Chapter 114: Continuous Bad News
After hanging up the phone, Murphy escorted Kerry Mulligan back to Stanton Studios before returning to Century City to meet Bill Rossi, a CAA agent, who was waiting for him at a secluded spot on the ground floor of the CAA office building. Rossi motioned Murphy over to a small oak table by the glass curtain wall, where they sat down to talk.
"Over here, Murphy," Rossi said, gesturing as Murphy approached. Without even sitting down, Murphy asked, "Is the information reliable?"
Rossi nodded earnestly. "I have a good relationship with Robert Rodriguez's PR manager. I mentioned Saw to her a couple of days ago."
Understanding that Rossi had pulled some strings for this project, Murphy listened intently as Rossi continued, "She just called me. Robert Rodriguez gave an interview this afternoon, stating that he will temporarily set aside the final installment of his Mexico trilogy to collaborate with Miramax on a horror film..."
Furrowing his brows, Murphy's expression grew serious as Rossi added, "Rodriguez also revealed that the genre of the horror film would involve blood and suspense."
"What?" Murphy almost stood up in disbelief, but he managed to control himself. "What does Miramax intend to do?"
"I asked her to inquire," Rossi continued, "but currently, it's just Miramax's intention. There haven't been any substantive negotiations yet."
Though he was tempted to rush over and confront Harvey Weinstein, Murphy forced himself to remain calm. He knew that any film project, from intention to production, required time. What did Miramax intend to do? He couldn't believe that their supposed horror film with blood and suspense had anything to do with Saw.
Looking at Rossi, Murphy could see the same questioning look in his eyes.
Rossi seemed even more indignant than Murphy. "It seems they're treating me, their agent, as if I'm invisible!"
"Has this happened before?" Murphy asked, furrowing his brow.
"It's not uncommon in Hollywood for many copycat films to follow a successful one," Rossi shook his head, contemplating. "Miramax doesn't need to mimic entirely; they can borrow elements from Saw and make many changes with their capabilities."
There were many films in Hollywood that looked similar yet were not entirely alike.
Whether it was worth it depended on the gains and losses.
Thinking it over, Murphy realized that if he were in Harvey Weinstein's shoes and saw a film like Saw, he would also be tempted to make some moves.
But then he quickly realized his mistake. He understood what Saw represented, but Weinstein didn't. He believed in the film's market potential, not cheating.
How should he respond? Murphy didn't realize that as he pondered, a glint of fierceness, usually hidden as he transitioned into a director, began to emanate from him.
Suddenly, Rossi noticed a change in Murphy. It was as if Arnold Schwarzenegger had entered the role of the T800...
As an agent, Rossi understood his client. He also knew about Murphy's time in prison. He quickly tapped the table to get Murphy's attention, reminding him, "Murphy! Murphy! What do you want to do? Don't act rashly!"
He genuinely worried that Murphy might impulsively storm Harvey Weinstein's house and cause trouble. Though it was much later that the British director's mind began to deteriorate after Murphy's imprisonment, no one could prove it was related to Murphy. Still, Rossi was worried.
Murphy snapped out of it, thinking, Am I that foolish? He admitted to having some similar thoughts, but he knew it was the worst choice.
"Remember, you're a director now!" Rossi reminded him. "Not a freelance journalist!"
"Hey, Bill, do you think I'm the kind of person who acts recklessly?" Murphy spread his hands.
After some thought, Rossi shook his head. Murphy's initial funding wasn't entirely aboveboard, though Rossi didn't know the specifics. It was understandable for someone struggling to make ends meet to have a lower threshold for risk and a higher tolerance for danger.
Such people often fell into two categories: those who went further down the wrong path, unable to turn back, and those who corrected course, continuing forward with legitimate means.
Murphy-Stanton was undoubtedly the latter.
"I've considered other aspects," Murphy said, crossing his hands on the table. "Why would Harvey Weinstein do this?"
In Hollywood, superficial imitation was commonplace, especially between major companies and lesser-known directors.
"I think there's a possibility," Murphy said, "that Harvey Weinstein is deliberately leaking this information."
He chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Stanton Studios and I are insignificant to Miramax. Upon hearing such news, one would typically panic, which could lead to wrong judgments and decisions. If Miramax negotiates with us again under such pressure, they might increase the price or other conditions..."
Rossi understood where Murphy was going. "We might end up signing on their contract."
Murphy nodded subtly.
Hearing this, Rossi thought it over. The possibility was not only there but also significant. If Murphy hadn't remained calm and thought of this, who knows...
From Murphy's demeanor, Rossi thought of himself. Upon hearing about the situation, he had called Murphy immediately. While sitting here waiting, his facial expression remained calm, but only he knew the inner anxiety.
Tapping his left hand's knuckles lightly with his right index finger, Murphy pondered his response. He might be wrong, but even if Miramax did go ahead with their film, there would still be enough buffer time until production.
If his guess was right, then they would continue negotiating with Miramax to gauge their sincerity.
The safest bet was to find a suitable distributor for the film as soon as possible. Murphy was too weak now, and he couldn't do anything to Weinstein. Signing with an excellent distributor was the only way to counter Miramax's negotiation tactics, real or fake.
As for determining their authenticity...
Once he understood, Rossi's train of thought was swift. "As long as Miramax contacts us again and increases their offer, Murphy, your speculation will be correct."
"Keep an eye on Miramax," Murphy instructed. "And don't cut off negotiations with Fox Searchlight and other companies."
With a hypothesis in mind, finding evidence would be much easier.
The next day, Robert Rodriguez's interview was published, confirming what Rossi had said. Shortly afterward, Quentin Tarantino also expressed his willingness to join the project if Rodriguez and Miramax collaborated, whether as a writer, actor, or producer.
Acting out the entire drama, Murphy instructed Rossi to express vague protest on behalf of CAA when calling Miramax. Just two days later, Jones Butler from Miramax extended an invitation to both Murphy and Rossi.
To demonstrate his anger and unease, Murphy declined, allowing Rossi to represent him fully. As expected, after applying pressure, Miramax offered to buy Saw for seven million dollars.
To be honest, it was a pretty good price. For the past few days, Murphy had been negotiating with other companies. In negotiations with Fox Searchlight, they estimated optimistic North American box office earnings in the tens of millions.
A full week had passed since the initial screening, yet Saw still hadn't found a suitable distributor. Murphy hardly heard any good news but received a continuous stream of bad news.
Rossi, with his sharp ears, somehow found out that Lionsgate was also planning a new horror film, intending to blend elements of suspense
into it. Several executives had apparently discussed it in a meeting.
These complex situations also reached the ears of James Franco, Jonah Hill, and Seth Rogen. Since their "gang up" gathering, they had been in close contact with Murphy, coming to Stanton Studios to discuss countermeasures and stand shoulder to shoulder in battle.