Chapter 113: Undercurrents

Milton Johnson thought for a moment and instructed his assistant, "Call Jamie Winston."

A few minutes after the assistant made the call, a middle-aged man in his thirties walked into the office and sat opposite Milton Johnson. Johnson waved his hand, and the assistant left the office, closing the door behind her.

"Any progress in the negotiations with Stanton Studios?" Milton Johnson asked directly.

"Not yet." Jamie Winston shook his head. "We've had a few phone calls with Murphy Stanton, but his willingness to cooperate is low, and his terms are a bit excessive."

A novice director, a shell company with just three people, wanting to make big demands on Lionsgate just because of a film with some selling points? Did he have the guts and qualifications for that?

He admitted the film could indeed have some impact, but it couldn't hide the fact that it was a rough, low-budget production. Pushing such a film into the theater market carried significant risks.

Habitually tapping his fingers on the desk, Milton Johnson frowned slightly. "What about CAA?"

Jamie Winston quickly snapped back to attention and replied, "I've called Bill Rossis. Those agents at CAA are a greedy bunch."

One side wanted a high return from the film, while the other wanted to lower the price to maximize their own profit. If neither side made some concessions, cooperation was impossible.

Negotiations were often a process of mutual compromise.

Milton Johnson was well aware of this, yet he had no intention of compromising.

His tapping on the desk accelerated. "Jamie, you've seen that film, and our editorial team attended the screening. How long would it take them to write a similar script?"

"Well... the script is not a problem." Jamie Winston understood his meaning. "With team collaboration, two to three weeks should suffice."

There wasn't much to say about such a script. The film's impact was more due to its shooting and production.

Milton Johnson calculated silently for a while. His somewhat aged eyes sparkled. "What about filming and production?"

Jamie Winston considered briefly. "If it's produced by a team we've worked with regularly, from preparation to production, it would take about a month and a half."

It was clear that Milton Johnson had been wary or planning something from the start, having involved the editorial team in the screening.

He asked again, "What about the investigation I asked for?"

"After 'Hard Candy' was released, Murphy Stanton joined the Writers Guild, Directors Guild, and the Cinematographers Guild."

Jamie Winston had already looked into this and quickly said, "Saw has been registered with the Writers Guild and Directors Guild as a guild project."

Milton Johnson's tapping slowed. "That could be troublesome."

As he aged, his thoughts had become somewhat conservative. Although he had proposed this backup plan, Jamie Winston was more aggressive.

"It could indeed bring some trouble," Jamie agreed but added, "Stanton Studios is just a small, bottom-tier Hollywood company. Apart from his agent's connection to CAA, Murphy Stanton is only close to a few insignificant actors, without any notable network. Even if the guilds come after us, it would be just routine procedures..."

He raised his voice slightly. "Besides, we wouldn't be copying his film. There would be changes. Mainstream Hollywood blockbusters often have overlapping themes and content, let alone formulaic slasher horror films."

Lionsgate wouldn't be foolish enough to copy the film outright. Based on that film, they could produce a more refined version.

This refinement had an added benefit: if they released it first, the rougher original would look like a poor imitation.

Milton Johnson nodded lightly, his tapping speeding up again. "I'll bring this project up at the senior management meeting. If we can't secure Saw, we'll move quickly into project approval. Have the editorial team prepare a script outline."

Jamie Winston acknowledged and stood to leave. Milton Johnson reminded him, "Give the legal department a heads-up."

If this project went ahead, the most significant counterattack from the other side would undoubtedly be legal action. This was something big companies like theirs didn't worry about. Hollywood was full of overlapping projects with complex disputes. Even if the court took the case, Lionsgate could drag it out for a year or two. Could such a small company endure that?

They could even find someone to sue Stanton Studios for plagiarizing their idea.

Such things were not rare in Hollywood. Think about all those who eagerly went after James Cameron after Titanic's success...

After Jamie Winston left, Milton Johnson continued to ponder the issue. As a veteran in handling horror films, he saw great potential in this project.

Unfortunately, Lionsgate's terms were unacceptable to the other party, and their demands were equally unacceptable to him.

Why should a nobody with just one promising film make such high demands? Without the right channels, the film's value would be zero.

Milton Johnson called his assistant back in, instructing her to keep an eye on the project and report any updates promptly to adjust their strategy.

He hadn't completely given up on acquiring Saw. The previous plan was a backup. If the other side continued to hit walls in Hollywood, there might still be room for negotiation.

Ultimately, Milton Johnson never believed that Stanton Studios was qualified to negotiate on equal terms with Lionsgate.

Both production and distribution companies are commercial entities that naturally pursue profit, aiming for maximum profit whenever possible.

Lionsgate wasn't the only distributor eyeing Saw. Murphy hadn't found a single company offering a price that met his expectations. Even Miramax, with the best conditions so far, was calculating how to acquire the film at the lowest cost.

The lowest cost would also reduce the inevitable risk associated with investment.

Harvey Weinstein stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking Burbank's scenery. He asked Jones Butler behind him, "Murphy Stanton hasn't responded yet?"

Jones Butler stepped forward slightly. "Not yet."

The big man's face darkened. The other party was overestimating themselves. Back then, it only took some money and a few promises to secure talents like Quentin Tarantino.

Nowadays, anyone he appreciated could use it as a badge of honor within the industry.

Murphy Stanton, this small-time director, not only didn't respond but also shopped his film around various distribution companies, hoping to sell it at a high price based on his minor agent's connections and the modest success of Hard Candy.

It was wishful thinking. Hollywood distribution companies, including Miramax, never let go once they bit down.

However, Harvey Weinstein couldn't guarantee that all distribution companies would maintain the unspoken understanding in dealing with small productions. After all, the selling points of Saw were clear. With proper operation and no major mistakes, profitability shouldn't be an issue.

From his years of experience and market knowledge, he judged that Saw had a low chance of failure. The question was just how much profit it would generate, given controlled investment.

His greatest concern was that some companies might break ranks and offer excessive terms.

"It's time to apply some pressure," he nodded gently.

Harvey Weinstein turned around, glanced at Jones Butler, and walked back to his desk. He sat down and said unemotionally, "Find someone to leak some information."

Jones Butler perked up her ears.

"Miramax is preparing a new project," Harvey Weinstein said leisurely about the fictitious project. "The film will be a slasher horror with some suspense elements. The script is already being written, and we're planning to invite Robert Rodriguez or Quentin Tarantino to direct."

He thought for a moment and added, "Call Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. Have them mention this in their next media interviews."

Jones Butler just nodded, not surprised. Her boss's tactics were always shrewd. Otherwise, he wouldn't have created the Shakespeare in Love incident or elevated an actress of Gwyneth Paltrow's caliber to an Oscar-winning lead role.

Although Paltrow's win might be one of the most questionable in Oscar history, it was still a legitimate win, wasn't it?

"Go ahead." Harvey Weinstein waved his hand dismissively.

Jones Butler left the office and began to orchestrate these tasks. Without Weinstein's explicit instructions, she knew exactly how far to go. The news needed to reach Murphy Stanton without causing too much of a stir.

This kind of work was no challenge for her.

In any commercial endeavor, there are always visible and invisible undercurrents. Some things you can see, others you can't.

Murphy, for instance, couldn't gauge the price Fox Searchlight might offer despite the obvious interest from Tony Guzman and the two Fox Searchlight executives who attended the screening.

These details would be determined through negotiation.

Fox Searchlight was the last company on Murphy's list. He had made meticulous preparations for this, even calling Kara Faith in New York to gather some recent information about the company through her connections.

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