Fortune favors the prepared

Hollywood, Paramount Pictures headquarters.

Sherry Lansing looked at the project proposal sent by Firefly Films on the table, lost in thought.

Sitting across from her was her trusted subordinate, David Andrews, who was in charge of the marketing department. He was flipping through the documents with great interest.

"This project is very feasible, and the story smoothly picks up the part that the audience is more interested in. They're even calling Jigsaw the second Hannibal Lecter—two twisted antisocial personalities, quite intriguing." After finishing reading the summary attached to the script, David casually introduced it.

"The intricate murder devices have become almost symbolic of Jigsaw. President, this James is really something. These excellent ideas are truly suitable for adapting into sequels. If they follow this template, making several more films shouldn't be a problem."

Sherry continued, "Yes, I've heard Lyman mention it. He said that if the effect is good and the audience accepts it, they can keep making them. Besides, the investment won't skyrocket like with "Harry Potter" or "007". After all, Jigsaw is just a symbol. They can simply change the actor if needed. It's not a problem."

"What about the distribution mentioned here?"

"I'm willing, but..." Sherry calmly said, "Investing in this project alone will cost over $10M, but there's no indication here that we can participate in the investment. Did you know that?"

"I know," David brought up a seemingly unrelated matter, "I heard that the film company Lyman established will handle the entire production of this film. Moreover, CAA is also very supportive."

"Hmph, then let them support it. They don't even have the capability to distribute to theaters. Even if they make it, the film will just be stuck in their hands."

"It's not that simple. You should know that Warner Bros. has been getting quite close to Lyman lately, and even EuropaCorp has agreed to handle the overseas distribution of the film. Kevin Huvane even personally brought Lyman to meet Barry Meyer."

Sherry's expression shifted slightly as she looked at David. "What is CAA up to?"

"What else can they be up to? Their goals aren't unclear. Over the years, they've been providing bundled services and frequently wooing directors. It's all about expanding their influence within the industry. They have people and funds. If not for legal restrictions, they would have already ventured into film and television production. But even so, are they participating in film production any less? Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, and even those American TV shows in recent years... Lyman is just the next point of expansion."

Who didn't know about CAA's ambitious plans?

A company that controlled so many entertainment resources, would they be content with just playing an intermediary role?

Of course, as long as they didn't actually take that step, it didn't matter.

Without distribution capability, everything would be in vain.

In the realm of the six major Hollywood studios, there were no fools. The cake had already been divided up. Who would allow someone else to enter?

These were all just struggling tactics.

As she spoke, Sherry sighed.

"I really want to put them in their place. Look at his terms: a 25% distribution fee, including marketing expenses. It's incredibly harsh. This kind of attitude clearly shows he's fearless."

Of course he's fearless. Just like David mentioned, if Paramount didn't agree, he could turn and seek refuge at Warner Bros. If it weren't for the pleasant collaborations they had in the past, he'd want to directly negotiate with various major film companies and maximize his profits.

Furthermore, giving away 25% of the profits directly in exchange for Paramount's well-established distribution channels and media resources is already quite cost-effective. You could say it's a way to make money effortlessly.

"Even if we try to control him, it's useless. Remember when Spielberg and Universal clashed over profit sharing for "Jaws"? After that, they switched sides and collaborated on the "Indiana Jones" series. Later, Universal even lowered its stance willingly. Isn't that the truth?" David was surprisingly relaxed about this matter.

He advised, "Anyway, he's backed by CAA and definitely has the capital to produce films. Would he still push away meat that's served on a plate? If we reject him, it will only chill his heart. So why bother?"

Sherry remained silent.

Of course, she understood this logic, but she didn't want to think about it.

You see, back then, to help him rise to power, she had even cooperated with CAA to promote him during the Oscars and let him steal the limelight.

But now, just like that, he was turning his back on them.

How could this reality make her feel at ease?

However, if David knew what was going through her mind at this moment, he would surely think Sherry was being melodramatic.

He didn't even consider that over these past two years of collaboration, Paramount had gained so much from Lyman.

Moreover, they didn't owe him anything.

This was just normal business cooperation, but people just had to overthink things and feel unsatisfied. Just like Universal back then, always feeling indebted to Steven Spielberg and wanting him to continue working for peanuts.

But clearly, just like Spielberg, Lyman wasn't foolish. Both of them wanted what they deserved.

Blame it on starting from too low a point, creating too big a disparity.

"Saw" has been screened for 23 days, with a cumulative North American box office of $140M. It's safe to say it will soon cross $150M. In the overseas market, according to EuropaCorp's announcements, it has already garnered $70M. Adding these together, it's already over $200M. With an investment of $10M, gaining over $200M in box office, the audience base they've built is undoubtedly solid. If the quality of this project isn't too poor, the potential for profit from handling distribution work is very promising," David said again.

"Alright, I understand. You can leave now. I'll have the marketing department start the project as soon as possible."

Sherry probably had come to a realization.

She wasn't a fool, after all. With the success of "Saw" as a precedent, making a sequel was almost a guaranteed profitable venture.

And considering his attitude, it's likely that Lyman is planning to produce the sequel independently. If Paramount is willing to cooperate, they can continue to maintain their good understanding. Perhaps the only difference will be some changes in profit sharing—Lyman will get the lion's share. If they're not willing, other companies can take over.

Anyway, he's not planning to settle for less.

Thinking this far, Sherry even secretly made up her mind: It seems that she needs to cultivate her own team, elevate the company's production level. Relying on mountains and rivers will falter, only being strong and unyielding will be the eternal truth.