Rebirth in a Perfect Era Chapter 1397: Seeking cultural commonality

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Huanya ’s top management was still considering whether to accept the Li Mu's cooperation proposal, and suddenly received a message that Li Mu had bought the English remake of "Infernal Affairs" from Warner for 3.5 million USD!

And Warner is really happy. It took less than a day to consider and another day to complete the process. Now, the copyright of the English reprint of "Infernal Affairs" has been attributed to Muye Pictures ...

Huanya was dumbfounded when they heard the news. They did n’t quite understand what tricks Li Mu was playing. They also gave themselves an offer to cooperate with North American distribution rights of "Infernal Affairs" on the front foot, and directly from Warner on the back foot. I bought the English remake right of "Infernal Affairs" at a double price.

Everyone knows that the goal of the English remake right itself is to refer to the North American market. The senior executives of Huanya are particularly guilty. Several people gathered together and brainstormed, just asked what is the purpose of analyzing Li ’s move.

"What do you say Li Mu bought it? Ah? cooperated with us to push the original" Infernal Affairs "to the North American market, he can make money empty-handed, what a good thing!"

"You ask me, who do I ask? Does Li Mu want to use this to coerce us to accept his exploitation plan?"

"Oh my God, what time will it have to wait? He got the copyright today, and he started shooting today, at least half a year before it is released! If we find a suitable partner," Infernal Affairs "may be next month. Released in North America! Everyone is not at a time ... "

"Does Li Mu feel that the remake of the English version" Infernal Affairs "has more profit margins?"

"It is unlikely that the script" Infernal Affairs "although is very good, but when Hollywood is met, it will be unacceptable. By Hollywood, the production cost will be three 50 million USD. If the box office is less than 200 million, it will not make a profit."

"Maybe or not, it depends on how to change the script, who will shoot and who will act."

"Everyone, even if Li Mu really feels that the remake of" Infernal Affairs "is profitable, it has nothing to do with our original" Infernal Affairs ". Our current priority is to determine how to operate our" Infernal Affairs "and sell it directly to Hollywood. Or accept the Li Mu's cooperation plan. "

"The Li Mu's plan is too crap! We are the copyright owner, and he only gives us 30%! This guy ’s heart is really not black! Unless he is willing to give us a share of not less than 50%, I do n’t Will work with him! "

"Not less than 50%? Then we will report to him according to 50%!"

"OK, I agree!"

......

After Li Mu heard the final offer from Huanya from Li Ziwei, he was not surprised and even less angry. He just said lightly: "Tell them directly, I will take back the offer. After communicating with Muye Pictures, Muye Pictures will not have any form of cooperation with them based on this movie. "

"Okay!" Li Ziwei immediately nodded and said, "I will reply to them."

Li Mu said busyly: “Do n’t be so anxious, it ’s not necessary, a film company, whether it ’s the company ’s size or the cooperation space, it ’s not enough for us. When we are in a good mood, we will reply to that's alright. . "

Finally, Li Mu shook his head self-deprecatingly and said with a smile: "I am getting more and more backward. A small film company has the confidence to bargain with me."

Li Ziwei laughed and said: "I understand your mood. What you care about is whether Chinese movies can get out of the Chinese community, not how much money Chinese movies can make."

Li Mu nodded and said, "For some capitalists, the movie is indeed quite profitable, but for me, the little money earned by the movie is really pitiful. It stands to reason that I should be concerned about Muye Science and Technology and Taobao When is technology going to market and when the market value exceeds the 100 billion USD mark, instead of calculating here whether a movie can be made in North America to make a thousand or eight million dollars, even if I want to make this money, I should not do it myself. It is more cost-effective to focus on other places in terms of pure value, but the film is ultimately a powerful cultural output tool. If you want to do a good job of cultural output, the main battlefield of the film must be firmly grasped. "

Speaking, Li Mu took a sip of water and said: "By Ziwei, you can help me contact Spielberg and let him tell the management of DreamWorks. I intend to prepare for the launch of the English version of" Infernal Affairs "project. This movie will be Muye Pictures's next key film after "Flying Tigers". I hope to continue working with DreamWorks. If they are interested, they can arrange a video conference based on everyone's time. "

"Okay, I will contact Director Spielberg."

Speaking of this, Li Ziwei hesitated for a moment, and seemed to hesitate for a while, but still asked Li Mu: "Chief Li, I would like to ask you a word, is that what happened to the original" Infernal Affairs "? I always feel it is a pity ... "

Li Mu smiled slightly and asked: "Ziwei, what do you think of the movie" Infernal Affairs "?"

"It looks good." Li Ziwei replied without thinking: "It should be the best Hong Kong movie in recent years."

Li Mu smiled and asked: "What's so good about you?"

Li Ziwei said: "The plot, the plot is great, the actors also performed very well, and the lineup is strong, all are well-known actors in the Hong Kong film industry."

Li Mu asked again: "Do you think the North American audience will like the original" Infernal Affairs "?"

"This ..." Li Ziwei thought about it and said, "I think it should be? After all, there is a precedent for the success of" Mr. Zombie(s). "

Li Mu smiled slightly and said, "I have a different opinion from you. I don't think it is easy for North American audiences to accept the original" Infernal Affairs ". At the very least, judging by their knowledge of China, they can't accept it yet."

Li Ziwei asked: "Why do you say that?"

Li Mu said: "" Mr. Zombie(s) "is actually very simple. It exports the China Zombie(s) system, and it is a fictional folklore, so North American audiences will be very good even if they do n’t understand the China culture. The sense of substitution, this is the same as watching Hollywood science fiction films such as "Alien". As long as we approve the alien system, we can see that movie will not have any different feeling than Westerners, but "Infernal Affairs" does not Same. "

Li Ziwei hastily asked him: "Why?"

Li Mu said: "" Infernal Affairs "contains too many elements of China and the taste of Hong Kong films is too strong. The focus is on humanity, strategy, Buddhism fatalism, benevolence and morality, and infinite purgatory. We Understand, Westerners do n’t understand, and Hong Kong has a very common commonality when making positive films, that is, the deeper the better, the deeper you think, the more successful it is from the level of direct soul, this is our China It ’s no problem for the audience, because we accept and get used to such routines, but it ’s too difficult for Westerners to accept so many things they do n’t understand at once. ”

Speaking of this, Li Mu added: "So you see the Hollywood blockbuster, the main line is clear, the rhythm is bright, and most of the characters are not so complicated. It can be said that it has distinctive characteristics, especially action movies, basically it is no different. Yes, it ’s a good job to get up, but the more such a movie, the more it can be sold globally. Why? Because it ’s simple and direct, there are more than 200 countries, countless ethnic groups, and countless cultural styles in this world , And how do these cultures develop? Do you know? "

Li Ziwei shook his head blankly in the fog, "I am not very clear, this problem seems a bit esoteric ..."

Li Mu said with a smile: "Actually, it's not esoteric at all. Let me tell you this. There are so many cultures in the world like a huge towering tree, not only towering into the clouds, but also leafy, The branches and leaves are extremely complex, but no matter how big a tree is, it also grows from a seed, germinates from a root system, and grows into a thick trunk, and then slowly branches and leaves Development, the more extended the development, the greater the gap between different branches and branches. "

"If each branch is a different culture, then each culture is not just its own branch, but from its own branch and tracing to the roots of the trunk extending all the way, everyone although has a common Root, but because the path of subsequent development is completely different, so the difference is huge.

Each culture although has been developed from the front end to the end for thousands of years, but everyone living in the present lives at the end of their respective cultures, so you ca n’t take one end thing and let another A person at the end adopted and accepted, what is "Infernal Affairs"? It is the product of the end of our culture. Do you think that people who are not in our family can fully understand and accept it? "

Li Ziwei shook his head gently: "According to your analogy, it should be difficult to accept."

Li Mu went on to say: "So back to the topic we just said about Hollywood, Hollywood action film is very simple, there is no connotation and no special end culture, it even uses not the end thoughts of Western culture, but the front end thoughts, So it is a product of the front-end in the Western culture system. Then I said just now that every culture is actually a leaf growing from a tree, which is doomed to a rule: the more you explore the front-end of culture , The closer you are to other national cultures, otherwise, the farther you are from them.

If the front end comes to the extreme and goes to the root of human civilization, then the culture of all ethnic groups is actually the same. All cultures are inseparable from eating and drinking, and all cultures are inseparable from **** and inseparability. Love and hatred are indispensable. All cultures recognize that good people must have good rewards, bad people must have bad rewards, and if they are beaten, they must be beaten back. All cultures also recognize that good people are bullied by bad people, and they should be punished. So Hollywood just shoots something so simple but not surprising to other national cultures. It may not have depth, but it can be accepted and recognized by everyone. "

After finishing, Li Mu sighed and said: "In my opinion, this is the key to the success of Hollywood commercial blockbuster. When other movies such as Hong Kong movies are gone on the road of finding depth, it turns back. , Throw the depth behind your head and look for things that can be accepted by anyone in any cultural background in the world, so you look at "Infernal Affairs", which stands at the back end of China culture, maybe some Western audiences can Seeing the depth and praise for the film, most Western viewers will not accept its depth, which is destined to make it difficult for commercial success in North America. "

Li Ziwei suddenly realized that she finally understood the relationship between commerciality and culture, why Li Mu is not optimistic about the box office potential of "Infernal Affairs" in North America, and why Hollywood can become a leader in the commercial film field, but, the more To understand this, the more she wondered the question. After she was puzzled, she asked Li Mu: "Chief Li, since you think it is difficult for Westerners to accept" Infernal Affairs ", why do you have to buy the remake at double the price? Copyright, and then invest and remake it in English? "