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Chapter 52: Casting for "Speed"
🕑 Added 2024-09-11 17:15:43 +0000 UTCAt the start of a new week, Gilbert walked into his Melon Studio in Burbank, carrying a briefcase.
"Good morning, Anna!"
"Good morning, boss!" Anna stood up, took Gilbert's coat, and hung it on the coat rack. "Ms. Boone is already waiting for you in your office."
"Okay," Gilbert nodded and entered his office, where his agent was already there, flipping through some documents.
"I've spoken with Robert Iger and Jeff Robinov separately. Robert Iger agreed to your terms, but for the profit-sharing, they want it to be based on the North American box office," Shena Boone reported on the negotiations over the past few days.
"And what about Warner?" Gilbert asked.
"The conditions are similar, but Warner Bros. has also promised a bonus if the film's box office reaches certain targets," Shena Boone replied.
"That's pretty good," Gilbert said, rubbing his chin. "And what's the situation with Universal?"
"Universal has Spielberg, so it's best not to have too high expectations," Shena Boone advised.
Spielberg's "Jurassic Park" was about to be released, so Universal's primary focus was on that project. Although Gilbert was also important, he certainly couldn't compare to Spielberg.
After considering this, Gilbert made a decision. "In that case, let Warner's offer be known to Robert Iger."
"You mean to bring Warner into the mix?"
"There's no harm in it, is there? If they can support my terms, I'll gladly welcome it," Gilbert said with a smile.
Shena Boone understood and noted it down in her work journal.
Then she added, "I've already signed Naomi Watts. I've arranged a few modeling gigs for her, and she's also had a few guest roles in TV series."
"That's great. Thank you on Naomi's behalf, Shena," Gilbert said gratefully.
"You're welcome; it's my job."
After Gilbert expressed his willingness to let Warner Bros. invest, Disney was reluctant to refuse but couldn't ignore the fact that Warner had accepted Gilbert's terms.
With "Final Destination" continuing to rise at the box office, Disney realized they couldn't afford to lose Gilbert in their live-action film business.
So, after multiple negotiations, Touchstone Pictures, a subsidiary of Disney, officially partnered with Warner Bros. for joint investment and distribution.
Touchstone Pictures and Warner Bros. each invested $15 million, totaling $30 million. Disney would handle the North American distribution, while Warner Bros. would take care of the overseas distribution.
As the director, screenwriter, and producer, Gilbert secured a $5 million fee plus a share of the North American box office.
Starting at $50 million, the box office share would increase by 5% for every additional $50 million, up to a maximum of 15%.
This directing contract wasn't the highest in Hollywood, but for a director who had only made two films, it was quite substantial.
Once the negotiations were complete and it was confirmed there were no legal issues, Gilbert signed his name on the director's contract.
"Trust me, you won't regret today's decision," Gilbert said to the executives of both companies after signing the contract.
For Disney and Warner Bros., they signed this generous contract because they had faith in Gilbert. Now that the deal was done, there was no turning back, and both companies had to help Gilbert complete the work.
Although "Final Destination" was still in theaters, with weekly box office returns that were modest but steady, Gilbert was already moving forward with the preparations for his next film.
Warner Bros. assigned Charles Roven as the producer, while Touchstone Pictures' producer was the familiar Cain Wexman.
The two would assist Gilbert in handling production matters, including casting.
The script review was swift; both companies expedited the process, and the script for "Speed" was approved, marking the film's official pre-production phase.
The first challenge was casting. Since it was an action film, Charles Roven suggested Sylvester Stallone, while Cain Wexman proposed Bruce Willis, who had recently risen to fame.
Gilbert rejected both suggestions outright. "The film's budget is only $30 million. Their fees are too high for us to afford."
It was a valid reason—either the budget would need to increase, or they'd have to find someone else to star.
But Gilbert clearly wasn't interested in increasing the budget. He proposed, "I think Keanu Reeves should play the male lead, Jack."
"Keanu Reeves?" Charles Roven frowned, trying to recall who that was. Cain Wexman, however, responded, "Isn't he the one who starred in Kathryn Bigelow's 'Point Break'?"
"That's right," Gilbert confirmed. "I watched his performance in that film. He played an agent quite well. I believe he's suitable for the lead role."
The assistant quickly brought over Keanu Reeves' profile. Charles Roven looked at the overly handsome face in the photos and frowned again. "Isn't his image a bit too soft? He doesn't seem to have the necessary build—will the audience accept him?"
At that time, the general perception of action heroes was that they had to be muscle-bound like Stallone, Schwarzenegger, or Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Keanu Reeves, with his softer look, was considered a "pretty boy," not fitting the typical action hero mold.
But Gilbert had his reasons for choosing Keanu Reeves—the original film had starred him.
"How about this? Let's have him audition and see how it goes," Gilbert suggested, not wanting to impose his choice without considering others' opinions.
Although the two producers weren't entirely convinced by the choice, Gilbert had considerable influence on the project, so they agreed to the audition plan.
They figured if the audition didn't work out, they could reject Keanu Reeves then.
With the male lead's audition decided, Charles Roven, perhaps feeling a bit guilty about challenging Gilbert earlier, proposed, "For the female lead, Annie, I suggest Cameron Diaz."
This was a good suggestion. Cain Wexman agreed. Cameron Diaz had gained some fame with "Final Destination" and was a fitting choice for a commercial film's eye-candy role.
But Gilbert disagreed. "Michelle has her own things to do. I suggest Sandra Bullock instead."
At that time, Sandra Bullock had appeared in "Love Potion No. 9" and "The Thing Called Love," earning her some recognition, and her fee wasn't too high.
If possible, Gilbert would have preferred Julia Roberts, Jodie Foster, or Demi Moore, who were more prominent stars.
However, big names came with big price tags, and with only a $30 million budget, most of which had to go into production, there wasn't much room to splurge on casting.
After all, Gilbert had managed to secure decent box office returns with "Final Destination," even with a mostly unknown cast.
Since the other two producers had no objections to his other casting suggestions, the meeting concluded.
Afterward, Gilbert made a call to Naomi Watts. "Naomi, start preparing for an audition. You'll be trying out for the role of Emily. I'll speak to Annie. As long as you meet the audition criteria, you'll be given preference."
On the other end of the line, Naomi Watts expressed her gratitude. "Thank you, Gilbert."
"You're welcome, Naomi. Good luck!"
After hanging up the phone, Naomi Watts crouched down, burying her head in her knees, her shoulders shaking.
About ten seconds later, Naomi Watts lifted her head.
She was smiling, a happy smile, though the tear stains at the corners of her eyes betrayed her.
After waiting for so long, she finally got a significant opportunity. Although it wasn't the female lead like Cameron Diaz, even a supporting role was a rare chance.
Her dream was finally taking off...
