Chapter 298: Cultivating Talents

On the plane, a young man with dark skin and a big head was looking around. He was wearing a brown leather jacket and a big gold chain around his neck. His whole person exuded a tacky look. When others see him, their first impression will never be that he is a director engaged in literary and artistic creation. And he is also a director who has won international awards for his artistic films!

Ning Hao was still a little excited at this time. He really didn't expect that he would be suddenly called upon by Wu Yuchen to take him to Hollywood to study with him!

But when he thought about his poor English, Ning Hao's face turned bitter again. When he was in school, the subject he hated most was English.

About seven or eight years ago, when he was admitted to the Academy of Arts and Crafts, he knew that he was not good at English. So I asked my friend to find someone who looked like him in Taiyuan Steel to take the exam for him. Ning Hao took the first two exams by himself, and took the English exam instead of his brother. They both had the same shave and wore the same clothes. After the results were announced, Ning Hao took a look and saw that he had a perfect score of 150 and over 30 points in the exam.

Ning Hao was a little helpless: "You seem to be about the same as me taking the exam. If I choose A in both exams, it will be about the same number."

The other party said he was sorry. In the end, two people who looked very similar sat by the Fen River, finished smoking a pack of cigarettes, and said goodbye on the spot.

After that, Ning Hao took the Film Academy, Fashion Academy, Drama Academy, and Wuxi Light Industry successively, but he failed to pass because of his poor English. Finally, by luck, he was admitted to Beijing Normal University's Department of Art, majoring in adult education and film and television production, and that's how Ning Hao became associated with movies.

Ning Hao asked a thin young man next to him: "Brother Chen, when I get to Hollywood, I will have to rely on you, otherwise I will become half a deaf-mute!"

Chen Er turned his head and looked at Ning Hao, and couldn't help but asked in surprise: "Didn't you go shopping abroad last year? I thought you were very good at English!"

Ning Hao was admitted to the Beijing Film Academy the year before last. Last year he wrote the script "Incense", which attracted 100,000 yuan of investment from Miracle Films. After the film was completed, he won many awards internationally, including the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland and the Tokyo Film Festival. Festival and the Hong Kong Island International Film Festival had a great time.

Ning Hao shook his head quickly: "No, no, I have to rely on the producer to guide me. I only know yes and no, and the rest I have to rely on my hands!"

Seeing that Ning Hao didn't seem to be faking it, Chen Er took out a notebook from his bag and handed it to Ning Hao: "This is the English vocabulary related to the movie that I summarized. If it doesn't work, memorize these first!" "

Ning Hao took Chen Er's notebook with a sad look on his face. He didn't expect that he would continue to learn English now that he was a director! He looked at Wu Yuchen who was sitting in the front row. He couldn't do it without learning. Director Wu's hard work couldn't be wasted!

Wu Yuchen didn't pay attention to what Ning Hao and Chen Er were mumbling behind him. After he returned to China for a while, it was time to return to the United States. After all, "The Pirate King" was still waiting for him there.

It's just that this time there are two more followers on the trip. Han Sanping had previously promised to cultivate more talents for Chinese-language films.

In fact, Han Sanping recommended Guan Hu and Lu Chuan to him at first.

In the past two years, Guan Hu has successively filmed "Get in the Car, Let's Go!" ”, “Xi Shi’s Eyes” and “Black Hole”, while Lu Chuan gained a lot of attention after last year’s “Looking for the Gun”. Both of them are considered to be the more outstanding young directors.

However, Wu Yuchen did not agree to Han Sanping this time. It's not that the two of them are much older than him, nor that they are too young, but that they both have a certain intellectual flair. Guan Hu is a little better, Lu Chuan, your "Nanjing, Nanjing!" ”, when you reflect on it and discuss human nature, you should put your butt straight first, right?

If you really want to take these two people to Hollywood for half a year, will the sense of injustice become even stronger?

After thinking about it, Wu Yuchen was replaced by Ning Hao and Chen Er.

Chen Er is also a classmate of Wu Yuchen. In the past few years, he first made short films and won many awards internationally. Last year, he made the feature film "The Third Man". Among directors under the age of 30, he is considered to be extremely outstanding. .

Ning Hao's "Incense" last year was also very spiritual and achieved good results.

Therefore, Han Sanping naturally had no objection to these two people and just assumed that Wu Yuchen wanted to train younger people. In fact, who Wu Yuchen is willing to take depends entirely on his own wishes. Han Sanping can only suggest that as long as he is talented, he can do it.

…

In Los Angeles, after settling Chen Er and Ning Hao, Wu Yuchen was checking the situation with his agent Carl: "How is the situation with "The Boy in Striped Pajamas"?"

Carl smiled at Wu Yuchen and said: "Congratulations, Wu, just yesterday, its North American box office successfully exceeded 100 million!"

"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" has actually been released for several months before the Oscars. It was initially screened, and then gradually expanded its screening range, especially after it was nominated for an Oscar, and expanded to more than 600 stores. Before that, it had already accumulated more than 46 million yuan in box office.

After the Oscars, with the blessing of various Oscar honors, the number of theaters was expanded to 2,000, with a box office of 24 million in the first week, 17 million in the second week, and 12 million in the third week. Yesterday, on the way Wu Yuchen flew in, it happened to exceed 100 million.

Wu Yuchen also smiled with satisfaction when he heard this. To be honest, it is indeed a good result that the North American box office has exceeded 100 million. After all, "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" is just a foreign language film. It has really borrowed a lot of Oscar light to break 100 million. In addition, the Iraq War, which is quite eye-catching now, has attracted many viewers to be interested in this anti-war film.

In contrast, the movie "The Pianist". Although it won the Oscar for Best Picture, many viewers expressed their disgust because of the director Polanski's black material, saying that they don't want to watch a movie made by a "tough criminal", even if it is the Oscar for Best Picture.

This also led to the fact that the box office performance of "The Pianist" in North America is not very good, and it is completely inferior to "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas".

In fact, the audience generally has a mentality. If it is a commercial popcorn movie, the audience will actually have lower requirements for the main creators of the movie. They all know that this kind of movie is just for fun and will not delve too deeply into the logic of the movie. But if it is an art film, many viewers will subconsciously raise their standards and watch the movie with a more serious attitude, especially realistic movies like "The Pianist".

Wu Yuchen smiled noncommittally. During the award season, he had spent a lot of effort to find the media to vigorously promote Polanski's dark history, but he could only blame himself.

After arriving in Los Angeles, Wu Yuchen did not immediately devote himself to "Pirate King". He asked his agent Carl to arrange for someone to take Chen Er and Ning Hao to visit the Hollywood studio first, and he had to deal with some of his own affairs.

At Miracle Pictures, Wu Yuchen looked at a young and somewhat immature Chinese face in front of him, flipping through the script in his hand, and felt that it was worth his personal trip, because the person in front of him was James Wan.

James Wan and his good friend Ray Wonnell were a little restless on the sofa, unable to hide their excitement. The person in front of them was the world's top director, Wu Yuchen!

You know, he and his friend were the lowest-level newcomers in the circle. They came from Australia to Hollywood to pursue their dreams, but their resumes were all ignored, and they could not even find a job. The two were so poor that they could only squeeze in the basement and go to the church to get relief meals to survive.

However, when Miracle Pictures called them, they felt that the opportunity to change their fate might have come. And when they saw Wu Yuchen holding the script of "Jigsaw" they created and reading it with relish, they were so excited that they wanted to dance!

But at this time in front of Wu Yuchen, they could only hide this excitement in their hearts, for fear of disturbing each other.

Wu Yuchen was actually sighing at this time. He didn't deliberately look for it, but he didn't expect that the classic horror series "Saw" in history would be delivered to him.

"Saw" is not only a wonderful movie itself, but also a typical example of a small bet for a big win, with $1.2 million in exchange for a box office of over $100 million!

Wu Yuchen remembered that in the American entertainment online novels he had read in his previous life, many protagonists could not avoid this movie, and choosing it as their debut work was evident.

After a moment, Wu Yuchen raised his head and said to the two with a smile: "Why did you submit this script to me? I have never made such a horror movie~"

Although "The Sixth Sense" is a ghost movie, it is not scary at all, at most it is a suspense thriller.

Ray Wonner and James Wan looked at each other and said, "Dear Director Wu, because you and James Wan are both Chinese, maybe our script will have a higher chance of being approved..."

This is the benefit of a big reputation, which can attract all kinds of wise men to come and invest, even though the two people in front of him are just newcomers who are down and out and have little experience.

Wu Yuchen smiled and said, "Congratulations, you made the right choice, I like "Jigsaw" very much!"

Wan Ziren and Ray Wonner could no longer hold back, and their faces showed excitement and joy.

"However, I will not shoot this movie myself."

Wan Ziren and Ray Wonner were not surprised, as it was basically unlikely for a big director like Wu Yuchen to direct "Jigsaw".

In fact, there is also a vague contempt chain in the film industry, and the directors of blood-type horror movies are basically at the bottom. It is said that major awards despise comedies and comedians, but in fact, horror movies are more difficult to win awards than comedies.

Wu Yuchen, who has already stood at the top of the director pyramid, is unlikely to turn back and shoot such a bloody horror movie.

James Wan and Ray Wonnar didn't dare to speak at this time, waiting for Wu Yuchen to decide their future fate.

Wu Yuchen smiled: "Wen, do you want to be the director of "Jigsaw"? "

Wan James looked incredulous, and he didn't expect Wu Yuchen to ask this question at all. He was a newcomer!

He stuttered and asked: "I, I will be the director?"

Wu Yuchen nodded and asked with a smile: "Yes, why, don't you want to turn the story you created into a movie yourself?"

"No, no, I am very willing! Thank you very much, Mr. Wu! I was just too excited for a moment! I will cherish this opportunity very much!" James Wan bowed to Wu Yuchen repeatedly to thank him.

At this time, Ray Wonnar heard Wu Yuchen's words and was happy for his friend James Wan. But at the same time, he was also full of envy. Sure enough, they still take care of their own people!

In Hollywood, it is very common to form groups. Not only Jews help each other, but also Italian gangs, Irish gangs, etc.

In Ray Wonnar's eyes, his good friend James Wan was accepted by Wu Yuchen, the boss of the Chinese gang, and was trained as his own. If he could seize this opportunity, he might be able to rise to prominence!

In fact, Ray Wonnar was right, because Wu Yuchen did have this idea.

James Wan is really a genius director. He has not received systematic education in film, and he has embarked on the road of film by relying on his minor and interest. From "Saw" to "Dead Silence", and then to "Insidious" and "The Conjuring", he is really a master in horror movies, and he is constantly breaking through, creating his own horror universe. The key is that his horror movies are really super profitable!

Later, he stepped out of his comfort zone and filmed "Fast and Furious 7" and "Aquaman", two commercial productions that were also very successful at the box office. Although Li An in China is particularly famous, in fact, James Wan's value in the eyes of those big Hollywood studios is higher than Li An. Hollywood is about money!

Wu Yuchen naturally wanted to recruit such a talent, so that his Miracle Pictures would not be supported by him alone.

Thinking about it, Wu Yuchen also felt that it was a coincidence. He had just brought Ning Hao and Chen Er from China for training, and met James Wan, a talent worth training in America.

Wu Yuchen couldn't help but think of Li An. He had received an invitation from him to attend the premiere of "The Hulk" in June.

After Li An won four Oscars for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", he took a break for a while and then took over Universal's "The Hulk" project. Haha, making money, not bad!

However, Wu Yuchen knew that Li An was an artistic director at heart. He knew that "The Hulk" was a superhero movie and he just needed to shoot it according to the rhythm of a popcorn movie. But he couldn't help but add his own thinking to it, wanting to explore the depth of the Hulk's character and make the movie thoughtful.

Think about your sister, do audiences watch superheroes to think? People come here just for the fun and excitement!

So this "Hulk" is probably the same as the previous one, with poor reputation and box office after its release, and Universal's Hulk dream is also broken.

Wu Yuchen doesn't plan to go to see it in person, mainly because he should be filming "Pirate King" on the sea at that time, so how can he have the time to come back?