[Chapter 205: Visitors from Hong Kong]
Next day, after taking a shower at home, Link changed into some casual clothes and left for the Guess office.
Link dove back into the details of their film projects.
As 1994 approached, the company needed to lay out plans for the new year, mainly focusing on film production and distribution. Currently, Guess Pictures had five films awaiting release.
These included Se7en, Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman, Guess Pictures' collaboration with New Line Cinema on Dumb and Dumber, and Steven Soderbergh's The Underneath; plus, a new collaboration with Mark Gordon on the upcoming project, Speed.
Except for Speed, the other four completed films were ready for release, while the fifth, Speed, still in production, awaited a suitable release window. Additionally, seven other projects were in various stages of preparation.
These included Jim Carrey's third comedy film, The Mask, Richard Linklater's new project, Before Sunrise, and Ang Lee's adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. There was also Link's new project, The Butterfly Effect.
...
However, while prepping these films, director Ang Lee invited Link over for a visit, introducing him to three filmmakers from the Hong Kong, including the daughter of the boss of Hong Kong's Golden Harvest, Roberta Chow, Jackie Chan, and director Stanley Tong.
The Hong Kong film market had become incredibly competitive in recent years, with an astounding 405 films produced last year, 236 of which made it to theaters -- numbers that rivaled those of the U.S.
With so many films released and a limited audience, the imbalance inevitably led to struggles.
The competition among film companies intensified, and many films failed to break even, causing several companies to go bankrupt.
In this climate, numerous filmmakers, both actors and behind-the-scenes talent, started migrating to Hollywood. A successful case was John Woo, whose first Hollywood project, Hard Target.
The successes of these directors greatly encouraged more filmmakers from Hong Kong, prompting them to try their luck in Hollywood. Jackie Chan was one of them.
This year, Golden Harvest Films planned to produce an action blockbuster set in the U.S. to enter the North American market. The film's production budget was roughly $8 million -- a considerable risk for them.
To mitigate that risk, Golden Harvest sought a Hollywood partner before filming commenced. They heard that Link, the head of Guess Pictures, had invested in Ang Lee's films; Guess Pictures was also one of the strongest independent film companies in Hollywood.
After arriving in the U.S., Golden Harvest's president Raymond Chow invited director Ang Lee to facilitate an introduction to Link.
Link was pleasantly surprised to see Jackie Chan at Ang Lee's home, he was an international kung fu star. Several of his future films shot in Hollywood have performed well at the box office, including Rumble in the Bronx and the Rush Hour series.
Collaborating with him would prove advantageous.
Golden Harvest presented Rumble in the Bronx to Link. After reviewing the script and production plan, he agreed to invest, stipulating that upon release, Guess Pictures would handle the marketing and distribution of Rumble in the Bronx in North America, thus allowing for revenue sharing.
The people from Golden Harvest readily agreed.
Rumble in the Bronx was their stepping stone into Hollywood, and partnering with Link, a reputable figure in Hollywood, was an excellent decision.
With the confirmation of investment in Rumble in the Bronx, Guess Pictures' slate for this year had just expanded.
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.