When Spielberg heard that Li Mu hoped to start the "Flying Tigers" project as soon as possible, he was not surprised at all.
Although he didn't have much contact with Li Mu, he had basically figured out how Li Mu did things.
Act vigorously and resolutely, do what you think about and do it without hesitation at all. You are young and full of courage.
Li Mu’s idea is very simple, and what he told Spielberg is very straightforward: “We have the script, we have the director, we basically have the starring actors, not to mention the funds, they are available at any time, and the basics are almost there Now, it’s time to take action quickly.”
Spielberg said seriously: "We will return to Los Angeles immediately after Annie is discharged from the hospital. I will talk to them in person again, sign the contract, and then finalize the other members of the crew. Do you want a full-scale Hollywood production?" Team, then I will pull out all my royal team!"
"Great!" Li Mu exclaimed in admiration and said, "In that case, I will immediately prepare the start-up capital of 30 million US dollars and put it in Makino Yingxiang's account. You will have full control of it when the time comes."
With that said, Li Mu added: "Steven, I promised before that no matter whether DreamWorks is willing to participate in the investment, I will give you 10% of the net income share. As for the remaining 20% of the investment share, you can share it with other companies after you return. Let's discuss it carefully. If you invest, I welcome it at any time; if you don't invest, it doesn't matter, but this 20% investment share is only for you, and you are not qualified to resell it."
Spielberg nodded hurriedly and said: "Don't worry, Mr. Li, I agree with this very much. As for whether to invest, I will discuss a result with them as soon as possible after I return to the United States. However, I personally feel that the probability of investment is Very big, you can wait for my good news in China."
Li Mu smiled slightly: "I am also going to the United States in the near future. If the time is right, we can go together after Annie is discharged from the hospital. I will arrange the business jet then."
Spielberg asked in surprise: "Mr. Li, are you going to the United States soon?"
Li Mu nodded and said, "Yes, I actually wanted to go in the past two days, but after all, Annie hasn't been discharged from the hospital yet. I have to wait for her to be discharged safely before making plans."
Spielberg immediately said: "We will discuss it after Anne is discharged from the hospital. If possible, it would be best to go together."
Li Mu is going to the United States this time, not for "Flying Tigers", but to determine the supply of supplies for 3M and Honeywell. The reason why he hasn't left yet is because Anne Hathaway is still in the hospital, waiting. After she was discharged from the hospital, Li Mu would almost have to leave, and Spielberg and Anne Hathaway would have to rush back to the United States almost immediately, so the timing was just right for the two groups.
After communicating their intention to go to the United States together, Li Mu asked Spielberg about the approximate preparation time required before filming started. Spielberg said: "Mr. Li, I can't give you an exact time now because we have to shoot. This is a war film, so I have to prepare storyboards and props before starting location selection and formulating a shooting plan, especially props. Important props including fighter planes can only be customized in the United States and then transported to China."
Li Mu nodded and said seriously: "Don't save money on props. Use the same techniques you used when filming the Normandy landing in "Saving Private Ryan" to even exceed the requirements."
Spielberg smiled and said: "Don't worry, I will definitely get a few P-40C fighter jets from the United States that can fly into the sky this time, as well as Japanese Zero fighter jets. I will definitely shoot the air combat scenes perfectly!"
Li Mu also warned himself that he must invest more experience in this movie. If this movie can achieve worldwide success, it will be a great influence on Chinese movies, Chinese people, China's international image, and its reputation in the minds of people around the world. Visually speaking, it is of great significance.
Thinking of this, Li Mu couldn't help but think of a US-Japanese co-production movie he had seen in his previous life - "The Last Samurai". This movie starring Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe tells the story of Japan's Meiji Restoration period. Japan’s local bushido culture has a fierce cultural and ideological collision with the westernization caused by the Meiji Restoration. Such a commercial film not only grossed more than 400 million US dollars at the global box office, but also brought Japan’s bushido culture to the world. It was vigorously promoted within the scope.
When Li Mu watched this movie in his previous life, he always lamented in his heart that the Japanese attach too much importance to the hidden export of culture. They teamed up with Americans to make such a commercial movie, making money while also giving away culture. The output is done.
Even though Japan's cultural export has continued internationally for many years, the Japanese still understand that if they make a movie about Japanese Bushido, not to mention gaining recognition around the world, even young people in their own country may not like it. So they added Western elements and Americans into this story.
As a result, the movie "The Last Samurai" not only highlights the advanced technology of the United States, but also highlights the savior aura of the American character played by Tom Cruise, while also using characters like Ken Watanabe. , to properly promote the spirit of Bushido, such a fusion of works, Japanese people like to watch it, Americans like to watch it, and people who like to watch Hollywood blockbusters all like to watch it.
This kind of operation technique is what Li Mu wants to learn with humility.
"The Last Samurai" has attracted countless fans around the world for Japanese Bushido culture, but China has never had a movie with such an influence. Some people who don't know the truth think that "Hero" should barely be considered one, but they don't know that in the West People have always thought that "Hero" is the work of Quentin Tarantino, and "Hero" indeed did not introduce the true essence of Chinese culture to the world and let the world accept and recognize it.
In Li Mu's view, the movie "The Last Samurai" is actually very simple. Its core positioning is to promote the Japanese Bushido spirit and culture, so all the plot settings are developed around this core point. In China, Many directors are sometimes too greedy and lack the ability to do so. They want the audience to like them, but they also want to make some fuss and make the audience confused; It's a mess, scattered, with no main line or core. They even expect that such a movie will have a high box office after it is released. They simply don't understand that you can't have your cake and eat it too.
Now, Li Mu's core positioning for "Flying Tigers" is also very simple. It is to highlight the heroic fearlessness and huge sacrifices made by the Chinese people in fighting the Japanese invaders. Everything else is serving this core!
Li Mu felt a little unhappy when he thought of "The Last Samurai". This movie was indeed quite successful in his previous life and helped Japan create a large wave of cultural exports. However, Li Mu only watched the pirated DVD of this movie after graduating from college in his previous life, so I have no idea when this movie will be released, but what is certain is that it has not been released yet.
So Li Mu pretended to be curious and asked Spielberg: "Steven, are you familiar with the actor Tom Cruise?"
Spielberg nodded: "Of course we are familiar. We just worked together the year before last. It was a movie I directed called "Minority Report". It was released last summer. Why did you suddenly think of him? Do you want to invite him to join? ?”
Li Mu then remembered the film "Minority Report" and it turned out that Spielberg had just collaborated with him.
Immediately, Li Mu said: "I don't want to invite him to join "Flying Tigers", but I think this actor is also very capable. If there is a chance, we can cooperate in the future."
With that said, Li Mu asked tentatively: "By the way, Steven, what movie is Tom Cruise making now?"
Spielberg said: "He is currently filming a movie about Japanese Bushido. It is a movie that he has been preparing for a long time and attaches great importance to."
Li Mu subconsciously asked: "Oh? Really? Do you know the specific story?"
Spielberg shook his head and smiled: "I really don't know the specific plot of the story, because every crew will keep the complete script strictly confidential, so I don't know much about it. I just heard a rough idea, saying that it is related to the Japanese Bushido. The related movie is called "The Last Samurai."
Speaking of which, Spielberg added: "Tom seems to take this movie very seriously. Not only has he started preparing for it very early, but it is said that he will also conduct professional training for more than half a year. He is very dedicated."
Li Mu's heart skipped a beat. He didn't expect that "The Last Samurai" was being filmed right now. This made Li Mu feel very bad.
"The Last Samurai" is a film that promotes and praises the spirit of Japanese Bushido, and my own "Flying Tigers" is to criticize Japan's war crimes and expose the extreme Bushido spirit that destroys humanity. If "The Last Samurai" can be successful in There are fans of Bushido spirituality all over the world, so if I want to achieve my goal of criticizing and exposing, I'm afraid there will be great resistance.
It would be great if "Flying Tigers" could be released before "The Last Samurai", because once audiences around the world are deeply aware of the crimes Japan committed during the war, by then "The Last Samurai" will want to wash away the In the spirit of White Bushido, the resistance is naturally much greater.
However, the most embarrassing problem at the moment is that "The Last Samurai" has already started filming, and its own "Flying Tigers" has not yet begun formal preparations. It is at least three to five months behind the other party on the timeline, and "Flying Tigers" It is a big scene and a big production, and the production cycle must be very long. It is basically a fool's errand to try to catch up with the progress of "The Last Samurai" and rush to release it before it...
(End of chapter)