Huayu: I was immediately ensnared by Jing Tian as soon as I entered the industry.

Chapter 103 Returning Home with a Burden of Honor; Lu Yang's Script

In the Lionsgate conference room, everyone was smiling.

"Director Wang, this is a very good result. We should have a party to celebrate!"

Wen Ziren leaned close to Wang Xuan and spoke excitedly.

"Haha, Wang, you're not just a genius director, you're a genius screenwriter too. You absolutely have to come to the party tonight."

Lionsgate executives were overjoyed, as the opening day box office for "The Human" was better than that of "Saw" at the time, which meant that Lionsgate had gained another franchise IP.

Wang Xuan was still a little unaccustomed to having a celebration banquet right after the box office results were released.

However, that didn't stop him from cheering.

At that moment, he knew he had already stepped into Hollywood with one foot in. As for when the other foot would step in and whether he could stand firm, that would depend on his future performance.

In Hollywood, you can succeed countless times in a row, but if you fail even once, your ability will be questioned, and if you fail twice in a row, you will basically be kicked out.

The most typical example is John Woo's botched work on "Windtalkers" and "Memory Rift," which indirectly led to MGM's bankruptcy.

Another one is Jackie Chan, who, with the "Rush Hour" series, firmly established himself as a top-tier action movie actor, earning a salary of 20 million US dollars per film.

However, the film he starred in, "Around the World in 80 Days," only grossed $7 million worldwide, and he was immediately ousted from Hollywood.

The Hollywood Reporter has published the results of the study.

The most frequently mentioned information is about Wang Xuan, with particularly detailed introductions.

The youngest Berlin Film Festival Best Actor, the youngest Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear Director, and the youngest screenwriter to date—all of his screenplays have been written by himself.

In Hollywood, the director is often seen as a tool, while the producer is the core of a film, followed by a skilled screenwriter.

Director James Wan has been overlooked.

Inside the office of Xuanyuan Pictures.

Wang Xuan scrolled through Hollywood news and witnessed what reality was like.

Media outlets that previously questioned Lionsgate's decision-making have begun to change their tune, praising its insightful perspective.

With a 20% share, you can acquire a series of IPs.

Of course, there are dissenting voices online, questioning whether a Chinese person writing a script about indiscriminate massacres in North America has ulterior motives.

There are quite a few comments like this.

It's normal for some people to be envious of good box office results, and they'll inevitably seize on some of them to make a fuss.

Lionsgate isn't easy to mess with; they don't care what your intentions are, as long as they can make money.

Besides, it's a Canadian company, and North America has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Such negative comments about the box office were quickly dealt with through public relations efforts.

In the evening, Wang Xuan attended a banquet hosted by Lionsgate.

At the banquet, many well-known Hollywood producers and independent film company owners took the initiative to approach Wang Xuan and expressed their intention to cooperate.

He dealt with everything perfunctorily and is currently collaborating with Lionsgate and Weinstein.

If you try to chew too much, you won't be able to digest it properly, and you'll likely hurt your teeth.

After walking around, Wang Xuan found that everyone present was from the independent film industry, and he didn't see any of the six traditional Hollywood giants.

However, it's understandable, as the two sides don't get along, so it's understandable that they wouldn't come to support them.

"Wang, the box office performance of [Humanity 1] is destined to be good, the sequel should strike while the iron is hot—"

Wang Xuan nodded in agreement: "Okay, I'll have Frank bring the script tomorrow."

For low-budget films like "Humans," other film companies will see the potential for profit and follow suit with similar themes, so it's best to finish filming them as soon as possible.

"By the way, I noticed you registered a script for 'Now You See Me.' Lionsgate is very interested. We can continue our current collaboration and produce it together."

"Mr. Jem, there's an old Chinese saying that goes, 'Haste makes waste.' Let's finish developing the 'Human' series IP first."

Wang Xuan rejected the proposal. The film series was a gold mine, capable of bringing him wealth, but it could also take his life at any moment.

The safest way is to squeeze it out slowly, like squeezing toothpaste.

"Okay, I understand your concerns. If we're going to develop this project, we absolutely must partner with Lionsgate."

Wang Xuan agreed to the request, and the two raised their glasses.

While people were enjoying drinks and conversation, the domestic film industry was in an uproar.

The box office figures for "Humans" were transmitted back to China, and major media outlets rushed to report on them.

"Shocking! [Human] cost less than $300 million to produce and grossed $530 million on its opening day, breaking even."

"Young director Wang Xuan's Hollywood debut is a great success —"

According to authoritative media reports, the global box office for "The Purge" is expected to exceed $100 million.

"Chinese actress Chai Biyun gave a standout performance —"

News about "human beings" is everywhere, appearing on major websites.

There's no way around it; "Yilin" magazine has countless loyal fans in China.

Achieving this in Hollywood is certainly something to brag about; it's a successful example of the American Dream.

This situation is even more pronounced in the film industry.

At this moment, everyone who had Wang Xuan's contact information sent him congratulatory text messages, showering him with praise.

Meanwhile, at the Beijing Film Academy, the leaders of the Performing Arts Department looked rather worried.

The literature department came to poach him, saying that the acting department was misleading students and corrupting Wang Xuan.

Such a talented screenwriter, yet he went and wrote such low-grade scripts as horror movies; it's a complete waste of his talent.

"Teacher Wang, when Wang Xuan comes back, you have to keep a close eye on him and make sure he doesn't have any contact with people from the Literature Department."

Wang Jinsong rubbed the bridge of his nose. This student was too mediocre, which wouldn't do; but if he was too outstanding, he would easily attract unwanted attention.

He complained, "Those people in the literature department are just jealous; they want to poach people but they make up lame excuses."

Wang Chunzi said confidently, "You're worrying too much. Jing Tian is still in the performing arts department, so Wang Xuan can't escape."

"Haha, that's true."

Upon hearing this, Wang Jinsong smiled and nodded, then changed the subject: "However, we need to keep a tight rein on him. These horror movies are making too much money, which isn't necessarily a good thing. I'm afraid he won't be able to get back into it."

"Okay, we'll talk to him again when we get back."

Recently, Chai Biyun has become a prominent figure at the Beijing Film Academy, attracting attention wherever she goes, and the envy in people's eyes is undeniable.

Among Chinese actresses, only a handful have been able to appear in Hollywood films, and even fewer have achieved significant success.

If it were any other celebrity, they would have already been hailed as the number one actress in Chinese-speaking countries.

Unfortunately, Chai Biyun is a nobody without a management company and doesn't understand marketing, thus wasting her immense popularity.

"Stop shaking me, you're making me dizzy." Shuangzi was speechless.

"I think you're so envious you're about to faint!"

Chai Biyun, beaming with delight, looked at Shuangzi triumphantly: "Weren't you disappointed that things didn't go as you wished?"

"Stop showing off. It's because Brother Wang Xuan has a good script, it has nothing to do with you."

Shuangzi rolled her eyes. If she were to play the role, it wouldn't be any worse.

"Ha, I think you're just envious."

Chai Biyun felt a sense of satisfaction at winning back the score; she loved seeing Shuangzi get the short end of the stick.

Wang Xuan stayed in Hollywood for two more days, waiting for the opening weekend box office results for "Humans" before he could return to China with peace of mind.

On the 14th, Lionsgate sent him the data early in the morning, showing that they had earned $2300 million at the box office in three days.

Based on current performance, it's basically locked in as the film with the highest return on investment this year.

At the same time, Wang Xuan was informed that the distribution in other overseas countries had already begun.

In the afternoon, Wang Xuan boarded a plane and set off to return to China.

I specifically bought a flight for the early morning so I could adjust to the time difference on the plane and land in the morning.

And so, on the morning of the 15th, Beijing time, Wang Xuan landed at Beijing Capital International Airport.

He covered himself up completely to avoid being photographed by paparazzi.

As soon as he exited the airport, his van was already waiting; it was a Xuancheng employee who had come to pick him up.

"You haven't been home for almost half a year, so I'm giving you a few days of paid leave to go and get some rest."

Wang Xuan looked at his assistant and two other employees who had gone to Berlin at the beginning of the year and hadn't returned.

"Thank you, boss."

The two employees happily sat down and left.

"Boss, I'm not taking a break. I've just returned from abroad and I'm sure you have a ton of things to do. If I leave, you won't find anyone to run errands for you."

Seeing the assistant's sincerity, Wang Xuan nodded, walked towards the van, and instructed the driver to return to the company.

Since the beginning of the year, the company has hired a number of employees, and the company is almost full.

"The boss?"

"The boss is back!"

Wang Xuan's sudden appearance surprised everyone. Domestic news reported that he was making waves in Hollywood, which made them proud.

Everyone is speculating whether the company will collaborate with Hollywood in the future.

As I sat down in my office, the finance person knocked on the door and came in to report on their work.

"Boss, the commission from [Hunting] has arrived in your account."

"Okay, I understand."

Wang Xuan took the report, and the revenue sharing was transferred within a month, with the cinema chain and distributor giving the green light.

Generally speaking, three months is considered early; some shameless publishing companies even drag it out for half a year.

After recruiting Rudy, we equipped him with the latest editing equipment. The post-production of "Green Book" was done at the company.

"You're finally back! What do you think of the rough cut?"

When Ludi saw Wang Xuan walk into the editing room, his eyes lit up. It was his first time editing a foreign language film, and he was unsure about the appropriate level of detail.

"It's all done so quickly."

Wang Xuan was quite surprised by such work efficiency. He pulled up a chair, sat down, and looked at the finished cut footage.

"There's only one storyline, and not much unusable footage, so the editing was faster."

The story of Green Book is simple, and Chinese people don't feel much about the film's portrayal of racial discrimination.

In China, talking about discrimination is something that will make you a laughingstock.

Those who are still alive today, whose ancestors weren't from a prestigious family?

Of course, unless you keep a braid.

"Not bad, keep cutting at your pace."

Wang Xuan handed over the work to Lu Di, becoming a hands-off manager.

It's time to start preparing the script I promised the young lady.

Before that, I need to consider buying a property.

We can't live on campus forever.

When Jing Tian finishes filming and comes back, the two of them need some alone time.

Wang Xuan instructed his assistant to take care of it and see if there were any villas available nearby.

Thinking about the wonderful life ahead, he couldn't help but smile, and he even missed her a little.

On the other side, Jing Tian blushed upon receiving the message; Wang Xuan was being inappropriate again.

You're always thinking about that stuff, shameless!

She declined his request to visit the set because her scenes were almost finished filming.

Despite rushing as fast as they could, they still couldn't finish filming before Wang Xuan returned to China.

Zhao Shanshan saw the young woman clutching her phone and grinning foolishly, shook her head helplessly, and guessed who had sent the message.

"Tian Tian, ​​it's almost your last scene."

"Oh, I'll go prepare it right away."

Jing Tian hid her phone behind her back to prevent Zhao Shanshan from seeing their chat history.

Seeing the young lady's defensiveness, Zhao Shanshan took a step back disdainfully, with an expression that said, "What haven't I seen before?", which made Jing Tian blush even more.

The biggest contribution of the 08 Olympics was that it increased housing prices in the capital city.

In the HD area, the average price of better villa communities has reached 5 yuan per square meter, and villas with high-end decoration cost more than 5 to 8 million yuan.

Wang Xuan took a fancy to a villa located at the foot of Fragrant Hills. It has three floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, front and back gardens, complete surrounding facilities, high privacy, and good greenery.

A price of 6 million is quite affordable.

Given Wang Xuan's current cash flow, if he wanted to buy, he could only make a down payment and pay it off slowly later.

"This one will do."

Wang Xuan was in a hurry to move in, and taking on a mortgage was his way of contributing to GDP.

After spending a day completing the loan and property transfer procedures, Wang Xuan, who had been working in Beijing for three years, has finally settled down and bought a home in the capital.

Wang Xuan went back to school to cancel the fake document, always remembering that he was still a junior.

Upon arriving at the classroom and office area, he was immediately surrounded by teachers from various departments who came up to greet him.

To put it bluntly, they also need to befriend Wang Xuan as a student, because the box office performance of "Humanity" in North America is just too outstanding.

It immediately made a name for itself in Hollywood.

This is something that even Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige couldn't do, yet a third-year acting student accomplished it.

"Stop crowding around, you're not acting like a teacher at all."

Wang Chunzi, like a protective mother hen, shielded Wang Xuan behind her, watching the literature and directing department teachers warily.

Professors.

"Professor Wang, you're being too domineering. You can't even say a word to Wang Xuan," a literature professor said.

"Wang Xuan must have something urgent to tell me; he doesn't have time to chat with you guys."

"Teacher Wang, I'm not in a hurry—"

Before Wang Xuan could finish speaking, Wang Chunzi covered his mouth and pushed him into the office.

At 1.6 meters tall, she stood on tiptoe to cover Wang Xuan's mouth, which looked rather comical.

Once inside the office, Wang Chunzi quickly closed the door, as if there were a raging flood outside.

She looked at Wang Xuan and said with concern, "Wang, are you getting used to life abroad? You've lost weight."

"It's alright, I haven't lost much weight, but I've become more muscular."

"It's good for young people to be physically strong."

Wang Chunzi pushed up her glasses and changed the subject: "You're already a junior this year, and the school doesn't have anyone to teach you anymore, so you don't need to come back unless it's absolutely necessary."

Wang Xuan was dumbfounded. Had he been left to his own devices?

"By the way, if the literature department contacts you, stay away from them. They're a bunch of rigid, pedantic people who think horror movies are beneath them."

"They still look down on horror movies?"

Traditional scholars and professors look down on horror films, considering them a vulgar genre, and believe that only people with no ambition would write them.

This radical idea is somewhat of a generalization.

Great directors like Coppola and Spielberg both made horror and thriller films in their early careers.

If something exists, it has its reasons; if something is worthwhile, it has merit.

The news of Wang Xuan's return to school spread throughout the entire Beijing Film Academy in a very short time.

Some energetic female students, already fully made up, were strolling around downstairs in the boys' dormitory. When a male student approached them to ask for their contact information, his face quickly turned cold.

Gradually, they all realized that these female students had clear goals.

Wang Xuan, who was seen as the prey, was looking through the script that Lu Yang had brought in a private room at a restaurant outside the school.

"How is it? Is there anything that needs to be changed?"

Seeing Wang Xuan put down the script, Lu Yang hurriedly asked him questions.

"Not bad, you could try it at a film festival."

"I'm going to the Berlin Film Festival next year."

Lu Yang spoke with confidence; this was a work he had been polishing for a year.

These words made Wang Xuan choke. He quickly took a sip of water to calm himself down. Looking at Lu Yang's serious face, he knew that he was not joking.

Wang Xuan wanted to say, "Don't take too big a step. Try film festivals in Asia first," but he couldn't bring himself to say it.

The two were nominated for awards at the Berlin Film Festival on their first attempt, and won some awards.

The following year, the film he directed not only won him the Best Actor award, but also the Best Director award.

To advise Lu Yang at this point is clearly a sign that they don't have faith in his script or question his directing abilities.

Wang Xuan tried to advise tactfully: "Your script is not bad, but European film festivals have their own preferences, and you have to conform to their values ​​—"

"There's no rush to go to that film festival; let's wait until it's finished filming."

Lu Yang changed the subject: "I've already found the actors, they're all talented actors, and we even have Wang Jinsong helping out."

"Have you secured the investment?"

"Well, China Film Group invested eight million in me, which is enough," Lu Yang said with a smile.

Wang Xuan nodded. It was no surprise that Lu Yang was able to attract investment, given that his first film was nominated for Berlin and he had even been "promoted" to the Best Actor award.

Let me report on the results.

With 150 initial subscriptions, I can only say that I've exhausted all my options, but I can still keep writing. My first book only got 100 initial subscriptions.

What makes me a little uneasy is that after the book was published, the number of favorites was in the single digits every day, which means that the probability of achieving good results later is very small.

I'm thinking of switching tracks, but I only switched the last book when it reached 9 words. Switching it again would be unfair to the readers who have been following it.

So, I was still able to force myself to keep writing.

I changed the book title today; let's see if it can attract some readers.

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