China Entertainment started in 2004

Chapter 400: No less than 5000 million US dollars?

If the production cost is as high as hundreds of millions, but the box office only exceeds 100 million, then it is indeed not a good box office result.

But if the box office cost is not high, but it can achieve a box office revenue of over 100 million, that would be a very good result.

For example, "The Twilight Saga: Part One" cost 3700 million U.S. dollars to produce. After its release, it grossed 1.9 million U.S. dollars in North America and 2.1 million U.S. dollars overseas, totaling 4 million U.S. dollars.

Even though the global box office was only $4 million, the producers made a lot of money because the production cost was only 3700 million.

It was precisely because of the huge profit that a subsequent sequel was soon released on the big screen.

Although the box office is not as high as those movies that have grossed over 10 billion US dollars worldwide, its popularity is still high.

Because this work is the North American counterpart to the British "Harry Potter", it has gained considerable popularity thanks to this gimmick.

Matt Damon took a quick look at the script of The Wolf of Wall Street and thought that this autobiographical story was indeed interesting. He then asked, "Shu, how much investment do you think it would take to make this movie?"

In the original timeline, "The Wolf of Wall Street" was starred by Leonardo DiCaprio, and his salary was 2500 million US dollars.

Including other miscellaneous factors, the production cost is as high as 1 million US dollars.

However, the main reason is that director Martin Scorsese is so generous with his money that the production cost is so high.

In fact, under normal circumstances, this kind of realistic film doesn’t cost much money at all.

Even if it is a real scene restoration, as long as it is not built one-to-one, but shot in a studio, it can generally be completed at a low cost.

But it’s not my own money anyway.

Wang Shu naturally wouldn't feel bad about using other people's money to make a movie.

He said: "If we want to restore the scene, the production cost of the movie alone will be at least 5000 million US dollars. If we add the actors' salaries, it will be even higher."

In the original timeline, "The Wolf of Wall Street" was a movie shot in 2013, and with Leo starring in the film, its production cost was as high as 1 million US dollars.

It is now 2008, five years ago.

It was made five years earlier, and since it wasn't a special effects film, its production cost naturally couldn't have required another 1 million US dollars.

However, in order to present the film better, a production cost of tens of millions of dollars is still needed.

Of course, if Wang Shu invested in the filming, he could reduce the production costs to 20 to 30 million US dollars.

This is a movie that he didn't invest in, so there's no need to treat it like it's worth.

"5000 million?" Matt Damon was stunned for a moment when he heard the number, then he lowered his head and looked at the script again.

He has worked as a producer and an actor, and he knows that just as Wang Shu said, if he wants to present the scenes in the script more realistically, the investment cannot be low.

5000 million US dollars is not just a random number, but has a basis.

It’s only 5000 million US dollars, which only includes the production cost excluding the actors’ salaries.

Matt Damon hesitated for a moment, then looked up and said, "Shu, I am very interested in your script, but I cannot guarantee that I will have so much funding right now, so please give me a few days and I will give you an answer."

As a popular and well-known actor in Hollywood, Matt Damon is of course rich.

However, if he were to invest tens of millions of dollars in a movie on his own, that would be impossible.

With his assets, he cannot bear the corresponding risks.

But it doesn’t matter, he can attract investment as a producer.

First reach an agreement with Wang Shu, and then cooperate with Wang Shu after obtaining sufficient investment.

The normal process of the Hollywood model is that independent producers first spend money to get the script, then raise investment, find actors, and set up a crew.

Matt Damon knew that Wang Shu wanted to film this script and compete for an Oscar, so it was impossible for him to buy the script before he had even started thinking about it.

Because there is a risk that he will buy the script and then sit on it and not shoot it, or he will drag his feet.

As the author of the script, even if Wang Shu is not approached, he may find someone else to invest in the production.

Therefore, Matt Damon did not have the nerve to directly ask to buy the script.

He knew that this was impossible, so he sincerely asked Wang Shu to give him a few days.

"Okay!" Wang Shu nodded without comment.

He also knew that Matt Damon would not be able to directly accept such a huge investment.

It is also clear that independent producers in Hollywood are like middlemen and contractors, and they need to attract investment in order to have the funds to set up a crew.

So, this gave Matt Damon time to look for investment.

When Matt Damon heard Wang Shu's agreement, a smile immediately appeared on his face.

He was really moved by this script.

It’s no use just being interested. You need to attract investment and become a producer to be sure of getting the role.

However, if Wang Shu went to find others for investment, he knew that Wang Shu would most likely not have the right to choose the cast, and it would be difficult for him to get the role through Wang Shu.

There will be a lot of variables.

Wang Shu also noticed that Matt Damon was attracted by the script of The Wolf of Wall Street, but he just smiled and didn't point it out.

You should know that "The Wolf of Wall Street" is a movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and since he became famous, Leonardo DiCaprio has become more and more picky about scripts.

If it wasn't for a good script, he wouldn't have agreed to act in it.

The fact that Leo agreed to star in The Wolf of Wall Street shows that this is a script that is very appealing to actors, such as actor Jonah Hill, who plays the protagonist's friend Doni Azoff in The Wolf of Wall Street.

As a supporting actor, even if the salary is 6 US dollars, I am ecstatic and grateful to get this role.

This is because, for many Hollywood actors, the opportunity to win an Academy Award for a film script is worth paying for the role, not to mention that they get paid for it.

As a biographical script and a biographical film that exposes the darkness of Wall Street, any discerning person can see that "The Wolf of Wall Street" will be favored by the old men in film academies.

The two continued chatting for a while and then left together.

Wang Shu returned to the hotel and fell into a state of doing nothing.

He is indeed the screenwriter and director of "The Tuner", but both of these are behind-the-scenes work.

Therefore, even though "The Tuner" is about to be released, there is no need for him to be involved in the promotion all the time.

The publicity work is mainly focused on the actors standing on the stage.

Therefore, after finishing this publicity work, he had several days of free time before the next stage of publicity work that required him to be present.

Wang Shu took out his cell phone and called Gong Li to arrange a time to invite her to dinner.

Gong Li played a big role in Wang Shu's smooth entry into Hollywood, and he was grateful.

It’s just that he has no say in Hollywood now, so even if he wants to repay Gong Li, it’s just empty talk.

Although with his reputation, he was able to get a small supporting role in the crew if he asked for it.

However, with Gong Li's status, she would never play a minor supporting role.

She either plays the female lead or the second female supporting role. In addition, when Oriental people come to the Western entertainment industry, there are no suitable roles unless there is a specific script.

Looking at the actors who have stepped onto the international stage from the domestic entertainment industry, apart from Bruce Lee at the beginning, and later Chen Long and Jet Li who were able to make a name for themselves by relying on kung fu films, a specialty type of film that Europe and the United States are not good at, no one has been able to make a name for themselves.

If domestic actors want to make a name for themselves on the international stage, it is useless to go to Hollywood because the East and the West are different, and Eastern actors' looks make it difficult for them to get opportunities in the Western entertainment industry.

This is not a problem of acting, but the awkwardness of having people of different races appear in the same movie.

Except for specific scripts that can smooth out this sense of disharmony, other types of scripts basically have it.

Therefore, it is extremely difficult for domestic actors to make a name for themselves in Hollywood.

Therefore, if domestic entertainers want to become truly famous internationally, rather than just being limited to the domestic market, there is only one way.

That is, Chinese-language films have gone global and become one of the mainstream films in the world.

Only in this case can domestic entertainment actors truly become famous internationally.

It is undoubtedly a pipe dream to dream of entering Hollywood and becoming an international superstar through Hollywood.

In comparison, the director’s job is different because it is a behind-the-scenes job.

They are behind the scenes and not in front of the stage. Even if they are of different races, as long as the movie is good enough, they can become famous internationally through Hollywood.

Simply put, a director relies on his ability, and his appearance is not important.

For an actor, face is very important.

The next day, Wang Shu and Gong Li agreed to meet at a Chinese restaurant.

Gong Li has been in Hollywood for a few years and already knows which Chinese restaurants have authentic food, so she decided on the best ones.

"Sister Gong Li, I haven't seen you for a few months. You seem to be even more beautiful."

When Wang Shu saw Gong Li, he immediately praised her with a smile on his face.

He knows how to provide emotional value, and after hearing this compliment, Gong Li smiled instantly.

Then he smiled and said, "Director Wang, you are still so sweet. What will happen if you come to Hollywood?"

This means that the Hollywood entertainment industry is more open than the domestic entertainment industry. There is nothing wrong with Wang Shu being sweet-talker in China.

Here in Hollywood, providing emotional value to European and American actors will most likely result in sex.

"What do you mean by sweet-talking? I'm telling the truth." Wang Shu pretended not to understand.

Wang Shu has never been a pretentious or strict director, but a director who knows how to provide emotional value to actors.

He knew clearly that as long as he provided the actors with emotional value, they would not only have a relaxed mentality, but also have more confidence.

In this kind of atmosphere, the actors will perform better and the filming will go more smoothly.

In this way, the ultimate beneficiary will still be Wang Shu, the director.

Because, if the actor performs well, it will actually reduce his filming workload.

Therefore, he always praises the directors, usually focusing on encouraging the actors, instead of using his status to harshly criticize the actors whose performances he is not satisfied with.

It is precisely because he is this type of director that many actors who have worked with him want to work with him again.

"Haha." Seeing Wang Shu's serious look, Gong Li couldn't stop smiling.

This kind of rhetoric is meant to provide emotional value, and Wang Shu looks very serious.

Therefore, even if Gong Li knew that Wang Shu was just praising her, she would not really think about it and would take it seriously.

Just enjoy listening.

(End of this chapter)