Chapter 211: Ira Deutschman

"Simon, William Dafoe is indeed good, but don't you think he's more suited to play the Joker rather than Black Mask?"

In the conference room of Daenerys Entertainment headquarters, the morning's auditions had just concluded, and Simon, along with a few key creators of "Batman," was discussing the final selection for the role of Roman Sionis, the Black Mask.

Speaking was Joe Silver, another producer of "Batman."

Joe Silver, also one of Hollywood's top producers, was known for his work on the "Matrix" series. At only 36 years old, Joe had already made a name for himself with "Die Hard" and "Lethal Weapon."

Simon, the lead producer of "Batman," needed an assistant to handle personnel, finance, and location coordination. Joe Silver, who had just had a successful collaboration with Warner through the "Lethal Weapon" series, was recommended.

"Joe, William as Black Mask is enough. For the Joker, I'd prefer to find an actor who can inherently display the character's malevolence, not just someone with a naturally villainous face like William."

William Dafoe's most famous role was as the main villain, the Green Goblin, in the "Spider-Man" series. At this time, Dafoe, only 33, did not have the wrinkled uncle look he would in later years and could even be considered handsome. Over the years, William Dafoe had worked with directors like William Friedkin, Tony Scott, and Oliver Stone, meeting the requirements for Black Mask in terms of acting skills and experience.

Moreover, if not for a minor role cut from "Heaven's Gate," William Dafoe's first feature film was "The Loveless," directed by Kathryn Bigelow, marking Bigelow's directorial debut.

Thus, Hollywood is indeed small.

Simon's choice of William Dafoe for Black Mask was also influenced by Kathryn Bigelow.

A big production with a $50 million investment requires more than just suitable casting; it's crucial to ensure the actor doesn't have bad habits, isn't a diva, and can get along with other creators, which is why many directors prefer to work with familiar actors.

Simon had specifically called Kathryn Bigelow to inquire about William Dafoe's behavior off-screen. Only after getting a positive response did he decide to cast Dafoe as Black Mask.

After further discussion and since Simon insisted, the role was finally confirmed.

The afternoon was reserved for the final audition for Commissioner Gordon, starting at 2 PM.

After the meeting, everyone left for lunch. Simon and Joe Silver were chatting about some preparatory details of the film as they walked out of the conference room when Jennifer happened to walk by with another man wearing black-framed glasses and not very tall.

Simon stopped and told Joe Silver, "Well, Joe, see you this afternoon."

Joe Silver, aware Simon had other matters to attend to, smiled, nodded, greeted Jennifer and the man, and then left.

Once Joe Silver was out of sight, the man with glasses stepped forward, extended his hand to Simon, and said, "Hello, Mr. Westerlo, I'm Ira Deutschman."

"Just call me Simon," Simon shook his hand, noticing he was holding his briefcase, and suggested, "If there's nothing important in there, let Jennifer keep it for you. Let's go have lunch."

"Of course," Ira Deutschman handed his briefcase to Jennifer, saying, "Thank you, Ms. Lebouef."

Jennifer smiled, taking the briefcase, but then leaned in to whisper to Simon, "Mr. Lem is online."

Simon gestured for Ira Deutschman to follow and told his assistant, "Transfer it to the car phone. I'll talk to him on the way."

Jennifer nodded, and Simon, along with Ira Deutschman, went downstairs where Neil Bennett had the car ready.

They got in the car, and without needing instructions from Simon, Neil Bennett drove off. Simon gave Ira Deutschman a wait sign, picked up the car phone, and discussed his negotiations with MGM regarding the rights for "Rain Man" with Robert Lem.

After a morning of bargaining, MGM finally agreed to relinquish the North American distribution rights for "Rain Man" for $5 million, under the condition that they receive the check by Friday. Both Amy and Lem had expected to pay around $5 million for the rights, so this was a pleasant surprise for Simon, who immediately agreed.

During the call, Robert Lem also inquired if they should delay the release of "Rain Man," as the industry had low expectations for the film, and it was not easy to secure screens at the last minute. Daenerys Entertainment's distribution department was busy with "Scream," "Mulan," and "Dead Poets Society," and adding "Rain Man" to the mix would disrupt the team's workflow. Moreover, delaying "Rain Man" could avoid competition with "Dead Poets Society," which was also scheduled for the Christmas season.

However, Simon did not agree with Lem's suggestion.

The media had already been unfavorable towards "Rain Man," and announcing a delay would cement its reputation as a flop. Therefore, Daenerys Entertainment could not afford to delay but instead had to launch a strong promotional campaign for the film.

When Simon hung up, the Range Rover had arrived at a restaurant.

Inside, Simon began to scrutinize Ira Deutschman.

Ira Deutschman, 35 years old, looked young and scholarly. His name sounded somewhat feminine, but it was "Ira," not "Elle," a name common for both genders but more typically male in Hebrew. Deutschman was clearly a Jewish surname.

Ira Deutschman was the person Simon had been looking for to head Gaomon Pictures.

A Northwestern University graduate, Ira Deutschman had deep ties to Hollywood. Even during his university days, he had worked on the distribution of a film by renowned independent director John Cassavetes.

After graduating, Deutschman joined United Artists' specialty film division, UA Classics. Following UA's collapse after "Heaven's Gate" and its acquisition by MGM, UA Classics was dissolved, and in 1983, Deutschman co-founded a new company focusing on art films.

Three years prior, his company released "A Room with a View," starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Helena Bonham Carter, earning over $20 million in North America on a $3 million budget and securing three Oscars from eight nominations.

Despite the ongoing operations of his company, Deutschman had recently been ousted by his partners, forcing him to leave the firm he had founded.

In another timeline, Deutschman would join Fine Line Features, a New Line Cinema subsidiary aiming to break into the art film market, though with limited success compared to Miramax. Nonetheless, Deutschman remained active in Hollywood for many years.

After ordering, Simon asked Deutschman, "Have you seen Michael Hoffman's 'Sisters'? What do you think?"

Despite being much younger, Deutschman was inevitably nervous about this interview, keen on landing the job, especially after being forced out of his company, a mark of failure. He was surprised Simon didn't start with this issue, having been briefed to watch a film by rising director Michael Hoffman called "Sisters" upon arriving at Daenerys Entertainment.

Responding to Simon's question, Deutschman praised the film for its exploration of life, love, and desire through the protagonist's holiday journey, cleverly bookended with references to Sandro Botticelli's "Primavera," symbolizing all that is beautiful in the world and hinting at human desire.

Simon then unexpectedly asked about the film's potential box office, to which Deutschman cautiously predicted $5 million if he were in charge, based on a traditional yet conservative approach for art films, targeting young audiences with a marketing push that included festival appearances and limited screenings in major cities.

However, Simon disagreed, arguing that such a strategy relied too much on luck and was unlikely to reach the predicted box office, suggesting a need for a more unconventional approach that appealed directly to what audiences wanted to see, regardless of the director's artistic intentions.

Encouraged to think outside the box, Deutschman proposed marketing "Sisters" as a provocative comedy about a boy entangled with three sisters, focusing on the scandalous premise rather than its artistic merit to attract audiences.

Simon's response highlighted the harsh reality of film marketing, emphasizing the need to sell what audiences desired over the director's vision, illustrating the brutal but necessary tactics required to succeed in Hollywood.

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