike some people, I don't plan to run away from the very first day I start a business.

Therefore, he righteously and firmly rejected the other party.

I sing "Entering the New Era" and "The Story of Spring," and you compare me to those people? Bah!
"I'm sorry, but the education I received growing up didn't support me doing this kind of thing."

"You've mistaken me for someone else."

He then stood up angrily and strode away, his face full of rage.

I'm outta here; this is a perfect excuse to run away.

Why are you saying all this?

"I didn't know this Chinese person would react this way. Those who heard this before were clearly very happy."

Only a few senior executives remained, arguing amongst themselves.

Zhang Yuan then left the office building and returned to his car.

But he left, yet he didn't completely leave.

After a long while, director Guillermo del Toro, looking ashen-faced, dragged his heavy steps away from Universal Pictures.

He walked slowly for more than ten minutes to cover the distance that normally takes five minutes, and arrived at the parking lot, intending to start his Chrysler 300C and drive home.

After Obama came to power, the Chrysler 300C sold very well because the president drove this car.

However, Ohei drives the HEMI version with a large V8 engine, which requires refueling every 300 kilometers, making it quite environmentally unfriendly.

Just as Toro was about to open the car door, a black Mercedes S-Class pulled up behind his car.

"Hey, buddy."

"How am I supposed to leave if you park like this?" he cursed, clearly annoyed.

His bad mood was written all over his face.

Hi, we meet again.

The car windows, tinted with dark film, were rolled down, and Toro immediately recognized the smiling man in the back seat as the Chinese man who had stormed off after listening to his lengthy project presentation.

"What do you want to do?" the Mexican man asked, frowning in confusion.

"I'd like to invite you to dinner; I'm a fan of yours," Zhang Yuan said with genuine sincerity.

"Then you shouldn't have left just now." The other person was still holding a grudge.

"I just left because the people from Universal Music crossed my line."

"But all of this has nothing to do with you. I admire and respect you. I'm just dissatisfied with Global Times."

"I sincerely invite you to have dinner with me."

"If you're busy, tomorrow or the day after is fine too. I can change my flight to suit your schedule."

Seeing him say that, even foreigners wouldn't hit a smiling person.

Moreover, Toro is still thinking about his "At the Mountains of Madness".

What if we chat again during the meal and the other person pays? Then I'll be all set!
He shrugged and agreed.

Brother Long opened the car door and invited the other person to get in.

Zhang Yuan sat gracefully and calmly, chatting casually with the other party.

Even the assistant didn't understand why he had left earlier and was now having a private chat with this person.

Brother Zhang always has his own ideas... The assistant thought to himself, "I understand, I'll just follow orders."

Zhang Yuan's private chat with this person was certainly not about the Cthulhu movie.

He had absolutely no interest in this kind of play.

This kind of film is unlikely to make money, not only domestically but also internationally, so why bother making a fuss about it?

He has always been more interested in people.

There was something about this director, Toro, that really interested him.

Because this person has other well-known commercial works besides "Hellboy".

That is, the famous "Pacific Rim". (End of this chapter)