As the door to the private screening room of Lucas Films clicked shut behind the Fox executives, Amanda stretched out her arms, let out a breath and broke the silence.
"So…" she said, smirking and turning to the others. "Show of hands - Who actually thinks Fox will take the deal? Or are they just trying to buy time to rework the whole damn thing behind our backs?"
Ben leaned against the wall, arms crossed, the faintest grin on his face. "Please. They've seen the setup. George arranged the meeting. Everyone knows Fox is dangling Star Wars in front of him. They're not about to throw that away over one horror film."
Naomi, who'd been quietly watching the banter, finally spoke up, her voice soft but tinged with concern. "You've put all your cards on the table. Everything. There's nothing left to negotiate."
The room fell a bit quieter.
She added, more seriously now, "This kind of movie… it can be copied. If someone saw the idea, the format, the marketing… it could be remade in a month. Maybe even faster."
George turned to look at her, his expression darkening with realization. "She's right."
Ben frowned, the tension creeping in. "We knew that risk going in." he said firmly. "That's exactly why we brought George into this. His name protects the film. It's the lock on the door."
George looked at him with quiet surprise, while Amanda gave a knowing nod.
Naomi raised an eyebrow, giving Ben a sidelong glance. "You think George has that much pull?"
Helen chuckled, then corrected herself. "Actually, George, both your name and Amanda's family name are part of the marketing campaign. That's what gives this real weight."
Amanda grinned. "The Newhouse name opens media doors. Whereas Uncle George, yours makes sure no one tries anything shady once they're inside."
George raised an eyebrow. "You make it sound like I'm your watchdog."
Ben leaned forward, calm but assertive. "You're more than that. You're the anchor that keeps the deal grounded. A 5% global box office cut is modest—barely a dent in their share. But it's enough to make sure they report the real numbers. They won't risk tampering the books with you watching."
Amanda chimed in, teasing, "If we really wanted to trap you, we would've made it 10%. But we're generous like that."
George narrowed his eyes, amused. "So I get the discount rate, huh?"
Helen smiled. "It was about balance. Too much, and it looks like you're invested. Too little, and it looks like we're bluffing. Five percent is just enough for credibility, not commitment."
Naomi watched all this unfold, clearly processing just how intricate the entire operation was. "So... this wasn't just about making a film. This was about building leverage."
Ben nodded. "Exactly. The film is the spark. But the campaign, the names, the timing—that's the explosion."
George looked around the room, then back at Ben. "I have to admit... I didn't think you had all this in your head when I first met you."
Ben gave a quiet smile. "You wouldn't have joined if I showed you the whole map. But now that we're here... well, we all play our part."
Helen stepped in, backing Ben up with a tone that left no room for doubt. "Studios can duplicate a style. They can fake the format, rip the concept. But what they can't do is copy credibility. George being attached makes this untouchable. No one in town is going to risk crossing him over a low-budget horror film. That's the ace."
Ben gestured toward George. "You're the insurance policy. They mess with this, they mess with you. And nobody in their right mind wants that heat—not when Star Wars is the biggest thing Fox has ever touched."
Amanda added with a grin, "It's the only reason they haven't tried to swipe the campaign already. The fear of what it might cost them if they misstep."
"Exactly," Ben replied without flinching. "You're the reason they'll think twice."
Amanda jabbed playfully at George's shoulder. "Especially after our dear Ben told them not to be stingy." She exaggerated the word like it was the punchline of a joke.
Ben feigned modesty with a shrug. "It was a motivational push."
George shook his head with an amused snort. "You've got some nerve, kid. That could've backfired badly."
Naomi looked from one face to another, the weight of the strategy settling in. "You were never planning to win with the film alone."
Ben shook his head. "The film starts the conversation. But the campaign—and George—close the deal."
Helen crossed her arms and nodded. "You can ignore a movie. You can't ignore a movement. And with George's name on it, that's what this becomes—a movement, not just marketing."
George cracked a wry smile. "Well, you've certainly used my name like a crowbar."
Amanda smirked. "A very shiny, legendary, once-in-a-generation crowbar."
George sighed, half-amused, half-resigned. "And I walked right into it."
"You walked into greatness," Ben said with a wink. "Or at least a really good headline."
Helen crossed her arms. "Besides. We also added the time limit. Seven days. If Fox doesn't respond, we go to Paramount."
Amanda nodded slowly, her joking tone gone. "And we won't let them see the deal twice. That's the line."
George looked around the room, quieter now. "You're walking a razor's edge. If Fox calls your bluff…"
"Then we pivot," Ben said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.
Naomi still looked uneasy. "You better hope they don't stall just long enough to take your concept and pass it around."
George rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Studios aren't saints. They're sharks. But they're not stupid. If they steal it and it hits, and I'm not on board? That's a war they can't afford. Not with me involved."
Helen nodded. "That's the real safety net."
Ben looked over at Naomi and gave her a soft smile. "We're riding the wave as far as it'll go."
She didn't smile back immediately. "Just make sure you don't drown in it."
George chuckled under his breath, eyes still scanning each face in the room. "For the record... this is the most reckless, brilliant, terrifying scheme I've seen outside of my own office."
Amanda raised an eyebrow. "You love it though, don't you?"
He exhaled slowly, smirking. "I didn't say I didn't."
Naomi and Ben lingered behind, watching George Lucas, Helen and Amanda leave down the hallway. They were already discussing next steps and how they could bend and stretch in negotiations that would follow with Fox executives.
Naomi stepped closer to Ben, her voice soft but edged with something deeper—concern, maybe admiration, or both.
"So what happens now?" she asked, folding her arms, her blue eyes narrowing slightly as she studied his face. "We just wait a week? That's the big plan?"
Ben leaned back against the side wall, hands in his coat pockets. "They asked for a week. But really, they only have four days. After that, we take the plan to Paramount. Helen's already arranged a soft meeting."
She tilted her head. "And if they try to remake it and cut you out?"
He gave a small, tired smile. "They'll need at least a month to remake something like this. Moreover they will have to out-market Amanda Newhouse and her family's media empire, deal with George Lucas watching their books, and face the PR nightmare of blacklisting a young filmmaker whose only mistake was trusting in Fox."
Naomi chuckled despite herself. "So you're not worried?"
"Worried?" Ben said. "I've been broke, blacklisted, and kicked off a set. This is the first time the sharks are circling us. It means they smelled something real."
She nodded slowly, then looked down at her shoes for a moment. When she looked back up, there was admiration in her expression now, clear and unguarded.
"You're different from most people I've met in this town, Ben."
"Because I dragged you into a marketing war disguised as a horror screening?"
She laughed and shook her head. "Because you planned a chess match while everyone else thought it was checkers." Then, quieter: "And you haven't once tried to screw me over for a role. That's rare here."
Ben shrugged, casual. "You believed in me when nobody else did. A cup of coffee and honesty—turns out it's all I needed."
There was a moment of silence between them.
Then Naomi smirked. "Well, I hope this plan of yours works. I'd hate to have been introduced to George Lucas just to end up flipping burgers a month from now."
Ben gave a dry grin. "If this fails, I'll write you a part in my next disaster."
She bumped his shoulder playfully. "You'd better."
They stood in silence for a moment, the hum of overhead lights filling the quiet space. Naomi started to turn toward the exit, but Ben's voice stopped her. "Naomi."
She turned back.
"If this works…" he said slowly, his voice thoughtful, almost hesitant, "and I get the clout to make a real film—not just something that's stitched together to shake up the system—but something with heart and scope…" He met her eyes. "I want you in it. As the lead."
Naomi blinked, caught off guard. "You're serious?"
Ben nodded. "You trusted me when I didn't have anything. That means something. And you've got the kind of talent people miss because they're too busy looking at headshots and box office numbers. I won't miss it."
A small smile curled at the corner of her lips—genuine, almost shy. "Then I'll hold you to that, Ben Gosling."
"You'd better." He winked.
Naomi laughed, the sound echoing down the empty hallway.
They left the screening room together, stepping out into the cool California evening, both quietly aware that everything had just changed.