The Best Entertainment Era

Leaving the booth of DEJ Production Company, Navas quickly found the French production company mentioned on the phone according to the assistant's description.

Over there. The assistant came over and pointed to the screen: This is the movie.

Navas took a look and asked, Where's Ronan Anderson?

He himself left, but there was one person talking, the assistant said.

Navas followed the assistant's fingers and saw a young man with a somewhat familiar face. After thinking about it, Muran was shocked. This was not the year when he accompanied Ronan Anderson to watch and buy The Blair Witch at the Sun Denis Film Festival. The guy?

What is the other party's name? Navas can't remember, but it is certain that the relationship with Ronan Anderson is very unusual.

Is this another The Blair Witch-like film? Navas's heart suddenly heated up, and his scorching eyes immediately cast on the video clips on display.

But after only watching for three minutes, Navas' fiery heart was half cooled.

This is not an English movie, not a Hollywood movie, but an overseas movie, or a French movie!

In the past two decades, have any French films achieved good results in North America? Even the French director Luc Besson, who claims to know the North American film market best, has repeatedly walked the road of hitting the street and then hitting the street in North America.

Navas thought of the City of God and House of Flying Daggers that he had bought before, and the painful lesson seemed to be right in front of him.

This bloody experience and lessons all told him one thing, let him recognize an inherent fact in the world's largest film market-the success of overseas films in North America is tantamount to a game with a winning rate of less than 1%. , and even lower gambling.

He has already lost the bet twice, and he doesn't want to do it a third time.

Although he doesn't know French, the film called The Spring of the Cow Herding Class looks very interesting, but Navas doesn't want to gamble on the low and horrible success rate.

Boss? Seeing the dazed Navas, the assistant asked, Should we...

Navas learned the lessons from the previous two failures, and said firmly: We will not touch this film. Lionsgate will not touch any non-English films at this film festival!

The assistant doesn't quite understand,

Even very puzzled, but echoed: Okay, I will pass it on.

Navas did not leave immediately. Instead, he stood here and continued to watch the clips of this film. The more he watched, the more interesting he became. He felt that this could become a classic film.

But is Classic Pictures guaranteed to be commercially successful?

When Lionsgate was first established, Navas would have said yes.

Now, Navas knows that there is no necessary connection between classic films and commercial success.

Because Navas personally purchased and operated City of God, this Brazilian film almost entered the ranks of the top ten classic films selected by all media and professionals that year, and many of them were still ranked first.

Even, City of God also ranks among the best in various selections of the top ten movies since entering the century.

However, the film's commercial performance simply made Lionsgate vomit blood.

Navas resisted the urge to talk to the French about the copyright of The Spring of the Cow Herding Class and prepared to leave.

The exhibition hall suddenly became chaotic, and another heavyweight movie boss came!

A fat Jewish man with a short stature wandered into the exhibition hall, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

Harvey Weinstein!

Miramax Films is here!

Seeing Harvey Weinstein walking towards the Frenchman, Navas's heart that had cooled down warmed up again.

But the lesson of foreign language blood is in front of him, and he finally held back.

Let's go. Navas left the exhibition hall without looking back.

Let Embassy and Miramax break the mold for this one.

Navas didn't look back, and walked towards the exhibition halls that hadn't been taken yet, hoping to find movies suitable for Lionsgate's distribution.

Don't think about The Spring of the Cattle Herding Class. Wait for the news from the producer of Crash first, and watch it tomorrow when you have time.

In one day, Ronan saw the trading area of ​​the Toronto Film Festival, and later saw a film with a more familiar name - Hotel Rwanda.

This is a film about the genocide in Rwanda in the 1990s, and its style is in line with the awards season.

But Ronan gave up after being contacted for a while, because the producer asked US$16 million for the North American distribution rights.

For the producers, this asking price is very reasonable, because they have invested nearly 18 million US dollars in the production.

But for the issuer, the risk is simply too great.

In North America, the copyright fee is 16 million U.S. dollars. The commercial nature of the film is better than nothing, and it is inevitable to follow the award season route. Coupled with the investment in award distribution, it is difficult to recover the cost.

For directors and actors, as well as other key creative personnel, film may be an art.

For distribution companies like Embassy Pictures, movies are first and foremost a business.

Don't you think that film is a bit like the African version of Schindler's List? Tony Koch said while enjoying the feast invited by Ronan, Maybe we can bring back an Oscar for best picture statuette.

Ronan said directly, The black Africans were saved, not the Jews.

Tony Koch suddenly felt that it made sense, nodded and said: You still see it thoroughly. He suddenly asked with doubts: In the past two years, haven't black Hollywood movies performed well in the awards season?

Ronan lowered his voice: African blacks are not the same as American blacks. American blacks never think that they belong to the same ethnic group as African blacks.

He said this kind of thing in private with close friends like Tony Koch.

Tony Koch swallowed the food in his mouth: I used to only know that the Berlin Film Festival was greatly influenced by factors outside the film, but I didn't expect the awards season in Hollywood to be the same.

Ronan smiled, then asked, How are you doing?

Very good, I have attracted a large number of film buyers. Tony Koch said with a smile: Ronan, you are too attractive, many film companies are competing for that Spring of the Cowherd Class. There is no need to bid at all, and they will fight fiercely afterwards.

Ronan said, Because that film is really unique.

Tony Koch agreed with Ronan's point of view: I watched a part, and I feel really good.

Ronan asked: Has the deal been reached for this film? Who bought it in the end?

It's done. Thinking of the fat man, Tony Koch said, Harvey Weinstein of Miramax Films got the North American distribution rights. It is rumored that he paid a high price of 7 million U.S. dollars.

Ronan instantly understood: Harvey Weinstein may use The Spring of the Cowherd Class to win the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

Tony Koch immediately put away his smiling face: Become our direct competitor?

Hmm. The more Ronan thinks about this possibility, the more likely it is: This is the only reason that Harvey Weinstein can invest heavily in buying the film copyright.

We have a strong competitor. Tony Koch has also heard the famous name of Oscar pusher.

Ronan frowned: The copyright fee of 7 million US dollars, plus the investment in operating the Oscars, if the Oscar for the best foreign language film statuette is not obtained, how many years will it take Harvey Weinstein to recover the investment?

Many Hollywood movies have been able to wipe out the losses on the account after years of offline operations, but if this time is extended to ten or twenty years, what is the point?

Tony Koch asked at this time: Ronan, how are you doing?

Ronan put down the knife and fork, took a tissue, wiped his hands and said, It's basically settled. The Embassy Pictures will sign the contract tonight.

It was another refreshing morning in Canada. Navas once again entered the trading area of ​​the Toronto Film Festival. His expression was a bit serious. After yesterday's day, he couldn't find a film that he could make up his mind to sign.

That French movie looks good, but no matter how good an overseas movie is, its performance in North America will be a huge question mark, and the chances of failure far outweigh success.

Later, he also saw a film called Hotel Rwanda, but for such a film reflecting Rwanda in Africa, the North American distribution rights cost 16 million US dollars. The producer is really crazy!

Because there was no suitable choice, Navas came to the booth where Crash was located again.

Then, he was surprised to find that the director and producer named Paul Haggis, who had an interview with him yesterday, was leading the staff to clean up the booth, and it seemed that the exhibition was about to be dismantled...

What's happening here?

Navas faintly felt something was wrong, so he hurried over and said hello, Good morning, Director Haggis.

Paul Haggis saw him too, and responded with a smile: Hello.

You are... Navas pointed to the busy staff in the booth.

Paul Haggis was in a great mood, and said: The copyright of the film has been sold, and we are going to withdraw it.

Sold? Navas had a bad feeling, and asked, May I ask, which company did you sell to?

Thinking that there are no relevant provisions in the copyright transaction contract, Paul Haggis did not want to offend the people of Lionsgate, saying: Embassy Pictures under Relativity Entertainment Group. From planning to production to film festival exhibition, He has gone through too many hardships, and it is inevitable that he will feel complacent at this time: Embassy Pictures bought out the entire copyright of Crash for US$7 million.

Navas was stunned, Embassy Pictures? Relativity entertainment? Ronan Anderson? It seems that I missed something again...

Before you sell, you should contact me again. Navas couldn't help but said.

Paul Haggis shook his head: The overseas copyright of this film is not easy to sell, I know very well. But Embassy Pictures is willing to pay, and Embassy Pictures also signed special terms with me. The North American box office of Crash can triple that of The copyright fee they purchased will also give me a personal dividend of 1 million US dollars, why don't I sell it on such a good condition?