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Chapter 50: The World of the Successful
🕑 Added 2024-09-10 17:19:43 +0000 UTCIn addition to buying stocks, Gilbert also instructed his assistant, Anna Singh, to approach the Tolkien Estate. The goal was, of course, to acquire the rights to the famous "The Lord of the Rings." He had always been fond of this film series and naturally wanted the opportunity to produce it himself.
The negotiation process went smoothly. After Anna Singh raised the offer to one million dollars, the estate representatives quickly signed the film rights transfer agreement. This included the rights to "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "The Silmarillion," "The Hobbit," and other related works—all of which were now in Gilbert's hands.
The payment for the rights would be completed over the next two years. However, it was still too early to discuss "The Lord of the Rings." Such a massive project couldn't be driven by Gilbert alone. He would undoubtedly need to partner with a film studio to bring this epic series to life.
Meanwhile, Gilbert submitted the script for "Speed" to Touchstone Pictures and also sent it to several other studios interested in working with him, including Universal Pictures and Warner Bros.
The submission of the script sparked discussions within Touchstone Pictures. This time, Gilbert didn't insist on converting his salary into an investment but instead demanded a five-million-dollar paycheck plus a minimum of ten percent of the global gross box office.
It's important to note that gross box office revenue sharing differs from profit-sharing. Profit-sharing only kicks in after the film is profitable, and it's only a share of the profit. Gross box office sharing, however, means that no matter how much revenue the film generates, a certain percentage is shared—globally.
Given his success with two films, Gilbert was now in a position to make such demands from the studios. Essentially, this proposal was a scaled-down version of Spielberg's deal for "Jurassic Park," where Spielberg received a base salary of fifteen million dollars, twenty percent of the gross box office, and five percent of the merchandise sales.
Of course, Gilbert couldn't be directly compared to Spielberg. His demands were part of the usual negotiation tactics, aiming high and settling somewhere acceptable.
He also shared these conditions with other interested studios, proposing a production budget of twenty million dollars. While this wasn't yet on the level of a major blockbuster, it was a significant jump from the $3.5 million budget for his previous film, demonstrating Gilbert's steady progress in the industry.
Had his first film flopped, no studio would be willing to back his second, let alone a third. But now, it was the studios that were anxious to work with him.
In mid-October, a celebration for "Final Destination" was held at the Hilton Hotel. The film's great success had significantly boosted Robert Iger's standing at Disney's board, so the celebration was set to be a high-profile event. Many executives from other film studios attended, uninvited, including Universal Pictures' President Tom Schumacher, Warner Bros.' CEO Jeff Robinov, 20th Century Fox's CEO Tom Rothman, and Paramount Pictures' CEO Sherry Lansing.
You might wonder why the heads of these studios would go out of their way to connect with someone like Gilbert, who had only directed two successful films. The answer lies in the difference between them and those who reach the CEO level: a keen sense for spotting future success.
A 22-year-old who directed two box office hits in a row could no longer be dismissed as merely lucky. If he succeeded a third time, it would be clear he had something more than luck on his side.
Hollywood might not have the same superstitions as Hong Kong's film industry, but studio executives still believed in the power of luck.
Robert Iger, observing the gathering of these shameless executives, silently cursed them but couldn't chase them away. After all, they were there under the guise of congratulations, and it wouldn't be right to dismiss guests.
The star of the evening, of course, was Gilbert, who was still outside dealing with the press. Even before he entered, the attendees were already toasting to him, marking his rise in status.
When Gilbert finally finished with the reporters and entered the banquet hall, many industry professionals and executives greeted him warmly, eager to engage him in conversation.
Robert Iger, though internally cursing these people, quickly put on his best, most personable smile as he approached Gilbert.
Gilbert was now someone any studio executive would treat with utmost respect.
After enduring a barrage of greetings, Gilbert finally found a moment to take a breather. "How does success feel, Gilbert?" Matt Damon's voice sounded behind him.
"It's great. And you, Matt? How does it feel to be famous?" Gilbert turned and asked.
"Amazing," Matt Damon replied, his face beaming as he described the surreal experience of being recognized everywhere he went, people calling out his name, asking for autographs.
"Hey, Matt! Calm down; you're spitting on me," Gilbert joked, motioning for Matt to relax.
"Oh, sorry." Matt Damon handed him a napkin, asking, "Did you submit a new project to Touchstone Pictures? Can I be the lead?"
"You?" Gilbert sized up Matt Damon, shaking his head. "You look too young, too fresh. You wouldn't fit."
Matt Damon protested, "How am I young? Critics praised my mature performance in 'Final Destination.'"
"That's because you played a high school student. They meant 'mature' as an insult," Gilbert teased, twisting the critique.
Momentarily confused, Matt Damon scratched his head, "You might be right."
But when he noticed Gilbert stifling a laugh, he realized it was a joke and burst out laughing.
Such banter was normal among friends.
At that moment, Warner Bros.' CEO Jeff Robinov approached Gilbert and Matt Damon. Although Gilbert had directed two successful films, he was still young, and Robinov didn't find him immature.
Once he caught Gilbert's attention, Robinov spoke, "Director Gilbert, are you interested in collaborating with Warner Bros.? We have extensive distribution channels and top-notch producers. Working with us..."
Robinov pitched a list of benefits, painting a rosy picture. But Gilbert, not easily swayed, replied, "Mr. Robinov, please discuss this with my agent. I focus on making movies; I'm not good at the other stuff."
Robinov had nothing more to say and, after some more flattering words, moved on.
After that, Sherry Lansing, Tom Rothman, Tom Schumacher, and other studio executives all took their turns trying to woo Gilbert, much to Robert Iger's frustration.
Tom Schumacher was particularly interesting, asking, "Gilbert, would you be interested in making a film about Japanese culture?"
To his surprise, Gilbert directly declined, "Sorry, I only make movies I'm passionate about, and Japanese culture isn't one of them."
Schumacher didn't expect such a blunt response and felt a bit awkward. But he quickly recovered, putting on a smile that, combined with his mustache, gave him a somewhat sleazy look.
"Our Japanese audience really enjoys your films. Both of your movies have done well in Japan. Japanese fans would love to see you visit Tokyo or Osaka to meet them."
Indeed, both "The Shallows" and "Final Destination" had been well-received in Japan, contributing significantly to their box office success.
Given that Japan was Hollywood's largest overseas market before the Chinese market boom, Gilbert couldn't afford to turn down the opportunity, despite his personal feelings. He responded, "Sure, I'll visit if I get the chance."
The celebration was a success, with everyone enjoying themselves. Gilbert was the center of attention, making him realize that Hollywood is a place where success is relentlessly pursued.
Hollywood is, after all, a world for the successful.
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