The Best Director

“Oh, oh…”

Upon hearing Wang Yang invite him to play the male lead, although it was expected, Will Smith was still surprised for a few moments. He looked at his son Jaden crawling on the floor, sat down on the couch, pondered for a while, and then replied, “Yang, I really appreciate your invitation, but as you know, my recent ‘Hurricane Policemen’…” His voice trailed off with a sigh, saying, “Oh, it’s too bad! I just want to take a break for now, to think things through.” ?Hurricane Policemen’ was released on June 30th. The movie, with a budget of 170 million US dollars, took in 49-7 million at the box office in its first week, but then quickly plummeted. It has now been entirely pulled from North American cinemas, with a final box office tally of only 113 million; and while it’s still being shown overseas, it has similarly suffered a terrible defeat in most major markets, and it’ll be cause for celebration if it even manages to gross 110 million internationally.

With a production cost of 170 million and a global total box office of 220 million, Warner Brothers is bound to take a big hit this time. If it were just a matter of not selling tickets, it would be one thing, but right now, the situation is a tidal wave of negative reviews, with nearly every critic stepping up to take a shot at it. The average score on IMDB is only 4-1, it’s boring, empty, stupid — it’s a bad movie, a really bad movie.

The Golden Raspberry Awards have already put out the word: ‘Hurricane Policemen’ will be the hot favourite for next year’s 20th Golden Raspberry Awards, including worst picture, worst director, worst actor, etc. Will Smith is very likely to walk away with a trophy.

Another issue is that, for this bad movie, Will Smith gave up the chance to star in ‘The Matrix.’ This was undoubtedly a terrible choice and one of the major Waterloo moments in his acting career. Usually, months beforehand, he would receive invites to one blockbuster after another, from which he would pick the one that interested him most to commit to; but now no producers are seeking him out, they’re all watching and waiting, some even actively avoiding him.

Wang Yang was the first producer to invite him, which was the very reason for Will Smith’s surprise. This young director didn’t seem to fear having his movie be led by the worst actor of the Golden Raspberry?

Will Smith’s “thankyou” wasn’t just politeness, he was genuinely grateful in his heart, but he still decided to decline. The risk was too great! Wang Yang is a “magic director,” but he’s only 19 years old, just about to make ‘Juno’ and then turning to ‘The Pursuit of Happyness.’ It gave Will Smith a sense of “playing.” He couldn’t make another bad movie; two bad movies in a row would be a fatal blow to his acting career.

Wang Yang, of course, was well aware of the situation with ‘Hurricane Policemen.’ He felt that part of his ability to shake Will Smith’s confidence came from there, as now no one else was competing for Will Smith’s availability. So even though he was rejected outright, Wang Yang didn’t mind at all. After thinking for a bit, he said encouragingly, “Will, I’m really sorry about ‘Hurricane Policemen,’ but I have to say, the problem isn’t your performance, it’s that it was just a… bad movie.”

“Thankyou, buddy…” Will Smith replied with a rueful smile, rubbing his forehead, and spoke regretfully into the phone, “That was indeed a poor choice.”

“Will, I understand your concerns, and you don’t want to make the same mistake a second time, do you?” Wang Yang’s voice was sincere. Hearing Will chuckle softly on the other end, he couldn’t help but smile himself, picked up the script for ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ on the coffee table, and said, “But please trust me, I’m very confident about making this movie. Well, maybe you should let me tell you about this story first? It’s a biopic, it’s real, touching, and inspirational.”

Seeing Wang Yang’s earnestness, Will Smith felt it rude to reject him outright again. He nodded and said, “Alright, go on.” Then he heard Wang Yang start telling the story: “His name was Chris Gardner…” Will, who started off calmly, slowly became mesmerized by the tale. Upon hearing the part about Chris Gardner and his son sleeping in a subway station bathroom, he couldn’t help but stand up, pick up Jaden from the floor, and kiss his son’s forehead.

“And then, Chris Gardner became a stockbroker and achieved happiness,” Wang Yang narrated the entire story in detail, took a sip of water, and said into the phone, “That’s the entire story of the movie.”

Will Smith looked at Jaden’s smiling face in his arms. His cute baby laughed, trying to grab his chin, and Will playfully flicked his son’s cheek with a smile. But his mind was full of Chris Gardner’s story, captivated by the tale, as the young director had said, touching and inspirational! The fatherly love and determination of Chris Gardner had moved him.

Perhaps it was because he was currently in a career slump that he felt especially drawn to inspirational stories of characters. If Wang Yang was 39, or maybe 29… Will Smith thought for a while and asked, “Yang, why do you think I’m right for Chris Gardner? You know, I’ve never played in a biographical film before.”

“It’s simple,” Wang Yang said with great certainty, then added persuasively, “I believe you can do it, Will. You can make this kind of movie. And I think the failure of ‘Hurricane Policemen’ might signify that it’s time for a transformation on screen, and Chris Gardner is a good choice.

In fact, after Will Smith took on ‘Return to Glory,’ with an investment of eighty million recouping just over thirty million at the box office, and suffered another devastating failure, he started contemplating a transformation, and then shot the biographical film ‘Ali,’ even though that movie’s final box office and reception weren’t very good.

Hearing the hesitant “uh” coming from the phone, Wang Yang knew Will Smith’s mind was beginning to waver, but he also understood that such decisions took time, saying, “Will, don’t be in a hurry to reject my offer. Why not read the script before you decide?” Will Smith agreed immediately without thinking, “All right! Magic Yang, I want to thank you anyway for the invitation.” He laughed and said self-deprecatingly, “Buddy, to be honest, I don’t have any roles to play anyway, everyone is saying ‘Will Smith is finished,’ ’he’s the worst leading actor’…”

“Haha, then go for ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’!” Wang Yang laughed too, and after a while, he earnestly said, “Will, think about it carefully. If Chris Gardner’s story can move you, it can surely move others, right?”

After ending the call with Will Smith, Wang Yang let out a relieved sigh and put down his phone, feeling a bit worried that Will Smith would flatly refuse. But for now, things were looking up. He believed that with his sincerity and the moving script, he could persuade Will Smith to take the part.

Wang Yang planned not only to deliver the script to Will Smith’s home but also to include a long handwritten letter in the script, detailing why he thought Will was right for Chris Gardner, why he wanted to make the movie himself, and also discussing the film’s shooting plans and style. Wang Yang knew Will Smith’s biggest concern was whether he was serious, so he needed to make it clear, “I am not joking around.”

“As if 1 would gamble millions away,” Wang Yang muttered. If Will Smith agreed to the role, his salary would roughly be between fifteen to twenty million, making the entire movie’s production budget close to forty million. Forty million for a gamble? No way! Wang Yang smiled and shook his head, then picked up a film magazine from the coffee table and started browsing.

■High School Musical 2′ officially starts production, set to premiere on July 1st next summer!

Wang Yang laid back on the couch, holding the magazine in his hands, quietly reading through the content of this feature article: “The cost of this sequel has skyrocketed to thirty million, with the original cast returning. Choreographer Annie Fletcher and composer David Lawrence will also continue choreographing and composing. But most disappointing for fans is undoubtedly the change of director…” Upon reading this, Wang Yang turned the page and saw a picture of Jessica with a sweet smile and Rachel with a mischievous grin, along with their profiles introduced on the side.

“Rachel Anne McAdams…” Wang Yang read the name on Rachel’s profile unconsciously, frowning in confusion, “Rachel is also called Anne?” It was the first time he’d heard of it. He glanced through the profile and learned many things he hadn’t known before, like Rachel’s allergy to horses. He then looked over at Jessica’s information, noting nothing he didn’t already know. Flipping through a few more pages, suddenly, a piece of news caught his eye.

“Fox’s acquisition of Blue Sky Studios is at a stalemate.

Blue Sky Studios? Wang Yang’s eyes lit up, feeling vaguely familiar. He read the news carefully and found out that Blue Sky Studios, founded by Chris Wedge in 1987, was initially a company earning meager profits from TV commercials and movie CGI shots. Last year, they released an animated short they had been working on for eight years, ‘Bunny Bunny,’ a story about a long-eared rabbit and a moth competing in the kitchen.

The short film won the Best Animated Short Film award at the 71st Oscars this year, which drew the attention of 20th Century Fox. This giant wanted to acquire Blue Sky Studios and invest in Chris Wedge’s production of ‘Ice Age,’ but according to insiders, due to the acquisition price, Fox’s intention to reduce Blue Sky Studios’ workforce, and their plan to merge it with their own animation department, Chris Wedge refused to agree to the acquisition, and the negotiations have since stalled.

Wang Yang suddenly understood why it seemed familiar. He searched his mind and there it was, ‘Ice Age’! This 2002 animation had a budget of sixty million and grossed a total of 380 million worldwide; followed by ‘Ice Age 2’ in 2006 with 650 million, ‘Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs’ in 2009 with 880 million, not to mention DVD sales, merchandise, and other revenues. With the ‘Ice Age’ series, Blue Sky Studios was mentioned in the same sentence as animation giants like Pixar, Disney, and DreamWorks.

“Oh, my God…” Wang Yang couldn’t help but murmur in amazement. An idea suddenly sparked in his mind, causing him to sit up straight – what if Flame Movies acquired Blue Sky Studios?

This wasn’t an impossibility; negotiations between Fox and Blue Sky Studios had reached a deadlock. According to the little information in his head, this deadlock would last a long time until Fox compromised.

In June 2000, Fox invested $75 million and took three years to produce the animated film Frozen Planet, which premiered on a large scale. However, this movie, bearing the company’s high expectations, gathered only $36 million at the global box office, leaving Fox with a loss of face. Disheartened and angry, Fox dissolved its animation department and acquired Blue Sky Studios for $80 million without cutting a single employee, fully supporting Chris Wedge in producing Ice Age.

But in fact, Fox didn’t place much importance on Blue Sky or animated films. In 2002, Fox had thought about selling Blue Sky Studios. Of course, the success of Ice Age later made them dismiss that idea. However, the success of Ice Age didn’t seem to boost Fox’s confidence much. Blue Sky Studios remained small with just over 200 employees, which, compared to Pixar and DreamWorks, was embarrassingly small.

The more Wang Yang thought about it, the more excited he became. He had always loved animated films; this form of movie possessed a unique charm, filled with childlike whimsy and pure drcams, warmth, and emotion. It opened up a world of imagination, driving kids crazy and captivating adults – it was just such a wonderful thing.

Moreover, in the future, the animated film market would only grow larger, generating absolutely astonishing revenues, like Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, which had a production budget of $90 million and a global box office of $880 million! Wang Yang couldn’t help but recall something Chris Gardner had said over dinner that day, “When you’re faced with a good investment, don’t hesitate too much. Opportunities arc fleeting, and seizing them brings rich rewards!”

“Blue Sky Studios? It should become as huge as Pixar…” Wang Yang made up his mind; after all, the company had money. But how much? He scratched his head, not quite sure, and picked up the mobile phone on the coffee table, dialed a number, and said cheerfully, “Hey, Mark, it’s me! I want to know how much money is in the company’s account right now?”

Mark Slant was taken aback, confused, “What, how much money? My boss, what are you up to now? Do you have a new plan?” He found it strange because Wang Yang never paid much attention to financial matters, saying, “Just look at the statement once a quarter,” but now suddenly inquiring about it surely meant a new extravagant plan was brewing.

“Well, I do have an idea, but tell me how much money we have first,” Wang Yang said with a mysterious smile, looking at the magazine featuring the Blue Sky Studios logo and urged with a bit of excitement, “Come on, tell me!

“My boss, I need to turn on the computer to check the exact figures! Wait a moment,” Mark Slant said, then fell silent. After a while, Wang Yang heard him again as he started to report the company’s finances.

The earnings for Flame Movies this year were all thanks to High School Musical. In North America alone, it brought in $85.13 million in after-tax proceeds, a net profit of over $62 million; as for overseas, it was screened for two months, igniting a global dance craze and crazily raking in $210 million in box office, setting High School Musical’s global total box office at $411 million US dollars. It generated revenue that far exceeded Wall Street analysts’ predictions, producing an astonishing profit ratio of 51 times the production cost of $8 million; it also allowed Wang Yang to easily become the youngest billionaire.

Of course, the overseas $210 million had to be roughly split with cinema chains, and on top of that, distributors from various countries took an average of 30%. Thankfully, overseas marketing and screening costs were their responsibility; then there were taxes, so the final after-tax profit that Flame Movies pocketed was only $51-24 million.

In terms of box office net profit, High School Musical achieved a figure of over $113 million; adding the recovered production expenses, the company’s account had $136 million US dollars.

But it wasn’t just that; on the movie soundtrack CD, High School Musical’s sales continued to soar. North America sold over 4 million sets, overseas sold more than 1.5 million sets, and with a global sales volume of over 5-5 million sets, it brought more than $36.48 million in after-tax earnings to Flame Movies; the DVD, released in North America just in August, priced at $22.9 per set, had already sold over 2.5 million sets, adding another $27-95 million in after-tax revenue to the company; and with additional income from radio music plays, toys, clothing, and other miscellaneous sources, High School Musical had brought the company’s account balance to a total of $210 million US dollars!

“$210 million?… Wow!” Wang Yang exclaimed a bit dumbfoundcdly, suddenly recalling the days when he scrimped and saved, barely eating enough and avoiding phone calls to friends to save on bills… He now had $210 million? It was hard to believe!

Actually, there wasn’t even 210 million in the account, because Flame Films was also spending money. The company’s daily expenses and the recruitment of dozens of new employees were only secondary; “High School Musical 2” had an investment of 30 million, which had been allocated to the production crew to ensure the movie could be completed. Additionally, 20 million was reserved for post-production, promotion, screening, and other expenses.

“Juno” currently had only signed the lead actor and actress with Michael Pitt being paid 300,000, and Natalie Portman receiving a high salary of 7 million, totaling 7.3 million spent here. Let’s not worry about the final production cost and promotional expenses, as the plan would not restart until June of next year. By then, with the continuous income from the original “High School Musical” CD and DVD, the company shouldn’t be short of money.

If “The Pursuit of Happyncss” could get Will Smith to join, the production cost wouldn’t be less than 40 million, and the post-production costs would also need more than 20 million.

So, 210 million, not counting the reserved funds, minus 30 million for “High School Musical 2,” minus 7.3 million for “Juno,” minus 40 million for “The Pursuit of Happyncss,” left the current available funds at 132.7 million!

Fox’s acquisition of Blue Sky Studios cost 80 million, which was enough! Wang Yang firmly tapped the Blue Sky Studios logo on the magazine, and said excitedly into the phone, “Mark, contact Blue Sky Studios, we want to join the acquisition!” He let out an “Oh,” and explained, “You know about Blue Sky Studios, right? They received the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film this year. Now Fox is acquiring them, but the talks have stalled, and this is our opportunity.”

“I know, i know Blue Sky Studios!” Mark Slaughter seemed stunned, and exclaimed in surprise, “But you want to join the acquisition?” Wang Yang nodded with a smile and said, “Why not? The company has so much money.” Mark Slaughter was still somewhat doubtful and asked, “Boss, are you serious?” Wang Yang couldn’t help but laugh and said, “Mark, I won’t joke about this matter; yes, I am serious, I want to acquire it.”

“Oh my God! This is a crazy decision, my boss, have you thoroughly understood Blue Sky Studios?” Mark Slaughter sighed reluctantly and explained, “In fact, I’ve always kept an eye on these market dynamics, of course, that’s my job. Boss, do you know why Fox’s talks with them have come to a standstill? Blue Sky Studios can’t even do animal fur and eyes well, their technology is very limited.”

Wang Yang was aware of this, but he didn’t really care. He had seen “Ice Age in his mind, and while it indeed seemed rudimentary compared to Pixar, with animal fur and eyes done in a simplified way, Blue Sky Studios cleverly turned this into a style. The lines were clean and natural, the imagery was fluid and graceful, and they compensated for technical shortcomings with emphasis on character personality and story content. By the time of “Ice Age 2,” Blue Sky Studios had grown, achieved several technological breakthroughs, and simply needed time to develop further.

“Mark, I’m aware of this, but I’ve already decided,” Wang Yang said with a tone that brooked no argument. There were some things he couldn’t explain but, luckily, he was the chairman and some decisions were his to make. He added, “If the acquisition of Blue Sky Studios fails, I’ll also start working on establishing our own animation department.” Mark Slaughter sighed and said, “It seems you’ve really decided.” Wang Yang smiled and said, “Yes, Mark, go ahead and make contact. The acquisition price can reach up to 100 million, and tell Chris Wedge I won’t lay off any staff from Blue Sky Studios, and he will also get the greatest creative freedom for ‘Ice Age.'”

Mark Slaughter exclaimed repeatedly, “Crazy! Crazy! 100 million to acquire Blue Sky Studios? Wow!” His voice was filled with emotion as he said, “Boss, this is a very high-risk investment; I don’t think it’ll necessarily fail, it’s just that the risk is really, really high.” Then, as if accepting reality, he chuckled and said, “Boss, you always bring miracles, I hope this time is no different. But if this acquisition is successful, I think the newspapers’ headlines will write Amazing Yang has gone mad!¹ Ha ha!”

“Oh, then let madness reign!” Wang Yang also could not help laughing. After discussing some more details about the acquisition, Wang Yang ended the call. 100 million US dollars? 10,000 US dollars? Indeed, this was truly crazy!

After contemplating silently for a long time, Wang Yang picked up his phone again, leaned back on the couch, and dialed Jessica’s number, saying, “Hi Jessie, how was shooting today? I have something to tell you… urn, maybe I won’t tell you yet.” Jessica from the other end teased, “Tell me, what is it?” Wang Yang chuckled and replied, “I won’t say, it’s a surprise. But I’ll give you a hint, it’s a present for our future daughter…”

* * * * *

PS: Wow, I’m rallying for monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, all kinds of tickets, thank you everyone, throw them my way! Wow, I’m here catching them, monthly tickets, monthly tickets, monthly tickets ahhh…………………………..