Very few people knew what Levi was doing except for his friends.
After the Oscars, Levi found time to talk to a few of them about his investments over the years and the possible returns. Of course, he also spoke about his future plans.
The people at Enigma Company have seen many incredible things: in just five years, they have built their company into one of the major companies in Hollywood.
They think they have seen enough things, but when they heard Levi's words, they were stunned.
"You mean, when we used our money to buy houses, buy cars, find women, or do all kinds of random things, you used all the money to speculate in stocks, and now there may be billions?"
When Michael heard this, he was frightened and said, "Nick, please don't tell me next time something like this happens. I would rather you lose money and ask me to borrow money. Otherwise, it will destroy my self-confidence too much."
"That's right. While making movies, you can still make such a big profit from your part-time investment. It's really envious." Alexander, sitting next to Levi, spoke with a rather annoyed look on his face.
When Levi asked him to invest, he was afraid of losing money and refused to do so. Now it seems that he made a big wrong choice.
Now Levi suddenly has money, which makes several friends feel envious.
"That's right, why do you want to stay in Hollywood? You should go to Wall Street; that's a better place for you." Bob also complained.
"It's not a big deal. Money is just a number when the quantity is large. Haven't I still not spent much money in the past few years?
After I come back from New York, at most, I will no longer be restricted by investment companies when we are making movies. Other things have no impact, don't worry."
Levi knew very well that, after all, he was still a filmmaker, not an investment tycoon. He is making money during this period because he knows about the Internet bubble, and this kind of money is a bonus for time travelers, but it's not a real skill.
His roots are still in Hollywood.
"So, you are rich all of a sudden, and you are going to continue filming movies next year and continue to compete in the Oscars?" Clark asked.
"I estimate that in the next year, if I shoot movies without any breakthroughs, they will only get one nomination at most, no matter how good they are. They will think I am just repeating myself."
Even if a director is of a very high level, if he can only manage at that level all the time, he will be considered to be incompetent. Levi knew it would be difficult to make a breakthrough if he was just satisfied with the status quo.
Since Oscar is willing to give him a second award and fully recognize him, it is also telling him not to show up again without a breakthrough. He wants to compete in the Oscars again. That only requires him to have that ability.
Obviously, Levi thinks he still needs to prepare.
"So you originally proposed that you want to make a science fiction film?" Clark asked rhetorically.
"Yes. Movies like this are easy to break through. After all, fantasy stuff can break through the shackles of thought."
The pursuit of technology in science fiction movies can easily lead to innovation, and the different perspectives on human nature can easily create depth in filming. This is a genre that can easily go a step further. Spielberg wasn't wrong about the future of cinema. It's about photographing the universe.
"Aren't you ready to take action now?" Clark asked.
"The technology is immature; let's push it back." Levi shook his head.
There is not enough suitable technology and market. He wasn't going just to force it.
Actually, for the market aspect, it's still possible now. The TV series starring Kate Beckinsale is actually a dozen-episode short drama. It has been broadcast on the SYFY Channel since the spring.
[E/N: The TV series is adapted from 'Ball Lightning' novel by Liu Cixin if it is not clear.]
It has received pretty good reviews so far - of course, Levi is a producer. The name and Beckinsale's personal charm are important reasons for attracting a large number of viewers to this TV series. However, the quality of this TV series is indeed good, which is also a unique feature.
However, Levi still thinks he should wait until the TV series is finished to see the response.
When shooting a movie, you can't be impatient. If a film is made just for fame and fortune, it can't become a classic.
"Since your big movie is not going to be produced immediately, then, after we have the money, maybe we can consider shooting some big-budget commercial films?" Alexander suddenly thought of something, "Nick, you don't have to think about the Oscars for a while. Why not make a commercial film? If you use your name to appeal to the audience, you will definitely be able to attract a lot of people."
This is true. If an Oscar-winning director is willing to lower his face and make a commercial film, winning the audience's favor is easy.
You have to use the reputation you have accumulated - Levi's current reputation can make a lot of money if it is used to promote commercial films.
However, Levi shook his head again, "Forget it. You can make commercial films, but you'd better find another director. Shooting commercial films is too tiring, so I still don't want to make them."
"Then what kind of movie do you want to make?" Alexander didn't understand Levi's thoughts. He asked, "Don't tell me that you are really planning to take a break from acting for two years."
"Of course not, and it doesn't mean that all my movies are shot for Oscars. Even if my movies are not for Oscars or box office, they can also be shot for other things." Levi added.
This sentence made Alexander raise his head. He didn't understand what kind of movies Levi wanted to shoot.
"First of all, I want to make a movie for Naomi Watts. She didn't have many roles in the few movies I made recently, but I always think she is a good actress, so I want to make a movie for Naomi Watts. We should find a good script and give her an outstanding performance, right?"
Indeed, Levi has always admired Naomi Watts, but she has never performed exceptional roles with Levi.
Alexander knew that Levi was a person who was good at discovering actors. The person he liked and was willing to find a script for her would definitely perform well.
Therefore, when Levi proposed this idea, Alexander did not object.
If a director wants to promote actors, who can say no?
"Again, when I was filming X-Men, I remember promising Scarlett Johansson a chance to act in a movie. But I never had the opportunity to fulfill it.
Now that I have some free time, I can give it a try. This one is even simpler. She is young, and it is easier to make a little girl famous than a 30-year-old woman."
Levi knew that now that time had entered the new century, there would be more and more actors born in the 1980s occupying the screen. Male stars born in the 1970s may be able to last longer, but the replacement of women is inevitable, and it is time for me to try using actors born in the 1980s.
There are quite a few actors born in the 1980s who are famous now. Natalie Portman and Anne Hathaway are now considered famous.
Scarlett Johansson's talent and spirituality are considered good among these actors, and her image and acting skills are also acceptable. Compared with Natalie Portman, who can only play the image of a young literary girl, her acting skills are broader.
Although, in Levi's memory, her pursuit of artistic films was not very rewarding. She followed Woody Allen for several years but basically gained nothing.
She turned to commercial films when she was almost 30 years old.
However, Levi felt that she still had great potential, and exploring some of it wouldn't be a bad idea.
"You mean, will you rely on your movies to build more connections or find better actors?" Clark asked.
"Yes... I'm not going to take a break. Taking a break will probably make my hands raw. But I don't want to shoot something too bad, so I should rely on the movie to support some actors or make some attempts on what I want to do."
"Okay, what you said is correct. Indeed, even if you don't shoot your dream movie or a commercial film, you still have something to do." Alexander nodded and compromised. "So, after you come back from New York, you will start making them?"
"Of course not." Levi shook his head again.
"Then what are you going to do when you're done with things in New York?" Alexander asked again.
"After New York, I think I will go to China. 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' winning the award is a big deal for them. We have been thinking about how to knock on their door, so it is time to take advantage of it.
Then, I want to go to Europe. You know, Europe sometimes has a lot of good actors, good scripts and so on. I think if everything goes well, I will take them all over, which will be more beneficial to our future development."
Europe? Alexander was stunned for a moment. Indeed, European movies have their own uniqueness, and there is certainly no shortage of talents. However, it is still very difficult for European actors and screenwriters to bring their work to Hollywood.
After all, Hollywood is the territory of the Americans. The considerable ticket warehouse and commercial operations of the United States ensure the high income of the film industry.
Compared with the United States, the income of Europeans is much lower. Countless people want to get into Hollywood every year, but it is very difficult to succeed in the end.
If you want to take advantage of them, it is also in line with Levi's usual characteristics: only by laying a long line can you catch big fish.
Asia, Europe, newcomers... It seems that Levi's network is getting wider and wider.
"So, in the first half of the year, you weren't planning to make a movie?" Alexander frowned, "Now that you have won your second Oscar, your reputation is at its peak. So what if the Oscar won't be given to you again? Anyway, the audience buys it. If you make a movie now, the audience will definitely be looking forward to it. Even if it is not for the box office, you should strike while the iron is hot."
"I will shoot it, but not now, don't worry," Levi told Alexander, shaking his head with an inexplicable smile, "Anyway, I will definitely go to Europe for vacation this September."
*****
Thanks and kudos for my patreons
Scott DePaepe
MMMCMXCIX, or 3,999
Britanna
Marcelo Maia
Danny York
Mandy G
DragonEz
You can read advanced chapters on my Patreon account: https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.