Reborn Action Star: Starting in Hollywood

Chapter 38: Where is the world in life?

Time flies like a white horse passing by.

It was March 2001 when Lin Yuan set foot on California soil again.

California is the state with the highest GDP in the United States. It not only has famous cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, but also industrial clusters such as Hollywood and Silicon Valley.

In 2000, California's GDP reached 1.36 trillion US dollars, and its status in North America was similar to that of Guangdong Province in China.

Even if California is considered an independent economy and included in international GDP rankings, it is only behind the United States, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom, and is equivalent to the total economic output of France.

As for the mainland at that time, its GDP was just 1.2 trillion US dollars.

It can be said that California’s strong economic strength is a microcosm of America’s economic hegemony.

The reason why Lin Yuan came to California was because the headquarters of Universal Studios is located in California.

Universal Pictures, one of the eight major Hollywood studios along with Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, Warner Bros. and other film studios, is a well-deserved giant.

"Fast and Furious", "Jurassic Park", "The Mummy Returns", "The Bourne Supremacy" and other series of famous IP movies are all produced by Universal Pictures.

By the time Universal Pictures acquired DreamWorks Animation in 2016 and its old rival MGM fell into bankruptcy and reorganization crisis, Universal Pictures even regained the position of the top film studio in Hollywood.

This is one of the strongest thighs in Hollywood. Lin Yuan has a deep connection with Universal Pictures. The two films he is currently involved in are both produced by Universal Pictures.

My visit here today is naturally related to these two movies.

The post-production of "Fast & Furious" and "Jurassic Park 3" has been basically completed, and they are now about to enter the stage of publicity and preparation for release.

A decision-making meeting on the release of these two films will be held today.

When Lin Yuan arrived at the Universal Pictures headquarters building at 100 California Plaza, Director Cohen and Director Johnston were already waiting for him.

Director Johnston smiled and waved upon seeing Lin Yuan, while Director Cohen came forward and said, "Today's meeting is very important. It's related to the success or failure of our two films. We must take it seriously."

Lin Yuan nodded: "The most important thing is the release plan, right? Will we encounter any trouble today?"

The release plan includes various details such as how much money will be used to promote the film, when it will be released, and whether a box office guarantee will be promised to theaters.

This involves a complete marketing plan targeting both audiences and theaters, which plays a crucial role in a film's final box office performance.

The release plan may seem complicated, but it really comes down to two things: how much money are you willing to spend, and how much money are you confident you can make back?

These two points are actually tied together. Expect high investment to lead to high results, but investment does not always have to be high. Spending money indiscriminately may cause a project that was originally profitable to suffer losses.

This kind of highly subjective planning is easily disturbed.

Therefore, Lin Yuan immediately guessed that there might be changes.

Director Cohen said with some worry, "You're right. My old friend at Universal has let me know that things aren't looking good today. It's going to be a tough battle."

"Could it be stuck at a critical juncture?" Lin Yuan asked.

"We may not get what we want." Director Cohen was obviously in a low mood.

Lin Yuan smiled and patted Director Cohen on the shoulder: "Don't worry, I'm ready."

"What did you do again?"

"I made some small preparations, it would be best if they are not used. If I say anything today, please do as I say!" Lin Yuan replied with a smile, appearing very confident.

"Do as you say?" Director Cohen asked. "Yes, trust me!"

"Well, you have always been right." Director Cohen thought about the past and realized that Lin Yuan had never lost.

Director Johnston pulled the two of them along, saying as they walked, "Let's go! Don't be late. Old Cohen, trust Lin Yuan. With him around, a miracle will happen."

Director Cohen has a closer relationship with Lin Yuan, but Director Johnston is also full of confidence in Lin Yuan.

Perhaps it was because Lin Yuan showed too many magical things during the filming of "Jurassic Park 3" that director Johnston now blindly believed in him.

The three of them hurried to a meeting room on the third floor, where two people were already sitting and chatting happily. It was obvious that they had a very good personal relationship.

Lin Yuan did not recognize one of them, a man in his sixties with a hooked nose and sharp eyes. However, Lin Yuan did recognize the other one: Sommers, the director of "The Mummy Returns".

Lin Yuan still vividly remembers the hostility shown by Director Sommers during the brief meeting that night.

He also completed the system task by himself and had to crush the target.

[Mission 1: Star in a Hollywood movie that surpasses The Mummy Returns at the global box office.]

Seeing someone come in, the hook-nosed man and Director Sommers stopped talking.

"President Smith, I'm sorry to bother you today." Director Johnston walked forward with a smile and extended his right hand.

"I will do my best to fulfill my responsibilities. The key to success or failure lies in the quality of the film itself."

President Smith simply shook hands lightly and gestured for Lin Yuan and the other two to take a seat.

Several stacks of information had been placed opposite him, which was obviously the position arranged for Lin Yuan and others.

President Smith himself sat together with Director Sommers, and the closeness of their relationship was obvious at a glance.

Director Cohen had already introduced before coming that President Smith, who was chairing the meeting today, was the vice president of Universal Pictures, responsible for film release and promotion.

Director Sommers has always relied on President Smith's relationship, and he will definitely use this relationship to grab more resources in today's meeting.

Directors Cohen and Johnston, on the other hand, were connected to another vice president in charge of film production.

President Smith, who is in a competitive relationship with them, naturally will not take too much care of the two of them, so Director Cohen is worried about today's meeting.

If a film cannot obtain sufficient resources and formulate a suitable release plan, it will be at a disadvantage at the starting line.

In this regard, Lin Yuan could only sigh: Where there are people, there is the world of martial arts. The world of martial arts is not about fighting and killing, but about human relationships and worldly wisdom.

Who says the Americans don’t use personal connections?

Fortunately, President Smith has his professional qualities. He will still proceed from the interests of the company and support requests within a reasonable range.

After all, the company has invested heavily in making a movie, so it certainly hopes to bring in returns.

"Now that everyone is here, let's get started," said President Smith.

"Wait a minute, something is wrong!" Director Sommers spoke, his eyes fixed on Lin Yuan.

"What's wrong? Is there something wrong?" asked President Smith.

"Kick this guy out first! Who is he? How is he qualified to participate in today's meeting!" Director Sommers pointed at Lin Yuan and said coldly.

(End of this chapter)