"In the case of Warner Bros. and DC Comics, the more they invest, the better it is for me," said Will Smith, sitting in a chair in the lobby of a hotel near the beach in Cannes, France. He was speaking to Jada Smith, who sat across from him. "A blockbuster movie always requires a massive promotional campaign."
Jada seemed unconvinced. "No matter how much they spend, your paycheck isn't going to increase."
Will Smith shook his head. "You have to think long-term!" he reminded her. "As long as Green Lantern is a hit, my career will turn around, and it won't be hard to get back into the 20 million dollar club."
"Really?" Jada was swayed by the mention of the "20 million dollar club."
"Of course!" Will said confidently. "My team and I have analyzed this extensively, and we've gathered detailed data from top market research firms. Based on the market response to the Spider-Man, Batman, and Iron Man franchises, it's highly likely that we're heading into an era dominated by superhero films."
He hadn't taken the role on impulse.
Jada paused, still unclear on the details, and asked what she cared about most. "Will your salary increase?"
Without significant earnings, how could she maintain her high-end lifestyle?
Will explained, "Have you seen Iron Man and Robert Downey Jr.'s paycheck? When he shot the first Iron Man, he only earned a few hundred thousand dollars. By Iron Man 2, his paycheck was close to ten million, and I've heard from reliable sources that Marvel is building The Avengers around him. Can you imagine how much they'll pay him then?"
Jada nodded mechanically.
"I'm starring in the first film of DC's Justice League Universe!" Will continued, making a compelling case. "For Warner Bros. and DC, Green Lantern is what Iron Man was for Marvel. As long as this film is a hit, I can push DC to build the Justice League around Green Lantern!"
"That sounds promising," Jada acknowledged, starting to grasp the potential.
Will suddenly smiled. "I'm already making millions. When the time comes, how much should we ask for in the next negotiation?"
Jada laughed along. "The more, the better! It can't be less than what Johnny Depp got for Pirates of the Caribbean!"
Reportedly, Disney had paid Johnny Depp over 40 million dollars for Pirates of the Caribbean 4.
Will Smith chuckled as well. After losing out on a lead role to Matthew Horner, he had suffered a string of bad luck over the past two years, with no standout films, forcing him to lower his asking price. If this continued, his status as an A-list star would be in jeopardy.
Warner Bros. had extended a hand just as Iron Man became a success and Marvel's plans for The Avengers began circulating. This made him believe in the bright future of superhero films, prompting him to secure the role of Green Lantern.
He knew that getting in on the ground floor of a franchise like this would increase his chances of becoming a core part of it. The closer he got to the center, the higher the potential earnings.
Although this could limit his future opportunities, it was better than fading into the background as a B-list actor. Besides, Johnny Depp had proven that it was possible to become a massive star by anchoring a franchise.
This wasn't the 1990s anymore.
Will Smith was well aware of the difficulty of becoming a superstar in the current era. Not everyone had the combination of talent and luck that Matthew Horner did.
Looking at the new millennium, apart from Matthew Horner, had any other new superstars emerged in Hollywood?
The answer was obvious: none.
Will knew that Green Lantern and the entire Justice League project wouldn't make him a true megastar, but a career like Johnny Depp's wasn't a bad alternative.
Green Lantern would bring back the famous Will Smith!
Given that Warner Bros. and DC were heavily invested in launching their Justice League universe, with massive promotional budgets, Will Smith had no doubt about his potential resurgence.
But... he still couldn't match Matthew Horner.
Thinking of this, Will sighed. In just ten years, Matthew Horner had become Hollywood's most influential actor.
"Will! Will…" Jada's voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts. "Look over there, those two people who just came out of the elevator. Isn't that woman the head of Matthew Horner's studio?"
Hearing this, Will quickly looked ahead. A young woman and an older man seemed to be parting ways near the elevator.
Will didn't recognize the man, but he knew the woman well. She was Bella Anderson, Matthew Horner's former personal assistant and now the CEO of Thirteen Studios!
Why was she here?
Will found it strange since everyone knew Matthew Horner had no interest in European film festivals.
While he was still wondering, Bella Anderson had already escorted the man out of the hotel.
"Mr. Langmann," she said with a smile, "I came with Mr. Horner's sincere offer. I hope you'll reconsider the 20 million dollar deal."
She added, "We truly believe in The Artist."
Thomas Langmann smiled back. "I'll give it serious thought."
As the producer of The Artist, Langmann was attending the Cannes Film Festival not only to win an award but also to find an international distributor and sell the film's rights outside of Europe for a hefty sum.
Only a Hollywood studio had the capability to distribute a film globally.
Watching Langmann's car drive away, Bella Anderson returned to the hotel and headed back towards the elevators.
She had been in Cannes for some time and had already achieved some initial goals. She had even disrupted several of Harvey Weinstein's negotiations with international distributors, derailing some of his deals.
Unfortunately, she hadn't yet achieved her primary objective.
From all indications, The Artist was Weinstein's top target.
Bella had obtained plenty of relevant information. The film had cost around 10 million euros to make, and their 20 million dollar offer slightly outbid Weinstein.
Meanwhile, in the car, Thomas Langmann hung up the phone and directed his driver, "Take me to the Duval Hotel."
Ten minutes later, he arrived at the hotel and greeted Harvey Weinstein in one of the meeting rooms.
"Thomas, have you given it any thought?" Harvey asked.
"Mr. Weinstein," Langmann replied in accented English, "Your offer of 15 million dollars is too low. We can't accept it. It doesn't even cover the production costs."
Harvey narrowed his eyes. "I'm only buying the rights outside of Europe!" He glanced dismissively at Langmann. "You still have the European market. If things go well, you could break even in Europe, and the 15 million would be pure profit for you."
Langmann smiled. "Who can predict the future? I can't afford to make a loss."
The Artist might seem highbrow, but to the producer, it was all about the money.
Harvey Weinstein, accustomed to being forceful with overseas producers, stated bluntly, "Winning my friendship means your future films will have full access to the North American market."
North America was the largest single film market in the world, and who wouldn't want a share?
If there were no better offers, Langmann would have considered Weinstein's friendship. But they were 5 million dollars apart!
Five million!
Was Weinstein's fat face and hand worth 5 million dollars? What a joke!
As a seasoned producer, Langmann knew the art of leveraging competing offers to his advantage.
"Mr. Weinstein, I would love to work with your company," Langmann said calmly. "But the film has multiple stakeholders, and some have already received a 20 million dollar offer…"
Harvey's face immediately darkened, thinking of the recent deals that had fallen through. "Is it Thirteen Studios?"
"Yes," Langmann confirmed, not hiding the competition. It was to his advantage.
"They don't have distribution capabilities!" Harvey retorted.
Langmann, having just spoken with Bella Anderson, replied, "They'll hand distribution over to Disney or Warner Bros." He emphasized, "Those are two of the major Hollywood studios!"
Harvey frowned but pressed on. "I've already told you, I'm buying The Artist to aim for the Oscars. No one in Hollywood is better at the Oscars than Weinstein! Don't forget the power of the Academy!"
"We can adjust the contract," Langmann countered, unphased. "Fifteen million as the base buyout fee, and we split the North American profits fifty-fifty!"
"That's impossible!" Harvey rejected immediately.
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