Joe Schumacher has a problem.
Many of the problems humans face are related to choices, and the same is true for Joe Schumacher's problems.
Today he just bought a copy of YU's new book "Going West" and went home. Before he started reading it, Warner got a call from him, hoping that he would direct the company's new movie "A Time to Kill."
The script has been written and even the actors have been drafted. He is only responsible for filming.
"The Killing Plan" is adapted from John Grisham's novel. Warner is very serious about this movie and is also planning to find Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey to star in it.
.
To be honest, Schumacher was a little tempted by Warner's plan.
But he is still waiting for news from YU.
After he contacted Jimmy last time, he got a reply saying that YU was considering it.
It’s so tortured to think about this reply.
There is no specific time, no specific results, just waiting.
If Warner came to him two months later, he wouldn't have to be so entangled, but now that he had just contacted Jimmy and turned around and accepted Warner's plan, it was somewhat unjustifiable.
He also specifically asked Warner if he could give him some time to think about it.
Warner's reply was that it would give him at most two weeks to consider, because the actors they were planning to invite all had tight schedules, and the film must be finished filming next spring.
Schumacher thought for a long time and finally decided to go to the Deep Space Company in person to ask about the situation.
Before going, he called Jimmy first. When he learned that Jimmy was at the company, he ran over directly.
…
"Mr. Schumacher, actually I made it very clear on the phone that YU is considering the script. Based on my understanding of him, I will definitely give you a reply within a month."
Jimmy poured a cup of coffee for Schumacher who hurried over and continued, "And with YU's efficiency, as long as he agrees to you, the script will be in your hands within a month."
Schumacher took the coffee and apologized, "I know I'm presumptuous, but I'll tell you the truth, Jimmy, Warner now has a new plan to invite me. They hope that this new movie will be released next year."
Filming wraps up in the spring and will be released in the summer."
"I don't quite understand, Mr. Schumacher." Jimmy said doubtfully, "Since it's spring and it will end, there's nothing to worry about. You can help Warner make the new movie first, and then you can make ours."
Even if YU is willing to help you write a script, it will take at least a month or two to get the script."
Schumacher shook his head, "That's not the case. In addition to this movie, "Batman and Robin" is scheduled to start shooting in August or September next year. The time between the two movies is not enough for me to shoot another movie.
."
Jimmy knocked on the table with his hand and said thoughtfully, "Let's do this. I'll call YU for you and you can talk to him directly."
Schumacher's eyes lit up, "Thank you, Jimmy."
Jimmy smiled and dialed the phone. After a while, the call was connected.
"Dong, do you have time now?"
"I won't answer your call if I don't have time, but you are willing to make an international long distance call to me. Is it something important?"
"Jo Schumacher is in my office and he wants to talk to you."
"Okay, give him the phone."
Jimmy nodded and said again, "Keep the story short."
Yu Dong smiled and said: "No, no matter how bad our company is, we can still afford the phone bill. Just let him answer the phone."
Joe Schumacher couldn't wait for a long time. As soon as Jimmy stretched out his hand, he took the phone and said, "Hello, YU, I'm Joe Schumacher. I like your work very much. In fact, I wanted to photograph you before. That "Fatal Identity", unfortunately, I came a step too late..."
"Yesterday I also bought a copy of "Xiangxi". Although I haven't finished reading it yet, the content of the novel shocked me. Before opening "Xiangxi", I did not expect that what I opened would be an epic masterpiece. If it weren't for my inappropriate style, I would even try to ask you for the rights to adapt the film history of "To the West"..."
Yu Dong on the other end of the phone listened and laughed. Joe Schumacher is also a person who knows how to praise others.
Moreover, Joe Schumacher is very chatty, and he didn’t get to the point even after talking for a long time.
Yu Dong couldn't help but remind him: "Mr. Schumacher, are you calling me this time to ask about the script?"
"That's right, that's right, that's it..."
Schumacher told Yu Dong again about Warner asking him to make a movie. After hearing this, Yu Dong smiled and said, "Mr. Schumacher, you can take over the work from Warner."
"Ah?" Schumacher was stunned, "You mean, your script can't be helped..."
"No, no, I will give you the script."
Hearing Yu Dong's words, Schumacher was puzzled, "In this case, time..."
"I did the math and found that I have enough time. The movie I wrote doesn't take too long, and the time between Warner's two movies is completely enough."
Although Yu Dong said this, Joe Schumacher was still worried, "YU, in addition to the shooting time, there is actually a lot of preparation work to be done. For example, casting is a big job, and Warner's movie started because We had already made plans at that time, so it could end next spring.”
Yu Dong smiled and said: "I know, it doesn't have to be too troublesome in casting, because there are not many roles in the movie... Well, it's useless for me to just tell you, I can write the script in two weeks, and by then Let Jimmy show it to you when the time comes. After reading it, you will understand clearly."
"If I can see the script within two weeks, that would of course be the best."
Joe Schumacher thought about the deadline given to him by Warner. If he could get the script within two weeks, he could naturally make a choice.
Yu Dong on the other end of the phone continued, "One more thing. I want to mention an actor as the protagonist of this movie."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "Okay, you say."
"Matthew McConaughey, I think he is more suitable."
"Matthew McConaughey..."
Joe Schumacher knew this actor. He was a young man who had just starred in "Texas Chainsaw Massacre 4", in which he played the killer Vimer.
Because he hadn't seen the script yet, Joe Schumacher didn't know what Yu Dong's vision was. He just nodded and said, "Okay, I'll note it down."
When trying to write the script for "Sniper Phone Booth", Yu Dong was already thinking about starring candidates. After thinking about it for a long time, he felt that Matthew McConaughey was more suitable.
Moreover, Yu Dong has several plans later that will use Matthew McConaughey, so if he is used in advance, it will be more advantageous to find him for filming in the future.
"Okay, if you have any questions after reading the script, we can contact you at any time."
Yu Dong was about to hang up the phone, but Joe Schumacher was unwilling to give up the opportunity to communicate directly with YU easily. "YU, if the follow-up plan is launched, can you provide some artistic guidance on site?"
"Art director?" Yu Dong said with a smile, "I don't think it is needed. The plot itself is relatively simple and the script will be written in detail. It doesn't really matter whether I join the team or not. But there is one thing I want to mention.
, if you want to find advertising sponsorship, you can contact those mobile phone manufacturers."
"Mobile phone manufacturer?" Jimmy, who was listening on the side, suddenly became interested, "Is there an advertising space in the script this time?"
"I didn't leave it intentionally, it just happened to be there, so I knew you were interested in this. I won't go into details on the phone. You'll know when you see the script."
"Then YU, will you write this script into a novel?" Schumacher asked, he was more concerned about this.
"It depends on the situation. We have no plans for the time being."
Hearing Yu Dong's answer, Schumacher was somewhat disappointed, "I think readers will definitely want to see this novel. Recently..."
In the next half hour, Schumacher chatted a lot with Yu Dong.
The phone was disconnected twice in the middle, but Schumacher called back both times.
Jimmy rolled his eyes as he watched from the side. He had a big family and a big business, and he couldn't afford such squandering.
…
After "Going West" was published in North America, 700,000 copies were sold within two weeks, and "Alive" and "Panic Fingers" sold 300,000 and 200,000 copies respectively.
A series of books selling 1.2 million copies in two weeks is actually not that much. On average, it is less than 100,000 copies per day. It is said that "The Old Man and the Sea" sold more than 5 million copies in just two days after it came out.
.
However, the sales volume of more than one million copies is not small, and more importantly, it has brought Chinese literature into the eyes of American readers.
Such gratifying sales are due to two factors. One is the reader base that Yu Dong has established in the American book market, and the other is that "Going West" has become a recommended work by several universities.
The first person to add "Going West" to the recommended books was Princeton University, in which Joyce made many contributions. She also published a literary review in "The New Yorker" and recommended the entire Chinese literature series.
Three books.
Immediately afterwards, several more schools included "Going West" in their recommended books.
Before this, few readers associated YU with Chinese literature, just like many people did not associate Verne with French literature.
When they think of YU, they probably think, oh, YU is a Chinese science fiction writer. When they think of Verne, they probably think, oh, Verne is a French science fiction writer.
There are also some people who simply don’t know that YU is from China, or that Verne is from France.
In most people's minds, there is a dividing line between science fiction and traditional literature.
But after "Going West" was published and became a recommended book by Princeton and other universities, readers discovered that YU was still connected to Chinese literature.
In the past, American critics paid relatively little attention to Chinese literature. After the publication of this Chinese literature series, critics seemed to have suddenly found a research model, and major magazines and newspapers also appeared one after another with review articles related to these books.
Among these comments, there are praises and criticisms.
But whether it is praise or criticism, this series of books has entered the field of vision of American academic circles and readers, and has been seen by more and more people.
…
If "Going West", "Alive" and "Fingering Frustration" have made the American literary criticism community busy, then "Deep Space", which was released two weeks later, has made people in the natural science community busy.
Because of the strong publicity, "Deep Space" became the darling of the book market as soon as it was released in the United States.
The description of wormholes and black holes involved in the novel has also become a hotly discussed topic.
At first, readers just thought that YU had a good imagination and his description of black holes was beautiful and unusual.
Why is it called abnormal?
Because the black holes that ordinary people think of should not be as gorgeous as those described in novels.
Of course, readers didn’t take it seriously at first.
Science fiction novels are not popular science articles. They are literary works after all. Some artistic processing is quite normal, but they do not expect YU to be able to describe black holes accurately.
In fact, there have always been many versions of descriptions of wormholes and black holes in science fiction works, because no one has ever seen what a black hole actually looks like.
However, there are always some readers who are more serious.
Sissoko is a science fiction fan and a physics student at the California Institute of Technology. When he saw the description of impulses and black holes in "Deep Space", many questions immediately emerged in his mind, and he also remembered
Kip Thorne, a professor at their school, because wormholes and black holes are the subjects of Professor Thorne's research.
Gathering up the courage, Sissoko found an opportunity to take "Deep Space" to meet Kip Thorne.
"Professor Thorne, I wonder if you would like to take the time to read this novel."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Kip Thorne looked at the thick novel in Sissoko’s hand and said with a smile, “Classmate, I don’t think I can spare so much for the time being.
time."
"Professor, you don't need to read the entire novel, just read the description of wormholes and black holes."
"Wormholes and black holes?" Kip Thorne became interested, "Whose novel is this?"
"YU's." Sissoko replied.
"I've heard of him." Kip Thorne nodded and asked, "Before I decide whether to read this novel, can you tell me why you let me read it?"
"Because I have some questions about the description of black holes."
"Do you think what he wrote does not fit the image of a black hole in your mind?" Kip Thorne smiled, stretched out his hand, "Bring it to me and show it to me."
Sissoko handed the book to Kip Thorne, then turned to one of the pages, "The description here is the most specific..."
Kip Thorne nodded, followed what Sissoko pointed out, and read the description of black holes in the novel.
[It looks like a disk, and the only thing you can see is how it bends straight light, when...]
After reading the first sentence, Kip Thorne's face showed a trace of disbelief, and then this trace of disbelief slowly spread on his face, and finally covered his entire face.
Kip Thorne did not take this novel seriously at first. Science fiction novelists always describe black holes with more fantasy than science. This is understandable. Science fiction novelists are not scientists, and they do different things.
.
But the description of black holes in "Deep Space" surprised him because he had never seen a science fiction novelist describe black holes so appropriately.
Moreover, these descriptions are basically consistent with his research on black holes over the years. Some things he has never thought of before are even described in the novel. It’s not that the descriptions in the novel are more powerful than his research, it’s just that
But he never thought of describing black holes in a literary way.
Chapter completed!