China Entertainment: The happiness of being a director is as simple as that

Chapter 144 142 If you want to blame, blame Daben!

On the 16th, Lu Pingan temporarily finished the post-production of "Latent" and came to the production team of "Batman".

"What's the situation now?"

When they arrived at the place, Lu Pingan asked about the specific situation.

"Yes"

Xiang Guoqiang said one by one, the current production progress of "Batman 1" is in the stage of prop preparation.

In Nolan's plan, props are a very important part.

The overall props include setting, Batman equipment, Fuhuadao and so on.

A lot, very cumbersome.

The overall estimated time to prepare will be at least 4 months.

Fortunately, the progress is good. Since October, about half of it has been completed.

"The next step is to wait for the signing of several major actors."

The casts in the plan are all based on the original film.

Bale, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and more.

None of them are small coffee.

As early as October, when the preparations started, these people had been contacted. At that time, it was not a big problem, as long as the money was in place, it was just that they did not sign the contract immediately at that time. These people were all busy, and they would sign when they were done.

Now it is said that Christian Bale is still training. He just finished playing "The Mechanic" and lost a bit of weight.

Lu Ping An has known Bell's name for a long time.

This is the famous "Balloon Man" in Hollywood. He becomes fat and thin when he acts in movies, and he is extremely dedicated to his work.

Continuing to chat, Lu Pingan bought some props from the set.

Batman helmets, armor and more.

Nolan came over to introduce, saying how troublesome and complicated the crafts are to make these things.

In short, as a producer, Lu Pingan only felt that money was flowing.

But fortunately, these props can create value again in the future.

For example, the Batman suit can be auctioned.

There is also the Batmobile, those handsome "tanks" can be auctioned.

Lu Ping'an thought that after the filming was finished, he could buy a car to go back to China, but he didn't know that Lao Mei couldn't help it.

After visiting for a while, Lu Pingan was satisfied with the progress of the production.

Regarding actor casting, he reminded Xiang Guoqiang: "If there is a change, tell me in time."

Summit Entertainment is a small company, and Nolan is also a small director. Even if the money is in place, the big stars may not really see this movie.

In addition, as an independent production company, Summit is not easy to operate such a big movie, and there may be many difficulties in the future. Lu Pingan also asked Xiang Guoqiang to highlight the trick.

At the same time, Lu Pingan was also thinking about whether to bring Hu Qingquan over.

Hu Qingquan has nothing to do right now.

The film in Berlin next year has already been sent out, and now he returns to school to continue working as a teacher.

Lu Ping'an will be returning to China tomorrow morning, so he feels like talking to Hu Qingquan.

I just don't know how Hu Qingquan would react when he found out that he had made such a big movie.

Just don't be intimidated, after all, it is a big project of nearly one billion yuan.

After looking around, Nolan came over to talk to him: "The president of Warner wants to meet with you."

"Is it the president of Time Warner or Warner Bros. Entertainment?"

"Barry Mayer of Warner Bros. Entertainment."

"It's him."

Lu Pingan knew this one.

Barry Meyer is the current head of Warner Bros. Pictures, and he started to run Warner in 99 until he stepped down in 2013.

These ten years are also the most profitable period for Warner Pictures.

He has led the "Harry Potter", "Batman Trilogy" and so on, all of which are super hits.

The point is that this guy is a Jew.

big shot.

"Did you say why?"

he asked.

Nolan pointed to the set and shrugged: "I think I should have regretted it."

"Okay, when?"

. . . . . .

Los Angeles, a coffee shop.

Barry Meyer is gentle and gentle, and looks very friendly.

Lu Pingan and him have chatted for 20 minutes.

Lu Pingan did not publicly disclose that he led the project, but Warner knew about it, because he and Warner Henry first proposed it at the beginning, and then after manipulation, the top came forward.

It is impossible to hide this from President Warner.

The two of them chatted pretty well. The little old man in his 50s is very knowledgeable and can chat about everything.

From sports to culture of various countries to history, now we are talking about superhero IP.

It's time to talk about the topic.

Sure enough, Barry Meyer said: "Lu, frankly speaking, at first I didn't think you could really understand this superhero, but now, I think it was my mistake to rent the IP to you."

Barry Meyer used to think that the project was hopeless, but now he just thinks why Nolan didn't come up with an idea earlier, leaving Lu Pingan to take advantage of it.

Lu Pingan did not disclose the scripts of the latter two films, but Nolan had an idea. Now that Nolan has become the director of the project, as Warner's contracted director, Barry Meyer naturally talked with him. He probably knew the idea. Barry Meyer thought the idea was good, so he moved some thoughts.

He thought about it, the actual operation is indeed feasible, Nolan has ideas, the company has a team, and taking a gamble, at least it is more sure than giving Lu Pingan's small company to operate.

But now that the contract has been confirmed, Lu Pingan can only express regret: "If Mr. Barry doesn't want to breach the contract, then everything is easy to talk about."

Barry Meyer laughed when he heard the words, but he was not affected by the words, but continued to ask: "If I want to take back the IP now, what price will you offer?"

"The liquidated damages are [-] million U.S. dollars, so that's fine."

Lu Pingan didn't feel sorry.

In fact, he is not that interested in the Batman trilogy, or the role of Batman.

For this reason, I don't have much feeling for the trilogy with super high ratings.

He even said that he is not very interested in all the characters in the old American DC comics and Marvel comics.

He just thinks all kinds of superhero movies are too popcorn.

The reason why they were filmed was just to make some money at the box office.

That's why I tested Batman's IP with the idea of ​​​​making a shot.

Batman is defeated, and he is not too interested in actually directing the trilogy himself.

It was too time-consuming, and he just liked the Joker in the second part very purely and emotionally. This was the only Batman movie he had watched completely in his previous life.

So pick peaches, cooperate with Heath Ledger, brush up your skills, and get a movie with a box office of more than one billion US dollars along the way.

That's all he wanted in the first place.

So now if the other party can directly pay [-] million US dollars, he will naturally be willing.

Anyway, it's not too rare for him to rely on the trilogy to become a god.

Otherwise, he would have rejected Nolan a long time ago, why only pick the second part of the trilogy?
However, the other party obviously didn't want to spend the money.

"Two hundred million is too high, and it is not certain whether the whole trilogy can have two hundred million profits."

Barry Meyer shook his head.

Lu Pingan didn't speak.

Barry Meyer continued:

"Lu, you also know that for movies, production is one aspect, and distribution is another aspect, and distribution is more important than production. No matter how good a movie is, it's useless if it doesn't do well in distribution. We control global distribution. At the same time, as a major production company, we can also provide you with unexpected convenience during film production. This is something that Summit cannot provide. You don't want the film to achieve the effect you want, right?"

Barry Meyer continued.

Lu Pingan frowned slightly: "Barry, you don't have to threaten me like this. I like to talk about things openly. The most important thing about a project is to make money. Everyone is happy if they make money. There is no need to engage in a zero-sum game. So you tell your conditions and we can discuss them slowly, right?"

Barrymeyer smiled and took a sip of coffee after hearing this, he had figured out Lu Ping'an's temperament.

For Batman, Lu Pingan was not so fanatical, he only thought it was a business.

That's fine.

What annoys him the most is chatting with a bunch of people who are too artistically minded.

Simply talking about business is enough, commercial films are business, nothing special.

So Barry Meyer directly showed his cards: "Return the copyright to us, return the original price of 1600 million, and keep [-]% of the investment share for you, how about it?"

Lu Pingan remained expressionless after hearing this.

It would make sense to give him tens of millions of dollars in cash compensation, [-]% of the share?

Let’s not talk about how much, everyone on the earth knows what Warner eats, and he can’t afford it.

However, Lu Pingan did not directly reject the table.

Asking prices all over the place is just paying back the money on the spot. If you don't go back and forth a few times, how can you make a decision so quickly.

So Lu Pingan shook his head: "Sorry, it's low."

"You make an offer."

"Just follow the liquidated damages."

"You know it won't work, so let's change the price."

"It's you who want to breach the contract, and it's up to you to ask for a price."

The two exchanged a few words back and forth with a smile, neither of them giving up the initiative.

Finally, Barry Meyer smiled: "Are all Chinese people good at doing business like this?"

Lu Pingan shrugged: "When it comes to doing business, the Jews are the number one."

"Ok."

Barry Meyer shook his head with a smile and said, "1600 million repurchases the copyright, 300 million for the script of the trilogy, and [-]% of the other trilogy will be reserved for you, and you will be hired as the director of the trilogy.

After hearing this, Lu Pingan asked back, "Do you think Nolan can't do it?"

"Nolan is not as good as you."

"..."

Lu Pingan didn't know what to say.

You don't even like Nolan?
But now Nolan doesn't seem to be doing well.

At least compared with Lu Ping'an, he can't compare.

Lu Ping An's two Hollywood movies were big hits, and one Chinese-language movie was a big hit in Lao America. All the movies had high ratings.

The director's ability has been affirmed by the industry to a certain extent.

In addition, Batman's first detailed script was also written by him, and the latter two scripts have not been announced, but Barry Mayer heard from Nolan that it will be better than the first one.

So if you really want to choose a director, Lu Ping'an is naturally the first choice.

In addition, Lu Pingan also noticed it.

In fact, it is also necessary for Warner to choose him.

Warner wanted to take back the IP, but refused to give more cash, so he could only promise a share.

I don't want to give the share for nothing, so it's the best way to bind him as the director to ensure the quality of the film.

In this way, Lu Pingan will be bound to the trilogy, that is, he will work for himself, and he can also "confess the gods", and Warner can also take back the IP to maximize the benefits.

However, this price tag is really not suitable.

Forget about splitting.

"Harry Potter" can lose money even under three-party supervision, and Lu Pingan doesn't have the confidence to beat Warner.

To be a director?
Wouldn't that be a part-time job?
1600 million was rented for the IP, and 1600 million was returned. Warner also earned the script of the trilogy and a director, and could resurrect an IP.

As for me, I'm working.

This is too bad.

Not as good as doing it yourself.

What if Lu Pingan continues to do it by himself?
If Warner does not threaten or even cooperate, then the profits that the "Trilogy" can create for him are huge.

But now, Warner has made it clear that it wants to give you a little hindrance.

Maybe it won't be so nice next time.

However, this is only a threat to people who generally don't understand it.

To be honest, Zenith is indeed too weak now, and its influence in Laomei is not great.

If he really wants to do it himself, the financial pressure is actually not small.

The production cost of more than [-] million yuan is not included in the future publicity expenses.

Fortunately, Road Ping An has sufficient funds.

In addition, without such a strong distribution channel as Warner, the "Batman Trilogy" may indeed not reach such a high box office.

But Hollywood is not your Warner family has a distribution relationship.

Not even studios are allowed to set foot in theaters.

The Paramount Act hangs over its head.

In addition, the Big Eight in Hollywood are not monolithic.

Without you, Warner, others will not live?

Of course, there is actually a better way here, such as directly taking Barry Meyer under his command.

There are still two offers from Goldfinger.

If this thing can be used, it must be used.

No, that's basically worthless.

The function of Offer is to allow the person who accepts the treatment conditions to be 100% loyal to him at work and 100% confidential.

After working with Xiang Guoqiang, an "employee", for more than two years, he has already figured out the habits of offers.

Once bound, set a position, such as "assistant", then this position is a false position when it is not used, and once it is used, Lu Ping'an's order will take precedence.

But he will only do work that does not violate his conscience and the law, is beneficial, and does not put himself in a dangerous situation.

It's not that if you ask him to kneel down and offer up his daughter and wife, he will do the same.

This is clearly against public order and good morals.

So if Barry Meyer becomes his "assistant", it may not be feasible for him to devote resources to complement himself.

But as long as I provide fair and equitable convenience when forming a cooperative relationship with Warner Bros. Entertainment, this is still possible.

This is also the reason why Lu Pingan kept holding the offer when he cooperated with Wattsberg before.

Offer is not to provide you with servants, but to provide you with a professional, dedicated and honest "employee".

So if it is really possible to bind Barry Mayer, Warner Bros. Entertainment will be another relay station for Ping An in Hollywood.

With this relay station, many things can be played more smoothly.

The latest is "Trilogy". As long as he tells Barry Meyer not to make accounts, and guarantees fair profits for me, then he doesn't have to worry about it.

No matter how far away, such as other movies under Warner, such as "Harry Potter", Lu Pingan can also participate in the director, because this is what Barry Meyer can decide, and Lu Pingan will also be qualified to be the director.

In addition, with Barry Meyer, he can also borrow Warner's distribution channels at any time. In the future, many of his films can also be released on the fast track, without having to let the peak slowly farm to open up the situation. When he comes back, he can use the money he earned to feed back the peak and his own theaters.

Summit + Warner, in this way, his insurance in Hollywood will be hardened.

However, Lu Pingan might not be able to afford to win Barry Meyer.

But Lu Pingan still decided to give it a try.

Chinese people pay attention to harmony and wealth, and Lu Pingan is a typical Chinese.

It's not a last resort, who likes to fight and kill.

So it's best if you can win it, if you can't, then you can only use the traditional method.

Anyway, it is impossible to work part-time.

Such a highly profitable work, once won, cannot be sent back in vain.

So Lu Pingan began to try to ask Barry Meyer: "Barry, I want to know, what kind of remuneration can I be your boss, if I guarantee that the box office of "Trilogy" will reach 10 billion, is that okay?"

Barry Meyer didn't understand why Lu Pingan asked such a question, but he probably also understood that it should be that Lu Pingan wanted more.

So he shook his head: "One billion is fine, but can you do it?"

"Then 10 billion, if I can do it, can I be your boss?"

"Why the emphasis on being my boss?"

"Because I do want to hire you."

"Lu, we got off topic."

"There is no deviation. I just want to hire you to be fair and just to my project. There is no extra work on the books, and I am paid. Tell me, what price do I need to pay to hire you as my fair and just officer? Is it the resurrection of Batman, or something else?"

Barry Meyer laughed on the spot: "Lu, I can guarantee that what you said is fair and just, and you don't do tricks, so you don't have to worry about it."

"How can I guarantee that I can enter the tripartite regulatory agency?"

"I said, I can assure you, don't worry."

Old fox, this is, I just don’t play with you on paper, only verbally.

The investors of "Harry Potter" were fooled in this way, right?

Lu Ping'an has realized at this time that this guy has already planned in this regard.

Even making losses on the books is Warner's means of profit.

So unless you can bind, or do it yourself.

He finally said: "You'd better talk about the reward, I spent money, I don't worry."

"Lu, it seems that our conversation cannot continue."

Barry Meyer shook his head, and his expression turned cold, "Lu, I suggest you think about it carefully. "Batman" is a big IP, and a small company can't handle it. If you can't do it, fans will tear you apart."

Lu Pingan did not show weakness: "Don't worry, if you lose money, you will lose money. It's only about one or two hundred million yuan. I can afford it. It's okay for fans to scold me. At worst, I'll go back to China."

"Good luck then."

After finishing speaking, the two drank the last bit of coffee in their cups, and then took their leave.

The conversation broke up badly.

Lu Pingan told Xiang Guoqiang immediately that he must be prepared for the future.

Go through props, insurance, legal affairs, etc. again to make sure nothing goes wrong.

At the same time, be prepared for the director and the original actor to break the appointment, and make a replacement plan.

Just in case, Lu Pingan decided to call Hu Qingquan over to be the producer when he returned home.

Hu Qingquan is careful, patient, and has a lot of contacts in Laomei, and he cooperates smoothly with Xiang Guoqiang and Wattsberg.

With him, the project is more secure.

Then he talked about it with Wattsberg, and suggested that the release must be prepared in advance. In the past few years, so many filmmakers have to maintain it in advance. When the time comes, Warner will really come to tricks, and it is fully prepared.

Wattsberg was a little excited after hearing this.

He has long been upset at the Eighth University.

Every time I meet their person in charge, I always feel a little short.

Now Lu Pingan simply rejected Warner, which made him feel like a comrade-in-arms towards Lu Ping An.

"Lu, didn't Warner say that we are just a small company and can't do superhero movies well, this time we're going to punch Warner hard in the ass!"

"Watts, we are just operating a big hit project. There will be more such projects in the future, so don't get too excited."

"You are right! But I still want to say, this time we must punch Warner's asshole hard, let them see that we are not weaker than them!"

"Okay, then TM!"

"Fuck it!"

(End of this chapter)