Behind The Spotlight Chapter 200
Collin had gained a reputation for discovering talent, and many believed that he was responsible for Mikael Wagner and Pulse Static, especially since Collin had been present when Mikael auditioned at the agency.
After connecting the dots, the agents from the music department decided it would be a huge waste to let amateurs handle a rock band, especially one that showed promise. They were still bitter about the fact that they had failed to acquire Princess Chantal. Such a profitable singer being handled by someone from the film department was painful to accept and humiliating.
Because of the situation, many agents from the music department approached Arnold, hoping persuasion would work. However, Arnold was known for being shameless and didn't care about their words or their status.
They then tried to talk to Collin, which was why Griffith Goodhope visited him, acting as their representative. In fact, many agents wanted to steal Princess Chantal from him, and Collin was protecting his livelihood as much as possible.
As long as the command didn't come from the CEO or the owner of ANT, Collin and Arnold had no intention of letting go of their clients. They were talking about money here!
Massive money!
On top of that, music artists earned more money than actors and directors. Album sales alone could change someone's destiny.
'Chantal is my biggest moneymaker. It would be stupid to let another agent profit from her.'
The logic was simple.
Collin was the one who took the risk when he signed Princess Chantal back when she was a nobody. Those greedy agents only wanted to acquire her now that she was profitable.
In fact, they were more interested in Princess Chantal than the untested Pulse Static. Pulse Static hadn't proven themselves yet, no sales, no results.
'They're probably using Pulse Static as an excuse to acquire Princess Chantal's contract.'
Collin wasn't afraid of them. He also wasn't scared to talk to them. However, he found it tiring and pointless to entertain them, but he couldn't just kick them out of his office. At least on the surface, they were still civilized people.
'It would be easier if we could solve this through a fight, but that's not how business works. I bet they're trying to convince Lila… I hope she won't agree.'
Since Collin was a shareholder of Moonrise Music, he would still make money even if Princess Chantal changed agents. Lila probably understood that.
...
...
...
When February arrived, Axel Gunner and Brody Paige were invited to star in Week On A Cruise Ship 2 (Temporary Title), just as expected.
Collin and Arnold decided to negotiate with Henry together, a calculated move. They represented Axel and Brody, and their coordination was sophisticated. Henry was completely ambushed.
They wanted $15 million plus a 10% worldwide box office share for each client!
That was too much. Fucking too much!
If Henry agreed to that amount, he would automatically spend $30 million, plus an undisclosed box office profit, a dangerous gamble. It was basically robbery.
Naturally, Henry refused.
"Collin, you fucking bastard! Wyatt's salary is already $20 million plus a 10% worldwide box office share!" Henry's face turned red as he pointed at Collin. He looked like he was on the verge of a heart attack.
"You have to understand, Wyatt and Axel are two different people. Of course, I have to do my best for each of them. In fact, I was thinking of $20 million plus a 10% worldwide box office share for Axel as well."
"Hah! You think Axel and Wyatt are the same!?" Henry scoffed. Spending huge money on a talented director was easier to justify.
"Of course. Axel is the face of this franchise."
"He is ONE of the faces of this franchise!"
"Don't raise your voice. Your throat will get hoarse. Also, I didn't forget that my initial quotation for Wyatt was $30 million plus a 20% worldwide box office share. I was being generous by not pursuing that amount."
"Fuck you."
Everyone in the room understood that $30 million plus 20% worldwide box office share was complete overkill. Even Collin knew it, but he pretended otherwise.
Listening to their banter, Arnold was impressed. He thought he was shameless, but it seemed Collin could match his level.
"So, how about it? Do you agree to our conditions? I have to remind you that Axel and Brody are top stars with strong box office appeal. Especially Brody Paige, he can carry the entire movie with ease," Arnold added.
"Hey, why do I feel like you're belittling my client?" Collin frowned.
"I didn't belittle Axel. I'm just praising Brody."
"That's basically the same thing."
"Whatever you say."
Henry watched their interaction, his expression darkening. Talking to one of them was already torture. Talking to both at the same time was mental assault. He felt like he was losing years of his life.
"Come on, Henry. Agree to our conditions. It's not that bad. We're friends, after all." Collin extended his hand, trying to grab Henry's, but Henry slapped it away in disgust.
"You'd have to kill me first," Henry gritted his teeth.
"If we killed you, we'd go to jail."
"Hey, why did you include me in that? I'm a good citizen," Collin berated Arnold.
"Both of you are devils! How can you act like you're offering goodwill when all you want is to destroy my life!?"
"Henry, I care about you," Arnold said with a concerned expression and tried to grab Henry's hand.
"Shut the fuck up." Henry slapped it away again.
Henry breathed heavily as he glared at them. In his mind, he had already murdered Collin and Arnold countless times. The project needed to start as soon as possible because they were following a strict schedule. Week On A Cruise Ship was meant for release in the summer of the following year. The earlier production began, the better.
Unfortunately, Collin and Arnold were tough to crack, especially when working together. They wanted to squeeze him dry.
'… I have no choice. I must contact Noah Nash. I'll let the Chairman handle these two.'
No wonder production studios hated agents. These parasites were unbearable to deal with.