Went Abroad to Be a Director, Shook Hollywood’s Box Office - Chapter3

The next day.

Outside the headquarters of Universal Pictures.

The company’s logo—a globe encircled by a band of English letters—read: UNIVERSAL.

Qin Feng, dressed in a sleek black suit that highlighted his confident posture, carried a briefcase in one hand as he approached the grand entrance.

A tall blonde woman with striking blue eyes was already waiting by the door. She glanced at her watch, then at the approaching Asian man, looking slightly uncertain.

“Hello, sir. Are you Mr. Qin Feng?”

“I am,” Qin Feng replied with a polite smile.

She quickly extended her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Yali, assistant to Manager Kennedy.”

Qin Feng shook her hand firmly.

“Please, follow me.” Yali turned and led the way inside.

As Qin Feng walked behind her, he took in his surroundings quietly.

As expected of one of America’s Big Eight film studios, the Universal headquarters was grand and imposing. The first floor alone was a vast open space framed by gleaming steel structures.

Before long, they arrived at the office of Kathleen Kennedy.

Kennedy looked slightly surprised when she saw the handsome young Asian man before her. She immediately stood and greeted him warmly.

“Please, have a seat, Mr. Qin. I was the one who spoke with you over the phone yesterday.”

“The pleasure is mine.” Qin Feng smiled and nodded.

Kennedy gestured for her assistant to pour coffee, then asked her to summon David Koepp.

Once everyone was seated, Kennedy got straight to the point.

“Mr. Qin, the Jurassic script you sent yesterday—did you really write that yourself?”

“Yes,” Qin Feng replied calmly. “I finished it the same day I sent it to you.”

“What?!”

Both Kennedy and Koepp were stunned.

The same day?

A science fiction screenplay of that caliber, written in just one day? That was unbelievable.

They exchanged incredulous looks.

Qin Feng chuckled lightly. “What’s wrong, Ms. Kennedy, Mr. Koepp? You don’t believe me?”

Koepp shook his head in astonishment. “It’s just… unbelievable! I’ve been a screenwriter for twenty years, and I’ve never seen anyone complete a script in a single day.”

Kennedy leaned forward, curious. “Mr. Qin, have you written the rest of the story? Or was it just a draft?”

“It’s complete.”

Qin Feng opened his briefcase and pulled out two neatly stacked piles of printed pages. He handed one to each of them.

“Here, two copies. Please, take your time to read.”

“Alright. We’ll need a few minutes.”

Kennedy and Koepp began to read.

The story unfolded—an ordinary family trapped in a dinosaur park, fleeing for their lives as terrifying creatures like the T. rex and Velociraptor appeared one after another.

In the end, the survivors barely escaped by helicopter, leaving behind an island still teeming with dinosaurs—a thrilling conclusion that hinted at unfinished danger.

Qin Feng quietly sipped his coffee, carefully observing their expressions as they read.

Ten minutes later, they finished.

Kennedy sat back, visibly impressed. After a moment of silence, she said, “Mr. Qin, let’s talk about collaboration. To be honest, this script is fantastic. Universal Pictures is ready to invest.”

“Thank you for your confidence,” Qin Feng replied with a polite nod.

Kennedy continued, “Now, we have two options. You can choose a buyout or a profit-sharing deal.”

“For a buyout, we’ll pay you a one-time fee of $1.2 million.”

“For a profit-share deal, we’ll pay $100,000 upfront. Once the movie is released, you’ll receive 5% of the company’s net profits. Please note—it’s based on net profit.”

Qin Feng knew about the Writers Guild’s standards. The offer was generous—especially for a newcomer.

Koepp added sincerely, “Mr. Qin, trust me—I’m a writer myself. $1.2 million is an incredible price for a script at this stage.”

Qin Feng smiled faintly.

A buyout might sound tempting, but he knew what Jurassic Park had achieved in his previous life—over a billion dollars in global box office revenue.

Only a fool would take a buyout.

Seeing Qin Feng hesitate, Kennedy said gently, “Mr. Qin, the buyout offer is very good. If you’re in need of quick money…”

Qin Feng interrupted with a confident smile. “Ms. Kennedy, I do have one request—if you’d be willing to consider it.”

“Oh? Please, go ahead.”

“For the contract, I’d like to go with the profit-sharing option. I have a strong feeling this film will achieve great success at the box office.”

He paused, then added firmly, “And my request is—let me direct the film myself.”

Kennedy and Koepp both froze.

“What?! You want to direct it yourself?”

Koepp’s eyes widened. “Did I hear that right—you’re a director too?”

This young man’s ambition was extraordinary.

Koepp asked skeptically, “Mr. Qin, may I ask what films you’ve directed in China?”

“Well…” Qin Feng scratched his head awkwardly.

So far, he had only directed one film—and it had been a commercial failure.

“I have directed before,” he admitted, “though, to be honest, not very successfully.”

Kennedy nodded thoughtfully. “Mr. Qin, our studio has a strict process for appointing directors. Not every newcomer gets to direct a major project right away.”

“I hope you understand—new directors usually start with smaller or experimental films. It’s a process of building trust and experience.”

“I see…” Qin Feng murmured.

The conversation stalled, the air thick with polite tension.

Just then, his phone rang.

“It’s alright, take the call,” Kennedy said with a smile, standing up. “I’ll grab another cup of coffee.”

Qin Feng answered.

“Hello, Mr. Qin Feng! This is Arthur from Warner Bros. I’m a project manager there.”

“Oh, hello.”

Kennedy paused mid-step.

“We’ve received your Jurassic script,” Arthur said enthusiastically. “Do you have time to meet today? I’d like to discuss it face-to-face.”

“Ah… right now? I’m a bit tied up. I’ll call you back once I’m free.”

“That’s unfortunate, but alright. I’ll wait for your call. Goodbye!”

“Goodbye.”

Qin Feng hung up, smiling awkwardly.

Koepp raised an eyebrow. “Mr. Qin, did you submit your script to multiple studios?”

Qin Feng didn’t hide it. “Yes. Universal, Warner Bros., and 20th Century Fox.”

Koepp nodded with a grin. “Impressive. You certainly have faith in your work.”

Before Qin Feng could respond, his phone rang again—another unfamiliar number.

He quickly declined the call and switched the phone to silent mode.

“Sorry about that. I’ll ignore the rest.”

Kennedy returned with her coffee, her expression more sincere than before.

“Mr. Qin, we truly admire your script. The profit-sharing arrangement is perfectly acceptable to us.”

“However, as for directing… I’m afraid that’s something we can’t agree to. And frankly, I don’t think any other major studio will either.”

“After all, this level of science fiction production involves an enormous budget—it’s not a small undertaking.”

Qin Feng rubbed the bridge of his nose and smiled wryly.

As expected, breaking into Hollywood as an independent director wasn’t going to be easy.

“I understand, Ms. Kennedy,” he said at last.

“Still,” he added after a brief pause, “I do have another idea. Don’t worry—it’s a compromise that might work for both of us…”

(End of Chapter)