Chapter 247: Truly Unlucky

Opening the door, Gal Gadot was momentarily taken aback at the sight of the girl outside. The girl, in turn, was also surprised upon seeing Gal's distinctly Jewish features.

"Hello..." The girl spoke in accented English, pointing to the room behind her, "I'm your neighbor. I moved in last year and wanted to greet the new arrival."

She introduced herself, "I am Sheikha Mesa Mohammed Makhtoum. You can call me Mesa."

"Hello," Gal's response was a bit stiff.

Murphy could tell from the conversation that Gal was not pleased with this encounter and quickly went over to see who could make a well-mannered girl like Gal feel uncomfortable upon first meeting.

"What's up?" Murphy approached the door, "Gal?"

Looking outside and seeing the girl's typical Arab features, he understood the situation.

"Hello," Murphy politely nodded to the girl outside.

The Arab girl returned the nod, "Hello, I'm the neighbor across the hall. I saw someone new moved in and wanted to introduce myself."

Perhaps noticing Murphy's presence, Gal softened a bit, managing a slight smile, "Hello, Mesa. I'm Gal Gadot, from Israel!"

Hearing the emphasis in her last words, Murphy sighed inwardly, baffled by the longstanding grudges between these two ethnicities. Such entrenched positions seemed unsolvable to him.

Even the slowest observer could tell that Gal was not very friendly. After a brief smile, Mesa said, "I'll let you continue with what you were doing. Sorry to disturb you."

"Goodbye," Murphy waved casually.

Gal just nodded, not saying anything more.

As Mesa retreated and closed her door, Gal closed hers as well, muttering softly, "Truly unlucky."

Regardless, she was Murphy's girlfriend. Knowing that her feelings were paramount to him, even though he sighed internally, he offered, "I can arrange for a different dorm room for you."

"No need to bother," Gal pulled him close, gently kissing Murphy, "I don't plan to interact with her in the future."

"Okay," Murphy nodded, not pursuing the matter further, and helped Gal unpack.

The complexities of such situations were clear to him. Everyone had their biases, including himself. For instance, he felt uneasy around Japanese people.

After finishing unpacking and having lunch with Gal in the school cafeteria, Murphy left the University of California, Los Angeles, and headed to Century City. There, in Bill Roscoe's office, he met with Cara Fess who had just arrived from the Fox Tower.

"Everything going smoothly?" Murphy pulled up a chair next to Cara, "Any good news?"

"The project review at 20th Century Fox is progressing well, if that counts as good news," Cara said, setting her coffee cup on Bill's desk.

Murphy nodded, knowing that "Deadpool" becoming an official project was just a matter of time.

Bill Roscoe spoke up, "CAA has decided to put me in charge of forming the 'Deadpool' project team, responsible for handling all related business."

It seemed CAA was confident in Fox greenlighting "Deadpool."

"But there's some less good news," Cara turned towards Murphy, "Fox can't invest $60 million in production costs."

She explained, "With 'X-Men 3: The Last Stand' and 'Kingdom of Heaven,' the total production costs exceed $350 million. Fox is under tremendous financial pressure, and financing will be challenging."

Aware of these facts, Murphy stated, "Cara, it's crucial to secure a minimum of $50 million. Anything less, and I can't complete the film."

"If necessary," Bill suggested, "consider bringing in external funding?"

Cara pondered this idea.

"External funding?" Murphy mused, "Stanton Studio can participate in the investment. I'm willing to contribute."

It wasn't unusual for a director or lead actor's studio to invest in films they were leading, like Brad Pitt's collaboration with Warner Bros on "Troy," or Tom Cruise's joint ownership of the "Mission: Impossible" series with Paramount.

"You won't get the rights," Cara reminded him. "Fox won't hand over the 'X-Men' rights to anyone."

"I'm not after the rights," Murphy knew film rights were off-limits, referring to the issues Paramount faced with Cruise over "Mission: Impossible," "I just want a profit share proportional to my investment."

Cara considered this, "I'll submit your proposal to the board."

"If Fox is interested," Murphy looked at Bill, "you represent me in full negotiations."

With Stanton Studio's current status, investing $10 to $15 million was feasible.

Fox, pressured by 'X-Men 3' and 'Kingdom of Heaven,' faced not only huge investment burdens but also funding challenges. Given the high-risk nature of film financing, even for Fox, this wasn't easy.

This was a good investment opportunity, and with Cara's involvement, Murphy wasn't worried about Fox's accounting tricks.

"If 'Deadpool' meets my expectations, just the box office share would be hugely profitable."

"About the pay," Cara brought up, "Given Fox's current financial strain, if the project goes forward, you and other main crew members won't get high upfront fees. The review team has made it clear: your fees will be 30-40% of the standard, with the rest as post-production profit shares."

Murphy glanced at Bill, "I'm fine with the payment method."

It was a common Hollywood approach, reducing initial investment risk while binding the crew to the project's success.

As for the exact amount, they'd discuss it once the project was approved.

"What about the staff?" Cara asked Bill, "Has CAA considered anyone?"

Since CAA was offering a full package service, the main crew would be from their clients.

"Murphy has a list, and I've contacted many," Bill responded, addressing both Cara and Murphy, "Robert Downey Jr. is working on the 'Deadpool' script, adding his flair. He's basically on board."

"For the female lead," he continued, "I spoke with Jessica Alba's agent and her directly. She's very interested in the role of Copycat."

These were Murphy's picks, and their participation was almost certain.

"What about other main actors?" Murphy inquired, "Any recommendations?"

"For the villain, I've reached out to Dwayne Johnson, recently signed by our company. He's known for 'The Scorpion King' in 'The Mummy' series."

Hearing this, Cara asked, "The wrestler-turned-actor?"

Bill nodded, "Yes, him. He's agreed to audition if the project is approved. I've also contacted a professional boxer for a female antagonist role."

"That's fine," Murphy approved, "Have them audition."

"I'll have Seth Rogen and Paul Wilson as my assistants," he added, "Seth has directorial potential, and I need his help with the dark humor."

Once Fox approved the project, these were non-issues.

Murphy, Cara, and Bill discussed the project extensively, resolving differences and finding common ground.

They talked until 5 pm. As they prepared to leave, Cara recalled something.

"Dave Skola will personally produce 'Kingdom of Heaven,'" she stated.

"If 'X-Men 3' fails and this project struggles, Skola's position will be shaky," Bill knew Cara's

 intentions, "Brian Lord told me he's very optimistic about your future."

Murphy rolled his eyes, aware of CAA's influence and preemptive investments.

Cara glanced at Murphy, exchanging a knowing look, "I too enjoy working with Murphy and CAA."

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