sovbooks Chapter 115 How to film Rocky?
Chapter 115 How to film Rocky?
Chapter 115 How to film Rocky?
Zhou Ruofei acted swiftly and decisively. Upon receiving Qin Han's instructions, she immediately summoned several trusted confidants who were guarding the courtyard.
"Immediately spread the word to all the brothers in every neighborhood: if you see any unfamiliar Japanese people, especially those with tattoos, report to headquarters immediately!"
"A reward will be given for reporting the information, but absolutely no physical violence is allowed. Otherwise, you'll cause trouble you shouldn't have, and you'll be punished according to family rules!"
Several trusted confidants immediately obeyed and hurriedly left the room.
After dealing with the surveillance, Qin Han took a thick kraft paper envelope from his bag and threw it on the octagonal table.
"This is the first round of start-up funding. The thirty people I need must have impeccable records."
Zhou Ruofei knew that her master was paving an unprecedentedly bright road for the "Qiao Yi Gang," and she was in a great mood: "Hehe, Master, I'm really glad that I didn't force anyone to pay back the money back then."
"You brat!" Qin Han gave him a flick on the forehead, making him scratch his head in pain. "Besides the instructors teaching you tactical movements and weapon usage, I will personally take the time to systematically teach you Jeet Kune Do."
Upon hearing the words "Jeet Kune Do," Zhou Ruofei nearly cheered.
In the hearts of young Chinese people in Chinatown, Bruce Lee is a god-like figure.
As Bruce Lee's direct disciple, Qin Han has long been a martial arts legend passed down by word of mouth among these passionate young people.
"Master—are you serious? If my brothers knew I could learn real kung fu here, they'd be lining up to knock down my door! Don't worry, I'll definitely pick out the thirty most talented kids for you!"
As we left the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, the sky in Los Angeles was already beginning to lighten.
After several days of travel, a life-or-death struggle on the beaches of Hawaii, and a non-stop work schedule after returning to Los Angeles, Qin Han, despite his strong physique, felt deeply exhausted.
After driving back to the Sheraton Hotel, Qin Han swiped his card to enter his room and collapsed onto the soft bed, falling into a deep sleep.
However, he hadn't slept for long when a rapid phone call woke him up.
Grabbing the telephone receiver from the bedside table, Qin Han's voice still had a strong nasal tone: "Who is it?"
"Qin! Thank goodness you finally answered the phone! I've already had the receptionist transfer me three times!" Fred's excited voice came through the receiver. "We need to have formal negotiations about Rocky immediately, right now! See you in the conference room on the sixth floor of the studio in half an hour!"
Beep beep beep————
Before Qin Han could even refuse, the other party had already hung up the phone.
I rubbed my aching temples and glanced at the brass clock on the bedside table. It was nine in the morning. I had only slept for three hours in total.
With a helpless sigh, Qin Han threw off the covers and headed to the bathroom.
The cold water splashed on my face, forcibly dispelling the lingering weariness.
After drying his face with a towel, Qin Han looked at his bloodshot eyes in the mirror and missed his mixed-race assistant who was far away in Hong Kong.
"It's really troublesome that Andrew isn't around. After we deal with these Japanese assassins, the first thing we need to do is hire a reliable assistant, otherwise I'll die from overwork sooner or later."
He changed into a dark gray bespoke suit, called Sylvester Stallone, and the two went downstairs and took a private car to the conference room.
Ted Ashley was already seated in the main seat, holding a cup of black coffee, with Fred sitting next to him.
"Qin, Slay, have a seat." The president cut to the chase without beating around the bush: "Rocky's script is excellent, I must admit that."
"It perfectly hits the sore spot of American society today, and is simply the perfect footnote to the American Dream in this era."
He looked at Stallone and smiled kindly, "Young man, the fact that you can write a story like this is enough to prove your talent as a screenwriter."
Stallone swallowed hard, about to say thank you, but Ashley didn't give him a chance: "Because the script is truly excellent, Warner Bros. is willing to break with convention. I've decided to give you an audition opportunity."
"Tomorrow morning, I'll have the casting director prepare the cameras. If your performance in front of the camera can convince me, then—the male lead is yours."
For a marginal actor who had only acted in Category III films, getting a lead role audition at Warner Bros. was, in Ashley's view, a huge favor to Qin Han.
"There was no audition." However, Qin Han clearly did not think so.
"Ted, I thought Fred had already conveyed my original message. The male lead can only be Sylvester Stallone; there are no alternatives."
Ashley's brow furrowed instantly. As the head of Warner Bros., few dared to speak to him in such a commanding tone.
"Qin is a newcomer, and even has some—not-so-honorable—background. Casting him as the lead is too risky for Warner Bros."
"If Warner Bros. isn't even willing to take this much risk, then there's no point in signing this contract today." Qin Han didn't back down. The soul of the Rocky story could never be brought to life if Stallone hadn't played the role himself.
"I've said it many times: the core of this film is its realism. Casting any other actor would have ruined its realism."
"We can pay him the minimum salary for a new Hollywood actor, but—" Qin Han deliberately dragged out the last syllable, "Sylvester Stallone is not only the lead actor, but also the first screenwriter. He must get his share of the box office revenue."
"Impossible!" Ashley refused without hesitation.
Giving new actors a share of the box office revenue? That's a pipe dream in Hollywood.
That's a privilege only superstars like Marlon Brando and Paul Newman deserve.
"Qin, your demands are going too far," Ashley tried to intimidate him with his imposing manner. "Warner Bros. funded the filming and assumed all the risks!"
"If the movie flops, you can just walk away, but I'll have to face the wrath of the board! And now you're actually trying to take a slice of Warner's profits?"
Stallone looked at his boss, who was arguing for him, and felt an indescribable sense of gratitude, but at the same time, he was also filled with worry.
Qin Han looked at Ashley, whose face was ashen, but he wasn't angry. Instead, a knowing smile appeared in his eyes.
He knows all too well the true colors of these Wall Street capitalists.
Ashley's inner turmoil and anger stemmed precisely from his reluctance to abandon the script.
He could sense the blockbuster potential of "Rocky," but he couldn't accurately predict how much money the film could generate, which is why he held onto his money tightly.
"Ted, since you think Warner has taken all the risks, let's do something exciting."
"If Warner Bros. lacks confidence in this film, we can sign a performance-based agreement."
"A bet?" Ashley and Fred were both taken aback.
Qin Han took out a pen from his pocket, picked up a piece of white paper from the Speaker, and began to write on it: "The profits from 'Enter the Dragon' will be split 50/50 between Warner Bros. and Golden Harvest."
"During this trip to Hong Kong, Golden Harvest has already given 20% of the profits to our Han's Film Company."
"I'm willing to use this profit as a stake in the Rocky movie."
As Qin Han wrote on the paper, he watched Ashley's changing expressions: "If Rocky's total North American box office is less than 50 million US dollars after its release, Han's Pictures is willing to give up the revenue from Enter the Dragon as compensation to Warner Bros. Productions."
Upon hearing this, Stallone gasped sharply and nearly slid off his chair.
Fifty million US dollars?!
What does this mean? The Godfather, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1972 and caused a global sensation, only grossed a little over 100 million US dollars at the North American box office.
The boss actually dared to ask for 50 million for a boxing movie starring this unknown newcomer?!
"But—" Qin Han ignored Stallone's reaction and stared intently at Ashley: "If Rocky's North American box office exceeds 50 million US dollars, in addition to the base salary and copyright fees, Warner Bros. will also have to give Han's Film Studio a 10% share of the total North American box office."
Fred sat to the side, his facial muscles twitching uncontrollably.
He certainly knew about Qin Han's previous achievements at Universal Pictures: "Enter the Dragon" and "Fist of Fury," in which he managed to squeeze 15% of the box office revenue out of Sidney.
But the nature of those things is completely different!
Universal Pictures only acted as the distributor for these two films, without investing a single penny in their production costs. It was a pure profit-making business, so of course they had the confidence to offer a high revenue share of 15%.
But Rocky is different!
This is Warner Bros.' prized child, for which they're willing to spend millions of dollars on production, filming, and post-production. Giving up 10% of the total box office revenue is tantamount to cutting Warner Bros.' flesh!
However—the conditions offered by Qin and Han were simply too tempting.
A film about the struggles of the underprivileged, with a $50 million bet threshold, is simply a pipe dream to a seasoned Hollywood veteran like Fred!
He turned to look at Ashley beside him and noticed that the president's breathing had become heavy, his hands were unconsciously crossed, and his thumbs were rubbing together rapidly.
It seems the boss is about to agree!
Sure, such tempting conditions, yet Fred felt a chill run down his spine: something was definitely not right!
From the very first day he met Qin Han, he had a deep-seated intuition—this young man from the East must be an absolute devil!
He has never lost a bet! He's like a prophet who can see through the fog of time, always on the winning side.
"If Qin offers money willingly, it must be a trap!" This thought exploded in Fred's mind. He stood up abruptly, accidentally knocking over the coffee cup beside him.
"Sorry! Sorry!" He frantically grabbed some tissues to wipe his hands, secretly kicking Ashley's shin as he said loudly, "Ted, this bet is very important, we need to think it over carefully. Qin, come with me to wash my hands."
Without a word, he walked around the conference table, grabbed Qin Han's arm, and dragged him out of the conference room.
The two went into the bathroom, and Fred slammed the door shut and locked it.
"Fred, what are you doing? Is there a gold mine hidden in Warner's toilet?" Qin Han said with a helpless smile, turning on the tap to wash his face to refresh himself.
"Don't play dumb with me, Qin!" Fred lowered his voice. "We're friends! I'll be frank with you!"
"Warner Bros.' internal assessment of Rocky was indeed quite positive. The production department's budget proposal was $150 million."
"Our marketing department's box office forecast for this film is around $1500 million. A tenfold return is something you can brag about to the board for two years in Hollywood!"
Fred stared intently into Qin Han's eyes, as if trying to see into his soul: "What the hell has gotten into you? How dare you offer a 5000 million bet?"
Upon hearing the figure of "150 million budget," a strange emotion flashed through Qin Han's mind.
In his past life, Stallone faced numerous rejections with his script, ultimately receiving only a paltry $100 million budget from United Artists.
Due to a lack of funds, the production team was at their wits' end during filming.
Many classic shots were not deliberately designed, but rather created out of necessity.
For example, when Rocky was running in the streets of Philadelphia in the early morning, the crew didn't even have the money to apply for road closures for filming, so the cameraman had to carry his equipment and hide in a dilapidated van to secretly film him.
As he ran through the bustling market, a vendor tossed him an orange: it wasn't an extra at all, just a real vendor who thought Stallone was a boxer preparing for a fight and casually tossed him an orange to encourage him.
It is this sense of realism that gives Rocky its irreplaceable soul, raking in over $1 million at the North American box office and a staggering $2.25 million worldwide, before winning the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Now, Warner Bros. is willing to provide a budget of $150 million, which is enough for Stallone to no longer have to dodge police tickets on the street like a thief.
"Fred," Qin Han said, deliberately adjusting his tone as he looked at the agitated, overweight producer, "Since Warner's think tank believes $1500 million is the ceiling, then isn't this bet a sure win for you guys?"
"If you accept this bet, even if the movie flops, you'll still get a cut of the profits from 'Enter the Dragon.' Why are you stopping Ted from agreeing?"
After saying that, without waiting for Fred's reply, Qin Han threw the tissue he had used to wipe his hands into the trash can, a mysterious smile appearing on his face, and turned to stride out.
That confident, almost arrogant smile was deeply imprinted in Fred's mind.
Cold sweat trickled down Fred's forehead. He knew that smile all too well: Qin Han had the same expression when he suggested he buy Disney stock.
"Damn it—we absolutely cannot let Ted sign this betting agreement!"