Chương 418: Chapter 418: Harvey's Invitation
"On the stage, the nominees for Best Actor were announced: George Clooney, Daniel Day-Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones, Martin Davis..."
Helen Mirren, the Best Actress from the previous session, looked at the big screen, introduced the nominees, opened the envelope, and declared, "Best Actor is Daniel Day-Lewis." Applause erupted, with Martin joining in, already aware of the outcome of the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Daniel Day-Lewis, highly admired by academics, took the stage to accept the award and claimed the Best Actor statuette.
Leonardo playfully taunted Martin: "Run with me, come on!" Martin, composed, replied, "If I receive the statuette before you, Leo, I'll publicly give it to you."
Leonardo, sceptical, challenged, "If you dare, I'll accept it." Martin pondered how to outshine Leonardo, Elizabeth comforted him: "Everyone in the academy likes you. With enough qualifications, you'll win soon."
Martin affirmed, "I will win the award in front of Leo." Nicholson agreed, "Leo may win an award if he stays with me for ten more years. I believe Martin can win an Oscar within five years." Traumatized, Leonardo avoided the topic.
It was Whittaker, the last best actor, on stage. Kate, nervous, looked at Martin, sensing the perfect opportunity. Martin had already eliminated her biggest competitor, Cate Blanchett, and there was no suspense about this award.
Whittaker announced, "The winner for Best Actress is Kate Winslet!" Kate, in disbelief, held her face, applauded by Martin and others.
Kate and Sam Mendes hugged, then walked towards Martin. "Congratulations on making your dream come true," Martin said.
Excited, Kate hugged Martin tightly, then moved to Leonardo. Cameras turned, and eyes followed. Across ten years of time and space, Ruth and Jack hugged tightly.
Kate, arms raised, walked to the stage and received the statuette, tears in her red eyes. The audience stood and applauded. Kate thanked the academy, her team, her parents, her family, Leonardo, and then Martin.
"I would like to thank Martin. He brought me into many scenes during filming. Without him, I wouldn't have had this outstanding performance or this wonderful role," Kate expressed, pointing to Martin.
Thinking of their pre-Oscar interactions, she loudly declared, "Martin Davis, you are the best partner!" Martin waved in response.
Kate went backstage with the Best Actress statuette. The last two awards, both for "No Country for Old Men," went to the Coen brothers.
The awards show ended, but Oscar night had just begun. Almost everyone headed to Beverly Hills for Vanity Fair's Oscar night party, including Thomas and their agents.
"Cheers!" The reading crew and creators raised their glasses, Kate smiling particularly happily.
After consuming two glasses of wine, Sam Mendes discreetly departed.
Kate, indifferent to Elizabeth's presence, seized Martin's shoulders, placing the statuette in his hands. "This award is half yours!"
Martin cheerfully exclaimed, "Come on, everyone! Quickly, let's take a photo with the Oscar-winning actress." A Vanity Fair photographer approached with a camera.
Boldly, Kate held Martin with one hand and Leonardo with the other, an Oscar statuette on her lap, undeniably the biggest female winner of the night.
After the group photo, Georgina congratulated Kate, and Harvey joined her. Georgina engaged Kate in conversation, while Harvey approached Martin, suggesting, "Let's have a chat, privately."
Martin responded warmly, "Harvey, we're old friends. Feel free to talk."
Harvey's trump card was Quentin, planning a significant project with high investment risks. "Quentin has a new project, but we still lack a leading actor," Harvey explained. "The leading character is a tough guy who leads a task force intending to kill Hitler."
Realizing the movie, Martin inquired, "World War II theme?"
Harvey simplified, "Quentin's version of Garrison's Suicide Squad. The male protagonist is outstanding and can help you win the Oscar again."
Martin signalled Thomas discreetly.
Thomas, attentive nearby, shook hands with Harvey. "Harvey, you can't do this," Thomas asserted, half-serious and half-joking. "Me as Martin agent is right next to you. You still asked Martin to play a role privately, but you didn't want to call me?"
Harvey, no longer able to dismiss Thomas, smiled and mentioned, "I heard that Martin always makes decisions alone when selecting roles."
Martin, glancing at Bruce, prompted an "emergency call" on his phone. Patting Thomas on the arm, he said, "You talk to Harvey about the details first. You're clear about my requirements."
Focusing on movies and business cooperation, Martin moved away from his phone.
Thomas, standing tall in front of Harvey, representing Martin, stated directly, "Harvey, no need to beat around the bush. Everyone in Martin's salary circle knows $15 million or $5 million plus profit share."
Remuneration could be negotiated, but if it wasn't suitable, there was no need for further discussion.
Harvey cursed inwardly, proposing, "Five million plus North American box office share."
"No, offline revenue share, not North American box office," Thomas insisted. Highlighting Quentin's movies' historical box office performance, he argued for sharing offline DVD and TV rights, which Harvey deemed impossible.
Thomas, direct as ever, proposed, "Then $15 million."
Harvey frowned, citing the actor's potential to compete for Oscars, but Thomas countered, "Martin has no shortage of Oscar-worthy roles." Aware of Harvey's tendency to negotiate actor fees, Thomas asserted, "Don't forget, this is Quentin's project."
Thomas, recalling Martin's full payment for a Scorsese-directed project, left Harvey with no further argument.
Yearning to leverage Martin's robust market appeal for the "Inglourious Basterds" project, the apprehension over the tens of millions of dollars in salary posed an insurmountable challenge.
Observing Georgina engrossed in conversation with Kate, Harvey left the scene in solitude.
Upon returning to his table, Ben, who had been observant, approached and inquired, "Did the negotiation not achieve its intended outcome?"
Harvey shook his head in disappointment. "They failed to comprehend their position and insisted on a salary of $15 million."
Ben muttered, "Since the establishment of Weinstein Films, have we ever remunerated anyone with such a substantial salary?"
"This marks the first time someone has made such an excessive demand," Harvey acknowledged.
Cassie, expressing frustration, remarked, "If Martin Davis embarks on this, you'll face a hefty cost when inviting other big-name stars in the future."
Having already pondered this, Harvey asserted, "It's not worth pursuing."
Cassie sought to say more but was abruptly interrupted by a kick under the table.
Harvey picked up a glass of wine, sinking into contemplation.
On the other side, Martin and Elizabeth prepared to depart.
Kate approached to bid them farewell and seized the opportunity to whisper, "Are you free tonight?"
Martin, glancing at Elizabeth, responded, "Let's plan for another day."
Kate insisted, "Tomorrow morning, I'll wait for you at the hotel. You must come."
Martin nodded, exited the banquet hall with Elizabeth and Thomas, and entered Bruce's Escalade.
Thomas briefly relayed what he had discussed with Harvey.
Elizabeth, surprised and sarcastic, questioned, "Why didn't he let you play the role for free?"
Martin explained, "It's not that he didn't want to; he knew I wouldn't work for him without compensation."
Bruce interjected, "he didn't make you pay to play the role. He already has a good conscience. I still remember back in Atlanta; you had to pay to act."
The next morning, Martin dropped Elizabeth off and returned to the hotel to congratulate Kate on her Oscar win.
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