Chapter 67: Buying in Low, Wen Ziren
Tim was proficient in English and French.
His Chinese was a bit difficult to speak, but he could understand it.
Upon meeting, Tim recognized that the young Eastern man in front of him was the Chinese director who had just won the Golden Palm at Cannes.
"Oh, Li, it’s hard to imagine, you’re even more handsome than in your photos."
As soon as they met, Tim acted as if they had known each other for a long time, immediately flattering him.
Unfortunately, Li Chen wasn't swayed by such flattery; he knew how handsome he was.
His face certainly couldn't compare to a star's, but he wasn't the kind of person you'd lose in a crowd.
"Tim, no need for pleasantries.
I'm sure you've guessed why I'm looking for you," Li Chen said, getting straight to the point.
Tim smiled awkwardly.
He couldn't help but wonder: Don't Chinese people like to flatter each other?
"Could you help me arrange a meeting with James Wan?"
"No problem, Li, today?" Tim agreed readily.
With Li Chen's current fame, arranging a meeting with the up-and-coming Wen Ziren was no difficulty at all.
"Hmm, the sooner the better.
I have other plans tomorrow," Li Chen nodded.
Tim was very efficient.
That evening, Li Chen and Wen Ziren met at the Peninsula Hotel.
Both were of Chinese descent, but Wen Ziren couldn't speak Chinese.
However, with Tim by his side, Li Chen didn't need to speak English.
In the Peninsula Hotel's coffee shop, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two got down to business.
Wen Ziren looked at the Eastern face before him, a man even younger than him.
Yet, his reputation was in no way inferior to any famous director.
He couldn't help but guess the reason for the meeting.
Li Chen didn't waste words; he directly took a script from his bag and handed it to Wen Ziren.
"Take a look at this script and tell me what you think," Tim translated for Li Chen.
"lurking?" Wen Ziren murmured.
He thought to himself, 'It's as I suspected, he wants me to make a movie, but isn't he a director himself?'
However, in an instant, Wen Ziren understood.
The other party was already a Golden Palm winner; some films might no longer be suitable for him to direct.
Wen Ziren initially adopted an indifferent attitude; not everyone could handle horror films.
But the more he read, the more his expression changed.
This lurking could completely rival saw.
Closing the script, Wen Ziren couldn't hide his joy: "Li, this script is excellent.
Can you sell it to me?"
Li Chen laughed heartily: "You're too interesting, Wen Ziren."
"I'm not short on money; I'm looking for you because I hope you'll direct this lurking."
Wen Ziren gave an awkward smile; the other party was right.
Although he wasn't clear about the other party's strength, with his current reputation, he certainly wouldn't lack investment.
Hollywood has never lacked money or actors; what it lacks are good scripts and directors.
Wen Ziren only thought for a few seconds before nodding.
"Li, I agree.
How do you plan to produce and distribute it?"
Li Chen's lips curved slightly, as if he had expected it.
Although saw brought attention to Wen Ziren, he was still not highly regarded.
The most realistic proof was that he wasn't asked to direct saw 2; Lionsgate put him behind the scenes.
They replaced him with Darren Lynn Bousman to direct; that's nothing short of discarding a tool after use.
Li Chen smiled: "Wen Ziren, since Lionsgate replaced you with Darren Lynn Bousman, why cling to one tree and hang yourself?"
"There's a Chinese saying: 'A person moves to live, a tree moves to die.'"
"Come to me.
I will establish an independent production and distribution company in Hollywood and put Tim in charge of it."
"It will focus on horror films, and lurking will make our name."
Tim was completely stunned, so much so that he didn't even get to translate the last sentence.
"Li, you, you mean, you're going to open a company and let me manage it for you?"
"What's wrong? Are you unwilling or incapable?"
"No, no, no, Li, I'm willing, no, Boss, I'm willing." Tim stood up excitedly.
He was a native-born American who had been in Hollywood for almost ten years.
He had seen too many independent production and distribution companies go from nothing to something, and then quickly from something to nothing.
Li Chen had already planned it out in his mind.
Starting a company wasn't difficult; he could just buy a small company and rebrand it.
For B-grade horror films like the lurking series, there was no need to spend a lot on advertising.
After all, the production cost was only a little over a million US dollars.
Once the theater posters were up and a few exciting trailers were released, that would be enough.
Coupled with the gimmick of Li Chen writing and Wen Ziren directing.
Tim was perfectly capable of the job; otherwise, his ten years in Hollywood would truly have been for nothing.
Tim felt as if he had been kissed by Lady Luck today.
Li Chen paid no mind to Tim's excitement.
"What do you say, Wen Ziren?
This lurking is also a series," Li Chen threw out another bait.
"You mean lurking is a series?" Wen Ziren was surprised.
"Of course, I wrote it with saw as the imagined rival."
Wen Ziren was completely moved now.
In Hollywood, making movies wasn't difficult.
Equipment could be rented, people could be hired, and distribution could be handled by qualified major companies.
For example, Lionsgate, New Line, Summit, Lakeshore, and so on.
As long as there were good scripts and directors, and funding wasn't an issue, then nothing was an issue.
His collaboration with his classmate on saw, from planning to completion, only took about twenty days.
Moreover, Hollywood directors, especially big directors, could get a share of the box office.
When making saw, Lionsgate initially wanted to pay him a director's fee, but he declined.
Instead, he wisely chose a share of the box office.
The extremely high return rate after its release proved that his choice was correct.
Without Li Chen's reminder, Wen Ziren also knew that the script needed to be kept confidential.
After seeing Wen Ziren off, Li Chen asked Warner's people to help him find a professional Hollywood lawyer and accountant.
Then, he and Tim and two others signed contracts.
This way, the three would keep each other in check and only be responsible to him, their Boss, allowing him to feel at ease.
Next, Li Chen had Tim take the scripts he had prepared to the guild for registration.
This included lurking, the conjuring series, and inception, among others.
Tim was full of drive, pounding his chest and guaranteeing that as long as the funds were in place, buying a small company could be done in minutes.
Because there were simply too many such small companies in Hollywood.
They could be bought for one or two million US dollars.
Further down, individual studios could also be an option.
But Li Chen couldn't afford to lose face; he was, after all, a Golden Palm director.
Tim was very professional and didn't ask about the source of the Boss's funds.
Back at the hotel, Miss Liu called.
"Get online, I want to video call you," she said before hanging up.
Li Chen turned on his computer and connected the video call.
Miss Liu wore a pink hairband and a white camisole, and she held up the Golden Palm, gently shaking it.
Smiling like a flower, she said: "I got the gift."
"That little girl Yang Siwei, she's not active in other things, but when it comes to currying favor with you, she's like she's got a rocket on her feet," Li Chen said with a laugh and a scolding tone.
"What, you're not happy?" Miss Liu feigned anger.
"How dare I, I just feel a strange sense of sourness."
"I'm clearly her Boss, but somehow you seem more like it."
Miss Liu laughed heartily, very unladylike.
"Xixi, you're not allowed to laugh anymore.
If you keep laughing, I'll record it on my cell phone and put it online."
"Let netizens see what their Fairy Sister is like in her daily life."
Miss Liu's expression changed in an instant: "You wouldn't dare!"
"By the way, when exactly are you coming back?
I heard from Yang Siwei that you're going to Hong Kong."
"Or should I come to you?"
"No, if you come, what would Auntie think?"
"I won't be in Hong Kong for more than two days; I'll be back soon."
After hanging up the cell phone, Li Chen thought that he should come clean with Liu Xiaoli when he returned.
There was no need to hide it anymore; Liu Xiaoli surely knew anyway.
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