America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM

Chapter 76 Thoughts on marching to the other side (please subscribe, be the first to subscribe, and beg for rewards)

"Stephen Chow!" Eric was a little surprised.

"Well, his name is Stephen Zhou. Yes, it seems that his partner also called him by his Chinese name. The pronunciation is similar to yours. Wait, Eric, have you learned Chinese?"

"I'm self-study during the holidays. Don't worry about these details. It's Stephen Zhou, right?"

"Yes, I can't get the English name wrong. He is promoting his script called "Kung Fu" and hopes to get investment. We just met this afternoon."

"Although there are many slang words in this script that I can't understand, the opinion given by the marketing department is that it has potential, and this Stephen Chow is a very famous comedian in China, known as Jim Carrey from the East."

"I've already asked. His last movie, Shaolin Soccer, had investment from Colombia and earned Sony tens of millions of dollars."

"I understand, how much investment does Stephen Chow want?"

"30 million U.S. dollars is a relatively large amount, so I want to seek your opinion. If you think it is inappropriate, I will reject him over the phone."

Eric hesitated for a moment: "Hold him, my filming is almost finished, and I'm about to go back to Los Angeles."

"OK, I understand!"

After hanging up the phone, Eric couldn't help but sigh, it has to be you Judy, you are such a lucky star.

Regarding the movie "Kung Fu", it is generally considered to be Stephen Chow's pinnacle work. Of course, some people think it is "Journey to the West", and some people think that most of his works are the pinnacle works.

But for Eric himself, "Kung Fu" is the master of Stephen Chow's style in terms of narrative, performance, connotation, comedy effect and other aspects. Especially from the director's point of view, it is absolutely indisputable. Quality First.

If I remember correctly, this movie was invested by Sony Columbia, which seemed to have invested US$20 million. The global box office eventually exceeded 100 million. At that time, many domestic media rushed to report on it, so much so that Eric still remembers it.

Of course, if you only look at the box office, in fact, after deducting the distribution to theaters, promotion and director dividends from Stephen Chow, Columbia will ultimately earn about 20 million US dollars.

But if you include the disc market, this number will be several times higher.

It's not that Stephen Chow's appeal in the North American disc market is very strong, but that "Kung Fu" is a strong movie, but it's just this one. His other movies are not as good, and the disc market doesn't buy it.

The only Chinese movie stars who are truly successful all over the world are Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Although Chow Yun-fat also ventured into Hollywood, he failed completely.

He doesn't have his own characteristics and is irreplaceable. Are there few handsome actors like Chow Yun-fat in Hollywood? Why would a white person use you as a yellow person?

Only kung fu is the key for the Chinese to open the world market. Bruce Lee opened this door, Jackie Chan and Jet Li carried it forward, but it is a pity that there are no successors.

As an insider in time travel, everyone is also curious about who is doing better in Hollywood, Jackie Chan or Jet Li.

So Eric and a group of friends conducted a survey together, and after obtaining and analyzing various data.

The final conclusion is that Jackie Chan ranks first. His movie box office may not be very high, but the disc market is really booming.

Counting from "Drunken Master 2" in 1994, Jackie Chan's total disc market revenue has exceeded US$1.2 billion. This is still the most conservative estimate.

Due to physical reasons, Jet Li was unable to make fewer films in the later period, but even so, his disc market revenue exceeded US$700 million.

This is why the films of Cheng and Li often do not have high box office, but they never lack investment, because almost all of them are guaranteed profits without losing money.

Except for Jackie Chan's later films. At that time, he was really old and had to take the elevator instead of jumping up the stairs, so he almost all financed his own films.

The next day, after filming the final Transformers scene at a Nevada military base, John Adams gave his crew an hour off.

The entire base suddenly went crazy. All the soldiers returned to their dormitories to find their mobile phones, and then gathered around Dizzy to take a photo.

The props team looked at the group of American soldiers worriedly, fearing that they would be damaged and dizzy due to their heavy hand, and there would be scenes like this later.

Eric shouted with a loudspeaker: "Thank you for your cooperation during this period. The movie is scheduled to be released in November. If you want to see yourself on the big screen, please take your family to the cinema."

After giving the soldiers time to take photos, Eric chatted with Colonel Adams to deepen their relationship, and gave him another $500,000 before leaving.

In the past few days, getting along with Lieutenant Colonel Freeman has become more and more interesting. Although this Lieutenant Colonel is in the army, he has a literary heart.

However, due to his position, he is definitely not allowed to appear in the movie, so he can only enjoy the life of a military consultant.

And from what he said, it turned out that the reason why John Adams was promoted to brigadier general before he was 40 years old was because his connections were too strong. He was a member of the Adams family.

Yes, it is the Adams family that drafted the Declaration of Independence. They are one of the traditional powerful families in the United States, with tentacles covering the military, government and business circles.

To put it bluntly, the world is the same. In the entertainment industry, relationship background is important, and the same is true for the military.

Lieutenant Colonel Freeman said that the probability of a colonel being promoted to brigadier general in the U.S. military is only about 3%. Unless he is extremely powerful and cannot be stopped by mountains, civilians will not be able to get their turn, and the colonel will be the end.

Since the founding of the country, the game of power has always been in the hands of these big families. The only difference is that it belongs to you today and to me tomorrow.

After learning about this relationship, Eric couldn't help but blush.

The $200,000 that night was probably a bit of a slap in the face. Don't take it as an insult, so I paid another $500,000 before leaving. Maybe I will need it when I make the sequel to Transformers or other movies in the future.

In the afterglow of the setting sun, the MGM motorcade slowly left the Nevada military base and headed south along Highway 5.

At about 9 p.m., the convoy entered Somano County, California, and arrived at Santa Rosa in Somano County at about 10 p.m.

The administrative divisions of the United States are very special and are divided into states, counties, cities, and towns. However, these four administrative levels are not subordinate to each other, but are relatively independent.

The state cannot control counties, counties cannot control cities, and cities cannot control towns and villages. Governors, mayors, and county heads are all elected, and each is responsible for the residents in their own jurisdiction. ɱ

There is a very famous high school here in Santa Rosa - Santa Rosa High School, where many Hollywood movies have been filmed.

MGM has contacted the principal of Santa Rosa High School in advance and reviewed the script. The PG13 rating is definitely fine.

The motorcade pulled into the hotel parking lot, and Eric got out and pulled Patty Jenkins aside.

"I'm going back to Los Angeles to take care of some things, and I'll leave the filming here to you. Or as I said, everything will follow the script, okay?"

Patty Jenkins nodded: "I still say the same thing, you are the boss and you have the final say!"

Everyone opened their rooms in the hotel and dispersed. Eric looked down from the window and found that Zhan Yimei, Fasha, Xiao Jianjian, Captain America and others quietly slipped out.

Fortunately for Zhan Yimei, the others had been training at the Nevada military base for a month and filming for a week. The hormone levels in their bodies had already exceeded the standard. It would be impossible not to give them some trouble.

"Eric, what are you looking at?" Gadot's voice sounded from behind.

"It's okay, just a few rats stealing words."

"What? Uh"

"It seems to have gotten a little bigger."

More than an hour later, a Lincoln came downstairs of the hotel. Chen Xing made a phone call, and the car left after a while.

"Eric, it's time for you to wake up."

A familiar voice sounded in his ears, and Eric opened his eyes. It was Emily Cooper, the woman who loved him most.

"Honey, it's already ten o'clock in the morning, you have to go to work."

Eric shook his slightly confused head: "Sorry, I was filming in Nevada recently and didn't have a good rest."

Hearing this, my mother looked worried again: "Then let's sleep for a while. Don't worry about work. Good health is the most important thing."

Because the filming schedule was very fast, and it lasted for eight consecutive days, the actors could clock out when the time came, but the director could not.

Eric also has to watch the shots and plan, stay up late every day, and find time to write out the script of "Adele's Life". At the same time, he is still writing several new scripts and only sleeps four or five hours a day. It's the norm.

In addition, the conditions in the military base are not good. Even if you fall asleep, you are often awakened by the sound of training before you enter deep sleep.

Now that I'm back home and lying on the bed comfortably, I really feel like I haven't woken up yet.

I yawned, flopped down on the bed, and my mother closed the door.

After this sleep, it was already past two o'clock in the afternoon when I opened my eyes again, and my phone kept ringing.

"Judy, what's wrong?"

Judy's confused and urgent voice came from the other end of the phone: "My boss, what are you doing? Didn't you ask me to make an appointment with Stephen Chow? He has been waiting all morning. I have called you several times but you haven't answered. , Chen Xing didn’t even say what you were doing.”

Only then did Eric realize that he seemed to have forgotten something, but of course he couldn't admit that he was sleeping. The boss's authority still had to be maintained.

"Okay, I understand. It's just a temporary matter. Are the people from Xinghui Entertainment still in the company?"

"Yes, but I've been to the toilet several times. I'm afraid I'll get impatient if I keep waiting. I don't even know what to talk to them about now."

"Then tell them, wait another hour and I'll almost be there."

"Another hour more? My big boss, you are an American, not an Italian. Can't you have some sense of time?"

Eric sneered: "The concept of time? That's what restrains the weak. Now that we are the strong, we can tell them that MGM intends to invest. It's okay to make him wait for another ten days for the money."

After hanging up the phone, he walked into the bathroom. The hot water washed away the fatigue and sand of the Nevada desert. Eric felt much more comfortable.

After taking a shower and going downstairs, my mother went to the church friend's house as a guest, and the sexy nanny in her twenties brought hot meals.

After eating, Chen Xing walked out of the house. Chen Xing was waiting in front of the car. He opened and closed the door, then got into the passenger seat. After completing the process, Lincoln slowly started to leave Beverly Hills.

"How's the investigation going for you?"

Chen Xing took out a report from his bag and handed it over: "This is the development of the Chinese film market in recent years."

Eric took it and started to look through it. Although his predecessor was in the industry, the events in 2003 were still too far away. He was only thirteen years old at that time.

After a brief browse, I probably have an idea. The current mainland market is really very weak. From 1995 to 2002, the average annual box office was more than 900 million yuan, not even one billion yuan.

The year with the highest box office in the whole year was 1998. Because Titanic was released and took in a box office of 600 million yuan, the total box office in 1998 reached 1.4 billion yuan, which is less than 200 million US dollars based on the exchange rate.

The total box office revenue in the United States in 1998 was almost 7.5 billion US dollars. If converted into RMB based on the exchange rate, it would be approximately 60 billion RMB. There is a 42-fold difference between the two.

Even with the box office of Titanic of 600 million yuan, Hollywood could actually only get about 46 million yuan, which is 5.75 million U.S. dollars when converted into U.S. dollars.

You read that right, it’s only US$5.75 million. In the end, a certain tax rate difference has to be paid in the United States. Disney only has about US$5 million left in its hands.

After going around a lot, doing a lot of work, and finally making some money for cigarettes, this was how Disney felt at the time.

Why did you get so little money?

The reason is that China's imported film share ratio is too low.

Hollywood movies generally have a split ratio of about 50% in North America, split half and half between theaters and companies. If it is a big IP movie like Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings, or a sequel to a popular movie, the company's ratio can even reach over 60%, which is terrible. The opposite is true for films.

There are also terms related to the number of screenings. The specific ratio can be negotiated between the company and the theater chain, and it is not a fixed value stipulated by law.

Looking around the world, the share ratio generally fluctuates between 40% and 50%, depending on the quality and popularity of the movie.

But how much is it here in China?

The answer is 13%!

You read that right, 30% lower than in Africa, and there is a limit of 20 units imported per year. This ratio did not increase to 25% until 2012.

That's why Titanic's score is so low.

At this stage, the Chinese market is tasteless to Hollywood, and it would be a pity to abandon it if it is tasteless.

You may not be able to make money by putting in all your efforts, 90% of it belongs to others! I can no longer kneel down and beg for food!

Therefore, although the quota of 20 imported films each year seems very limited, the competition pressure is actually not great.

But after all, it is the most populous country in the world, and its economy is also continuing to develop. What if its potential will explode one day? So there are already companies setting up offices there.

When he first crossed over in April last year, Eric was considering whether to set up a branch on the other side in the future.

Make arrangements in advance and establish good relationships with senior management in advance. When the film market heats up around 2008 or 2009, you will be able to seize the opportunity.

There is also another very important factor, that is, this year's Transformers must be released in China, otherwise it will be difficult to sell toys and peripherals. This revenue is more impressive than the box office.

After discussing it with my dad, he didn't have any objections. After all, registering a company doesn't cost much money. It's just a matter of planting a nail first.

But then various things got entangled, and this idea was slowly forgotten. Now that Stephen Chow suddenly came to the door, the idea popped up again.

MGM Tower, Lincoln stopped in front of the steps, Eric walked directly to the elevator.

Seeing him now, the company employees are obviously not as fearful as they were a few months ago. Instead, they greet him with smiles on their faces.

The main reason is that I know Eric's character, he doesn't lose his temper, and he usually treats his subordinates relatively kindly.

In addition, the company is really making money. Since the Coopers and their sons took over MGM, the performance has soared visibly.

At the end of the year, Charlie Cooper made a big move, and everyone's year-end bonus was increased by US$10,000. This was quite a boost to morale, and everyone felt that life was more promising.

Ding!

The elevator opened and Eric walked straight to the reception room.

The hostess opened the door and saw three people sitting on the sofa, and the one in the middle was too familiar to him.

He was wearing a black striped casual suit with a warm-looking sweater underneath. His hair just reached his shoulders.

He has handsome features, but his eyes are a bit cold. He is none other than Stephen Chow, known as the King of Oriental Comedy.

Seeing Eric coming in, Stephen Chow stood up hurriedly. He had learned some information last night, and the young man in front of him was even more handsome than the information showed.

As the host, Eric stretched out his hand first: "Hello Mr. Zhou, I am Eric Cooper!"

Stephen Chow quickly shook hands: "This is the first time we meet, Mr. Cooper, just call me Stephen."

"First meeting? No, no, no, I've seen you many times in movies, the King of Comedy in the East."

Upon hearing this title, Stephen Chow was stunned for a moment, and then waved his hand modestly: "I am not the king of comedy, I am just an actor."