Chapter 176: Bargaining Chips

Early in the morning, after Murphy had finished his morning routine, Bill-Rossi came to his door. In addition to getting breakfast for Murphy, he also brought a bunch of newspapers available in Cannes.

"Feel free to sit," Murphy said in the suite, sitting at the dining table, enjoying French croissants and fried bacon and eggs. He glanced at the stack of newspapers Bill-Rossi had placed on the sofa, and asked in surprise, "Can you even find English and Spanish newspapers here?"

"Normally, you can't," Bill-Rossi sat down and started sorting through the stack of newspapers, "But now, during the Cannes Film Festival, many famous European newspapers issue special editions here. It's also their chance to show their influence."

He singled out a page from the numerous newspaper supplements.

Murphy put down his knife and fork, took a sip of his coffee, and asked, "Is this related to 'Planet Terror'?"

"Exactly." Bill-Rossi continued to sort through the newspapers, "These are all pages that published reviews of our movie."

Seeing that Murphy had nearly finished his breakfast, he handed over a few selected pages, "If you're interested, take a look."

"Are they all positive?" Murphy put down his coffee cup and took the newspapers, "I won't look at any pages with bad reviews. It would hurt my fragile ego."

"Hurt you?" Bill-Rossi shook his head and did not continue the conversation, picking up a newspaper to read.

This was only Murphy's third movie. Although he wouldn't be devastated by bad media reviews, it was impossible not to be affected by the media's opinions.

Picking up a newspaper, Murphy glanced at it and then tossed it aside. It was a Spanish newspaper, and he couldn't understand Spanish. The next one was in French, which he also didn't understand.

Luckily, the following few were from Fleet Street across the English Channel, which Murphy could understand.

Many journalists attended the premiere of "Planet Terror," including those from Britain.

Murphy found a Cannes Film Festival supplement of The Daily Telegraph.

"'Planet Terror' delivers a thrilling ride that viewers will find utterly addictive," the review read. "Director Murphy Stanton sends his imagination soaring, presenting a film that unapologetically throws every element and scene that cult movie audiences love... Its exhilarating quality lies in Stanton's atmospheric and scene-setting skills; the story never drags, diving straight into a terrifying tale with impressively shot unconventional gunfights. It's an unconventional, non-mainstream American B-movie that stands out for its brilliance!"

Satisfied, Murphy nodded. The British got it right.

He then opened The Times, easily finding the content related to "Planet Terror."

"The director's use of dark, yellowish backgrounds and thick, almost smearable colors gives the movie a unique charm, placing viewers right in the middle of the story. The violence, gore, and **** are just right, not repulsive, like a tank rolling over a bloodbath, leaving behind chunks of bodies, blood, decay, and violence. The endless imagination is stunning and exciting."

Both media outlets rated "Planet Terror" highly with 7.5 out of 10!

After moving aside the unreadable Spanish and French newspapers, Murphy picked up a more specialized magazine, the famous British "Sight & Sound." Their special issue also featured a review of "Planet Terror."

"This movie could be said to have a hollow plot, a common trait in Hollywood productions, with a terrible script but well-cared-for details and a sense of artistry. I rarely review commercial films personally, but I enjoy watching them. After all, that kind of visual effect and immersion is impossible to achieve with traditional art films. It's refreshing to curse while watching a commercial film after exploring humanity and pondering the philosophy of life in art films."

"'Planet Terror' is precisely this kind of commercial film, focusing on details and perfect cinematography. Although many of its gory scenes could be more realistically handled, it still delivers a satisfying sense of exhilaration, the kind that energizes people and instills the confidence and strength to overcome all evils."

Compared to the two British media outlets Murphy had just reviewed, "Sight & Sound" magazine only gave a rating of 7.1 out of 10.

However, for such a professionally strong magazine to give a film that thrives on ****, gore, and violence a rating above seven was already quite an achievement.

This also indicated that "Planet Terror" wouldn't fare poorly in industry evaluations.

Putting down the magazine, Murphy looked at the time and stood up, "Let's head to the eleventh floor."

The negotiations with international distributors for Millamax and "Planet Terror" were to be held on the eleventh floor, one after another. The project was packaged by CAA, and Bill-Rossi's participation in the negotiations was expected. Murphy wasn't required to attend but had expressed his wish to do so. Since it didn't involve any profit sharing—his share was unrelated to the film's overseas earnings—the Weinstein brothers agreed to Murphy's participation.

Like running various Cannes Film Festival events with Erika Stamburg, these experiences were invaluable for a newcomer like Murphy.

Missing this chance to gain experience and insight meant not knowing when the next opportunity would come.

Exiting the elevator and entering the long corridor of the eleventh floor, Murphy asked Bill-Rossi beside him, "Can you understand French and Spanish?"

"A bit," Bill-Rossi, a graduate of a prestigious university, replied.

"No wonder," Murphy nodded in realization, then asked, "What do French and Spanish media think of the film?"

"Spanish media are more positive. Spain also produces many films of this type, so their reviews are mostly positive," Bill-Rossi spoke honestly, "French media, however, rated it poorly, often using words like…"

He looked at Murphy, who gestured for him to continue, "Words like disgusting, cruel, boring, and the like."

Murphy shook his head, "It seems the French don't really like American splatter films."

Bill-Rossi spread his hands, "All of Hollywood knows that."

Entering a conference room and sitting on the Millamax side of the long conference table, they didn't wait long before Harvey Weinstein and Erika Stamburg entered. After greeting them, Mike Gwinn, a representative from an Australian distribution company, also entered the room.

Business negotiations are about time being money, so after a brief exchange of pleasantries, the discussions began. Although Mike Gwinn was very fond of Murphy as a director and his film the previous night, once negotiations started, it was as if those feelings never existed. He was unyielding on the distribution buyout price.

Appreciating a film is one thing, but business transactions are another.

The negotiations weren't going smoothly.

"Mike, four million dollars for the Australian rights is Millamax's bottom line!"

Millamax was led by Harvey Weinstein, who spoke loudly, "We've shown enough sincerity to your company. If we can't reach an agreement, Millamax will have to look for another partner..."

"We're also sincere!" Mike Gwinn frowned, "The film indeed has potential, but you have to leave us some profit margin, right? No company would do a deal without profit. How much box office does 'Planet Terror' need to achieve in Australia for us to see a profit?"

Harvey Weinstein bit his lip as if cutting his own flesh, "Three and a half million dollars!"

"Harvey..." Mike Gwinn tried to speak but was interrupted by Weinstein, "Mike, remember, this isn't just about theatrical rights, but also video tape rights!"

The Jewish big man suddenly stood up, walked behind Murphy, and leaning on the back of his chair, loudly said, "I want to remind you of something. Don't forget the director of this film is named Murphy Stanton! His last film 'Saw' alone made nearly 7 million dollars at the Australian box office!"

Murphy hadn't expected to become a bargaining chip in Harvey Weinstein's negotiations.

"Your company's cooperation with us isn't just this one time!" Weinstein used Murphy as a negotiation chip, "Director Stanton is one of Millamax's best partners and is recognized in Hollywood as one of the most promising young directors. His creative journey has just begun and is far from reaching its peak!"

His voice grew louder, "In future collaborations, all movies produced by Murphy will be our first consideration for your company! Under the same conditions, your company will definitely be our partner, and we can include this in the contract!"

Murphy glanced at Bill-Rossi, who shook his head, signaling there was no need for Murphy to speak.

"'Saw'! 'Planet Terror'! From these two films, Mike, you should be able to identify Director Stanton's style," Weinstein dominated the negotiations, "This type of splatter Cult film originated in Australia and has always been one of the most popular genres in the Australian film market. As long as you have high-quality films, making a profit is easy!"

Mike Gwinn's frown deepened, clearly pondering Weinstein's words.

Of course, reaching an agreement wasn't easy. After another half hour of back-and-forth, Millamax and the Australian distribution company represented by Mike Gwinn finally reached an agreement at a price of 3 million dollars.

This included the theatrical, video tape, DVD, and television broadcast rights for the film in Australia.

In the following days, Murphy and Bill-Rossi participated in more negotiations. Millamax reached agreements with many more overseas distributors, selling the film for prices far exceeding Millamax's investment in the project.

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