Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm-Chapter 474 - 475: Selling Someone and Making Them Count the Money

Martin's approval made James Wan and Leigh Whannell breathe a sigh of relief.

Martin looked at the Asian guy with the dyed yellow hair thoughtfully, his interest piqued.

James Wan was undoubtedly a genius director. Not only did he excel at horror films, but he also had an uncanny ability to handle different genres—Insidious, The Conjuring, Furious 7, Aquaman—this guy barely ever missed.

Even Dead Silence, though not a box office hit, was highly praised within the industry.

And James Wan wasn't just a director; later, as a producer and executive producer, he was equally successful.

A talent like this couldn't be allowed to slip away!

Martin said, "I'm willing to have James direct this film."

James Wan's face lit up. "Mr. Myers, just call me James or Jim."

Martin smiled. "Alright, James. How much funding do you need?"

James was momentarily stunned and turned to Whannell. The two exchanged looks before Whannell hesitantly said, "Mr. Myers, we only need two hundred—no, a hundred and twenty thousand would be enough."

Martin chuckled. "Let's make it two hundred thousand. James will direct, Leigh will write, and Myers Pictures will assign a producer to oversee the budget. So, gentlemen, you can start preparing."

"Yes!"

James Wan and Leigh Whannell jumped up excitedly, high-fiving and hugging.

Then, they turned to Martin with grateful expressions. "Thank you so much, Mr. Myers!"

...

As soon as they stepped out of the Myers Pictures office, James and Leigh glanced at each other and erupted into cheers again.

"Wow, we actually got two hundred thousand! I thought getting a hundred thousand would already be amazing. Now we can afford better cameras, more realistic props, and even some professional actors. This is our lucky day!" Whannell shouted in excitement.

James Wan also yelled, "We're going to shock everyone, Leigh! We're going to make it!"

"Yes! We're definitely going to make it. If the first movie is a hit, I think we can turn this into a series."

"Haha! By then, we'll be famous—a top director and a top screenwriter. Every major Hollywood studio will open their doors for us."

...

But while some were celebrating, others were hitting rock bottom.

In his home in Los Angeles, Ang Lee lay slumped on his couch, his house in a mess—beer cans and newspapers scattered everywhere.

This timeline's Hulk had performed even worse than in the original.

In the original timeline, the movie had a budget of about $140 million, and after adding marketing costs, it was even higher. It grossed $131 million domestically and $240 million worldwide, barely breaking even.

But in this timeline, thanks to Martin's three consecutive blockbuster films overshadowing it, Hulk still had a similar budget of $140 million, but its domestic box office was only $101 million, and worldwide it barely reached $202 million—causing Universal to lose $20 million.

As one media outlet put it, "The 2003 Ang Lee version of The Hulk has been proven to be a complete and utter disaster."

Not only were Universal and Marvel executives publicly expressing disappointment, but even Eric Bana, who played Bruce Banner, joined in the criticism:

"He made me shoot one scene 140 times, and no one knew what he was doing. Working with Ang Lee was like a nightmare."

The avalanche of criticism and betrayal nearly crushed Ang Lee. With his movie performing even worse than in the original timeline, he found himself out of work, with no new opportunities.

At that moment, the sound of a key turning in the lock came from the door.

It opened, and a plain-looking woman walked in.

It was Ang Lee's wife, Jane Lin, who had just arrived from Taiwan.

If Ang Lee had managed to make it this far as a director, Jane Lin had played an undeniable role.

They had met in 1978 while both studying in the U.S. and had fallen in love at a friend's gathering. A talented young man and a strong-willed woman, they quickly bonded.

By 1983, before either of their parents had even met, they had already gotten married.

After college, Ang Lee struggled for six years without a stable job, but Jane Lin stood by him, supporting him both emotionally and financially—raising their children while working to provide for the family.

During that time, Ang Lee, feeling ashamed that he wasn't earning money, secretly went to study computer science, thinking of changing careers.

When Jane Lin found out, she doused him with cold water—both literally and figuratively—and scolded him:

"There are already plenty of computer scientists! The world doesn't need another Ang Lee in IT!"

Ang Lee, deeply ashamed yet comforted, swallowed his tears, hugged his wife, and continued honing his craft, waiting for his chance.

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He had once promised her, "I will win an Oscar for you."

In the original timeline, when he won Best Director at the Oscars in 2013 for Life of Pi, he famously said:

"I am a man who fears his wife. Without my strong wife, I wouldn't be where I am today..."

Now, as she stepped into their messy home, Jane Lin said nothing—no complaints, no scolding.

She simply started cleaning.

At first, Ang Lee remained on the couch. Then, he sat up.

Finally, he stood and silently picked up a broom to help her.

Once the house was tidy again, Jane Lin spoke calmly:

"You've vented enough. Time to get back up. Ang, never think of yourself as a 'successful director'—that's how you keep moving forward."

Ang Lee was stunned before realization struck him. "You're right. I'm not some big-time director. Right now, I'm just a guy looking for a job."

He had finally cleared his mind.

Picking up his phone, he dialed a number.

"Hello, Mr. Myers."

"Haha, Mr. Lee! Why so formal all of a sudden? Just call me Martin."

"Sorry, Martin. I should've called sooner. I wanted to ask—have you found a director for Brokeback Mountain?"

"I have."

Ang Lee's heart sank.

But then, Martin chuckled. "Isn't that you, Mr. Lee?"

"Ah? Oh! Thank you—thank you, Martin!"

"So you're available now? Come by Myers Pictures to sign the contract. You can pick up the storyboard script while you're at it."

"Okay, when would be a good time?"

"Tomorrow. Just ask for Drew."

"Got it. Thank you so much."

Hanging up, Ang Lee turned and lifted his smiling wife into the air. "Honey, I've got a job again!"

Meanwhile, at Myers Pictures, Martin told Drew, "Ang Lee will be here tomorrow to sign the contract. Make sure to push for a lower price—he's at rock bottom right now."

Drew smirked. "Oh, I'm good at that."

Martin laughed. "Nice. You're starting to think like a real capitalist!"

...

The next day, Ang Lee arrived at Myers Pictures and signed the contract for Brokeback Mountain.

His director's fee was set at $1.8 million—far lower than the $8 million he earned for Hulk.

But Ang Lee didn't care.

Right now, money wasn't the priority.

What he needed was an opportunity.

And since Martin and Myers Pictures were willing to give him that chance, he was incredibly grateful.

This was the perfect example of selling someone out and making them thank you for it!