The Best Director

Chapter 412: 412

“Stephanie, I think the enchanting aspect of Bella and Edward’s story lies in how well it captures the emotional turbulence and desires of a teenage girl’s youth, as well as their deep-seated common fantasies,” Jessica said.

Night fell over Los Angeles, shrouding the city in darkness. In a bright and chic restaurant, tranquility prevailed. The white tablecloths were spotless, and the light shone on the tableware making it gleam. Patrons conversed in hushed tones, laughing softly while waiters bustled about carrying plates of food and drinks. The gentle background music added a layer of ambiance to the setting. At a window seat with a view of the dazzling night sky, Wang Yang and his wife were having dinner with the Meyer couple.

Ever since it was decided to purchase the film rights to the Twilight series, Flame Films had made no secret of its love for the novel—nor did it make a big fuss about it. However, the news that FF was actively negotiating with Meyer inevitably spread within the industry. It was said that Wang Yang took it very seriously! Wang Yang’s attention led Paramount and other companies to take notice. Although Twilight was currently selling well, nobody was thinking it could be the “new Harry Potter.” Just being as appealing as The Devil Wears Prada would be enough, but was this story… really okay?

Lone Ranger Films’s answer was “YES,” and MTV Films believed they had the most right to speak on the matter. Looking around, without the Wang Yang factor, their answer would be “NO”—this was also the answer for many of the other studios. However, just for the sake of Wang Yang, it was worth the fight! Although it was uncertain whether his injured brain was still functional, and although the time of his first failure was unpredictable.

Suddenly, companies big and small, including Paramount, Universal, Summit, Lionsgate, and New Line, joined the competition. Flame Films was not afraid at all.

FF had already fully demonstrated its absolute capabilities in producing and distributing films of any budget level. Its financial health and strength were indisputable. Operating franchises like The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter was a breeze, and with FF, Twilight wouldn’t fail either. Not to mention the biggest difference between those fence-sitter studios and FF was “attitude.” They had joined the fray because of Wang Yang, while FF was the first and most enthusiastic suitor, determined to match any competitor’s offer. When terms were similar or equal, FF believed that what would sway Meyer was the attitude. She might appear to be just a housewife, but she was actually a highly cultured woman.

Wang Yang did indeed place a lot of importance on Twilight. He had personally communicated over the phone with both Meyer and Little, Brown and Company and had also invited the Meyer couple to dinner to further discuss plans for the film adaptation.

“The inclusion of vampire culture is like a metaphor for that unique restlessness of adolescence, ‘I want you, but I can’t have you.’ Expressing teenage feelings through this dramatic contrast of taboo, touching taboo, and breaking taboo makes for a very fresh and fascinating perspective that feels great,” he explained.

In Hollywood, Meyer had a particularly high opinion of good guy Wang Yang, which was one of the reasons she was willing to accept the invitation. Listening to Wang Yang now, Stephanie Meyer, wearing a red sweater, smiled warmly. Sitting beside her, her husband, Christian Meyer, also smiled with joy at the praise. The two were childhood sweethearts who had known each other since they were four in Arizona, married in 1994 at the age of 21, and to this day had three children, Gabe, Seth, and Eli.

“I think many women have had a similar emotional experience, the good boy versus the bad boy dynamic. Hmm, you’re dating a good boy whom your parents and friends all like and praise; but then a mysterious boy comes along, or a dangerous bad boy, and despite all, you can’t help but feel an irresistible urge to get close and understand him, to know his heart, his secrets, discover who he really is. Maybe that’s part of the bad boy’s allure,” he said.

Having said that, Wang Yang glanced at Jessica beside him, who was carefully cutting her steak, her first reaction somewhat bewildered, “You’re all I have, I don’t really know… Yes! Yes!” She inwardly cursed her own foolish behavior, but her smile quickly bloomed again. Glancing at him, then looking at Stephanie across the table, she nodded and laughed while saying, “I think so, Yang has always given me that impression, clearly, he is a good guy, but you know, he was once wrongfully expelled from university before the truth came out. My dad really didn’t like how close I was getting to Yang, the more he opposed it, the more I insisted on it, hehe! Of course, I believed in him one hundred percent.”

“And he does have a sense of mystique…” Jessica was saying when Wang Yang interjected, “Maybe it’s the exotic charm.” Everyone burst into light laughter, and Jessica continued with a laugh, “I feel like I still haven’t completely figured him out, with his ex-girlfriends being five minutes, seven minutes, hahaha! That’s the fun part, I mean, getting to know each other.” Jessica turned to Wang Yang, who was trying to suppress a laugh, and affectionately praised him, “Dear, I’ve always said that, you’re a good boy and also a bad boy.” Wang Yang responded with a smile, “Thank you.”

This couple was indeed sweet and amusing. Stephanie chuckled too, glancing at her husband, Christian. Her own romantic experiences were quite limited, but she agreed wholeheartedly with what Wang Yang said, “That’s right, especially at seventeen or eighteen years of age, it’s not an age where one can fully think independently. Their resistance to temptation decreases, or rather… they hadn’t thought that much at all, they simply make choices and decisions based on their feelings.”

“Yeah!” Wang Yang nodded in agreement. Since the Meyer couple were Mormons and did not drink alcohol, there were only juices on the table. He took a sip from his glass and continued, “Edward is a combination of a good boy and a bad boy. He possesses all the charming qualities, which is why Bella and many, many female readers have been captivated by him. But when Bella learns he’s a vampire, she finds herself unable to leave Edward, so no matter what, she can only continue on, following her feelings.” He paused and added, “My favorite thing about ‘Twilight’ is that it’s a reflection of a young girl’s inner world.”

Both the ‘Twilight’ novels and the movies have been highly controversial, including feminists accusing Meyer of being an anti-feminist author because Bella’s entire life revolves around Edward. She never controls her own life and absolutely depends on Edward’s abilities to protect her.

The movies received even more criticism. Wang Yang never liked looking at anything with prejudice. ‘Twilight’ isn’t perfect, but it’s undoubtedly a great work. The market reflects the truth the best, and the series has made commercial miracles worldwide precisely because it touched the hearts of countless young female readers and viewers, fulfilling their adolescent needs psychologically.

When it comes down to it, ‘Twilight’ fits into one of the thirty-six dramatic situations proposed by Georges Polti, specifically “the enemy loved”. In other words, forbidden love, where the thrill comes from the taboo. When Romeo and Juliet are combined with supernatural fantasy elements such as vampires and werewolves, and set against the backdrop of high school students, this creates a sorrowful romance and a very attractive combination of elements. With delicate and romantic portrayals, it became a phenomenon of its time.

The massive popularity of the book series brought a large group of dedicated reader fans to the movies, building a solid audience base; at the same time, new viewers who had never heard of ‘Twilight’ were also drawn to the movie’s story, generating the same resonance and reactions as those who were initially captivated by the novels.

That is the essential common ground for both the ‘Twilight’ novels and the movies; it prioritizes the thoughts of young girls going through puberty. However, adaptations inevitably change, such as for the sake of visual appeal, there will be a lot of action scenes. This requires a world full of danger and corresponding plots to match, and when all of this is executed by a teenage vampire, it brings a completely different feeling. It’s believable that everyone, whether male or female, has felt the impulse to seek adventure during their adolescent years.

“Sometimes, I think that every woman has once imagined herself to be Juliet, even though she’s just a fictional tragic character, she has gained such a great recognition. Juliet has very clear identity traits,” he said.

Wang Yang took another sip of water, gazing at the beautiful nightscape outside the window, and with a smile, turning to the attentive Meyers, he said, “Maybe sometimes, we suddenly feel a similar sense of loneliness, feeling extremely out of place with our surroundings, with a desire to leave, to change. That’s why women are more hopeful to meet their own Romeo, and to have a passionate romance, like in ‘Titanic’, like in ‘Twilight’.”

“Yeah,” Jessica nodded in deep agreement after listening quietly to his extensive talk. She had also read “Twilight” over the past few days, but hadn’t thought so much about it, it’s just that Edward being 104 years old seemed a bit too old…

“Thank you,” Stephenie Meyer said appreciatively to Wang Yang for his praise, feeling genuinely delighted and even more so invigorated by the joy of finding a kindred spirit. Since the novel was published at the beginning of the month, she had received more and more acclaim, but few had understood it as thoroughly as Wang Yang. After their lengthy conversation, it was clear that he had read her novel seriously, really loved it, and was confident that Flame could adapt it from text to film well, which was exciting.

“I’m really looking forward to reading the sequel to ‘Twilight,'” Wang Yang said with renewed interest. Although he had seen the series of movies in his mind, he hadn’t read the original novels. He was not exactly a fan, but it was a good book worth reading. He smiled and asked, “Stephanie, a small request, may I read it in advance?” Stephenie Meyer immediately nodded with a smile, “Of course, no problem.” Jessica also expressed her excitement, “That’s fantastic, I can find out right away whether Bella turns into a vampire or not.”

The conversation at the dinner table switched to Stephenie Meyer talking about her experiences in creating “Twilight.” Everyone laughed and talked while dining, and after a good while, the topic of film rights came up again.

“Flame Films is truly fascinated by ‘Twilight,'” they said. “We believe the series will become a global literary phenomenon, loved by almost everyone, especially teenagers! You know, we pay close attention to what teenagers love. If Flame Films isn’t found on the nomination lists for Teen Choice Awards or MTV Movie Awards in any year, we wouldn’t forgive ourselves; we couldn’t forgive it! That’s the credo of Flame Films.”

Wang Yang stopped his task of cutting the steak and looked at Stephenie Meyer with a very serious expression, “We believe the ‘Twilight’ series can become as popular a film as ‘Harry Potter.’ Don’t think I’m just saying nice things; it’s true! We have the capacity to make it that kind of film.”

“Thank you,” Stephenie Meyer once again expressed her gratitude, her heart inevitably touched. Remembering MTV’s attitude and then the 14 agents who refused to find a publisher for “Twilight,” she was increasingly stirred. If she had approached Flame a few years earlier, perhaps “Twilight” would already be a film. Meyer also believed that Flame had the capacity to handle it well – which of their films like the “High School Musical” series, “Step Up” series, or “The Hangover” series wasn’t adored by teenagers? However, she didn’t like “The Hangover”; it was the worst of Wang Yang’s films, followed by “MIT-21-TEAM.”

That was essentially her concern, her care. After thinking for a moment, Stephenie said, “Yang, I’m not worried about that, but I am concerned about the differences adaptation may cause. We all know how many films have completely ruined the original novels, so I do have my reservations. I hope to get some protection.”

“Yes, of course!” Wang Yang agreed without hesitation. Seeing his determined attitude, either he was flattering her, or he was sincere; Stephenie, of course, preferred the latter. She couldn’t help but smile, “Actually, my conditions are quite basic, such as ‘No character that does not die in the novel should die in the film,’ and ‘All members of the Cullen family must appear in the film under their original names.’ I think these are fundamental parts of the story that need to be preserved.” She earnestly said, “I need you to promise me that Flame’s adaptation will stay as true to the original as possible, otherwise, I won’t hand over the rights.”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“Haha, Stephanie, if those are all your concerns, you can rest assured,” Wang Yang laughed under everyone’s gaze without a hint of disrespect. He looked at the Meyer couple’s smiling faces and said, “Staying true to the original novel is our pursuit, both its story and these narrative details—of course we’ll use the original names of the Cullen family! When you see these details on the big screen, ones you’ve read about in the books, you’ll be thrilled. And for many young girls, the original novel is sacred and inviolable; we wouldn’t dare to offend the audience. So we will do everything we can to present all the content in its original form.”

As she listened to his words, Stephenie Meyer’s smile became even more brilliant, and she felt the world was moving in a wonderful direction.

“We understand your concerns,” Wang Yang smiled, not needing much thought to continue, “but you must also understand our work. A movie can only be two or three hours long at most; it’s impossible to show every detail of a book. We can only try our best to be faithful to its soul! And as for the future adaptation work, we will definitely need your participation and cooperation. At the very least, we will show you the finished script to hear your thoughts and suggestions, and then we’ll figure out how to implement them, as long as they are good ideas that can improve the quality of the film.”

“Stephanie, the reason we are interested in ‘Twilight’ is because it truly has unlimited potential to be adapted into a film, and the commitment you’re asking for—here’s my answer now,” Wang Yang said, looking into her eyes with all seriousness, “The answer is, obviously, yes! I promise, I assure you!”

Jessica gave him a deep look; the baby started kicking again… Listening to his emphatic voice and looking into his deep eyes, Stephanie Meyer felt her excitement building. What was there to worry about? Christian Meyer couldn’t help thinking that Wang Yang’s charm behind the scenes was even more potent than on the screen, and it was hard to say no to the attitude of Flame Film! He glanced at his wife, signaling with his eyes: “Shall we agree?”

“Okay, thank you! I think…” Stephanie nodded vigorously, her composed face breaking into a smile again: “I will give you lots and lots of suggestions.”

“Haha!” Laughter erupted jovially from the dining table as Meyer agreed to entrust ‘Twilight’ to Flame Film!

Now that this matter was settled, everyone didn’t linger on the details of the conditions; those would be left for the meeting table. Instead, the dinner conversation shifted to other everyday life topics. It was a very pleasant meal; despite the different religious beliefs at the table, the love for family, children, and life was the same for everyone. As parents of three children, the Meyers had plenty of parenting experiences and anecdotes to share with the expectant parents, Wang Yang and his wife, creating a warm and cheerful atmosphere.

Little Brown Publishing had already agreed with Stephanie Meyer to release one new book of the ‘Twilight’ series each year, with the publication date of each volume explicitly defined in the contract, ensuring a length of over 500 pages for each book. By the summer of 2008, all four books would be published.

Although ‘Twilight’ was selling well at the moment, no one knew how the popularity of the series would develop; the term “cultural phenomenon” indeed sounded like a polite cliché. However, smart people would not sell the movie rights so early on. But the contract offered by Flame Film was considering all of this, with comprehensive terms and a high price. Besides the increase in the buyout fee corresponding to sales, the box office profit sharing was also taken seriously. So, this was a contingent contract. When ‘Twilight’ achieved certain milestones, Meyer wouldn’t lose out, and of course, Flame Film would enjoy a certain “prospective investment profit”.

Although ‘Twilight’ could start production at any time, clearly the books’ influence had not fully taken shape yet, and it wasn’t the right time to release the film. Hence, the ‘Twilight’ movie would support the book with its publicity, but the release of the first film was set for the end of 2008, after the conclusion of the novel series.

Stephanie Meyer was very satisfied with these arrangements, not only receiving generous compensation but also the sincerity she valued most. With that, ‘Twilight’ officially found its home with Flame Film. (