"Sir, Kazier Gray met with Paramount's CEO, Brad Grey, yesterday. Also, Salvatore Barlo contacted Universal and Disney separately."
As the producer personally assigned by Terry Semel to oversee Kazir's new project, Enrico Pusi was extremely dedicated to the matter, paying attention to every detail.
"Understood."
After hearing the report, Terry's expression was calm, and he was not surprised.
In his opinion, Kazir would certainly find other companies to drive up the price, which was entirely reasonable.
After all, with two consecutive box office hits, most of Hollywood's companies were eagerly vying to collaborate with him!
Se7en and napoleon dynamite both grossed over 100 million in North America, especially napoleon dynamite, which generated high returns from a low budget. This achievement was even more impressive than their big-budget batman forever.
Warner Bros. has always prided itself on DC superheroes like batman and Superman, but the superhero craze was gradually cooling down. The company urgently needed a new film to boost morale and restore its former glory.
Terry Semel read Kazir's script thoroughly three times. The reason was simple: the script was incredibly interesting, full of unique humor and creativity.
He was confident that if filmed well, the hangover would definitely create a sensation in the film market and become a huge hit.
"...Enrico, go check the quotes from other companies. On our end, offer Kazir a 5 million director's fee, plus 10% of the North America box office, with the condition that the box office must exceed 100 million. Contact Salvatore and Kazir to see their stance."
The budget for the hangover was set at 35 million, which was a trivial amount for the wealthy Warner Bros..
Compared to the 100 million cost of batman forever, this was a drop in the bucket, a small sum.
"Understood."
Enrico acknowledged and then exited.
Like Terry, he was also very optimistic about the hangover project.
As a producer under Warner Bros., he had his own calculations. If he could secure this project, and the film became a hit, he might be able to move up in position, or even manage the production department, which would mean a limitless future.
Another week passed, and it was now February.
After Kazir sorted out his finances, he bought a new car—a brand new Honda.
He didn't dare to spend too much on the car, as he had just contacted an investment company and needed to be cautious.
He unhesitatingly invested 5 million, which was nearly half of his net worth, all into stocks of Microsoft, Cisco, and Nokia.
He clearly remembered that in the 90s, these three companies were definitely "pigs on the wind," with rapid development and bright prospects.
As for Google and Yahoo, they weren't well-known at this time!
Yahoo had only just been founded last year, and Google wouldn't be born until 1998.
Although Kazir knew the future development of these companies, he didn't want to get involved in management or become a shareholder.
He was solely passionate about making films and knew nothing about company operations. He felt that investing some money was enough and didn't need to exhaust himself.
He estimated that this 5 million would multiply several times before the new millennium, and by then, he would be raking in profits.
"Kazir, I've contacted several other major companies, and they are all very interested in your film. Here are their quotes."
Kazir had just rented an office floor near his apartment to serve as the office for Gray Pictures.
Currently, the company had 10 employees. He had initially wanted to retain the previous crew, but unfortunately, some were still observing and hadn't dared to switch jobs immediately.
However, he had already given bonuses to the crew, which was a good way to part ways and leave a good impression.
"Let me see..."
Kazir took the quotes and meticulously read each one:
Universal: 6 million
Sony Columbia: 8 million
Touchstone (under Disney): 7 million
Paramount: 5 million + 5% of North America box office
20th Century Fox: 5 million + 5% of North America box office
Warner Bros.: 5 million + 10% of North America box office.
As Kazir read, a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips—it seemed his plan had succeeded; finally, there was a company genuinely wanting to cooperate.
"Salvatore, does Warner Bros. have any other conditions?"
"They hope the film can be released during the summer blockbusters, and the box office must exceed 100 million to get that 10% share."
"Hmm... Contact them and tell them I agree to cooperate."
Kazir didn't want to wait any longer. His and Warner Bros.' ideas coincided; both wanted to finish the film quickly and release it by late summer to seize market opportunities.
Thus, the first collaboration between Kazier Gray and Warner Bros. was officially settled.
The contract was signed very smoothly: Warner Bros. paid 300,000 for the script, a 5 million director's fee, with an upfront payment of 300,000 for the script and 2.5 million for the director's fee. The remaining money would be settled after filming was completed... "I hope we have a pleasant collaboration, Kazir."
"I will do my best to make it a great film and live up to your expectations."
"Very good."
Terry Semel smiled and shook his hand.
After the contract was signed, Warner Bros. also specially arranged a public signing ceremony, inviting many reporters to attend.
This was actually standard practice, as the contract signed in public was merely symbolic.
The real contract had already been signed, a thick stack with dense clauses covering all aspects of the collaboration.
The so-called public signing was just a publicity stunt to attract media attention and boost the project's buzz.
"Director Gray, how do you feel about working with Warner Bros.?"
Reporters crowded around, asking questions in turn.
Fortunately, all the media present were from Time Warner, so the questions were relatively gentle, with no sharp inquiries.
"I'm very excited. It's an honor to work with a big company like Warner Bros.," Kazir replied politely with a smile.
"Do you have any actors in mind for collaboration?"
"Honestly, I'd like to invite Ed Helms and Pedro Pascal. We've worked together before, I understand their capabilities very well, and I trust them. I believe they can portray the characters brilliantly."
After smilingly answering most of the questions, Kazir turned to leave. The flashing lights behind him made it hard to open his eyes, but his heart was filled with anticipation and drive.
Next, he immediately contacted the crew and officially began preparation work—script refinement, prop preparation, location scouting. Every step had to be taken seriously, without the slightest carelessness, as this was his first collaboration with Warner Bros., and it had to be perfect.
And among the initial preparatory tasks, casting was the most crucial.