Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 314 The Final Cooperation
Cao Yang certainly doesn't want to encounter trouble from behind while making a movie, so it's unlikely that he'll be able to complete the collaboration with Tom Rothman.

"Tom, we're good friends, so I'll be frank. How can you guarantee that everything will go smoothly after you go to Sony Pictures?"

Cao Yang didn't mince words with Tom Rothman and directly voiced his concerns.

Tom Rothman was taken aback; he hadn't expected Cao Yang to be worried about this.

He considered it for a moment and then spoke:

"Cao, did I tell you that my term as an executive director of Columbia is not due to expire for more than ten months? During this period, the board of directors will not remove me from this position; I will simply no longer serve as the vice president of Columbia."

Cao Yang fell silent. Why didn't you say so earlier?

"Tom, let's talk about the collaboration."

Cao Yang changed the subject, saying, "But I'm sorry, Tom, we probably can't work together on '2012' anymore. I have other projects on hand, so I can't work on '2012' for the time being."

You've only been an executive director at Columbia for a little over ten months, and you've lost your vice president status. To put it bluntly, executive directors don't have specific positions, so what's the difference between them and ordinary directors?
"2012" is a big project, with an investment of at least $2 million and a development time of at least a year.

Such a large project must be completed smoothly, and there is no room for any mistakes or disputes.

Cao Yang didn't want to mess up such a big project, so he definitely couldn't work with Tom Rothman on "2012".

Tom Rothman frowned. "You have other projects on your plate?"

Cao Yang spread his hands like a foreigner and explained, "Tom, we're friends, I have no reason to lie to you. My team had already negotiated with them before I even returned from Los Angeles."

He didn't say that they still haven't reached an agreement.

Tom Rothman believes an agreement has been reached.

"What about the cooperation you mentioned earlier?"

Tom Rothman didn't think Cao Yang would play a trick on him, and his initial disappointment turned into a little bit of anticipation.

“We can try a different way of collaborating. For example, I can write a script and serve as the producer and executive producer, while Columbia Pictures can be responsible for investment and production.”

Cao Yang explained.

As long as it's a low-budget film, with Tom Rothman still serving as an executive director and his connections, there shouldn't be any major problems.

"Like 'Juno,' which you made with Fox Searchlight?"

Cao Yang nodded. "Yes, just like Juno."

Tom Rothman thought about it and agreed that such a collaboration would work. "Juno" was the envy of many Hollywood production companies, a typical example of a small investment yielding a big return.

They prefer projects with low and controllable risks.

How about The Hunger Games?

Tom Rothman asked.

Cao Yang glanced at Tom Rothman and said, "You have good taste. You've had your eye on this series for two years now, and you wanted to adapt it even before you collaborated on District 9."

In the past two years, the best-selling "Cao Yang's Fantastic Journey" is "Cao Yang's Fantastic Journey II", which is based on the novel "The Hunger Games".

This novel has a large fan base.

To be honest, if Tom Rothman hadn't been transferring to Sony Pictures, Cao Yang wouldn't have minded collaborating with Columbia Pictures on this film series. But given the current situation, it's definitely impossible to work on this series now.

"Tom, you know, this novel is the best-selling one in all my series, and it's become increasingly popular in the last two years, so I don't want to adapt it into a movie so soon. I want to build up a fan base for a few more years."

Cao Yang politely declined Tom Rothman's offer.

Tom Rothman had anticipated this, as he recently conducted research on "Cao Yang's Fantastic Journey," finding that many teenagers bought the book specifically because of "The Hunger Games."

Therefore, he agrees with Cao Yang's statement.

A novel that is still experiencing strong growth should definitely not be adapted into a movie too early, otherwise it would be a huge loss.

"Tom, I think you've fallen into a misconception."

Seeing Tom Rothman still deep in thought, Cao Yang reminded him:
"You're about to go to Sony Pictures. Do you think it's better to leave behind a movie that does reasonably well at the box office, or a movie that can both be a box office success and win awards?"

Tom Rothman's eyes lit up. "Like the Fox searchlight?"

"That's right, just like the Fox searchlight."

Cao Yang explained, "I don't know if you've noticed, but I also have a film that's similar to 'Juno,' except one is about an unmarried mother giving birth and the other is about the love story of a cancer patient."

Tom Rothman thought for a moment, then tentatively asked, "You mean that book, 'The Most Beautiful Pain'?"

"That's right, it's this one."

At this moment, Cao Yang finally believed that Tom Rothman truly understood his novel.

The film adaptation of this novel, "The Fault in Our Stars," doesn't have many scenes, no big-scale scenes or special effects, and had a short preparation period and a short filming period.

Once Tom Rothman returns and begins preparations, it shouldn't be difficult for the film to be released before he steps down as executive director of Columbia Pictures.

Furthermore, this film performed very well at the box office even without winning an Oscar; if it had received an Oscar, its box office would have increased even more.

If you're looking for an Oscar nomination or award, Tom Rothman is the best choice right now. He has the ability to win awards for this film, and getting at least a few Oscar nominations shouldn't be difficult.

"The cost of adapting this novel into a film is very low, and if it is well made, Columbia has a natural advantage while Mr. Sid Garnier is still the president of the Academy Awards. It is not too difficult to get a nomination or even win an award."

Before winning the Oscars presidency, Sid Garnier worked for Columbia University for many years as an executive.

He must have a very good relationship with Tom Rothman. When Cao Yang was filming District 9, Tom Rothman appointed Sid Garnier as the executive producer.

It could even be said that Sid Garnier was Tom Rothman's confidant when he was in Colombia.

That's why Cao Yang said that it would be very easy for Tom Rothman to get a nomination, and while the chances of winning an award are higher, it's still much easier than for a regular film.

Tom Rothman didn't deny it. He thought about it for a moment and realized that the love story between two teenagers with cancer was indeed a sensational topic. Winning an award might take some effort, but getting a nomination would be easy.

“Okay, let’s work together again. I believe ‘The Most Beautiful Pain’ is a good choice.”

Tom Rothman stood up, extended his hand to shake Cao Yang's, and said with a smile.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you, Tom."

Next, they discussed the specifics of the collaboration, and Cao Yang hoped that Tom Rothman would be more generous.

(End of this chapter)