Chapter 21 Death Gives You Three Chances to Die

The office was left with only two people.

Ronan looked at James Wong curiously, unable to figure out what this guy was up to.

Was he dissatisfied with the remuneration? If he wanted an increase, wouldn't he negotiate through his agent? $300,000 was already the highest price he could offer, or was it because of James Wong's involvement in "The X-Files"?

The real budget for "The Purge" was only $1.8 million, including various expenses from Sand Sea Entertainment and himself.

"What do we need to talk about privately?" Ronan asked directly.

It couldn't be that James Wong had some ideas about him, right? If he wanted to play by the rules, it should be the producers who set the rules, not the other way around.

Perhaps due to his Eastern origins, James Wong's response was a bit evasive.

"Mr. Anderson, I'm very interested in your project," he said. "Thriller and horror happen to be my specialties. I don't know if you've seen the TV series I directed, but the most outstanding aspect is the creation of a thrilling and suspenseful atmosphere."

Ronan nodded slightly. "I see."

Otherwise, he wouldn't have reached a verbal agreement on remuneration with Edward.

James Wong thought of the script he and Glenn Morgan had come up with, feeling like there was a cat climbing around in his heart. If he didn't try, he'd feel uncomfortable all over.

Opportunities had to be seized.

Even if the other party disagreed, would it really affect the current project they were discussing?

Just now he heard it clearly. Sand Sea Entertainment had secured funding from Arabs, and those oil guys were really wealthy.

After some thought, James Wong said, "Well... I used to be a screenwriter, and my good friend Glenn Morgan and I started together. He's a screenwriter too..."

Ronan smiled. "Wong, we hit it off right away. No need to be formal. Just say it."

"I and Glenn wrote a script, a horror film." James Wong opened his briefcase and took out a script. "We came up with the idea while working on 'The X-Files' set, then we wrote an outline, and it took us half a year to finish the script."

He placed the script on Ronan's desk. "Could you take a look when you have time?"

Ronan frowned slightly, guessing James Wong's intention.

Seeing that Ronan didn't pick up the script, James Wong continued, "This is a new type of horror film, different from traditional American splatter horror films and ghost horror films. Mr. Anderson, I assure you, this will be a chilling movie that will definitely scare the audience!"

"Do you want me to invest in your project?" Ronan asked directly.

This was very obvious. In Hollywood, many directors were looking for investment everywhere, and very few ended up getting it.

"Yes," James Wong didn't beat around the bush. "I want to direct this script."

Ronan nodded slightly, opened the script, glanced at a few pages, and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

Interesting, really interesting.

He asked as he read, "Wong, if I don't invest in your project, are you going to refuse 'The Purge'?"

"Well..." James Wong hesitated for a moment and said, "At least it's not my first choice."

He increased his bargaining chip: "Dimen Films invited me to direct a spoof version of 'Scream' called 'Scream and Laugh', but they rejected my terms. I haven't agreed to Dimen's invitation for the time being. An executive at New Line Cinema thought my script was creative and wanted to buy the rights, but they refused me as the director. Glenn and I turned them down."

Ronan wasn't stupid. He understood the meaning behind this. James Wong was saying that he wasn't lacking director invitations, and this script had the attention of companies.

This script... Well, how should I put it? It was indeed quite interesting.

James Wong seemed a bit stubborn and impatient.

For a typical newcomer director, getting the opportunity to direct a movie, they wouldn't mention excessive conditions.

But this one? He tied himself to another project.

Ronan remained calm, but his mind was racing with many thoughts. He quietly observed James Wong again, noting that his mentality seemed a bit anxious.

He probably faced many setbacks before.

For a director with no film background, it's very difficult to get investment for a script they wrote, especially when most scripts with creative ideas go unnoticed.

Moreover, he had bigger ambitions, he wanted to direct this script.

"James, you should be very clear that this film doesn't fit the usual aesthetic of North American horror film audiences," Ronan said. It wasn't just idle talk. The best-performing type of horror film in Hollywood was the splatter genre: "I personally think your script is interesting, but I'm a businessman and I need to be responsible to the investors."

James Wong was well aware of this, otherwise, he wouldn't have faced so many setbacks.

"Ah..." he sighed inwardly.

Should he temporarily set aside this script and direct other movies first, then come back to it later?

Just when James Wong's face was filled with disappointment, Ronan timely said, "I... can consider investing in your project."

He seemed to have made a big decision: "But I need to convince the investors."

James Wong originally didn't have much hope, but now his eyes were filled with hope.

Ronan furrowed his brows, "My funding comes from Arabs. Arab oil tycoons are very wealthy, but they take money very seriously and are very stubborn. If the conditions aren't favorable enough, it's hard to get them to invest."

"What can I do?" James Wong asked quickly.

"Your project won't work if the investment is too low," Ronan seemed to be thinking deeply. "The production investment is definitely very high, so I have to cut expenses in other areas, such as the buyout fee for the rights."

James Wong remained silent for a while, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. Finally, he gritted his teeth, "That's no problem. The minimum price set by the Writers Guild as the transfer fee, but I must be the director! My director's remuneration can be the same as what we discussed this time!"

In his eyes, this wasn't a big deal. James Cameron, for example, only received $1 for the transfer of rights for "The Terminator" in order to direct it.

Ronan continued to reach for benefits, "Full copyright buyout."

"Okay," James Wong's goal was to direct, and everything else was negotiable.

Ronan still looked hesitant, but inwardly he was overjoyed. Full copyright naturally included peripheral products and sequels. As long as the first film was successful like in the previous life, they could follow this pattern and make many more films.

"My funds are very tight," he was a businessman, of course, he had to continue to fight for benefits, "Your project can only start preparations after 'The Purge' is released."

James Wong nodded, "Okay."

"I need you to focus on 'The Purge' as soon as possible," Ronan knew his own business. At the current stage, his filmmaking under the Hollywood model wasn't professional enough: "Plan the shooting schedule for Sand Sea Entertainment in detail."

James Wong continued to nod.

Ronan's tone lowered slightly, "This project may raise some questions, but you just need to focus on directing and not interfere with other aspects."

"I understand," James Wong wasn't new to Hollywood.