บท 225: Warner Bros.
After discussions with Warner Bros., the meeting was scheduled for 2 o'clock in the afternoon at their headquarters.
Having finished lunch and as the time approached, Lyman made a call to his agent, John Brandon, from his mansion in Beverly Hills, asking him to pick him up.
Upon getting into the car, John asked, "Where are we going?"
"Warner Bros. headquarters."
"Oh." John had always been very attuned to Lyman and was efficient in his work. He didn't ask any unnecessary questions upon knowing the destination, simply started the car and headed towards Burbank.
The journey took about half an hour, and they arrived at the Warner Bros. headquarters.
After getting out of the car and greeting the receptionist, who knew they had an appointment, they were immediately led by her to the sixth floor in an elevator.
Guided to the sign indicating the President's office after passing through a corridor, the receptionist politely excused herself.
John was astute and knocked on the door, after which an assistant secretary came out.
After a few people entered, they found themselves in an outer office. Going through a corridor and turning a corner brought them to Barry Meyer's office.
The assistant secretary entered first to announce their arrival before opening the door to let Lyman in. John didn't enter; he would wait outside.
Once inside, Lyman noticed that apart from Barry, there was someone else seated there.
Sensing Lyman's curiosity, Barry introduced, "This is our Head of Production, Michael Krauf."
"Hello." Lyman extended his hand to shake hands and offered a casual greeting.
"Director Lyman, I've heard so much about you." The person stood up, shook hands with warmth, and greeted enthusiastically.
If one didn't know any better, they might think the two had a close relationship. However, Lyman was well aware that this was the first time he was meeting this person.
Barry was nearly sixty, but his skin had surprisingly few wrinkles. His gaze fixed on Lyman as he said, "Is your new film finished?"
"Yes."
After everyone was seated, Lyman didn't like to beat around the bush.
He immediately spoke, "I've come this time to discuss the project you mentioned."
"Adaptation of a novel, right? Well, we should discuss the details."
...
Seated in his office chair, Barry had a realistic oil painting of a wheat field hanging on the wall behind him. Lyman didn't know much about art, but he still had some appreciation. He didn't know the value of this painting, but he understood that Barry used it to establish a commanding presence when facing visitors.
Moreover, with Lyman sitting on a slightly lower sofa, Barry's stature suddenly seemed imposing.
Lyman found it somewhat amusing how many people liked to play this kind of game. He had even felt a sense of being in a lower position when meeting Paramount Pictures' CEO Sherry Lansing.
Before long, Barry spoke up, "Do you have any thoughts about this project?"
"A good story, but it lacks many commercial elements. It's unlikely to depict the lives of boxers as extensively as "Rocky". Even if we do, it won't surpass "Rocky". My idea is to select a specific aspect for in-depth development. Starting from the awards season, we'll win critical acclaim first before considering the market."
This was also the path that "Million Dollar Baby" took in his previous life, which Lyman was utilizing.
"Which aspect?"
"Character selection. The novel focuses more on the stories of boxers who don't fare well in the ring. We'll start from there, emphasizing the lives of boxers after they're injured and retire. Although this might not be as pleasing, it will better establish the characters."
Barry nodded instinctively. He might not understand movies well, but he understood directors. Words spoken by a director like Lyman, who already had a track record, were more convincing when delivered with clear structure.
After all, even the distribution plan had been taken into consideration, indicating comprehensive planning for the project.
He looked at Michael, who immediately grasped the situation. He then asked, "So, Director Lyman, what are your terms for directing?"
"I can forgo a base salary, but I want a portion of the investment equity."
Upon hearing this, the two opposite him weren't surprised. It was evident that they had gathered some information before inviting Lyman to direct the film.
"How much?" Michael asked further.
"40 percent." Lyman wasn't holding back either. Of course, he found it quite reasonable. From his perspective, the investment for this film wasn't that high, and the profit wouldn't be substantial either. The reason he wanted to take on this project was mainly to pursue awards, build his reputation, and because he genuinely liked the story.
Considering his current standing, demanding a basic fee ranging from $9-10M, along with a portion of the North American box office share, was completely in line with the industry standards. When calculated this way, his contribution would amount to around 40 percent.
After Lyman finished speaking, Barry hadn't reacted much, but Michael couldn't stay silent any longer.
If the project was to be operated this way, it wouldn't be ideal for Warner Bros. to share the revenue. Moreover, this script had originally been included in their production department's catalog, which fell under his jurisdiction.
"Director Lyman, isn't this condition a bit high?" He put it delicately.
"In that case, what do you propose?" Lyman didn't continue the conversation; he threw the question back, wanting to hear what kind of terms Warner Bros. intended to offer him.
After all, at the beginning of this project, it was Barry who had first approached him.
Lyman wasn't the proactive party, and it wasn't him who was desperately seeking collaboration.
"Alright, I agree," Barry finally spoke after a long pause.
The moment he agreed, Michael was taken aback.
Of course, Barry 's thoughts weren't something outsiders could guess.
From the very beginning, he hadn't really taken this small project seriously.
Even if it went south and they ended up losing a mere $20-30M, Warner Bros. could still easily handle it.
What he truly valued was the opportunity to use this collaboration to win over Lyman or assess whether the director's approach was capable of managing the more important film plans he had in mind.
All along, the DC comic adaptations were his most desired blueprint.
The reboot plans for Batman and Superman had been plotted for a long time; the only missing piece was finding someone who could direct these ambitious projects. Considering the potential for these multi-million dollar blockbusters, especially given the prior failed attempts with Batman and Superman, even though he was the CEO of Warner Bros., he didn't dare make such decisions lightly.
As for Lyman, his consecutive successes in recent years had also caught Barry's attention.
Now, what mattered was whether he could handle this responsibility.
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