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

Chapter 87: On Chinese and Western Horror! (Seeking monthly votes!)
August 5, Mount Wilson Observatory, outside Los Angeles.

A fence surrounds Tesla's laboratory in the center. Hu Jun, leaning on his cane, went up to knock on the door, but ignored the warning sign that read "Danger of Electricity".

"Stab!"

The moment the cane struck the gate, sparks burst forth, and a surge of electricity knocked him to the ground.

"Damn..."

He cursed and struggled to his feet, only to see Tesla's assistant appear at the door with a shotgun, his wary gaze sweeping over the uninvited guest outside the fence.

The actor who plays the "assistant" is named Andy Serkis, who is from England and first gained recognition for his role in Shakespearean stage plays.

However, the real opportunity that allowed him to gain a foothold in Hollywood was the epic blockbuster "The Lord of the Rings"!
He starred in several "Lord of the Rings" films, where he performed computer motion capture and provided voice acting for the monster character "Gollum," which brought him fame in Hollywood.

Lu Rui had assumed that this talented actor would be very expensive, and that Warner Bros. must have spent a lot of money to hire him.

But after looking at the financial statements, it was discovered that the assistant he played only received a $1 salary.

In contrast, David Bowie, who played "Tesla," was a singer by profession and didn't have many scenes, but due to the influence of the Grammy market, his salary was dozens of times that of the former!
These stark figures clearly reveal the brutal class barriers in Hollywood!

"Click."

Behind the monitor, after calling a halt, Lü Rui stepped forward and emphasized, "Andy, you need to be more vigilant in your eyes. Tesla is fiercely competing with Edison. As his assistant, you must maintain absolute suspicion towards strangers..."

"Okay."

Andy Serkis stepped out of the camera's view and readjusted his position.

There was nothing outrageous or unpleasant happening on set.

Although the investment in "The Prestige" wasn't top-tier, it was a crucial step for Warner Bros. in expanding into the Chinese market, and the company attached great importance to it.

After filming began, producer Lauren Megan personally oversaw the set to prevent any overstepping of boundaries.

While there is a lot of racial discrimination in Hollywood, Warner Bros. would never allow such a situation to occur on set.

With Lü Rui holding a grand slam of Best Director awards at the three major European film festivals, he is worthy of the utmost respect from all actors.

Filming is progressing smoothly, and preparations on Peter Griffin's side are also proceeding in an orderly manner.

After hiring a cleaner to clean the place, he immediately started the recruitment process and quickly set up a finance department, a marketing department, a publicity department, and so on.

These are the basic requirements for independent production companies.

Subsequently, as requested by Lü Rui, he bought a Cadillac Escalade.

The company's storefront must be in place!

Whether in China or abroad, the premise of interpersonal communication is always the same: "Respect the clothes first, then respect the person."

Following this, under Lü Rui's remote guidance, he sent people to investigate the scale of the B-movie market, its marketing and distribution models, and other details.

Film and television production in Hollywood is time-limited; actors are not on call 24/7, but must strictly adhere to union regulations.

The standard working hours for adult actors are 8 hours. If they work longer hours, they will be paid at 1.5 times the hourly rate, and the total working hours shall not exceed 12 hours.

If the production time is exceeded, the crew will not only have to pay corresponding compensation, but may even face a lawsuit!
For underage actors, the regulations stipulate that their working hours must not exceed 6 hours.

In comparison, domestic workers are practically beasts of burden!

Especially those working on assembly lines, and factories that employ child laborers, they want to squeeze every last drop of energy from their employees!

"They're off work already?"

As soon as the clock struck 4 p.m., the foreigners in the crew started packing up to go home. Zhao Peng, Niu Le, and other crew members who came from China were incredulous.

Work starts at 8 am and ends at 4 pm, with a 15-minute break every two hours.

What an amazing life!

Lu Rui, however, was already used to it and waved his hand, saying, "Let's go home, get some rest, and continue tomorrow."

He led everyone back to the hotel, had dinner, locked the door, and began writing the script.

After two days of careful consideration, he had decided which B-movie script to use as a stepping stone.

"Lurking"!
This American horror film, released in 2011, is a prime example of "high-stakes, low-budget" cinematic success.

With a low-budget investment of $150 million, it raked in $5400 million at the box office in North America!
With a budget of less than $2 million, which translates to just over 10 million RMB, it's an excellent choice to test the waters of independent filmmaking.

Even relying solely on the company's own funds and without seeking external investment, Lü Rui is fully confident that he can bring it to fruition.

However, this time, he decided to step back from the limelight.

While writing the script, he specifically instructed Peter Griffin to search for suitable directors from various talent agencies.

To be good at shooting horror films, it also needs to be cheap, durable, and long-lasting.

However, what he didn't know was that while he was busy, many undercurrents in Hollywood were already brewing for him.

As the world's first person to win the Silver Lion, Silver Bear, and Silver Palm at all three major European film festivals, he has long been a key figure in the eyes of investors.

Especially after Warner Bros.' successful adaptation of Mystic River, more and more people have turned their attention to him.

For example, right now, in the production manager's office at Sony Pictures Entertainment, Matt Tolmacher, who had previously worked with Lu Rui at Cannes, is arguing with his boss, hoping to start the North American adaptation of "The Pursuit of Happyness" as soon as possible.

His reasons are very valid:
"Boss, I've received news that this movie has already grossed $1000 million in the Chinese film market alone. According to estimates, LV has already earned $1200 million from this."

The film's total investment was only $100 million. Such a return on investment absolutely makes it worthwhile for us to immediately begin our collaboration with him..."

"Matt, calm down."

His bald boss interrupted him, poking at the budget report he had prepared with his pen, and said seriously, "The budget you gave me for this project is a whopping $5000 million! It's not something you can just bid on for $100 million."

To profit from such a project at that cost, it would require at least $1.5 million in global box office revenue. The company cannot launch a project in such a short time; a comprehensive risk assessment is necessary.

Matt, impatient, couldn't help but ask, "When can we get started? We only have two and a half years to hold the adaptation rights."

If this time is exceeded, the North American adaptation rights will revert to Lü Rui's hands!
"At least after The Prestige is released."

Sony executives also had their own considerations; they wanted to see Lu Rui's box office appeal in Hollywood.

North American adaptations are different from domestic ones. Here, everything has to be scaled up. The original version can be made with $100 million, but in Hollywood it will cost $5000 million!
This is no small sum.

Furthermore, Lü Rui made exorbitant demands, asking for a larger share of the investment...

In fact, Sony Columbia also wanted to collaborate with him, just like when they collaborated with Li An on "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".

However, they were worried that the story of "The Pursuit of Happyness" might not have enough selling points in the North American market, so the team kept conducting research to ensure that everything went smoothly.

Whether "The Prestige" will be a box office success is also an important factor they are considering.

Matt was very frustrated, but there was nothing he could do.

He can only hope that Lü Rui can make a name for himself in the North American market and gain the approval of Sony's top management.

This recognition comes not only from awards, but more importantly from box office success!

On the other hand, besides Sony, Harvey was also keeping an eye on Lü Rui's movements.

Unlike Sony's considerations regarding adaptations, he was more interested in the original screenplays that Lü Rui had registered with the Writers Guild of China.

Those themes brimming with commercial potential are, in his eyes, untapped gold mines!

He had contacted an agent in an attempt to buy out several of the scripts, but received a cold response: "LV has made it clear that it does not accept buyouts for any of its works."

This answer left Harvey speechless.

He considered personally going to meet with them, but after much deliberation, he found himself in a dilemma.

Filming for "The Prestige" is in full swing, and Warner Bros. is keeping a close eye on it; any disruption would only backfire.

In particular, he still doesn't know what kind of leverage he should use to impress this up-and-coming director who has won three major European awards.

Left with no other option, he could only wait and see, hoping to find the best entry point.

Little did they know, Lü Rui was at his desk writing furiously, and another script had already been completed!
November 8th, 9:4.

After a new day of filming, Lü Rui did not return to the hotel. Instead, he got into the Cadillac driven by Peter and headed straight for Ruixing Film Studio.

"Lv, your script is absolutely brilliant! I was so scared after just reading the text that I couldn't sleep last night..."

Peter gripped the steering wheel, still shaken.

He was referring to the TV series "Lurking".

This is a story about an ordinary couple who encounter strange events.

Their son suddenly fell into a coma, his body possessed by an evil spirit, and his soul trapped in a strange "spirit world".

After seeking help from a spiritual medium, the couple discovered that their house was actually a place where yin energy gathered, and that their son's coma was related to the evil presence in the spirit world!
Subsequently, the spiritual medium began to contend with the evil spirits, while simultaneously uncovering the hidden connection between this ordinary family and the spirit world. It turned out that the father, an ordinary person, was also a psychic!
To save his son, the father ventured into the spirit world, only to discover that he himself was the target of the evil spirits...

The story, with its tight pacing and suspenseful atmosphere, depicts the struggles of a seemingly ordinary family under a supernatural threat...

Strictly speaking, this story doesn't really suit the tastes of North American audiences.

What they currently prefer is the simple, straightforward, and direct blood-soaked horror of "Final Destination"!
However, Lü Rui was very clear that the psychological fear was far greater than the physical impact!
Many people are afraid when they see monsters such as witches, clowns, zombies, or ghouls, but if they have weapons, they will usually try to fight them and survive.

But if what appears outside the door is a pair of red embroidered shoes, they will follow you every night, inseparable...

Supernatural settings can often create extreme horror, and when combined with sound effects, lighting and atmosphere, they can create a unique sense of terror!

Of course, the kind of Chinese horror associated with red embroidered shoes is not suitable for the North American market.

Therefore, the monster images that appear in "Insidious" are familiar to North American audiences, such as red-faced demons, black-clothed witches, long-haired white-faced men, and twin maids.

Judging from Peter Griffin's reaction after reading the script, the effect was excellent!
"Has the director you found arrived yet?"

During this time, Lu Rui was writing a script, while Peter was looking everywhere for cheap and reliable horror film directors.

The script is now finished, and a director has just been found; it's quite a coincidence.

"We've arrived. He's waiting for us at the company."

Peter stepped on the brakes, and the Escalade came to a smooth stop in the parking space.

The two got out of the car, quickly walked through the lobby, and headed straight for the 6th floor.

At this moment, in the reception room of Ruixing Film Studio, Wen Ziren, carrying a briefcase, had been waiting for more than ten minutes.

A hot receptionist brought him a cup of coffee, told him the boss would be there soon, and then left, leaving him alone to wait quietly.

At this moment, he was not actually free of any worries.

Last year, he and his friend made an 8-minute DVD short film.

After several twists and turns, the short film was spotted by the independent film company Lionsgate and received a $120 million investment.

James Wan then took on the role of director again, while his friend Leigh Whannell served as screenwriter and lead actor.

The two filmed "Saw" in just 18 days.

Lionsgate is very satisfied and plans to release the film on October 29th of this year.

With just over two months left until the movie's release, post-production is complete, but some promotional posters are still unfinished.

Logically, James Wan should be completing the task of creating the poster.

But his agent approached him, saying there was a $200 million horror film project looking for a director, with a very generous offer.

James Wan couldn't hide his excitement.

After all, he is currently struggling financially and desperately needs more money to rent a spacious house.

So, with a try-it-out mentality, he came to this newly established independent production company, ready to try his luck.

"Bah-"

The door to the reception room clicked softly, and the moment Wen Ziren looked up, two figures entered his field of vision.

He subconsciously stood up, his gaze sweeping over the two people in front of him.

On the left is a traditional white man, with a large belly and his suit buttons almost popping open.

And on the right is... a person of Asian descent?

"Also of Chinese descent?"

He secretly speculated, his gaze lingering on Lü Rui's face for a few seconds, then suddenly his eyes widened!

He knows this guy!
He had seen this face in multiple publications, including The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and The New York Times!

It's that Chinese director named Lü Rui!
He won the Best Director award at all three major European film festivals!
"How did he end up here?" Wen Ziren couldn't hide his doubts.

Before he could react, the two of them had already come to greet him.

Peter Griffin stepped forward and struck up a conversation: "Are you director James Wan?"

"it's me."

Wen Ziren nodded mechanically, but his gaze remained fixed on Lü Rui.

He was absolutely astonished!

I never expected to meet this talented and up-and-coming director at this independent production company!

Little did he know, Lu Rui was no less shocked than he was.

Having just finished writing the script for "Lurking," he unexpectedly ran into James Wan, who was not yet famous.

What a coincidence!
What a coincidence!

It's as if even Lady Luck is helping them!
However, even though they recognized each other, they still had to pretend.

Lu Rui casually asked, "Director James, are you Chinese?"

James Wan nodded, but then shook his head: "My parents are both Chinese, but I was born in Malaysia and later immigrated to Australia."

While it wasn't quite a case of two people from the same hometown meeting and bursting into tears, they had a very pleasant conversation, given their shared Chinese heritage and Lü Rui's personal status and fame.

Especially after reading the script for "Lurking", James Wan felt a special sense of "closeness".

Although he has a unique preference for gore-filled horror films, he also has a deep-seated love for this kind of unseen and intangible eeriness!
This may be a unique fear resonance etched into the blood of Chinese people.

Upon learning that the script was personally written by Lu Rui, James Wan showed great interest.

With a well-developed script, an investment of up to $2 million, and an additional $100,000 director's fee, he simply couldn't find a reason to refuse.

To his even greater surprise, after watching the sample of "Saw" that he brought, Lü Rui praised his talent as a horror film director without reservation.

"I believe you will definitely make a name for yourself in the horror film industry in the future!"

This recognition from a top director in the industry is more exciting than any award.

Do not worry about having no friends on the road ahead, for who in the world does not know you!
“Lv, I’m willing to take this script.”

After some discussion, James Wan nodded in agreement without hesitation, even seeming somewhat eager.

Because Lu Rui said he would personally be the producer, this is a rare learning opportunity!

"Then it's settled. Let's get a lawyer and agent to sign the contract."

A smile flashed in Lü Rui's eyes.

He set a budget of $200 million for "Lurking", which included post-production and some media promotion costs.

At first, he thought it would be difficult to find a suitable director.

Unexpectedly, he met James Wan, who was not yet famous, and he only needed $10 to have him work for him.

This is an absolute steal!

If we can take this opportunity to establish a long-term partnership with them, we might be able to entrust them with many projects in the future.

For example... "I Am Legend"!
Lu Rui didn't want to waste his energy on these horror and thriller films; his goal was to make truly big-budget movies.

He wants to make movies like *Inception*, *Interstellar*, and *The Martian* at the right time.

As for those low-budget films that he's not particularly interested in, he can use them to develop his own team.

Lü Rui doesn't need to worry about the signing; Peter will handle that.

Hollywood's mature film industry system can greatly facilitate the project preparation for "Lurking".

As for the audition work, Lü Rui plans to personally follow up on it after he finishes his current tasks.

Upon returning to the set of "The Prestige," he resumed his busy filming schedule.

"Brother Rui, I heard there's some kind of sacred valley around here?"

During a break in filming, a sudden remark from Zhao Peng piqued Lü Rui's interest.

"After we finish filming here, I'll take you to see it?"

"Okay!"

Zhao Peng's eyes lit up.

He was incredibly curious about the source of uncensored videos from Europe and America!
(End of this chapter)