Chapter 156: Buy One Get Two

[Chapter 156: Buy One Get Two]

Jackie Chan's words earned Charlie's respect. Charlie fully understood and appreciated Jackie's perspective. Jackie was thinking from a film project standpoint, but his mind was clear and he was considering the long-term career development. Only by respecting oneself first could one gain respect from others.

Charlie thought of Spike, who kept making films about the African American community, and of Rowling insisting that her works must be filmed in the UK with British actors. These were clear-minded people who accepted their true selves.

Charlie admired Jackie's determination, and he knew there was no way he could persuade Jackie to take a short-sighted approach just to increase the audience acceptance for one film.

So Charlie nodded seriously, "Jackie, I completely respect your insistence. I have no objections here. Later I will notify the other partners. Please go to Burbank, Los Angeles soon to have a detailed talk with Kevin, the executive producer at Corleone Studios. My company has some cooperation with Disney, and as long as their Hollywood Studios doesn't change its mind, we will officially produce this film soon."

"That's great, Mr. Corleone, thank you!" Jackie said happily.

The atmosphere on the spot became relaxed and joyful. Jackie's two brothers were also very pleased. 

He added with a smile, "Don't mention it, Jackie, just call me Charlie from now on. I hope we succeed."

"We definitely will, Charlie!"

"By the way, Jackie, you know Lion Corleone is just starting up, but we are ambitious and developing several projects simultaneously. Honestly, the funds are a bit tight." Charlie acted like a good buddy asking for help, completely unreserved.

"I believe you will have some development in Hollywood. But your personal background, plus no insurance company willing to insure you, and a $30 million investment, will worry many people.

I have to find a way to convince the company and our team to get the green light for the project.

I know you are very famous in Asia and have long-term cooperation with Mitsubishi Motors. If you could bring in some advertising partners, that would be fantastic. I think your first real big Hollywood production will definitely have supporters. By the way, we have a partner company, Pillow Health Partners."

Lion Corleone's budget this year was about $90 million, of which more than $40 million would be received in the second half of the year. This did not include taxes; this was the company's usable funds.

The tax laws were very complicated, with state taxes, federal taxes, and after Charlie did some research, he got a headache and immediately handed all that over to Melche and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Frank and the Corola Foundation and other institutions invested some money; through Pillow Health Partners there was $20 million available, which would be used to produce and distribute Wrong Turn 2.

Now the funds had been transferred to a special account jointly supervised by multiple parties, and this investment promised a 10% return.

Of the $90 million budget, $10 million was used to continue developing the company, including but not limited to buying film rights in various channels, theatrical or direct video/DVD distribution, all of which cost money.

Daily expenses included employee salaries, electricity and water, office supplies, and payments to lawyers and professional financial firms.

For a startup like Lion Corleone, this was already a very large daily operating budget.

The remaining funds, $15 million, Charlie decided to use for distributing another project.

$10 million was set for producing and distributing American Pie.

With only $15 million left in the first half of the year, Charlie wanted to start preliminary work on Lord of the Rings.

No way around it, he was ambitious and greedily took on several projects at once to develop simultaneously.

Actually, this was normal for company growth; excellent producers, actors, even prop and cinematography crew often juggled several projects at once.

You couldn't treat it like playing a game where you wait for one film to completely finish distribution before starting the next; by then the opportunity would be lost.

So squeezing money from the Rush Hour rights purchase was possible, but actual investment funds were tight.

Fortunately, with the Harry Potter rights and the Tolkien Enterprises development, Charlie still had some personal funds to use.

He currently had about $10 million from film rights and related revenue, $5 million cash he had used to support the partner company (previously involved in buying out Death Row Records in a tricky negotiation with Daddy Kirk), and $1.3 million royalties from the IP Company for book rights (film rights royalties were not included).

In total, $14 million, all after tax and usable funds, in the Pillow Health trust account. Some of this Charlie spent on personal living expenses, including car and house.

Charlie hoped for the Rush Hour investment, Jackie Chan could help bring in some financing.

He explained the Pillow Health Partners situation.

Then shamelessly said, "If you can bring some investment, I promise, breaking even won't be a problem."

Jackie Chan was an industry veteran; hearing this, he knew Charlie was proposing an interest-free loan, with a conscience not to cheat investors, offering a guaranteed return.

In the end, he would have to spend money to support himself?

Jackie smiled wryly but also knew the first step in Hollywood wasn't easy.

Compared to others, Charlie's conditions were already very good.

"If we can ensure cost recovery in all legal terms and put that in the contract, I think I can bring in at least $10 million of investment. I can introduce some advertising partners but you guys have to negotiate details yourselves. However, under these circumstances, my personal pay and my agent will probably have some opinions," Jackie frankly said.

"Up to $2 million, I have no problem," Charlie said with a smile.

"Uh, leave that to the agent to negotiate," Jackie cleverly avoided further discussion.

His last film, Rumble in the Bronx, grossed $32 million in North America and $70 million worldwide in 1995.

A $2 million fee sounded a bit funny to mention.

Charlie definitely didn't plan to let Jackie act for just that little; they'd let Kevin and others negotiate later; no need to squeeze hard but also no reason to be overly generous. Even if Charlie was willing, the company team wouldn't agree.

After finishing business, they happily chatted about other topics over dinner.

Charlie's enthusiastic and equal-attitude earned recognition from Jackie and others; their first meeting left a good impression.

As they talked, they discussed more about Jackie's hometown films, and Charlie praised them highly. He verbally made a promise, "Jackie, Lion Corleone's distribution company is scouting films worldwide. Your films might have potential; is there any chance to sign a distribution license agreement? Can you make an introduction and inquire?"

"No problem!" Jackie answered quickly.

---

After dinner at nine, Charlie wrapped himself up again and went upstairs with Uncle Lamont.

Uncle Lamont handed him some pain-relief medicine with a strange, hesitant expression, and Charlie stood outside the door, frowning.

Thinking of what happened not long ago, he felt a headache.

What now? It felt like he had been manipulated by a crazy woman instead.

Her trick of fighting poison with poison, this broken-and-abandoned strategy was really fierce.

Was he playing her, or was she playing him?

Who was hunter, who was prey? He couldn't tell anymore.

*****

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