Chapter 177: Renaming

[Chapter 177: Renaming]

Eric didn't consider how the two felt about it. Quentin and Lawrence didn't immediately agree, so he dropped the topic. He figured as long as the cooperation went well, Firefly Films would definitely be Quentin and Lawrence's first choice for future projects.

Checking his watch, Eric continued, "Let's put that aside for now. We don't have much time left, so let's discuss the script. I can invest in this movie, and the budget doesn't have to be limited to a million bucks. You two can shoot freely."

Quentin and Lawrence had hesitated when Eric first invited them to join Firefly, but seeing him so easily brush over that topic made them both feel lost, sensing they'd missed a rare opportunity and regretting not jumping on it right away. This emotion left them momentarily speechless. It wasn't until Eric finished speaking and fixed his gaze on them that Lawrence responded first, his face lighting up as he confirmed, "Eric, are you serious?"

Quentin also caught on at this moment, his face equally filled with surprise while looking at Eric.

Eric nodded again. "Of course it's serious, but I have a few conditions."

Immediate looks passed over both their faces that confirmed their suspicions, accompanied by a sigh of relief. They thought if Eric came out of the gate just to solicit and promise funding without any strings attached, that would be troubling. They hoped Eric wouldn't interfere too much with the movie's production.

"First, all the actors must be selected from UTA. You know UTA, right?" By the time he mentioned UTA, Eric sounded a bit uncertain. He hadn't been keeping up with UTA's operations lately, only occasionally chatting over the phone with Kepler Hyde. He vaguely knew the agency was doing well, but beyond that, he wasn't too sure. His rising fame had made him hesitant to meddle too much with UTA's management. The media had taken shots at UTA's dominance, but nothing had stirred much of a fuss.

Actually, North American antitrust laws weren't as stringent as people thought. Take the Paramount Decree of decades ago, which prohibited film companies from owning movie theaters outright. That rule was nearly ineffective now when it came to major film companies. Although not completely ignored, it only constrained the big studios a little. On paper, major film companies owned more than ten percent of all theater screens, usually the best locations. The theaters chosen by the big studios were often top-notch, and the estimates showed that those few theaters represented the creme de la creme of North America's cinema landscape. Behind the scenes, the scale dwarfed even more.

Hearing Eric's question, Lawrence Band immediately nodded, "Of course, we know UTA." After a glance shared with his buddy, he added, "That condition is fine."

"Another thing -- the script needs some adjustments..." As Eric finished speaking, Quentin's displeasure surfaced almost immediately, although he didn't let it show too overtly. Eric simply smiled slightly. "Don't worry; I'm satisfied with the content. The name just sounds a bit silly. I thought of a much better title."

Quentin let out a sigh of relief, and Lawrence relaxed even further. If Eric had intended to overhaul the script drastically, Lawrence worried his friend might jump in to oppose it and make a mess of their collaboration. But since Eric was merely suggesting a title change, that was perfectly acceptable.

Bending down, Eric picked up a pen and jotted down two words on the script before handing it over.

Quentin and Lawrence leaned in together, reading aloud in unison, "Reservoir Dogs?"

"Yes," Eric said, a slightly mischievous smile on his face. "I think this title fits the story perfectly. All the characters in the story, as I see it, are drowing dogs, aren't they?"

Lawrence Band glanced at Quentin this time. Quentin scratched his forehead for a moment, looking a bit torn, before reluctantly nodding. "Alright, let's go with that." He thought the new title certainly sounded better than the original The Dog Eat Dog, but as the script's author, it was a bit frustrating to have the title changed by this young guy across the table.

"One more thing -- I think seven robbers are a bit too many. Six is just fine. I looked at the script, and three of them die right off the bat, which leads to a few unnecessary dialogues. Of course, I'm just throwing out a suggestion. It's up to you whether you want to modify it," Eric added. This little suggestion was something he came up with on the fly, purely to align this classic B-movie more with his version, which he found amusing. If Quentin didn't want to change it, that was also fine; the script's highlight lay in its non-linear narrative structure.

If it were all streamlined, the plot could come off as painfully dull: A mob boss gathers a crew of robbers with color-coded names, robs a jewel store, only to be betrayed by an undercover cop. They end up surrounded and die off in a shootout; the survivors escape to a warehouse and engage in a series of conflicts, ultimately resulting in a final showdown where they all perish.

That would be the gist of it.

The movie's strength lay in its ability to present a ridiculously average story in various entertaining ways.

"I'll consider it," Quentin nodded when he saw that Eric was genuinely only making a suggestion. While his first instinct was to stick to the original, he didn't outright reject it. He decided to discuss it with his buddy later.

"Then I don't have any more issues from my side." Eric leaned back comfortably in his chair, looking at the two. "Do you guys have any questions?"

Pulling the script towards him, Quentin finally asked, "Eric, about... about the film's director?"

Eric laughed and shrugged. "Since I agreed to invest, it basically means I accepted your previous conditions. I won't interfere with the content of the movie at all; you can do your thing. You'll also retain the final cut." He didn't have any expectations at the box office for this film. He remembered that it gained significant fame but didn't exactly break any box office records. However, it brought a few good actors into the limelight, and that was exactly what Eric valued. As long as all the actors came from UTA, even if it led only to some fame and didn't recover costs, it would still be worth it for Eric.

*****

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