According to the screenplay written by DeMonaco, the entire story, which lasts about 100 minutes, takes place in a single setting.
This saves a huge amount of set costs, meaning that without inviting big-name actors to anchor the film, the entire budget is likely not to exceed $2 million.
Combining cost factors and the potential of the script, Leon's attitude towards this script changed from disdain to interest in just over ten minutes.
With his current net worth, the profits from his stock account alone were enough to support the filming of this movie.
On the car ride back to Tribeca from The New York Times headquarters, he immediately called Russell.
Regarding why he rejected this script three times, Russell calmly gave his reasons:
"I don't deny that DeMonaco provided a great idea, but in the entertainment industry, the least valuable thing is an idea... The wildly imaginative scripts produced by Hollywood every year are enough to pile up into a small mountain, but most of them are trash that no one is willing to invest in."
"You're right." Leon shrugged; the other party's thoughts were highly consistent with his own. "But this is just a low-budget movie with a budget of no more than $2 million. Just treat it as a favor for James. That guy is about to blow up my phone."
"Fine..." Russell didn't know what to say for a moment.
What kind of favor is worth $2 million?
Based on his experience working under David Geffen for many years, the richer the guy, the tighter they hold onto their purse strings.
The value of a favor has nothing to do with the depth of friendship; it is only related to the returns friendship can bring to oneself.
In his impression, Leon didn't seem to be a sentimental capitalist who cared much about personal relationships.
"You're the boss; what else can I say?" Russell teased. "But this script must undergo massive revisions. Every time I read about that kid who almost got his whole family killed, I want to slap him! Maybe this script should be renamed. How about The Saint Courts Death?"
"No, even if the characters in the script are hopelessly stupid, never change their personas!" Leon sternly rejected the other party's suggestion.
As a fundamentalist Social Darwinist, he mocked the so-called "glimmer of humanity" in it every moment while reading the script.
But this kind of stupid saintly persona fits the current North American film environment exactly!
Left-wing activists, social equality advocates, illegal immigrant lovers... many of them are pretending to be stupid, but more are truly stupid.
Believing that the "saint complex" is a good prescription for making the world a better place.
Changing the script to make the film style more serious would undoubtedly enhance the depth of the film, but it is extremely likely to have a negative impact on the box office.
First of all, left-wing critics wouldn't buy it, and might even conduct large-scale criticism.
After he hung up the phone, Taylor raised her eyebrows and asked, "Sounds like you plan to shoot a new movie again?"
"Not me, it's that guy James. I'm just giving him a hand."
"Alright." Taylor suddenly curled her lips, staring at Leon with cunning eyes like a little fox. "Do you think I have the potential to become an actress?"
"Of course... but I'm afraid not many people can afford your pay."
Taylor's looks are very recognizable among white girls, unlike Katy Perry's mediocre white girl looks that disappear instantly when thrown into a crowd.
Just based on physical conditions, she is at least not inferior to most current Hollywood actresses.
"I'm just joking; you don't need to be so nervous." Taylor pursed her lips. "The heroine of your new movie won't be Anya again, right?"
Next March, she has more than twenty tour dates in Australia, and besides that, she has to complete the production of the new album.
According to convention, every time she releases a heavyweight album, she has to start a massive global tour.
Under such tight schedule pressure, unless she is Wonder Woman, she would have no remaining energy to film a movie.
"Of course not," Leon answered instantly.
The number one heroine in The Purge certainly wouldn't be Anya; in the background setting, that's a mature woman in her forties.
But the role of the eldest daughter, Zoey, in the play is simply tailor-made for her.
However, judging from the current situation, whether the British chick can handle the pressure of filming three movies at the same time remains a question mark.
Casting issues are tentatively decided.
Three days later, Leon received a call from Stringer and went to Columbia Records.
There was only one day left before the New Year's Eve performance, and the whole company paid extra attention to this crucial performance.
Besides being able to show his face on TV in front of hundreds of millions of viewers, this performance also had certain political significance.
The organizer, The New York Times, has always flaunted itself as the most principled newspaper in the world, shouting a deafening slogan from the beginning of its establishment:
"To give the news impartially, without fear or favor, regardless of any party, sect, or interest involved."
On the surface, they did do so, launching indiscriminate attacks against both the Democratic and Republican parties for a long time.
But essentially, The New York Times is still a left-wing media outlet. The publisher, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr., has a close personal relationship with the Democratic Party bigwig couple, the Clintons.
If not for gaining the "favor" of Democratic bigwigs, Leon wouldn't have easily obtained such heavyweight exposure resources.
Stringer was not seen in the Sony Columbia Records president's office, but Tim had been waiting for a long time.
"Hasn't Mr. Stringer arrived yet?" Leon asked.
"He's been on the phone with Group Chairman Doug in the conference room for almost half an hour." Tim stroked the coffee cup, looking serious. "You know, the record industry hasn't been peaceful recently."
"You want to talk about the EMI acquisition case, right?" Leon lit a cigarette and sat down next to him.
His identity is not only a top-tier singer but also a record company boss. He is naturally extra sensitive to big events like the "EMI acquisition case."
It's just that with Apocalypse Music's current industry status, it's still a bit difficult to access first-hand information.
"That's right. The death of a giant whale can nourish the ecology of a sea area." Tim said, pretending to be profound.
On November 11th this year, French Vivendi and its subsidiary Universal Music Group signed a "Definitive Agreement" with Citigroup to acquire EMI's recorded music operations.
The transaction amount reached $1.9 billion. Competitor Warner Music Group had offered a high price of $2 billion but still lost.
The premium transaction reflected the unique value of the EMI catalog. The master rights of top superstars including The Beatles were pocketed by Universal.
In the same period, Sony Music Group, in conjunction with the Jackson estate, won the EMI Music Publishing operations for $2.2 billion, becoming the world's largest music copyright library.
At this point, the two major legacies of EMI—master rights and songwriting copyrights—were completely divided.
The New York Times once published an article describing the significance of this acquisition case—"The golden age of the record industry has ended; the future is a jungle full of thorns and treasures."
After chatting for about five minutes, Stringer walked into the office.
The worry on his face from a second ago was swept away immediately upon seeing the guest.
"Making our top superstar wait for so long, please forgive my rudeness."
"It's nothing; no one cares about this." Leon detested pretentious fake gentlemen to the extreme, but rarely felt this way towards Stringer.
Even if pretending, the other party took "pretending" to the extreme.
If someone can play a role for a lifetime, then eventually this role will replace his true soul.
Leon took the coffee from the assistant and deliberately asked about the EMI acquisition case: "What happened? Didn't the EMI matter settle last month?"
"That's right, but currently we have to wait for the approval of the European Union and the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) before the contract can officially take effect." Stringer only said half of it, unwilling to reveal too many details.
But Leon had already guessed what obstacles Sony Music faced.
As EMI was a British company, the European Commission must consider what impact selling the company would have on the market.
Mainly concerns about monopoly and the impact on independent record companies.
Digital music market and CD prices might be driven up. Currently, multiple officials have called for strict scrutiny of the case.
"Maybe if the Brits leave the EU, there won't be so much trouble."
Leon remembered the poll released in the UK a while ago. The number of people hoping to leave the EU hit a record high, reaching 46%.
If this number grows further, Brexit might become a reality in recent years.
"That's why I don't like dealing with Europeans." Stringer said, "They are always keen on setting up various red tape. An acquisition case in the record industry actually has to undergo environmental review. I've lived for almost seventy years and never heard of such a ridiculous thing."
"Maybe they are worried that trash music will affect animals' mating desire, insects pollinating plants or something..." Leon teased.
The three of them laughed out loud, holding their stomachs in unison.
"Come here, honey." Stringer waved his hand, asking the female assistant to bring cigars and whiskey.
Shaking the wine glass, he said to Leon, "Want a glass?"
"Why not?"
"Hope this won't affect your performance state tomorrow night." Stringer poured the wine for him personally. "How is the progress of the new album?"
In December, inspiration refreshed Rockstar, and the new album progress was already more than halfway done.
There were at least dozens of new songs inspired by Imagine Dragons, including premium rock songs like Natural and Thunder.
If he bought some lyrics and music from Max, simply piecing them together would make a complete album.
The problem was that this would cause the album to lose a unified tone. Even if the works were outstanding, it would appear nondescript.
Fortunately, the appearance of Rockstar solved the pains of his transition period.
Last year he became popular with the Demons album and had always been a rock singer in the public impression.
Rockstar is a work that has nothing to do with rock music, implying that he is breaking the identity boundaries since his debut.
Looking at it this way, Rockstar could completely set the tone for the new album.
Leon took the glass from Stringer and took a large sip. "I already have a new song; it's enough to set the tone for the entire album..."
"Nothing is more wonderful than this..." The two clinked glasses.
The subsequent topic revolved around streaming platforms.
Spotify continued to increase its stake to promote the free model, proposing to return 70% of total profits to copyright owners.
Major record companies adopted a wait-and-see attitude.
No company was sure whether the free model could make money, but record giants privately established their own streaming platforms one after another.
In 2009, Universal Music launched the Vevo platform, positioned as professional, high-definition, audiophile-level professional video streaming.
In June this year, the music streaming service created by Sony Music with a huge investment of $60 million went online on the Android store, providing more than 7 million songs, covering the markets of the United States, Europe, and Oceania.
But when facing Spotify and the Apple Store, the record giants working behind closed doors were beaten without the power to fight back, posing no competitive pressure at all.
"Spotify wants to buy out the free streaming channels for all your works. I haven't made any statement yet." Stringer said.
To completely defeat the Apple Store, Spotify is crazily promoting the free model.
The money earned through advertising revenue sharing is less than one-fifth of paid users, purely to snatch users.
They put all earnings into a capital pool and pay commissions to copyright owners based on the proportion of listening traffic.
Exclusive buyout means a specific licensing fee has to be paid.
Spotify is also negotiating exclusive licensing issues with Apocalypse Music. Leon has always held a wait-and-see attitude towards this.
If he really did this for a mere licensing fee, he might lose a huge wave of exposure on other platforms.
"It depends on how much they offer."
Leon narrowed his eyes, puffing smoke, pondering which approach would be more beneficial to him.
And Taylor's attitude when facing the free model was much more straightforward—want to listen for free? No way!
She rejected the free channels of all streaming platforms. If you want to listen to her songs online, you must pay!
She believed this had nothing to do with profit, but basic respect for creators.
"A few million dollars a year?" Stringer shook his head and smiled slightly. "I know this little money is nothing to you... Although I am an optimist, it is difficult for me to be optimistic about the prospects of the record industry."
"Adele just created a miracle, but everyone knows very well that this miracle cannot be replicated."
Leon tilted his head. As a record company boss, he also felt bad about the prospects of this industry.
Building a streaming platform seemed to be the only way out.
But if even the three major record giants failed, it meant that this road was impossible to walk.
When Leon returned home, to his surprise, Taylor had already prepared a table of sumptuous dinner.
She sat by the piano holding Christmas, holding a pen and gesturing on a stack of simplified scores.
"Honey, come see if the dinner I prepared for you suits your taste!"
Leon walked to the dining table full of expectation. The greater the hope just now, the greater the disappointment upon closer look.
Compared to the dark cuisine Robbie made before, the advantage of Taylor's production was that it looked much fresher—the table was full of green salad vegetables, squeezed with yellow mustard sauce, mayonnaise...
"This is salmon salad with vinaigrette, avocado tuna with Caesar dressing. Do you like it?"
Taylor introduced her creation with an excited face.
"Looks like lettuce having affairs with various sauces..." Leon buried the subtext in his heart: "I love it so much."
"Then try it quickly!"
Leon buried his head and bit the bullet to try every salad once.
"How is it?" Taylor cupped her chin with both hands, immersed in a sense of accomplishment. "I remember you said your great-great-grandfather was Chinese. I read in a book that there is a saying there—to grab a man's heart, you must first grab his stomach..."
"So may I ask, have I grabbed your stomach?"
"Of course." Leon felt his stomach was not only grabbed but also punched twice.
To prevent Taylor from getting addicted to kitchen affairs, he quickly explained, "There is another saying: a happy woman never stays in the kitchen..."
"Really?" Taylor tilted her head, looking incredulous.
Even though the Western world has promoted "feminism" for decades, the master of the home kitchen is always the woman. This is a common point between Eastern and Western cultures.
"Must be true."
"Alright then." Taylor nodded skeptically, turned around, picked up the simplified score she wrote, and showed it: "I just finished writing the last song for my new album, Red."