PFC Chapter 211 You Betrayed Our Friendship
Chapter 211 You Betrayed Our Friendship
After some mutual flattery, Gu Heng, Jeff, Nolan, and others moved to the Warner conference room.
Now that the final cut is fine, it's time to get down to business.
Warner Bros. has already set the release date for "Inception": a simultaneous global release on June 1st!
There are still three months left.
Three months is more than enough to launch a global campaign.
After discussing the schedule, Jeff took a sip of coffee and brought up another topic.
"Gu, Warner Bros. plans to start its public relations efforts early regarding next year's Oscars."
Hollywood rules dictate that Oscars are never won solely based on film quality.
It was all built with real money!
Public relations expenses can easily reach millions or even tens of millions of US dollars.
But Warner will focus on technical awards.
There's no way around it; those self-proclaimed high-minded Oscar judges have an inherent prejudice against science fiction and blockbuster films!
Do you want to win Best Picture or Best Director?
It's hard.
However, Warner Bros. asked Gu Heng if he wanted them to help him lobby for the Best Screenplay award.
We can split the public relations expenses 50/50.
Gu Heng still refused.
Who was the biggest winner at the 11 Oscars?
It's "The King's Speech"!
The Oscars have always had a fondness for films with a touch of patriotism and historical biographies.
He's watched this movie several times.
Just look at the performances of Colin Firth and Jeffrey Rush, and the dramatic tension of the film.
Next year's Oscars will basically have no serious competitors.
Would I spend millions of dollars on PR to create an original script?
What's the difference between that and throwing money down the drain and hearing the sound?
"Forget it, Jeff."
Gu Heng waved his hand, putting on an air of detachment from fame and fortune: "I'm still young, I don't need an Oscar to prove myself, so I won't waste the money."
Since there was no room for negotiation, Jeff didn't press the matter further and instead made a suggestion with a smile.
"Alright, Gu. Now that we've finished discussing business, I'll host a private party tonight to celebrate our perfect collaboration!"
Leonardo DiCaprio's eyes lit up when he heard this, probably because he's already thinking about finding the next Victoria's Secret supermodel under 25.
According to gossip, Leonardo DiCaprio has already had two new blonde, long-legged girlfriends in just a few months after filming wrapped on "Inception"!
Gu Heng could only sigh: "Leonardo DiCaprio is a constant, while supermodels come and go. His physique is truly top-notch!"
"Let's not rush into the party."
Gu Heng sat steadily in the chair and took out a thick stack of documents from his briefcase.
Proposal, script, storyboard!
The Gu family's three traditional dishes!
This move completely stunned the Warner executives who were about to open the champagne.
Goodness, did you come to Los Angeles to buy goods or to do wholesale?
You just finished editing one show and you're pulling out another one?
But despite his surprise, Jeff became interested.
Gu Heng's screenwriting ability is evident to all, and Warner Bros. has been paying close attention to his activities.
They knew that Gu Heng had also personally directed a science fiction film called "Original Code" in China, which grossed 6 million RMB!
That's over 90 million US dollars, almost a small fortune!
And this is only the vote bank of China.
He accepted it immediately.
Nolan and several other executives also craned their necks to watch.
After a while, Nolan was the first to finish reading.
After watching the film, the renowned British director frowned deeply and shook his head in anguish at Gu Heng.
"Gu! You've changed!"
"This is clearly just a pure popcorn blockbuster! It's all about shooting and visual stimulation, with absolutely no depth like Inception!"
Nolan clutched his chest, as if suffering a great emotional blow: "You betrayed our friendship!"
Gu Heng rolled his eyes wildly, his lips twitching.
Why don't you wait until you're filming "Tenet" before telling me about this?
We're all commercial directors, so let's not talk the older brother out of the younger one.
Compared to Nolan's affectation, Jeff appeared much more realistic.
That old fox's eyes were practically gleaming!
What's wrong with popcorn blockbusters?
Hollywood desperately needs these kinds of high-concept blockbusters!
If this were made into a film, it would definitely make a fortune globally!
"Gu! Is this notebook for sale?!"
Jeff went straight to the point, "We can collaborate like we did with Inception! Warner Bros. will fund the project and hire a director; you name your price!"
He really liked the script; it had a very creative concept and was perfect for Hollywood.
But Gu Heng refused without even thinking: "Jeff, man, you know I'm a director too."
"This notebook was custom-made for myself!"
Gu Heng paused for a moment, then continued, "Moreover, it has a prequel, which just finished its run in China."
Jeff didn't take it seriously at all. As a pure capitalist, his skin was as thick as a city wall.
So what if the prequel is released? It doesn't stop me from making money with the sequel!
"North American audiences haven't seen 'Source Code,' so we can completely repackage and repackage the marketing; there won't be any conflict!"
But Gu Heng still refused to back down.
The two of them went back and forth in the conference room for a long time.
Jeff tried everything—coercion, bribery, and empty promises—but Gu Heng remained unmoved.
In the end, Jeff could only sigh helplessly and abandon his plan to do the work and take the lion's share.
After all, the manuscript is in their hands, and the copyright has been registered long ago. The forced sale approach won't work on Gu Heng.
"OK! Even if we agree to a joint investment!" Jeff regained his composure, and his expression became serious.
"But Gu, the budget in your proposal is a whopping 1.5 million US dollars!"
This is definitely an A-list production; even in Hollywood, projects of this scale are extremely rare.
It's definitely not something that can be decided just by reading the script once or by a few people making a snap decision.
Naturally, it needs to go through Warner's internal evaluation.
"We need time to conduct an internal assessment," Jeff said, tapping the table and staring at Gu Heng.
"Did you bring the tape of 'Source Code'? We need to see the finished product."
Hearing this, Gu Heng smiled.
That's exactly what I was waiting for you to say!
Now that I'm here, how can I come without my equipment?
Gu Heng then pulled another copy tape from his bag and handed it to Jeff.
That evening, Warner hosted a welcome dinner for Gu Heng at Beverly Hills.
The venue was filled with long-legged, blonde, blue-eyed supermodels and Hollywood's third-tier actresses, all dressed in clothes with less fabric than their masks.
As a VIP guest of Warner and a genius screenwriter, Gu Heng was immediately targeted by several enthusiastic and outgoing female celebrities as soon as he entered the venue.
Her chest pressed against Gu Heng's face so hard it seemed she wanted to stick it right up.
Even if Gu Heng didn't have a girlfriend now, he wouldn't do anything.
Given the unspoken rules of Hollywood, who knows if this person has any problems?