Reborn Action Star: Starting in Hollywood

Chapter 39: Whose digging technology is better?

"Sir, who are you? Today's meeting involves business secrets. If you do not have the right identity, please leave as soon as possible." President Smith was generally polite, but his attitude was very clear.

When Lin Yuan followed the two directors in, there was no time to introduce him.

So President Smith naturally didn’t know Lin Yuan and thought he was a relevant staff member.

"Him? This is an actor in the two directors' film, a yellow monkey dreaming of Hollywood. I don't think actors are qualified to attend today's meeting."

Director Sommers's words were harsh, saying that Asians could use obviously discriminatory terms like "yellow monkey" and not get into any trouble.

If Lin Yuan was a black man, Director Sommers would not dare to say it so bluntly.

Who makes Asians less aware of struggle than blacks?

Rights must be earned by oneself.

"Actor? Then it is indeed not appropriate for you to attend today's meeting. Please leave as soon as possible." President Smith made a farewell gesture.

"Excuse me, I think I am fully qualified to participate in today's meeting. Let me introduce myself first. My name is Lin Yuan.

Today I'm here as an investor representative." Lin Yuan smiled and replied in a neither humble nor arrogant manner.

"Investor representative?" Smith asked.

"Yes, I am attending this meeting on behalf of Mr. Eisen."

"You are Mr. Eisen's representative? That's as it should be. You are fully qualified to participate in this meeting." President Smith began to look directly at the handsome Chinese boy in front of him.

He had also heard before that Mr. Eisen, who had refused to invest in film projects for many years, made an exception for a Chinese teenager and invested additional money in "Jurassic Park 3", a movie that many people were not optimistic about.

Now that the protagonist of the incident is right in front of President Smith, he can naturally put aside his prejudices and re-evaluate Lin Yuan.

After all, a legendary figure like Mr. Eisen would not recognize someone casually.

Director Sommers did not expect that Lin Yuan would attend the meeting as an investor representative. When he saw that President Smith had changed his attitude, he did not insist any further.

So he snorted coldly and started the main topic of today: "My publicity and promotion expenses are too low, I have to increase them by 10%."

"Is 60% too little for you? Why don't you want 100%?" Director Cohen directly retorted.

"With 70% of the publicity and promotion costs, you will be under a lot of pressure on the box office. The higher the budget is not necessarily better. I only dare to ask for 50%." Director Johnston also kindly advised.

"That's your movie garbage. Who told you to use the yellow monkey to take up so much of the screen? Now you're worried that the audience won't buy it? I'm not worried about the proportion issue. I'm not afraid no matter how high it is." Director Sommers sneered.

Lin Yuan knew that the ratio they were talking about was the ratio of the film's publicity and promotion costs to the production costs.

Generally, Hollywood blockbusters will spend 50% to 100% of the production cost on film promotion.

Director Sommers felt that he only had 60% which was too little and wanted to get 70%.

For "The Mummy Returns," which cost nearly $1 million to produce, this means an additional $1000 million in publicity and promotion costs.

Even good wine needs to be hidden if it is not well-known. If a good movie wants to have a good box office, it must spend a lot of money to promote it.

Therefore, under the premise that the quality of the film is guaranteed, it is definitely better to have higher publicity and promotion costs.

But at this stage, Universal Pictures' total budget for publicity and promotion is fixed.

If he takes one more bite, a portion of the budget for "Fast and Furious" and "Jurassic Park 3" will be taken away.

So the two directors were definitely unwilling to do so, and the two sides began to argue. This is the focus of today's game.

Lin Yuan didn't directly join in the argument. He was carefully flipping through the documents in his hand. His eyes were focused on this year's theater schedule. When he saw a movie that would be released in mid-May, his eyes suddenly became sharp.

Is this the butterfly effect caused by his rebirth?

He looked at it carefully twice more, and suddenly couldn't help but smile. The deadly trap had been laid, and they just needed to drive Director Sommers into it.

"Director Sommers, do you really think that "The Mummy Returns" is of high quality and will bring huge returns to the company?" Lin Yuan asked.

When they heard him speak, the two directors stopped talking tacitly. They believed in Lin Yuan, who had repeatedly created miracles.

"Of course! 'The Mummy Returns' will be Universal Pictures' most profitable film this year!" Director Sommers said confidently, "If it weren't for these rubbish movies like yours dragging it down, I could even have won the annual box office championship."

Director Sommers' last sentence is a bit of bragging. Although he is very confident in his movie, winning the box office championship requires the right time, place and people, and it is impossible to guarantee it.

But what's the use of bragging? No one will really give him the chance to challenge him anyway.

"What if we don't hold you back?" Lin Yuan asked with a smile.

"Why are you saying these useless things? Can you still squeeze out a budget for me?" Director Sommers only wanted to get an extra $1000 million in publicity and promotion fees, but he never thought he could get more.

"Aren't you confident in your movie? Do you dare to prove what you said?" Lin Yuan put him on the defensive and left him no way out.

"What's there to be afraid of? If you dare to ask me for the money, I will prove it to you!" Director Sommers would never back down in front of Lin Yuan, and he didn't believe that Lin Yuan would really do that.

"A word is settled!"

"How much are you willing to give up?"

"I'll increase your "The Mummy Returns" ratio to 100%, so you have the most ammunition." Lin Yuan replied.

"Are you serious?" Director Sommers couldn't believe it.

Increasing it to 100% means top-level promotional resources, an increase of 4000 million US dollars over the original amount!
"The Mummy Returns" already has a top-tier production cost, and coupled with top-tier publicity and promotion expenses, it is really possible for it to hit the box office champion.

Thinking of this, Director Sommers's greed was completely ignited.

For him, this is an opportunity to make a leap and achieve a qualitative transformation to become a top director, and he will never give it up.

Originally, he would not have had such an opportunity to take a gamble, but now his opponent had put this opportunity in his hands while talking.

Director Sommers wanted to laugh. With the resources, even if the film didn't become the box office champion in the end, it could at least help him achieve a global box office of $6 million.

Then his directorial qualifications will be able to complete a transformation.

"Seriously! We have a deal!" Lin Yuan answered firmly.

They both laughed, as if each thought the other was a real fool.

"But you don't have any objections?"

President Smith thought Lin Yuan was crazy, as he gave the most important resources to his enemy in just a few words, so he turned around and asked the two directors.

"I believe in Lin Yuan and do as he says." Director Cohen remembered what Lin Yuan said downstairs, which made him support him unconditionally today.

"I agree!" Director Johnston also replied.

"You are crazy! I don't agree. I can't let you do whatever you want with the company's projects." President Smith became the most rational person on the scene at this time.

"Mr. President, I know what you are worried about. Please listen to my explanation first." Lin Yuan, who had already made a plan, said.

(End of this chapter)