Huayu Entertainment: Starting with Exorcising Evil from a Film Queen

Chapter 95 The Film Company's Trap, That's Here (4K)

"Okay, I got it." Zhang Ze nodded. "Next time there's a suitable role, I'll contact you first."

"It's settled!" Liu Hua finally smiled. "Don't think I'm just being polite. I've saved up quite a bit of money from filming, enough to eat and drink, and I want to do something more ambitious."

1

The boarding announcement came over the loudspeaker.

The two got up and walked towards the boarding gate.

After a flight of more than ten hours, Zhang Ze did not sleep soundly.

When the plane landed at Nice Airport, it was already afternoon in France.

The sun on the French Riviera was a bit too bright, and the sea breeze carried a distinctive salty and damp smell.

Chen Zhixi had already arranged a car to take the two of them directly to a seaside hotel in Cannes.

As soon as I entered the hotel lobby, Chen Zhixi came to greet me.

She was dressed in a sharp business suit and had exquisite makeup on, but she couldn't hide the excitement and anxiety in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Ze handed the luggage to the doorman.

"Something's up." Chen Zhixi lowered her voice and glanced around. "An American film distributor just contacted me, wanting to buy out the global rights to our film."

Zhang Ze stopped in his tracks.

"Who?"

"Harvey Weinstein," Chen Zhixi uttered a name with a hint of reverence in her voice, "from Miramax Films."

Zhang Ze narrowed his eyes.

He was all too familiar with that name.

A renowned Hollywood scissor, a public relations guru, and a notorious copyright tycoon.

"How much did he ask for?" Zhang Ze asked.

Chen Zhixi held out a hand, her fingers trembling slightly, "Five million US dollars."

Liu Hua, who was standing next to him, gasped.

Five million? In US dollars?

Liu Hua's eyes widened. "Isn't this incredibly extravagant? How much did our film cost?"

Zhang Ze didn't say anything, but took out a cigarette case from his pocket, took out a cigarette, and smelled it.

Where is he?

"He's upstairs. He arranged to talk to you at noon today."

Chen Zhixi pointed upstairs, "He said if you get there, you can come up and talk anytime. He also said that if we're willing to sell, he can help make this film a contender for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, and even guarantee a global box office of $50 million."

Chen Zhixi was clearly stunned by this incredible offer.

For a new producer, a buyout price of five million US dollars, coupled with the allure of an Oscar, is simply an irresistible offer.

"Don't rush," Zhang Ze said, tucking a cigarette behind his ear. "Let's go up and meet him first."

The three of them went to the coffee shop on the second floor.

By the window sat a bloated, overweight white man.

He was wearing an expensive custom-made suit, his tie loosely tied, a thick cigar between his fingers, and was speaking loudly to his assistant beside him.

Seeing Zhang Ze and his group approach, the fat man didn't get up; he simply looked them up and down with his cloudy eyes.

"Mr. Harvey," Chen Zhixi stepped forward and introduced, "This is director Zhang Ze, and this is lead actor Liu Hua."

Harvey exhaled a puff of smoke, a professional fake smile plastered on his face.

He stretched out his thick palm, but didn't stand up; he just waved it casually.

"Sit down, young geniuses." Harvey's voice was rough and hoarse, carrying an undeniable arrogance.

Zhang Ze pulled out a chair and sat down, his back straight.

"I heard Mr. Harvey is interested in my film?" Zhang Ze asked bluntly.

"Very interested."

Harvey stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray, leaned forward, and exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure. "I've seen your sample footage. Although it's rough, I see potential. I value talent, and I don't want such a good film to be buried because it lacks a good distribution channel."

He paused, then held up five fingers.

"Five million US dollars for a complete global rights buyout."

Harvey stared into Zhang Ze's eyes. "This is an extremely generous price. You know, for a Chinese art film, this is almost astronomical."

Chen Zhixi gently nudged Zhang Ze's shoe under the table.

Clearly, she really wanted Zhang Ze to agree.

Zhang Ze leaned back in his chair, his face expressionless.

"Mr. Harvey's vision is indeed unique."

Zhang Ze said calmly, "However, the film festival hasn't opened yet, and the premieres haven't started. Isn't it a bit too early to talk about prices now?"

Harvey chuckled, his muscular face twitching.

"Young man, you need to understand the rules of the game here."

Harvey pointed to the bustling street outside the window. "This is Cannes. Hundreds of films are traded every day. Once it opens, your film will be drowned in a sea of ​​messages. You might not even be able to sell it for half a million."

"I have the ability and the resources."

Harvey tapped the table. "I'm here to make you money. Sign the contract, take the checks back to China and enjoy life. Leave the rest to me."

Zhang Ze looked into Harvey's greedy eyes.

This sales pitch is so classic.

They exploit information asymmetry and the fear and greed of newcomers to plunder films at low prices before their value is realized.

That poet-director who made martial arts films back then was tricked into getting sick in this way.

Even many directors who won awards in Berlin and Venice had their films edited beyond recognition by Harvey, and the copyright fees were reduced to almost nothing by various clauses.

This guy is a shark that eats people without spitting out the bones.

"Five million is indeed a lot." Zhang Ze nodded, seemingly somewhat tempted.

Harvey's smile deepened.

He pulled a pre-prepared contract from his briefcase and pushed it in front of Zhang Ze.

"A wise choice. Just sign the form, and the money will be in your account immediately."

Zhang Ze picked up the contract and casually flipped through a couple of pages.

The densely packed English terms and conditions were full of traps.

The so-called five million is to be paid in installments, and after deducting publicity and public relations costs, the actual amount that will be received in the end is estimated to be very little.

Most importantly, there is no revenue sharing from disc sales listed here.

It's important to know that in North America and Europe, DVD revenue sharing is a major part of the business!

Many domestic films sell well on DVDs abroad, and some even surpass their box office revenue.

After all, box office figures in the US are much more inflated than those in China.

The number of screenings and the box office performance are all determined by others.

"I need to think about it." Zhang Ze closed the contract and placed it on the table.

Harvey's smile froze for a moment.

"Consider?" Harvey frowned, his tone becoming somewhat impatient. "My time is precious. This offer is only valid for today. Once you leave this room, the price will need to be renegotiated."

"Then let's talk again." Zhang Ze stood up, straightened his collar, and said, "After all, I also want to see how the audience will react to my movie after its premiere."

Harvey's face darkened.

He stared at Zhang Ze, a sinister glint in his eyes.

"Young man, being too greedy is not a good thing."

"When doing business, it's important to compare prices from different vendors."

Zhang Ze smiled and said, "Mr. Harvey, if you're not in a hurry, you can come see me after the premiere. Maybe the price can go up again then."

After saying that, Zhang Ze ignored Harvey and turned to leave.

Chen Zhixi and Liu Hua were stunned for a moment, then quickly followed.

After leaving the coffee shop and reaching the elevator, Chen Zhixi couldn't help but speak.

"Zhang Ze, are you crazy?" Chen Zhixi stamped her feet anxiously. "That's five million US dollars! If it doesn't do well at the film festival, this movie will be a complete waste of money!"

"Wouldn't it be better to sell them now, guaranteeing a profit regardless of drought or flood?"

"That's a whopping 4000 million!"

Liu Hua chimed in, "Yes, this price is really good. How much did our film cost to make? This is several times the profit after resale!"

The elevator doors opened, and the three of them stepped inside.

Zhang Ze pressed the floor button and looked at the two people reflected in the mirror.

"Do you really think he'll give five million?"

Zhang Ze sneered, "Did you even understand that contract? It's a performance-based agreement with cost deduction clauses. If we actually sign it, not only will we not get five million, we might even have to pay him for publicity."

Chen Zhixi was stunned.

She was a producer, but being young, she didn't know much about the complex legal pitfalls of Hollywood.

"Moreover, the more eager Harvey is to buy out the rights before the film opens, the more it shows that he thinks highly of the film."

Zhang Ze turned around and looked at Chen Zhixi. "He's afraid. He's afraid that if the movie's premiere is a hit, other film companies will come and snatch it up, and then the price won't be limited to five million."

Chen Zhixi took a deep breath, trying to process Zhang Ze's words.

"So what do we do now? We've offended Harvey, and what if he threatens to blacklist us in the industry—"

"He's a businessman; he'll cooperate even with his father's killer if there's profit to be made."

Zhang Ze stepped out of the elevator. "From now on, spread the word that Miramax has their eye on 'Like Father, Like Son' and offered five million dollars, but the director rejected it."

97

Chen Zhixi's eyes lit up.

"Leveraging existing trends?"

"right."

Zhang Ze smirked. "Since he wants to buy it, I'll let him be a free live GG. Those Hollywood film studios are like sharks that smell blood; if Harvey has his eye on something, others will definitely be interested too."

Chen Zhixi nodded vigorously, turned around and left quickly, obviously to arrange the time for exercise.

Liu Hua looked at Chen Zhixi's retreating figure, then at Zhang Ze, and gave him a thumbs up.

"You little bastard, you've got a dirty heart."

Zhang Ze smiled and swiped his card to open the door.

"This is called business negotiation."

That evening, Zhang Ze was in his room looking at the materials about the Cannes Film Festival that Chen Zhixi had compiled.

The doorbell rang suddenly.

Zhang Ze thought Liu Hua had left something behind, so he opened the door, only to see a woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a floral dress standing at the door.

Li Xiaoran.

She took off her sunglasses, revealing a bright smile on her fair, glowing face.

"Surprised?"

Zhang Ze stepped aside to let her in, closed the door behind him, and pulled her into his arms.

"When did you arrive?"

"I just arrived. My luggage is still in the lobby downstairs. I asked my assistant to watch it."

Li Xiaoran wrapped her arms around Zhang Ze's neck, clinging to him, and asked, "Did you miss me?"

"think."

Zhang Ze lowered his head and kissed him.

The kiss was somewhat urgent, carrying the passion of a long-awaited reunion.

Li Xiaoran responded, running her fingers through Zhang Ze's hair.

The two kissed their way from the entrance hall to the bedroom, finally collapsing onto the soft, large bed.

Zhang Ze's hand slipped under the skirt and touched that warm, delicate skin.

Li Xiaoran's breathing became rapid, and her cheeks flushed.

Just as Zhang Ze was about to make a further move, Li Xiao suddenly grabbed his hand.

"etc----"

Li Xiaoran was panting, her eyes darting away with a hint of apology.

"no----

Zhang Ze paused, propped himself up, and looked at her.

"What's wrong?"

Li Xiaoran bit her lip, buried her head in the pillow, and spoke as softly as a mosquito.

"That thing—it's here."

Zhang Ze was stunned for two seconds before he realized what she was talking about.

Relatives visited.

Zhang Ze rolled over and lay down beside him, letting out a long sigh as he looked at the ceiling.

The fire was extinguished as soon as it was lit by a bucket of cold water.

Zhang Ze rubbed his temples helplessly.

Li Xiaoran turned to the side, looked at Zhang Ze's depressed expression, and couldn't help but laugh.

"I didn't expect it to be earlier than planned. I've probably been too tired from filming lately, and my sleep schedule has become a bit irregular."

As she spoke, her little hands wandered around.

Zhang Ze grabbed her mischievous hand and bit it.

"So you're just starting a fire but not putting it out."

Li Xiaoran pulled her hand away, propped herself up, and leaned close to Zhang Ze's ear.

The warm breath sprayed onto my earlobe, causing a slight tickle.

"There's no other way!"

"It's not like there's no other way—"

Zhang Ze turned to look at her, leaned close to her ear, and whispered something in her ear.

Li Xiaoran's face flushed even more, her eyes sparkling with a mature woman's charm and allure.

She bit her lower lip, as if she had made a great decision, and then slowly tucked her hair behind her ear.

She slowly bent down, tracing her body down Zhang Ze's chest.

Zhang Ze leaned against the headboard, his fingers running through her long, black hair.

The sound of waves crashing on the beach drifted in through the slightly ajar window.

The air in the room became thick and hot.

Half an hour later.

Li Xiaoran ran into the bathroom to rinse her mouth.

Zhang Ze leaned against the headboard, feeling refreshed.

The sound of water running in the bathroom stopped.

Li Xiaoran walked out, her face still flushed and her lips slightly moist.

She glared at Zhang Ze, picked up the bottled water on the table, and gulped down half of it.

"My mouth is sore," Li Xiaoran complained, climbing onto the bed and curling up next to Zhang Ze like a cat.

Zhang Ze reached out and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Li Xiaoran found a comfortable position in his arms and closed her eyes.

"I heard about Harvey from Chen Zhixi," Li Xiaoran said softly. "You're really bold, daring to refuse five million US dollars."

"That's the bait Harvey laid out to lure us in." Zhang Ze's fingers gently caressed her smooth arm. "If we agree to his offer, we'll be hooked."

"Anyway, I don't understand these intricacies."

Li Xiaoran yawned, her voice becoming languid, "I'm just here to walk the red carpet. Oh, by the way, Producer Chen said he ordered a few dresses for me, you can give me some advice then."

"it is good."

Just then, Zhang Ze's phone, which was on the bedside table, vibrated.

It was a text message from Chen Zhixi.

Only one short line:

[The news has been released; people from Sony Classic and Fox Searchlight have invited me to dinner.]

Zhang Ze looked at the screen, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The fish has taken the bait.