章 512: Chapter 513: Practice
[Chapter 513: Prevention]
After hanging up the phone, Eric walked back from the balcony to his office. Nicole, who had been quietly sitting on the sofa flipping through magazines, glanced up at him curiously.
This was Eric's personal office in Firefly Films. He rarely worked there, so the furnishings were simple: a desk and chair, a sofa, and opposite the desk, a row of shelves filled with various documents and files.
Seeing Eric sit down, Nicole poured him a cup of coffee and placed it in front of him. "I really want to hear TG's name; was it them calling you?"
"It was Rupert Murdoch," Eric shook his head.
In addition to confirming the sale of the property from Eric, Murdoch hoped that after the acquisition, Fox could swap its original rights with Firefly Films. This meant that Fox would reclaim the North American distribution rights for the film while handing over its existing overseas distribution rights to Firefly.
Eric was aware of Murdoch's intentions. By conceding 15% of the profits, this would allow the film company to maintain a connection with him, which was undoubtedly the most beneficial strategy for Fox. If Eric agreed to this condition, Fox was willing to offer $80 million to "redeem" their distribution rights back from Firefly, and pay an additional $120 million for the acquisition to the three women involved.
Without Eric's intervention, the most profitable film was set to be Jim Carrey's comedy. Given the impressive box office appeal he displayed from his earlier films, as long as they didn't turn it into an artsy project, making a total profit of $300 million from three films wouldn't be a problem. The total price of $200 million that Fox was proposing was also quite reasonable. After all, with $80 million for investing in films, Eric could multiply that sum several times over in three years.
Nicole, upon hearing Murdoch's name, didn't ask any further questions. Instead, she pulled out a thick stack of scripts from her handbag and handed them to Eric. "This is what Pat gave me yesterday; I thought she wanted you to take a look."
Eric took the script and noticed the prominent title, The Mummy, along with the Universal Pictures logo, causing his eyes to narrow slightly.
"Did Universal send any other messages along with the script?" Eric asked as he released the script.
Nicole shook her head. "No, but after Pat received the script yesterday, she did some digging. It's a remake of an old Universal film from 1932, and Michael Eisner personally greenlit it. It seems they plan to turn it into a series like Raiders of the Lost Ark. Universal previously sold the rights to a solo production company and is now trying to reclaim them. They're also contacting Spielberg to see if he can direct. Pat mentioned that the chances of that happening are slim, but Spielberg could potentially be a producer. The producer in charge of this project said that if I could sign on for more films, they might be able to negotiate on my salary."
Many of Hollywood's commercial film elements had long been established. Although the script Eric had in hand deviated slightly from his memory, the overall storyline and character settings were quite similar. After flipping through the script in haste, Eric looked up and asked, "What's your take on it?"
Nicole set her coffee cup down and said earnestly, "I've played noisy characters before, but I think the knowledgeable librarian role in this script is pretty interesting."
"Well then, let's go for it," Eric placed the script on the coffee table. He thought for a moment before walking over to his desk.
Nicole, watching Eric's silhouette, said, "But this is a Universal film. You know, Michael Eisner..."
"Ha, I'm not that petty. As long as you like it, that's what matters. And if you don't take it, Universal will just find another actress," Eric said, pulling out a phone book from his desk drawer. He quickly found a number and dialed the desk phone on the table.
Curious about Eric's actions, Nicole didn't interrupt.
Eric picked up the receiver and waited for a moment before the call connected. "This is Eric Williams; could you please connect me to Mr. Eisner?"
...
At Universal's Burbank headquarters, Eisner's assistant, surprised to hear Eric's name, was so taken aback that she forgot to announce him, directly transferring the call to Michael Eisner's desk. Once connected, she realized her mistake and stood up to push open the door to Eisner's office without knocking.
To her surprise, Michael Eisner was already smiling and chatting on the phone. When he saw his assistant barging in with an unusual expression, he simply waved her away, signaling her to leave.
...
"Eric, I didn't expect you to call. What's going on?" Michael Eisner asked, leaning back on the sofa with a smile.
"I just saw the script for The Mummy; it's a great concept," Eric replied casually, "But I can see that Universal plans to develop this into a series. I'm wondering if you have the complete script for the entire series or at least an outline; I'd like to take a look."
Michael Eisner's fingers paused momentarily on his desk before he quickly replied with a smile, "Of course, no problem. I'll have someone send it to you right away. By the way, where are you now?"
"Playa Vista," Eric answered.
"Oh, the post-production for Jurassic Park should be wrapping up soon, right? It was too bad not to see the trailer during the Super Bowl; everyone was quite disappointed."
Eric maintained his tone, "You'll be seeing it soon. Many people will be in for a surprise."
"Well, I'll be looking forward to it," Michael Eisner chuckled. "Don't forget to send me an invite for the preview."
"Sure! I'll find a reporter to capture your participation in the preview -- this is a great opportunity to promote Jurassic Park," Eric joked partly seriously.
Michael Eisner raised an eyebrow. If such a photo were to be released, their relationship would definitely be publicly "thawed." "Ha ha, I'll cooperate if that happens. If there's nothing else, let's have a meal together sometime?"
"Sounds good; see you later." Eric replied, hanging up after hearing Eisner's response.
...
On the other side of the line, once Michael Eisner heard the busy tone, he didn't put the receiver down. Instead, he gently tapped his fingers on the table, frowning slightly as he pondered over Eric's call.
Did he intend to confuse me with his apparent 'importance' regarding The Mummy and get Universal to invest more?
After some thought, Michael Eisner figured that it seemed unlikely that Eric would resort to such petty tactics. So what was the actual intent behind this call?
Although he couldn't draw any conclusions, Michael Eisner soon instructed his assistant to send Eric the series outline for The Mummy. He wasn't concerned about Eric plagiarizing the script; if that were to happen, Universal could joyfully pursue a lawsuit against Firefly Films.
...
While Eric was on the phone, a curious Nicole had already pulled up a chair and sat across from him.
Once Eric hung up, Nicole asked with curiosity, "Hey, what do you want The Mummy script for?"
"I'm interested in the special effects for The Mummy; I want Digital Domain to take on the special effects for this film," Eric didn't hide it, though he couldn't explain it to Nicole in too much detail. Specifically, he was really interested in the special effects for the original sequel to The Mummy. In the script he had just glanced through, he noticed clues about the character Evelyn being reincarnated and the information about Anubis's army of the dead in ancient Egypt.
The army of the dead summoned by the Scorpion King in the original The Mummy Returns had left a deep impression on Eric. Due to the high labor costs, back in this era, it was nearly impossible to portray a large-scale battle scene with live-action within a feasible film budget; the only option was to use computer-generated visual effects. If Universal's storyline outline wasn't too different from the original, taking on the effects for the sequel to The Mummy would be an excellent training opportunity for Digital Domain in developing large-scale battle effects.
Although Eric had signaled Digital Domain to start developing the relevant technology, without any actual film projects for practical application training, no one would know what the precise effect would be or which areas to focus on for technological development and improvement.
Large-scale battle effects were a crucial part of the future of special effects films. By seizing the opportunity in this area, Digital Domain would gain a significant technological lead over other film companies. Even if the series outline from Universal didn't include a scene with the army of the dead, Eric planned to develop a related effects film in the next two to three years to give Digital Domain some practice.
Nicole wasn't too interested in topics like special effects. With her slender fingers tapping against the script, she gazed at Eric and asked, "If you have no objections, I'll have Pat talk to Universal about the contract?"
Eric looked at the thick script resting under Nicole's arm and suddenly considered that since Michael Eisner had sent the script through Nicole, the reason should not be solely to ask if she wanted to take the role. Remembering the incident from half a year ago when Universal unexpectedly cut Joanna's role, Eric took the script again, grabbed a pencil from the nearby holder, and thought for a moment before writing down a figure of 5% on the cover, and handed the script back to Nicole.
Nicole tilted her head to look at the number on the cover and asked, "What's this?"
"Your current salary should be $10 million. I owe Michael Eisner a favor from last year, and now's the perfect time to repay it. Just let Pat negotiate for a percentage of the total revenue starting at 5%. While giving up a fixed salary will significantly extend the time you have to wait for compensation, what you ultimately gain will most definitely exceed $10 million. By sacrificing your salary for a percentage, you also indirectly boost Universal's confidence in this project."
"Ha! You're using my salary as a favor without even asking me if I agree. Who knows if this movie will even gross $200 million?" Nicole rolled her eyes, though her smile persisted.
Sensing her annoyance, Eric kindly asked, "So, are you willing?"
Nicole wasn't in dire need of money; securing higher compensation while still letting Eric have a favor owed to her was a good option. Pretending to think for a moment, she reluctantly said, "Alright, I'll agree, but given what happened with Jack Nicholson, do you really think Universal will agree easily?"
Jack Nicholson's salary in Batman was a topic much discussed in the entertainment industry, with many stars dreaming of such a windfall opportunity. Eric replied, "If Universal doesn't agree, you could just collect your $10 million salary, so you're not losing anything."
Nicole, pondering, nodded and snatched the pencil from Eric's hand. She scribbled a '1' in front of the 5% figure on the cover, turning it into 15%, and said, "Then I'll have Pat start negotiations at 15%. Who knows, we might end up with over 10%. Even though this movie is a big investment, considering the total production costs won't exceed $100 million, it would be too much of a loss to only take 5% from my $10 million salary."
Computer-generated effects films had only just begun to rise in the North American and global markets, capitalizing on the booming demand of the time. The script for The Mummy was exceptional; as long as the creators didn't mess things up and maintained the standard of the original that Eric recalled, grossing over $300 million globally wouldn't be a challenge.
Estimating roughly, investing $60 million alongside another $20 million for marketing and distribution, Universal could fully recoup its costs through box office sales. The profits from subsequent videotapes and related merchandise would be even greater. Within two years of full channel distribution, it wasn't unrealistic for profits to exceed $200 million. If Nicole could indeed negotiate a share over 10%, she might become the first actress to step into the $20 million salary club.
Thinking about this, Eric couldn't help but give Nicole a thumbs-up and exclaimed, "That's fierce! You really do have the sharpest heart!"
"Ugh, don't say that about me!" Nicole lightly slapped Eric's hand away and tucked the script into her bag. Then she asked with a bright smile, "It's close to noon. How about we go out for lunch at Venice Beach? There are several great restaurants there."
"Will we be swarmed by fans?" Eric chuckled. With Mr. & Mrs. Smith still being released sparingly in theaters and doing quite well in overseas markets, Nicole's popularity was sky-high. Every movement she made was under intense scrutiny by paparazzi. Although the chances of them mingling in the film studio were low, as soon as the two left the premises, they would undoubtedly attract attention.
"I'll have my assistant take the car first to lure some people away. You just grab an ordinary vehicle, and we can sneak out; it should work fine. Even if we get spotted, I'm single, and you don't have a formal girlfriend; what can they say?" Nicole said, her eyes taking on a melancholic look, "Or do you not want to be seen with me?"
"Stop! That look is too lethal; I surrender!"
"Ha ha..."
*****
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