章 895: Chapter 897: Three Consecutive Parts
[Chapter 897: Three Consecutive Parts]
Back in Hollywood, Eric had a pressing issue to resolve -- MGM's contract negotiations with Pierce Brosnan regarding his salary.
The monumental success of Casino Royale not only raked in significant profits for MGM but also pushed its market value past the $12 billion mark. Additionally, it prompted Pierce Brosnan, who portrayed James Bond, to demand what could very well be the first-ever Hollywood salary contract with a base pay of $20 million plus 20% of the profits, and he was willing to sign for only one film at a time. Considering the box office for Casino Royale, this contract's value approached $70 million, and in recent years, A-list stars in Hollywood averaged salaries of less than $20 million. Such a demand was utterly outrageous, and MGM could hardly agree.
Before Eric's emergence, the highest recorded salary for an actor in Hollywood remained Jack Nicholson's $50 million for Batman, which had been a mere fluke.
Stars like Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson, who starred in and produced their films, often received paychecks in the $20 to $30 million range per project. Although Casino Royale's global box office soared towards $1 billion, everyone understood that Eric's involvement, along with the popularity of MGM's spy movie universe, was the key to the film's success. Brosnan's significance was not as substantial as it seemed.
With the release of Casino Royale, MGM concluded the first half of the first phase of its spy movie universe, successfully establishing the entire world for the franchise.
The plan included another six films in the second half of the first phase of the spy movie universe.
As of now, Charlie's Angels 3 had entered production and was expected to be released during the summer blockbuster season next year. Meanwhile, Mission: Impossible 3 was in an intense pre-production phase, tentatively scheduled for release at the end of next year. The leading roles had already been confirmed for these films, and for the time being, there wouldn't be any salary disputes. However, if Brosnan's salary issues weren't resolved promptly, the other four planned films, Bond 19, Charlie's Angels 4, Mission: Impossible 4, and Bond 20, were likely to face significant delays due to MGM's protracted salary negotiations with the leads.
Amy Pascal and Brosnan's agent had been negotiating for about half a month. Perhaps believing they were in control of MGM, the other party reluctantly agreed to reduce the profit-sharing clause to 15%, but they showed no willingness to budge on the $20 million base salary. Eric didn't want a contract negotiation to drag on for months or even a year, so he decided to intervene personally.
...
At the Brentwood Country Club golf course in Santa Monica, not far from Playa Vista, Amy, who had a membership card for the club, suggested arranging the meeting with Brosnan there.
Since he was back in Los Angeles on a Monday, Eric had a routine breakfast with Katzenberg. They hadn't finished discussing some matters when Eric brought him along.
On the course, Eric swung and missed again, ignoring the giggles from the nearby Drew. Bending down to adjust his golf ball on the ground, he turned to Katzenberg and said, "So, do you understand why I signed Stuart and the others to long-term contracts? If we hadn't, the situation we faced in the future would be worse than what MGM is dealing with now. Those are a group of superstars capable of destroying the planet, all of them demanding astronomical salaries -- then Firefly would just be working for them."
Katzenberg glanced at Drew and Amy, who were chatting nearby. He asked, "I'm just curious, how do you plan to resolve this?"
Eric steadied his ball, swung again, and watched it soar through the air, walking toward the point where it landed with Katzenberg. He didn't directly respond to the question but remarked, "Everyone should understand who the real power in Hollywood is."
Katzenberg shook his head, feeling helpless. "But, Eric, this will lead even more A-list stars to refuse to work with us."
"You still don't get it, Jeffrey," Eric replied. "At least here at Firefly, the era of the superstar has already ended prematurely. The next twenty years, or even longer, will be the era of technology and special effects. The Marvel Cinematic Universe we are brewing at Firefly, the Lord of the Rings series MGM is about to kick off, and many other projects are built on the selling points of visual effects and the story itself. While having A-list stars onboard can enhance the project, they're not essential."
Katzenberg didn't entirely agree with Eric but nodded nonetheless. Turning to see Drew and Amy hitting balls not far away, he asked, "So, Eric, do you have plans for your next movie? You know everyone is asking me to find out."
In the past few days, while the box office pressure from Casino Royale had diminished significantly in its third week, Firefly Group's third film, George of the Jungle, had still struggled to perform adequately at the box office. Although critics were favorable, the film had only earned a bit over $16 million in its opening weekend, which was half of what MGM's Scream 2 had earned during the same period. With Rachel Weisz's character as the opening kill, Scream 2 grossed $32.92 million during its first three days. Given Scream 2's budget of just $24 million, MGM could recover its costs within the first week.
In comparison, Firefly's George of the Jungle had a production budget of $55 million. Considering the under-performing Bad Boys 2, and the similarly mediocre Con Air, Firefly's ventures in live-action films this year could almost be described as a complete disaster. The only remaining release was New Line's Final Destination 2, but that couldn't be counted as mainstream.
So even with Finding Nemo, a potential global blockbuster poised to dominate the summer box office, Firefly's executives found it hard to be optimistic, especially since Eric had directed Casino Royale, which achieved such remarkable success.
"For my next film," Eric said thoughtfully, "after the British girl group gets assembled, I'd like to direct a music video -- a really interesting one."
Katzenberg couldn't help but grimace, wanting to shout, "Eric, can we do something serious?" In fact, had Eric been his subordinate rather than his boss, Katzenberg, with his temper, probably would have yelled it out.
Seeing Katzenberg's uncomfortable expression, Eric chuckled and reassured him, "Alright, Jeffrey, there's no need to rush. Look at it this way: Casino Royale is certainly going to reach the $1 billion mark globally. Since I've already managed to direct two films with a global clearance of $1 billion, if my next film can maintain this box office level, wouldn't that be even better?"
Katzenberg involuntarily imagined the scenario Eric described, feeling his facial muscles twitching. "You mean, three in a row, hitting a billion each?"
Eric nodded. "Yeah, you know, I still really want to surpass the box office record Jim set, but ultimately, I can't achieve his level of detail and passion. I will settle for quantity over quality. If I can pull off three consecutive films, each grossing $1 billion worldwide, that would certainly count as a milestone."
"Alright," Katzenberg said, though he felt Erik's plan was a bit far-fetched, he didn't doubt Eric's ability to pull off such a miracle. Just as he nodded, he quickly added, "But Eric, you must ensure that the next film belongs to Firefly."
"Of course, that's a given," Eric replied with a smile, waving over to Natasha, who was serving as a caddy some distance away, changing clubs, and continued, "And I won't make everyone wait too long."
...
As they chatted while playing, Drew and Amy walked over, leading a middle-aged man around forty years old.
As they approached, Amy started to speak when the man extended his hand for an introduction. "Mr. Williams, hello. I'm Pierce's agent, Rick Kozman."
Eric politely shook the man's hand. "I remember mentioning that I wanted Pierce to come along himself."
"I'm really sorry, Mr. Williams," Rick Kozman said, showing genuine difficulty without a hint of awkwardness on his face. "Pierce has an urgent matter and can't make it. He specifically instructed me to express his apologies to you."
To avoid making negotiations too tense, stars typically don't show up in person; that way, if something goes wrong, both sides can maintain some leeway.
Eric understood the rules well and wasn't upset. After Rick Kozman greeted Katzenberg, he said, "Seeing it this way, let's be forthright. MGM wants to sign Pierce for four films at once -- two main entries and two crossover films."
At this point, Rick Kozman interrupted. "Mr. Williams, that isn't possible; we only intend to sign one film contract with MGM at a time."
Eric shot Rick Kozman a glance, waiting for him to recognize the situation and keep quiet before continuing. "For the four-film deal, I have two compensation proposals. First, for each of the two main entries, $20 million, for the crossover films $15 million each, totaling $70 million. If Pierce chooses this option, MGM can pay the entire amount upfront. Second, the base salary for all four films would be $10 million, with Pierce earning 10% of the box office profits from the main entries and 5% from the crossover profits."
Rick Kozman couldn't help but open his mouth several times but held back each time. After Eric finished, he could no longer contain himself and quickly shook his head. "Mr. Williams, this offer is utterly insincere. We will not agree to it. You must realize, Casino Royale can yield $1 billion for MGM."
"Indeed," Eric replied thoughtfully, looking at Rick Kozman with a subtle smile. "It seems you understand this well -- that Casino Royale brought MGM $1 billion in ticket sales, not Pierce Brosnan."
Rick Kozman hadn't anticipated trapping himself with his own words, but accustomed to such situations, he kept a steady expression and insisted, "However, in terms of profits brought by Pierce's starring roles in 007, I believe we deserve sufficient compensation."
Eric gently held a golf club, appearing to agree as he nodded. "In that case, I recommend you opt for the second compensation plan. I believe that way, Pierce will surely end up with more; it's entirely possible he would earn $100 million by the end."
Upon hearing the $100 million figure, Rick Kozman's heart skipped a beat. If that were the case, he could earn $10 million in commission as an agent. No agent had ever earned $10 million from a single client in Hollywood, not even the former Michael Ovitz.
However, after a brief moment of hesitation, Rick quickly regained his composure and realized another point; Eric would likely be confident about the box office for the upcoming films. If so, MGM would be even less likely to let Brosnan go.
Feeling pleased to have found another bargaining chip, Rick smiled. "Mr. Williams, I previously mentioned that Pierce would only sign one contract at a time with MGM, and your compensation is certainly not acceptable."
"I think you've misunderstood something, Rick," Eric countered. "I'm not negotiating with you right now; I'm informing you of my decision."
Rick Kozman was taken aback, looking at Drew and Amy beside him, before smiling and shaking his head. "Mr. Williams, it seems we aren't reaching any agreement today."
Eric ignored Rick's glance towards the girl and Amy, continuing, "Of course, I also don't have time to drag this matter out for too long. Go back and have a chat with Pierce; you have one day to consider. Tomorrow at this time, if MGM doesn't receive a firm response, we will issue an announcement starting the selection process for a new Bond. Oh, and let's forget about that remaining contract with Pierce based on intent. Everyone can part ways amicably."
Rick Kozman stared at Eric in silence for a few seconds before decisively nodding. "Alright, then I will convey this to Pierce."
...
Saying this, Rick Kozman made no further delay, nodding to the others before turning and walking away from the golf course. He was confident that MGM wouldn't easily replace Bond, believing Eric's words were merely a tactic to force their hand regarding the contract, so he didn't feel it necessary to drag it out. He was certain that even if they didn't provide a response tomorrow, MGM wouldn't make the news of a Bond replacement public, especially since MGM's market value had recently shot up to $12 billion due to Casino Royale's success. If MGM dared to let Pierce go at this moment, the stock price could very well drop. This would be particularly harmful considering MGM was soon seeking to finance acquisitions of various cable stations.
...
After Rick Kozman walked away, Katzenberg, who had been quietly listening, looked at Amy Pascal, who appeared worried. He cautiously asked Eric, "Eric, isn't this bet a bit too big?"
Eric lightly swung his club, sending the small ball rolling toward the distant hole. "I'm not betting on anything. If Brosnan doesn't accept the contract, then so be it. If we choose to back down this time, Kevin Costner and Kate and others will all demand similar fee structures. At that point, actor salaries could surpass production costs, and with profits extensively divided, we wouldn't have a reason to continue the entire plan. Instead of that, it's better to be firm now, so others won't try to extort. Moreover, compared to the other two franchises, replacing the actor for Bond is actually the least risky, as this series has already switched Bonds several times before. Now, Amy, please don't look so worried. If it comes to it, I'll continue serving as the producer for Bond 19. So, how is your negotiation with Cablevision regarding Rainbow Media going?"
...
Meanwhile, Rick Kozman distanced himself from Eric and company, suppressing an urge to glance back. His strides were steady, but he felt an odd surge of anger, or perhaps confusion about his emotions. By the time he exited the golf course, he even felt a slight tremor within himself.
$70 million fixed salary, $40 million base plus royalties -- well, yes, that was indeed a vast sum of money, but this was for four films. Perhaps, alright, but they absolutely couldn't afford to lose Pierce. No way.
With such a firm belief, Rick Kozman arrived at the parking lot, sliding into his gray Chevrolet, where Pierce Brosnan looked over at him with anticipation from the passenger side. "Rick, what's the update?"
Shaking his head, Rick Kozman suddenly decided not to share Eric's conditions with Brosnan. After all, MGM surely wouldn't dare make any announcement tomorrow, and mentioning it might undermine his client's confidence. So he said, "Still no results, Pierce. Let's head back to Century City for now."
Noting a strange expression from his agent, Brosnan pressed further, "What did Eric say?"
Rick Kozman calmly started the car, replying, "Same old story, hoping you'll lower your salary. He even threw in some emotional appeals. Don't worry, I'll continue reaching out to Amy Pascal; she should be our point of breakthrough."
Seeing his agent had started the car, Brosnan had no choice but to stop his questioning. Initially, he had intended to accompany Rick to meet Eric but had been persuaded by his agent to remain in the car. Since entering Hollywood, Rick had always been Brosnan's agent, and their working relationship had flourished over the years, leaving Brosnan with no suspicion that Rick would hide anything from him.
*****
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