[Chapter 226: Beautiful and Violent]
Then Linton gathered Blake, Mary, Harvey, and Klinsmann to announce the launch of the film The Man from Nowhere. Blake was named the producer and tasked with assembling a crew, beginning preparations, and drafting a detailed budget.
The company allocated $5 million upfront as startup capital for the project. Blake was to post job openings for two assistant directors to join his team. He also announced that his own company would handle distribution in the North American market, with Harvey and Klinsmann managing the overall arrangements.
Since this was his own project, fully funded by his company, he decided against purchasing third-party completion insurance. He was confident in his own abilities and certain the film would not fail. Skipping the insurance saved the crew a significant amount of premium costs and avoided the hassle that comes with third-party financial reviews of all expenditures.
...
Later, Linton kept Harvey and Klinsmann close and asked for their evaluations of Jackie Chan and Jet Li's films.
South Korea was truly barren when it came to a local movie industry. Hollywood and Hong Kong movies were very popular there, and Jackie Chan and Jet Li's videotapes were available at nearly every major store in Seoul.
Linton purchased 26 Jack Chan films and 11 Jet Li films while he was in Seoul. Although the movies were in Chinese with Korean subtitles, film is a universal language. Even without understanding the dialogue, viewers could get the gist. More importantly, these were kung fu action stars, and their movies focused on action, making it easier for audiences to connect.
"But I think promoting only action movies, rather than true feature films, isn't very meaningful," Harvey from the distribution department offered his opinion.
"Boss, you're incredible. You found such a great business opportunity while promoting your record overseas. We checked with several large video distributors but couldn't find these tapes available for rent or sale in the market. It seems no one else has packaged this business, nor brought these films to North America. We're the first, so we should be able to acquire North American rights at a low cost," Klinsmann praised him and suggested that the distribution department secure the copyrights.
Indeed, this was why Hong Kong was often called the Oriental Hollywood. The action films produced there at that time were far more exciting than many Hollywood productions. Jackie Chan and Jet Li were the most outstanding representatives. Watching their films felt like discovering a new market.
Still, there was a physiological pleasure that came from releasing aggression, similar to the euphoria after exercise. In real fights, rough punches and straightforward kicks are enough to win. But in movies, fights needed to look beautiful. How aesthetically pleasing the fight scenes were could significantly affect the viewers' experience.
Thus, fight scenes had to be both violent and beautiful -- a difficult artistic balance. To satisfy the catharsis of violence, punches had to be powerful. Yet, too much force could ruin the beauty of the moves, while weak strikes diminished the thrill.
A good fight struck the perfect balance between strength and grace, combining hardness and softness. Hollywood's current hard-action films featured mostly muscular men who were powerful but lacked aesthetic appeal. They stirred up the audience's hormones but failed to satisfy the eye.
Unsurprisingly, even though the film's dialogue was in Chinese with Korean subtitles, it impressed the entire distribution team with its beautiful, violent, and thrilling fights.
In the past, New Line Cinema had first discovered this business potential, bringing Jackie Chan's movies into the North American videotape market. They later aired on television and enjoyed strong ratings and responses, driving up prices.
More importantly, this thoroughly helped Jackie Chan break into the North American market, enabling the release of Rumble in the Bronx to earn over $30 million, successfully making Jackie a star in Hollywood.
Later, New Line helped Jackie Chan tailor the Rush Hour series, which achieved worldwide success. New Line Cinema earned great returns, and Jackie Chan became a global superstar. It wasn't just mutual benefit; it was a true win-win.
"And I think what the boss is doing is an innovation for Hollywood action movies. If the film succeeds, he should definitely be awarded by the Oscars," Klinsmann added quickly.
"So, the action director for The Man from Nowhere still needs to be hired from a Hong Kong team. Looks like I'll have to go to Hong Kong myself."
"Boss, how about this -- you go, and the distribution department can accompany you to negotiate acquiring the North American rights to Jackie Chan and Jet Li's films at the same time."
"Alright, compile a list of all the action movies among these, I'm leaving for Hong Kong tomorrow. Klinsmann, pick two more people from distribution to come with me. Harvey, keep an eye on distribution and promotion of Happy Death Day," Linton said decisively.
Then, the office manager Megan sent a fax to Hong Kong's Golden Harvest Film Company under the company's name, informing them that representatives would come the next day to discuss cooperation and requested their hospitality and cooperation.
*****
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