Chapter 21. Launching "The Walking Dead"

Exiting the A.K. Films office, Eric immediately got into his car and headed to MGM. His status had changed, and now he no longer wasted time searching for parking or driving himself. At his level, "time equals money," and he could afford to hire a driver, creating a job and benefiting society.

After the loud ousting of the former management and the cancellation of most projects, the entire company knew its new boss by sight. Every employee tried to be friendly, fearing to lose their job over some trivial matter.

Entering his meticulously tidy office, Eric pressed the call button. A few seconds later, there was a knock on the door.

A young man in his early twenties entered; his name was Chen Xin, and he was Eric's new secretary, a Chinese man.

Why didn't he hire an attractive secretary? Eric needed a worker, not a flirtation target. Male secretaries are more resilient, especially during overtime, which his position required. Chinese workers were famous for their diligence, and given the plans for expanding business in China, the choice was clear.

"Boss!"

"Call Billy Giese."

"Alright!"

A few minutes later, Chen Xin returned with Billy and several other employees.

"How is the task I assigned progressing?"

A woman with glasses handed Eric a report. He had seen her at the meeting; she was a mid-level employee from the marketing department.

"In the past three days, we've visited every store in Los Angeles and consulted with publishers. We found 27 works about zombies, including comics and novels, but they are not very well-known. Some authors among them even self-publish. I bought all these works; would you like to take a look?"

Eric flipped through the report and was relieved to see that "The Walking Dead" comic was not among them. A good sign—the original had not yet been published.

"Sort these works by category and pick those that deal with themes of survival and the struggle with human nature."

Soon, several novels were on his desk, but there were no comics.

"According to your criteria, there are only five books. However, the main storyline in them is still related to fighting zombies."

Eric opened a novel titled "The King of the Apocalypse" and immediately felt it was the right style. It was 2002, and zombie-themed works lacked depth.

"Good job. Now focus on George R.R. Martin and buy the rights to his books as soon as possible, especially 'A Song of Ice and Fire.' At any cost."

After the praise, the employees relaxed. Recently, there had been tension at MGM, and they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Throughout the morning, Eric reviewed the five novels and ensured there would be no issues with copyright. In the afternoon, he called in the production manager. This middle-aged man, though recruited by his father, knew well who was in charge.

"Julio, take a look at this script outline. I'm planning to launch this project."

"'The Walking Dead' first season? Are you already planning a continuation?" Julio frowned.

Eric silently watched him read. It was just a plot outline, describing the background, characters, and main points.

After reading the outline, Julio gathered his thoughts: "The idea is good, and the market should accept it, but there are a few problems."

"Speak."

"How many episodes are you planning for the first season? Judging by the script, the production cost will be high—makeup, props, extras, locations. Some scenes cannot be filmed in a studio; we'll have to close streets, which is quite expensive. I'm afraid the profit might be small."

Julio, an experienced producer, always paid close attention to costs. According to his calculations, each episode could cost no less than $1.5 million; otherwise, the quality would suffer. He believed the project could be unprofitable but didn't want to say it outright.

Eric was aware of his concerns. Before relocating here, he learned that the average cost per episode of "The Walking Dead" was about $2.7 million. Even by the standards of that time, this was considered a very expensive show. However, its revenues were equally impressive—averaging $11 million per episode.

"Don't worry about the costs. I plan to have 12 episodes in the first season with a budget of $40 million. I want to create a masterpiece capable of winning awards."

In the original version of "The Walking Dead," the first season consisted of only six episodes because production costs were high, and the show's future was uncertain. Even the wealthiest investors hesitated to invest significant funds upfront. Six episodes per season was the standard for many high-budget American TV shows.

However, knowing that the project would be successful, limiting it to six episodes seemed trivial. Eric decided to combine the content of the original's first and second seasons.

He also planned to significantly reduce the romantic plotlines of the second season, especially the triangle between Rick, Lori, and Shane, which viewers found annoying and unnecessarily drawn out. While watching the show, Eric himself often felt like getting rid of Lori; he disliked her character that much! The series became worse and worse due to the excessive focus on "exploring human nature." Viewers didn't mind this, but often everything happening seemed illogical, and the characters appeared foolish, causing only irritation.

The struggle and trials of human nature should be deep and strategically placed to become climactic moments. Eric also wanted to increase the number of zombie scenes to keep viewers' adrenaline pumping. His goal was to create a series combining spectacle and depth.

With a budget of $40 million for 12 episodes, each episode would cost no less than $3.33 million. This is $100,000 more than the original, accounting for inflation. These additional funds would go towards increasing the number of zombie scenes and attracting top writers. The money should ensure a quality script.

Julio, sitting opposite, was astonished. He wanted to object but, seeing Eric's confidence, decided to remain silent.

"I'm just an employee; why upset the boss? And if this young guy fails, it might even be beneficial."

"Understood. I'll assign the best producers to this project. What are the requirements for writers and directors?"

"Directors: Frank Darabont or Neil Marshall. If you can get John Carpenter, I'll even applaud you. Find the writers yourself, but I want to control the script."

Eric mentioned three directors. Everyone knows John Carpenter. Frank Darabont was the director of the original first season of "The Walking Dead" and such masterpieces as "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile." Eric loved his style, where zombies were more aggressive, creating tension and fear.

Neil Marshall, though less known, worked on projects like "The Descent," "Dog Soldiers," "Doomsday," and popular series such as "Game of Thrones," "Westworld," "Black Sails," and "Hannibal." He is a very talented director.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Eric waved his hand, and Julio, understanding it was time to leave, exited the office.

"Eric, this girl is very difficult. I advise you to come to Israel yourself!"