This director is so innocent.

Chapter 162 Killer Cinematic Universe

Where are you?

"The Carlton InterContinental Hotel"

"Then come find me in the Lumière Hall of the Palais des Festivals."

OK.

As soon as Su Jin hung up the phone, she heard Huang Jiaqiang ask, "Boss, was that a call from George?"

"Hmm." Su Jin nodded and said, "What did you say 20th Century Fox offered?"

"Fox is a penniless bastard; he can't even afford five million dollars."

"How much was paid out?"

"400 million US dollars."

Looks like they're really broke, lacking any backbone. No wonder they got acquired by Disney.

"Have anyone inquired about the prices of 'Ip Man' and 'Painted Skin'?"

"Yes, but very few, just a handful."

Just as Su Jin was about to speak, she heard Gong Li say, "Su Jin, I'm going back to the hotel first."

"Okay, Sister Li."

See you tonight.

"See you tonight," Su Jin said to Huang Jiaqiang. "McKana's here; let's talk about 'Ip Man' tonight."

And the global release of "Painted Skin".

"Let Fox publish it; if they tamper with the accounts, there's nothing we can do."

"I still hold the copyrights to Divergent and The Hunger Games. If they still wanted to collaborate, they wouldn't have done this."

"The boss is brilliant."

The novels "Divergent" and "The Hunger Games" were published in January 2010, with the former published in 2011 and the latter in January 1.

I was writing these two books when I finished writing "The Maze Runner".

The voice input method I used was incredibly fast; I finished a book in just three days.

The novel "Maze Runner: The Scrambler's Scramble" was also released and sold very well, climbing to the top of the North American bestseller list in three days and reaching number one in five days.

Fox has already finalized the casting: three Asian characters, two men and one woman, including Milo, the walker; Newt, the protagonist Thomas; and a minor female supporting role.

The role of Milo was given to Rain, the Asian dance king, a man blessed by Song Hye-kyo.

Song Hye-kyo is amazing. Every man she "blessed" has a bright future. Lee Byung-hun and Rain both made it into Hollywood.

Song Seung-heon, what's wrong with you?

Rain is very famous throughout Asia, and last year he took on the project "Speed Racer".

Fox chose him because they were considering the Korean market.

Thomas's second-in-command Newt and the minor female supporting characters have not yet been chosen.

However, it will be resolved by the end of this month.

Night, the night of Jianmu.

The party was held on the beach, and it only cost $30.

Many people came, including domestic colleagues, foreign media reporters, international film distributors, producers, investors, and so on.

I'm getting a free cocktail party, might as well come.

Due to the major earthquake in China, Su Jin and her group, along with their domestic counterparts, did not choose flashy clothing; instead, they all wore black.

The atmosphere was lively, with clinking glasses and a bustling crowd.

George accompanied a blonde woman wearing a low-cut halter dress to Su Jin.

"Boss, this is Ms. McCanna."

McCana looked at Su Jin with a bright smile. He was so handsome; how could she not want to discuss art with him?

Su Jin noticed McCana's gaze and subtly took a step back.

McCanna is not a proper woman; she has a stamp collecting obsession.

"Hello, Ms. McCana." Su Jin extended her hand with a smile.

McCana wasn't satisfied with just a handshake; instead, she took Su Jin's hand and then gave him a cheek kiss.

Su Jin's whole body stiffened, and he got goosebumps. He really didn't like this kind of cheek kiss.

"Sue, just call me McCana. 'Ladies' are called 'old women'," McCana said with a smile.

"OK." Su Jin readily agreed.

McCanna isn't actually that old. George said she's around 34 or 35, and she's almost reached the point of having slept with 100 men.

Tall girls are also acceptable, with fair skin, beautiful features, and long legs.

However, as those who frequently watch videos of Western women know, women of this age often have rough skin.

McCanna's skin, naturally, is no exception.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Su Jin led McCana to a rest area at the party to watch the trailer and clips for "Ip Man".

Taking advantage of this break, George pulled Su Jin aside and chuckled, "Boss, if you and McCana have a passionate encounter, the release of 'Ip Man' will be secured."

"roll."

George is not very old, only in his early thirties, but he is very capable and has become an investment manager in Warner Bros.' film division at a young age.

But he has a flaw: he's a carefree person and loves to joke around.

Have any of the Big Eight studios inquired about the copyrights for "Divergent" and "The Hunger Games"?

"Yes, but didn't you say you were going to continue working with 20th Century Fox?"

"Not necessarily. If someone else offers a higher price, it's not impossible to change the candidate."

"Okay, then I'll make contact with them." George said, as if he had suddenly remembered something.

"Boss, James Wan, whom you previously asked me to keep an eye on, messed up two movies, 'Dead Silence' and 'Death Penalty,' and Fox dropped him."

James Wan is a tool of American entertainment, a master of horror films, a model of low-budget movies, and a genius director.

The fledgling film "Saw" had a production cost of only $120 million and a shooting period of 18 days, but its box office profits were astonishingly high.

It grossed $5500 million in North America and a whopping $1.04 million worldwide.

If any entertainment news outlet dared to write data like this, they'd be torn to shreds by criticism.

He became famous overnight, full of vigor and arrogance, looking down on everyone.

He took on two projects in quick succession: Universal's "Dead Silence" and 20th Century Fox's "Death Penalty".

Dead Silence is also a horror film, with a $2000 million budget from Universal Pictures.

James Wan was very excited about making such a big production for the first time, and then he messed it up.

"Death Penalty" is a thriller that tells the story of an honest and law-abiding father seeking revenge for his son.

Twentieth Century Fox also invested $2000 million, and then they messed it up too.

James Wan's consecutive flops with two mid-budget films have caused the Big Eight Hollywood studios to lose faith in him.

I think he can only handle low-budget productions; he simply can't handle medium-budget or higher-budget productions.

Projects that were about to be developed cancelled their collaborations with him.

James Wan, having hit a low point in his life, has ventured into directing a short film for the game company Dead Space.

If an olive branch is extended to him at this time, wouldn't he be extremely grateful?

"Sign him, it doesn't matter if the conditions are a bit harsh, but try to lower the conditions as much as possible."

"Why?" George was very confused.

Although Saw was amazing, he didn't think James Wan could make another Saw.

"No why, just do as I say."

"All right!"

"When the casting for 'The Maze Runner' is in China, bring him to China. I have a project that would be perfect for him."

"Our studio is going to produce a film independently?"

"Yeah, a low-budget horror movie."

By this time, McCanna had already watched the trailer and clips for "Ip Man" and was now in work mode.

"Su, I'm an honest woman, so I'll just say what I mean."

"Please speak."

"The fight scenes in *Ip Man* aren't intense; they lack the forced intensity of *The Raid*."

In recent years, Chinese action films have lost their former popularity; films like "Fearless" and "The Forbidden Kingdom" were not considered box office successes.

Just as Su Jin was about to reply, Zhong Li tugged at his clothes and said, "Ms. McCana, it's undeniable that you're right."

However, DVD sales of "Fearless" and "The Forbidden Kingdom" remained stable.

"The Legend of Huo Yuanjia grossed $4098 million on DVD in North America, while 'The Wandering Swordsman' even grossed $7948 million. These figures can't be lying, can they?"

As for "The Forbidden Kingdom," it's too embarrassing to mention. Despite the collaboration between Johnny & Jackson, the total DVD revenue was only $3186.

McCana glanced at Zhong Lifang with surprise, then turned her gaze to Su Jin: "And who is this?"

"My company's CEO, Zhong Li," Su Jin casually introduced.

"Su, you have a very professional manager." After praising her, McCana changed the subject and said, "The DVD sales of 'Fearless' and 'The Wanderer' were very good because JetLi is very popular in North America."

But Donnie Yen isn't very famous, you could even say he's not, and he can't guarantee the global box office success of "Ip Man."

Chung Lai smiled and replied calmly, "Donnie Yen may not be famous, but Chinese kung fu films enjoy a global reputation, and people all over the world love watching kung fu movies."

"If just one percent of people go to the movies, Fox will make a fortune."

McCana turned to look at Su Jin, wanting to take back her previous words; Zhong Lilao was just being unreasonable.

Why don't you just say you made a killing!

Su Jin ignored her and just smiled.

Negotiation, you know!

It's just that you're talking nonsense and I'm talking nonsense!

Chung Lai continued, "Ms. McCannah, we're not just developing one film, we're planning a trilogy for 'Ip Man.' If the box office is good, we'll immediately start planning the sequel."

Upon hearing this, McCana was slightly tempted, but she was in no hurry to express her opinion and continued to chatter with Zhong Lilao.

Chung Lai-lao, a seasoned veteran, chatted with McCanna.

After much back and forth, two options were finally settled: buyout and agency distribution.

The buyout price was $2000 million, while the distributor would charge a 30% issuance fee.

Su Jin finally agreed to the buyout plan. Although he was not worried that Fox would cheat him in the accounting, the repayment time was too long, taking almost a year in total.

In that time, he would have turned $2000 million into $4000 million long ago.

As for "Painted Skin," McCannah isn't very interested, whether in its distribution or buyout.

McCannah also discussed "The Invisible Guest," but her desire to secure the role was low; she only asked for $50 more than the original price.

After finishing her work, McCana reverted to her flirtatious self, and disregarding everyone present, extended a sincere invitation to Su Jin.

"Su, are you free to grab a drink later?" McCana asked with a seductive smile and a tempting tone.

"Sorry, I'll be very busy. I have a ton of things to deal with." Su Jin refused outright, even though she was quite attractive.

Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment flashed in McCana's eyes, but she quickly regained her smile and said, "Then let's reschedule for another day."

OK.

George watched McCanna's retreating figure, swaying her hips as she walked away, and sighed, "Boss, you really don't know how to cherish opportunities."

"You can go after her and ask if she's interested in you."

"I hinted at it to her before, but it's obvious she has no feelings for me."

After George finished speaking, he turned to look at Su Jin's face, which God had meticulously sculpted, and sighed softly, "Boss, if I had your face, I could seduce any Hollywood actress."

Su Jin's face is truly a creation of God; when he first saw it, he was awestruck.

Even the three most handsome men in Hollywood—Leonardo DiCaprio, Marlon Brando, and Brad Pitt—couldn't compare to Su Jin in their youth.

If he had that face, why would he be an investment manager?

How awesome it must be to be a big star!

"It's a pity you don't have one."

"Boss, when are you going to develop your career in North America?"

"I don't know how things will develop. I'll be going to North America in the second half of the year. I have a hitman series project that's quite suitable for Hollywood."

"Really?" George was overjoyed. He had always wanted Su Jin to come to North America to develop her career, but Su Jin had no interest at all.

Aside from meeting him once when he was recruited, he hasn't been to North America since.

He didn't even attend the book signings for "The Maze Runner," "Divergent," and "The Hunger Games."

"Really." Su Jin nodded.

"Would you like me to arrange a red sofa for you?" George said teasingly, winking at him.

"Does someone as good-looking as me need a red sofa?"

George was speechless.

Indeed, with Su Jin's looks, foreign women would probably be willing to pay her to have her.

Su Jin chatted with George for a while longer before they went their separate ways.

The killer project is the John Wick series.

The style is sharp and the punches are visceral, the action scenes are incredibly exhilarating, and the climaxes come one after another, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats.

Moreover, in the film, the assassin group has its own rules and its own world.

For example, the Mainland Hotel exists in the lawless world of assassins, an oasis in a dangerous and ruthless world.

It was both a gathering place for assassins and an open sanctuary.

Even if you only touch the hotel steps with one hand, you can immediately enjoy a "forced truce" without any conditions.

No killing is allowed here.

The system is strict and orderly, with a special circulating currency and blood pact badges used by assassins to help each other.

Those who violate the rules will have their membership revoked, which is tantamount to being sentenced to death.

Above the hotel manager is a council, which is responsible for consolidating its unquestionable authority.

And the council of elders—

Overall, this is a huge gold mine.

The film "The Man from Nowhere," which will begin filming in the second half of the year, will be co-produced with "John Wick."

Once the entire assassin universe is created, he will surely become famous internationally.

The party ended around 10 p.m.

Huang Jiaqiang reported on the sales of "The Invisible Guest" and "Painted Skin".

"The Invisible Guest" has grossed another $400 million, and negotiations are still ongoing in North America.

"Painted Skin" did not sell well.

Diego Harab, a Pan-Latin American film distribution company, and RCV, a Canadian distribution company, are interested in buying the film, but their offers are both very low.

MK2, the largest publisher in France, also showed little interest and offered the same low price.

I'm only really interested in Southeast Asia.

Today is Fan Xiaopang's birthday. Happy birthday to her!