▁direct ▁himself . ▁ ▁Hu ang ' s ▁result ant ▁script , ▁" Re el ▁Life ", ▁was ▁picked ▁up ▁by ▁C ine ville ▁executive ▁Frank ▁E vers , ▁who ▁brought ▁in ▁finan cing ▁from ▁independent ▁invest ors , ▁and ▁significant ▁production ▁support ▁from ▁Sony ▁Pictures ▁Entertainment . ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁subsequently ▁sold ▁to ▁Tr im ark ▁Pictures ▁( l ater ▁assumed ▁by ▁L ions gate ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 ). ▁C ine ville ▁produced ▁the ▁film ▁with ▁Carl ▁Col pa ert , ▁chairman ▁of ▁C ine ville ▁and ▁Steve ▁Alexander ▁over see ing ▁production . ▁ ▁Although ▁writer ▁George ▁Hu ang ▁himself ▁worked ▁as ▁an ▁assistant ▁for ▁Barry ▁Joseph son , ▁who ▁was ▁the ▁Senior ▁Vice ▁President ▁of ▁Development ▁at ▁Sony ▁Pictures ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁some ▁have ▁suggested ▁that ▁Bud dy ' s ▁character ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁real ▁life ▁movie ▁mog ul ▁Scott ▁Rud in , ▁while ▁others ▁suggest ▁he ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁producer ▁Jo el ▁Silver ▁with ▁Guy ▁being ▁based ▁on ▁Alan ▁Sch ech ter , ▁Silver ' s ▁assistant ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁ ▁The ▁director ▁Bud dy ▁h ires ▁in ▁the ▁film , ▁F oster ▁K ane , ▁is ▁named ▁after ▁Or son ▁W elles ' ▁character ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁film ▁Cit izen ▁K ane , ▁Charles ▁F oster ▁K ane . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁met ▁with ▁positive ▁reviews . ▁At ▁Rotten ▁Tomatoes , ▁Sw imming ▁with ▁Sh arks ▁holds ▁a ▁score ▁of