radicalducati Chapter 53: Fishing
Chapter 53: Fishing
In the summer of 2008, the financial crisis, which seemed like a gray rhino still pacing in the distance, was already clearly heard by every producer in Hollywood.
The hot money on Wall Street disappeared as quickly as the tide receded, and major banks tightened credit. Film and television projects that originally relied on complex financing structures suddenly found themselves standing on a dry riverbed.
Last month, David received a second visit request from Emma Thomas, director Christopher Nolan’s wife and production partner, in his Los Angeles office.
When she first came, David declined to discuss the matter further, citing that "President Jiang is not in North America and such major investments require his personal decision-making."
This time, she adopted an even lower posture and spoke with greater urgency.
When David reported to Jiang Yu over the transoceanic phone call, his tone was both joking and somewhat wistful: "Boss, Nolan's wife is here again, sitting right across from me, and she's had three refills of her coffee. 'The Dark Knight' isn't even out until July. Although the internal screenings have been rave reviews, before the box office figures come out, Nolan is still considered a pretty good director by those Hollywood bosses who only look at the numbers. I heard that Warner Bros. themselves are hesitant about the script for 'Inception,' thinking it's too complicated, too risky, and that audiences won't understand it."
Jiang Yu listened quietly on the other end of the phone, his fingers tapping on the table.
He certainly knew what Inception was: a masterpiece that combined commerce and art, imagination and logic to near perfection, raking in over $8 million at the global box office and becoming a classic in film history.
In the summer of 2008, before Nolan achieved legendary status with "The Dark Knight," and with Hollywood still shivering in the chill of the financial crisis, an original science fiction dream with a budget of $1.5 million seemed extravagant and risky.
"How much exactly is Warner willing to offer?" Jiang Yu asked.
"A maximum of forty million, with many harsh terms attached, including a significant reduction in post-production budget and the possibility of interference with the final cut."
David replied, "Nolan and Emma obviously can't accept that. So they're now scrambling to find money all over the world, going to England, France, and even Japan. I heard they've made some progress in Japan, but it's only a small amount and won't solve the fundamental problem."
Jiang Yu pondered for a moment, then instructed: "David, continue to politely decline, saying that the company's traffic light assessment system currently does not approve this type of high-risk original science fiction."
He paused for a moment, then added, "You can casually mention that I'm currently in Beijing, and that I'm always interested in imaginative, original stories. If they really need funding and are confident in their projects, they might as well come to Beijing and talk to me directly. After all, I sometimes trust my intuition."
David laughed on the other end of the phone: "Got it, boss. I'll go be that unintentional messenger right away."
So, Emma Thomas, who was overwhelmed with problems in Hollywood, heard this news.
Jiang Yu, the mysterious young boss of Light Chaser Pictures, is currently in Beijing. He is interested in imaginative original stories and might give it a try.
For Emma and Nolan, this was nothing short of a ray of light in the darkness.
Light Chaser Animation Studios is currently making waves in Hollywood, known for its daring investments and high-risk strategies.
They invested in Iron Man and were involved in Avatar, seemingly having a particular fondness for projects that require substantial funding and special effects support.
More importantly, they seem to have a bottomless pool of funds behind them, making them less affected by the current financial turmoil.
Emma immediately set about preparing; she hadn't come empty-handed, she had done her homework.
.......
Friday, July 13, 2008.
BJ, headquarters of Chasing Light Films in China World Trade Center.
Jiang Yu's office is spacious and bright, with few decorations on the walls, only an abstract painting and a small screen displaying real-time indices of major global financial markets.
Emma Thomas and her assistant entered, guided by Yang Siwei.
Emma was around forty years old, with neat short brown hair, wearing a well-fitting business suit, and her expression showed the fatigue of a long journey. Her assistant was carrying a thick project folder.
"Ms. Thomas, welcome to BJ. I'm Jiang Yu." Jiang Yu stood up from behind his desk, walked around the desk, and shook hands with her.
"Mr. Jiang, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to meet me. I've heard so much about you." Emma shook hands firmly, quickly sizing up the man who was at least ten years younger than her.
It lacks the outward flamboyance or anxiety typical of Hollywood investors; it's more like a deep pool, its depths unfathomable.
After both parties were seated, Yang Siwei personally served tea and then quietly retreated to the side to take notes.
After exchanging a few pleasantries about the weather and the trip, the conversation quickly got back on track.
"The current economic climate is indeed not very favorable for film financing."
Emma got straight to the point, speaking frankly, "The troubles on Wall Street have affected every industry. Especially for a film of the scale and complexity of 'Inception,' finding funding has become extremely difficult. That's why I traveled all the way to Beijing, hoping to discuss the possibility of collaboration with you and Light Chaser Animation."
Jiang Yu nodded, signaling her to continue.
Emma had her assistant hand over the meticulously prepared project proposal, script outline, concept design drawings, and detailed financing plan to Jiang Yu.
"This is the culmination of our hard work. Chris has been conceiving this story for years. It's not just a sci-fi action film, but an exploration of the boundaries of memory, the subconscious, reality, and dreams. We plan to create an unprecedented visual spectacle, subverting the layers and physical rules of dreams."
Jiang Yu took the document but didn't immediately look at it. Instead, he asked, "What's the current financing situation? What's Warner's attitude?"
Emma sighed. "Warner Bros. is our long-time partner. They recognize Chris's talent and are willing to support him. But they are very concerned about the market risks of this original project, especially in the current economic climate. They have committed to investing $4000 million, which is the maximum support they can offer. Our own studio has raised about $2000 million through some channels in Europe and pre-sales. Before I came to China, I had just come from Japan and reached a preliminary agreement with a Japanese entertainment company. They are interested in investing around $2000 million."
She paused, looking directly at Jiang Yu: "Based on this calculation, we still have a funding gap of about $7000 million. This is the most critical gap, determining whether the film can be produced with its proper scale and quality, rather than being compressed into a compromised product."
Jiang Yu then began to peruse the proposal in his hand; the words and pictures on the paper gradually overlapped with the movie in his memory.
Multi-layered dreams, weightless corridors, folded Parisian streets, spinning tops... many of the scene concepts that would later become famous in film history have already taken shape.
His gaze paused slightly when he saw the actor program section.
The preferred choice for the male lead, Dom Cobb, is listed as Christian Bale.
This is different from the version he remembers starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
It seems that, at this timeline or at this stage of financing, Nolan's first choice is Bale, who has just finished working with him on "The Dark Knight," has excellent chemistry with him, and is in his prime.
It's unclear why Leonardo DiCaprio was chosen instead. Perhaps it was due to scheduling conflicts, Warner's recommendation, or other factors.
He showed no sign of anything amiss and continued reading.
Budget details, production schedule, suggested profit sharing ratio...
Warner Bros., as the main distributor, took the lion's share, with Nolan Studios and other investors sharing the remainder. Warner Bros. also firmly held onto the copyright and merchandise revenue, leaving only a small share for creators and investors.
Jiang Yu observed very carefully, occasionally asking a question or two about a particular production detail or special effects challenge, showing that he was by no means an outsider.