The Birth of the Best Director

Chapter 238 Super Movie, Super Profits! A Crowd of Fans
……

The movie screening has ended.

The audience erupted in thunderous applause that lasted for a long time.

Everyone stood up and cheered wildly, "Greatest of all time!"

Without a doubt, this film will become an insurmountable milestone in the history of science fiction films.

Although the plot of this movie seems as simple as a fairy tale.

But precisely because the story of this movie is very simple, coupled with its extremely exciting visual effects, the viewing threshold is greatly lowered.

you could put it that way.

Even a 10-year-old can fully understand the plot of this movie and shout "That's so cool!" at the visual spectacle.

As a commercial film, "cool" is a crucial word.

It will spread virally among teenagers, significantly increasing box office revenue.

……

“Lu, you are a genius! You are the Michelangelo of my heart. I have prepared a huge contract for you, and I believe no other company can compare with our sincerity.”

"Lu, I'm so excited, I can't describe how I feel right now. This movie reminds me of the amazing experience I had when I first watched Terminator as a child."

"Louis, may God bless you. As someone of German descent, I love Friedrich; there's a special spiritual power in his paintings. And you've completely integrated that power into science fiction films—it's a magical innovation. It's incredible."

……

There were approximately 300 audience members in the theater.

Besides some of Lu Zhiyuan's Chinese friends, there were more than 200 people. Before leaving, everyone had to shake hands and hug Lu Zhiyuan.

I want to express my excitement.

At this moment, Lu Zhiyuan stood there like a newly crowned pope, meeting with believers and blessing them.

……

With this film, he captivated everyone present.

……

The movie screening took more than two hours, and Lu Zhiyuan spent about two hours queuing up to greet and shake hands with the guests who came to attend the preview screening.

Before we knew it, it was getting dark.

Adam Ferguson arranged a grand banquet to welcome Lu Zhiyuan and also as an advance celebration.

This movie is bound to be a hit; the only question is how big it will be.

……

Back in my room, I rested for a while and changed my clothes.

Lu Zhiyuan led Reba downstairs by the hand.

The dinner began soon at the Hilton Hotel where they were staying.

For Lu Zhiyuan, dining at this hotel was a familiar routine.

Because he always stays at this hotel whenever he comes to Los Angeles.

"Boss, this is a wonderful problem."

"Miss Zhao didn't come, so I became the one who signed the contract with YT Pictures... I feel like I won't be able to sleep for the next week."

"You absolutely cannot imagine how many phone calls I received in just that short period of time?"

James ran up to Lu Zhiyuan, intending to complain, but as he spoke, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

These phone calls represent countless US dollars!
After complaining for a while, James couldn't help but get excited again: "Boss, do you know how much money Disney made from 'The Avengers'?"

"How many?"

Before Lu Zhiyuan could even ask a question, a number of people gathered around.

Xin Yukun rolled her eyes at James: "Stop talking nonsense and get to the point! We need to do the math and see how much money we can make."

They're about to separate from YT Pictures!

We must take stock of our assets.

The previous profits have already been distributed... but the real lion's share is the profits that this movie can generate!

At this moment, not only Xin Yukun came over, but Reba, Hanikezi, and Yang Mi also came over, wanting to know how much wealth their company had.

"Since everyone wants to know, I'll calculate it for you one by one."

James smiled and led everyone to the bar.

He pulled out his phone from his pocket, opened the calculator, and started doing the math.

"The Avengers had a production cost of $2.2 million and a marketing cost of $1.5 million, for a total cost of $3.7 million."

"The film grossed $15.7 billion worldwide."

"If we break it down, the North American box office is about $6 million. If we take a 50% cut, then this would be $3 million."

"For the remaining regions, based on a 40% revenue share, it would be approximately $4 million."

"With $7 million in revenue and $3.7 million in costs, the box office profit is approximately $3.3 million."

At this point, James tapped the number on his phone, his tone gradually becoming more excited.

"However, box office revenue isn't everything. The real big prize is yet to come."

"First, regarding DVD home entertainment, I have reliable sources that the DVD rights fee for this movie is approximately $3.2 million."

"In addition, television streaming licensing generates about $4000 million in revenue each year, which adds up to $4 million over 10 years."

"These two revenue streams have extremely high gross margins. A quick calculation shows that the profits already far exceed the box office revenue."

"Next, here comes the key point... derivative product copyrights!"

Do you know how much money was made from the merchandise rights to the Avengers series and the licensing of each character?

You'd never guess!

James deliberately kept everyone in suspense.

Xin Yukun wanted to knock him on the head.

"Uncle James, tell us quickly."

Hanikezi grabbed James's arm and said something in a coquettish tone.

"Oh, my little princess. You're so adorable. Okay, okay, stop shaking my arm, I surrender. Here comes the final answer."

"Real Steel" was the first film produced by YT Studios after James became CEO of the company.

Hanikezi, the female lead in this film, showed everyone the potential for success in this series.

Therefore, Hanikezi is his favorite little princess.

James laughed for a moment, then announced the final answer: "$15 billion! The Avengers' copyright and character licensing sold for $15 billion!"

When this number was mentioned, everyone fell silent.

too exaggerated!

The copyright fees reached a staggering $15 billion.

Add to that the various streaming rights and DVD home entertainment rights from before, and a quick calculation shows it exceeds $20 billion.

In addition, James did not mention that the Avengers series boosted the development of many Disney theme parks.

These indirect incomes are mixed with many projects and cannot be calculated separately.

But there's no denying that Disney's $40 billion acquisition of Marvel was absolutely worthwhile; it's like holding onto a gold mine that will bring them a steady stream of revenue.

The Real Steel series may not be as profitable as Marvel.

But it can still earn at least $15 billion!
"If you do the math, the return on investment for The Avengers is more than six times."

"Our Real Steel 3 won't make that much money, but it won't be too bad either... at least $10 billion, or $15 billion."

"Oh, my heart feels so bad!"

After counting on his fingers to figure it out, Xin Yukun immediately clutched his heart.

"Brother Kun, what's wrong?"

Yang Mi very attentively went up to help him.

She wanted to curry favor with Lu Zhiyuan, but she couldn't get close... Dilraba stayed by Lu Zhiyuan's side every day and wouldn't let anyone else touch her.

"I have too much money. I'm figuring out how to spend it all."

Even if he only hired one young model a day, with that much money, Xin Yukun felt he could sleep with them for a thousand years to come!

Unfortunately, he won't live that long!

Thinking about it this way, he suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

The person died, but the money was not all spent.

This must be the most painful thing in the world.

"Kun is probably thinking about something weird again. Honey, just ignore him."

Reba knew Xin Yukun's true colors perfectly well.

Next, Dilraba, holding Lu Zhiyuan's sleeve, greeted the guests at the banquet in a relaxed and natural manner.

She finally understood what Jing Tian must have felt back then.

It’s so cool!

The man beside her was almost the most talented man in the world, and he was also elegant, handsome, charming, and eloquent.

As a man, Lu Zhiyuan is absolutely a being of the highest quality.

It has almost no drawbacks.

Ok.

He also has a flaw.

The only drawback is that his affection for himself is probably only 1% of his own affection for him, or even less.

Thinking about it this way, it does make me a little unhappy.

But it doesn't matter.

Forced love is never sweet, but at least it quenches thirst!

Moreover, compared to his many strengths, this one minor flaw is completely negligible.

……

Lu Zhiyuan led Reba around the banquet, politely greeting everyone before heading to a corner.

In this corner, three people, radiant with starlight, stood all alone.

Compared to the other guests in the banquet hall, who were clinking glasses and chatting happily, these three were completely out of place.

Just like any extra who accidentally wanders onto another film set.

The colorful lights shone on the three of them, making them appear as if they were in a dark hue.

Hello, what's your name?

Lu Zhiyuan took the initiative to go up, asked a question, and extended his hand.

The three men immediately snapped out of their daze upon hearing the greeting.

Upon seeing that it was Lu Zhiyuan, the person in charge hurriedly straightened his clothes and wiped his hands.

Only after making sure his hands were clean did he shake hands with Lu Zhiyuan.

After shaking hands, the man introduced himself, adopting a very humble attitude: "Director Lu, hello, my surname is Li, and I have just taken over as the general manager of Starlight Brilliant."

Even the general manager was useless.

In Los Angeles, this Mr. Li is absolutely despised!

Everyone knows that the star he represents, Starlight Brilliant, has had a falling out with Lu Zhiyuan and they've parted ways.

He's like a god of wealth who has offended everyone!

In this situation, who would give him a friendly look?

"Hello, Mr. Li."

Lu Zhiyuan glanced at Mr. Li and asked, "I think your eyebrows and eyes look somewhat similar to Tian Tian's..."

"Director Lu, you have a good eye."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Li laughed.

He reintroduced himself: "My mother and Tian Tian's mother are cousins. I used to work as the financial director of a coal company in my hometown."

Lu Zhiyuan instantly understood the subtext of that General Manager Li's words.

The other party is not from the Jing family.

He is from Jing Tian's mother's side!
Jing Tian's mother and his father are divorced!

This complex relationship would make most people's heads spin.

But Lu Zhiyuan quickly guessed that this was arranged by Jing Tian's uncle.

Jing Tian's uncle used this method to tell Lu Zhiyuan that Starlight Brilliant Company had nothing to do with those shady people and completely belonged to Jing Tian.

The profits that Lu Zhiyuan generates will not benefit outsiders.

They were all left to Jing Tian as her dowry.

Having figured all this out, Lu Zhiyuan smiled meaningfully: "It's good that you understand finance. The most important thing for YT Pictures right now is to do a good job in financial management."

"Yes Yes."

Mr. Li nodded repeatedly.

Lu Zhiyuan has made so much money for the company that he doesn't need to get involved in business matters at all; he only needs to manage the finances.

Although that Mr. Li didn't understand anything.

However, the secretary beside him was someone he poached from a film and television company, and she was very familiar with the ins and outs of the industry.

At this moment, Mr. Li clearly understood that Lu Zhiyuan was mocking the messes Starlight Brilliant had made in the past.

After understanding Lu Zhiyuan's subtext, Mr. Li was also very embarrassed.

"Boss, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos is here and would like to have a private chat with you."

At this moment, James noticed that Lu Zhiyuan seemed to be having some unpleasant conversation, so he came over, whispered a few words, and pulled Lu Zhiyuan away.

"Mr. Li, please excuse me."

Even though they parted ways, out of respect for Jing Tian, ​​Lu Zhiyuan was still very polite to the representatives of Starlight, at least on the surface.

"Director Lu, you're busy."

Mr. Li adopted a very humble attitude and watched Lu Zhiyuan leave.

When he turned around, Mr. Li saw his secretary staring at Lu Zhiyuan's back, unable to come to her senses for a long time.

He couldn't help but frown and ask, "Xiao Zhang, what are you looking at?"

The secretary, her face full of admiration, exclaimed, "Mr. Li, I'm watching my idol! He's so handsome! How can he make such a wonderful movie? He's so talented!"

Mr. Li didn't see much talent in Lu Zhiyuan. He frowned and muttered, "That movie was indeed quite good. But the plot seemed a bit childish to me. How can someone your age be like this?"

The secretary shook her head, feeling like she was talking to a brick wall, but still said, "Mr. Li, the script is very important for a movie. However, you have to consider one thing: not everyone likes to watch complicated stories."

"The simpler the story, the harder it is to make it compelling."

"If you enjoy exciting and complex stories, I recommend you watch Director Lu's 'The Coffin in the Mountain'... It has the most complex script among domestic suspense films. Moreover, Director Lu's personal talent is fully displayed in this film."

"From beginning to end, every shot in this film, whether it's the lighting effects or the character portrayals, is superfluous. All the hidden information in the story is hinted at through the shots, making it a textbook example of shot composition."

At this point, the secretary remarked, "However, 'The Coffin in the Mountain' is the worst-performing film in all of Director Lu's movies at the box office."

A good story doesn't necessarily guarantee a good box office.

A simple and easy-to-understand story, coupled with stunning special effects, and if there's even a slight plot twist, or if the characters are somewhat likable or relatable, that's what makes it a box office killer.

……

"Brother, what's Starlight Brilliant doing? They hired someone outside the industry as general manager."

In front of the other guests, Dilraba was very well-behaved, serving as a beautiful vase for Lu Zhiyuan to highlight his talent and handsomeness.

However, in front of such a dazzling group of people, Dilraba finally couldn't resist.

Jing Tian is her number one rival in love.

She could ignore everything else, but she had to be wary of Jing Tian making a comeback and taking Lu Zhiyuan away from her.

The ending of the movie "Real Steel 3" not only shocked the audience present, but also deeply moved the female lead, Dilraba.

At the end of the movie, she saw herself on the screen in such a way that she was completely dazed.

At that moment, she couldn't even believe that the person who seemed like a god or demon was actually herself.
Lu Zhiyuan portrayed her character so brilliantly.

Compared to the character Alita, she herself is like a firefly vying for the moon's brilliance.

However, the more this happened, the more she loved Lu Zhiyuan!
Women are all strong-willed.

Being handsome might be somewhat attractive to women.

But it's not enough.

A man like Lu Zhiyuan, with his exceptional talent, who has won worldwide acclaim and has elevated a female star like her to the pinnacle of fame... no woman could resist falling in love with him.

Just now, after the movie ended, Dilraba walked around. Inside the movie theater, all the women were staring at Lu Zhiyuan with shining eyes.

I won’t say anything about Yang Mi.

She must be incredibly jealous of herself!
No actress could refuse the role of Alita... Lu Zhiyuan has transformed this role into a classic in film history.

Dilraba could guess with her toes that at that moment, Yang Mi must have been fantasizing about how wonderful it would be if she were Alita.
Besides Yang Mi, even young Hanikezi looked at Lu Zhiyuan with a strange expression.

of course.

These little rivals don't matter; she still has to keep an eye on Jing Tian.

"Never mind them. We'll have some financial dealings with Starlight Brilliant going forward. But there shouldn't be any more business cooperation."

The copyright revenue from the "Real Steel" series can be sold for at least 10 years.

Unless one of them is willing to pay an exorbitant price to buy out the other people's shares in one go.

Otherwise, the profits generated by this series would need to be distributed every year.

Moreover, the amount is not small.

It generates at least tens of millions of US dollars a year.

"Oh."

Dilraba also knew that this was unavoidable.

She just wanted a clear answer from Lu Zhiyuan, and now that she had received his standard answer, a smile immediately appeared on her face.

"Brother, from now on, in private, I'll call you Yiren, okay?"

Reba rolled her eyes and asked in a low voice.

"伊人" is the Uyghur word for husband.

You can call me whatever you want.

Lu Zhiyuan knew what Reba was worried about.

In fact, he doesn't like getting involved in those messy things, as they greatly affect his creative time.

After all, human energy is limited.

If you're thinking about having casual relationships all day, how can you have the energy to make movies?

But he can understand, especially after the release of "Real Steel 3", how popular he will be.

In the entertainment industry, many female celebrities rise to fame by sleeping with directors.

He was the youngest among these directors, the best at promoting actresses, had the highest box office returns, and also had connections in Hollywood…

For those female celebrities, they are no different from Tang Sanzang's flesh.

One bite and you'll ascend to immortality!
It's only natural that Dilraba would feel insecure about this.

However, Dilraba is much better than Jing Tian; at least she didn't plant any undercover agents in the crew to monitor him every day.

“Brother, I must give you three children. One Michelangelo, one Raphael, and one Modigliani.”

"Do you agree?"

Lu Zhiyuan is truly talented.

Reba swore to God that she had to give him many children.

If even one of these children can inherit Lu Zhiyuan's talent, she, as his mother, can be proud for the rest of her life.

Just imagining having a Michelangelo, or Raphael, or even Modigliani among your children would be wonderful...

Dilraba feels that her life has been absolutely worthwhile!

“It’s not a question of good or bad. If all our children are this outstanding, then you are the reincarnation of the Virgin Mary.”

Unless one is the reincarnation of the Virgin Mary, no one could give birth to three such outstanding children. Lu Zhiyuan knew where his talent came from.

A plagiarist, plus a talent revealed by the system.

If he were to make movies on his own, at best he could only make one Ning Hao, and even that would depend on luck.

"Alright, I'm not kidding anymore. I'm going to have a chat with Sarandos."

Lu Zhiyuan gently patted Reba's hand, telling her to go play with Hanikezi for a while and enjoy the attention she received from others.

If nothing unexpected happens, Dilraba will definitely be very busy in the coming period.

Because, with the release of "Real Steel 3", the role of Alita will greatly enhance Dilraba's status in film history.

Even surpasses Angelina Jolie.

A female celebrity's status in film history represents endless commercial endorsements and endless US dollars.

Vanity Fair.

Fame brings profit.

Everyone comes here to pursue fame and fortune; no one can escape this law.

"Sister Dilraba, look over there. It's Anne Hathaway. She's so fair she seems to glow, and her eyes are so big, like black pearls. I'm so jealous."

Hanikezi held Reba's hand and looked at Anne Hathaway not far away, commenting while a hint of sourness appeared on her lips.

"Anne Hathaway does have very fair skin and big eyes."

After saying this, Dilraba gave a light hum: "But her mouth is too big. My brother likes small, cherry-like mouths."

Just like me!

……

Next to the banquet hall, there is a small lounge.

At that moment, there was only one person in the lounge: Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos.

"Louis, my Michelangelo, it's been a long time."

The preview screening of "Real Steel 3" had just ended, and Lu Zhiyuan's new nickname instantly spread throughout Hollywood.

Michelangelo, one of the three giants of the Renaissance.

The greatest artist in history!

Lu Zhiyuan earned the nickname Michelangelo, and no one questioned it.

You can imagine how much of a shock Real Steel 3 brought to everyone.
Now, many people are secretly calculating how much money this movie can make.
Although there is no single figure, the total revenue of this film is likely to be no less than 10 billion US dollars!
Among the six major Hollywood studios, the lower-ranked studios may not even make $10 billion in profit a year!
Lu Zhiyuan alone earns more than an entire film studio!

How could someone like that not be popular?

"Ted, it's been a long time."

After Lu Zhiyuan walked in, he greeted Ted Sarandos.

After the two sat down...

Ted Sarandos asked seriously, "Road, you really don't need it? I'll take some B shares from the original shares and exchange them with some of your A shares?"

"In this way, your influence in the company will increase significantly."

The Netflix shares that Lu Zhiyuan acquired were all purchased from the secondary market. As a result, he only had 10% of the original shareholders' control over Netflix.

“Ted, I partnered with Netflix because I believe in their streaming model, which makes it easier for me to achieve the best performance in history. It’s not about competing for power with you veterans.”

As a Chinese person, Lu Zhiyuan could not possibly control Netflix, an American company.

Having enough shares and some influence over the company was enough for Lu Zhiyuan to achieve his goal.

He only wants to make movies.

Everything else is insignificant.

After all, once you have several billion in money in your lifetime, you basically can't spend it all.

On the contrary, having too much money can even bring a lot of trouble.

"I don't understand the road."

Ted Sarandos was completely baffled by Lu Zhiyuan. He was practically handing over control of Lu Zhiyuan's company for free, and he still wouldn't take it?

What does he want?
"Ted, I believe Netflix will become a new force in Hollywood, a major studio on par with Disney and Universal, with global influence."

"And all of this requires our joint efforts and cooperation."

In fact, even without Lu Zhiyuan, Netflix would still have become one of the "new Big Six" studios in Hollywood.

Moreover, it may be the strongest among them.

Because, in 2020, a global catastrophe will occur.

In the coming years, Hollywood's old model of cinemas and theme parks will suffer a heavy blow.

And the online streaming model represented by Netflix will once again burst forth with vitality!
"Lu, thank you for your confidence in Netflix. Thank you for choosing to cooperate with us."

Ted Sarandos was very surprised to hear Lu Zhiyuan say that.

But I also sensed Lu Zhiyuan's sincerity.

“Lu, although you’re not interested in becoming a member of Netflix’s board of directors, I can assure you that your influence at Netflix will be almost as strong as our CEO’s.”

"I and everyone on the board will support you."

At this moment, Ted Sarandos also gave his opinion.

Netflix's stock price has now completely bottomed out, remaining as still as a stagnant pool, with no fluctuations every day.

The company's market value has fallen to $40 billion.

Compared to a year ago, it has dropped by 80%.

However, Netflix's management was not worried at all.

Because they quietly prepared an original series, "House of Cards," to show the capital market that even if they couldn't buy any copyrights, they could still create their own classic films and television series.

In addition, there are film projects.

Movies have a greater global influence than television series.

The fact that Lu Zhiyuan, a renowned international director, is willing to engage in strategic cooperation with their company will have an unparalleled impact on their company's valuation and overall brand image.

“Ted, I believe our collaboration will be very pleasant.”

Lu Zhiyuan does not believe in vague contracts or verbal promises.

He only believes in close ties of interest.

Lu Zhiyuan shook hands lightly with Ted Sarandos and then said, "The Real Steel series is over for me."

"Next, I will establish a brand new production company and start my new plan."

"I plan to first prepare a crime action film called 'Project Gutenberg.' This action film is currently lacking some investment."

Are you interested in Netflix?

Although everyone believed that investing in Lu Zhiyuan's movies was basically a sure thing.

But Lu Zhiyuan never ate alone.

For him, the most important thing is to make the movie number one at the box office.

As for how much money the movie can make, that's secondary.

Moreover, sharing profits with others will not reduce their earnings; in fact, they may even receive excess returns.

For example, the current model is like this.

Let's assume that the movie "Project Gutenberg" ultimately grosses $5 million.

Lu Zhiyuan is profiting all by himself. After deducting all production and promotion costs, he will earn at most $1 million at the box office.

As for the DVD copyright, let's say it's worth $1 million.

In total, the film's final revenue was only $2 million.

But if he collaborates with Netflix on this film, allowing Netflix to earn half of the profits... then Netflix's stock price will receive strong support.

It will most likely take off immediately.

Even doubling it wouldn't be a problem.

He holds 10% of Netflix stock, worth $4 million. In the capital market, this money could be multiplied several times over due to leverage.

Moreover, he can also benefit from Netflix's promotional advantages.

With this pattern, he can win at least twice, and maybe even three times!

"Lu, of course! No matter how much investment your movie needs, our company will cover it all!"

Ted Sarandos was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed!

This is essentially giving them a sales quota!
Unless he's out of his mind, how could he possibly refuse such a good deal?

“Ted, there’s only one question now.”

“I want to work with Netflix. However, I don’t want to cut off my partnership with Universal Pictures. They have been very supportive of me, and my next film will still need their global distribution and marketing network.”

"Help me think of a way that satisfies both sides."

Lu Zhiyuan was reluctant to give up Netflix's future, but he also didn't want to abandon Universal Pictures' present.

Universal Pictures and Netflix clearly belong to two different camps, and at this critical juncture, the two sides have even formed a real competition.

In this situation, it would be very difficult for Lu Zhiyuan to have his cake and eat it too.

"It's almost impossible for Lu to convince Universal Pictures."

Ted Sarandos thought for a moment and then shook his head.

But soon he smiled and added, "However, convincing Adam Ferguson, the current president of Universal Pictures, to continue working with you shouldn't be a problem."

"After all, Adam Ferguson can't stay at Universal Pictures forever."

Finally, Ted Sarandos winked at Lu Zhiyuan and whispered some secrets.

"As far as I know, the power struggle among the top executives of Comcast, the parent company of Universal Pictures, has reached a fever pitch."

"I've heard some rumors that Comcast, the parent company, has made a lot of personnel changes at NBCUniversal."

"Next, barring any unforeseen circumstances, they will make personnel adjustments at Universal Studios."

"Adam Ferguson, the president, is the first to be affected."

"The reason he's so enthusiastic towards you is because he senses the danger of an impending storm. He needs to produce results as soon as possible."

"The movie 'Battleship' cost Universal Studios a lot of money. Although it unearthed a good comedy like 'Ted,' it wasn't enough."

“In this situation, he needs your movie to save him, not the other way around.”

"You should be able to understand the difference between the roads here."

That's it!

Lu Zhiyuan finally understood why Adam Ferguson was so enthusiastic towards him this time in Los Angeles.

It turns out that Adam Ferguson is about to be fired.

All I can say is that the office politics in Hollywood are truly brutal.

Even a capable CEO like Adam Ferguson can be greatly affected by infighting among the top executives of the parent company.

"Ted, thank you for letting me know."

Intelligence is indeed extremely important in the business arena.

After obtaining this intelligence, Lu Zhiyuan didn't need to say much; he simply told James to cooperate with Adam Ferguson.

In this situation, whatever Lu Zhiyuan wanted to do, Adam Ferguson would most likely pretend not to know.

After all, he was in dire straits himself.

Why bother considering so much for Universal Pictures?

"It's just a small gift. I hope you like it."

Ted Sarandos smiled, appearing to be in a very good mood.

With the signing of Hollywood's highest-paid director, Netflix has secured the best content director for the next 20 years.

He successfully completed his mission.

……

“Lu, I’ll send you another small gift when your new company opens.”

After talking with Lu Zhiyuan, Ted Sarandos left through the side door.

Overall, the collaboration between Lu Zhiyuan and Netflix is ​​a mutually beneficial partnership, representing one of the most desirable collaborations among business partners.

With the inside information provided by Ted Sarandos, Lu Zhiyuan returned to the banquet hall with a relaxed expression.

"Boss, you're back."

James seemed to be spending too much time with Xin Yukun, appearing and disappearing mysteriously, walking without making a sound.

At this moment, she appeared lightly behind Lu Zhiyuan.

"Boss, I just received a lot of business cards from female celebrities. Take a look at these, are there any you like?"

With Jing Tian around before, James didn't dare to act recklessly.

Now that Jing Tian is gone, Lu Zhiyuan can completely let loose and do whatever he wants.

There are no mountains above their heads anymore!

"James, I appreciate your kindness. But it's unnecessary. After all, in my eyes, all the female guests in the room combined are not as good as my Alita."

Lu Zhiyuan put the business cards back into James's pocket, telling him to get down to business.

Stop doing all this nonsense.

"Boss, you are this one."

James gave Lu Zhiyuan a thumbs up.

Because the moment he pulled out his business card, Dilraba's gaze instantly turned towards him, and a strong murderous intent appeared in her eyes.

But James was certain that Lu Zhiyuan, with his back to Dilraba, absolutely did not see her.

As a result, Lu Zhiyuan was completely unmoved by his tactics and refused without saying a word.

In that instant, the murderous intent in Dilraba's eyes vanished, replaced by tenderness and affection.

James could imagine how happy Dilraba was at that moment.

"Boss, there are a few competitors we should keep an eye on during this year's Christmas season."

"The biggest competitors are Peter Jackson's The Hobbit and Tom Cruise's Jack Reacher, both of which are commercial films."

"In addition, there are several other films that are eligible for Oscars and will also be released during the Christmas season. This may have some impact on our screening schedule."

"There are three works here that are worth paying attention to."

"These are the musical 'Les Misérables' produced by Universal Pictures, the new film 'Zero Dark Thirty' by the director of 'The Hurt Locker', and 'Django Unchained' by Quentin Tarantino."

Besides its box office success, Real Steel 3 is fully qualified to compete for various Oscar awards.

I won't mention the smaller awards like Best Visuals and Best Original Score.

James even felt that the film was worthy of competing for both Best Picture and Best Director, the two ultimate awards.

"This year's opponents seem rather ordinary."

After listening to James's description, Lu Zhiyuan recalled the box office figures of these movies and made a casual comment.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Peter Jackson should be his only rival!
As for the other films, their critical reception may be decent, but in terms of box office potential, they are at most around $5 million.

It's unlikely that it will reach the $10 billion mark.

If it doesn't reach the $10 billion mark, it won't have any impact on a super science fiction movie like "Real Steel 3".

Because heavy industry 3D movies and drama movies follow different tracks.

Putting everything else aside, if you owned an IMAX theater, which movie would you show?

Without a doubt, the choice will be between The Hobbit 1 and Real Steel 3.

Securing screenings in IMAX theaters means that the box office performance of these two films will far exceed that of ordinary drama films.

of course.

Drama films also have their own advantages.

It's easier to win awards.

Lu Zhiyuan was well aware that achieving commercial success and winning an Oscar at the same time was almost impossible in this era.

For Lu Zhiyuan, securing a few nominations was already a successful accomplishment.

……

Yanjing.

Jing Tian and Lu Yi's movie, "New Mom, Love Me Again", is currently being promoted in full swing.

At this moment, Jing Tian was putting on makeup backstage.

Suddenly, she received a phone call from across the ocean.

Jing Tian asked the makeup artist to leave for a while, and only after confirming that no one was around did she answer the phone.

"Cousin, it should be 10 p.m. in Los Angeles, right? A movie screening, this late? This isn't like him."

"Oh. You attended the celebration banquet. He came to chat with you for a bit? Very good. I knew it. After all this time, even if he was angry, he would have calmed down by now."

"The movie is very good? Of course. His movies are always very good."

"What? The final ending is like this? Hmm, it's the kind of twist and style he likes. Dilraba must be overjoyed with this ending, right?"

"After the movie ended, the whole audience cheered for the best ever? I knew it was going to happen sooner or later. I always knew. I've always believed in it."

"Adam Ferguson, called the Michelangelo of the new era? Wasn't it Monet? He loved Monet's paintings the most. Who would have thought he'd end up becoming Michelangelo!"

"However, isn't Michelangelo's historical status higher?"

Monet was very talented, but he was naturally slightly inferior to Michelangelo, one of the three masters of the Renaissance.

As Jing Tian listened to the other end of the phone, she was told about the various events at the movie screening, and she felt as if she had personally experienced it all.

A sweet smile appeared on her face.

"Yeah. I understand."

Goodbye, cousin! Thank you for your hard work.

However, after hanging up the phone, Jing Tian's smile vanished instantly.

She had heard someone say something like this.

One can clearly see the true inner world of a person through their works.

In Lu Zhiyuan's movies, Dilraba is always so beautiful, so impeccable. Intelligent and strong, filial to her parents, and loving to her friends.

It's as if it's the embodiment of the most beautiful thing in the world.

In these films, she is always depicted as a clay statue, sitting atop a tower, looking down below.

Occasionally, she appears in close-up shots of Lu Zhiyuan, but only as a blurry silhouette.

"Ah Yuan, are you trying to tell me this way that you've never truly understood me? Is that what you mean?"

Jing Tian suddenly felt a little wronged.

She admitted that her background was somewhat complicated and that she had not told Lu Zhiyuan everything.

But Lu Zhiyuan didn't ask!
If Lu Zhiyuan asked her, she would definitely tell him everything in detail.

Moreover, she didn't let any of those who had hindered Lu Zhiyuan go; she sent them all to jail.

"It's been half a year, Yuan, your anger should have subsided by now."

"Can I go home now?"

Jing Tian heard that since she left, Lu Zhiyuan had never returned to the house in Dongshan Villa and had been living in Hongluo Temple ever since.

She had some doubts: was Lu Zhiyuan waiting for her to go back?
Otherwise, even if Lu Zhiyuan doesn't want to come back, Reba will still clamor to move back in, leaving her nowhere to stay.

It must be Lu Zhiyuan; he still remembers her kindness.

After all, that house held three wonderful memories for them.

How can you just forget something like that?

Thinking of this, Jing Tian's mood immediately improved, and she said to the makeup artist, "Give me a more elegant makeup look, draw my eyebrows thinner, apply a light layer of lip gloss, and make me look gentle and refined."

He likes women like this!

I used to be a little too domineering.

I knew all along that he was so domineering on set, and when making movies, he was a man of his word, like a crazy artist.

In real life, he would definitely prefer a gentle and delicate woman.

I should have gone along with him a bit.

Ah Yuan, I'm coming home right away and making you some soup. I'll be waiting for you to come back!
(End of this chapter)