Chapter 100

At this moment, the atmosphere in the West Hollywood restaurant was somewhat gloomy.

Stacey Snyder coughed, breaking the awkward atmosphere, and smiled, "Charles, Martin's idea is just his own thoughts. Gathering so many excellent actors together is impossible!

He knows it himself. The budget will be astronomical, and nobody will invest in Martin's commercial ability."

Charles raised one finger, "I want the budget to be below $100 million. As the distributor, Universal, I will respect your opinions!"

Donna Langley directly asked, "Just tell us, how much do you need for the budget of The Departed? How much can Carpe Productions invest?"

Charles looked up at Stacey Snyder and Donna Langley before slowly speaking, "The production budget is $80 million. Carpe Productions will match half of the funds according to the contract and match half of the movie's revenue! The script doesn't have many action scenes, and it's being filmed in New York, so there aren't too many set constructions!"

As for the remaining half of the funds, it didn't matter whether Universal itself funded it or brought in other investors.

"Charles, what if Martin Scorsese gives up directing this film?" Donna Langley continued to ask. Universal wanted the distribution rights because they were substantial with both the box office and the DVD market.

Getting the distribution rights with the least investment is always the pursuit of distributors.

"Martin Scorsese gives up directing?" Charles thought quickly - was it because he didn't want to use Leonardo DiCaprio?

"Then we'll change the director!"

"Who will you change to?"

"Ridley Scott! He is fully capable of directing this movie," Charles also believed the box office could probably be better than if Ridley Scott directed it, although he wasn't sure if they could achieve great success at the Oscars.

After all, Charles had seen American Gangster, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Oscar-winner Denzel Washington. The quality was top-notch.

"What about the actors? If you don't use Leonardo, who do you plan to use?" Donna Langley asked again.

"That needs to be discussed with the director," Charles shook his head.

"Charles, you first discuss the plot and actor choices with Martin Scorsese," Stacey Snyder suggested while looking at Charles. "Isn't Carpe Productions well-funded?"

Charles understood her hint, "Carpe Productions needs a lot of cash for self-distributing films!"

The dinner lasted three hours, equating to three hours of talking about The Departed project.

Stacey Snyder and Donna Langley indeed hoped Martin Scorsese would direct, and the budget could indeed be kept below $100 million, but the primary creative division would certainly compress the profits of Carpe Productions.

Carpe Productions was not only the production company but also one of the investors in the movie.

Charles added his ability to provide funding into the three-film distribution agreement with Universal back then to increase his influence.

Otherwise, although the executive producer appointed by the investors would not interfere much with film production, their power was not insignificant.

Most of the current movie investors include major distributors, the six major studios. They provide part of the funds to get the distribution rights. The production company then uses the distribution contract to obtain loans from banks to cover the production budget.

To protect their interests, distributors commission executive producers to participate in film production, naturally considering their own interests.

The production producer must ensure that the film is shot into the desired final product within the existing funds. Every party results from negotiation.

Negotiation and discussion among investors, distributors, and production companies never stop; capital is the prerequisite for influence.

For overseas investors, many don't even qualify to sit at the movie production negotiating table. They wait in line for the final investment share honestly. They invest in Hollywood movies for cultural export but do not get even the most basic influence. Investment earnings are also at the lowest level, at the very end.

In her business car, Stacey Snyder asked Donna Langley, sitting beside her, "What do you think about this?"

"It's clear that Charles Carpe is a man with a strong need for control. He won't allow his projects to deviate from his planned trajectory. Now it seems even Martin Scorsese cannot go against his will!" Donna Langley seemed to admire this.

"Many people are optimistic about the adapted script of The Departed. I think it's also feasible to let Martin Scorsese lead, and I won't let the budget exceed $100 million. It's not a problem even if Carpe Productions doesn't invest!" Stacey Snyder sighed.

"But you're thinking about pushing Charles out!"

Donna Langley was not surprised. Holding the distribution rights essentially meant having control over the film's fate.

"Charles Carpe is not a simple man! He just brought back a large fortune from Europe, independently developed Walk the Line, and bought Dan Brown's bestseller The Da Vinci Code. He is planning to self-distribute films now!"

Donna Langley shook her head and then laughed, "I always thought you were very optimistic about young Charles and wouldn't think of kicking him out."

Stacey Snyder pondered for a moment, "Are you supporting Charles Carpe?"

Donna Langley nodded, "Martin Scorsese indeed has strong abilities, but you saw the performance of Gangs of New York. Everyone knows how Leonardo DiCaprio's performance was."

"Of course, if Charles and Martin could cooperate well, that would be even better. Martin can ensure the movie's quality will not be too bad, and Charles's vision can shine commercially!"

She finished, spread her hands, and continued.

Stacey Snyder leaned back in her chair, unable to decide yet, "Let's have Charles talk with Martin seriously. If Martin can indeed gather so many actors and stay within the budget, Universal will surely support him!"

"If not necessary, we should avoid conflicting with Charles unnecessarily. Brokeback Mountain will be showcased at the Venice Film Festival at the end of the month, Mr. & Mrs. Smith will be released next summer, and Wedding Crashers has already wrapped and will be released even earlier than Mr. & Mrs. Smith!"

"Three films by Carpe Productions are to be released in succession. The preparation for The Departed won't be that quick. We have enough time to reconcile between Charles and Martin."

Donna Langley nodded. Wasn't it clear that they wanted to see if Charles could lead a blockbuster? If Mr. & Mrs. Smith performs well at the box office, what right does Martin Scorsese have to challenge Charles?

*****

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