Entertainment tycoon since 83

Two days later.

Huang Ze returned to Hong Kong Island again.

He didn't go home, but went straight to the hotel where Zhang Yimou was.

"Ding, ding, ding!" The doorbell rang.

"Old Huang is here." The door opened, and inside was the wrinkled face. After seeing Huang Ze, his face, which was already nearly fifty years old, had deeper wrinkles. "Hey, you're finally back, come in, come in."

"Can't wait?" Huang Ze said with a smile, "Then I should come back a day earlier."

"Hey, that's not a problem."

"I'm traveling here, and it's nice to see a lot."

"I'm happy for you!"

"How did they achieve a box office of 200 million in North America?"

"Just do it randomly." Huang Ze pretended to be cool while drinking water, "I don't know why, but the audience just likes to watch the movies I made!"

“I can’t stop it!”

"Actually, I think my performance in Rush Hour 2 was pretty average."

Huang Ze is telling the truth.

Compared to films like "Pulp Fiction", the box office is higher, but its influence and significance in the film world are not on the same level at all.

Even if we compare commercial action movies, "Rush Hour" cannot compare with "Mission Impossible" and the like.

At this moment, Huang Ze is deeply analyzing his own shortcomings.

But in Zhang Yimou's view, that was definitely Versailles.

Um, there is no such word at the moment.

But Zhang Yimou still felt a little uncomfortable when he heard it.

I looked at Huang Ze in amazement and wanted to say, "Old Huang, you are so shameless!"
But first of all, Huang Ze is his boss.

Secondly, if you think about it carefully, Huang Ze’s words are not really shameless.

Compared to his other films, which have box office success, good reputation, and awards, "Rush Hour" really only has box office success.

When he thought of this, Zhang Yimou felt as if he had eaten a lemon and his heart was sour.

He could only look at Huang Ze helplessly.

"Hey, Lao Zhang, what's with that expression on your face?" Huang Ze glanced at Zhang Yimou, "You don't agree?"

"No no no!"

"I agree."

"I just, how should I put it?" Zhang Yimou touched the wrinkles on his face, "I also want to take some photos and then there will be crowds of people coming in to watch!"

"You're only interested in making art films."

“You can try to combine art and business.”

"I just combined them." Zhang Yimou took out a script. "Didn't you build a Qin Palace in your film and television city? When I went to see it, I thought of a historical event and thought I could try to combine it with martial arts."

"Jing Ke assassinated the King of Qin?" Huang Ze asked.

"..."

Zhang Yimou opened and closed his mouth, but no sound came out.

Just looked at Huang Ze in surprise.

"How did you know?"

"Is this difficult?" Huang Ze quickly found an excuse, "The historical events of the Qin Palace are also related to martial arts."

"What is a martial artist? Most of them are alone."

"Then I can only think of Jing Ke assassinating Qin."

"What? Do you want to film the story of Jing Ke?" Huang Ze asked deliberately.

"It's not necessarily Jing Ke." Zhang Yimou shook his head. "If it is confirmed that the protagonist is called Jing Ke, then I won't have much room for adaptation, because you can't engage in historical nihilism."

“But the film needs to be adapted.”

"So, I plan to call him, Wuming!" Zhang Yimou said, "A killer without a name."

"As for the specific content, it's all here. Take a look at the script first." "If there's anything that needs to be revised, you can also revise it for me."

"Okay!" Huang Ze took the script and started reading it immediately without hesitation.

After looking for a while, Huang Ze was completely sure.

Isn't this "Hero"?

In the previous life, I was thoroughly criticized by someone.

But, how to say it.

No matter what the audience says, they will still watch it.

Otherwise, a single film wouldn't have taken more than 20% of the annual box office.

It also earned more than 50 million US dollars in North America.

You know, "Hero" is a Chinese-language film, and it is subtitled in North America for North American audiences to watch.

To achieve such results is considered quite a success.

Therefore, Huang Ze automatically skipped some of the points that he had heard people criticize in the film in his previous life.

As I read the script, I recalled the original Hero, making occasional changes to keep it close to the film I had seen in my previous life.

As for optimization.

Huang Ze felt it was unnecessary.

He was successful enough in his previous life, so all he needs to do is maintain the elements of his success.

Even if you optimize it, the audience may not accept it.

For example, Bruce Willis's oil worker blowing up a meteorite, how far-fetched? But the box office was still good.

Because the audience goes in to see the big scene.

Therefore, as long as "Hero" maintains its grand scenes and all-star cast, the box office will not be bad. Few viewers will pay attention to some inappropriate plots, as long as they are not too serious flaws.

Those who would hold on to it are colleagues or film critics.

How many movie tickets can they afford?

Don't worry.

Moreover, the design of "Hero" does not fully conform to the views of domestic audiences. It is obviously the same as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", which is for overseas box office!

There is no way, this is how the world is, whoever gives more money is the boss.

In order to make a lot of US dollars, there is no other way but to make some compromises.

Two hours later.

Huang Ze had already modified the script to make it exactly the same as the original film he had seen in his previous life, and then Huang Ze returned it to Zhang Yimou.

"Lao Zhang, I have some immature suggestions for these places. You can take a look."

"Aren't you being too modest?"

"And I'm using humble words."

"Everyone knows that your script is amazing." Zhang Yimou took it and read it several times. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he didn't know what to say. "Is this an immature suggestion?"

"How about I give you the script first, and you read a few more points, and then come up with a mature script?"

"Are you going to write the script or am I going to write it?" Huang Ze waved his hand. "The story has been finalized. I can change it. Let's talk about other more important things."

"Who are you going to ask to be the male lead in the film?"

"You decide." Zhang Yimou smiled shyly, "Whoever you think is suitable, then hire him. I will listen to your opinion as the boss."

"Then Li Lianjie?"

"Isn't it too expensive?" Zhang Yimou wanted to replicate the success of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", so when he heard Huang Ze say this name, a smile appeared on his face.

But there was another reality he had to consider, "I heard his salary was 15 million dollars!"

"Can we afford this film?"

“It was the sequel to Speed,” Huang Ze explained, “and he messed up the sequel.”

"Plus, his other films have not achieved the success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Speed, so his current net worth is not that high. Eight million is a big hurdle."

"I'll call you and ask him." Huang Ze picked up the phone. (End of this chapter)