What? ? ? Genius playwright... Gu Ran? Rachel froze!

For a moment, she couldn't figure out whether she was crazy or the great director Nolan was crazy.

Annie walked up to Gu Ran, took Gu Ran's hand without hesitation, and proudly introduced him to Nolan and the other two: "Mr. Nolan, this is the talented playwright Gu Ran you are looking for!"

"What???"

Now it was the turn of the great director Nolan to be shocked! He had guessed from Gu Ran's Chinese name that Gu Ran was of Chinese descent, or Chinese, but...

He would never have thought that Gu Ran was so young!

"Annie, are you kidding me?" Nolan laughed, "I know that geniuses and masters usually like to play tricks on people. Hahaha! This is so funny! I almost fell for it!"

Gu Ran smiled and said, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Nolan. I am really Gu Ran, the creator of the hand-painted script for Batman 3: The Dark Knight Rises."

Nolan was completely stunned. "...Oh my God! This, this is impossible! Are you really Gu Ran? Is the hand-drawn script really your work?"

…Actually it’s yours, but now that I’m reborn, it’s mine.

Gu Ran smiled and said, "Yes."

"Unbelievable! Unbelievable!" Nolan shook his head vigorously, took out a spinning top and spun it on the table.

Anne: …

Rachel: ...

Nolan took a deep breath until the spinning top stopped. "This is not a dream. This is really not a dream. Mr. Gu Ran, I never thought you would be so young! You must be a Chinese who grew up in the United States and was deeply influenced by American culture. I know that Chinese people are very smart and are elites in all walks of life."

Gu Ran smiled and said, "Thank you Mr. Nolan for the compliment, but I am not of Chinese descent. I am a native Chinese and my nationality is Chinese."

Nolan's pupils dilated in shock. "Oh my God! Oh my God! This is incredible! Mr. Gu Ran, you are more talented than I thought! You are a genius among geniuses! The positioning and grasp of Gotham City in your hand-drawn drafts are so accurate! And it is very profound and thought-provoking! Your portrayal of the overall environment has raised the tone of the entire film to a new height!"

As for criticizing the corrupt and evil capitalism, we have been able to do this since childhood.

Gu Ran smiled and said, "I didn't think about it that much. I just followed my heart."

Nolan couldn't help but give a thumbs up, "Awesome! You are indeed a genius! And you are such a young genius!"

Seeing Nolan so excited, Rachel beside him couldn't help but whisper to Annie: "What's going on? Isn't Gu Ran a football student? How come he suddenly became a playwright?"

Anne said proudly, "Rachel, I haven't had time to tell you yet. Gu Ran specially hand-drew a script for me in order to let me return to Hollywood. After the famous director Nolan read Gu Ran's script, he immediately flew here."

Rachel was stunned. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Annie rolled her eyes at Rachel and said, "Did you give me a chance? You just came up and started scolding Gu Ran."

Rachel quickly said, "I didn't scold him! I really didn't! I might just... my tone was a little unfriendly. Gu Ran won't mind, right?"

Anne patted Rachel comfortingly, "Don't worry, Chinese men are very generous."

Rachel breathed a sigh of relief.

Nolan continued to say excitedly: "Mr. Gu Ran, your hand-drawn script is really great! This is the best hand-drawn script I have ever seen since I started working in this industry. Not a single shot is redundant! The character settings and plot development are all perfect! There is no need for modification or adjustment at all, it can be directly filmed! I can't wait to know what kind of state you were in and how much time it took you to create such a strong script?"

Gu Ran shrugged, "I wrote this hand-drawn script for Annie. It took me about ten days to write it."

Nolan's face was filled with horror. "What!!! Ten days???"

Gu Ran continued, "Well, it's a little slow, but there's a reason for that, because I have to train, compete, and at night... ahem... sleep."

Anne next to her was already blushing with shyness and happiness.

Nolan was so shocked that he was numb!

Rachel was having trouble standing, luckily Bella next to her helped her up.

...Oh my God!

It only took a dozen days to draw it by hand! Even the genius director Nolan was impressed by it! He flew to the door to ask for a meeting!

This is not a genius anymore! This is God!

No wonder Annie fell in love with him! No wonder! No wonder! No wonder!

Rachel regretted it so much!

If he had known that Gu Ran was so talented, he should not have asked Annie to stay away from Gu Ran right away, but should have asked Annie to hold on tightly! Harder, harder! Nolan exclaimed excitedly: "Oh my God! Ten days is considered slow?! When I wrote the script for Batman 2, it took me more than half a year, and I discussed and revised many drafts with my screenwriters, and revised them repeatedly during the filming process. Mr. Gu Ran, your script for Batman 3 is a completely mature work!"

"Mr. Gu Ran! You are an absolute playwriting genius!"

"I dare say that your talent has surpassed 99.99% of screenwriters in Hollywood!"

"You know what, Mr. Gu Ran, after reading your hand-drawn script, my first feeling is that this script is completely consistent with my thinking!"

"I even feel that there is some kind of mysterious quantum entanglement between the two of us!"

"I even suspect that I am in a dream space, and you are the me from another dimension that has traveled through!"

Holy shit…

Nolan, if you keep talking like this, you will get closer to the truth! Gu Ran said quickly: "No, no, no, Mr. Nolan, you flatter me. In fact, I am not a genius. The reason why I can hand-draw "Batman 3" is because I imitated the narrative style of your first two Batman movies. The reason why you feel familiar and think that our ideas are highly consistent is precisely because I hand-drew according to your ideas, so as to ensure the unity of the "Batman" trilogy. Mr. Nolan, you are the giant, and I am just standing on your shoulders."

Hearing Gu Ran calling him a "giant", Nolan became even more excited, "Hahaha! Mr. Gu Ran! Thank you for saying that! It turns out that the person who understands me best in this world is not my parents, nor my wife, but you who have never met me!"

Nolan, don't do this...

If you find out that I also understand other great directors, will you think I am a "scumbag" in the screenwriting world?

Gu Ran was suddenly at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

Nolan was still excited, "Gu - can I just call you Gu? You can just call me Christopher! Because I think we are conjoined brothers!"

Gu Ran smiled and said, "Of course."

"Great, Gu! I have another question I'd like to know! The hand-drawn script I saw was just a scanned document, but I can tell that you seemed to have drawn it with a pen, right?"

Gu Ran nodded and said, "Yes."

Nolan slapped his thigh and said, "I knew it! You are a genius! An unparalleled genius! You draw with a pen without changing a single stroke! It's amazing! Gu, tell me, which film and television company are you working for now?"

Gu Ran smiled and said, "Oh, Mr. Nolan - I mean, Christopher, I'm not a screenwriter, and I don't have a film and television company. In fact, I'm a football player."

"W-what?" Nolan turned back to look at Annie in shock for confirmation.

Annie nodded proudly at Nolan, "Yes, Gu Ran is a professional football player. He hand-painted this script just for me."

Nolan was completely shocked!

"Oh my God!"

Nolan held his head with both hands, his expression was extremely exaggerated: "A professional football player? I can't believe it! Gu! Your talent should be displayed in Hollywood! Why do you still play football! Come to Hollywood! Let's work together! I promise that within three movies, you will become the master screenwriter that all Hollywood producers beg for! You will be deified in Hollywood! Your name will be left on the Avenue of Stars!"

...It's so beautiful! But...

Gu Ran smiled and said calmly: "Sorry, Christopher, I really just want to play football."

Nolan was surprised and said, "Gu, you probably don't know what it feels like to be a Hollywood star, right?"

Gu Ran smiled and said, "To be honest, I have imagined it, but that kind of success will not bring me more happiness than playing football."

——The dopamine rush brought by competitive sports cannot be achieved in any other industry.

Nolan took a deep breath and looked at the young Chinese man in front of him seriously.

After a moment, Nolan gave Gu Ran a thumbs up in admiration, "Gu! I admire you so much! You are so young, but you can stick to your original intention and not be attracted by other temptations! I dare say that there are not many people in this world who can be like you. No wonder you can hand-draw such an outstanding script for "Batman 3"! Because you are an outstanding talent yourself. People like you will be the best no matter what they do!"

"Of course, if you change your mind one day, or retire from the court, please remember to come to me at any time and we can work together again. I think the two of us brothers will definitely be able to make the best movie in the world together."

Gu Ran smiled and said, "Okay, Christopher, that's no problem of course."

Gu Ran secretly complained in his heart:

Do I need to go to Hollywood to draw a few scripts? I just draw them when I have time. This kind of thing can't hinder my big goal of becoming a football star.

Seeing that Gu Ran agreed, Nolan rubbed his hands happily, "Well, let's talk about the contract for Batman 3: The Dark Knight Rises, shall we? Gu, do you have an agent?"

Gu Ran shook his head, "No."

What the hell?

When did we become friends? Ms. Rachel wanted to bite me to death a few minutes ago! Gu Ran was suddenly a little amused, "... Well, thank you."

After all, she is Anne Hathaway's agent, so she always has to have some presence. Moreover, trivial matters like drafting a contract can be easier with an agent present.

Rachel said happily, "That's great, let's sit down and talk - by the way, do you want to talk while we eat?"

Nolan waved his hand and said urgently: "The contract is important, let's finish the discussion first and then eat."

"good."

Several people sat down on the sofa in the box.

Rachel pulled Annie and arranged for her to sit next to Gu Ran, while Rachel sat on the other side of Gu Ran.

Anne was immediately beaming with joy.

Warner Bros.' agent politely said to Gu Ran, "Mr. Gu Ran, considering that you have not joined the Hollywood Writers Guild before and have no other dramas, and based on the quality of your Batman 3, I am offering you $1.25 million on behalf of Warner Bros. Believe me, we have discussed this price with Mr. Nolan. This price is absolutely sincere for a newcomer. If you agree, we can sign the contract directly."

Rachel came close to Gu Ran and lowered her voice, "Gu, this price is really good in the industry. The highest price for a script auction in Hollywood at present is the screenwriter of "Time and Space Clue" in 2006, which was sold for 5 million US dollars. However, that playwright has a very high status in Hollywood, and he has a team of screenwriters under him, and you are not a member of the Hollywood Writers Guild. Warner can directly give you 1.25 million US dollars, which is indeed very sincere. Of course, you can hold your temper, after all, their first round of bids are so high, and theoretically the price can be raised to about 1.5 million US dollars. In addition, you can also ask for something else, such as a share of net profits and a share of back-end revenue."

Rachel has now completely converted to Gu Ran's group and is seriously giving advice to Gu Ran.

Gu Ran smiled and said, "Thank you for your reminder, Rachel. I think I know what to do now."

Rachel smiled at Gu Ran flatteringly, "...Why thank me? We are all family."

Holy shit…

Ms. Rachel, please don't be like this. I still like your unruly look! Gu Ran cleared his throat and said to Warner's agent, "Let's not talk about the price first. If you want to use my hand-painted script, you must agree to a prerequisite of mine first."

The agent immediately said, "Go ahead."

Gu Ran said: "I require that the actress who plays Catwoman must be Anne Hathaway, otherwise, I would rather burn this script than give it to you."

Anne next to her was suddenly filled with happiness.

Rachel was so excited that she couldn't control herself - see! They are really a family! Gu Ran, this young man, is really great!

Warner's agent hesitated for a moment, "Mr. Gu Ran, I'm afraid... You have to know that casting requires a series of auditions, and then the director and production team will have a meeting to discuss. This requires a very professional process, and it's not something that the screenwriter can decide."

Nolan next to him smiled and said, "Gu, don't worry. I can promise you right here that this is absolutely no problem. I am the director and producer of this film, and I have the absolute right to choose the heroine. Annie is very good. Although a role like Catwoman, which is both good and evil and charming and naughty, may be a challenge for her, when I saw Annie, I found that she is much more beautiful than before, and her eyes are more lively. I believe she can successfully handle the role of Catwoman."

Anne said happily: "Thank you Mr. Nolan, this role was designed specifically for me. I can do all the difficult moves that Catwoman can do. I am very confident that I can play the role of Catwoman well."

Rachel also said excitedly: "Yes, our Annie is the best."

Nolan smiled and said, "It's settled then. Just write this clause into the contract!"

Gu Ran nodded slightly, "Then we can continue to discuss the quotation."

The agent breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Are you satisfied with the $1.25 million buyout price for the script?"

Gu Ran shook his head, "Not satisfied."

After finishing speaking, Gu Ran did not say another word, just waiting for the agent to get nervous.

This is also a negotiation skill for agency contracts! Rachel next to him couldn't help but secretly sighed: Gu Ran, this kid, is really amazing!

Under such great negotiation pressure, his mentality can be so stable! The more I watch him, the more I like him!

Annie, Annie, you are so lucky! You got such a good cabbage!

The agent said nervously, "Mr. Gu Ran, the price of $1.25 million is really high. After all, you are not a member of the Hollywood Writers Guild yet. Of course, we can help you go through the relevant procedures and make you a member of the Hollywood Writers Guild. In this way, you can enjoy a share of the net profits, and our buyout price can be increased appropriately."

Rachel quickly reminded Gu Ran in a low voice: "Gu, if you want to become a member of the Hollywood Writers Guild, then you must first join a registered film and television company in Hollywood - they actually want to sign you to Warner. Although this is beneficial, the benefit to you is small, and the benefit to them is huge. Because once you join Warner and become a screenwriter for Warner, any scripts you write in the future must be supplied to Warner first."

Gu Ran nodded slightly to Rachel, "I understand."

Warner's agent continued, "There are many benefits to being a member of the Hollywood Writers Guild. For example, after you get the buyout fees in batches, you can also enjoy an additional 5%-2.5% of the net profit after the film is released. Original scripts can get 5% of the net profit, and adapted scripts can get 2.5% of the net profit. Although the story of Batman 3 you created is original, the characters are copyrighted, so in theory you can only get 2.5% of the net profit. Of course, Warner is willing to show its sincerity and give you a 5% share of the net profit."

I have to say that the American film industrialization system is really awesome.

At the very least, screenwriters are treated as human beings. The screenwriters’ say may not be very high, but the remuneration and share of the profits are still very impressive.

only……

Even more powerful than the Hollywood Writers Guild is Hollywood's accounting agency.

"Net profit" is not "box office revenue".

Hollywood's accounting agencies always find ways to convert a box office hit into a net profit of just a few cents, or even a loss.

So, this "net profit" sounds good, but there are not many Hollywood screenwriters who can actually get it.

As someone who was 12 years ahead of this era, although Gu Ran had never worked in Hollywood, he had seen a lot of these capitalist pie-in-the-sky games.

The real profit is by no means the so-called "net profit", but the "box office share" and "back-end income".

Gu Ran didn't wait for Rachel to give him a hint, and said directly: "I don't want net profit, I just want box office share and back-end income."

Warner's agent was stunned.

Rachel couldn't help but be stunned.

She originally wanted to remind Gu Ran, but she didn't expect that Gu Ran actually understood everything! Rachel really liked Gu Ran, this calm young man, more and more.

Warner's agent cleared his throat and said, "Mr. Gu Ran, you may not understand the operating model of our Hollywood. The box office share is only shared by directors, producers, investors, production companies, distributors, theater chains, and cinemas. Actors, staff, and screenwriters cannot participate in the box office share. You can only share the net profit."

Gu Ran smiled, "Okay, then treat it as an investment. I'll take this script as an investment. I don't want a penny of the buyout fee you guys want to give me. I just want 1% of the global box office share and 5% of the back-end revenue share. You should also know that my request is not excessive."

When these words were spoken, everyone present was shocked.

Is this really something that young people who have never been to Hollywood can think of?

1% of the global box office share is quite high for an individual, and is generally only available to top directors.

For example, Nolan, the guaranteed share of the global box office for this film is 5%.

Of course, Hollywood movies were not at their peak in 2010, and Nolan was not yet one of the top directors. When he later filmed "Dunkirk", Nolan served as director, screenwriter, and producer, and was able to get 20% of the global box office share.

Now, given Gu Ran's identity, asking for 1% of the global box office share is indeed a bit high, but it is not outrageous.

What really makes Warner's agents uncomfortable is the 5% share requirement of "back-end income".

The so-called back-end income actually refers to the revenue from other channels after the film is taken off the screen.

For example, burning it into a DVD, or the revenue from paid viewing on television media, or the revenue from paid viewing on online media.

The back-end revenue has zero cost and will not be included in the movie box office and movie profits.

And this is actually the real big deal.

For example, the movie "The Shawshank Redemption" had a budget of 25 million US dollars when it was filmed, and the box office reached 58 million US dollars that year. In terms of profit, it did not make any money and even suffered a loss.

However, in the era of the explosion of the Internet age, this highly rated movie has a large number of views every year. According to global back-end revenue, the two leading actors Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins can earn at least hundreds of thousands of dollars from this movie every year.

Yes, they don’t have to do anything. As long as people keep watching “The Shawshank Redemption”, the screenwriters and actors will receive money every year.

Not only the screenwriters, directors, and leading actors, but also any actor with lines can obtain continuous share of profits from the back-end income.

There was a little actor in "Titanic" who only had one line. He was only seven or eight years old at the time. Since then, he has received about 30,000 US dollars in back-end share income every year. He successfully completed his studies with this money.

5% of the back-end income is not much, but when accumulated year after year, it is also very terrifying.

Moreover, Gu Ran was very sure that Batman 3 would set a new record in the global box office, reaching 1.08 billion US dollars! 1% of 1.08 billion was 10.8 million US dollars!

Moreover, Gu Ran's hand-drawn "Batman 3" added many better factors.

Plus, Annie has been trained by him personally, so it would be strange if she wasn't very popular!

Maybe it can even break through the global box office of 1.2 billion US dollars! The long-term 10.8 million US dollars plus the 5% back-end income, isn't this better than just taking the buyout fee of 1.25 million US dollars? ...

(End of this chapter)