Against the Current Hong Kong 1979

Chapter 127: First film "Encounters of the Spooky Kind," then plan "Mr. Zombie" (Please subscribe)

Hung Ching-pao took the script and saw that the cover read "Encounters of the Spooky Kind".

Does this name mean Zhang Shi'an is planning to make a ghost movie?

But why would you want to collaborate with me on a horror movie?

Hong Jingbao suppressed his doubts, then opened the script and began to read it carefully.

At this moment, Zhang Shuai'an was mentally organizing what he had learned the previous night.

Last night, after talking with Debona in the bathroom, he not only gained 888 star points, but also activated a special item, [Top Pack Coupon *1].

"【Cover-up Voucher: Allows you to designate any guilty person to take the blame for the host】"

"[Note: This is only applicable when the host has been wrongly accused or slandered, and can be used to clear their name.]"

This thing is actually quite useful; if he ever wants to return to the mainland, he can use this to clear his name.

Or, if I encounter a situation where I'm framed again, I can use this coupon then.

"This script is excellent!"

Before long, Hong Jingbao finished reading the script and said seriously, "Moreover, it matches some of my previous scattered ideas very well. It's just that I haven't been able to organize those fragmented ideas. Your script today has saved me a lot of effort."

Then, he looked up at Zhang Shuai'an and said, "Anzai, what are your thoughts? Just say it."

Hong Jingbao guessed that Zhang Shuai'an definitely didn't just give him a script and ask him to film it.

However, if Zhang Shuai'an funded the filming, Hong Jingbao inexplicably felt inferior to him, and was somewhat uncomfortable about it.

If Zhang Shuai'an wanted Golden Harvest to invest, he wouldn't need to contact him at all; he could simply hand the script to Zou Wenhuai, who would then arrange everything else.

"This is my plan," Zhang Shuai'an said earnestly, "We'll start a new company together, and this film will be under that company's name. We'll split the investment 50/50, you'll be the director, and I'll handle the distribution after it's finished."

"Currently, there are only four cinema chains: Golden Harvest, Golden Princess, Shaw Brothers, and Shuang Nan."

Hong Jingbao said seriously, "If we set up another company, aren't you afraid Mr. Zou will be unhappy?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Zhang Shuai'an said seriously. "In the end, it's all about business. As long as they can make money, they will naturally compromise."

"The movie 'Chasing Girls' is a typical example. It was only shown in two theater chains, Golden Princess and Golden Harvest, and not during the most popular time period, yet it easily grossed 20 million at the box office."

Zhang Shuai'an became more and more confident as he spoke, his eyes shining brightly: "Whether it's Mr. Zou or Mr. Lei, they've already got the meat in their mouths. They certainly won't be satisfied with just this one time."

Hong Jingbao said calmly, "They don't eat just any kind of meat."

"So, I want you to join us."

Zhang Shuai'an said earnestly, "With my script and your team, making a few blockbuster movies shouldn't be difficult. Sanmao, you don't want to just be a wage earner forever, do you?"

Hong Jingbao was stunned for a second, feeling inexplicably as if he had been seen through.

He only told a few close people, such as Yuen Biao, Wu Ma, and Lam Ching-ying, about his desire to leave; others probably didn't know.

"A true man is born between heaven and earth; how can he remain subservient to others for long?"

Zhang Shuai'an didn't offer much explanation, simply saying, "Brother Sanmao, you have talent and drive. Our collaboration is mutually beneficial, so why not?"

Hong Jingbao smiled, his lips twitching slightly, and said, "You're a cultured man, and you speak eloquently; I can't argue with you. But this script is good, so we can collaborate. Let's do it your way."

"That's good!"

Zhang Shuai'an laughed. Actually, he wanted to recruit Hong Jingbao to his side, but his current status and position were not high enough, so he could only cooperate for the time being.

Hong Jingbao looked up at Zhang Shuai'an: "I'll register the new company. What should we name it?"

"Take the 'Tian' character from my Tianxia Film Industry and the 'Bao' character from yours, Hung King-po."

Zhang Shuai'an thought for a moment and immediately made a decision: "Let's combine them and call it Tianbao Film Industry, how about that? It perfectly matches the phrase 'a land of abundant resources and treasures, where dragon light shines upon the ruins of the Ox and the Dipper.'"

"Okay." Hong Jingbao nodded. If Zhang Shuaian were to choose either his own "Shuai" or "An" character, he would definitely try to put "Bao" first.

Hung King-po asked, "As for actors, An-zai, do you have any good recommendations?"

Zhang Shuai'an didn't want to get involved in everything, so he waved his hand and said, "You can handle this, Brother Sanmao. You don't need to ask me."

That being said, Hong Jingbao is a smart man, and he will definitely go along with those who are close to Zhang Shuai'an first.

The two chatted about the script for a while longer before Hung Ching-pao said goodbye and left.

Chang Shuai-an wanted Hung Ching-pao to first film "Encounters of the Spooky Kind" to promote the concept of supernatural kung fu films, so that it would be natural for him to film "Mr. Vampire" next year.

In the afternoon, Fatty Wang came over again, but this time he brought the estimated cost of "Thirty-Six Strategies for Chasing Girls".

Zhang Shuai'an picked it up and saw that the document contained a budget proposal for the filming of "Thirty-Six Strategies for Chasing Women".

Turning to the first page, it clearly states in large print that the estimated cost is HK$100 million.

Zhang Shuai'an was taken aback: "Huh? With such a small budget, is it even possible to make it?"

"Brother An, I've calculated it carefully."

Fatty Wang said earnestly, "One million is enough. The biggest expense is actually the film salary."

Zhang Shuai'an flipped to the page on salary calculation and immediately froze for two or three seconds: "Xu Guanying only needs 100,000?"

Of the actors currently confirmed, Xu Guanying has the highest salary.

"Among the Xu brothers, the most expensive are the eldest brother Xu Guanwen and the fourth brother Xu Guanjie. They currently only film productions for their own companies, and their salaries start at one million."

Fatty Wang explained the reason: "Although Xu Guanying has been acting for a long time, he has only played supporting roles. He was considered a lead in 'Money Makes the Trouble,' and he was even co-starring with Gu Guohua. If you talk to him, 100,000 yuan is more than enough for him."

Hui Koon-ying's salary saw a slight increase after "Security Unlimited" in 1981, followed by a significant increase after "Mr. Vampire" in 1985.

For example, Yuen Biao's salary was 50,000, and that only increased after he starred in "The Prodigal Son", "Lam Sai Wing" and "Young Master".

Lam Ching-ying's salary was even lower, only 20,000 yuan. This is understandable, as although he debuted early, he had always played minor roles and his main job was as a stuntman.

It wasn't until her role as Leung Yee-tai in "The Prodigal Son" that she landed her first role with significant screen time. Then, she became a household name with her role as the Taoist priest Uncle Nine in "Mr. Vampire".

Dong Wei started working as a stuntman in movies at the age of 16, often as a stuntman, but he has never played any named or well-known roles. He only signed with Shaw Brothers last year and has not yet had any works.

Out of concern, Fatty Wang set aside five thousand yuan for him. That's roughly Dong Wei's monthly salary at Shaw Brothers, so he'll definitely come.

Actresses are also quite cheap; these days, no actress earns more than 100,000 yuan a month for a movie.

Of the four actresses chosen, Miao Kexiu was the most expensive, costing around 60,000 yuan.

Rosamund Kwan is a newcomer who has only appeared in "Chasing Girls". Even though she has become somewhat popular, her salary is still not high, only 20,000 yuan.

Wang Minquan's fame is only so-so right now, and her salary is 18,000. Jing Daiyin is even less of a concern; she could be hired for free, but Fatty Wang still set her at 10,000.

These fees, plus Wang Pangzi's director's fee, and the salaries of the rest of the crew, are estimated to be less than 400,000. That leaves over 600,000, which is more than enough.

Zhang Shuai'an considered it for a moment, then signed the document and said, "I'll add another 200,000 to upgrade the visuals and everything else. Don't be stingy and make it look as shabby as Shaw Brothers movies."

"I understand," Fatty Wang said with a smile.

Zhang Shuai'an then said with a smile, "As long as this film's total box office exceeds four million, I will throw you a celebration banquet."

Fatty Wang patted his chest confidently: "No problem at all!"