Hollywood, I became a legend with special effects.

Chapter 19: A Global Sensation, Zhang Guo

As the new week begins, Taken continues to break box office records with astonishing momentum.

In its second week in North America, Taken continued to demonstrate its resilience thanks to its strong word-of-mouth and sustained audience appeal.

North America (7 days): $52.2 million.

Seven days in Europe: $3846 million; other regions excluding domestic and international revenue: $2437 million; global cumulative revenue: $1.15 million, a huge success.

With just ten days in theaters, the film has grossed $1.75 million worldwide, far exceeding the sum of its production cost ($3500 million) and marketing cost ($1500 million), making it one of the highest-grossing films of the 2007 summer season to date.

Searchlight Pictures, Chen Wei, and M6 Films were overjoyed, and sequel development was officially put on the agenda, with emails discussing contract details flooding David Cohen's inbox.

Fox's distribution department even listed "Taken" as a success story of the year and began to actively reach out to Light Chaser Animation to explore the possibility of cooperation on other projects.

Within Hollywood, more and more attention is being drawn to the two relatively unfamiliar names in the film's opening credits: "Luminous Digital" and "Light Chaser Pictures".

Variety magazine published a feature article titled "Behind the Hurricane: Newly Emerging Visual Power and Trans-Pacific Production Newcomers," which detailed Light Chaser Digital's technical contributions to Taken and mentioned its involvement in Cameron's Avatar project, as well as Light Chaser's holding of the Twilight franchise and its deep collaboration with Summit Entertainment.

The report quoted an anonymous Hollywood producer as saying, "This is not just a visual effects company or a production company. They seem to have a complete strategy, from early IP acquisition and technology development to cross-border capital and production integration. That young man named Jiang Yu has a vision and skills that are not typical for his age."

Praise and curiosity are followed by undercurrents of competition and vigilance.

During high-level meetings between Industrial Light & Magic and Weta Digital, the term "Luminous Digital" appeared significantly more frequently.

Some major studios have also begun to reassess the risks and benefits of working with this emerging company, viewing it as a potential partner or a "rule-breaker" to be wary of.

........

The Boeing slowly landed at Beijing Capital International Airport.

In July, the air in Beijing is filled with the heat of summer.

Looking at the familiar city skyline through the porthole, Jiang Yu felt a strange mix of homesickness and trepidation welling up inside him.

Stepping off the covered bridge, a wave of heat hits you.

At the arrival gate, Yang Siwei, dressed in a beige business suit, with neat short hair and bright eyes, had been waiting for a long time.

"Mr. Jiang, you must be tired from your journey."

Yang Siwei stepped forward, deftly took the small piece of luggage from Jiang Yu's hands, and nodded to Wu Na and the others, "Director Wu, colleagues, welcome back to China. The car is ready."

"Siwei, you've worked hard." Jiang Yu looked her over.

More than half a year has passed since I last saw this agent. The shrewd and capable agent I remembered from my previous life has become more composed and has a hint of being able to stand on his own.

The group boarded a Buick minivan and drove out of the airport.

Yang Siwei gave a brief report in the car.

"The company's new address is in Building 1 of the China World Trade Center, occupying the entire floor. We completed the renovation and moved in last month. As per your request, it has been divided into a production, development, and screenwriting center, a post-production coordination area, as well as a small screening room and a motion capture testing studio."

She spoke quickly and clearly, "The third draft of the script for 'The Witch' has been completed, and the adaptation rights for the entire series in South Korea have been purchased."

"Very good." Jiang Yu nodded.

Localizing the concept of "The Witch" ahead of schedule is the first step in laying the groundwork for Chinese-language science fiction films.

"Any progress in your contact with the director?"

"I've contacted a few. Hong Kong director Johnnie To isn't particularly interested, and director Benny Chan has his own projects. Mainland director Ning Hao is interested in the dark humor elements of the script, but he already has 'Crazy Racer' to film."

Yang Siwei flipped through the tablet. "There's another one, Director Lu Yang, whom you mentioned earlier. He's a graduate student in the Directing Department of Beijing Film Academy, and he recently graduated. He's made some short films that have received some positive reviews. He showed great enthusiasm for the script and visual design of 'The Witch,' and did very detailed character analysis and visual concept design. This is his information and some of his works."

Jiang Yu's heart skipped a beat: Lu Yang.

In his previous life, when he met this director, the latter had already made a name for himself with the "Brotherhood of Blades" series, standing out among young directors with his solid narrative, sharp action design and unique visual aesthetics.

He remembered that Lu Yang was a graduate student in the class of 05 at Beijing Film Academy, and judging by the time, he had just graduated not long ago.

A stage where one is full of creative impulses and ideas, but suffers from a lack of opportunities and resources.

Perhaps he would be a better fit to direct "The Witch" than the originally slated Hong Kong director?

Lu Yang's ability to control action, suspense, and visual stylization is a perfect match for the elements of escape, confrontation, and superpower action in "The Witch".

"Arrange an in-depth meeting with director Lu Yang. Bring the complete script, concept art, and a brief introduction to Light Chaser Animations and Light Chaser Studios in North America."

Jiang Yu made a decision: "In addition, the screenwriting center should continue to operate. Besides perfecting 'The Witch,' the long list of 'New Reimagined Eastern Myths' can begin the initial story outline creation and world-building. There's no need to rush, but we need to cultivate original development capabilities."

"Understood." Yang Siwei noted it down. "Mr. Han from China Film Group has sent word that they are interested in Light Chaser Pictures and your Hollywood project, and hope to exchange ideas."

Han Sanping? Jiang Yu's heart skipped a beat.

Contact is necessary, but it is important to be mindful of the timing and appropriateness.

As the car entered the CBD, the China World Trade Center twin towers came into view.

The brand-new Light Chaser Pictures logo hangs on the upper floor of Building 1, reflecting a metallic sheen in the sunlight.

The new office is spacious and bright, with a simple and modern design.

Jiang Yu's office occupies a corner, with concept art from "Twilight" and "Avatar" hanging on the wall, and a smart whiteboard that is particularly eye-catching.

Jiang Yu convened a meeting with the core members of the domestic team.

Wu Na's team also participated, responsible for liaising with the "The Forbidden Kingdom" production team.

The meeting lasted three hours, during which Jiang Yu listened to reports from various departments.

Yang Siwei has built a solid framework, but it has only been established for a short time and has a shallow foundation in the industry.

"Our strengths," Jiang Yu wrote on the whiteboard, "lies in our forward-thinking project vision, Hollywood-level technology, North American distribution channels, and ample funding. Our weaknesses lie in our local industry connections, local production experience, and understanding of censorship and the market."

He looked at everyone and said, "The strategy needs to be clear. In the initial stage, we will use high-concept, visually strong projects such as 'The Witch' as ​​a breakthrough point to establish a reputation for technical quality. At the same time, we will actively establish cooperation with China Film Group, Shanghai Film Group, and other companies, participate in potential co-productions or domestic blockbusters, and accumulate experience and connections. Light and Shadow Digital should also start taking on high-quality projects in China to train the team and familiarize themselves with the process."

He emphasized, "We are not here to disrupt or simply copy Hollywood. What we want to do is to graft together Hollywood's advanced industrial processes and technical standards with China's cultural core, market characteristics, and outstanding talent, and explore our own path to high-level genre film production."

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