1novels Chapter 18 Overseas Copyrights
Chapter 18 Overseas Copyrights
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After the movie ended, Wang Zhongjun waved for the directors to leave first, and then pulled Chen Guofu to sit down again.
"Old Chen, what do you think?"
"The film is good; it has the potential to be released overseas."
Chen Guofu sat upright on the sofa, his hands resting on his knees, and analyzed: "First of all, let's talk about the plot. The unexpected twists and turns, the heart-pounding pace, plus a group of handsome men and beautiful women, mean that there are almost no cultural barriers, and European and American audiences are willing to buy into it."
Upon hearing this, Fang Yi's brow twitched.
He subconsciously glanced at Wang Zhonglei, who had returned after closing the door, and received a "just you wait" look.
At this moment, Feng Xiaogang walked over, patted Fang Yi on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "As long as the plot of this kind of suspense film is exciting, it's not difficult to sell the copyright. The difficult part is for us."
"really.."
Fang Yi seemed to be deep in thought, then plopped down on the sofa.
If a film doesn't have too many cultural differences, has a compelling plot, smooth visuals, and solid acting, Huayi Brothers can easily sell the overseas rights and recoup its costs in advance.
On the contrary, if it is released in mainland China, there is a risk that the market will not be accurately grasped and the hopes will be dashed.
Many movies are like this: they are highly anticipated before their release, and those who watch them internally mostly give them praise.
Once it was released, everything changed. Audiences didn't buy it, and no matter how much the media hyped it up, the box office just wouldn't go up.
At this point, recovering costs in advance becomes especially important.
Fang Yi's mind raced as he understood Wang Zhongjun's concerns and actions.
He looked at Chen Guofu, who was silent, and was quite curious to know what price the other party would quote.
Chen Guofu did some calculations and then asked, "Mr. Wang, what was the production cost of this film?"
"Not much, eight million at most. If the reviews are good after the film's release, I plan to round it up and add another two million for promotion."
Without batting an eye, Wang Zhongjun doubled the production cost.
"hehe.."
Chen Guofu chuckled lightly. He wasn't stupid; he naturally knew the extent of the deception.
According to his calculations, a production budget of six million is sufficient for a film with such a simple setting.
However, he wouldn't call out Wang Zhongjun's words; since he had decided to buy the copyright, he should be generous.
Chen Guofu pondered for a few seconds and then gave a number.
"US$150 million, full overseas rights, what do you think, Mr. Wang?"
Upon hearing this number, Fang Yi remained unfazed, but Wang Zhonglei was taken aback.
150 million!
It's still in US dollars; the copyright fee alone can cover all costs and even generate a profit.
Sure enough, these days only things that go to sea are valuable.
Wang Zhonglei looked at his brother, wanting to know what decision he would make; if it were him, he would have already agreed.
Fang Yi and Feng Xiaogang also looked over.
The two had completely different thoughts. Fang Yi remained calm on the surface, but secretly he was pleased with Chen Guofu's actions.
He owns 25% of the film's rights, and his pockets instantly bulge after the copyrights are sold.
Feng Xiaogang then asked: "Can we get a share of the money?"
It wasn't his movie; I was just watching it for entertainment.
Under several pairs of gazes, Wang Zhongjun waved his hand and resolutely refused: "Too little. [Kekexili] is worth a million US dollars. The selling points of [Sniper Phone Booth] are much stronger than the former."
Old Chen, don't try to fool me!
This film, handled and distributed by Columbia Pictures, is expected to gross at least tens of millions of dollars worldwide, not even counting revenue from DVDs, home theaters, and on-demand channels.
"One price, three million US dollars!"
Wang Zhongjun made an outrageous demand, doubling the original price.
This surprised even Feng Xiaogang, whose eyes flashed with surprise.
"Mr. Wang, how much do you think I'm worth...?"
Chen Guofu forced a smile, first joking about himself, then flatly rejected the offer: "Two million. For more, Mr. Wang, please find someone else."
Although both sides had reached an agreement on Chen Guofu joining Huayi Brothers next year, his position determined his perspective, and at this time he was still an employee of Columbia Pictures and the Asia Production Director.
He's willing to help if he can, but it can't be too outrageous.
Wang Zhongjun, that tiger cub, treats him like an outsider and exploits him to the death!
really..
Seeing Chen Guofu's displeasure, Wang Zhongjun quickly comforted him, saying with a smile, "Old Chen, business is always negotiated."
"Okay, let's each compromise a little more, $280 million."
"210 million!"
"270 million!"
After some haggling between the two parties over the price, "Phone Booth" was finally sold for $245 million, with all overseas rights sold to Columbia Pictures in Hollywood.
After reaching an agreement, Wang Zhongjun took Chen Guofu to sign the contract.
Before leaving, Chen Guofu approached Fang Yi and extended his hand, saying, "Director Fang, thank you for bringing me this business opportunity. I hope we can continue to cooperate in the future!"
"Definitely, Mr. Chen!"
Fang Yi shook his hand vigorously and said with a smile.
$245 million!
He quickly did the math: at the current exchange rate, one US dollar was equivalent to 8.2765 Chinese yuan.
This exchange rate was not changed until July of this year.
Based on US$245 million, that's equivalent to RMB 2027.74 million.
In other words, he could receive a share of 506.93 million RMB.
Make big money!
Chen Guofu truly deserves his reputation as a top producer in Chinese-language cinema and will be one of the pillars of Huayi Brothers in the future.
With the addition of the other party next year, Huayi's strength will increase significantly, and the number of projects launched will increase year by year, with film copyrights frequently being exported overseas.
Chen Guofu only retired after Huayi Brothers' stock price exceeded several tens of billions, and then founded his own film production company.
Thinking about all this, Fang Yi smiled even more happily, and looked forward to Chen Guofu joining the company next year.
Looking at his handsome face, Chen Guofu was happy to get to know him and build a closer relationship.
The two, one big and one small, looked at each other and smiled, giving off a feeling of instant attraction.
The two stopped talking and exchanged phone numbers only after Wang Zhonglei came over to call for help.
Fang Yi left Hua Yi first, in a good mood.
Chen Guofu was taken to Wang Zhongjun's office by Wang Zhonglei, and unsurprisingly, Feng Xiaogang was there as well.
The two parties first signed the copyright contract for the "Sniper Phone Booth," and then everyone sat down in the reception area.
After the secretary had brewed the tea, Wang Zhongjun gestured to Feng Xiaogang: "Xiaogang, since Lao Chen is here too, take out your notebook and let him review it."
After speaking, Wang Zhongjun picked up his teacup, raised it to Chen Guofu across the room, and said with a smile, "Xiaogang has prepared a period drama. The preliminary work is almost complete, and filming is expected to begin in July."
"A period drama? I'll have to enjoy it properly."
Upon hearing about period dramas, Chen Guofu's spirits lifted, and he secretly thought that today was a day of great fortune.
First, they bought a suspense film with a very high chance of becoming a hit, and then they bought a Chinese period drama blockbuster.
I, Old Chen, can meet my sales targets ahead of schedule this year!
Chen Guofu was in high spirits and took a thick stack of scripts from Feng Xiaogang.
In fact, he had heard rumors as early as the beginning of the year that Huayi Brothers had started a period drama project.
Because casting has not yet been completed and there is not much publicly available information, he only has a vague understanding of the situation.
Judging from Hua Yi's situation today, after keeping it a secret for so long, the stinky daughter-in-law is finally going to meet her in-laws.
Fine, let him see Feng Xiaogang's masterpiece in advance.
Chen Guofu thought to himself, then looked down at the script.
The first page of the script, with its two regular script characters, stirred his mind.
[Night Banquet]!
The title alone was enough to set Chen Guofu in a state of deep thought.
In ancient China, there were many spectacular banquets that could be shown on the big screen.
Audiences in Europe and America have an extraordinary interest in the exquisite and grand costumes, props, and sets of ancient China.
Even if the plot is not very satisfactory, the audience is willing to give it high praise.
As you can see, even with flaws in the plot of Zhang Yimou's "Hero," the film's popularity among Western audiences remained unaffected.
There's an old saying: "A monk from afar is better at chanting scriptures."
This applies everywhere, whether in Asia or Europe and America.