Chapter 14

"Pleasure working with you!"

In a conference room at the 20th Century Fox Tower, Ryan, Helen, and representatives from 20th Century Fox signed the contract under the witness of both parties' lawyers.

The representative from 20th Century Fox took the film copy of "The Blair Witch" from Helen's hands, officially completing the handover ceremony.

From this moment on, apart from the North American box office share, "The Blair Witch" film had nothing to do with Ryan.

He even requested 20th Century Fox not to disclose any information about the producers, directors, screenwriters, or investors.

After several days of negotiation, 20th Century Fox finally succeeded in buying all the rights to "The Blair Witch."

As for the $50 million box office share, nobody cared. According to estimates from the distribution department of 20th Century Fox, the total box office of the film should be between $30 million and $40 million, making it almost impossible to reach $50 million.

Of course, if the box office eventually exceeded $50 million, even if it meant paying a large sum of money, 20th Century Fox would still be the happiest.

Simply put, the higher the box office, the more profit 20th Century Fox would make, whether it was from video tape distribution rights or TV broadcasting rights; the final price was closely related to the film's box office performance.

Collette Singh smiled slightly and chatted with Ryan for a while before leaving.

"If you need to find a distribution company for your next film, feel free to call me. 20th Century Fox will always be your best choice," she said.

No matter the quality of the film, just the publicity plan was worth looking forward to for his next film.

"I also hope to continue working with 20th Century Fox," Ryan naturally wouldn't refuse the kind offer from the head of the distribution department at 20th Century Fox.

Moreover, when "The Blair Witch" was released and achieved unbelievable box office results, it would undoubtedly attract the attention of 20th Century Fox's top management.

It was conceivable that he would likely deal with 20th Century Fox again for his next film.

The two didn't talk for long before leaving 20th Century Fox together with Helen.

Just as they stepped out of the door, Ryan breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the weight lifted off his shoulders. Having over $40,000 in debt wasn't an easy thing.

The entire film's investment was lent to him personally by Helen, and during that time, Ryan had also advanced some living expenses, adding up to about $45,000.

In 1994, $45,000 wasn't a small amount.

Fortunately, the copyright of "The Blair Witch" was sold for $800,000 in the end.

Even if the subsequent box office share wasn't taken into account, it was enough for him to prepare for his next film.

"Helen, although I don't want to say it..."

"I still have to say thank you."

Looking at Helen sitting in the driver's seat, Ryan couldn't help but thank her.

Comparing his experiences in this life to his past life, he was very clear about how difficult it was to find a distribution company. Without Helen's connections, 20th Century Fox probably wouldn't even bother to take a look.

He could only wander from one distribution company to another with the film copy, or try his luck at various film festivals.

Even if he had good luck in the end and someone offered to buy all the rights to the film, they certainly wouldn't offer $800,000, let alone the box office share.

"Instead of thanking me, you'd better consider your next film seriously."

At this point, Helen couldn't help but remind him.

"I suggest you wait until this film is released and achieves good box office results. Then you can contact some small film companies for investment, or find some investors."

In Hollywood, using one's own money to make a film was a very foolish thing to do.

Any director with a little common sense wouldn't do such a thing.

"I think investing myself is good. At least on the set, no one is telling me what to do."

Ryan didn't care much about these things. Besides, as he said, for these trivial matters, he really didn't understand them.

So instead of running around everywhere, it was better to leave it to Helen. After all, an agent didn't come for free.

Helen glanced at him faintly without saying anything, which could be considered as agreeing.

Actually, she also understood that Ryan had been busy modifying the new script these days and didn't have time to deal with these matters.

Moreover, the lawyers at the signing ceremony just now were her personal lawyers. It seemed unlikely for him to register a studio by himself.

"I will find a registration company specifically to handle it," Helen drove towards Stellar Agency.

Registering a studio in the United States was very simple. There were many registration companies dedicated to handling such matters, and they would even help you choose the company's address.

For example, in Delaware, where taxes were low, or sharing an office with several companies and sharing a receptionist, the monthly rent could be split evenly.

As time passed, Ryan's excited expression gradually calmed down.

In fact, there was nothing for him to be excited about now. The money from selling the film rights needed to wait until mid-April to arrive, and the box office share needed to wait until the film was released.

So he was still as poor as ever, with only a few hundred dollars left in his account, borrowed from Helen.

"Can we celebrate tonight?"

"For example, have a good meal."

Since arriving in the United States, Ryan had been enduring the torment, eating nothing but hot dogs, bread, pizza, sausages, and at most, a cheap steak. He was tired of it.

"I heard there's a fantastic Chinese restaurant near Beverly Hills. Maybe we can go there for a feast," Ryan sounded somewhat longing.

"Are you talking about Mr Chow, Mr. Chow's restaurant!"

"I've been there once, and the food is indeed excellent."

"But!"

Helen paused, sounding uncertain. "Can you afford it?"

She expressed doubt about it.

She was very clear about Ryan's financial situation. There was absolutely no way he could afford an expensive Chinese meal before the buyout fee arrived.

Chinese cuisine in the United States had always been synonymous with high-end restaurants, especially Mr. Chow's restaurant near Beverly Hills. The prices there would certainly not be cheap.

"You pay, and I'll treat you."

"Worst case scenario, consider it a loan from me," Ryan said indifferently.

Compared to the large sum of money that would arrive soon, a pricey Chinese meal was just a tiny expense.