assistirfilmes Chapter 53: The Wind Rises
Chapter 53: The Wind Rises
On March 20th, the wind in Beijing finally stopped being so biting.
Liu Yu looked out the company window at the slow, crawling traffic on Chang'an Avenue. When Zhong Lifang knocked and came in, he was staring blankly out the window, the hot chocolate in his hand long since gone cold.
"Boss, pre-production for 'The Man from Nowhere' is almost done." Zhong Lifang placed the folder on the table and pushed it towards us. "Lionsgate just sent an email saying Daniel Craig's contract is finalized. His salary is $2600, which is $400,000 less than their initial offer."
She sat down in the chair opposite her. "David's watching over there. He said Craig's in great shape and he's already started physical training for the film."
Liu Yu opened the folder, which contained copies of the contract and various attachments.
He stared at the name for a few seconds, imagining that a year later this person would become the world's most famous secret agent, with people calling him "007" wherever he went.
Now, he's just a British actor who's willing to work with a Chinese director for a three million dollar salary.
It's a strange feeling, like a stock analyst knowing in advance which stock will go up.
"Okay, let's announce it at the end of the month. No rush." He closed the folder and pushed it back. "Let the hype surrounding 'Hearing Girl' cool down a bit, so it doesn't overshadow our own film."
Zhong Lifang nodded, got up to leave, but stopped at the door.
"Oh, by the way, Mr. Han called and asked when would be a convenient time for us. He'd like to invite you to dinner."
She leaned against the door frame, her arms crossed over her chest, her tone casual. Liu Yu knew she was waiting for a definite answer.
Liu Yu thought for a moment, "Next week then. Let's go over the contract details in the next few days, so we can explain things clearly when they ask us about it."
Zhong Lifang responded, opened the door, and left.
.....
Less than a week later, "The Hearing Girl" was taken off the screens.
The final box office figure was 81.29 million.
This number might not seem like much for a commercial film, but it's one of the best results for an art film in recent years.
It was a box office and critical success, and the media used the word "miracle" to describe it.
Liu Yu didn't say anything when he saw the reports, but Zhong Lifang sent a message in the company's QQ group: "Everyone has worked hard. Bonuses will be distributed at the end of the month."
The group chat exploded instantly, with hundreds of emojis flooding the chat. Wang Chaowen's "Long live the boss" emoji flashed repeatedly, and Liu Yu silently set the group messages to Do Not Disturb mode.
.....
The news from across the ocean came faster than expected.
Early on the morning of March 25th, Lionsgate's official website published a press release in English with a straightforward title: "Lionsgate Announces Collaboration with Liu Yu on Action Film 'The Man from Nowhere'."
Liu Yu took the document and slowly flipped through it. The budget was 20 million US dollars, with Qianlang Pictures holding a 60% stake. Daniel Craig was confirmed to play the male lead, and filming was expected to begin this fall.
The news reached China during working hours.
The editors of major portal websites are probably typing away while munching on a jianbing (Chinese crepe).
Liu Yu opened several frequently used websites, and his headlines were everywhere.
"Liu Yu is producing a Hollywood action film with a budget of 20 million US dollars."
Lionsgate officially announced its new film plans, with Chinese director Liu Yu joining the project.
"Daniel Craig will star in an action film directed by a Chinese director."
He read through the news articles from beginning to end. Wang Chaowen, who was sitting next to him, heard the noise and turned to look at him.
The phone hasn't stopped ringing since that moment.
First, Han Sanping called, "Director Liu, you're not being fair. I only heard about this big thing from the news."
Han Sanping's tone contained blame, but mostly laughter.
Liu Yu explained, "It's still going through the process, and we were afraid that things might change if we told them in advance."
"Alright, I'm not going to argue with you anymore. I've had someone issue a statement about the four million US dollars from China Film Group. Is everything alright on your end?"
"no problem."
The call from Shanghai Film Group came right away. Mr. Ren was very polite. He first congratulated them and then asked if there was any room for cooperation with domestic companies.
Wang Zhonglei from Huayi Brothers also called, his tone more friendly than that of the person from Shanghai Film Group, since they had met and chatted briefly at the premiere of "A World Without Thieves".
Bona's Yu Dong was the most direct; when he called, Liu Yu was discussing actor selection with Zhong Lifang.
"Director Liu! You've got such a big deal with Lionsgate, why didn't you tell me? I could have helped you find the funding!"
"Mr. Yu, it's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just that Lionsgate requires confidentiality."
Yu Dong chuckled on the other end of the phone, "Don't give me that. What secrets does Lionsgate keep? They want the whole world to know. You just don't want to include me."
"Mr. Yu, how could I not want to include you? It's just that the investment structure for this film was already set, and Mr. Han insisted on squeezing in China Film's share."
Yu Dong paused for a moment, then sighed, "Alright, alright, I won't make things difficult for you. You have to save me a copy for the next one. Bona isn't short of money right now, what it lacks are good projects."
......
Around 2 PM, Liu Yu received a call from a reporter.
The other party introduced themselves as being from Sina Entertainment, and spoke very politely, asking if a brief telephone interview could be conducted.
Liu Yu thought for a moment and decided that it was better to guide than to block, so he should speak up and make things clear himself.
The reporter's question was standard: Is the news true?
Is the 60% investment figure true? Who has been cast as the male lead? Will the female lead be a Chinese actress?
Liu Yu answered each question one by one, confirming that the news was true, 60% of the investment was confirmed, and the male lead was Daniel Craig. The female lead hadn't been decided yet, but it was highly likely to be Chinese; he declined to reveal the specifics.
When the reporter pressed him for details, he answered them all perfectly.
The new portal's title was updated after the interview was published.
Director Liu Yu responds exclusively: The female lead will most likely be Chinese; co-production models are being explored.
After the news spread, a large number of talent agencies began frantically contacting Zhong Lifang and Liu Yu.
Zhong Lifang's inbox received hundreds of emails overnight, and her phone ran out of battery and she had to replace the battery three times.
She sent Liu Yu a long message: "I'm about to drown. Can you hurry up and decide who the female lead is so these people can give up?"
Zhang Ziyi's invitation was the most unexpected for Liu Yu. She had her assistant find Zhong Lifang and said she wanted to invite Liu Yu to dinner.
Zhang Ziyi has already made her way in Hollywood, starring in films such as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Hero," and "House of Flying Daggers," and is currently at the peak of her career.
He immediately thought of something: wasn't Zhang Ziyi currently working on "The Banquet"?
Such a big appetite?
Liu Yu stared at the message for a long time before finally replying to Zhong Lifang: "Please reply for me. Just say I've been too busy lately and we'll make plans again when things calm down."
.....
Liu Xiaoli saw the news on the sofa in the Xiangshan Hotel. Liu Yifei came out of the bathroom wearing a white house dress, her hair casually tied up.
She poured herself a glass of water, carried it to the living room, and saw her mother sitting on the sofa in a daze. "Mom, what's wrong?"
Liu Xiaoli didn't say anything, but handed the computer over.
Liu Yifei took the water and glanced at it. Her expression didn't change much. She slowed down her drinking, as if she was using the time to digest the information on the screen.
Then she handed the phone back to Liu Xiaoli, saying, "Oh."
Liu Xiaoli took the phone and hesitated for a moment.
"Didn't you talk about movies when you were chatting with Director Liu that day?" Her tone was casual.
Liu Yifei shook her head. "I didn't say any of that that day."
She carried her water glass to the other end of the sofa, sat down, and crossed her legs.
Liu Xiaoli paused for a moment, her gaze falling on the bunch of lilies on the coffee table that had already wilted a bit.
"This is a Hollywood movie," she said softly, as if talking to herself, "I wish I could star in it."
She paused, then turned to look at Liu Yifei. "Should I go ask Director Liu what he thinks?"
Liu Yifei held the water glass without moving, her eyes fixed on the slightly swaying surface of the water.
She knew what her mother was thinking. It wasn't greed or utilitarianism; it was the kind of thought any mother would have when she saw her daughter had an opportunity.
"No, let's not," she said, placing her water glass on the coffee table. "If he wants to say it, he will."
She didn't say anything more, stood up, took her water glass, and went into the room.
Liu Xiaoli sat on the sofa watching her daughter's figure disappear around the corner. Liu Yifei returned to her room, closed the door, and leaned against the door for a while.
She took her phone out of her pocket and opened Liu Yu's QQ chat window.
The last time they chatted was last week; the smiley face she sent is still there, but he hasn't replied.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard for a long time before she finally put the phone down.