Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 976 The answer is still No
As the closing ceremony approached, more Hollywood stars came. In addition to Robert Redford who was waiting for the awards, there were also big names who came to stand for various movies.

The Norris mentioned by Gong Li also came, and Ronald asked her, the investor asked Yimou to imitate, it was indeed "Delta Special Forces" filmed by Cannon, a clumsy Stallone "First Blood" B-grade imitation works.

Now Ronald feels a little pity for Yimou, his ability is not limited to making movies that imitate B-movies.Then he asked Gong Li to tell him that as long as Yimou is interested, he can come to Hollywood, and if he is afraid of language and cultural barriers, he can also try Xiangjiang.

Gong Li is very happy. With such a Hollywood friend, Yimou will have many more opportunities.She has a cheerful personality, and said that this time Cannes also has a Chinese film participating in the main competition unit, and another British film participating in the Director's Fortnight, which also has a Chinese actress, but it is from the other side of the strait.

Ronald just wanted to meet more Chinese filmmakers, so he asked her to come forward and invite the two of them to talk about it.

The mainland director, Chen Kaige, has a big beard.This time he brought a story about being a rural teacher in the Southwest called "The King of Children".

And the Chinese actress, Sylvia Chang Ai-chia, starred in the movie "Sweet and Sour", which is about Chinese immigrants, their struggle and helplessness in a foreign land in Britain, and the plight of culturally incompatible immigrants.

The Chinese are relatively marginalized in Cannes, and even film directors and stars have limited financial resources.Ronald's treat is at Le Jardin de Bambou, the only high-end restaurant in Cannes that serves Chinese food.This is a Vietnamese restaurant, but because there are fewer types of Vietnamese dishes, there are also a lot of Chinese food mixed in.

Kaige is a director with a great desire to communicate. His film Kid King was not well received in the show magazines, so the award this time may not be high.He really wanted to be recognized by Hollywood and mainstream European film festivals. After knowing that Red Sorghum had won the Golden Bear, he insisted on sending Kid King to Cannes, because the quality of the Cannes Film Festival is higher than that of West Berlin.

Sylvia Chang studied and lived in America. She speaks English very well. She is more relaxed and helps Kaige translate.She had been filming in Hong Kong before, and because she was a child in America, she was fluent in English, so she was spotted by British director Mike Newell and starred in this movie.

Kaige talked eloquently and talked about a lot of film theories that Ronald didn't understand.Ronald smiled and said nothing, and later Kaige also found out, and said to Sylvia Chang with a smile, "The foreigner is laughing at us for being behind."

"If you're interested, you might as well come to Hollywood to try it out. It's useless to talk too much. Let's make a film to see if the audience likes it." Ronald said in Chinese with a smile.

"Eh...", Kaige looked at Gong Li who was laughing, a little embarrassed.Who knew that this foreigner could speak Chinese so well that he made a joke of it.Fortunately, my girlfriend is going to America soon, and when I have a work, I will go to him, and let him see that the men in the capital can also make movies.

It was Sylvia Chang who understood Ronald's subtext and asked Ronald if he was willing to invest in Chinese to make movies in Hollywood.

"Of course, if you have any story scripts related to America, you can send them to me. I have a small company in Hollywood. When I come across a script with commercial potential, investment is not a problem."

The three Chinese filmmakers received the business cards from Ronald and put them away carefully. Who knew that coming to Cannes could also develop Hollywood contacts.

……

For Daydream, the Cannes Film Festival is more importantly a trading market.A lot of small producers come with copies, trying to get a good price here.

Others couldn't even pay the rent for the screenings, so they had to bring converted videotapes to sell.They are likely to put all their savings into the shooting of the first movie in their lives, and then want to be spotted by a distributor who really understands movies, buy it, and go back to make the second movie after they get back the money.

However, Ronald watched a lot of potential movies recommended by daydreaming colleagues, but they were all lackluster. The value orientation here was completely different from that of Hollywood, and it did not meet the taste of the American market.

But after all, Western Europe is still a developed country, and movie tickets here are very expensive, and they can be screened by distributors in China. Those prices can already make some movies in less developed regions earn a fortune.

With empty hands, it is destined to only sell but not buy this time. "The King of Fighters" sold more copies at Cannes than it took domestically, and distribution manager Michelle Cannold couldn't be happier, promising to sign star Jean-Claude Van Damme for a few more films.

"It's too late, he's going to shoot a blockbuster movie with a production budget of more than 2000 million." Ronald replied.Cannon gave the "Cyborg" film the treatment of the annual key production, daydreaming to find Jean-Claude Van Damme and Lundgren to make a film again, and the only chance is to wait until the film is released.

Minahan's "sci-fi" + "action" + "comics" approach should be a hit... right?

On the second day, Cannes welcomed several Hollywood bigwigs.One is actor Michael Douglas.He came to solicit investment for the new film "Talk Radio" by the director Oliver Stone who made him the Best Actor.

After making several critically acclaimed films, Stone became more interested in social topics. This film is an adaptation of a stage play (to escape the writer's strike), that is, the host of a large-scale late-night radio show, because he is particularly daring to discuss controversial issues. Make bold speeches, and the ratings increase step by step.When he was about to go to the national syndicate radio broadcast, he was shot dead by an extreme fan.

This film is critical of American society, and has no commercial value. It is difficult to obtain financing in Hollywood, so Stone came to China, hoping to be liked by European investors. Michael Douglas strongly endorsed him to increase the attraction of the project. force.

Another big man is George Lucas who has been lurking for several years.

Under the two blows of his divorce and the box office hit of "Howard Duck", he basically stayed in his own Lucas Manor, and worked with the magicians from Industrial Light and Magic to study movie special effects.

In his view, the reason Howard the Duck failed at the box office was because the special effects weren't good enough, so he invested a lot of money in computer-generated special effects methods.From last year to this year, he has been working hard on "Willow" directed by Ron Howard, who he is close to, as his own producer.

The filming of this film was completed very early last year, but the special effects production seems to be very long, and it has only just been completed until now.Lucas made Cannes the premiere location for the film, which was then released in America shortly thereafter.

Ronald, as a Hollywood person who came one step earlier, held a welcome dinner in the evening.A group of big Hollywood directors and big stars are here at the top Palme d'Or restaurant in Cannes to cleanse them up.

These people are not quite used to Ronald's Chinese-style welcome, but they are very satisfied with Ronald's arrangement after a tiring journey, eating the top-level food here, and being accompanied by beautiful stars.

"Can the current technology of Industrial Light and Magic produce the effect in the comics?" Ronald took a chance and asked George Lucas sincerely.His Industrial Light and Magic represents the most advanced magic ability in Hollywood. Whether he can produce the effect of flying into the sky and escaping from the ground in the comics depends on whether they can do it.

If it can't be photographed, then I'm afraid I can only shoot according to the old-fashioned method, wearing some tights and hanging wires.

"Why don't you come and see for yourself tomorrow? Hahaha" Lucas has now adopted a son and a daughter, and is happily living the happy life of a single father in Lucas Ranch. He looks much better than when he just divorced , it seems that he really likes children, except this time he came to the platform for half-apprentice Ron Howard, and he didn't leave home easily.

Ronald was very interested in the advancement of special effects due to the development of science and technology, so he agreed on the spot.Everyone was full of wine and food, and began to go back to rest.

"Ronald, is it convenient to talk in another place?" Michael Douglas grabbed Ronald's arm at the door.

"certainly……"

Douglas, Oliver Stone, a Dutch banker, and Ronald moved to the quiet executive lounge in the hotel, where they chatted conveniently.

Ronald asked Stone about the Tom Cruise movie about the Vietnam War.Stone said that he originally planned to shoot scenes in Vietnam, but the diplomatic relations between the two countries have not yet been normalized, so he can only go to the Philippines, where the "Field Platoon" was filmed.

With experience this time, I chose autumn to go there, which happened to coincide with Tom Cruise's schedule.

Fortunately, Oliver Stone wrote his own scripts. This "Born on the Fourth of July" was written by him a long time ago, and he was going to shoot it after the field platoon was finished.So not affected by the strike.

Stone also asked Ronald about the arrangement of the new project, and in exchange several Hollywood bigwigs complained about the screenwriters union strike in unison.

Everyone really had no choice, even Douglas didn't have a movie to shoot, so they had to go out and look for opportunities for international cooperation.

Talking here, the banker became interested.He also approached Ronald and asked whether his new project could accept investment from the Lyon Credit Bank he represented.As long as it is directed by Ronald, or has a movie starring Tom Cruise or Michael Douglas, he is willing to invest.

"You speak English very well." Ronald took the banker's business card.

"Frans Affmann," a typical Low Countries surname above.

"My first job was at the Bank of Rotterdam. At that time, the First Bank of Chicago had 20% of our shares. I learned the operation of international finance in Chicago. Now the Bank of Rotterdam is acquired by Lyon Credit, and I am mainly responsible for investment in the entertainment industry. "

Frans Affmann introduces himself enthusiastically.CLSA has developed rapidly in international business since the early 80s.In China, in the Netherlands, and in Portugal, they have absorbed a large amount of deposits and good loan projects.

Their investment tastes especially like Hollywood, and they have invested in the second Superman movie and the second-class Rambo blockbuster movie.Frans Affmann's investment philosophy is to focus on big stars and big directors. He would rather have a lower return on investment than grab the second or third round of investment in such low-risk big productions (such dividends The round will be later).

"Are you only interested in movies with big stars?" Ronald asked, looking at Afman.

"This is our investment principle, but if it is a project invested by you and Director Stone, no matter what type of movie it is, I am interested in betting." Frans Afman smiled, after all, the two , is a well-known director who has rarely failed in Hollywood in recent years.As long as they watch good movies, there is usually no problem.

"Hahaha, here's a drink for us." Stone and Douglas, hearing Frans Affmann say that, knew their small production script, "Talk Radio," had secured funding.

Unlike most Wall Street capitals, Credit Lyonnais does not aim to maximize returns.They are also willing to repay the director for an opportunity to win more credits in big projects, and invest in their low-cost productions that are destined to lose money but also want to be shot.

After all, he is an outsider from America. If he wants to get into a big production, he has to pay a lot of tickets.

Ronald is also eager for someone to invest, solve about 20% of the budget, and get a low-level share. Such an investment is actually not easy to find on Wall Street after the continuous interest rate hikes and the superimposed stock market crash.

During the film festival, Cannes is the place with the highest density of beautiful women in China and even in Europe.Several big names in Hollywood, there is no shortage of beauties who came to strike up a conversation.Frans Affmann even had a hot fight with an American beauty, and they were already posted together.

"Ronald", Michael Douglas, like Ronald, would not be tempted by these vulgar fans. He saw the other two men chatting passionately with the beauties, and whispered in Ronald's ear, "My father Let me bring you a sentence."

"What?" Ronald turned his head suddenly. His father was Kirk Douglas, so what's the matter with him?

"He learned from Michael Ovitz that you were in Cannes, and he was a little afraid of traveling long distances, so he said something to me and asked me to tell you personally."

"Beforehand, I don't understand what he's doing at all, I'm just in charge of talking." Michael Douglas was actually not too close to Kirk because of his mother and father's divorce.He, a new generation of Jews, also doesn't understand the ideas of those conservative old men, just because of his Jewish identity, he doesn't complain in public.

Ronald made a gesture, signaling that it was time to speak.

"He asked me to ask you if you feel the satisfaction of family life. Young people can enjoy the company of beautiful women to their heart's content, but when they reach their age, they have to combine with mature women. If he wants, he is willing to call the bride himself in your hands."

Ronald's brow furrowed, mature woman, aged, bonded...that was all too suggestive.But they are too idle, they have to take care of their own marriage?Is America still a society of religious freedom?

These Jews have too much influence in the media and financial industries, and they always want to control this industry that is much more powerful than revenue and profit. Isn't this just opportunistic, trying to lie on the giant of America? Do you suck blood?

"The same thing, in fact, my father often said when I was close to 30 years old, he didn't stop until I married Diandra at 33 years old. Hahaha"

Michael Douglas thought that his father was simply a matchmaker, introducing Ronald to some old friend's daughter or something.He didn't think that a successful young man like Ronald, who was less than thirty years old, could tie himself to marriage at this time.

"So your reply is?" Douglas finished laughing and patted Ronald on the shoulder.

"The answer is still No." Ronald said with a smile.

"That's right, my friend, when I was your age before I was married, I was always chasing beautiful women and being chased by beautiful women..." Douglas was glad that Ronald was not as boring as his rigid and conservative father, "Actually, after marriage...hahaha"

"So you will tell Kirk my answer, right?" Ronald also took a sip of wine in satisfaction, and it's good to stop these people's thoughts. Anyway, there are not many beautiful Jewish female stars in Hollywood, so it's okay. loss.

(End of this chapter)