novellhall Chapter 159 Extremely High Salary! [3000]
Chapter 159 Extremely High Salary! [3000]
Chapter 159 Extremely High Salary! [3000]
Seeing Chen Xun emerge from the passage, he went up to him and extended his hand, saying, "Chen Xun! Welcome, welcome! You must be tired from your journey."
"Director Lin, hello, I didn't expect you to come in person."
Chen Xun shook hands with him, feeling somewhat flattered.
Generally speaking, if the lead actor joins the production team, it's considered a great favor if an assistant director comes to pick them up.
"Of course."
Lin Yibin smiled sincerely, looking Chen Xun up and down with a friendly look in his eyes: "Come on, let's talk in the car, there are more people here!"
Once inside the car heading to the studio, Justin Lin launched into a long-winded explanation.
"Thanks for saving the day!"
"You have no idea how much of a headache I was when Johnson and Van were fighting."
"The script, the set, the convoy were all ready, but the key actor wanted to back out."
"The producer kept nagging me, 'Justin, think of a way, this project can't stop.'"
He paused, looked at Chen Xun, his eyes shining: "It just so happens that your name is all over the Hunger Games Twitter account. As soon as I saw you were Chinese, I immediately read through all your works, and the more I read, the more I liked them!"
Chen Xun was a little embarrassed by his frankness and enthusiasm: "Director Lin, you flatter me. It's because the script was revised well and the character is very attractive to me."
"The script is a story for another time!"
Justin Lin waved his hand: "The key is feeling! You know, feeling! When I watch you act, especially the rhythm and the look in your eyes during action scenes, I feel that you'd be perfect for playing Chinese characters in Hollywood!"
He leaned forward and lowered his voice: "To be honest, when I saw the initial draft of the character modification that Universal submitted to recruit you, changing Hobbs to Interpol agent Chen Zhen, I knew they had found the right direction."
"But I still personally supervised the screenwriting team and polished the details again."
"Because I know that if a Chinese character is just given a different name and skin color, but still has a white mindset and behavior, it will look very fake, especially to Asian audiences, who can tell at a glance."
"What we need to do is to make Chen Zhen believable from the inside out, with his own logic, background, and even our own cultural influence."
Chen Xun understood now.
Why was that revised script so detailed, with careful attention paid to the motivations and action designs?
It turns out there was a Chinese-American director behind the scenes who was well aware of the nuances of the situation and was overseeing things.
"You yourself have ideas about this kind of role that blends Eastern and Western elements?"
Chen Xun asked.
"It's always been there!"
Justin Lin leaned back in his chair, his tone tinged with emotion: "I immigrated here when I was very young, but my family has always spoken Chinese. I grew up watching Hong Kong movies. Do you know who my favorite actor is?"
"Who?"
"Jackie Chan!"
When Justin Lin talks about Jackie Chan, his eyes light up.
"His action comedies, which perfectly combine kung fu and humor, and the optimism of the ordinary people in his movies, have had a huge impact on me."
"When I later filmed 'The Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift,' there were many elements that paid homage to Asian car culture and street style, especially Jackie Chan's Human Torch, which had a huge influence on me!"
He looked at Chen Xun, his gaze becoming more intimate: "When I heard that you had worked with Jackie Chan and that he admired you, I felt even more strongly that we were on the same side."
"Your presence here is not only a lifesaver, but also an opportunity—an opportunity for us to portray the image of Chinese Americans more authentically in mainstream commercial blockbusters. Not a bookworm, not a kung fu symbol, but a law enforcement officer with his own principles and story."
Chen Xun understood.
Justin Lin sees him not only as an actor who can carry the box office, but also as a partner who can realize his creative ideas and cultural expression.
This sense of identity, based on a shared cultural background and industry ideals, is especially precious in Hollywood, a place of fame and fortune.
"You're under a lot of pressure, Director Lin."
Chen Xun half-jokingly said, "Your expectations are off the charts!"
"Pressure is good!"
Justin Lin laughed heartily: "How can you produce good work without pressure?"
"I have confidence in you. I've seen your basic movements, and they're very good!"
"But our film has different requirements; it's a real hardcore style, with driving, crashes, and close combat—you'll be undergoing a series of special training sessions over the next few weeks."
"Physical fitness, firearms, driving skills, including hand-to-hand combat, we will hire specialized coaches to design moves that combine grappling and modern tactics."
He patted Chen Xun on the shoulder: "Don't worry, we have plenty of time to work things out. I've also spoken with Fan, and he welcomes your joining us. After all, nobody wants the project to fail."
The car drove into the studio area.
Justin Lin took Chen Xun to meet the producer and several core production members.
Everyone warmly welcomed Chen Xun's arrival.
Afterwards, Justin Lin personally led Chen Xun on a tour of several main studios and outdoor sets.
The parking lot was filled with dozens of modified cars of all kinds, from muscle cars to Japanese sports cars, ready for filming.
One of the Dongfeng Mengshi trucks, with its rugged design, stood out.
"See this big guy? That's your ride!"
Lin Yibin pointed at the Mengshi truck, a smug look on his face: "I specifically sought this out!"
"It would be interesting to imagine it colliding with Dom's Dodge. It would be a dialogue between tough guys from the East and West, starting with their cars."
Chen Xun approached and touched the cold, sturdy car body.
He could imagine the shock of metal colliding during the shoot!
After the tour, Lin Yibin led Chen Xun to the lounge prepared for him.
"Settle in today and adjust to the time difference. Tomorrow, you'll officially begin intensive training and script readings. If you need anything, just contact me or my assistant."
Chen Xun sat alone on the sofa.
The world is so amazing.
The director is of Chinese descent and a Jackie Chan fan!
After sitting in the lounge for a short while, Rob walked in excitedly with the contract in his hand.
"The terms have been basically agreed upon, and they're even better than we expected."
He spread the folder he was holding on the table in the lounge.
Just by looking at the excitement on his face, Chen Xun knew that the pay for this role must be quite high.
Sure enough, when Rob opened his mouth, even Chen Xun was a little surprised: "A fixed fee of ten million US dollars!"
Chen Xun's salary for "The Hunger Games" was only $4 million, but he was able to receive more than $10 million in bonuses later because the box office was high enough that he received the bonuses.
And now, the fixed salary alone is $1000 million!
This doesn't even include dividends!
Acting is indeed a lucrative profession.
However, considering Chen Xun's box office success in Asia, investors will only earn more.
"Your salary is on par with Paul Walker's, and slightly lower than Vin Diesel's, considering he's the lead actor and also involved in production!"
Robert explained to Chen Xun.
In Hollywood, paychecks are not just money; they are a measure of status and industry recognition.
Chen Xun nodded.
He understands this principle.
Ten million is a significant threshold for leading roles in mainstream Hollywood commercial films!
Crossing this threshold means that the production company has truly recognized your ability and the risks involved in carrying a blockbuster film on your own.
"The key is box office revenue sharing!"
Robert then took out another document.
The above is the tiered revenue sharing agreement for box office revenue.
The profit-sharing ratio is the same as that of "The Hunger Games" which Chen Xun signed previously.
It seems that Rob was well-prepared for this negotiation.
After all, Fast & Furious 5 has three main actors, and Chen Xun is the new one.
"The contract also includes a $500,000 special skills training allowance to cover the costs and insurance for your upcoming high-intensity driving, combat, and weapons training. The training period will also be counted as a work week, and you will be paid proportionally."
Robert then produced another contract.
The above lists the costs of various insurance policies and skills training.
The various skills are categorized and listed in great detail.
Learn knowledge through labor costs!
Chen Xun said he liked it very much.
Chen Xun took the pen and signed his name in the signature areas indicated by Robert.
The contract has been signed.
Robert carefully put the documents away.
"The first installment of your fee will arrive within ten working days. Training will officially begin next week, and Director Lin's assistant will contact you to confirm the specific time and location."
Chen Xun never went back after he arrived.
I stayed at a hotel for the night.
The next day, it was still not fully light.
Chen Xun was woken up by a phone call from the hotel.
She is director Justin Lin's assistant.
A young woman spoke crisply: "Good morning, Mr. Chen. The training team is ready. A black SUV will pick you up at the hotel back gate in an hour. The training location is a private site on the outskirts of the city. The next two weeks will be closed-door basic training."
They came so fast!
The execution of Hollywood blockbuster projects is truly impeccable.
Chen Xun quickly washed up, changed into sportswear, and with the simple luggage prepared by Robert, appeared at the hotel's back door on time.
As expected, the car that came to pick him up was an inconspicuous black Chevrolet.
The driver was a taciturn, bald, burly man. After confirming Chen Xun's identity, he gestured for him to get in the car.
After driving for about forty minutes, the car left the city and turned into a wide area surrounded by barbed wire. There were security guards at the entrance who checked the driver's documents before letting the car through.
It looks like a converted abandoned small airport, with several low-rise buildings, large areas of flat, paved ground, and even a small area simulating streets and curves.
A faint smell of burning tires could be detected.
The car was parked in front of a building.
Director Justin Lin was already waiting there, with three other people standing beside him—two men and one woman, all dressed smartly.
"They're here!"
Lin Yibin came up to Chen Xun, patted him on the shoulder, and without much small talk, got straight to the point: "Time is tight and the task is heavy. Introduce your core coaching team."
He pointed to the middle-aged white man who was nearly 1.9 meters tall, muscular, and had a buzz cut: "Jack Bradley, a former Marine Corps reconnaissance soldier, has been working as a stunt instructor and tactical trainer in Hollywood since his retirement. He is mainly responsible for your combat and tactical movements, as well as weapons fundamentals. He is strict and doesn't want you to slack off."
Jack nodded at Chen Xun without much expression, his eyes scanning Chen Xun over.
A blue attribute orb fell from his body:
[Basic physical fitness assessment +3]
Chen Xun absorbed the information without making a sound.
Next was the shorter, dark-skinned Latino man: "Carlos Mendoza, a professional rally and stunt driver, has been involved in the stunt design of no fewer than twenty action movies. He will be in charge of your driving lessons, especially the special vehicles and stunt basics."
Carlos grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, appearing very enthusiastic.
A purple attribute orb dropped:
[Vehicle Dynamics Perception +5]
Finally, there was the white woman with the neat ponytail: "Sarah Connor, not the Terminator's savior mother."
She made a joke: "I'm your strength and nutritionist and training coordinator. I'll make sure you don't falter during high-intensity training and that you recover scientifically. Your diet and rest are all under my care."
Sarah speaks very quickly.
A green orb drops: [Restore Rhythm Planning +2]