It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 106: Resisting the Third Party Alliance?! Liu Yifei's Development Goal of Becoming a "Hexagonal Warrior"! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

[Ding! Please translate a Hollywood movie into Chinese and get it approved by the Film Bureau.]

[Reward upon completion of the mission: C-level talent: "Pierre Morrel's techniques for uncovering themes of 'innovative camera style' and 'entertainment in action films'."]

As a representative of "realistic action films," Pierre Morel's action choreography is top-notch.

He abandoned flashy special effects and dazzling shots, preferring fast editing and handheld shooting to make action scenes full of immediacy and impact.

Lu Rui is very fond of his works such as "Taxi 2", "The Transporter", and "District B13".

The various close-quarters combat and car chase scenes are designed to be concise and crisp, with every punch landing with a visceral impact. The editing is fast-paced yet not chaotic, showcasing a sense of oppressive "fast, accurate, and ruthless" action.

He is like a "genre film craftsman" who never deliberately pursues artistic breakthroughs, but he can use efficient and solid methods to bring out the core highlights of commercial films (action, rhythm, and excitement) to the extreme, making him one of the representative directors of "hardcore action films" in the hearts of many viewers.

In his previous life, the films he directed, such as "The Transporter," "Taxi," "Taken," and the "Brick Mansions" series, were wildly popular in the action film market!

The film that Lü Rui is currently translating into Chinese is none other than one of Pierre Morel's representative works from his previous life.

Taken!
This movie, released in 08, tells the story of a retired special agent who, with his rich experience and superb skills, eliminates a criminal organization and saves his daughter.

After being translated into Chinese by Lü Rui, the male protagonist's background was changed to a retired bodyguard with rich combat experience.

As for the subsequent plot, there were no major changes. The daughter still encountered a criminal group that mainly dealt in drugs and organized prostitution after going abroad, and was kidnapped.

Upon hearing the news, the father quickly went abroad to investigate, dismantled multiple dens, and successfully killed the criminals in a fierce life-or-death struggle, rescuing his daughter!

This is a standard commercial film with a clear and straightforward storyline, almost devoid of complex subplots or redundant setup. Its core message can be summed up in one word:

"Cool!"

Lu Rui acquired the ability to write/translate action movie scripts through the system two years ago.

Now, with the added boost of Pierre Morel's directing skills from the system, it's like adding wings to a tiger!
In a past life, Hollywood was rumored to have five taboos that should never be touched:
Keanu Reeves' dog – John Wick.

Jason Statham's delivery service – The Transporter.

Liam Neeson's daughter – Taken.

Denzel Washington's Friend - Man on Fire.

Eddie Redmayne's final payment - Days of the Jackal.

Currently, apart from The Transporter and Man on Fire, the other films have not yet been released.

Thinking of this, Lü Rui couldn't contain his excitement.

It's only 2005 now, and I still have plenty of time to use, so why not make all of these movies?

Translate it into Chinese as much as possible, or make it into a Sino-foreign co-production.

As for those movies that cannot be localized, they are produced through Ruixing Film Studio to generate revenue.

Hong Kong's capital is ambitious and wants to make money in the mainland, using mainland actors to elevate the status of Hong Kong actors...

This tactic is disgusting, but it's undeniably effective so far.

Therefore, Lü Rui plans to take the best parts and discard the worst, and apply this approach to Hollywood.

Whether it will work or not is another matter, let's give it a try first, anyway, we definitely won't lose money.

While translating the script into Chinese, he didn't forget to check on Pierre Morrel's current situation.

Without the "Taken" film series, this French director's future path will likely be much more difficult than in his previous life.

It would have been better if he hadn't checked. Once he did, Lü Rui suddenly came across a really disgusting movie.

Danny the Dog!
He simply couldn't understand why Li Lianjie was so indiscriminate in his eating and drinking after going abroad.
Collin Chou, Jackie Chan, and others adhere to their bottom line and will never play villains.

Li Lianjie, a Chinese man, was forced to wear a dog collar and was trampled underfoot by Westerners.

Although he explained that it was for the sake of the plot, giving up one's dignity for the sake of making a movie and willingly being fed and enslaved like a dog is undoubtedly disrespectful to oneself and one's nation!

The movie title, in particular, literally translates to "Danny the Dog"!
Even though it was later changed to "Danny the Dog," it was still hard for people to accept.

Jet Li's actions are a disgrace to the title of "Kung Fu Emperor".

Film is indeed an art form, and art is indeed not divided into noble and lowly categories. However, if national dignity is trampled on in the name of art, no Chinese person with a sound mind can accept it.

News has already spread online that "Danny the Dog" is currently showing in France and there are rumors that it will be introduced to the mainland Chinese film market.

Upon seeing this, Lü Rui curled his lip, his expression full of disdain.

If this kind of movie could be imported into China, the top leaders of China Film Group could simply pack their bags and go home!

……

When they landed in Hollywood, it was already the morning of January 23.

Before Lü Rui even left the airport, his phone rang. It was Jiang Wen calling.

"I was just about to come to your office, but when I got there, your secretary said you had flown to Hollywood?"

"Yes, I just arrived in Los Angeles." Lu Rui smiled and asked, "What's up? Something wrong?"

"It's nothing, I just came over to sit for a while and chat. It's boring staying at home, and my wife is on her period, she keeps nagging and it's so annoying..."

The nominations for the main competition of the 55th Berlin International Film Festival were officially announced the day before yesterday.

Gu Changwei's "Peacock" and Cai Mingliang's "A Cloud on the Horizon" have both been shortlisted for the main competition.

However, after the news came out, the two directors didn't get much attention. Instead, Zhang Jingchu, the female lead of "Peacock," became famous overnight!

Of course, the popularity of "The Prestige" played a significant role in this.

Although she didn't have many scenes in the movie and appeared less often than Fan Bingbing and Zhou Yun, she attracted a lot of attention because of her "wet scene" jumping into a water tank and her daring bed scene.

Now, "Peacock" has been shortlisted for the Berlin International Film Festival, and she has successfully won the Berlin Best Actress nomination, making her the talk of the town!

Even marketing copy for "Little Zhang Ziyi" has emerged.

But it was precisely because of this that her "emotional entanglements" with Gu Changwei and Jiang Wenli were inadvertently unearthed by gossip media.

The person who exposed the incident was none other than Zhuo Wei, a reporter from The Beijing News.

In the past, Jiang Wenli might have been able to turn a blind eye and let things slide.

Anyway, everyone can do their own thing. You find your pretty sister, I find my handsome brother, and nobody should interfere with anyone else.

But now, with gossip and rumors spreading like wildfire, if she continues to remain indifferent, people will definitely laugh at her for being a coward.

So she immediately rallied a group of directors' wives and formed the "Resisting Third Party Alliance" to strongly oppose Zhang Jingchu's return to the mainland to film!
Pioneers usually don't leave a way for those who follow, especially in a competition involving "marriage" and "emotions".

Therefore, Jiang Wen, who was Gu Changwei's best friend, became the main target of "prevention".

Fearing that her man would be seduced by other vixens, Zhou Yun also joined this alliance, whispering sweet nothings in his ear every day.

The effect is definitely there; for the sake of family harmony, Jiang Wen will certainly not contact Zhang Jingchu.

He was getting annoyed by hearing it so much, so he thought of hiding away from Lü Rui for some peace and quiet. But he never expected that Lü Rui would secretly go abroad.

"When are you planning to come back? Is the script finished?" Jiang Wen hadn't forgotten about Lü Rui's invitation to be the male lead in the new film.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely be back before Lunar New Year's Eve next month. I'll contact you then. My phone will probably be back on in late February or early March."

"It's confirmed? You're going to make an action commercial film?"

"Yes! It's a 100 million investment. If you're free lately, go to the gym, practice some martial arts routines, or something. There will inevitably be action scenes in the later filming..."

Jiang Wen was stunned for a while before he came to his senses from the number "one hundred million".

"Are you sure you can recoup such a high investment?!"

He wasn't actually that confident in his ability to carry the box office, and was even somewhat worried.

Of course, the main reason for his lack of confidence is that since he became a director, none of his films have made a proper profit in theaters.

Back then, Huayi Brothers looked for many directors when they wanted to sign one.

The Wang brothers took out a large sum of money and distributed some to each director, wanting to assess their abilities and skill levels.

Feng Xiaogang's comedic talent and flattery of Wang Shuo resulted in several critically acclaimed films, which brought Huayi Brothers considerable profits, both in terms of copyright sales and box office revenue.

So he became Huayi's Chief Content Officer.

In contrast, Jiang Wen, with the money given to him by Huayi Brothers, actually managed to produce "Devils on the Doorstep".

Forget about making money, this movie didn't even make it to theaters, and it resulted in him being banned for five whole years!
The Wang brothers lost so much money that they naturally didn't sign him.

"Don't worry, we won't lose money. Although the investment of 1 million is high, this is a commercial film. With investment attraction and DVD distribution rights in Europe, America, and Southeast Asia, it's impossible for us to lose money," Lu Rui explained confidently.

Based on his current achievements, without exaggeration, selling the distribution rights for several million dollars would be no problem at all.

This one item alone can recoup half of the cost.

In addition, with the box office revenue after its release, it's absolutely guaranteed to make a profit.

This is the director's personal reputation!

Just like Jiang Wen always "overspends" when making movies, Lü Rui now gives the impression that he has an extremely high success rate in both commercial and art-house film markets.

Since his debut, he has never been defeated!
Such achievements are enough to earn the trust and support of most people.

...

After ending his call with Jiang Wen, Lü Rui walked out of the airport and found Peter Griffin, who had been waiting for him, in the parking lot.

In fact, Ruixing Pictures has expanded its staff considerably, and now has its own drivers and vehicles.

Even so, Peter still made it a habit to personally greet Lu Rui when he arrived in Los Angeles.

He felt this was a way to express his "heartfelt" and "gratitude".

He will never forget who turned him from an ordinary actor agent into the film investor he is today!
This elevation in status and position, while exciting, also strengthened his resolve to follow Lü Rui.

"Lv, congratulations on your movie's great success."

The news that "The Prestige" grossed 2.4 million yuan has already spread from China to Hollywood.

For the European and American markets, this is a standard low-to-medium budget blockbuster.

With a budget of less than $900 million, it grossed $3000 million at the box office, which is quite an achievement.

It's worth noting that many Hollywood films don't even make money in theatrical releases and can only slowly recoup their costs through DVDs and merchandise.

"The Prestige" has already recouped its costs, and subsequent operations are pure profit, making it undoubtedly a significant victory!

In addition, the box office success of "Lurking" is also a key factor that has drawn attention to and earned the admiration of many for Lü Rui.

With a budget of $2 million, the film grossed over $53 million at the North American box office in nearly six weeks!

The idiom "to achieve great things with little effort" is perfectly exemplified in this low-budget horror film.

Taking this opportunity, Ruixing Films, an independent production company, has also successfully made its mark in the independent film industry.

It's worth noting that quite a few movies were released at the same time as "Lurking".

Films like "The Aviator," "Meet the Parents 2," and "Polar Express" either feature big-name actors or are big-budget productions.

Without exception, all three films grossed over $100 million at the North American box office, with "Meet the Parents 2" even surpassing $200 million.

Surrounded by such blockbusters, "Insidious" still managed to gross $5300 million at the box office, which is truly remarkable!

Meanwhile, in the 04 North American horror film box office rankings, "Insidious" surpassed "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" and ranked second only to "Saw," achieving a respectable No. 4.

The film is still showing, and its daily box office revenue has remained stable between $50 and $100 million.

Lionsgate predicts that, barring unforeseen circumstances, the film is expected to surpass Saw's North American box office record of $5515 million before it leaves theaters.

There were several magazines on one side of the back seat of the Cadillac Escalade, which Peter had specially prepared for Lü Rui, in case he was bored on the way.

This is a service habit he developed when he was an agent.

While chatting with him about company affairs, Lü Rui picked up a copy of "Famous Monsters of Filmland".

This is the world's first fan magazine dedicated to horror movies, and it has been operating for 47 years since its birth in the United States in 1958.

The magazine covers introductions to classic and popular horror movies, special effects makeup, behind-the-scenes production, and will also exclusively reveal movie special effects secrets and makeup processes.

Interestingly, renowned directors such as Spielberg and George Lucas are fans of the magazine.

It was only after deciding to make horror films that Lü Rui gradually developed the habit of reading magazines.

Most of the horror films currently showing in Hollywood theaters are included in this list:

Ghost Signal, The Jacket, Hide and Seek, Chucky, Darkness, Gothika...

At first glance, there are quite a few of them.

However, in terms of both sales figures and the level of discussion, "Lurking" remains the best.

The magazine published numerous reviews of the film, some praising and some criticizing, but overall they were fairly objective.
"My God! This movie scared me so much I couldn't sleep. The atmosphere was almost perfect. The suspense and thrills in the first half had me sweating bullets, and the plot twists in the second half added to the tension and excitement! The cinematography was outstanding, and the soundtrack was chilling. It was excellent!"

"I still prefer James Wan's 'Saw,' with its blood splattering, cruelty, and despair, which is the essence of horror films."

"That final scene almost made me jump out of my skin!"

"Children, haunted rooms, exorcists, puppets... the themes are very novel, I like them, and I look forward to the sequel..."

When the Cadillac Escalade parked in the parking space downstairs at the company, Lü Rui closed the magazine and nodded in satisfaction.

"Lurking" was a resounding success for Ruixing Films.

With this success, Ruixing Film & Television can continue to lay a more solid foundation for the company's future development!

Upon reaching the reception room upstairs, Lü Rui met Matt Tolmacher, who had been waiting for a long time.

With the huge success of "The Prestige" and "Insidious," Sony Columbia finally decided to start the adaptation and filming of the American version of "The Pursuit of Happyness."

Lü Rui's achievements convinced them of the high success rate of the American adaptation.

Although a $5000 million investment is not a small amount, they are very willing to invest it given the potential for high returns in the future.

Without effort, there is no reward.
"Matt, it's been a long time."

“Lv, I miss you so much.”

After exchanging pleasantries, the two sides resumed negotiations on the collaboration on "The Pursuit of Happyness (US version)".

Previously at the Cannes Film Festival, when Lü Rui proposed a 30% share, Matt expressed strong opposition.

But today, he agreed very readily: "Lv, Sony can give you 30% of the share, but on one condition."

"What conditions?"

Lu Rui had anticipated that the other party would not easily back down; when money is involved, no one is willing to let their core interests be harmed.

Sure enough, the next second, Matt laughed and said, "Sony wants to participate in the investment of your new film."

"I Am Legend?"

"Yes, that's the project!"

Sony Columbia was not stupid either. Seeing Lü Rui's repeated successes, they naturally did not want to miss the investment opportunity.

If you can make money, wouldn't you be a fool?
Although there were some doubts about the $1.5 million cost, Sony suppressed its concerns after Lionsgate and Warner Bros. both announced their intention to collaborate with Lü Rui.

Since his peers trust him so much, it means that the quality of this project must be guaranteed.

Just close your eyes and shoot!
However, at this moment, Lü Rui fell into deep thought.

Regarding the "I Am Legend" project, he never intended to produce it independently, but rather to make it into a compilation project.

Even mortgaging Ruixing Pictures to the bank wouldn't raise that much money for a $1.5 million investment.

According to the previous agreement with Lionsgate, the other party would take 30%.

Then he will keep 30% for himself.

Of the remaining 40%, China Film Group and Shanghai Film Group each have to take a share; this is crucial to ensuring that their interests are not harmed.

Without the backing of a large state-owned enterprise, it's easy to get scammed.

He is still too weak; compared to the wolves of Hollywood, he is just a young tiger.

"China Film Group and Shanghai Film Group each get 10%, Sony gets one, and Warner Bros. gets another. This way, the stakes are increased and there are checks and balances between them. It's a pretty good arrangement..."

After considering it to himself, Lü Rui replied, "We can leave 10% of this project to Sony."

"Only 10%?" Matt was taken aback; he had thought there was a significant amount left.

“Yes, only 10%,” Lu Rui confirmed.

Matt took out his phone, got up, and went outside to make a call.

A few minutes later, he returned and said, "Okay, 10% it is."

10% of $1500 million is only $1.5 million, a sum Sony can easily come up with without even blinking.

Similar to the partnership with Lionsgate, Lu Rui subsequently signed an investment agreement with Sony Columbia as well.

Once "I Am Legend" is officially greenlit, Sony will invest $1500 million in exchange for a 10% stake in the film.

At the same time, Lü Rui also had to give Sony $1500 million in exchange for a 30% investment in "The Pursuit of Happyness (US version)" without having to participate in the production.

Through this exchange, both parties successfully completed the project resource swap and forged a strong alliance.

However, this completely ruined Lü Rui's original plan to rest for a few days.

The script translation for "Taken" (Chinese version), the project proposal and investment budget for "I Am Legend" (Chinese version), the investment agreement for "The Pursuit of Happyness" (US version)...

A mountain of work came one after another, keeping him incredibly busy.

Meanwhile, new developments have also emerged from within China.

Kung Fu Hustle officially ended its run in theaters in the early hours of the 23rd, with a box office gross of 1.7 million RMB.

Although it didn't break 2 million like "The Prestige," the film's popularity and influence were by no means weak.

It's worth mentioning that although "Kung Fu Hustle" lost at the box office in mainland China, it outperformed in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

With a box office of HK$6128 million in Hong Kong, it is the second Hong Kong film after "Shaolin Soccer" to surpass HK$6000 million.

The film grossed over NT$2 million in Taiwan, breaking the local record for the fastest film to reach that milestone, which is equivalent to approximately RMB 5000 million.

In addition, the Japanese box office reached $1651.2 million, and the number of countries worldwide with box office revenue exceeding one million US dollars is expected to exceed double digits.

Stephen Chow, who starred in and directed the film, has once again been elevated to a pedestal!
Many supporting characters in the film, such as the landlord, landlady, Fire Cloud Evil God, and the Axe Gang leader, have also gained considerable fame.

Huang Shengyi, the newly crowned "Star Girl," rose to fame overnight with her role as a pure and devoted mute girl, becoming the dream goddess of countless people.

If we include box office revenue from Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia, "Kung Fu Hustle" could actually rival "The Prestige."

This is also why Stephen Chow was unhappy that the media ranked him after Lu Rui.

However, the competition between the two films is far from over.

Sony Columbia has acquired the distribution rights to "Kung Fu Hustle" and it is scheduled to be released in North American theaters in April.

This is Stephen Chow's first foray into Hollywood.

The Prestige will be released in North America at the end of February, and comparisons with it are inevitable.

However, these are later stories.

What Lü Rui is currently more concerned about is the booming development trend of the domestic film market.

Since the mainland Chinese film market took shape, seven Chinese-language films have grossed over 100 million yuan at the box office to date.

The 2000 film "Choice of Life and Death" is not strictly a commercial film because many organizations and factories booked screenings.

Then came Zhang Yimou's "Hero", "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" in 2003, "House of Flying Daggers" in the summer of 2004, and "The Prestige", "Kung Fu Hustle" and "A World Without Thieves" in the Lunar New Year season.

Of the seven Chinese-language films, four were released in 2004, which shows that the film market is booming year by year!

Box office receipts exceeding 100 million yuan are no longer a special product requiring perfect timing, location, and circumstances, but are gradually becoming the norm.

The significance of this for the film market is self-evident!

At this moment, Lü Rui was wondering if he could take advantage of this trend to further expand his entertainment business empire.

Film, television, and animation belong to the upstream production industry.

The most crucial link in the downstream process cannot bypass a key node:
—Theatrical releases!
As a downstream industry, cinema chains are guaranteed profits regardless of economic conditions, and their risks are far lower than those of film producers.

Although affected by the overall market, investing in cinemas may result in losses in the short term, but in the long run, it has a very promising future!
For example, Wanda's cinema chain layout has been incredibly profitable over the next 20 years.

If it weren't for the impact of this special period, this would definitely be a huge money tree!
Of course, Ruishijie is no match for Wanda; the latter has a mature real estate and commercial layout, which is beyond his reach.

However, he doesn't need to compete with others. As long as he stabilizes the upstream production, ensures the steady development of the downstream cinema chain, and simultaneously promotes the expansion of the distribution business, it will be enough to solidify the foundation of Ruishijie's business empire.

As for the funding sources for expanding the cinema chain...

Lu Rui clearly remembers that a bull market will emerge in China this year, and it will last until 08.

Riding this wave, we might be able to make a fortune!
With that in mind, he opened a new folder and typed a title:
[Detailed Plan for Stock Market Bull Run and Cinema Chain Development]

Meanwhile, with the end of the theatrical run of "Kung Fu Hustle," Tangren Media's "Chinese Paladin" officially premiered on television.

Although due to policy reasons, "Chinese Paladin" cannot be broadcast on satellite TV for the time being.

But even though it was only broadcast on local TV stations, it couldn't overshadow the brilliance of its excellent storyline.

With its novel fantasy theme, high production quality, and outstanding performances by the actors, the show achieved remarkable viewership and popularity upon its premiere.

The TV series quickly gained popularity, sparking considerable online discussion and boosting the fame of its lead actors.

Among them, Liu Yifei benefited the most!
Bai Xiuzhu in "The Story of a Noble Family", Wang Yuyan, the "Fairy Sister" in "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils", the title of "National Daughter" brought by "Mystic River" and "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", as well as her amazing cameos in "Hitch" and "The Prestige"... These have made her one of the fastest rising actresses in the industry.

Now, with the addition of the role of "Zhao Ling'er" in "Chinese Paladin", her career is becoming even more brilliant!
You should know that she hasn't even turned 18 yet.

Looking at the entire entertainment industry, there are very few people who can achieve such success at this age.

With her looks, charisma, career prospects, luck, and resources, Liu Yifei is currently at the peak of everything!
If they can deliver outstanding performances in acting in the future, or achieve both box office success and awards like the "Four Dan and Two Bing" (referring to four top actresses and two top actresses in China), they will definitely be "all-rounders"!
Besides her, Hu Ge, Peng Yuyan, and An Yixuan also saw a surge in popularity and buzz!
Many female fans on Tieba (a Chinese online forum) expressed that they were captivated by Hu Ge's handsome appearance in ancient costume.

Although Lü Rui did not completely agree, he understood that everyone has their own preferences.

It's worth mentioning that, besides "Chinese Paladin," there were quite a few other "blockbuster" domestic TV dramas released in 05.

The Emperor Wu of Han, The Storm Riders 2, The Great Song Dynasty Forensic Examiner, The Seven Fairies of Joy, Bright Sword, Lotus Lantern, The Little Fish and the Flower Without Flaws, The World's Number One...

Coming to his senses, Lü Rui couldn't help but sigh, "The audiences of this era are really eating well!"

Compared to the ancient romance dramas starring young heartthrobs in later generations, the TV drama market at this time was simply a feast for the senses!

Just as I was feeling sentimental, Lionsgate suddenly sent me a notification that "Lurking" would soon be taken off the screens.

At the same time, Peter Griffin also brought Lü Rui an unexpected surprise...

(End of this chapter)