Huayu became famous overnight

Chapter 244 The Fairy Looks at Tang Sanzang

Xu Ming noticed the change in Bell's expression and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

He made a point of inviting the other party to the premiere.

Of course, it's not for some cheap gimmick like having Hollywood stars attend.

Instead, it was a deliberate attempt to demonstrate its own strength.

Only when Bell truly recognizes his own power can the subsequent communication between the two parties proceed more smoothly.

"A small achievement, not worth mentioning."

Yu Dong put on his hat and gave Xu Ming an admiring look, saying, "Xiao Xu, this movie has investment from Bona Film Group."

Even now, they still don't forget to put themselves in a superior position.

Xu Ming was too lazy to play along with this guy's pretentious act, and instead said, "There are also representatives from Wanda and Xingmei cinemas over there. I'll take you there."

For Bale, these connections with people in China were not that important.

But he had no reason to refuse the other party's kindness.

Having more friends means having more options; this principle applies globally.

Don't assume that Hollywood doesn't value personal relationships; people who think that simply don't have access to that circle.

Watching the two walk away.

Jiang Wen frowned and said, "What is this kid up to? Director Zhang, you need to be careful. These international friends have come all this way to the mainland to film a movie. Don't let Xu Ming make them cry."

"It shouldn't be that bad, right? I think he gets along quite well with Bell. What could he possibly be up to?" Zhang Guoshi hesitated.

If it were someone else, they might think it was a case of worshipping foreign things, but with Xu Ming, that's impossible.

That kind of attentive attitude seems a bit strange.

"Is it possible that this child is aiming for Hollywood?" Zhang Guoshi continued.

"To be honest, based on my understanding of him, the mainland film market alone is definitely not enough."

Jiang Wen clapped his hands, then asked in confusion, "But he's so smart, he should know about the restrictions Hollywood places on Chinese actors. What's his motive?"

In recent years, Chinese actors have been flocking to Hollywood.

Top stars like Gong Li and Donnie Yen, who are among the best in China, can only get supporting roles there.

Moreover, Xu Ming is a citizen of mainland China, which puts him at an even greater disadvantage.

The image of Xu Ming's confident face flashed through Zhang Guoshi's mind. He pondered and said, "Just because you think it's impossible doesn't mean that Xiao Xu thinks it's impossible. His greatest strength is creating miracles."

"Hey, you, as his uncle, understand him better than I do."

Jiang Wen thought about it and realized it made sense: "Do you think he can do it?"

“It’s difficult, but young people learn from their mistakes,” Zhang Guoshi shook his head.

After transitioning to commercial films in the year 2000, he has been trying to align himself with Western narratives.

Films like "Hero," criticized for its thin plot, and "Curse of the Golden Flower," with its melodramatic plot, are examples of this.

Including this film, "The Flowers of War," they even made the male lead a foreigner.

The subsequent film, "The Great Wall," followed the same pattern, even featuring foreigners saving the world.

On the one hand, directors in the 1980s were indeed heavily influenced by Western artistic ideas; on the other hand, the mainland film market simply couldn't support big-budget productions, and overseas markets had to be taken into account.

The latter reason accounts for a larger proportion.

The 2002 film "Hero," with a total investment of 30 million US dollars, made money by selling its overseas distribution rights.

Originally, everyone was following this path: big productions primarily cater to overseas audiences while also considering domestic audiences.

Who would have thought that the domestic film market would develop so quickly?

It happened so fast that most directors didn't even have time to react before they were left behind, which in turn gave opportunities to emerging directors.

That's how Ning Hao came to prominence.

But it's clear that Zhang Guoshi hasn't given up on this path. He has basically won all the honors in China, and all that's missing is success in the overseas market.

Furthermore, the film's domestic box office performance was consistently good, which gave him considerable confidence in his content, until "The Great Wall" completely collapsed.

But even a great director like him, who has conquered overseas markets, hasn't mastered the art, let alone Xu Ming.

Naturally, I don't think the latter is a good match.

"So you just think it won't work," Jiang Wen concluded.

"And you?" Zhang Guoshi asked in return.

“I think it’s feasible.” Jiang Wen paused for a moment, “but it will take time, maybe ten to twenty years.”

Zhang Guoshi shook his head and remained silent.

In his view, there is only one Jackie Chan, and there will never be another.

the other side.

Xu Ming was unaware that his relationship with Bell was slightly closer.

It made my two uncles think about it so much.

He took the latter to meet with several representatives from the cinema chains.

When only the two of them remained, Bell suddenly stopped and looked at Xu Ming, saying, "I am very grateful that you can introduce so many friends to me, but it is difficult for me to repay you. The rules in Hollywood are completely different from those here."

He pointed to his own arm and the other person's arm, giving them a knowing look.

Do not attempt to blend skin tones that are different.

It means he has a good impression of Xu Ming, otherwise he wouldn't have been so direct.

"I've seen too many young actors from all over the world who dream of entering Hollywood and becoming famous worldwide. They always feel like they are chasing their dreams, only to regret it much later."

“You are very talented in China, and the market potential here is huge. Making the most of this opportunity is much better than going to Hollywood.”

Bell gave his advice with a serious expression, saying that a single film could gross over $100 million, and the box office market potential had not yet been fully tapped.

China is now rightfully the world's second-largest vote bank.

If the English domestic market were that big, he wouldn't be so focused on developing his career in Hollywood.

Of course, this has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he starred in Spielberg's Empire of the Sun when he was 13 years old (sure face).

"No, you misunderstood me. I don't want you to take me to Hollywood."

Xu Ming paused for a moment upon hearing this, then shook his head.

Even if he were to try his luck in Hollywood, he would never beg someone to take him under his wing.

Bell looked puzzled; it wasn't this or that.

Could it be that the other person is just naturally enthusiastic? This guess is even less plausible.

"You may not know this, but besides being an actor, I'm also a screenwriter. I have a script I'd like you to take a look at," Xu Ming said.

Bell was taken aback, his expression becoming indescribable.

It's like going from looking at an idiot to looking at a complete moron.

By leveraging the Chinese market, the other party can also take advantage of their position as an actor in Hollywood.

A screenwriter?
He must have been kicked in the head by a donkey.

"I can help with investment and attracting investment, as well as opening up the Chinese market," Xu Ming continued.

Okay, Bell admits he must have been out of his mind.

If someone has money and is willing to spend it, then that's a different story.

Furthermore, the influence the other party has demonstrated on the Chinese film market is also a factor that makes cooperation worthwhile.

“I’m just an actor,” Bale said in a deep voice.

"So you only need to consider whether the script is good or not, and other things will be taken care of for you, right?"

Xu Ming smiled and said, "I am not seeking any special privileges in this film."

"Give it to me, I'll take a look later."

Bell hesitated for a second, "If it's really good, I'll recommend it."

He has a talent agency, CAA, and has known and collaborated with many directors.

That's exactly what Xu Ming was looking for. He handed the script to Bell, the cover of which was prominently labeled "American Hustle," which also had a Chinese translation, "American Deception."

The previous film grossed $2.51 million worldwide, with $1.5 million coming from the United States alone.

As for the script's strong Hollywood style and detailed information about the United States, Xu Ming made no attempt to conceal it.

He has long since passed the stage where he needs to prove himself.

This script was just a trial balloon; he neither looked up to nor resisted Hollywood, but simply had his eye on the North American film market.

We must grasp both aspects firmly.

Back at the venue, Xu Ming sat down next to Jiang Wen and Zhang Guoshi.

"What were you talking about with that foreigner?" Jiang Wen asked curiously.

“When we were talking about film art, I told him I had a script that was absolutely amazing, with a box office of at least 200 million US dollars. He begged me to let him play the male lead,” Xu Ming said in a serious tone.

"You're even better at talking nonsense than I am," Jiang Wen said irritably.

"Actually, it's nothing. It's just testing the waters in the Hollywood market. Qiming has a lot of money in his account that he doesn't know where to go with."

Xu Ming gave a perfunctory reply, then asked, "How's the preparation for 'Hidden Man' going?"

"It's still in progress, it'll be finished soon," Jiang Wen replied dismissively.

Xu Ming raised an eyebrow. He couldn't trust a word this guy said, and questioned, "Six months?"

Seeing that Jiang Wen didn't speak, he said helplessly, "So you're going to have to take a whole year off next year."

"Hey, you can't say that. I had a lot of other commitments in between."

Jiang Wenyuan refused to go down, and in a fit of despair, said, "Aren't you the same? I heard there are no movie plans for next year."

"There's no release plan yet, but I'll still make the film if it's going to be shot. At most, it won't be as rushed as this year," Xu Ming explained.

"13 years, I'll do more preparations and start filming at the beginning of the year after next," Jiang Wen gave a specific timeframe.

After he finished speaking, he couldn't help but complain, "Look at Mr. Yang of Yinghuang. He's also an investor, but he respects the director's creative cycle so much more."

"Heh, Mr. Yang doesn't know you. I know your abilities. 'Hidden Man' is no challenge for you," Xu Ming chuckled.

Hearing this made Jiang Wen feel relieved, and he stopped arguing.

After all, this contract was signed last year, so it's really not right to drag it out until the year after next.

As they were talking, the room went dark, and the movie began.

Xu Ming leaned back in his chair, watching the dragon emblem slowly appear on the big screen, feeling relaxed.

After "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" was delayed from its theatrical run, no other film could compete with it during the entire December release period.

The only thing worth looking forward to is when it can surpass the 4.2 million yuan box office of "The Founding of a Republic" and dominate the top five of the year.

Then his divine status was fixed.

……

[The Taking of Tiger Mountain grossed 2.2 million RMB in its opening weekend, topping the box office for the week.]

[Dominating the Lunar New Year film season, the Xu-Xu duo crushes the long-time Xu-Li partnership]

[Before the year was even over, Xu Ming's fate was already sealed; he will eventually be recorded in the history of Chinese-language cinema.]

The box office figures for the first weekend were released on December 12th.

In an instant, a commotion erupted.

Some media outlets have already openly called for Xu Mingnian.

No one dared to refute it; everyone tacitly accepted it.

Many media outlets have also begun to compare Xu Ming and Li Lianjie.

In their mouths, Xu Ming has become a domestic superstar who is unparalleled, surpassing Jackie Chan and Jet Li.

Qiming Company.

Yang Mi, Ni Ni, and a group of other women gathered together, scrolling through articles about Xu Ming on Weibo, even more enthusiastic than the person involved.

"Look at this article. Xu Ming has released seven films this year, and another one is coming to the big screen at the end of the month. He has achieved both creative efficiency and results. As of now, his total box office for the year has exceeded 30 billion yuan."

"With its box office appeal ranking first in the domestic market, we may be able to begin welcoming the coronation of a new king in the Chinese film industry."

Naza read the article aloud, her tone excited.

All the women looked proud and elated.

After all, the stronger their boss's box office appeal, the better it is for them.

It's worth noting that among the female artists signed to the company, Yang Mi, Ni Ni, and Li Xin all starred as the female lead in Xu Ming's films.

The first two films were box office hits, propelling Yang Mi and Ni Ni to unexpected heights.

The third prediction is probably not far off, especially since Li Xin is new to the company.

It's clear that Qiming is genuinely giving his artists opportunities.

Countless actresses in the industry consider working with Xu Ming a stepping stone to success.

It's fair to say that if the latter wanted to, nine out of ten actresses in the industry would be willing to give everything for a chance to play the lead role.

Of course, given Xu Ming's nickname in the industry, "The Condor Hero".

There are quite a few who are willing to pay out of their own pockets.

"The people who believe these marketing articles will be around for life."

Xu Ming sighed helplessly, "You guys are even more boastful than I am, claiming to be the best in the country in terms of speed and accuracy."

"Your movie's box office is much higher than Jet Li's, that's a fact, why are you showing weakness?" Nazha wrinkled her nose, standing up for her boss.

"That's not how it's calculated. My box office appeal is limited to the mainland market, and it's not that stable. Li Lianjie, on the other hand, has a fan base of nearly thirty years, and he has a certain degree of fame worldwide."

"His film appearances mean that overseas copyrights sell better, and DVD sales are also higher than for ordinary films."

Xu Ming has a clear understanding of his own commercial value.

For investors, one blockbuster movie is not as valuable as ten moderately profitable movies.

Steady profits are the key.

His lack of experience is a huge weakness, which can be compensated for by dominating the charts for a year, but he is still far from being a superstar like Cheng or Li.

"I've said before that there's a very simple way to distinguish between different levels of fame: actors' pay and artists' appearance fees."

“Jackie Chan earns around 80 to 100 million RMB per film, while Jet Li earns 60 to 80 million. Both of them are paid in US dollars, representing a gap in the domestic acting talent pool.”

There was originally a Chow Yun-fat, but after Xu Ming's antics in this life, the filter on this guy has been shattered.

His salary naturally wouldn't stay high, but with the boost from "Let the Bullets Fly," he still managed to earn 2500-3000 million, the same as Ge You.

"Boss, how much do you want?"

Nazha asked the question without hesitation.

Instantly, all the women turned their gazes toward Xu Ming.

This data was only known to the company's brokerage department, and they were also very curious.

"3000-3500 million, a bit more than Uncle Ge, but not much."

Xu Ming paused for a moment, "The quoted price is so high, but when it comes to specific projects, it will still be discounted."

"If a movie doesn't do well at the box office, the actor's salary will drop accordingly. The reason I can earn such a high salary is because I have so many works to back me up."

There is another factor, which is scarcity.

Everyone knows that he basically only acts in his own company's movies, either leading them himself or bringing his own investment to the production.

If people don't buy, prices will naturally go up.

Everyone hissed, feeling a buzzing sensation in their heads.

Even with a discount, it's still around 30 million, enough for them to earn half a lifetime's worth of money from just one film.

For a moment, the women looked at Xu Ming with the same adoration that demons would have for Tang Sanzang.

I can't wait to eat it right now.

(End of this chapter)