Chapter 167: Baiting the Hook
When Li Chen and Richard appeared before the guests,
Tim was surprised to find that the two no longer had the tense atmosphere they had when they first met.
In fact, they seemed strangely close.
Li Chen spotted Nolan in the hall.
Li Chen smiled at Richard beside him and said, "I haven't congratulated Warner yet."
"I heard that the second batman movie has already been greenlit."
"Nolan's The Prestige also has a good reputation, so I imagine it won't be difficult for it to gross over a hundred million at the box office."
Richard was very happy and laughed, "Then I'll take that as a good omen. Let's go say hello to Nolan."
Old Sheyi, standing not far away, couldn't quite understand.
How could Li Chen and Richard act as if nothing had happened?
He had clearly seen Richard's face darken and his demeanor aggressive when he arrived.
How could Richard have changed so much after only a short absence?
Li Chen and Richard, holding their wine glasses, walked over to Nolan's group.
Next to Nolan stood a white man who looked quite similar to him.
If Li Chen wasn't mistaken,
It should be his brother, Jonathan Nolan.
"Nolan."
Nolan heard the greeting, turned around, and saw Li Chen and Richard approaching together.
Nolan, holding his wine glass, smiled and nodded to Li Chen: "Li, congratulations, insidious 2 took the box office crown."
"My The Prestige is no match for you either."
Li Chen smiled: "They're not the same genre, so there's no comparison."
"Besides, I only had the advantage of Halloween."
"You're too modest, Li. I just saw Crystal Wu, she looks very beautiful tonight."
"I was wondering why I didn't see you. So you were with Richard."
Li Chen humorously said, "No choice, Richard, my boyfriend, is here, so I can only temporarily put my girlfriend aside."
Richard and Nolan couldn't help but smile, but Richard knew in his heart.
Whether Li Chen considered him a friend was something only he knew.
Li Chen chatted with Nolan for a few more moments, then turned to greet other guests.
Leaving the main hall, Li Chen saw Miss Liu and Minkoff chatting and laughing on the lawn from a distance.
Li Chen's lips curved slightly.
Miss Liu was becoming increasingly adept at handling such occasions, performing with ease.
"Crystal Wu is becoming more and more mature."
Tim, who was beside him, sighed.
Li Chen, however, said, "Later, invite Nolan to my study."
"Offer him the inception script and see if he's interested in collaborating."
Tim was a bit surprised: "Boss, why don't you direct it yourself?"
He had read the inception script, and it was an excellent script with boundless imagination.
Li Chen didn't explain much to Tim.
He couldn't very well tell Tim that this script was plagiarized from the Nolan brothers.
If he didn't give Nolan a heads-up beforehand,
What if Nolan himself developed inception one day?
Then it would be hard to explain.
The book those years that he wrote when he first debuted, that was a novel after all, making a splash and being published, establishing its claim.
The original author couldn't say much.
Even though the story was similar, Li Chen changed the protagonist's name and some of the more mature plot points.
Making it unassailable.
But inception is different; if you don't proactively show the script to Nolan,
Nolan would never know.
After all, Hollywood's script confidentiality is quite thorough.
While Nolan is currently fully focused on the dark knight,
First, establish the claim. Even if Nolan doesn't want to take on this project, Li Chen can still direct it himself later.
"Just do as I say, I have my reasons."
"Alright, boss, I'll go now."
Li Chen walked alone towards Minkoff and Miss Liu.
"Crystal Wu, Li Chen is coming over," Minkoff said with a smile, holding his wine glass.
Miss Liu turned around, smiled, and went forward to link arms with Li Chen: "Why did you just get here?"
Li Chen chuckled, "I chatted with Richard for a bit too long, and then spoke with Nolan for a few moments."
"What were you two talking about? You both seemed very happy."
Miss Liu smiled and said, "Director Minkoff said that casting for that film will begin next month."
"Early next year, I'll also undergo several months of martial arts training."
"I suggested we train at Crystal Wu, and Director Minkoff agreed."
Li Chen glanced at Minkoff.
Minkoff laughed heartily: "Li Chen, I have no reason not to agree to Crystal Wu's suggestion."
"Crystal Wu is large enough, very private, and it will save a significant amount on venue fees."
"I should be thanking Crystal Wu."
Li Chen clinked his wine glass with Minkoff's and smiled, "You certainly should thank her."
"When your film is released, her global popularity might bring you a huge surprise."
Minkoff's eyes lit up: "Then I'm really looking forward to that day."
Miss Liu, standing beside him, gazed at her boyfriend with eyes full of love.
She knew in her heart that it wasn't because of her boyfriend.
Whether she could have gotten this role so easily was uncertain.
She was constantly following the news back home.
Ever since Jackie Chan publicly announced that the project was just missing a name,
Many people had set their sights on this project.
Just listening to Jackie Chan, Bai Bing from Hong Kong and Zhang Ziyi from the mainland had both inquired about it.
Miss Liu felt a strange melancholy in her heart.
No wonder her boyfriend was called the Tang Sanzang of the entertainment industry.
Who wouldn't want a bite, to instantly become a Buddha or an ancestor?
In Li Chen's study.
"Tim, what's so important? Is it so mysterious that it couldn't be discussed in the hall?"
Tim smiled, "Of course not, Nolan. Would you discuss a script with someone in the hall?"
"A script?"
"Yes, a script from my boss. He wants to see if you're interested in collaborating."
Nolan was curious, what kind of script would make Li Chen seek him out? Why wouldn't Li Chen direct it himself?
Nolan put down his wine glass, took a file bag from Tim's hand, opened it, and saw the title on the cover: inception.
Nolan quickly flipped through it, becoming more and more surprised as he read.
Half an hour later, Nolan closed the script and praised it sincerely.
"The outside world says that Li's scripts are the best in China."
"I've always followed them, like shoplifters, new world, etc., all renowned for their novel and captivating plots."
"But this inception, it showed me his extraordinary imagination."
"This script is very appealing to me, and I need to think about it carefully."
"You both know that I won't have time until at least next year."
Tim was delighted: "No rush, take your time to consider."
He secretly wished Nolan would reject the script.
Perhaps by then, Chiyou would have acquired New Line.
With New Line's strength and foundation, and his boss's capabilities,
They could completely produce it themselves.
They weren't short on money either.