Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 353 I will get back what I've lost!
Hearing Wu Baige's words, Wu Yuchen paused for a moment, then sighed and said:

"Director Wu, it's not really appropriate for us to discuss salary directly. We're in Hollywood, so we have to follow Hollywood rules. Don't you agree?"

Wu Baige nodded: "I know this call was a bit abrupt, and we should indeed follow Hollywood rules. I just wanted to express my personal opinion."

Wu Yuchen pondered for a moment: "Well, although I wrote the script for 'Taken' and I have some decision-making power, Director Wu, we are currently pricing based on market prices. The producer thinks your agent's asking price is too high. 'Taken' is only a small to medium-budget film with a budget of over 30 million, and to be honest, it can't afford the cost of you and Jackie Chan combined, which is more than half of the budget."

"We'll give you 500 million, and Cheng Long has tens of millions more. If we then offer profit sharing, it's difficult for us to guarantee the project's profitability."

Wu Baige opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know what to say.

He knew that after two consecutive projects flopped, he wasn't very popular in Hollywood anymore, and even with his agent asking for 800-1000 million dollars a month, he couldn't get any projects.

He never expected to fall to this point, unable to receive the 500 million plus bonus, which caused him pain and frustration.

Then Wu Yuchen said on the phone, "Director Wu, it's alright, even if the deal falls through, we can still be friends. Didn't you say before that you wanted to go back to China to work on 'Red Cliff'? I can introduce you to General Manager Han from China Film Group."

Wu Yuchen himself wouldn't invest in "Red Cliff," but he wouldn't mind recommending it to Han Sanping, since it's a very profitable production and one that Han Sanping likes.

Upon hearing Han Sanping's comment, Wu Baige's heart stirred, and she said to Wu Yuchen, "Thank you. I'll think about 'Taken' some more..."

Wu Baige was somewhat disappointed. Wu Yuchen hadn't directly refused on the phone, but he had bluntly stated that his and Cheng Long's salaries were too high, which would be difficult for a film like "Taken" with a budget of over 30 million.

So, given the current situation, unless the two are willing to take a pay cut, the project will likely be temporarily shelved. However, Wu Baige believes that 500 million is already low enough, and asking her to lower it further...

However, he wouldn't necessarily have a falling out with Wu Yuchen over this. Wu Baige has experienced similar situations before; in his 30-year directing career, he's faced countless similar challenges. Besides, that's just how Hollywood is—who told him to keep flopping?

Fortunately, Wu Baige just mentioned the "Red Cliff" project to Wu Yuchen again, and the other party said that he could introduce him to General Manager Han of China Film Group. If one door closes, another opens.

What Wu Baige is now struggling with is whether to choose "Taken" or to make "Red Cliff".
The film *Taken* only offered him a $400 million salary, and frankly, Wu Baige had doubts about the project. It seemed like a very ordinary script, just the usual action-packed stuff. It lacked the fresh, innovative feel of Wu Yuchen's previous scripts, such as *Frequency*, *The Sixth Sense*, and *Phone Booth*. Could such a script really become a hit?

If he were to produce "Red Cliff," Chinese period films would be incredibly popular right now. While Wu Baige's reputation might not be as strong in Hollywood, it would still be very well-known in Asia. If Chen Kaige could secure investment from four countries for "The Promise," costing over forty million US dollars, wouldn't it be a piece of cake for Wu Baige to raise fifty or sixty million US dollars for his own film?
Given his status, it wouldn't be unreasonable for him to accept a director's fee of $800 million to $1000 million, right? Moreover, film crews in China are not subject to the same level of regulation as those in Hollywood. He could set up his own company to participate in the production process, such as purchasing materials, and make a profit from it.

Comparing the two sides, the income difference alone is at least double.

However, Wu Baige also remembered that *Taken* was a Hollywood project, his chance to return to Hollywood. Moreover, Wu Yuchen's projects seemed to have never failed. The combination of Wu Yuchen and Hollywood was incredibly tempting, leaving him extremely conflicted…

After hanging up the phone, Wu Yuchen shook his head.

Wu Baige is willing to offer 500 million yuan plus 10% of the box office revenue as her own salary. Perhaps in his own opinion, this is already a good offer, after all, he was a big director who once received 2000 million yuan in salary plus profit sharing.

Similarly, Cheng Long's side was willing to lower the price to 1000 million, but demanded a 15% profit share.

The combined cash remuneration of 1500 million yuan for the two actors is within Wu Yuchen's acceptable range, but the 25% profit sharing is completely impossible. It would be better to give them higher remuneration.

Even disregarding the global box office of "Taken," based solely on its North American box office of $1.45 million, a 25% share of the box office revenue would amount to $3600 million.

Actually, the price he initially set wasn't so rigid; it left room for a premium. However, he absolutely refused to give out dividends.

There's an even more crucial issue. "Taken" is a film series. If they received this treatment in the first film, the treatment in the second and third films will definitely increase accordingly. If Jackie Chan proposes 2000 + 20% of the profits, and Wu Baige offers 1000 million plus her share, wouldn't that mean Wu Yuchen is essentially creating a project for these two to work for?
Wu Baige might be able to be replaced as director for the second film, but once Jackie Chan starred in the first film, could he really be replaced as the male lead in the second film?

Replacing the male lead in a sequel is generally considered a major taboo, especially in a film like *Taken*, where the main character fights from beginning to end, showcasing his personal charisma while the supporting cast merely serves to highlight him. Replacing him would likely result in at least half the fanbase of the first film being lost by the sequel.

Wu Yuchen also sighed; he had indeed oversimplified things at the beginning. This stemmed from the different perceptions the individuals held of their respective situations.

In Wu Yuchen's view, neither Jackie Chan nor Wu Baige can make it in Hollywood anymore.

For example, Jackie Chan asked for 2000 million, but apart from "Rush Hour 3," no one was willing to offer him such a high price. Let alone 2000 million, no one even offered 1500 million. His later films, "The Karate Kid" and "The Spy Next Door," were all offered at 1000 million plus profit sharing, precisely because the risk was too high and he couldn't carry the box office. On the other hand, Wu Baige asked for 800-1000 million, but no one was willing to give her a chance at all.

Wu Yuchen might have felt that offering Jackie Chan 1200 million, plus the opportunity for a blockbuster, was helping him, since a hit film would immediately boost his salary for the next movie. Offering 2000 million for the second film, and 2000 million plus box office revenue sharing for the third, is all acceptable.

However, Jackie Chan and Wu Baige clearly don't see it that way. For them, who have reached the pinnacle of Hollywood, a certain degree of pay reduction is acceptable, but such a drastic drop is hard to accept.

Wu Yuchen also felt a pang of emotion. Compared to the effort and trouble of helping established figures, it was much more satisfying to mentor newcomers!

For example, he promoted Anne Hathaway and Jessica Alba. Even though the two actresses had already become huge hits with "The Princess Diaries" and "Step Up," he only offered them salaries of over ten million for the sequel.

Hollywood A-list actresses are paid less than their male counterparts. Actresses' income actually comes only partly from film salaries; a large portion comes from endorsements and advertisements. Look how well these two women catered to Wu Yuchen, demanding less pay than Jackie Chan, and being so obedient—isn't that double the pleasure?

Wu Yuchen shook his head. This was just a coincidence; he'd only thought of matchmaking on a whim, and if it didn't work out, so be it. He'd better focus on supporting newcomers in the future!

Wu Yuchen initially thought that since the two sides couldn't reach an agreement, they should just drop "Taken" for now. He didn't think about it anymore and threw himself back into filming "The Batman".

Unexpectedly, half a month later, Wu Baige called him again: "Director Wu, I'll take the role in 'Taken' with a 400 million yuan fee!"

This surprised Wu Yuchen: "400 million, no profit sharing?"

Wu Baige nodded: "I don't want a share of the profits! I've waited so long for this opportunity. I'm not doing this for the money; I just want to prove myself and show people that I will get back what I've lost!"

When Wu Baige quoted Mark from "A Better Tomorrow," Wu Yuchen was taken aback. Wu Baige is almost 60, right? Still so "passionate"?
However, Wu Yuchen did not agree immediately: "Director Wu, I understand what you mean, but the project has not been finalized yet, after all, we still need to negotiate the male lead."

"Okay, then I'll wait for your good news, Mr. Wu!"

After hanging up the phone, Wu Yuchen was slightly troubled. He had thought the matter was over, but he hadn't expected that this old man, Wu Baige, was still so ambitious and persistent about Hollywood.
Wu Yuchen thought for a moment and decided to call Cheng Long again himself. If it worked out, great; if not, so be it. After the call connected, the two exchanged pleasantries for a while, and then started talking about the "Taken" project.

Jackie Chan was also direct about his salary: "Director Wu, you said the film's cost is low, so I'll lower it to 1000 million plus profit sharing, is that alright? It's really low! Although my last film didn't do well at the box office, I still have quite a few fans. It's impossible that you won't even give me 1000 million in salary, right?"
"And as you know, we celebrities also have our pride. If I lower my salary compared to others, it won't be fair to my fans."

Wu Yuchen's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately realized who Cheng Long was referring to when he said "someone else"—it was Li Lianjie!

Jackie Chan and Jet Li entered Hollywood one after the other, and both are action stars, so they are naturally often compared. Their fans even attack each other, which is nothing new.

Jackie Chan's point is that Jet Li's salary in Hollywood is now in the tens of millions, and there's no way he could be lower than Jet Li! Otherwise, wouldn't his own status be lower than Jet Li's?

Wu Yuchen smiled upon hearing this:
"The comparison between you celebrities is all about your work, isn't it? As long as your work does well at the box office, you and your fans will be proud. Your salary for your next movie will immediately go up, right? And we didn't offer any salary below 10 million, did we? I remember it was 12 million, wasn't it?"

Jackie Chan was also quite conflicted at the moment. He knew the situation in Hollywood: when an agent asked for $2000 million, that was just for show, to maintain appearances of stardom. In reality, he would be willing to act if asked for $1500 million. However, since the huge flop of "Around the World in Eighty Days," he hadn't received a single offer of $1500 million in the past two years.

This time with "Taken," he didn't find the script particularly outstanding, but it was written by Wu Yuchen after all. Wu's consistently successful past naturally made Jackie Chan feel that "Taken" was different from others, and he was worried that he had really missed an opportunity.

If we're talking about the 1200 million yuan asking price for "Taken," could he act in it? Yes, he could, but I just feel that the price would lower his status.

So Jackie Chan said to Wu Yuchen, "Director Wu, how about 1200 million plus 8% profit sharing? I can't reduce it too much at once."

Wu Yuchen did not answer Cheng Long directly, but asked, "Brother Long, what do you think of 'Taken'?"

Cheng Long immediately laughed and said, "Hahaha, I definitely have high hopes for your project, Director Wu!"

Wu Yuchen chuckled: "Brother Long, if you really thought it was so promising, would you still be hesitating?"

"No, no, it's not that I don't think 'Taken' is good, it's just that I feel this movie is quite different from my previous style, and there are still risks in my transformation..."

Wu Yuchen thought to himself, "Isn't this still a sign of lingering doubts?" But then he said, "I have complete confidence in you, Brother Long. Here's a new plan."

"A new plan?" Cheng Long asked curiously.

Wu Yuchen nodded: "That's right. As you know, I like making series, so I plan to make 'Taken' into a trilogy. If you're willing to be the male lead, then we can sign a three-part contract. Your salary will be 1200 million for the first part, 2000 million for the second part... and 2500 million for the third part."

Upon hearing the offers of 2000 million and 2500 million, Jackie Chan's heart skipped a beat. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Director Wu, signing a three-film deal at once... what if, I mean, what if the box office fails..."

Wu Yuchen laughed and said, "Hehe, you don't need to worry about the risks of the project. We, the production company, will bear them all. Even if the first one loses money, we will continue to film the sequel. How about it?"

Jackie Chan was genuinely interested in this new proposal. It meant that the other party was taking on all the risks in advance, and his salary would be fully guaranteed without being affected by box office performance.

Although his salary for the first film was only 1200 million, if you average it out across the three films, his salary for each film is 1900 million!
Moreover, even if it's announced to the public at that time, the total salary for the trilogy can be disclosed, which saves both face and reputation.

Jackie Chan initially wanted to agree immediately, but considering Wu Yuchen's confidence, the project might actually be a huge hit, so he tentatively asked, "Director Wu, could my sequel fee be changed to a cash plus profit-sharing arrangement?"

Wu Yuchen chuckled and said, "Hehe, Brother Long, we can't just assume all the risks upfront and then give you a big share of the profits if the sequel becomes a hit, can we? That doesn't make sense."

(End of this chapter)