Chapter 320: Chapter 321: Finalizing the Deal
[Chapter 321: Finalizing the Deal]
"Eric, that comment you just made was almost exactly what I was thinking. However, I know you've only been involved in drama films until now. Although there are some special effects are required in Ghost, what are your concrete plans for this company afterward? I don't like the idea of joining and then finding myself with nothing to do."
Eric immediately shook his head, "Of course not! I can tell you clearly, Stan, my goal is to surpass Industrial Light & Magic. You must have heard of my novel, Jurassic Park? That project definitely won't take too long. There's also Resident Evil. Recently, I submitted a manuscript to my publisher for another sci-fi novel called The Matrix. All three of these will eventually be developed into at least trilogies of special effects films. So this effects company won't lack projects for a decade.
Industrial Light & Magic became what it is today based on just the Star Wars series, while Firefly Films' future special effects films will surpass Lucasfilm's by far. I wouldn't mind giving all of it to my own effects company to handle."
Stan Winston hadn't read Resident Evil and couldn't glean any content from the title The Matrix. But he knew about Jurassic Park; the novel had drawn interest from many film companies, yet Eric had never released the film rights, which was very telling.
Imagining the massive dinosaurs of ancient times revived on the big screen ignited Stan's passion, but he remained calm and asked, "So, Eric, what are the conditions for my joining? Although my studio is small, I'm the boss and don't lack projects."
Eric replied, "I'll give you 10% equity. The effects company will be entirely under your management, and it won't go public for the next decade. I'll continuously provide the company with ample funding, and I guarantee that before the company goes public, no matter how much I invest, I will never dilute your personal shares."
"Eric, I don't have an issue with the 10% equity, but while I know you have enough funds, I still need a specific investment amount. I'm not keen on ambiguous promises. In Hollywood, many investment pledges never pan out," Stan responded.
Thinking for a moment, Eric said, "The initial investment will be $20 million. I hope this money goes toward purchasing equipment, developing computer-generated technology, and preparing the visual effects for Jurassic Park. So you can consider this as a precursor investment for Jurassic Park. By the way, Pixar can provide some technical support to the effects company, and the effects company also needs to establish its own CG R&D team."
Stan nodded, satisfied, and said, "It seems you really have a strong belief in computer-generated effects, huh?"
"Yes," Eric smiled and added, "So, I named the effects company 'Digital Domain.'"
"Digital Domain," Stan mused. James Cameron, who had been quietly listening, couldn't help but interject, "Eric, this company sounds perfect for producing Terminator 2; most shots of the liquid metal robot were made with CG. So I hope you'll consider it. If you agree to invest a part of Terminator 2, even if it's just $10 million, I can raise the rest of the funding."
Eric laughed and said, "Jim, I know what you're thinking. Many people in Hollywood trust my vision because my recent films have been successful. But I can't risk my reputation; if the movie fails, no one would blame you. I would be the scapegoat for misleading them into investing."
Realizing his ulterior motives had been called out, Cameron felt his face flush.
At this moment, Stan Winston couldn't resist asking, "Eric, do you really not have much confidence in Jim's sequel?"
Hearing the question, Eric hesitated. It was impossible not to have confidence; he merely meant to tease Cameron a bit. But now he found himself in a dilemma.
After some thought, Eric replied, "It's not that I lack confidence. It's just that the risk is too great. An investment of $60 million, coupled with the promotional budget, means we would need about $150 million at the North American box office to break even. The first Terminator didn't even gross $80 million globally, and Jim's last film, The Abyss, only grossed $80 million, so you should understand my concerns."
Stan nodded in understanding, while James Cameron looked somewhat dejected.
After a moment's contemplation, it seemed as if Eric had made a significant decision. He said, "Alright, if that's the case, I'll take the gamble. I can commit to $50 million, Jim. So I hope you approach this bulletproof; try your best to keep the film within that budget."
James Cameron hesitated slightly but quickly nodded enthusiastically, thinking it was better to nail down the movie project first. "Alright, Eric, I will do my best."
The two men, each with their own thoughts, shared a knowing smile, like friends who had known each other for years.
"By the way, James, if I'm putting up this money, then I need ownership of Terminator. There's no room for negotiation on that."
James Cameron paused for a moment before nodding. "That... is definitely fine. But, Eric, currently, the film rights are with Hemdale, the company that produced the first film. They're bankrupt now, so it will only take a sum to buy back the rights. Also, in my plan, I won't be producing any sequels after this one."
"How much will it approximately cost?" Eric asked casually, feeling a rush of excitement; another massive series was about to be in his hands. He recalled that for the third or fourth Terminator film, the producer had spent only $30 million to acquire the rights from the previous owner. If Eric got his hands on the rights, he surely wouldn't let them slip away.
"$2 million. I talked it over with the original producer already," Cameron said.
Eric pulled out his checkbook and quickly wrote out a $2 million check, handing it to James. "Jim, I want the complete rights, with no future disagreements."
"That's guaranteed," James replied, taking the check.
The three of them discussed many more matters, and by the time they parted, it was already 3 PM. ...
Since the lead actor for Ghost was confirmed, the audition set for today had been canceled. Therefore, Eric didn't need to return to Firefly Films.
Looking at the woman beside him, Eric said, "Jennifer, let me take you home."
Jennifer Connelly had been quietly listening to the conversation during lunch. Her last film, Etoile, had only paid her $50,000, while the film Eric disrupted last night, directed by Tony Blanton, had offered her only $100,000. Therefore, hearing the others casually toss around figures in the millions felt somewhat surreal. She was even feeling a bit dejected, realizing that despite her efforts, her earnings didn't come close to the trivial amounts Eric casually signed away. It was disheartening just thinking about it.
Not hearing a response from her, Eric glanced at Jennifer as he opened the car door. From the faintly pained expression on her face, he quickly understood what she was feeling.
It seemed that losing that role last year and accumulating emotions over the past year, coupled with last night's and today's events, had really affected Jennifer.
Thus, Eric quickly decided to turn up the heat, realizing that the more it stimulated her feelings, the more likely she would grasp onto him despite her up-and-down emotions.
Dreams of reality crashing together; it was a scene that was hard to face.
With that thought, he drove toward Malibu without asking for her address.
After a ten-minute drive, Jennifer hesitantly spoke up, "You... you promised to take me home."
Although she said this, her tone didn't hold much conviction.
Eric nodded, "Yeah, but it's just after 3; you're bound to have nothing to do if you go back this early. How about coming over to my place for a while?"
She fiddled with the hem of her skirt, head down, and didn't respond.
...
Eric smirked slightly and drove to the Cliff House, deviating from his usual routine. He parked outside rather than directly in the garage, handed the keys to the security, and took her hand as they walked toward the villa.
With over $20 million invested, and the Cliff House was much more luxurious than Coppola's villa from last night. Walking together while providing a tour, they soon entered the villa.
"How does it feel here?" Eric asked, immediately leading her to the outdoor pool on the southwest side rather than just roaming around the villa. Today, the breeze blew, and the waves crashed against the rocks beneath their feet, making a delightful sound.
"Very nice," Jennifer said, settling down beside a lounge chair while adjusting her skirt fluttered by the wind.
Due to the ocean breeze, her thin dress clung tightly to her body, clearly showing her curvy figure. Eric took the time to appreciate it and suddenly pointed to a small building behind them, "That's the changing room; there are spare swimsuits inside. Want to take a swim?"
"But... there's no water in the pool?" Jennifer Connelly pointed out the dry pool, attempting to offer a weak excuse.
"It'll be full in five minutes; go change," Eric encouraged her.
Caught in her own trap, Jennifer bit her lip lightly but still got up and headed to change.
...
A few minutes later, she reemerged wrapped in a large towel, shocked to find the pool had indeed been filled with water.
"The temperature's just right," Eric commented, extending his hand into the pool to check the water's warmth.
"And you...?" she questioned, glancing at Eric, who remained in a full suit.
"I just want to watch you," Eric replied with a smile as he returned to a nearby lounge chair, pulling out a cigarette from some unknown pocket and lighting it up, looking intrigued, as if waiting for a performance.
Jennifer hesitated for a while before nervously dropping her towel and quickly plunging into the water. She appeared like a mermaid in a pink bikini, swiftly swimming away. The pool wasn't too large, and soon she reached the end, leaning against the southwest edge and glancing over at Eric, who was still eagerly watching her. Feeling shy, she submerged herself but hesitated before swimming back in Eric's direction.
For some reason, just a few meters into swimming, Jennifer felt a slight pain in her right leg before losing feeling entirely. She floundered momentarily and began to sink, noticing a figure dive into the pool. Within moments, Eric was by her side, lifting her out of the water. The pool's depth only reached his abdomen.
"Don't move; you might have a cramp," Eric reassured her, carefully ascending the pool steps with her in his arms. Just as he was about to set her down, his foot unexpectedly slipped, causing both of them to tumble into the pool, landing atop each other in a heap.
"Damn it, Frank Gehry; you spend millions and can't even install a non-slip pool. I'll make him redo it!"
Originally terrified and heart racing, Jennifer Connelly chuckled at Eric's remark. Then her backside got a smack: "Stop lying there, get up -- is that comfortable?"
"Ow!" she cried out softly. Becoming aware of her position, resting on Eric, she tried to prop herself up. But quickly succumbed and lay back down. "I... I can't move my legs."
Eric sighed heavily, "Then don't move."
"Sure," she replied softly, nodding. Raising her head, she found herself meeting Eric's gaze. After a moment's hesitation, she leaned in slightly, and their lips met in a kiss.
After a few minutes, Jennifer finally pulled back, breathless and resting her head against Eric's neck, saying, "Are you satisfied now?"
Eric, who had been gently stroking her smooth back, paused but then tightly embraced her, feeling her warmth press against him. With a voice that brooked no argument, he stated, "Remember, from now on, you're mine."
Her body trembled slightly, and she hesitantly asked, "So, are we dating now?"
"Not really."
"You're too domineering," she murmured quietly.
"This time I won't let you escape," Eric said, turning her face to kiss her softly, "From now on, just be my woman."
She fidgeted slightly and asked, "And what if I don't want to?"
"Then you can just be my pet."
"You... you really are a devil, not giving anyone a glimmer of hope," she said, her eyes filled with confusion, yet her lips parted slightly as she leaned in again for another kiss.
After the simple entanglement of passions and a brief massage for her cramped calves, Eric arranged for Jennifer to be sent home. After all, the meat was already cooking, and there was no rush. Plus, he wanted her to digest the many swirling emotions and information from the past two days. If Jennifer had the courage to gather her things and run away from Hollywood, he would accept that. But Eric was 100% confident she wouldn't part with the dazzling life of fame and fortune.
...
In the following days, Eric returned to his busy schedule. Due to another dispute with Robert Shea, he established a new film company. Since he had originally named the first one Firefly, he also named this new venture Black Ant Productions. Initially, he had wanted to name it Black Widow, but Jeffrey vehemently opposed that. It was too unconventional; if it was a tiny independent film company that would be fine, but this new company wouldn't just be a small operation.
So, after some discussions, Eric settled on the name Black Ant Productions.
Basic Instinct project rapidly transitioned to this new company. Thankfully, due to the film's mature content, and to avoid a potential NC-17 rating in the future, Eric decided to collaborate with Universal Studios, which, compared to the other major studios, didn't have any significant blockbuster projects this year, allowing them to allocate resources to this film while offering a fair enough deal. Both sides would share the rights and split the investments, with Eric still maintaining complete control over the project.
In reality, the initiative had originally belonged to the seven major studios. It was evident Eric chose to collaborate with them to avoid any issues.
However, ever since the last tumultuous affair, the seven majors struggled to align their interests. They were now in a state of distrust, which led them to put forth individual bids. Universal's offer was the best mainly because Japan's Panasonic Group was like Sony and orchestrated a takeover of Universal's parent company, MCA. Hence, Universal was eager to stimulate its share prices through a hit film, similar to what Columbia had done before.
...
In the days that followed, James Cameron quickly secured the rights to Terminator and handed them over to Eric. The originally promised investment of $50 million wasn't sufficient. Though Cameron had been determined to put Eric in a tight spot, forcing him to increase his investment when funds ran out, he still felt a touch of guilt. Thus, he made some minor amendments to the rights agreement.
The adjustment was straightforward. In the original contract with the production company, a clause stipulated that the rights for Terminator would automatically revert back to him in 2018. However, feeling slightly guilty, Cameron readily deleted that clause. After all, he had decided that Terminator 2 would be the final installment of his series, and the rights didn't hold much value for him -- at least, that was how he perceived it. Cameron could never have guessed how valuable the rights would become in the future.
Eric was more than pleased with this development but decided not to keep the rights under Firefly but instead house them in Black Ant Productions. During discussions for Terminator 2, Robert Shea again took a conservative stance and expressed his concerns, mirroring those of the seven majors. Eric had no qualms about moving forward. Thus, Terminator 2 became the second project of Black Ant Productions, just like Basic Instinct.
As for potential distribution troubles down the line, Eric hadn't given them any thought yet; after all, James's filming pace had never been swift, and it would be a feat to release the movie by next summer.
...
As Eric wrapped up the matters of Basic Instinct and Terminator, Digital Domain was established without delay. He allocated $20 million in startup capital, after which Stan Winston promptly began recruitment and set up headquarters in Venice, Los Angeles -- a district, mind you, not the Italian city. Eric remembered how, over a decade later, it became known as Silicon Beach, resonating with Silicon Valley up in San Francisco due to its thriving tech firms.
...
Amidst this bustle, Eric personally convinced Julia Roberts to join Robert Shea's project, Sleeping With the Enemy. Her payday, following two blockbuster films, was $8 million, and Robert surprisingly acquiesced. Eric just shrugged at her audacious salary demands because he felt Julia was worth it.
...
Shortly after, the lead role for Ghost was finalized. Eric ultimately selected Bridget Fonda from a plethora of auditioning actresses. It happened that she was Jane Fonda's niece, and he chose her not only for her suitability but also because it brought together two iconic Hollywood families to support his film, providing a fantastic promotional angle down the line.
From the early silent film era's Henry Fonda to Peter Fonda, and subsequently Jane Fonda, culminating in the fourth generation embodied by Bridget Fonda, this family had stayed strong in Hollywood for over half a century. The Coppola family had risen a bit later, but their influence rivaled that of the Fondas. Having connections with both families would surely pay off, especially regarding the Oscars. Although Eric was still young, he couldn't evade them; no one in Hollywood could entirely escape that fate. Even the rebellious character Leo had found himself pinched firmly into the Academy's orbit.
After reaching an agreement with Stan Winston, Eric sought his advice on the visual effects required for Ghost. Although Stan specialized in model-based effects, he quickly provided solutions for the wall-passing effects and the hellish grim reaper digital effects in Ghost. Even if Eric's requests exceeded what his last life demanded, it was nothing beyond financial considerations.
...
In the end, the schedules for Basic Instinct, Sleeping With the Enemy, Ghost, and The Silence of the Lambs, produced by Elisabeth and her team at TG Productions, were laid out clearly.
According to plan, with principal photography for The Silence of the Lambs already underway, it was set for early June and would be distributed by Firefly. Following that was Sleeping With the Enemy, which, although starting late, was straightforward and didn't require grand scenes or effects, making a two-month production timeframe sufficient. Its release was slated for late June. Mid-June held the hottest slots for summer, and Robert Shea's scheduling wasn't without its self-interest, but Eric raised no objections.
Next up was Ghost, lined up for early July, akin to last year's project, Running Out of Time, and its schedule mirrored the previous release. Disney and Firefly would collaboratively distribute it.
Basic Instinct was set for mid-July, not just because it took longer to produce, but due to its thematic content, it was placed toward the end of the summer, banking on the idea of long-term showings.
...
By mid-April, preparations for Ghost were fully underway. Eric planned to shoot the effect-heavy scenes first, handing them off to Digital Domain for processing as soon as possible. Yet, he still hadn't managed to make the trip to New York by April 13. The reason lay with Basic Instinct -- he needed to oversee casting for both the lead actor and director personally.
Eric recalled how he anticipated many American actresses would be more conservative about their roles. Major female stars likely would not readily accept such risque projects, and the female lead for Basic Instinct, Catherine, required serious acting chops. In his memory, though Basic Instinct was considered a well-funded production, many established actresses had turned down the role, ultimately leading to the hiring of the less renowned Sharon Stone.
Thus, Eric turned his focus to actresses from Europe; compared to Hollywood, European actresses tended to be bolder. It was a matter of cultural perceptions; after all, in most European films, even where nudity seemed unnecessary, actresses would often have to showcase their bodies, as if directors believed no film was complete without it. In such settings, actresses naturally adapted, so the requirements of Basic Instinct felt less daunting to many across the pond.
*****
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