Chapter 69: Reaching an Agreement

"Sorry," Tony Guzman said, glancing at his phone and addressing the people in the room. "I need to take this call."

He walked out of the hotel suite's living room to the balcony of a bedroom and pressed the answer button. "Hello, this is Tony Guzman from Fox Searchlight."

A stranger's voice came through the receiver. After listening for a few moments, Tony Guzman frowned, trying to recall something. He glanced back at the living room before speaking politely, "I'm sorry, Director Stanton. I don't have time at the moment. I have a project that requires my attention."

He remembered the young director and that interesting film. He had even exchanged contact information, initially intending to follow up on it. But during another viewing, he found a project he liked even more, and Fox Searchlight was very interested, needing immediate follow-up.

Politely declining the invitation, Tony Guzman exchanged a few more pleasantries before hanging up.

With this new project on the table, he lost interest in "Hard Candy." In the living room were executives from Ark Entertainment, discussing Todd Field's new project, "Little Children."

Not only did the film star the well-known Tom Wilkinson, but there was also no comparison between the two directors. Murphy Stanton was unknown, while Todd Field's previous work, "In the Bedroom," had grossed $90 million in North America.

The choice between the two was clear to Tony Guzman.

He had decided to abandon "Hard Candy" and focus entirely on securing "Little Children."

At the airport of the Saint Denis Film Festival, a hefty man arrived late. After disembarking, he instructed the driver to head straight to the hotel where his team of professional viewers and buyers were waiting for him.

Forty minutes later, Harvey Weinstein sat in the hotel's conference room, flipping through lists and materials submitted by numerous Miramax employees. Most were films gaining media and industry buzz, such as "Cradle of Fear" and "Donnie Darko," with no unexpected surprises.

"Is this it?" He frowned, looking at the dozen or so employees, his voice rising. "What have you been doing? The festival has been on for almost a week, and you've been focusing only on these? How many other distribution companies are eyeing them? How much will it cost to secure them?"

Though Miramax was acquired by Disney, Harvey Weinstein operated differently, focusing on low-budget independent films.

The room was silent, indicating his authority within the company.

"Do you have any promising niche projects?" Harvey Weinstein asked again.

Still, there was silence. Projects like "The Blair Witch Project" weren't found at every Saint Denis Film Festival.

Harvey Weinstein slapped the conference table hard, the loud bang venting his anger. Without looking at the employees, he waved them off. "Go."

The crowd quickly dispersed, leaving only Jones Butler.

Harvey Weinstein noticed her. "You have something?"

Jones Butler approached and placed a dossier in front of him. "This is a film made by a small company called Stanton Studio, recommended by Bill Rossi from CAA. Moore and I watched it and believe it has market potential."

Harvey Weinstein paused his work to look through the materials. After a while, he looked up. "You prioritized it?"

"Yes," Jones Butler stood to his right. "I estimate the production cost is around $200,000 to $300,000. After discussing with the marketing team, we believe it could be a million-dollar project."

Harvey Weinstein trusted Jones Butler. "Did you secure it?"

"No..." Jones Butler replied truthfully. "We had initial negotiations, but there's a gap between our offer and their asking price."

After reviewing all the materials, Harvey Weinstein showed some interest. "Call them. I'll see the film tomorrow."

Murphy never imagined that when he saw Jones Butler again, she would bring Miramax's actual controller, Harvey Weinstein. Even Bill Rossi, who was a nobody in the presence of such an industry giant, felt insignificant.

Harvey Weinstein barely acknowledged them, exchanging brief pleasantries before patiently watching Murphy screen "Hard Candy" again in the conference room.

After the screening, Harvey Weinstein spoke only his second sentence, directed at Jones Butler. Murphy overheard it faintly.

"Continue negotiations."

With that, Harvey Weinstein left the room.

It was understandable. An ardent supporter of independent films like Weinstein would be busy at a festival focused on such films. Murphy knew Weinstein wouldn't place much value on a small production like "Hard Candy."

Weinstein's appearance was simply due diligence for his company. A transaction near a million dollars wasn't casual.

In the subsequent days, Murphy and Jones Butler engaged in drawn-out negotiations. The gap between $600,000 and $1.5 million was significant, making negotiations difficult. Fortunately, both knew compromises were necessary to complete the deal.

Murphy no longer mentioned unrealistic mainstream commercial film distribution contracts or revenue-sharing agreements. The collaboration would strictly involve a buyout of the rights. He focused on securing as much buyout money as possible for Stanton Studio.

He couldn't forever make projects like "Hard Candy" or he would remain at the bottom of Hollywood. More funds were needed for his next plans.

Like ninety percent of Hollywood directors, Murphy's plan was to start with small independent productions, accumulate enough funds and experience, and gradually move toward mainstream films.

After three days and five rounds of negotiations, Murphy and Jones Butler finally reached an agreement.