Chapter 104: Never Heard of It
Facing the young director, Jones-Butler realized she had underestimated him. His progress was not only evident but astonishing. Up until the ending of the film, she had thought it was quite good, but after witnessing the finale, that sense of amazement lingered.
In Hollywood's highly commercialized system, the beginning and ending of a film held paramount importance, sometimes occupying over sixty percent of attention. Her boss, Harvey Weinstein, had once said that if a film had compelling and remarkable opening and ending sequences, the middle could be filled almost arbitrarily, as long as it wasn't terrible; audiences would still buy into it.
While the beginning of this film was decent, the ending defied description. And the middle content was not only not terrible but rather outstanding.
Taking a deep breath, Jones-Butler wondered: what would be the market value if Miramax handled this film? She couldn't estimate at the moment, but it would certainly surpass "Hard Candy."
"An excellent film, Director Stanton," Jones-Butler extended her hand to Murphy and glanced at her watch, "It's getting late, and I have other matters to attend to. I must take my leave."
Murphy stood at the entrance of the theater, not insisting on her staying. "Goodbye."
Watching Jones-Butler drive off, Murphy glanced back at the theater doors. It was now empty, with everyone they had invited seemingly eager to leave, bidding him a hurried farewell, as if he were Jigsaw himself.
"This is a good sign," Bill Rossi approached from behind, standing beside Murphy. "From my observations, this film completely exceeded their expectations. Several individuals privately gave it very high praise. They must have returned to their companies by now."
Murphy nodded. Having been in this circle for some time, he understood the workings of film companies to some extent. Unless they were top-tier big shots, decisions regarding projects involving hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars were not made lightly.
From the attitudes of Milton Johnson, Tony Gusman, and Jones-Butler, who had bid farewell in succession, Murphy could tell that these individuals were very interested in "Saw."
Distribution companies occupied the upper echelons of the industry chain. Projects with enough selling points allowed them to fully realize their market value.
Paul Wilson, Seth Logan, and Jonah Hill emerged with the screening copy. Murphy waved to them. "Take the copy to the security company and let's go grab lunch."
During the screening, Murphy observed the reactions of the audience. While it wasn't time to celebrate yet, he felt they could have a drink to slightly relax.
After storing the copy and calling James Franco, they headed to a nearby restaurant. Meanwhile, at the Lion's Gate Entertainment office in Santa Monica, many members of the marketing and distribution departments hurried into a meeting room.
The room fell silent as a dozen individuals took their seats. Milton Johnson stood at the front of the table. "Do any of you know anything about Stanton Studios and Murphy Stanton, the director?"
The members exchanged puzzled glances. Who were these newcomers and this small company? They had never heard of them.
Milton Johnson took a seat and tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "Starting now, I want you to immediately gather information about him and compile a comprehensive director's profile."
His directive surprised many; directors worthy of Lion's Gate Entertainment building a dedicated profile were usually potential partners with some reputation in the industry. While there were indeed completely unknown directors, they were few and far between.
"Jamie..." Milton Johnson looked towards a middle-aged man and handed him a business card. When the female assistant passed over a card, he said, "This is Murphy Stanton's contact information. Contact him as soon as possible, no later than three days. Everyone must watch his new film."
"His new film?" Jamie Winston was a bit puzzled but agreed nonetheless. "I'll do it after the meeting."
"To all of you!" Milton Johnson's tone was extremely serious. "After Jamie contacts Stanton Studios for the screening, I want all of you to temporarily set aside your current work and watch the film. The marketing and distribution departments must provide me with a comprehensive report as quickly as possible."
Considering the possibility of failing to acquire the film, he added, "Have the editorial department staff join in as well."
With Milton Johnson's instructions, everyone had no choice but to take it seriously, dispersing after the meeting to begin their busy tasks.
As soon as the meeting adjourned, the female assistant received a phone call and approached Milton Johnson. "I asked a friend to inquire about Murphy Stanton. He has a criminal record, some trouble with the LAPD, and has even offended Sam Raimi..."
"Mm..." Milton Johnson nodded but paid it no mind. "These are matters for the gossip media to care about, not us."
As for Sam Raimi, Lion's Gate Entertainment wasn't under ViacomCBS's umbrella. He didn't care. With such a potentially marketable film in front of them, who cared if the director had offended Sam Raimi?
In an office building near the Century Fox Plaza, Tony Gusman paced anxiously outside a meeting room, occasionally checking his watch. The executives of 20th Century Fox Studios were still in the meeting, but it should be ending soon.
The meeting room door suddenly opened, and a group of stern-faced executives emerged. Seeing his immediate superior, Gordon Clyde, approaching, Tony hurriedly greeted him.
"What are you doing here?" His boss's tone was curt, indicating his displeasure.
Tony walked with his boss into a secluded corridor. "I just watched a film, and in the category of productions under five million dollars, I believe it deserves a five-star rating."
"What?" His boss turned to him. Knowing Tony Gusman's cautious nature, it was rare for him to give such high praise to a film. "Are you joking?"
Tony Gusman said earnestly, "When have I ever joked about work?"
His boss nodded. "Can you arrange another screening with the filmmakers?"
The performance of 20th Century Fox Studios, especially its distribution department, had been dismal in the first quarter. They had no standout films to boast about. The corporate headquarters had exerted immense pressure on them, and during the recent meeting, several board members had expressed their displeasure.
As the head of the distribution department, he was under the most pressure.
Tony Gusman took out his phone. "I'll do it right away."
Jones-Butler returned to her hotel suite, sitting in the living room, recalling the film she had just watched, and reviewing her notebook. After serious consideration, she made a decision.
She picked up her phone, dialed a few numbers, and when the call connected, she said, "Boss, I have a film here. If you have the time, it would be best to come and see it."