Chapter 589: Another Trap!

In this room were top executives from Warner Bros., and it was nearly impossible to conceal the industry's currents from them. Disney Pictures had made no effort to hide their contact with Martin Davis, and news of their discussions had spread widely since the Oscars.

Daniel pointed out specifically, "Alan Horne has been in touch with Martin since he assumed control of Disney Pictures. If we don't make adjustments to our distribution, we're highly likely to lose 'John Wick 2'."

Hamada refrained from discussing it with Jon Berg. Ultimately, the decision rested with Kevin Tsujihara.

Kevin Tsujihara, having recently taken office, couldn't afford to make the first policy he implemented a blow to himself. Moreover, compared to actors and stars, leaders of major corporations were already at an advantage.

He considered the situation and stated, "Originally, I thought about waiting for Martin Davis to return to Los Angeles and meeting with him in person."

Daniel waited for his boss's next move.

Kevin Tsujihara ultimately decided, "No, I won't meet with him. I don't want to send him the wrong message, thinking that Warner will crumble without him." He emphasized, "I'll say it again; why do those small studios and projects make money? Because they follow Warner Brothers, not the other way around!"

He made his position clear and addressed Daniel, "We'll fight for it if we can. When Martin Davis returns to Los Angeles, you should talk to him."

Though Daniel was concerned, he knew this was the right course of action, both in his own view and from an external perspective. His position as a Warner executive was the source of his authority.

"I'll talk to him," Daniel replied, maintaining his hopes for Martin. Martin's work could provide stable performance. "We'll do our best to keep him at Warner Bros."

Jon Berg interjected suddenly, "I have an idea, even if Martin Davis no longer collaborates with Warner Bros... I mean, in the worst-case scenario."

He continued, "Martin Davis has excellent instincts. We can still keep an eye on him. We can discuss which scripts, novels, or comics we're interested in. With Warner Bros.' financial resources and influence, I believe many people will make wise choices."

Snatching up projects was common in Hollywood, especially when it involved potentially profitable ventures. For instance, many companies fiercely competed for the adaptation rights to "The Da Vinci Code," and Sony Columbia ultimately outbid numerous rivals with a multi-million-dollar offer.

Kevin Tsujihara didn't find it difficult to make a decision. He glanced at Daniel and Jon Berg, remarking, "Keep a close eye on Martin."

With their discussion regarding Martin and Davis Studio concluded, the group shifted their focus to other matters.

...

Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

The final day of filming for the crew had arrived, and the set was adorned like a scene from "The Helen Show."

Martin and Helen occupied separate single sofas, engaging in a question-and-answer session that resembled a talk show appearance.

Mene, wearing black-rimmed glasses, stood just outside the camera's view, frequently providing Martin with cues in the field.

In the film, he played Martin's lawyer.

This particular scene had been saved for the last day, necessitating careful coordination due to Helen's tight schedule.

On the film set, Martin and Helen, long-time partners, effortlessly delivered their lines from the script. Many of the shots, even the long ones, flowed seamlessly, requiring only a single take.

"Cut!" David Fincher's voice boomed, signaling a break in filming. Helen's makeup artist hurried over to dab away her perspiration. She grinned at Martin and quipped, "Who would've thought my first movie role would be playing myself?"

As the makeup artist moved away, Martin chuckled. "Well, Helen, your talk show is incredibly famous. Gillian even used your show's name in the book, so we had no choice but to invite you to play me."

Helen replied with a wry smile, "I'm not the hottest thing right now. Judy from TMZ is the real star." She lowered her voice and asked, "Haven't you been following the news?"

Martin shook his head. "I've been swamped with filming." He inquired, "Did Judy win an award?"

Helen nodded. "In early May, Judy won the Pulitzer Prize for investigative journalism."

Martin offered his congratulations. "Impressive."

While it might seem unusual for a Hollywood mogul's scandal to lead to a Pulitzer Prize, it made more sense when considering Obama's Nobel Peace Prize win the previous year as a military leader.

Helen sighed, "I wish I could have Harvey on my show right now, but I doubt that's happening."

Martin understood her dilemma. "I can't blame you. Harvey probably wants to see me buried."

Over the director's monitor, David Fincher's voice announced, "The final scene is about to begin. All departments, please prepare."

Martin and Helen fell silent, mentally preparing for their last scene.

Meanwhile, outside the set's resting area, Bruce dragged in a large box.

Curious, Lily asked, "Is Martin handing out souvenirs again?"

Bruce explained, "It's a tradition we can't break. High Priest Robert insists on continuing the cola offering and asks Martin to distribute souvenirs after each shoot."

Lily quipped, "That big head in Atlanta talks like a broken record."

Elizabeth, unfamiliar with Robert, refrained from asking further. When she heard "Atlanta," curiosity piqued, but she held back.

Lily inquired again, "Are those fish stones inside that you just got?"

"Unlikely," Elizabeth replied. "They're probably more horn statues."

Bruce clarified, "They're all figurines made of hones. The fish stones were all given to Lily previously."

As filming was about to commence, the three fell silent.

The last scene featured a close-up of Martin, with a lengthy monologue that required deep emotion. It took Martin three attempts to get it right, and David Fincher finally declared, "That's a wrap!"

He continued, "With this, all scenes for 'Gone Girl' are filmed. We're officially wrapped!"

The remaining crew members, while not numerous, broke into applause. David Fincher and Danu, being relatively composed individuals, didn't make any extravagant arrangements for this moment.

Although Martin enjoyed having fun, he respected the director on set and refrained from indulging in latte art or ribbons.

Amidst the applause, the filming stage for this drama came to a close. Martin called Bruce forward to personally present the souvenirs.

Due to copyright issues, the statues, except for those for the "Dark Knight" crew, were modeled after Martin himself.

Over the past few years, Martin's figurines had become an iconic fixture in Hollywood, much like Tom Cruise's cake.

With no one around, Bruce whispered, "If one day bison go extinct in Australia, you'll be to blame."

In a hushed tone, Martin replied, "In a place like Australia, bison aren't going extinct. Oh, and I have good news, Judy won the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism."

Bruce winced at the thought of Judy, feeling a pang in his pelvis. "I saw the news."

Martin smirked with a hint of mischief in his tone, "Once you're back in Los Angeles, don't forget to extend your congratulations to others—it's a life-altering event."

Bruce had had enough of Martin's banter and was eager to escape the conversation.

Martin, however, wasn't willing to let him off the hook. "Judy is quite the looker, delicate features, and she barely needs makeup. She's even prettier than some Hollywood actresses."

Bruce grabbed the empty box and departed without responding.

Elizabeth approached from the side, curious about the interaction. "Were you teasing Bruce again?"

Martin grinned and led Elizabeth out of the studio. "Come on, let's get that makeup off. I've arranged for a private plane, and we're flying back to Los Angeles today."

Elizabeth held onto Martin's arm, a sweet smile on her face. "Let's go home."

Before six o'clock in the evening, Martin and his entourage boarded a rented business plane, heading back to Los Angeles.

Elizabeth had a commercial shoot for Estée Lauder scheduled for the next day, while Martin aimed to return early to finalize distribution matters before starting "John Wick 2" filming.

Due to the involvement with the promotion and release of "Inception," filming for this project wouldn't begin until the latter half of the year.

The following day, Martin arrived at Davis Studio. He called Jessica and Thomas to inquire about negotiations with Disney Pictures and then reached out to Alan Horn.

Alan Horn, eager to establish himself at Disney, was keen to secure Martin. Within his authority, Horn made significant concessions—Disney's North American distribution commission would be 27% after box office splits, not exceeding 40% overseas. The specifics, such as offline commission, would be discussed in detail.

Additionally, Horn agreed to add guarantee conditions to the contract, remaining unchanged for five years—though Martin aimed for ten.

Compared to Warner Bros.'s North American distribution commission, which had risen to 30%, Disney Pictures appeared more sincere.

Shortly after hanging up with Horn, Daniel called Martin. Having learned of Martin's return to Los Angeles, Daniel wished to schedule a meeting with Jon Berg from Warner Pictures to visit him. They set an appointment for the afternoon.

Ending the call, Bruce brought up recent news. "Warner Pictures held a press conference a few days ago, hosted by Jon Berg. Gillian Flynn, who returned early from the set, attended. The conference primarily introduced the upcoming project with Gillian."

Martin commented, "Seems like Jon Berg considers this quite the achievement."

Bruce noted, "Well, it is a project you're optimistic about."

Martin shrugged, noncommittal.

Curious, Bruce asked, "Why is Daniel accompanying him? Is this some sort of demonstration?"

Martin shook his head. "Who knows, these folks handpicked by Kevin Tsujihara can be a bit unpredictable."

Bruce pondered for a moment. "Are we really just going to sit idly by? Watch others walk away with Gillian's project and do nothing about it? If Leonardo and Nicholson knew, they'd mock you forever."

Martin gave it some thought and realized Bruce had a point. "Perhaps we should try digging another hole? They're coming to visit us, and even if they don't fall in, it won't hurt to try."

Bruce nodded in agreement. "We've got nothing to lose."