Chinese entertainment: What's wrong with actresses wanting to improve?

Chapter 243 New Projects at Franchise Films

On February 15, a celebration banquet for "Gravity" was held at the Kunlun Hotel.

This time, bosses of film and television companies of all sizes, directors, and artists from the industry all came.

As the first domestic film to break 1 billion yuan at the box office, countless people want to learn from Fu Yibai or try to climb up to him.

The celebration banquet lasted from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

After the dinner, Fu Yibai was taken to Qin Lan's house by Guo Zhenni.

On February 20, Fu Yibai took Guo Zhenni on a plane to Los Angeles.

When the plane landed, the sky in Los Angeles was an unbelievably blue.

California was already getting warmer at the end of February, and the palm trees on both sides of the airport runway swayed gently in the wind, their leaves glistening in the sunlight.

As I walked out of the terminal, a white man in a black suit stood at the exit, holding a sign that read "Fu".

Upon seeing Fu Yibai emerge, they immediately went to greet him.

"Mr. Fu, I am Tom."

"Ms. Margaret sent me to pick you up."

"Thanks."

Tom opened the back door, and Fu Yibai and Guo Zhenni got in.

The car drove out of the airport and merged into the traffic on Highway 405.

It was Guo Zhenni's first time in Los Angeles, and her eyes were fixed on the scenery outside the window, watching the landmarks she had seen in movies flash by—the Hollywood sign, the Walk of Fame, the Beverly Hills sign.

"Mr. Fu, this is Hollywood."

There was a hint of novelty in her voice.

"Um."

Fu Yibai leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed.

"You'll come here often from now on."

The car came to a stop in front of the franchise film studio.

Margaret was already waiting at the company entrance.

Her makeup was exquisite, but the fine lines around her eyes were more pronounced than when we last met, indicating that she had been through a lot of worry over the past year.

"Boss, welcome back."

She came up to me, extended her hand, and shook it tightly.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Fu Yibai patted her shoulder and then stepped aside.

"This is Guo Zhenni, my new assistant."

"Hello, Ms. Guo."

Margaret greeted him in broken Chinese, a smile playing on her lips.

"Hello, Ms. Margaret."

Guo Zhenni bowed slightly, neither humble nor arrogant.

The three of them went upstairs to Fu Yibai's office.

Fu Yibai sat down behind his desk and began to review the revenue of the franchise film company last year.

.........

Currently, the franchise has $9.2 million in cash on hand, and several films are yet to be released.

Fu Yibai closed the file and looked at Margaret.

"How are the company's projects going this year?"

Margaret opened another document.

"Black Widow has completed post-production and is scheduled for release on June 20th, during the summer movie season."

The trailer has been edited three times, and the market response has been very good. Scarlett Johansson is getting a lot of attention.

She paused, then continued.

"In addition, two low-budget horror films are in preparation and are expected to start filming in the second half of the year."

These are all types of products we're good at; the investment isn't large, and the return on investment should be good.

Fu Yibai nodded, remained silent for a few seconds, and then spoke.

"Okay, I see the company has plenty of funds right now."

A few more projects can be started.

First up is Iron Man 2, which can be started now.

However, I'm not planning to direct this time. I'll recommend someone to you.

"Please speak."

The previous assistant director, Jon, was quite good; we could let him direct the upcoming Iron Man 2 and 3.

Margaret jotted down notes quickly, the pen scratching across the paper.

"Second, the source code."

Fu Yibai turned the page.

"This project has a low cost but a solid script, and if filmed well, it has the potential to become a dark horse."

For directors, I recommend Duncan Jones.

"Find a male lead who's popular with audiences, not too expensive, and the female lead..."

He thought about it.

"What are Anne and Scarlett's plans right now?"

"Miss Scarlett just joined the crew recently and is expected to wrap up filming in May."

Miss Anne just finished filming a few days ago and currently has no projects.

"Then give it to Annie."

Scarlett Johansson still has to promote "Black Widow" in June, so let her take a break.

Margaret nodded and continued taking notes.

"third."

Fu Yibai turned to the last page and tapped the paper lightly with his finger.

"Interstellar can also be started now."

Margaret stopped writing and looked up.

"Boss, about this project..."

"I will direct it myself."

"Dawn will invest 20%, the rest is up to you."

Fu Yibai leaned back in his chair.

"Preliminary preparations should begin now. Location selection, model building, and special effects rehearsals all require time."

I'll be coming back to film around this time next year, and I've got Chenxi as the female lead.

Margaret was silent for a few seconds, then slowly nodded.

"Understood. What about the budget?"

"Costs should be kept below $2 million."

This project has very high requirements for special effects, so we need to communicate with the special effects team in advance. Some shots may require new technical solutions.

"Okay, I will assemble the initial team as soon as possible."

It was already past four in the afternoon when I left the franchise film studio.

The car drove into Beverly Hills and stopped in front of the villa.

Fu Yibai pushed open the door and went in. The light in the entryway was on, and the sound of a television could be heard from the living room.

Anne Hathaway stood up from the sofa, wearing a loose white loungewear set, her hair loose over her shoulders, her face without makeup, and her skin glowing white under the light.

"pay!"

She walked quickly over, threw herself into his arms, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Fu Yibai put his arm around her waist and lowered his head to kiss her lips.

"Missing me?"

I think about it every day.

Annie's voice was muffled in his chest, with a hint of coquetry.

She lifted her head from his embrace, her gaze falling on Guo Zhenni behind him, her eyes filled with a scrutinizing look.

"This is……"

"Guo Zhenni, my new assistant."

Fu Yibai stepped aside.

"Jennie, this is Annie."

"Hello, Miss Anne."

Guo Zhenni bowed slightly, a perfectly timed smile on her lips.

"Hello there."

Annie let go of Fu Yibai, walked over, and shook hands with Guo Zhenni.

Welcome to Los Angeles.

Her tone was as natural as if she were welcoming an old friend; there was no scrutiny, no probing, just simple acceptance.