Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 161 The Little Cannon Expanded

January 1nd is the Spring Festival. Just a few days before the Spring Festival, the single-family house in Phase II of Ziyu Villa in Chaoyang that Cao Yang bought last year has been fully decorated.

He thought about it and decided to bring his parents over to spend the New Year in Beijing this year.

At the same time, Columbia has reached an agreement with China Film Group and Qingdao Film Studio to jointly invest in "District 4800" in the form of a co-production, with an initial budget of US$7000 million and an announced budget of US$ million.

The reason for the $4800 million investment budget is that Columbia insisted on choosing a second-tier big-name actor, saying it was to boost the North American box office.

Cao Yang gets a share of the total box office. The higher the box office, the more he gets. Of course, he has no objection to that.

This scale of investment is considered a major event in the domestic film and television industry today. Even the Film Bureau attaches great importance to it. For this purpose, China Film Group Corporation even held a grand signing conference.

Tom Rothman as the representative of Columbia, Mr. Han representing China Film, Hou Keming representing Qingdao Film Studio, and producer and director Cao Yang attended the signing conference together.

A lot of reporters came. Although there had been co-productions before, there had never been such a large investment scale.

At the press conference hosted by President Han, one could see that he was in high spirits.

"...We have teamed up with Columbia, one of the seven major Hollywood film companies, to invest heavily in creating a cross-era science fiction film. This is the first time that China has attempted a co-production of this type. We will take this as an opportunity to deepen exchanges with Hollywood..."

"...co-production is a new idea and a new way out for domestic films. We, China Film Group and Qingdao Film Studio, will take the lead in exploring the feasibility of this path, learn and draw lessons from the Hollywood model, cultivate and develop the domestic film market, and meet new challenges."

"Hua Hua Hua..."

The guests and reporters attending the signing conference began to applaud, giving face to President Han.

"Excuse me, Mr. Han, what is the difference between this co-production and previous ones?"

A reporter began to ask questions.

"The form and content are different. Of course, the scale of investment is also different. 70 million US dollars, converted to 580 million. For China, this is an unprecedented large investment."

President Han waved his hand and said very imposingly: "In the past, so-called co-productions were mostly films invested in by foreign film companies, but the stories and actors were all domestic.

This time is different, this time we are going abroad, the story is no longer a domestic story, and the actors include both domestic actors and Hollywood movie stars.”

The reporter was moved and asked quickly, "Does this count as pushing our actors into Hollywood?"

President Han thought about it and nodded, "You can understand it that way."

"Excuse me, Director Cao, you are undoubtedly a great director in the field of art films, but you have only made one commercial film so far, and it has not been released yet. What made Columbia choose you as the director?"

The reporter began to ask questions to Cao Yang.

Hey, isn't this reporter here to sabotage us?

"Your question is very interesting, but you asked the wrong person. You should ask Mr. Tom Rossman from Columbia, not me."

Cao Yang said with a smile: "I think Columbia chose me as the director after comprehensive considerations. Maybe it's because I'm younger and have more potential? Haha, just kidding. Anyway, they must have a deeper reason for choosing me."

If I say that Colombia needs my help, would you think I'm showing off?
Of course, Cao Yang would not say that it was because the copyright of the novel was in his hands and Columbia had no choice but to choose himself as the director.

Putting it this way seems a bit low.

The reporter did not ask Tom Rossman, but continued to ask Cao Yang. Only by asking him would it be interesting.

"Hello, Director Cao. Although you are a favorite for the Golden Globe Award, you did not go to the United States to promote it. There are rumors that you did not go to the United States to participate in the Golden Globe Award because you knew you had no hope of winning. I would like to ask Director Cao, is this the reason?"

"Reporter, have you entered the wrong set? This is the signing and cooperation press conference for District 9."

Cao Yang made a joke and the reporters below also laughed.

"Let me explain briefly. First, I'm busy with the post-production of 'Nine-Tailed Fox' and can't spare the time to go to the United States. Second, as you saw, Tom Rothman from Columbia came to talk to me about 'District 9', and I really can't spare the time."

After thinking for a while, Cao Yang added, "As for the Golden Globe Award, I also take it very seriously. I'll just go with the flow. It would be the best if I can win it. If I can't win, being nominated is also a kind of affirmation."

……

"Look, this kid is showing weakness."

Xiao Gangpao pointed at the entertainment news broadcast on TV, in which Cao Yang was interviewed and said, "Even if I can't win an award, being nominated is also a kind of affirmation."

He is now in high spirits. After one month of screening, the movie "Cell Phone" has successfully grossed over 5000 million yuan.

This is a new record for his movie box office. How many movies have domestic box office of over 5000 million now?
This made the little cannon's heart swell immensely. He felt that there was no one in the country who could compete, including Cao Yang, Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou. He felt that he could stand at the commanding heights of the box office and despised these so-called great artistic directors.

As for the 2.5 million box office of Zhang Yimou's "Hero", Xiao Gangpao is not convinced now.

How much was the investment in that movie?

3000 million US dollars, which converts to 2.5 million.

What about the domestic box office?

Also 2.5 million.

An investment of 2.5 million yuan and a box office of 2.5 million yuan, what kind of achievement is this? If we only count the domestic market, the film will lose all its money.

How much investment did you make in Cell Phone?
The film cost 1500 million in production costs and 500 million in publicity and marketing costs, totaling 2000 million.

However, before the filming of the movie started, Motorola earned 1400 million yuan in publicity fees and other patch advertising fees, and Zhongkai Culture bought out the audio and video copyright for 800 million yuan.

In other words, the movie made 200 million before it was even released.

The box office of the movie is over 5000 million. How can Zhang Yimou compare with this input-output ratio?

Xu Fan glanced at the TV.

"He is just being modest. His film won the Palme d'Or, so he certainly doesn't care about the Golden Globe Award, which is only a little famous in the United States."

"Nonsense, who said the Golden Globe Awards are only famous in the United States? Didn't you see the overwhelming media coverage when that guy received five nominations a while ago? The Golden Globe Awards are still very impressive."

The little guy lit a cigarette, took a puff and blew out a smoke ring, then said "hey".

"This kid is so damn lucky, he had no hope of winning the Ballon d'Or, and then those Colombian bastards gave him a big gift.

A $7000 million investment, and it's just a science fiction movie. I really don't know what these bastards at Columbia are thinking. Aren't they afraid of losing everything?

This fucking claims 7000 million, I guess there is at least 5000 million investment, 5000 million US dollars, that's Dao Le, fuck!"

The little cannon just hates Colombia for being blind. Why didn’t they vote for him?

What's wrong with me? Who can compare with domestic box office output?

It must be the damn China Film Corporation's behind-the-scenes manipulation that secretly put Cao Yang in. Those bastards at Columbia are directors who know nothing.

Ugh, disgusting.

January 1th was the fifth day of the Chinese New Year, which was also the day for the Golden Globe Awards. Cao Yang did not go to the United States, but spent the New Year with his parents in Beijing.

(End of this chapter)