Chapter 821 Everything is about money
"[Dungeons & Dragons: Rogue Glory] just refuses. [John Wick 4] asked Mr. Yang to contact Lionsgate. I will talk to her in detail about my specific ideas later"
"Okay, what about these variety show invitations?"
“The permanent ones don’t answer, so we don’t have the time and energy.”
"Are you still not going to participate in the second season of [Fifty Kilometers Taohuawu] this year?"
Gu Wei hesitated.
Unlike other variety shows, this variety show is produced by his company.
The main producer is [Wow Haw Haw], and the broadcast platform is Tengxun Video.
The response to the first season last year was very good, and the company's Meng Ziyi and Zhou Xi both attracted a lot of fans because of "Taohuawu".
At that time, Long Danni approached Gu Wei, hoping that he could participate in the first season of [Taohuawu], hoping to use his fame to promote this new variety show.
However, [Taohuawu] is a long-term outdoor reality show that requires guests to live together for 21 days. Gu Wei did not have the time, so he refused.
This year [Wow Haw Wow] started to prepare for the second season and came to see him again.
"It's definitely not possible to have fixed guests. I can't spare a month to participate in a variety show.
When [Taohuawu] starts recording, if you have time, it’s okay to stay there for a day or two as a flying guest.”
"Understood."
Beijing, [Wei Tianxia] Brokerage Company General Manager’s Office.
".Understood, I will communicate with Lionsgate as soon as possible.
I have something to report to you. Director Yao Xiaofeng from the crew of [Storm Chaser] has already seen the auditions of three actresses."
Speaking of this, Yang Liwen hesitated a little.
"He feels that Wang Churan's image and temperament are more suitable for the role of "Shen Jinzhen", the eldest lady of the Republic of China. Can you confirm with us whether this role can be finalized?"
"Since Director Yao thinks it's suitable, let's make a decision. I also recommended Wang Churan to him"
Gu Wei's voice came over the phone.
"Okay."
After reporting some company matters to her boss, Yang Liwen hung up the phone.
She has some regrets about the heroine of [Storm Chaser].
This drama was a project that Gu Wei decided on two years ago. Due to schedules, it has been delayed and he didn’t have time to shoot until this year.
The investor of "The Storm Chaser" is her own company, so Yang Liwen is very clear about all aspects of the TV series from project establishment to preparation.
Judging from the script and production team of "Storm Chaser", with the boss starring as the male lead and Jin Dong as the supporting actor, this drama is bound to be a hit and can rival or even surpass "The Pretender" back then.
"What a pity. Meng Ziyi and Zhou Xi could have chosen anyone, but they chose Wang Churan!
It's also my fault that these two don't live up to expectations.
But fortunately, I feel that the second female lead’s character is more outstanding, which is a very good opportunity for Tian Xiwei.”
With this in mind, Yang Liwen called her secretary in.
"Ask Tian Xiwei's agent to come over."
After the New Year, Tian Xiwei was not busy at work after returning from home.
She became popular last year because of the broadcasts of "Running Man" and "Qing Yu Nian".
The company took advantage of the situation and got her some endorsements.
During the time she came back after the New Year, she has been filming commercials for businesses.
"Xiaotian, there is good news!"
When she returned to the company after work in the morning, her agent appeared in front of her with an excited face.
"What's the matter, Sister Sun, are you looking for a new play for me?"
Tian Xiwei asked curiously.
Sun Caizhen was the new agent assigned to her by the company after she graduated last year.
The rules of [Wei Ming Xia] are that newcomers will be unified under Yang Liwen as soon as they sign a contract. When the company plans to increase its resources to promote you, it will assign you a special agent.
Li Xian, Peng Yuchang, Meng Ziyi, etc. all came through this way.
Although they have only been working together for less than a year, Xiaotian feels that his new agent is quite reliable, he is steady and meticulous, and he considers himself in everything, making him a good partner.
To see her so happy, something good must have happened.
"There is a new play, but it is not an ordinary play. It is a historical drama produced by our company, and the boss plays the male lead!"
Xiaotian also opened his eyes wide after hearing this.
"Then what role did the company leave for me? Is it the heroine?"
The agent shook his head.
"She is the second female lead, a role decided by the boss.
I read the script, and the character design is very good, and the performance is brilliant, no worse than the heroine! ”
With that said, she handed the script she got to Tian Xiwei.
"Read the script first. This drama will only start filming in the second half of the year. There is no rush.
[Running Season 5] will start recording in a while. When the variety show is over, you can take some time to concentrate on preparing for this new drama."
Tian Xiwei took the script, and there were three big characters written on the cover: "Wind Chaser".
She nodded.
“Are this year’s [Running Man] the same guests as last season?”
"In general, there are no changes. Guo Qilin left, and Huang Xuxi returned in the third season."
The good news he received from his agent made Tian Xiwei feel particularly happy today.
When she got home in the evening, after washing, she lay on the bed wearing loose pajamas, her two white calves were raised, her cute feet were crossed together in the air, she held her chin in her hands, and read the script carefully.
"This "Niu Chunmiao" really has a personality, and it is difficult to perform."
After looking at it for a while, she opened her phone and checked the time. After a moment of hesitation, she edited a message of thanks and sent it to Gu Wei.
After waiting for a while, there was no reply. Xiaotian murmured: "Maybe Brother Wei is filming"
She knew that filming at [Changjin Lake] was very difficult, and there was news that Gu Wei was injured a few days ago.
Tian Xiwei's guess was correct. Gu Wei was indeed filming on the set at this moment.
Today is a big night scene, filming a battle scene in [Changjin Lake], all actors from the Seventh Company, including Gu Wei and Wu Jing, participated.
There were gunfights, explosions, charges, and action scenes. There was a scene where Zhu Yawen rolled down a hillside, and he had to do it seven or eight times.
After he stood up after filming, he walked with a slight limp.
"Are you okay?" Wu Jing asked from the side.
"It's not bad. It's just that my body hurts everywhere. I'll just rest for a while and it'll be fine." Zhu Yawen said with a grin.
In addition to him, Hu Jun, who plays "Thunder God", is filming his last scene today.
His character died heroically in the battle that was filmed today, and it will be completed after filming.
By the time Gu Wei got the phone, it was already early in the morning. The crew stayed up all night and the actors could finally rest.
“As I get older, it’s really hard to refuse to accept my old age.
When I was young and filming, I could stay up all night for several consecutive nights, and I would immediately feel energetic after taking a nap.
I’ve been filming night scenes for the past few days and I feel like my body has been hollowed out”
After restoring confidence to Xiaotian, Gu Wei turned to look at Wu Jing, who had some dark circles under his eyes.
"Brother Jing, you may have a bad kidney. As the saying goes, when middle-aged people have no choice but to soak wolfberry in a thermos cup.
In my opinion, staying up late is more harmful to the body than having sex”
"Fuck you, you have bad kidneys. I don't know how strong I am since I have been exercising since I was a child."
The two of them laughed and said a few words, and the sleepiness just now dissipated a little.
"Are you going back to the hotel?" Wu Jing asked.
"I won't go back. I've been busy shooting these two days. I'll just rest in the RV later."
Wu Dingding nodded: "Then I won't go back, so I can save myself the hassle and get some more sleep."
RVs have become standard equipment in various production crews, especially for the main actors. RVs are not only a place for them to rest and work, but also symbolize their status and status.
[Changjin Lake] There is no doubt that Gu Wei and Wu Jing in the crew have their own RVs, and their RVs are not provided by the crew but their own.
Gu Wei's RV is quite luxurious. Not only does it have a lot of space inside, it is also equipped with a professional powder room and high-end daily necessities. Of course, basic functions such as bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom are indispensable.
After separating from Gu Wei, Wu Jing got into his RV.
Lying on the bed in the bedroom and getting ready to sleep, I remembered what Gu Wei had just said jokingly.
"Why don't you soak some wolfberry in water and drink it? It's always good to maintain your health."
Lionsgate.
President's Office.
Board co-chairman and executive chairman Jon Felleme and vice chairman Michael Burns are discussing something.
".These are the conditions proposed by the superstar Gu on the other side of the ocean."
Michael reported the information obtained from communicating with [Wei Tianxia] to Jon.
"It's really harsh. It makes me wonder if the other party doesn't want to take this role, and then the lion opened his mouth and put forward the conditions"
Jon sat on the boss's chair, leaning back slightly.
"I heard that Paramount and Warner Bros. also invited each other to co-produce the blockbuster game adaptation"
"[Dungeons and Dragons]?"
Michael nodded.
"He answered?"
"According to people at Paramount, they refused directly.
This Chinese superstar is difficult to recruit. Last year, Marvel was preparing for "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" and invited him to play the male protagonist "Shang-Chi", but he was directly rejected.
What we and Paramount have offered us is the role of the second male lead, so it’s normal for the other party not to accept it.”
At this Michael paused.
"To be precise, we haven't been rejected yet.
The conditions proposed by the other party seem to be very harsh, but I think it is not impossible to cooperate”
President Jon thought for a moment and looked at his old partner.
"What suggestions do you have?"
Michael spread his hands.
"Jon, we all know that we want to invite Gu to participate in [Quick Chase 4], and naturally we are interested in the huge Chinese market behind him.
Making movies is essentially a business.
Since it is a business, as long as there is a profit, there are no conditions that cannot be agreed.
What we need to consider now is that after agreeing to the other party's conditions, can Gu Wei's joining bring us greater benefits? ”
Jon considered it carefully as Michael continued his speech.
"We have made three movies in the [Quick Chase] series, and the global box office was US$86.1 million, US$174 million and US$328 million respectively.
As a B-level movie, this result is not very good, but it still makes a small profit.
The fourth film in preparation is expected to require an investment of US$100 million. This is already an A-level production, and the pressure to make back the capital is even greater.
We have known about Gu Wei before. This superstar from across the ocean has unparalleled box office appeal in the Chinese market.
According to data, the total box office of his movies has exceeded US$4 billion, a figure that most Hollywood A-list stars cannot reach.
Just a month ago, a comedy movie starring the other party had just received more than 700 million U.S. dollars at the box office in the Chinese market.
The box office in a single market exceeds 700 million U.S. dollars. In the North American market, only "Black Panther", "Avatar", "Avengers 4" and "Star Wars 7" have achieved this result.
Of course, there is a high probability that [John Wick 4] with Gu Wei joining in will not achieve such a high box office, but as long as it achieves half of the results of his current movie in the Chinese market, we will make a lot of money."
When Michael said this, his attitude was already clear, and he hoped that Gu Wei would join in.
Even if the other party's conditions are harsh, they need to change the script, require a share of investment, and turn the movie into a Sino-US co-production.
But as long as the final box office is high enough and can bring higher profits to Lionsgate, all this is acceptable.
Jon nodded slowly after hearing these words.
He knew all what Michael said, and he was the first to invite Gu Wei to play the supporting actor role in "John Wick 4".
From the perspective of these Hollywood companies, the Chinese market is an extremely attractive piece of meat that everyone wants to take a bite of.
However, in recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to achieve good box office results in the Chinese market.
Marvel movies, which are popular all over the world, are doing the best, while most other Hollywood movies have failed.
According to many senior executives in the Hollywood film industry, the reason why movies do not do well at the box office is that current Hollywood blockbusters do not have a sense of substitution for audiences on the other side of the ocean.
The solution to this problem is to find a local superstar to join the movie.
Disney approached Wei Gu to film "Shang-Chi", and Paramount approached him to star in "Dungeons and Dragons", which was obviously all based on this plan.
Jon leaned forward and crossed his hands on the desk in front of him.
"I think what you said makes sense. The Chinese market is now on par with North America, and Hollywood is paying more and more attention to it.
In 2019, "Avengers 4" earned a high box office of US$600 million there.
It's a pity that this situation was short-lived, and subsequent Hollywood movies were unable to reach this level.
If Gu Wei can help [John Wick 4] open up the Chinese market, his conditions are not a problem.”
"If you look at his previous results, there is no problem at all.
Even if we accept all his conditions, the risk we have to take is very small”
Jon nodded.
"[John Wick 4] is the company's most important project this year, and making such a big change requires the support of the directors.
I will hold a board meeting and you help me convince everyone”
"No problem. It's obviously a good deal. I believe no one will object to making more money."
"Also, you should contact Gu Wei's company. The conditions they proposed still need to be discussed.
How much share to give to the other party, how to modify the script, and subsequent filming all need to be communicated in detail."
Once Jon and Michael, two of Lionsgate's top executives, were on the same page, things were well underway.
Michael left the office, and President Jon thought for a while.
"Two male protagonists!
Keanu Reeves probably wouldn't mind if I found him a comparable opponent and partner.
It would be best if this series could be made similar to Jackie Chan’s [Rush Hour]”
(End of chapter)