Want to open more theaters? Very simple, cast Cheng Long (Jackie Chan) and Li Lianjie (Jet Li) as the leads. Although their fame in Hollywood doesn't quite match their status in China, they're still quite well-known.
Since Li Lianjie arrived in Hollywood later and has fewer films, his fame and pay are slightly lower, but even now, he can command a salary of $6 million per film. That's relatively high among second-tier male stars.
As for Cheng Long, who ventured into Hollywood earlier, with the huge successes of *Rumble in the Bronx* and *Rush Hour 1*, he successfully became a top-tier Hollywood star. If he were to film a *Rush Hour* sequel, he could easily earn over $10 million.
If *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* had starred these two, with their fame, Sony Classics, which bought the distribution rights, would never have given it a paltry opening in just 16 theaters. They would have opened with at least 1,500 theaters.
If it were a modern action film starring Cheng Long, it could have even opened in more than 2,000 theaters.
But the lead in this film is Chow Yun-fat. In China, his fame isn't much less than that of Cheng Long and Li Lianjie, but in Hollywood, he lags far behind them.
In addition to the fact that the lead actor isn't that famous, *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* also had lackluster box office results earlier, which is a significant factor in Sony's decision.
* Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* was first shown at the Cannes Film Festival in May this year, and it has since been released in China, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, and other countries and regions, over the span of about three or four months.
However, the total global box office is only around $10 million, and the box office in mainland China is a pitiful $2 million.
Yet, its production cost was a whopping $15 million. Judging by the current box office results, it's guaranteed to lose money.
In this situation, unless you're a time traveler like Wayne, who knows *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* will somehow resonate with North American audiences, grossing $128 million in North America and receiving multiple Oscar nominations, boosting its global box office, who would invest so much money to expand the number of theaters for *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon*?
"Ring, ring—"
At that moment, the room's phone suddenly rang, breaking the tense atmosphere.
A young man who looked like a disciple quickly answered the phone and, after a few short replies, said to Ba Ye, "Ba Ye, it's your agent in Hollywood. They said Hemera Pictures wants to hire you as an action director for a film."
"Hemera Pictures? That sounds kind of familiar," someone nearby mumbled, stroking his stubbly chin.
"Hemera Pictures is the production company of the currently hot film *Happy Death Day*," someone explained.
Then someone exclaimed, "Isn't that the company that sold *Happy Death Day*, which grossed over $230 million worldwide, for less than $40 million?"
"But their production cost was only $12 million!"
Someone else scoffed, immediately shutting the first person up.
The young man on the phone continued, "Your agent said they're offering $1 million per film."
"Hiss—"
Before he even finished speaking, the room was filled with gasps of disbelief.
Although $1 million is nothing compared to big stars like Cheng Long and Li Lianjie, it's like a jackpot compared to the others sitting there.
Most importantly, this offer is just for being an action director.
"There must be other conditions, right?" Ba Ye remained calm and asked.
He knew very well that Hollywood is all about profit, and even though he earned about $700,000 after *The Matrix 1* became a hit, the offer was still unusually high.
"The other condition is that for every sequel they shoot, the salary will increase by 10%—"
"Wow! That's quite generous!" someone muttered.
"But the condition is that you have to sign on for seven films at once. According to your agent, Hemera Pictures has big ambitions and is probably planning a series of at least five to seven films."
The young man paused for a moment and continued, "Your agent's advice is to agree as soon as possible. They said there's probably no other action director in Hollywood right now who could command such a salary."
"What do you think, Ba Ye?"
Ba Ye casually flicked his cigarette ash and smiled, "What do I think? Of course, I'll sign! If someone is desperate to give me money, why not take it? With that rate, after seven films, I could retire!"
"Should I let your agent know, then?"
"Yeah, go ahead," Ba Ye replied, waving his hand.
Someone asked curiously, "Aren't you going to negotiate for a better price, Ba Ye? And what if there's a scheduling conflict?"
Ba Ye shot the person a cold glance. Initially, he didn't want to explain, but considering the person was a junior, he decided to offer some advice. "Hollywood works differently than it does here. Over there, your agent handles all these negotiations, and you can fully trust them."
"They'll sort out any scheduling conflicts, and they'll do everything they can to secure the best deal for you."
"If your agent is this eager to close the deal, it only means the offer is already too high, and there's no more room for negotiation. If you push further, you'll only embarrass yourself and hurt the relationship."
After hearing this, the person quickly bowed respectfully, looking as though they'd learned a valuable lesson. At the same time, they couldn't help but think how much easier things would be if the industry back home worked the same way.
But in China, most of the time, talent agencies and production companies are essentially one and the same.
"Aren't you curious about what kind of movie it is?" Zhang Ziyi, who was sitting next to Ang Lee, couldn't help but ask.
Ba Ye smirked and looked at her, saying, "If a Hollywood studio is approaching me, it's nothing more than action or sci-fi movies with fight scenes. I'll find out after signing the contract and getting the script."
Thinking of Zhang Ziyi's talent, skill, and ambition displayed during the filming of *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon*, Ba Ye hesitated for a moment and decided to do her a favor.
"Xiao Zhang, if you're interested, I can let you know after I sign the contract. If they need action actors, I can recommend you."
"But if you really want to make it in Hollywood, it's best to find an agent here first. An agency's recommendation is way more useful than mine as a martial arts director."
"That would be wonderful, Ba Ye! Thank you!" Zhang Ziyi quickly stood up and thanked him.
(End of this chapter)