613 Both pros and cons
If possible, everyone is happy is naturally the best result. For Renly to star in the spin-off and sequel of "The Fast and the Furious", Andy is in favor of Renly with both hands and feet, starring in a series of movies that are becoming more and more profitable. Playing a role that has won countless support is a deal that no one will refuse; but judging from Universal Pictures' current stance, they are not giving in and are applying pressure from all directions, trying to force Renly to submit..
Thinking about Andy's experience when he personally visited Universal Pictures, it is not difficult to come to the conclusion: Universal Pictures has never taken Renly seriously. No matter what role Vin Diesel played in this, but now This is the situation.
Whether it is successfully starring in "Fast and Furious" and gaining more benefits in terms of salary and crew status; or giving up the sequel of "Fast and Furious" and starring in another commercial work to seek more remuneration and additional benefits ; Or just give the "Fast and Furious" crew a slap in the face to create conditions for Paul Walker and Renly's successors to increase their salaries. The six major film companies are all the best choices..
Of course, the premise of everything is that the new work must also be confident enough. Otherwise, if you give up "Fast and Furious", you will star in a bad movie that flopped at the box office, and also have a stalemate with Universal Pictures, then That’s the real gain outweighs the loss.
It is precisely because of this that the highly valued "Sombra" is more and more worth looking forward to. In comparison, "Loop Messenger" does not have many advantages..
“The production company of "Looper" is Last Stage Entertainment, which was founded less than seven years ago. It started with "Hotel Rwanda" and then produced "Lord of War", "I'm Not There", "Education", etc. work.
Overall, this is still an independent art film production company. The largest investment in "Lord of War" was only 45 million US dollars; moreover, their resources and capabilities are limited, and almost every film All works have sought cooperation from other independent film companies and co-produced them..
In one sentence, in front of Universal Pictures, it has no right to speak and no deterrence..
“Have you finished all those scripts? "Not only Andy, but Roy also paid attention. This was Roy's first test after taking over as manager. Originally, they thought that Renly had been on vacation in the past few weeks and completely forgot about the existence of the script. , but now it seems that they were obviously wrong.
Renly shrugged and said with a smile, "I'm on vacation, not recuperating. Free time is a good pastime. Unfortunately, the only script I'm interested in seems not to be the best choice now..”
“I didn't expect you to be interested in science fiction scripts." Of course, Andy passed all those scripts. Some were to disturb Universal Pictures' attention, some were to test Roy, and some were selected sincerely..
“Andy remembers the script of "Looper". This script, plus "Django Unchained" and "Alien Battlefield" are projects that he is quite optimistic about, but he is not optimistic about "Alien Battlefield". "I'm not very satisfied. The entire project lacks a feature that makes people shine and has the final say, and the characters are also unsatisfactory. This is why he continues to negotiate with Warner Bros..
At this point in time and under this background, it is not easy to find a project with a good script, suitable characters, suitable remuneration, and huge investment. If Warner Bros. cannot do it, Andy will continue to find two projects. Tenth Century Fox; if that doesn't work, he's ready to choose an eccentric science fiction work like "Looper".
The science fiction genre is a special case among commercial blockbusters. The investment may be very low. The cost of "Blade Runner" is only 28 million; the investment may also be very huge. The official statement of "Avatar" is that it cost 250 million. But This type of work always occupies a place in the film market. Box office and reputation cannot be calculated according to common sense. Even if it fails at the box office, excellent reputation can still attract a large number of supporters..
“The important thing is the script, not the subject matter." Renly replied simply, but Roy nodded involuntarily, expressing his agreement..
“‘"Looper" is an option." Andy did not directly deny this possibility, but the subtext is obvious: in the current situation, "Looper" is indeed not the first choice, but it can be used as an alternative..
Andy's eyes fell on Roy and he expressed his apology - according to the current situation, none of the nine scripts submitted last time were useful, and Roy was doing nothing..
Roy didn't panic at all. Renly's choice coincided with his judgment. This is a good thing. The cooperation between the two people has taken a solid first step. As for Andy, there is a long way to go, and they can still take their time. Break-in, "Now that you said that, does that mean you have a better substitute?"？”
Roy's eyes fell on the second script in Renly's hand, but Renly didn't open it yet..
“Substitute? Andy chuckled, "I won't use this word. But..." Andy paused for a moment, seeming to be thinking about how to describe it more accurately, "If you like 'Loop Messenger', this project is indeed a better choice.”
Andy's tone was a little hesitant, not as sure and positive as when he mentioned "Dark Shadow" just now. Renly didn't make any guesses and said jokingly, "Your tone doesn't sound very convincing.".”
Andy did not beat around the bush and said honestly, "The current project is just approved. Regarding this project, I have contacted Warner Bros. three times, and all three times were with different producers. It can be seen that Warner Bros. currently There is no clear idea. They just bought the filming rights of the script, and all other content is still to be determined..”
It sounds like a fantasy, but in reality it is very normal. Film companies are establishing new projects almost every day, let alone a whole year. Even on a monthly basis, each company may have three or four projects every month. Ten projects are established. From the establishment of the project to the official start of filming, this process may take three months or ten years. It needs someone to promote it, which can be a producer, a director, an actor, or a screenwriter. , simply put, you are a promoter, otherwise you will be drowned in countless projects..
Not only that, even if a project promoter is identified, the speed of project advancement depends on the promoter’s ability and connections..
Take "Dark Shadows" as an example. After the project was confirmed, Tim Burton had just contributed to a film with a global box office of 1 billion, so he naturally received enough attention. In addition, Tim had already been in the industry for nearly 10 years. Thirty years later, connections are not trivial. As long as he calls, Johnny is willing to respond. Naturally, the project has received strong support from Warner Bros..
The project Andy just mentioned is obviously the kind that no one cares about..
“I inquired carefully, and currently it seems that Warner Bros.'s budget should be around 100 million US dollars, because this is a typical science fiction script with strict requirements for visual effects." Andy continued to explain, you can watch It can be concluded that this is still a commercial blockbuster project, at least more confident than "Looper". "Currently, the project has not found a director, and has not found a screenwriter for further adjustments. As for the producer, it is Tim Lewis." -Lewis) is pushing.”
“Tim Lewis." Roy repeated the name. "Co-producer of later episodes of 'Harry Potter'? "Andy nodded in affirmation..
Tim Lewis started out as an assistant director. His first film was Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun." After fifteen years in the industry, he established a good cooperative relationship with Warner Bros. Leigh Porter and the Order of the Phoenix" begins, joins co-producer list.
He can be regarded as a direct producer of Warner Brothers. He is not affiliated with Warner Brothers, but the relationship is very close. However, his connections outside Warner Brothers are relatively weak, and his voice is not enough. If such a producer promotes projects, he can initiate projects, and he You can get a cost of 100 million, and you can even get some convenience, but the ability to promote quickly is seriously insufficient..
It’s a situation with pros and cons.
No wonder Andy is so hesitant. Compared with "Dark Shadows", this project seems to have been slightly ignored. When used against Universal Pictures, it still lacks a bit of weight. In addition to Warner Bros., more powerful players are needed. Producers and directors.
“but? "Renly motioned for Andy to continue. Andy would never make a mistake. Even after taking into account so many complicated situations, Andy still brought the script to Renly. It must not only be because of the support of Warner Bros..
Andy tapped his belly lightly with both hands, "But it was a script on the 2010 blacklist. It received a total of forty-five votes and ranked third." This sentence alone was enough weight..
“I have read this script carefully and it is very good, both as a commercial film and as a science fiction film. I think it is a bit similar to a combination of "Groundhog Day" and "The Butterfly Effect", and "Loop Messenger" 'It's also the same thing. The most important thing is that the male protagonist is simply tailor-made for you. Not only is the weight sufficient, but the role also has some inner drama, which is a test for the actor's acting skills..”
However, in two simple sentences, Andy gave enough praise, even as good as "Dark Shadows". It can be seen that he is really satisfied with the script..
“However, the script is just the foundation. Director, actors, producers, all these links are unknown." Andy continued, "I am optimistic about its potential, but there are too many uncertain factors. So, if this is the case If I had to choose between the two scripts, I would still prefer 'Dark Shadows'’.”
Not because "Dark Shadows" is so good, but because there are more known factors and it is easier to make a judgment. This is crucial for commercial movies..
“This is a script blacklist! " Roy repeated, "It's really rare for a commercial work to appear on the blacklist..”
Andy chuckled and nodded, "So, I couldn't refuse. After all, I asked for the script. I hope Renly can make a decision.".”
“Script blacklist? Renly said meaningfully.
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