Appearance is already half the battle, and an attractive appearance opens many doors. That's what people say.
Thanks to his unparalleled looks and captivating charisma, Eric managed to establish rapport with the representatives from Star Overseas in just a few minutes.
"Steven, you're too modest. Your movies are fantastic. I watched Shaolin Soccer, and even though our cultures are different, many scenes had me laughing to tears."
"You've got something of Jim Carrey and Charlie Chaplin in you. You're a true master of comedy."
"So when Judy told me you were looking for investors, I knew I had to get involved!"
Hearing this, Judy shook her head internally. If that were really the case, would you have kept someone waiting all day? If it were any other big Hollywood director, you wouldn't be going on and on like this.
After brief pleasantries, they got down to business.
"Steven, how much are you planning to invest in this film?"
Steven held up three fingers.
"30 million dollars, that's the minimum amount."
Eric frowned.
"30 million dollars? As far as I remember, Miramax bought the overseas distribution rights for Jet Li's Hero. That was an epic film with a budget of just 30 million dollars."
"30 million dollars is around 250 million yuan or 240 million Hong Kong dollars—that's enough to produce a high-budget blockbuster."
"Will your movie, Kung Fu Hustle, be as grand in scale as Hero?"
Steven shook his head slightly.
"No, Kung Fu Hustle and Hero are completely different styles. My film won't be as large in scale, but it will have a lot of special effects."
"So, is Star Overseas planning to hire a Hollywood effects studio? If you go with companies from Hong Kong or Korea, you won't need that much money," Eric continued.
Steven wasn't much of a talker. Although Eric was smiling, his tone and the context made it clear that he was applying pressure. Money doesn't come that easily.
Next to him, a man in gold-rimmed glasses named Ryan spoke up. Eric didn't remember him, so he was probably an administrative staff member from Star Overseas rather than an actor or screenwriter.
"Mr. Cooper, I understand your concerns. Yes, Kung Fu Hustle won't be a large-scale film, and we're not planning to bring in Jackie Chan or Jet Li, but it will have its own unique qualities."
"Just reading the script doesn't give you a full picture of how many special effects will be needed. But as the director, Steven already has a clear vision for Kung Fu Hustle."
"Steven is an experienced and talented director, one of the best in Asia, and I'm sure you recognize that, given the success of Shaolin Soccer."
"That's why his request for 30 million dollars is based on the real needs of the film. Mr. Cooper, you understand that without proper funding, many movies lose their appeal."
After listening to his long speech filled with explanations and reasoning, Eric laughed.
"Ryan, do you take me for someone who's clueless about the film industry? Do you think I don't understand storyboards or market prices?"
The man in glasses waved his hands.
"No, not at all; I just want to make the movie as good as possible. We all want that, right? A quality film brings in more revenue."
Eric leaned back in his chair, adopting a confident posture, and spoke more slowly:
"Yes, everyone wants to make a good movie and earn more money. But you can't assume that investors are fools."
"Ryan, I'm not just a company vice president; I'm also a director. I'm currently working on Transformers. Tell me, will Kung Fu Hustle have more special effects than Transformers?"
"So special effects aren't a valid excuse. I've read the script thoroughly and conducted a professional evaluation. I have my own vision for the film too."
"30 million dollars is too much. We're willing to offer 22 million dollars."
Hearing this amount, the faces of the Star Overseas representatives changed. The sum was 8 million less than they had expected.
After completing the script for Kung Fu Hustle, Steven decided to seek investments in Hollywood since a budget of over 20 million dollars was unattainable for either Hong Kong or China.
Even if someone could afford such an investment, learning that Steven intended to both direct and star in the film made them lose interest. His films hadn't had much box office success.
The investment in Hero was only possible thanks to Jet Li's name, while Zhang Yimou was a nobody in Hollywood.
Steven first approached Miramax. Shaolin Soccer had been distributed by them, and he hoped that the successful collaboration would prompt the Weinstein brothers to invest again.
But he was overconfident. Harvey Weinstein immediately cut the budget in half, offering only 15 million dollars.
After that, Steven turned to New Line, Lionsgate, Disney, and other companies. Some weren't interested, and others offered investment amounts that fell short of his expectations.
Recently, he approached Sony Columbia, and they were ready to invest, but they insisted on 20 million dollars, not a cent more.
Finally, he came to MGM. He had practically exhausted all the major Hollywood studios, and his situation was beginning to resemble the Olsen twins' attempts to secure investments for New York Minute.
With a serious expression, Steven said,
"Eric, I think—"
But Eric cut him off.
"Steven, 22 million dollars is the maximum we can offer. I don't think you'll find a more generous company in Hollywood than MGM."
"Your movie doesn't have Jackie Chan or Jet Li, and without them, Chinese films are hard to sell."
"My words may seem harsh, but they're the truth, and I hope you understand that."
Seeing Eric's firm stance, Steven realized that further persuasion was pointless. Business is business: liking your film and being willing to invest in it are two different things.
It's like in love: infatuation doesn't cost anything, but real courtship requires money. As they say, no money, no love.
After thinking for a moment, Steven asked,
"Eric, if Star Overseas accepts MGM's investment, what will you take in return? What price will I have to pay?"
A smile appeared on Eric's face. Columbia was only willing to offer a maximum of 20 million dollars, while MGM was giving 2 million more.
These 2 million dollars might be insignificant for Eric, but for Chow, that's 16 million Hong Kong dollars. They live in entirely different worlds.
Moreover, Steven had no experience working with Columbia. They were strangers, so naturally, he chose the one offering more.
"Steven, as an investor, I want the rights to the film to belong to MGM, as well as the distribution rights worldwide, except for a few markets."
"You mean the Middle East, mainland China, and others?"
"Yes, exactly. In fact, MGM plans to establish a branch in China. I feel that the market will explode in a few years."
"That's a good idea. You could open a Hong Kong office through this Kung Fu Hustle project."
Eric shook his head.
"The Hong Kong market is shrinking; I prefer Beijing."
Steven didn't argue because he understood that the Hong Kong market was indeed shrinking. If it weren't, co-productions wouldn't be so popular now.
After some more discussions, Steven said he needed time to think. He declined MGM's dinner invitation and left with his team.
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