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

Chapter 127 You won't even call me Godfather? (Seeking monthly votes!)
"I Am Legend" was produced with a massive investment of $1.5 million.

The cost of "Taken" was 1 million RMB.

In comparison, the investment cost of "Crazy Stone" was only 400 million RMB, which seems insignificant.

However, judging a film cannot be based solely on current investment; one must take a long-term perspective.

From the perspective of high returns on low investment, the future return on investment for "Crazy Stone" may exceed that of the two projects currently under Lü Rui's control.

Spend a little over a month and casually invest a few million to earn back the company's operating costs for one or even two years. Why not?
Besides, Ning Hao is a talented person in the future.

Investing in him was definitely a worthwhile investment for Lü Rui.

Discovering such a talented individual in the film industry will surely prove invaluable in the future.

If you have a suitable script but are too busy to handle it yourself, you can ask him to direct it. This way, he can help you complete the project and make money for the company at the same time. Wouldn't that be great?
If you don't invest upfront, how can you expect a substantial return later?
Of course, compared to Ning Hao's excitement and enthusiasm on the phone, Lü Rui was much calmer.

Upon learning that filming had wrapped, he calmly replied, "I've already spoken with the Beijing Film Studio. Post-production can be done there. You can use the editing equipment and software as you like."

"Okay, thank you so much."

Ning Hao was so excited that his voice trembled as he repeatedly expressed his gratitude on the phone, and warmly said that he would definitely treat Lü Rui to a good meal after he returned to China.

Although he has water in his brain, it's just hydrocephalus, not slurry.

Those who are willing to invest in themselves should not be neglected, as you may need to rely on them in the future.

Moreover, he could genuinely feel that Lü Rui truly wanted to invest in him and was optimistic about his future, unlike some people who were full of scheming and just trying to get something out of him.

With such a great father, what more could a man ask for?
After hanging up the phone and finishing dinner, Lü Rui returned to his room but didn't rush to sleep. Instead, he first made a phone call to Mr. Clint Eastwood.

Tomorrow is the day when Old K will make a cameo appearance. He will board a yacht and then be "killed" with a single shot.

Although he only makes a brief appearance, given his fame, the film is sure to generate millions of dollars in box office revenue overseas after its release.

But he didn't mention money this time; he came purely as a friend to help.

Although it's said to be returning a favor, since everyone is helping each other out, the respect and treatment that should be given must naturally be given in full.

After receiving a warm invitation and expressing his gratitude once again, Lü Rui finally felt relieved.

After ending the call, I plugged my phone into the charger and then calmly pondered the negotiation terms with Jason Blum for tomorrow. Only then did my work for the day come to an end.

Lying in bed, Lü Rui didn't rush to sleep. Instead, he picked up his laptop and surfed the internet for a while.

He was surprised to see what was happening and burst out laughing.

"The Prestige," which has been in theaters for 39 days, has seen its North American box office soar to $3116 million!
What is this concept?
This is the fourth highest-grossing Chinese-language film in North America!
It's incredibly valuable!

Give this movie some more time, and it might even break the $95 million box office record of "Rumble in the Bronx" in 3230 and break into the top three!
If we can really achieve this, that would be incredibly awesome.

In addition, Lü Rui also noted that Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu Hustle" has launched a North American promotional campaign under Sony's management.

Three days later, on April 8, the film will officially hit North America, starting with a preview screening program before its official release in 2503 theaters on April 22.

Many people are looking forward to the success of this film.

Directors in Hong Kong, especially those who know the local market is terrible but are too proud to go to the mainland, are all hoping to make a name for themselves in Hollywood.

Kung Fu Hustle is like crossing a river by feeling for stones.

They wanted to learn from "Kung Fu Hustle" and were quite shrewd in their calculations.

Meanwhile, 63-year-old Martin Scorsese appeared with his film "The Departed".

With Hollywood heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio, dashing Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson, a classic villain specialist, this lineup has generated high expectations among audiences.

At the same time, this has led many Hollywood producers to turn their attention to the Eastern market.

Mystic River, Infernal Affairs, The Pursuit of Happyness...

These remakes of Chinese-language films seem to prove that films and television works from some country thousands of miles away are also quite popular in the Hollywood market.

With constant external disturbances, Lü Rui decided to take a nap first.

He arrived at the "I Am Legend" film crew early the next morning.

He just didn't expect that someone else would arrive even earlier than him!
“Lv, this is Jason Brom, the founder of Brom House.”

“Mr. Blum, this is my partner, Lv.”

Peter Griffin introduced Lü Rui as a "partner" to facilitate the conversation that followed.

"Just call me Jason. It's nice to meet you, Lv."

Jason Blum blinked his distinctively Jewish brown eyes, curiously sizing up the Chinese director in front of him.

The only person in the world to have won the grand slam of Best Director awards in the three major European awards, he truly has an extraordinary presence!
What's even more precious is youth, which means unlimited potential!

Lu Rui was also sizing him up.

Dark curly hair, olive skin, brown eyes, well-defined facial features, and a high nose bridge—a typical Mediterranean person, and a typical image of an Afro-Jew.

These types of people usually give the impression of being "shrewd and capable," but they also have a deep mind that makes people feel that they are easily manipulated when cooperating with them.

Perhaps, this is the typical character of all Jews?
In contrast, Peter is a typical North American redneck, giving off a simple, straightforward, and even somewhat rugged and unruly vibe.

"Hello, Jason."

After exchanging brief greetings, the three of them strolled around the set of "I Am Legend".

Today we're filming a large-scale scene where the Night Demons attack the laboratory.

The openings at the top of the entire studio base have been closed, plunging the set into darkness.

However, filming has not officially started yet, so several searchlights are focused on the center of the scene to facilitate set design and rehearsals for the crew.

"This morning's scene will require 200 extras who will wear motion capture equipment, dress up as Night Demons, and attack the laboratory."

There's another scene to film tonight involving the Brooklyn Bridge, which will require over 1000 extras, plus 160 National Guard members, helicopters, etc. The Brooklyn Viaduct and several blocks including Fifth Street will need to be temporarily closed..."

Peter appeared to be reporting to Lü Rui, but he was keeping an eye on Jason Brom beside him out of the corner of his eye.

Seeing the undisguised surprise and envy in his eyes, he immediately raised his eyebrows in satisfaction.

This is the effect you want!

Use overwhelming power to shock him, make him realize the gap between them, and make him willing to cooperate.

Along the way, people kept coming up to greet us and report on the situation:
“Mr. Griffin, Lv.”

"Boss..."

Peter and Lu Rui simply nodded in response, like lions surveying their territory, where no one dared to disobey them, and all were filled with submission.

Jason Brom watched this scene with great envy.

This is exactly the feeling he wanted!
After witnessing it firsthand today, in addition to feeling envious, he also gained a deeper understanding of Ruixing Film Industry's strength.

Perhaps cooperating with them would be more advantageous than going it alone?

Filming officially began at 8:00 AM.

A large group of extras wearing motion capture equipment, led by Andy Serkis, the leader of the Night Demons, stormed toward Denzel Washington's residence.

Denzel activates the ultraviolet lights to stop the Night Demon!
However, the Night Demons were numerous and quickly broke through the defenses, frantically ramming the laboratory's glass doors.

To protect the serum, he had to confront the Night Demons...

The whole scene is both tense and exciting. The roars and crashes of the Night Demon create a strong sense of oppression, vividly showing the horror and despair under the apocalypse!
Jason watched intently, as if he were in Denzel Washington's shoes, and couldn't help but wonder what he would do if he were in such a crisis.
At the same time, he also deeply felt the excitement and shock of big-budget movies, and his longing for them grew stronger.

But just then, I was lightly patted on the shoulder.

He turned his head and met Lü Rui's gaze.

"Jason, shall we go to the lounge to talk?"

"it is good."

Jason Blum swallowed hard, glanced reluctantly at the filming location, and turned to follow.

He knew that cooperation negotiations were about to begin.

Upon arriving at the lounge, the three sat on either side, and the assistant immediately served them coffee.

After the door closed, Lü Rui went straight to the point: "Ruixing Pictures is looking forward to establishing a cooperative relationship with Bulam House. What do you think?"

“Lv, do you think I have any other choice?” Jason’s tone was tinged with resentment.

Several shareholders were persuaded to sell their shares.

The management team did not object.

In this situation, he, the founder and boss, has become nothing more than a figurehead.

Lu Rui chuckled: "Don't worry, the Brom House won't become a department of Ruixing Pictures. As long as you're willing, you'll still be the president."

Upon hearing this, Jason Brom's eyes lit up; this was exactly what he was most concerned about.

"Not even changing the name?"

“Of course, as you wish.” Lu Rui didn’t care about such trivial matters as the company name; what he wanted was control, the power to make a statement, and profits.

When the time comes, we can simply use the overseas company Ruixing International to buy out most of Blum's shares, and that will make it our own subsidiary.

"What will I get in return?" Jason pressed.

Money! More money than we have now!

In this world, money can solve at least 99% of problems, and the remaining 1% can also be alleviated with money.

Even for those suffering from incurable diseases like AIDS or ALS, money can be used to prolong life, as seen in the cases of "Magician" Irwin Johnson and scientist Stephen Hawking, demonstrating its importance.

Seeing Jason deep in thought, Lü Rui continued, "Besides revenue, I'll help you expand your distribution business, gradually making Brom House comparable to Lionsgate, and even going global..."

If possible, Lü Rui would like to keep him rather than get rid of him.

Jason's Jewish identity and background allow him to operate film distribution more openly, preventing him from being discriminated against or harmed.

The same applies to Ruixing Film Studio.

Peter Griffin serving as the apparent president is a completely different concept from Lu Rui himself serving as president.

Jason's expression kept changing.

He was well aware that if Ruixing could continuously provide high-quality films, then the distribution business of Blum House would inevitably continue to expand.

Expanding globally is out of the question, but expanding into the North American market is definitely not a problem.

Thinking about this, his mindset also changed.

Instead of developing its own film production business and gambling on a one in ten thousand chance of success, it would be better to cooperate with Ruixing and focus on expanding its distribution business.

After figuring it out, the sense of disappointment he felt vanished instantly, and even his tone softened considerably: "Lv, what can I do for you?"

Lu Rui noticed the change in his expression and tone, and said with relief, "I hope we can get through the acquisition period smoothly. What I need is a company with complete personnel and distribution channels, not a fragmented one."

"To stabilize morale?"

"Correct."

"This might..."

"How about a 5% raise for all ordinary staff and a 10% raise for management?"

Jason, no longer worried, proactively extended his hand, accepting the fact that Brom House would be welcoming a more powerful major shareholder: "It's a pleasure working with you."

Lu Rui grasped his hand in return, smiling brightly: "It's a pleasure working with you."

Jason didn't linger. After confirming the terms, he returned to the company to work with the management team to stabilize the company's development and wait for the acquisition to be completed.

Lu Rui no longer needed to personally intervene in what happened next.

The acquisition, negotiation, and handover processes will naturally be handled by professionals and lawyers; he only needs to sign off.

Like Ruixing Film Studio, Blum House will also become a subsidiary of Ruixing International.

With one company responsible for production and the other for distribution, the most crucial foundation was laid.

As for the others, we can take our time and there's no need to rush them.

Given Peter Griffin's outstanding performance over the past year, Lü Rui did not treat him unfairly, giving him a raise and also providing him with some of Ruixing Pictures' profit-sharing options as an incentive.

When Peter heard that he could also become a shareholder, he was overjoyed and immediately expressed his loyalty to Lü Rui!
"You won't even call me Godfather?" Lu Rui teased with a chuckle.

Peter looked confused: "???"

After realizing what was happening, he grabbed Lü Rui's hand and tried to kiss it, but was slapped on the belly.

"Lose weight, Peter. No woman will like your belly."

"I will work hard."

Peter Griffin smiled sheepishly; he loved sweets so much that he had a hard time controlling his weight.

However, he didn't think there was anything wrong with his physique.

When he worked at a talent agency, no girls were willing to approach him.

But now that he's the nominal president of Ruixing Film Industry, many of his former colleagues are contacting him, including some hot and sexy women.

Therefore, he came to a conclusion in his mind.

As long as you work hard with Lü Rui, you'll have a wife, a house, and a car!
……

In the afternoon, Lü Rui returned to the set of "Taken" to continue filming.

Today's main scene is between Jiang Wen and his friend who works for the CIA.

Andy Serkis, who rushed over from the set of "I Am Legend," was very professional. He immediately started filming after getting his makeup done, without any hesitation.

Amy Adams, who plays her wife, also came along.

During the confrontation scene, she was shot in the arm, and Andy, left with no other choice, revealed information about the mastermind behind it all...

With that, their cameo appearances officially came to an end, and they returned to "I Am Legend".

With some time still to go before evening, Lü Rui turned his attention to Liu Yifei and began filming some of her solo scenes.

Xiao Liu is quite dedicated, having memorized his lines perfectly, but his acting skills are a bit behind the others, so... he's bound to get scolded again!

"You still have a problem expressing your emotions, Liu Yifei. Is your brain filled with mush or minced meat? Can't you wake up? It should be like this..."

Lu Rui taught him step by step, but he was quite blunt with his words.

During filming, Liu Yifei naturally dared not contradict him in the slightest, but in her heart she cursed him to the core:

"Your brain is full of mush! The kind of mush that's been sitting for three days! It's gone bad and stinks!"

"Fine, I'll teach you, but why are you shouting so loudly? Are you afraid the film crew next door won't hear you? What if you scare their big dog? Humph! Once I've learned it, I'll act better than anyone else, and then you'll be begging me!"

"He actually said my brain is filled with minced meat! He's the one who's a meat bun come to life! And an undercooked one at that, rock hard!"

After a busy afternoon, several scenes were finally filmed, and the crew began moving to another location.

As Lü Rui was reviewing the footage repeatedly, he caught a glimpse of Liu Yifei drinking AD calcium while crunching the straw loudly and secretly glaring at him from behind. He couldn't help but find it amusing.

Little did Liu Yifei know, she was thinking to herself, "Just you wait, one day I...I'll bite you to death!"

In the evening, the film crew arrived at the Brooklyn Bridge.

This area has been temporarily closed, mainly for filming some scenes from "I Am Legend".

Since it's a "double shoot," Taken can naturally take the opportunity to utilize existing scenes.

Jiang Wen drove his car at breakneck speed along the overpass after the auction, chasing after the yacht!

Gu Changwei, James Wan, and Zack Snyder all joined in to help film the exciting scenes during the car chase.

Lü Rui was stationed behind the monitor, in charge of on-site coordination.

Half an hour later, filming wrapped up, the "Taken" crew left, and the "I Am Legend" crew continued filming.

On the yacht, Clint Eastwood was already in position, holding Liu Yifei hostage and refusing to let her go.

Jiang Wen appeared as if a divine warrior had descended from the heavens, charging onto the yacht with a gun in hand. He slaughtered all the bodyguards in his path and finally arrived inside the yacht.

Old Ke kidnapped Liu Yifei, intending to blackmail her.

But the next second, a fatal bullet struck!
"boom!"

Gunshots rang out, Old Ke fell to the ground, and Liu Yifei rushed into Jiang Wen's arms, the father and daughter were finally reunited.

"Crack!"

Lu Rui called a halt and, together with Jiang Wen, went forward to help Clint Stwood up.

"Don't worry, although I'm a bit old, I'm not that weak. I can still box, so what's a fall? Hahaha."

Lu Rui exclaimed in admiration, "You're still got it!"

At 75, he's still active in the film industry, truly deserving the description of "still going strong in his old age."

More importantly, as far as he could remember, Clint directed his 40th feature film, "Jury Two," in 2023 at the age of 93.

That's absolutely incredible!

Meanwhile, as filming for "Taken" wrapped up, "I Am Legend" quickly finalized its location shooting for tonight.

The Warner Bros. will coordinate the return procedures for the helicopters and National Guard troops provided by the military.

The only thing that wasn't urgent was returning the yacht, since Lü Rui had rented it for one night.

Thus, a yacht party began.

Today marks the official end of filming for "Taken" in North America, so let's have a wrap party tonight...

(End of this chapter)