Unite again

"I hope we can collaborate again," said Lyman, and the atmosphere around them instantly became complex. Davis's heart raced, Lyman had expectations, and Heath Ledger... had to make a choice.

"Ned Kelly" or "Fury."

Before their conversation, Heath already knew that Lyman had scheduled the shooting dates for a new film project for around the 10th of next month, with an estimated filming period of two months. Undoubtedly, this coincided with the shooting schedule for "Ned Kelly".

In other words, facing the invitation to participate in two films at the same time, he had to make a choice. What a happy dilemma it was! In the past, he often eagerly waited to be chosen, unlike now, where he had a slight sense of control. Fellow countryman or... friend? Looking at Lyman's sincere gaze, there seemed to be no need for much hesitation.

"Of course, it would be my honor."

Davis, standing by, breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. He was afraid that his signed artist would choose to give up such an opportunity. Fortunately, he retained his commission, oh, no, his client's career took another step forward. Yes, he was happy for that. An uncontrollable joy appeared on Davis's face, and the wrinkles around his eyes made him look very foolish.

With this clear intention to participate, the following matters became much easier. Heath's agent, Davis, would negotiate the related salary issues and actor treatment with George. There wasn't much to say; Heath's price wasn't high, and the negotiation went very smoothly.

Before long, both parties signed the official actor's contract, and it was announced that Heath Ledger had joined the cast of "Fury". As for "Ned Kelly", they could only apologize.

After selecting the important new recruit "Norman" for the Fury, the auditions for other roles continued in the following days. After a series of selections and comparisons, the actors for several important roles were chosen.

"Coon-Ass" went to Jon Bernthal, an actor who had played many soldier or military roles and was experienced. With a rugged appearance, a strong build, and mature acting temperament, he perfectly matched the character's description in the script. Moreover, he wasn't very well-known, so his salary was affordable, making it a good deal for the production team.

The role of "Bible" was officially played by Brad William Henke, who was also once a professional soldier, so there were no issues.

It wasn't difficult to find other roles like the Allied and German commanders or high-ranking officers who had fewer appearances but less screen time. In Hollywood, there was no shortage of actors, not to mention the European and French actors that EuropaCorp had organized. After some negotiation and back-and-forth, they also signed performance contracts with the production team.

So far, the expenditure on actors' fees was as follows:

Heath Ledger successfully secured a $1.5M fee. His previous film "Buried" had given him a certain market appeal, and his role in this film was significant, with a heavy workload, so naturally, his treatment would be better.

The fees for the other main characters ranged mostly between $500,000 and $1M, with the differences depending on their resumes and past achievements. Hollywood had its own way of calculating actor fees, so generally, the salaries offered were reasonable.

Just when the actor preparations were going smoothly, bad news arrived.

In an office in Paramount Pictures' headquarters, Lyman, George, and Sandy frowned slightly, their previous good moods completely gone. Sandy was the representative sent by Paramount Pictures, and George had a certain position with EuropaCorp. Only Lyman was responsible for the production team. But in this matter, the three of them stood together in the same trench.

The reason was simple. Regardless, everyone wanted the film to be successfully completed, and any troubles that arose instinctively displeased them, especially when the other side made such a hefty demand.

"What's wrong with CAA? Don't they want this film to be completed smoothly?" Lyman was angry, yes, he was angry. He had originally selected Brad Pitt as the actor for the role of the Fury's leader, "Wardaddy", and had submitted an audition invitation to Brad Pitt's agent.

Calling it an audition arrangement was just a formality. Top-tier actors like Brad Pitt always chose their projects rather than being chosen by films. After all, with his current status and reputation, he received numerous scripts every year. His worries revolved around how to arrange his schedule, not considering other major issues.

Coincidentally, Brad Pitt's agency was CAA, and CAA also had a stake in this film's profits. Moreover, Lyman himself was a signed director with CAA, and he had inquired about Brad Pitt's availability, which was free from July to September this year.

Upon receiving the invitation, the other party did not outright refuse and expressed a basic willingness to play the role of "Wardaddy" in "Fury". After all, this project was excellent and had the gems of "Buried" and "3 Idiots" behind it. Director Lyman was definitely someone reliable. In theory, with both parties' sincere cooperation, they only needed to complete the negotiations and sign the contract. However, the problem arose during the negotiation of the terms. The other party demanded a salary of $12M and requested to be a financial contributor with a share of no less than $5M.

Upon hearing the excessively demanding conditions George mentioned upon his return, Lyman couldn't help but sneer. He had worked hard to prepare the script and shooting plan, using his qualifications, past collaborations, and various other factors to negotiate and secure an investment share of $6M from EuropaCorp. Brad Pitt, no matter how big a star he was, his appetite seemed too large.

Lyman did consider his high value. Although a salary of $12M was a bit beyond his expectations, there were still negotiation or remediation methods available. It was quite common to give a little more in the box office split or in copyright operations to offset this amount. This was a common collaboration method. However, what Lyman never expected was their greed. They not only demanded a high salary but also a share of the investment.

Did they have no fear?

"I don't think this is CAA's intention. It might be Brad Pitt's own plan. I remember he started a personal studio called Plan B with several partners. Maybe he sees a great profit potential in this project and wants to have a hand in it," Sandy speculated, though she frowned and felt uncomfortable with these conditions, she still voiced her conjecture.

"CAA has no reason to do this. They also want to see the smooth progress of the project instead of dragging it like this. After all, they won't lose out once the film is released. Is it necessary for them to do this?"

George rubbed his forehead and offered his insight, "I also don't think CAA would create obstacles like this. It's probably Brad Pitt's demand. In fact, during today's negotiation meeting, they didn't stick to this price. They're likely trying to apply pressure through this method to gain a more advantageous negotiating position." Lyman nodded. This negotiation tactic was effective and practical, and there was indeed a great possibility. From this, it was not difficult to analyze Brad Pitt's intentions.

As an actor, he was already a top-tier star. Although there was still some distance from being a true superstar, there was no doubt that he was successful. When a person's abilities and various resources easily become accessible, it was only natural to have other ideas.

As Sandy mentioned, Brad Pitt had started a studio called Plan B. He probably thought it would be a waste not to utilize his numerous channels and connections. Thus, the idea of investing in the project came to mind. Investing through the studio and joining a project as an actor, it could be seen as a win-win situation.

"You can't expect me to work when I can be the boss," this was probably the true reflection of his inner thoughts.

Although Lyman understood this point and acknowledged the truth that people strive for better, it didn't mean that his thoughts flowed smoothly. On the contrary, he still believed that Brad Pitt was extremely greedy. He touched on the interests that should not be touched and even sought to obtain something beyond being an actor. What was he planning to do? Did he want to take command and be the boss on the set?

"Both of you, what do you think?" Lyman asked with a serious tone. Although Lyman was the true decision-maker regarding the actors, in order to accommodate the investments from the two studios and the responsibility for film distribution, he also paid great attention to the balance and communication between them.

Dictatorship has always been overthrown by the people.

Sandy hesitated and said, "Let's continue the contact and see. After all, his market appeal is strong, with a large fan base, and there are many fans worldwide who support him." This was a project with an investment exceeding $50M, including publicity, distribution, copies, and media relations. The final cost would be around $100M or even higher. As an executive of Paramount Pictures, Sandy naturally hoped that this project would proceed without any mishaps.

To rely solely on box office profits, the global market data would definitely aim for more than 300 million dollars. With such a large amount, they needed a top-tier actor who could handle the pressure and take on the responsibility of driving ticket sales. Brad Pitt was truly an excellent candidate when considering all aspects. Otherwise, Paramount Pictures wouldn't have had such high expectations for Lyman and even handed over the casting decisions to him as in the initial shooting plan, Brad Pitt's role was already decided.