Hollywood Hunter

After Simon took out the "Instinct" script, in the past week, Jonathan and Amy have been busy with this project.

The original "Instinct" earned a global box office of more than 350 million US dollars in 1992 with a production cost of 49 million US dollars. The great success of this film mainly relied on the intense controversy caused by the film's subject matter and the nearly NC-17 super-large scale. Sharon Stone's shot with legs and exposed bottoms still impressed many audiences many years later. .

Even the box office sales of "Instinct" led the trend of shooting thriller pornographic films with femme fatales as gimmicks throughout the 1990s.

The original director of "Instinct" is the Dutch director Paul Van Hoeven who has directed films such as "Total Memories" and "Starship". However, Simon passed the story directly to Brian de Palma after completing the script outline.

Compared to Paul Van Hoeven, Brian de Palma, who has a preference for peeping themes, is obviously more suitable for directing this film.

Although Simon clearly stated in the process of communicating with Brian de Palma that this film is like "Butterfly Effect", the media reputation in the future will not be very good, and it may cause a lot of controversy. Brian de Parma Erma quickly nodded and agreed.

The next actor, Simon still leans towards Michael Douglas.

Michael Douglas also happens to be a client of WMA. The unexpected success of "Fatal Temptation" has brought this middle-aged male star from a movie family to a higher level. After several contacts, the other party quickly agreed to participate.

After the two main creators were settled, Jonathan and Amy officially opened negotiations with Fox Pictures. Now that sufficient capital has been accumulated, the business prospects of Instinct are also very secure, so Simon decided to participate in the investment this time.

Simon initially hoped that Daenerys Films would invest in the film completely, and then be released by Fox, and also concluded the contract for the first three screenplays.

However, after the success of the three films "Lola Run", "Butterfly Effect" and "Reaper Is Coming", although Simon's story is still deviated from the mainstream, there are three of Simon, De Palma and Douglas. With the participation of box office big names, Fox is naturally reluctant to let go.

After a week of negotiations, Fox and Daenerys Pictures formally negotiated a production plan.

After "Butterfly Effect" and "Fatal Temptation", Brian de Palma and Michael Douglas' pay prices have both risen to 6 million U.S. dollars. Simon's script is still symbolically priced at 1 U.S. dollars, and the film’s budget is initially determined 20 million US dollars.

With a production budget of 20 million U.S. dollars, Fox Pictures and Daenerys Pictures will each bear 10 million U.S. dollars. Daenerys Pictures will be solely responsible for the production of the film. Fox will ensure the release and directly determine the schedule for July 15 next year. The number of guaranteed screens increased to 1500.

In terms of benefit distribution.

After several seesaws, it is finally determined that all channel income of the film will be settled according to the fifty-fifth of the investment ratio. To put it simply, the publicity budget invested by Fox will no longer participate in the distribution of benefits as the cost of film investment, which also makes Daenerys Pictures avoid the most humid area in the'Hollywood Ledger'.

The publicity cost of Hollywood movies usually reaches about half of the production cost.

The production budget of "Instinct" is 20 million US dollars, and the theoretical publicity budget will reach 10 million US dollars. According to the investment ratio, it is divided into five to five with Daenerys Pictures. It seems that Fox Pictures has suffered a big loss, but it is not.

Daenerys Films did not invest a penny on the "Reaper Is Coming" project, and it is estimated that the proceeds will reach 10 million US dollars.

This time, if he does not participate in the investment, Simon can at least get a share clause equivalent to that of "Death of Death" on the "Instinct" project. Now, Daenerys Pictures has given up this part of the extra income. At the same time, Fox Pictures has also given up the due income of the announced budget, and the investment of both parties is still equal.

Moreover, the two parties' contract is detailed to a series of clauses stipulating how long the TV trailer needs to be played, which can also ensure that Fox invests sufficient resources for publicity.

Fox Studios.

It is already Tuesday, November 10th.

In a conference room in the studio’s administrative building, Ronald Goldberg, Amy Pascal, Jonathan Friedman, and some other executives from Fox Pictures, Daenerys Pictures and WMA, A group of people including celebrities and agents formally signed several investment and actor participation contracts related to the "Instinct" project.

However, Simon was not present today.

After the official press conference, at the next dinner arranged by Fox Pictures, although he had received an explanation call from Simon in advance, Ronald Goldberg still approached Amy Pascal and asked Simon about his recent experience. trend.

Since the middle of last month, many people around Simon found that he was obviously a little absent during this period. Norman Broca, president of Orion Pictures, couldn’t help complaining about the slow late-stage progress of "Pulp Fiction". For many months, the rough cut of the film has not been completed.

Amy Pascal heard Ronald Goldberg’s question, and recalled Simon’s recent erratic movement. She could only shake her head in her heart, but on the surface she still wanted to speak for her boss, saying: "Rona De, you know, Simon has been busy for a whole year since last year. It shouldn't be a problem to relax a little now."

Ronald Goldberg didn’t believe Amy’s excuses. He hesitated while holding the red wine with one hand. He lowered his voice slightly and said, "Amy, tell me the truth, did Simon take him from The money earned in "Lola Run" was invested in the stock market and then lost?"

Amy immediately thought of Simon's absence from the company for a week after the North American stock market crash last month.

During this period, although the North American stock market has stabilized, the Dow Jones Index still hovered around 2,000 points, which is far below the August peak of 2,700 points. Simon has earned more than $100 million in revenue with "Run Lola" in the previous six months. When the stock market was still booming, it was hard to guarantee that he would not want to make another profit.

"This, Ronald, I really don’t know." Although I had already guessed, Amy shook her head again, thought about it, and added: "But, Ronald, you can rest assured. It will not affect Daenerys's investment in Instinct."

Ronald Goldberg continued to ask a few more questions, but could not detect anything from Amy, so he turned and left.

Amy Pascal watched Ronald Goldberg walk away, but frowned. I couldn't help but think of Simon discussing investment in Instinct with himself some time ago.

Although I didn't think it was a good choice to invest my own money in movies, Amy originally thought that Simon would use the money he earned from "Lola Run" to participate in this investment. Simon's decision deviated from Amy's prediction. He hoped that Amy would take the "Reaper Here" contract to the bank as collateral and use the loan to invest in "Instinct".

Most of the funding for the production of Hollywood movies comes from bank loans.

Daenerys Films did not have enough foundation to obtain production funds from the bank during the financing process of "When Harry Meets Sally". Now, Simon has succeeded in three consecutive films, and "Instinct" is a script written by Simon himself. It is not too difficult to obtain a loan from the bank.

However, after contacting this matter, and after the end of October, Simon suddenly rushed to New York again yesterday morning without any explanation, and even missed today's signing ceremony. This series of clues are connected in a little bit. It is obvious that this little boss, and his girlfriend, may have really lost a lot of money in the stock market crash.

More than 100 million US dollars, I don’t know how much I lost.

Thinking about the tragic stock market crash on October 19, Amy couldn't help shaking her head. She was still a young man after all.

just.

I don't know if the little boss will encounter this kind of Waterloo in the movie.

You know, the income of "Reaper is Coming" should still be 5% of her. For "Instinct", or most of the films produced by Hollywood using loans, usually the pre-sale contract of the film should be applied for a loan from the bank. However, Fox and Simon do not agree to the pre-sale, and film production funds are definitely needed. Mortgage, Daenerys Pictures can only use the income contract of "Reaper Is Coming" as a bargaining chip.

If "Instinct" fails.

If "When Harry Met Sally" also failed.

Even if "Pulp Fiction" also fails.

Then I will have to work in vain for more than a year, and I may have to find another job.

These thoughts flashed through Amy Pascal’s mind, and the more he thought about it, the more worried he became. After the dinner, just after returning to her residence in Palisades, Amy couldn’t help picking up the phone, thinking that it was early morning on the East Coast. , This did not rush over.

I drank alcohol last night, fell asleep with worries, and begged Ronald Goldberg to return to Fox’s nightmare after Daenerys Pictures went bankrupt, when he received a harsh phone call. The bell woken up, and Amy Pascal looked at his watch. It was just after four o'clock in the morning.

Oh my god.

At four o'clock, what can be urgent now?

Did aliens attack the earth?

Everyone is fleeing?

With such complaints, Amy still touched the microphone.

The call was made by Jonathan Friedman, and the agent did not talk nonsense and asked Amy to receive the fax directly.

After a while.

Pulling out a page of newspaper clippings from the fax machine, Amy Pascal just glanced at it, and suddenly opened his eyes, completely swept away from sleep.

"Simon Westero creates another miracle, Hollywood kid earns 1.6 billion US dollars"

This.

Must be a joke, right?

It's better to say that the aliens have hit Los Angeles. I can drive to Mexico to hide. I want to take a break recently.

The fax machine did not stop after receiving a page of newspaper clippings, and then a few more newspaper clippings were sent over.

"US$75 million to US$1.62 billion, the youngest billionaire born"

"Westero accepted the Federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission's questioning, suspected of insider trading"

"Quantum Fund sues Lehman Brothers, Simon Westero is involved"

"Simon Westero hits the technology sector with $1.1 billion"

"..."

After reading several newspaper clippings in a row, Amy Pascal finally confirmed that although it is a bit untrue in every way, it is really not a joke.

My little boss has become a billionaire inexplicably.

wrong.

1.6 billion dollars.

Oh my God, how did he do it.

When Amy received the fax from Jonathan Friedman, the phone and faxes of countless people in Los Angeles, where the sky was still dark, began to operate frantically. When the morning sun in Los Angeles slowly reached the horizon in the winter, the whole Hollywood was still Obtained and repeatedly confirmed some explosive news.

Simon Westeros made more than $1.6 billion in profits through the operation of the stock index futures market in just a few months.

Although many people think of taxes subconsciously, anyway, suddenly, a little guy who has just emerged in this circle has become one of the richest people in Hollywood, and his personal net worth even exceeds Most of the seven behind the scenes control people's wealth.

How did he do it?

what's going on?

Is this a big joke made by the "unscrupulous media" on the East Coast to Hollywood?

but.

Newspapers such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Wharsonton Post, etc., obviously will not rashly make such a clumsy joke. Today is not April Fool's Day.

However, the news was exposed almost on the same day, and many people still smelled a different meaning.

There must be something big to happen next.

After confirming the news, Amy Pascal, Jonathan Friedman, George Norman, and others related to Simon all flew to New York. In any case, it is very exciting that your employer or client suddenly becomes a billionaire.

East Coast.

In the presidential suite of the Plaza Hotel, Simon stood on the terrace and looked at the road in front of the hotel. He also felt his scalp tingling when he looked at the densely packed group of one or two hundred journalists.

Last week, Simon suddenly received a notice from the Federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission, asking him to submit all transaction records of Westeros on S&P 500 index futures and even stocks during this period. Simon knew that trouble was coming.

However, Simon still unreservedly transmitted a series of documents to Watsonton in accordance with the request of the other party. After all, there was nothing wrong with his operation.

However, today's events have once again made Simon realize that this matter may have just begun, and in the eyes of many people, he may have become a fat sheep. However, Simon didn't expect that when things really broke out, it would look so aggressive.