Millennium director

John really liked the script given by Wu Yuan, and submitted it to the company's review department immediately.

He was very satisfied with the young Chinese directors he discovered in Sitges. He felt that Wu Yuan was born to belong to Hollywood and should not have been born in a small place like China.

However, just because he is satisfied with the script does not mean that Wu Yuan can go to Hollywood to make a movie right away.

It just so happens that the fight begins after the script is approved.

Next, Wu Yuan spent more than a month negotiating with John and the film investment and production departments of Fox Searchlight, but they never came to a good result.

Wu Yuan knows that he is a newcomer and it is unrealistic to want to get a share of the box office for free, but he hopes to participate in film investment.

The asking price is not high, just invest 10% and get 10% of the box office revenue.

Logically speaking, this is not a very demanding requirement. Not only do some big Hollywood directors not need to invest a single penny, they also receive remuneration and a share of the accounts when making movies!

However, Fox Searchlight is not a fool.

Don’t underestimate the subsidiaries of the six major Hollywood studios.

As soon as it received the script for "Juno," Fox Searchlight's market analysis department determined that the script would definitely be a movie that would attract American audiences.

In the North American market alone, the box office revenue will be at least 50 million US dollars!

As for the production cost calculation of this movie, if you save a little, it will only cost five to six million US dollars!

This means that this movie can generate ten times the box office revenue!

When it is certain that the movie is likely to make money, is Fox Searchlight willing to let Wu Yuan participate in the box office split?

Don't be kidding, I am a capitalist who runs a company, not a philanthropist.

Fox Searchlight was even willing to offer Wu Yuan $1.2 million to be the director and screenwriter, but was unwilling to let Wu Yuan pay $1 million to become one of the investors.

The negotiations have reached a deadlock at this point.

Fox Searchlight is unwilling to give Wu Yuan, a Chinese director, too much money that seems to be readily available.

Wu Yuan is also unwilling to make a movie for Fox Searchlight that may have a box office of more than 100 million US dollars, but only get paid more than 1 million!

Some people may say, can’t you take the photo yourself?

Can!

Putting aside where Wu Yuan got the six million US dollars, even if he had the money and the movie was produced, how would it be distributed?

For North American distribution and global distribution, you must find a professional distribution company.

Whether it's the Big Six in Hollywood or second-tier companies like New Line and Lions Gate, they are all eating people but not spitting out their bones.

The lessons for "Little Miss Sunshine" are right in front of us.

After finally raising enough money to make the film, Fox Searchlight chose to buy out the distribution rights for US$10 million instead of being an agent for distribution.

This is equivalent to the producer only making 5 million US dollars.

The film ultimately grossed over 100 million US dollars at the global box office.

This is how new directors and new works are treated in Hollywood.

Unless it's a movie that all the major Hollywood distribution companies don't like, they will only charge you money to distribute it as your agency, using a split-bill model.

Otherwise, as long as your movie has some value, people will choose to buy it out and eat most of it, leaving you with a sip of soup to drink.

Of course, this refers to the first work of a new director.

This is bound to be exploited by major Hollywood film studios, which is equivalent to buying a ticket.

Even if Wu Yuan took the script to the other six major Hollywood companies, he would still be treated like this, and the capitalists would be pissed off.

The script "Juno" really looks like it will be a hit!

However, Wu Yuan still refused to let go and negotiated hard with Fox Searchlight.

Just like this, time soon came to December, and heavy snow fell in the capital.

Wu Yuan's home.

The heavy snow did not make the surroundings quiet, but the courtyard was filled with people.

In the front hall of the huge main house, two mahjong tables were set up.

Wu Yuan's friends, headed by Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, and Qin Hailu, are fighting fiercely here!

Ever since they learned that Wu Yuan had a courtyard house, his group of friends took aim at this good place and often designated it as a gathering place.

And more and more people come to the party.

At first, it was just the stars of "The Night the Comet Came" who occasionally came to get together, and gradually their friends were also attracted to join them.

Chen Kun’s classmates Huang Xiaoming, Qin Hailu and Zeng Li’s classmates Yuan Quan, Xia Yu and Liu Ye were all brought to play together.

Wu Yuan did not refuse anyone who came.

Since all his relatives have passed away, Wu Yuan has been alone in such a large courtyard all year round, which is strangely lonely.

Nowadays, friends often come to party and have fun, which makes the courtyard more lively.

I don’t even know where I learned it from, but students from the 96 batches of China Theater Academy and Beijing Film Academy 96 love to play mahjong when they get together!

Together with Wu Yuan, who was not very good at playing mahjong at first, his level of mahjong has improved gradually, which is a result of losing too much!

"Two cakes!"

"Hey, touch!"

"Thirty thousand!" Wu Yuan smiled and took away the two cakes Qin Hailu played, threw out a thirty thousand piece, and deliberately provoked: "Sister Hailu, I heard the cards, be careful!"

Qin Hailu rolled her eyes: "Just because of this bad luck, what's the use of just listening without being confused?"

"Hey, Yuan'er, is there any chance of your Hollywood business? Why are you just playing mahjong with us recently?"

Wu Yuan frowned and sighed: "We're still talking. I've already made a lot of concessions, but the other side just doesn't agree. Let's grind it out a little more. There's no rush."

Just as he said this, Wu Yuan's cell phone rang again.

The call came from an overseas phone number that Wu Yuan was familiar with.

Pulling Liu Ye, who was watching them play mahjong, over to replace him, Wu Yuan walked out of the yard with his cell phone and answered the call.

"Hi, John, it's two o'clock in the morning in Los Angeles right now?"

"What's so urgent?"

On the other end of the phone, John said in a very helpless tone: "Wu, the company has accepted your plan."

"We can sign a gambling agreement."

"If the global box office of 'Juno' exceeds US$100 million, the company can give you a 10% box office share."

"But if the global box office does not exceed $100 million, then you will only be paid $1.2 million, okay?"

"I have to say, you are a very good negotiator."

A satisfied smile appeared on Wu Yuan's face.

After talking to Fox Searchlight for more than a month, we finally reached a satisfactory condition.

From the beginning, Fox Searchlight was not willing to share Wu Yuan's profits from the movie, and was only willing to give him a constant payment.

From the very beginning when Wu Yuan wanted to participate in investment, to when he asked for five million U.S. dollars in director and screenwriting fees, he failed to get approval from Fox Searchlight.

Eventually, he proposed a betting deal that finally gave Fox Searchlight pause.

According to research and predictions by Fox Searchlight's marketing department, the global box office of the movie "Juno" is expected to be between US$50 million and US$80 million.

Let's put it this way, although Fox Searchlight thinks this is a good script, it doesn't think this movie can gross over 100 million at the box office.

Even in the global market, there are only a few movies with a box office of over 100 million dollars a year, and it is even less likely to be a small-budget movie with an investment of only a few million US dollars.

When Wu Yuan proposed a betting agreement to split the box office accounts if the global box office exceeded 100 million US dollars, Fox Searchlight felt that this was really something that could be discussed.

If the final box office of this movie can exceed 100 million US dollars, then giving Wu Yuan, the director + screenwriter, 10 million US dollars seems to be an acceptable thing.

If Wu Yuan can make a movie with a box office of over 100 million US dollars, then such a director and screenwriter will definitely become a guest of the Big Six in Hollywood!

In this case, his Chinese identity is not important, what is important is the benefits he can bring.

Giving such an outstanding director a treatment that is consistent with his status and value, rather than maintaining a good cooperative atmosphere, is definitely more cost-effective than earning millions more!

Of course, if the global box office of "Juno" does not exceed 100 million, then Wu Yuan can only get 1.2 million US dollars, and most of it will go to Fox Searchlight.

This is a gambling agreement that is acceptable to both parties.

Since Wu Yuan is confident that the movie will gross over 100 million, Fox Searchlight doesn’t mind taking a gamble!

After all, Fox Searchlight is the one making the biggest profit!

And Fox Searchlight is also worried that if they don't agree with this, if Wu Yuanzhen decides not to cooperate with Fox Searchlight and chooses another production company, then their work will be in vain.

Although Wu Yuan would end up losing both sides even if he did this, but isn't it nice to be able to make money with kindness?

"Wu, it's time for you to leave for the United States. The contract is ready for you."

John on the other end of the phone urged nonchalantly: "The early preparations of the crew, the selection of actors, and the scenery are all waiting for you, the director!"

"OK!" Wu Yuan said in a relaxed tone, "Then I wish us a happy cooperation. I will leave for Los Angeles as soon as possible."

"By the way, Director Wu, I think you should choose an English name." John said with a smile, "Your Chinese name is really difficult to pronounce."

"What do you think of the name Johannes? It's very similar to my name!"

What Wu Yuan signed was a "box office split account" rather than a "profit split account." What is popular in Hollywood is the box office split account.

10% means directly taking 10% of the total box office. This way it is less likely to be fishy and makes it difficult for the producers to tamper with the film.

For example, superstars and famous directors generally sign a contract for remuneration + box office split, and take money directly from the box office instead of dividing the money with the production company after calculating the profit after deducting costs.

The superstar effect in Hollywood is much higher than in China. In those superhero movies, the protagonists start with a salary of more than 20 million US dollars + a percentage of the box office split.

This is also the reason why Marvel can’t continue filming in the first phase. You get a little bit and I get a little bit. In the later filming, the actors get more money than the production company earns. They really can’t afford it.