Chapter 664 Playing Cards
The executive at Parameter in charge of Doomsday is Zebi Doyle.
He arranged to meet Lu Yanhe directly at Parameter's company.
Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan wanted more people to know that they were discussing this project with Parameter, so they readily accepted the proposal.
Parameter truly lives up to its reputation as a veteran film company.
The company building is impressive, modern, clean, and well-organized. Movie posters and trophies displayed in cabinets can be seen everywhere in the building.
This is the foundation of a film company.
Lu Yanhe felt quite emotional.
For a company like Parameter to achieve such a level of success—cultivating itself in an industry for over a century and becoming a leader—requires a level of accumulated expertise that no emerging company can surpass.
In China, it is common to see film companies that were thriving five years ago suddenly disappear or be replaced by other box office newcomers.
However, overseas, in the timeline that Lu Yanhe traveled to, even though A24 and Lionsgate had been at the height of their popularity for many years, and even though there were many new companies like Apple and Netflix that had entered the film industry but were making a big splash, the status of the Big Six remained unshakable.
The so-called company's foundation is profound in all aspects, including awards, markets, and the industrial chain, which cannot be influenced by others' good results in one or two years.
To be fair, most privately owned film companies in China are rising stars when viewed over a slightly longer period of time. If the two brothers hadn't run into trouble and had managed things well, they might have accumulated enough experience over the years to achieve their current success. Unfortunately, they ran into trouble during an era of industry transformation and soaring box office revenue.
Lu Yanhe's feeling at this moment was that Linghe doesn't have to become big and strong, but it should be done well and always be on the table. As long as it exists long enough, it will eventually become big and strong. Just accumulate slowly, there's no rush.
Zebi Doyle warmly welcomed Lu Yanhe.
“I must say, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that you were interested in this project.” Zebi Doyle expressed his appreciation and respect for Lu Yanhe with a slightly exaggerated tone and body language. “I must say, your performance in ‘The Mist’ was absolutely worthy of an Oscar. It’s a pity that it wasn’t really taken seriously because it was a horror film.”
"You flatter me."
“In fact, I’m planning to develop a film like ‘The Mist,’ which focuses on real racial discrimination and dilemmas, but in a non-realistic way, of course,” Zebi said. “I recently came across a really good script.”
We've gone off on a tangent.
Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan exchanged a glance.
Chen Ziyan received the signal and spoke.
“Mr. Doyle—”
“Please call me Zebi,” Zebi Doyle said.
Chen Ziyan smiled, "Okay, Zebi, you know, we actually came to Los Angeles this time to discuss another movie."
Zebi Doyle was somewhat surprised. "Oh?"
He expressed surprise that he had not heard of this news.
"Then, Yan He wrote a script and wanted to collaborate with Lu Nei. He met with Lu Nei and chatted with him, and that's how he learned about this project." Chen Ziyan smiled slightly. "Doomsday, a science fiction film, is one that Yan He has never directed before."
“Lu Nee has always been a top-notch director when it comes to science fiction,” Zebi Doyle said. “This time, we’ve found a great story.”
"What exactly is the story of 'Destruction Day'?" Chen Ziyan asked. "We only know a general theme."
"A scientist receives a letter from himself a year later, saying that if the current situation is not changed soon, the earth will be destroyed by an alien civilization in a year."
The scientist in this story is an American.
Zebi Doyle said, "Besides the scientist, there's another Asian protagonist in the film. He's a key figure in why the alien civilization attacked Earth. At first, the scientist thought this Asian was colluding with the alien civilization, but later he learned that it was because the Asian was conducting research that would threaten the alien civilization hundreds of years in the future. To eliminate the threat, the alien civilization would travel back a year into the future and destroy Earth directly. After learning the truth, the two of them traveled through time to save Earth from destruction."
It sounds like... a very conventional science fiction movie, and it sounds like it involves a very grand theme and scenes.
Chen Ziyan asked, "So, has anyone been chosen for the Asian role yet?"
Zebi Doyle said, "We have several actors in contact, but nothing has been finalized yet."
Upon hearing this, Chen Ziyan nodded and said, "We heard that Chen Pinhe is already signing a contract with you. If that's the case, we won't waste our time."
Zeby Doyle paused for a moment before saying, "Of course not, but we do have Chen Pinhe on our shortlist of actors. We don't know many Chinese male actors, and even fewer who have worldwide fame and influence. 'Doomsday' is a big production, and we hope to find an actor whose fame and influence match the film and who can be compared to the lead actor, Tom Felton."
Tom Felton, a top Hollywood actor, has won an Academy Award for Best Actor. However, he's not actually known for his acting skills; the film that won him the award was largely a case of "the film carrying the actor." He's truly famous; none of his starring films have grossed less than $60 million at the North American box office, regardless of their production costs.
Upon hearing the name Tom Felton, both Chen Ziyan and Lu Yanhe showed expressions of surprise.
If there are a few actors in Hollywood who stand at the very top of the pyramid, such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Cruise from another world, and the leading lady at her peak, then Tom Felton's position in Hollywood in this world is only below that level.
It's not the absolute top, but it's still top.
The fact that this is the lead actor shows how much Parameter values Doomsday.
At that moment, Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan both realized something at the same time.
They missed this person before.
-
The lead actor generally doesn't have as much say as the director—especially in the film industry.
However, this is not the case for a very small number of actors.
Tom Felton was one of these people.
Does Tom Field have no objections to having so many scenes with a character in a movie like this, who could even be considered a "dual male lead"?
Lu Yanhe didn't believe it.
He puts himself in others' shoes; when he acts, he takes his co-stars very seriously.
Because acting is not a solo performance; it requires two people to complement each other.
For ordinary actors, the play is something they perform themselves; for good actors, the play is something given to them by others. The play is a reaction, a stimulus, not a self-righteous performance.
Later, Zebi Doyle did indeed bring up the issue of salary.
The gist is that the film had a high production cost, so there wasn't much room for budgeting actor salaries, and Tom Felton took the lion's share.
Chen Ziyan said without hesitation, "Zebi, we'll talk to Darren about these things later. Darren Wilson is in charge of Yan He's actor management business in the United States. We're here today just to learn more about this project."
I won't engage.
Today we're not here to negotiate, we're here to "delay the time".
We reached an agreement on the payment today, now let's see what happens next.
-
"You want to contact Tom Felton?" Darren Wilson asked, puzzled as to why Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan would suddenly make such a request.
Lu Yanhe nodded: "We have something we want to meet with him to discuss."
Darren Wilson said, "When Tom Felton isn't filming, he usually stays at home unless he's on vacation abroad. He rarely goes out and it's hard to see him."
Lu Yanhe asked, "Do you have his email address? Or his phone number?"
“Yes, of course there is,” Darren nodded. “But do you want to contact him directly?”
"It would be even better if you could help me arrange to meet him."
“All I can say is that I can give it a try, but he might not come. He has a bit of a quirky temper and isn’t an easy guy to get along with.” Darren shrugged. “All superstars have their own tempers.”
Lu Yanhe nodded, "Then try to arrange a meeting for me. If you can't get him to agree, give me his email and phone number, and I'll try it myself."
“Okay.” Darren nodded, then added, “By the way, did you just meet Zeby Doyle of Parameter?”
“Yes.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “Your information network is really good.”
“This is Los Angeles, and my profession is agent. If I don’t even hear about these kinds of updates, then that’s a dereliction of duty on my part,” Darren said. “Why didn’t you tell me before you went to see Parameter?”
“Because we’re not here to discuss acting in this movie,” Lu Yanhe said. “Darren, besides whether or not I act in a particular movie, I have other things to do. These things might appear as me bypassing you and contacting some film companies, but that’s not the point. Regarding my acting career, you are my agent, and every contract will involve you. You can rest assured about that.”
Darren asked, "I know you're also a screenwriter, you write scripts—"
“Oh, by acting career I’m referring to also includes screenwriting, directing, and other roles,” Lu Yanhe said. “I’ll be frank with you. We haven’t known each other for very long, and our relationship is purely professional. So, I can’t trust you enough to confide everything in you about my personal life. Let’s just keep our current collaboration, okay?”
Darren remained silent for a while, then nodded and said, "Since you've said that..."
Lu Yanhe: "Perhaps what I just said made you uncomfortable, but I hope you understand that I did not mean to offend you. In fact, I am very satisfied with our cooperation so far, but I believe that deeper trust between people requires time and adjustment."
Darren: "Okay, but anyway, since this is Hollywood, as your agent, if I don't know your whereabouts and have to hear from other people which film company or which person you're in contact with, it will make people think there's a gap in our cooperation, which isn't a good thing for us."
"I will communicate with you more in the future."
-
After speaking with Darren Wilson on the phone, Lu Yanhe thought about it and realized that Darren's dissatisfaction was actually justified.
Regardless of whether their cooperation has just begun or whether they have enough trust yet.
In the eyes of others, especially in Hollywood, if Darren Wilson doesn't even have prior knowledge of his clients' public whereabouts, it would certainly raise questions about his control over them.
Although Darren Wilson doesn't actually have much control over him, if everyone gets that impression, it's certainly not good for Darren Wilson to handle his work in Hollywood.
Lu Yanhe snapped out of his daze and sent a message to Chen Ziyan, telling her that he had finished his call and was waiting for Darren's reply.
Chen Ziyan agreed.
She added: I'm going to meet an agent later.
Lu Yanhe was taken aback and asked: Who?
Chen Ziyan: Robin Galbraith of CAA, a very famous agent. I want to talk to her and sign Jiang Jun's overseas agency business to her.
Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised and asked: Sign it with CAA?
Chen Ziyan: Yes, since you've already signed with William Moss, it's most appropriate for Jiang Jun to sign with CAA. Otherwise, your and Jiang Jun's resources will clash within William Moss.
Lu Yanhe: Will Darren have any objections to this?
After dealing with Darren several times, he felt that Darren was not the kind of person who could figure things out on his own and do his own work independently.
Chen Ziyan: Jiang Jun's domestic agent is Lu Qingzhen, not me. I am not responsible for Jiang Jun's business. Darren has no right to have any objection to this matter. Moreover, he should also know that we cannot put all our eggs in one basket.
Chen Ziyan said: I've also started watching the Maxine self-produced drama starring Wang Jiaqi and Chen Pinhe.
Lu Yanhe silently sent a "thumbs up" emoji.
Chen Ziyan: We've been in Los Angeles for so many days and made so much noise. I think Chen Pinhe should have reacted by now. Maybe we'll run into him or his wife, Zhang Yuezhen, in Los Angeles in the next couple of days. You need to be prepared.
Lu Yanhe looked at the message sent by Chen Ziyan and suddenly didn't know how to reply.
Was he mentally prepared?
These past two days, the thought of targeting Chen Pinhe has kept him incredibly busy, like he's on steroids. He hasn't really thought about how he would react if Chen Pinhe appeared in front of him after this happens.
Having too many presets is meaningless.
Just then, Lu Yanhe found himself feeling empty inside, and strangely at a loss.
He didn't know the reason for this helplessness.
However, despite these unexpected emotions, unlike in the past, he did not doubt in the slightest whether he had made a mistake in doing so.
In this matter, wrong is also right.
Lu Yanhe firmly believes this.
There can be no such thing as being at ease.
There is no such thing as letting go.
anger.
Remember the most primal anger.
Just like in "Phoenix Terrace," even knowing it's a death sentence, you still have to stab with that sword; just like in "Burning Fire," no matter how complicated your feelings are or how much you struggle with the murderer of your father, you still have to kill him.
Lu Yanhe never expected that at this moment, what would come to mind were these two dramas and the emotions of the characters in them.
No role is played in vain, and no character's emotions pass through his body without leaving a trace.
-
As a result, there has been no news from Tom Felton yet, but there has been some activity regarding the script for "Buried".
Previously, Lu Yanhe had taken the script for "Buried Alive" and asked Murken Sorge to help him find a suitable director and producer in Hollywood to see if anyone was interested in the project.
I contacted a few before, but none of them were suitable.
Muken suddenly contacted Lu Yanhe, saying that one of Parameter's producers was very interested in the script.
When asked who it was, Lu Yanhe was stunned.
What a coincidence!
It turned out to be Zebi Doyle from Parameter, whom I had just met.
"Zebi?"
Muken was also surprised.
"You know him?"
“I just met with him because of another film project.”
“Oh!” Muken said. “That guy’s not bad. You contacted him about the Doomsday movie project, right?”
"Yes."
“It’s a big project, but I’ve heard that Tom Felton seems to be preparing to leave it,” Muken said. “If you’re only interested in this project because of Tom, maybe you should try to find out more.”
"Okay," Lu Yanhe said. "But Zebi already knows me, so why hasn't he mentioned this script to me?"
"The script you gave me was signed with the three letters LYH. How could he know that you wrote the script?"
Lu Yanhe: "..."
-
Lu Yanhe did not expect that he would meet Zebi Doyle again so soon.
Zebi Doyle clearly hadn't expected this either.
His face was full of an incredulous smile.
"It's unbelievable that you wrote the screenplay for 'Buried Alive'. It's a completely different story from 'Love Letter'."
Lu Yanhe said with a smile, "As a screenwriter, just like as an actor, the themes, subjects, and characters I create are very different."
“I really like the story of Buried, especially the way it’s told,” Zebi Doyle said. “This script is a classic example of a story where a small investment can yield big returns.”
"Of course, that was also my main consideration when I wrote this story. I used a story that anyone could afford to make to reduce the difficulty of filming it, so that Hollywood film companies would know that I am a screenwriter who is very good at writing scripts."
Lu Yanhe shrugged. "Who would have thought that in the end you would only know LYH, but not that it was me?"
Zebi Doyle laughed.
"This is indeed an unexpected surprise."
“But Lu, although Buried Alive is a good story, I hope it can be revised a bit more.”
Zebi Doyle said.
Lu Yanhe looked puzzled.
"Revise?"
-
Autumn in Yuming is mostly a time of clear skies and vast lands.
The autumn sky over Yuming is so clear and bright that it is refreshing and delightful.
For the people living in Yuming, this is the most comfortable time of the year.
Li Zhibai was wearing a very large fisherman's hat—which covered almost half of his face.
He only needs to lower his head, and unless you get very close to him, it's almost impossible to recognize him.
He was carrying a plastic bag containing a bottle of sparkling water and a croissant, the kind you buy at a convenience store.
After filming wrapped up for "Chinese Paladin," he had a rare day off work, and the sun was shining brightly. So, he wanted to go to a nearby park, find a tree, find a patch of grass where he could lie down, and leisurely clear his mind for a few hours.
Lying down is his best and favorite position.
Halfway there, my phone suddenly rang.
Li Zhibai picked up his phone and was taken aback when he saw that the caller ID showed "Lu Yanhe".
"Aren't you in Los Angeles? What time is it where you are at this hour?"
"Tonight," Lu Yanhe said, "I just finished dinner. Are you free now?"
"You're free? What's up?" Li Zhi asked.
Lu Yanhe said, "I have a movie script here. It was originally intended to be made into an English movie and cast actors from Europe and America. It's called 'Buried,' the one I told you about before."
"Oh, I know," Li Zhi asked. "What's wrong?"
“Parameter was interested in the script, or more accurately, in the concept. However, they wanted to ride the wave of ‘The Mist’ to make this film a Chinese-American movie, with the theme of a Chinese American being buried alive, against the backdrop of racial discrimination, and still in the horror/thriller style,” Lu Yanhe said.
Li Zhibai was taken aback and asked, "You're not planning to ask me to act in this, are you?"
“They initially wanted me to act in it,” Lu Yanhe said. “But my schedule is fully booked for next year, so I can’t act in it. Of course, the main reason is a more realistic consideration: this movie doesn’t quite fit my current market position in Hollywood. However, I have my own reasons for wanting Parameter to be made into this movie.” Lu Yanhe said, “The specific reasons are complicated, but mainly it’s about reaching a conditional exchange with Parameter.”
"Huh?" Li Zhibai asked in confusion, then said, "I'm fine with playing the role, but would people even consider me? I don't have any fame overseas."
“This film is a low-budget film,” Lu Yanhe said apologetically. “That’s why I’m calling you. I need to make this clear to you. I don’t want you to see any media reports saying that I didn’t act in this film because it was a low-budget film, which is why they asked me to act in it. If I could act in it, I definitely would—but not because the film is so good.”
"Alright, why are you telling me so much? You need me to act in this movie for you, and of course I'll act if I can. Stop wasting your breath."
“Yes, trust me, I won’t cheat you,” Lu Yanhe said. “Although this is a low-budget film, it will definitely do well at the box office. Moreover, it’s a one-man show, so you have a lot of room to perform.”
"You wrote the script, why do you need to say all this?"
Li Zhi laughed a hundred times.
“Do you know what Lin Suyang told me? He said if you write a script and ask me to act in it, I should just agree without asking any questions,” Li Zhibai said. “That’s great, now I have another job.”
Lu Yanhe: "I'm sorry, this time it's because of some things that happened to me that I asked you to act in this movie."
"Stop being so wishy-washy," Li Zhibai said bluntly, giving him a piece of his mind.
Lu Yanhe smiled.
-
Why didn't Lu Yanhe act in the script for "Buried Alive" himself?
Putting aside the release date, the main consideration is this film, which is a very typical "low-budget" dark horse.
However, this dark horse's box office ceiling is not high enough. To some extent, a movie shot entirely with one person and one shot cannot generate hundreds of millions of dollars in box office revenue.
If Lu Yanhe hadn't starred in "The Mist," a film that grossed over 200 million dollars worldwide, "Buried" would have been a good choice for him to make his Hollywood debut.
However, Lu Yanhe starred in "The Mist," and then went on to star in big productions like "Hurricane 2" and "Godless." So, at least in the commercial film field, Lu Yanhe is positioned as a blockbuster.
His acceptance of the role in "Buried Alive" will affect the market's perception of him.
Li Zhibai had never made a movie in Hollywood before, so this film was a perfect stepping stone for him.
-
Almost the next day, Variety magazine reported on the incident.
Parameter is in talks with Chinese actor and screenwriter Lu Yanhe (who has starred in films such as "Misty," "Love Letter," and "Friends," and has written screenplays such as "The Squid Game" and "Rouge") about a collaboration. Parameter has taken a liking to one of Lu Yanhe's film scripts and is currently negotiating the specific details of the collaboration. It is understood that this script is a highly innovative and daring work.
-
“We’ve already given Variety a heads-up, and I expect other film companies will be coming to you soon,” Chen Ziyan said. “If Parameter really wants to get this script, they’ll definitely increase their stakes.”
"Then tell me, when would be a good time for us to reveal our true purpose?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Chen Ziyan said, "Darren's side had already given their first offer before Variety reported it, which was the ten million US dollars we initially discussed. I estimate that Zebby Joyer is currently in his office cursing us for asking for too much. Let him curse for a while. With Buried, he will definitely negotiate with us rationally and calmly."
Lu Yanhe: "Okay, but why haven't we heard from Tom Felton? Isn't it something that can be decided quickly if he's willing to meet with me? Why are you dragging your feet and not giving me any information?"
Chen Ziyan: "I don't know the news yet. Darren has called him twice, but he didn't answer. You said before that Muken told you that Tom might withdraw from the 'Doomsday' project. Maybe he has some things to take care of."
“If Tom wants to withdraw from the Doomsday project, then the project will be very uncertain, and it may not even be able to start,” Lu Yanhe said.
If Tom really leaves a film with such a large investment, and Parameter can't find a replacement actor, the most common solution is to shelve it.
In Hollywood, several film projects are shelved every day due to changes in lead actors.
The bigger the film, the more this is true.
After all, low-budget films can take risks and make mistakes, but blockbusters cannot.
After all, the failure of "Doomsday" could have gotten Zeb Doyle kicked out of Parameter.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
