The King of Directors 2000

Chapter 524 Believe in Director Li’s vision - three projects

On July 21st, "Transformers 3" was released simultaneously in China and the United States. This movie was an instant hit upon its release, and it was such a big hit, just like "Avatar", all other movies in the same period became a foil.

"1937" has been released for 20 days at this time. Those who like to watch movies and are interested in this movie have basically gone to the theater to watch it.

In the next ten days, people who usually rarely go to the cinema will watch movies.

For this group of people, we cannot expect them to contribute much to the box office, not to mention that "Transformers 3" is so strong.

Fortunately, "1937" has a good enough reputation that it has always attracted new people to watch it.

In ten days, a total of 800 million box office was obtained.

Including the previous 1937 million, the total box office of "[-]" in the mainland reached [-] million.

This result surpassed "Let the Bullets Fly" and became the Chinese film champion without any suspense.

Many stars, directors, and media are touting Lee Sheng-yew, saying that he can not only win awards, but also get the highest box office in mainland history. He is an indispensable talented director in the Chinese film and television industry.

Li Shengyao didn't think too much about other people's compliments, he just treated them with a normal heart.

At eight o'clock in the evening on July 30th, Lee Sheung Yew arranged for a celebration party at the China World Hotel to celebrate "1937"'s 6000 million box office win.

After the celebration banquet started, almost all the actors, directors, and producers in Yanjing came over. The scene was very lively, and the core of the crowd was naturally Li Shengyao.

At the beginning, Li Shengyao, Cheng Long, Han Sanping, Xiaogangpao, and Lao Mouzi gathered together to chat about some entertainment industry matters.

After 10 minutes, the guys dispersed.

Cheng Long didn't leave. He had something to talk to Li Shengyao.

"Director Li, I have an idea. Can you help me look at the subject matter?"

"No problem, you said."

Cheng Long followed the leader to Europe in July and seemed to have some ideas.

He was dressed very formally today, with a Chinese tunic suit and black cloth shoes. His hair was black and beautiful, and he felt very upright at first glance.

"Director Li, I saw many of our country's national treasures wandering around in Europe. I want to make an action comedy with the theme of bringing back national treasures. What do you think?"

Li Shengyao thought for a moment and immediately understood what Cheng Long was thinking. The movie he wanted to make was "Zodiac".

"It's very good. People now have a higher living standard, are more confident, and are more patriotic. This theme is very good."

"Zodiac" has a pretty good box office in the Mainland, with more than 9 million, so it must have paid off.

In Lee Sheng-yew's previous life, after Cheng Long returned from Hollywood, there were very few films that could make money back, and "Zodiac" was considered a relatively outstanding film.

When Cheng Long heard this, he breathed a sigh of relief. He naturally knew that except for the movies with Li Shengyao, other movies were not very good. Whether they were the ones he liked, or the ones recommended by Yinghuang and China Film, they seemed to be successful, but in the end the cost Didn't even get it back.

He believed in Director Li's vision. Since Li Shengyao said it was OK, it should be OK.

“Where’s the overseas box office?”

"Overseas box office may be more difficult. They are not Chinese and have little sympathy for taking back national treasures."

Li Shengyao responded with a smile.

In fact, foreign audiences are tired of watching it, but there is no need for him to expose this. After the movie is released, he will naturally know the answer.

Cheng Long frowned slightly when he heard this, "Director Li, the movie I want to make not only needs to be shot domestically, but also abroad. The cost must be very high. If there is no overseas box office, can the cost be recovered?"

He was a little nervous. Although there was no specific script, he felt that if it were to be filmed in Europe, the cost would not be less than [-] million, and there would be great pressure to make back the money.

Li Shengyao smiled and said, "Brother, the mainland film market is growing so fast. When you finish filming, it may have a capacity of [-] million when it is released next year. As long as the quality of the film is good, the money will definitely be recovered."

The cost of Cheng Long's movies in mainland China has always been exaggerated.

Because even for movies that focus on the mainland market, he has arranged a salary of 1000 million to 2000 million US dollars for himself. This salary is really too high.

Of course the investors were not willing to pay so much, so he turned his remuneration into film investment.

The investment for "Twelve Zodiac Signs" alone is as high as [-] million. To be honest, even if it were to be produced in Europe, it would not cost that much money. The main reason is that Cheng Long's salary is too high.

Cheng Long felt a little more confident after hearing this. He still admired Li Shengyao's market analysis ability.

At least the movies that Lee Sung-yew participated in and invested in have never lost money.

"Director Li, do you want to invest in my movie?"

Cheng Long looked at Li Shengyao as if he was waiting for feedback after confessing his love.

Li Shengyao thought for a moment and said, "I'll invest 3000 million."

"Zodiac" cost 9 million, with a box office of more than 6000 million, and about [-] million returned to the producers.

The dividends after deducting costs are very small, which is actually not interesting.

He paused and then said: "This is your 1st movie, I definitely want to participate."

Cheng Long was stunned when he heard this. He had never thought about it. Unexpectedly, Li Shengyao knew about it. He raised his glass excitedly, clinked a glass with Li Shengyao, and then said: "Director Li, that's interesting."

Lee Sing-yew and Cheng Long make a "rescue" movie every year, steadily harvesting the box office.

In addition, people who went to Tyrande to investigate reported some information. The theater chain in Tyrande is in good operating condition and is a high-quality asset.

If nothing else goes wrong, Lee Sheng-yew will cooperate with Cheng Long to win that theater chain together.

The two are close allies, and "Zodiac" will not lose money, so Lee Sheng-yew is naturally willing to invest money.

"When I find someone to write the script, you can help me read it."

"no problem."

Cheng Long then left with a red face.

As we all know, the films invested by Lee Sung-yew have never lost money, and he believes in Director Lee's vision.

The lights are bright, and the toasts are staggered.

The sound of the clinking of glasses and the sound of high heels hitting the floor were all very clear.

The smell of wine and women's perfume floated in the air.

This is Vanity Fair.

Li Shengyao sat down and planned to eat something, when Han Sanping walked over with a smile.

"Director Li, congratulations."

"Director Han, you're welcome."

Han Sanping sat down next to Li Shengyao.

He drank a lot of wine, smelled of alcohol, his face was red, and his eyes were a little red. He seemed to be in a good mood, with a smile on his face all the time.

"Director Li, after "1937", do you want to take a break or continue filming?"

"Well, let's continue filming. I can't sit still."

"Do you have a direction?"

"Not sure yet, I need to think about it carefully."

As for the new movie, Lee Sheng Yew is considering it. He hopes that like "1937", it can win awards and get high box office.

He really wants to win three Palme d'Or awards and leave his name in the history of world cinema.

However, there are so many film masters, but the highest one can win is two Palme d'Or. This is not an easy task.

He naturally has to think carefully about his next movie.

Han Sanping said at this time: "Director Li, I have an idea, please help me refer to it."

"Punch, Dad", "Escape", "Sicario", and "1937" have all been very successful in terms of box office accumulation.

Movies such as "The Road to Misfortune", "The Girl We Chased Together in Those Years", "My Girlhood", "No Man's Land", "Crazy Racing", etc. also performed very well at the box office.

All prove Li Shengyao’s market acumen.

Han Sanping lost a lot of money on investments in the past. In recent years, "The Great Cause of Strengthening the Country" and "The Great Cause of Strengthening the Party" have allowed him to recover a little bit.

He noticed that the mainland market was growing wildly, and he actually felt that it was easier to make a profit by investing in Hollywood movies.

However, China Film Group has a special status. They not only want to introduce foreign films, but also support mainland films.He still wants to invest in many mainland movies.

The success of "The Great Cause of Strengthening the Country" and "The Great Cause of Strengthening the Party" made Han Sanping a little bit elated. He suddenly realized that it was better to wait for those filmmakers in the market to fool China Film with their projects. It would be better for China Film to think of some excellent themes and then produce them. It can support mainland movies without losing money easily.

He had an idea recently.

"You said."

"I want to make a movie that reflects the common people learning English and yearning to live abroad, but in the end they return to the motherland to contribute to the construction of the motherland, build confidence and achieve success."

When Li Shengyao heard this, he immediately understood what kind of movie Han Sanping was thinking of, which was "Partners in China" that won Huang Xiaoming three Best Actors.

"Chinese Partner" was indeed the subject that Han Sanping first thought of. Later he arranged for someone to write the script, then made a selection and invited Chen Kexin to be the director.

At that time, Chen Kexin experienced "The Proposal", "October Siege", and "Martial Arts". Although the box office was acceptable, without exception, he did not get back his money. Investors did not trust him. He was idle at home and saw "China". Partner" script and immediately agreed.

It was the success of "Chinese Partner" that made Chen Kexin discover that she is more suitable for emotionally delicate dramas.

"China Partners" was a success both at the commercial box office and in terms of honorary awards.

It's a good movie.

"Okay, I think this subject is very good."

When Han Sanping heard this, her eyes lit up and she continued, "Director Li, do you have time?"

Li Shengyao smiled and shook his head, "Director Han, I don't have that much time here, but if the movie is approved, I can help read the script, and Fenghua can invest 2000 million to [-] million."

When Han Sanping heard Li Shengyao's words, she stood up, her eyes widening, "Director Li, are you willing to invest?"

In the past, Han Sanping had always wanted to attract Lee Sheng Yew to invest in projects such as "The Promise", "Red Cliff", and "Confucius", but Lee Sheng Yew rejected them all.

The reason given by Lee Sheung Yew was to invest in his own movies.

Later, when these films were released, without exception, they were unable to recoup their costs.

Han Sanping finally came to her senses. Director Li was not optimistic about the commercial prospects of these movies and felt that there was no way to make a profit.

When I heard that Lee Sheng Yew was willing to invest, I immediately understood that Lee Sheng Yew was really optimistic about this subject.

"Director Han, I am willing to invest."

"Okay, with your words, my mind will be stable. I will immediately arrange for someone to write the script. China Film Fenghua will get [-]%, China Film will get [-]%, and Fenghua will get [-]%. How about it?"

After all, it was Han Sanping's idea, and Li Shengyao did not fight for the copyright.

He nodded, "No problem."

Han Sanping was overjoyed, raised her glass, toasted to Li Shengyao, and then drank it all in one gulp, "Director Li, I believe in your ability. This movie will definitely make money."

The banquet hall was large and there were many people, and Li Shengyao was naturally the focus.

Whether it was Cheng Long or Han Sanping who came to chat with Li Shengyao, many people paid attention.

Seeing several big guys clinking glasses from time to time, Han Sanping and Cheng Long were all smiles. Many people speculated whether a new project had been finalized.

Celebrities are really eager to know the inside story.

But they didn't dare go over and ask.

After Han Sanping left happily with the wine glass, some people came to chat with Li Shengyao.

It was just a self-recommendation, and no one asked what project Li Shengyao had just talked about.

The celebration banquet had been held for almost two hours. Li Shengyao felt a little hungry, so he picked up a piece of chocolate and ate it.

At this time, Xu Zheng, Bao Qiang, and Huang Bo came over and raised their glasses to congratulate Li Shengyao.

The three people said some nice things, and then Xu Zheng said slowly: "Director Li, I have a project here that I want to talk to you about."

Another person came over to talk about a project. The previous "Twelve Zodiac" and "Chinese Partners" were both profitable, but Xu Zheng's project...

Li Shengyao nodded, "Go ahead."

"Director Li, the success of "Unfortunate Road" gave us some inspiration. We have an idea to shoot a road comedy set in other countries."

Li Shengyao smiled and nodded, "Which country do you want to photograph?"

"Huang Bo wants to go to the peninsula, Bao Qiang wants to go to Beautiful Country, and my idea is to go to Tyrande."

Xu Zheng said while observing Li Shengyao's expression.

He also wanted to make a road comedy, and wanted to use the sequel to "The Lost Road" as a promotional point. However, if it were produced abroad, the cost would naturally be much higher.

After all, they don’t have very outstanding achievements. The fact that "The Road to Misfortune" can exceed [-] million is because Fenghua gave it face, vigorously promoted it, and worked hard in arranging the film.

He was a little worried that Li Shengyao thought he was too ambitious and refused the project.

The copyright for "The Man on the Road" belongs to Fenghua, but Lee Sheng Yew refused to let it be filmed. He really had no choice.

When Li Shengyao heard this, he didn't know what Xu Zheng was thinking. Isn't this "囧"?

The movie "囧囧" is of very important significance. It not only promoted Tyrande's tourism boom and allowed Xu Zheng to be interviewed by Tyrande's Prime Minister, but more importantly, it gave mainland movies a shot in the arm.

Since the introduction of Hollywood movies in [-], all box office records of mainland movies have been Hollywood movies.

For example, the first movie with a box office of over [-] million since statistics began was Schwarzenegger's "True Lies", which grossed [-] billion in [-].

Then "Titanic" was released in [-], and it actually took in a box office of [-] million. This box office record lasted for many years, and "Heroes" did not break it.

Later, the box office of "Avatar" and "Transformers 3" exceeded [-] billion.

Although "囧" did not break the box office record of "Avatar", it was the first Chinese-language film in the mainland to exceed one billion.

The birth of "囧囧" allowed producers in the mainland film and television industry to see the potential of domestic films.

Seeing Li Shengyao looking over, Xu Zheng was silent for a while, feeling nervous, and then said: "Guang Guang, Bona, and Huayi all came to me, but I didn't agree. The idea of ​​the three of us is that Fenghua is the main one. This movie It must be a Fenghua movie, we listen to you."

Li Shengyao smiled when he heard this, and then nodded, "Okay, I understand.

The cultural environment of the peninsula is very similar to that of our country. Even the architecture is similar. Going to Seoul feels no different from going to a second-tier domestic city.

The beautiful country is much more novel, but it is too far away. What’s more important is that in the minds of the audience, the beautiful country is a lighthouse country, not a country of fun. If you go there to film a road comedy, it will be harder for the audience to feel immersed in it.

Tyrande is the best choice. Tyrande has an exotic feel, and the country is relatively poor, with low production costs. The whole country has the potential to be a country of fun. If the background of the story is set in Tyrande, no matter what happens, the audience will Relatively easy to accept.

All things considered, I think it's better to go to Tyrande. "

Xu Zheng nodded excitedly, then blinked at Huang Bo and Baoqiang, and then asked: "Director Li, are you willing to invest?"

Li Shengyao raised his glass and touched it with Xu Zheng, Huang Bo and Bao Qiang. "Fenghua can invest. The film copyright belongs to Fenghua. Fenghua will invest [-]%, China Film will invest [-]%, and you can discuss the remaining [-]%."

Xu Zheng was overjoyed when he heard this. He didn't expect Li Shengyao to be willing to give them a share of investment. He thought he would have to make a humble plea. He didn't expect Li Shengyao to be so generous.

He hurriedly asked the waiter to top it up, and then toasted to Li Shengyao.

"Director Li, you are our spiritual mentor, and all of us must learn from you."

Li Shengyao smiled and waved his hand, "Hurry up and get the script out. I'll take a look at the script and try to start filming in October. The road comedy is suitable for summer broadcasts. If it is released next summer, it can make a lot of money."

Xu Zheng, Bao Qiang, and Huang Bo then left.

Li Shengyao asked for a glass of juice and took a sip. It was sweet.

The biggest gain tonight is the finalization of investment in three movies.

The cost of "Twelve Zodiac Signs" is too high and it is estimated to earn several million. "China Partner" has limited investment and can earn tens of millions. However, "囧" only cost 3000 million, and the producer of this movie can only earn 2 million. Li Shengyao can earn more than [-] million.

Although he is already very rich, who would think that he has too much money?
After confirming the investment for these three films, the next step is to release "1937" in Europe and the United States, and to consider his new film.

In view of the fact that "Transformers 3" has harvested box office around the world, and the summer season has always been a time for competition among major film companies.

And "1937" is not a story about the European battlefield that European audiences are more familiar with. Lee Sheng-Yao felt that "1937" was not suitable for summer movies.

After discussing with people at Warner Bros., he planned to release "1937" in early September in Europe and the United States.

After all, there are no big names in this movie. The only two points that can be promoted are One Shot and the Cannes Palme d'Or, which are both more literary and artistic.

Regarding the box office of "1937" in Europe and the United States, Lee Sheng-yew does not have high expectations. He hopes that it will be US$1000 million or US$2000 million.

As for Director Li's new movie, he has an idea to copy a Peninsula movie.

(End of this chapter)