I am Hollywood

[Chapter 1115: Retainers]

"Eric, at the party at Frank's house last night, I ran into CAA's Richard Lovett. He said Matt Damon really wanted to try out for the role of Bourne. I remember you were really hoping Matt could take it, so you should consider it. What do you think?"

Eric flipped through the draft contract that MGM and the Marshall couple had preliminarily agreed upon without looking up, asking Amy, "Is he willing to accept our compensation plan?"

After the success of The Fast and the Furious, while determining the pay for the two male leads, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker, Eric and the higher-ups at the Firefly Group had engaged in discussions and had recently settled on a brand new base salary plus bonus plan.

In simple terms, the new compensation contract would provide a base salary for the main actors. Then, based on the film's box office performance after its release, they would receive an additional bonus. The higher the box office, the larger the bonus.

For instance, for the already initiated Fast and Furious 2, due to the sweeping success of the first film, MGM offered Vin Diesel and Paul Walker a base salary of $5 million. This amount also served as the upper limit for the new salary scheme that Firefly Group planned to implement for future projects.

Next, per the contract, as long as the sequel earned a global box office of $500 million, both male leads' total pay would reach $10 million each. If the global box office reached $700 million, that number would increase to $15 million, and if it hit $900 million, their total compensation would peak at $20 million. If the numbers climbed even higher, MGM would be more than willing to pay more. However, if the sequel's box office fell below $300 million, neither of them would receive any bonus.

Of course, the detailed contracts were much more complicated than this simple calculation. Moreover, for future film projects, various factors like project themes and budget costs would also be considered. After all, it wouldn't be reasonable to expect a lowbrow comedy with a budget of only $20 or $30 million to adopt a pay structure like that of The Fast and the Furious.

Nevertheless, the overall concept of this new pay scheme was straightforward and practical. Furthermore, it maximized the alignment of actors with the projects, reducing the studios' risk while not dampening the actors' enthusiasm. Naturally, the actors would work hard to earn more.

In fact, Eric had already begun to devise similar payment structures a few years earlier. The contract signed by Stuart Ronkel with Firefly for Spider-Man had broadly adopted this model as well. The reason it had only been finalized for large-scale implementation now was that the Firefly Group had finally gained the strength to change Hollywood's rules.

Currently, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker had accepted the new payment contract. In the future, key projects within the Firefly Group, such as the Agent Universe series, the Marvel Cinematic Universe series, the Harry Potter series, and the Pirates of the Caribbean series, would all adopt this payment structure.

Amy noticed Eric's nonchalant demeanor and realized what he was hinting at. "So, Richard Lovett means Damon isn't exactly a newcomer. However, he said many things are negotiable."

"And then?" Eric looked up and smiled at Amy before lowering his head to continue reviewing the documents in front of him. "Then, when The Bourne Identity succeeded, wouldn't it all revert back to the way it was before? Constantly bickering with creatives over profit distribution issues, to the point where projects get abandoned? Just like what's happening now with Men in Black?"

Amy fell silent, and the others in the meeting room who had initially wanted to speak also kept quiet.

Eric patiently finished the last few pages of the contract draft, closed the document, and then scanned the few MGM executives still seated around him. "I've said this more than once, we are the masters of Hollywood now. Since we have the strength, we should reclaim the initiative that major studios have lost over the years, step by step. From now on, Hollywood is only ours to call the shots, not those stars, directors, or producers."

After a brief pause, Eric continued in a flat tone, "Of course, you can interpret it as this: In today's Hollywood, I am in charge. You are all retainers of Williams, and while you possess privileges, others must abide by the rules we set. So, does anyone have any objections?"

When Eric finished speaking, the meeting room fell even quieter. A few executives didn't even exchange glances, and no one dared to voice any objections. Eric's tone was calm, yet there was clearly no hint of a joke; who knew if someone suddenly speaking up would find themselves shown the door?

After waiting a moment, Eric nodded in satisfaction. "Good, then let's return to our previous topic. According to Hollywood's typical circumstances, if we hadn't taken the initiative with The Fast and the Furious series, both male leads would be waiting to negotiate. They might even consider turning down MGM's sequel offer due to dissatisfaction, jeopardizing the series' continuation. But the reality is, the sequel has been successfully launched, and because of the contract restrictions, they have to accept our proposed compensation package. Everything's going smoothly; isn't that great? Therefore, I won't make any concessions for the Bourne project either. Maybe we won't be able to invite top-tier stars in the short term, which could lead to some loss, but if we hold firm, every star in Hollywood will have to comply with our rules if they want to work. At that point, we will have completely regained all the initiative that major studios once lost."

After delivering this statement, Eric paused for a moment to allow everyone to digest his words before continuing, "Alright, that's enough for today. I've checked the actor materials submitted by ICM, and that Mark Wahlberg seems promising. While his star power is a level below Damon, he's still very suitable for the Bourne role. Plus, Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights has given him considerable recognition. What you need to do is negotiate his contract. Of course, if you can't seal the deal, it's fine; just keep looking for the next candidate."

...

In the parking lot at MGM Headquarters, watching Eric's car depart, MGM President Frank Marcasso turned to Amy Pascal and whispered, "Amy, did you accept any favors from Richard Lovett?"

Amy shot Frank an annoyed glare. "You're the one who accepted favors from Richard Lovett."

"Then why are you recommending Damon?" Frank Marcasso didn't mind her glare and joked. "You know the boss's intentions. Now look, we're all retainers."

"If you don't like it, you can quit."

Amy said with a hint of sarcasm, also feeling a little wronged. She understood Eric's thinking. But Matt Damon was something Eric had initially pushed for himself. And sure enough, Richard Lovett, the president of CAA, was indeed a skilled negotiator, which was why she had somewhat recommended him to Eric on behalf of the other side.

"Whatever, being a retainer isn't so bad," Frank Marcasso said, ruffling his thinning hair. "At least we have our privileges."

Nearby, John Calley chimed in, "I suddenly feel like the boss isn't as easygoing as he used to be."

"Probably because he's under too much pressure lately," Frank Marcasso replied, shaking his head lightly. "Gee, $300 billion, how could that not be stressful?"

"That's a good point; it's easier for us to be the retainers."

Amy rolled her eyes at them and turned towards her car, saying, "Can you two sound any more bitter?"

Frank Marcasso and John Calley shared a laugh. As MGM's executives parked adjacent to each other, they followed Amy toward a nearby corner. Frank Marcasso then asked, "So, do you guys know that Mark Wahlberg?"

"I've checked him out, and his acting isn't bad," John Calley said, arriving by his car without rushing to open the door. "And I think he has a similar look and style to Damon. Looks like the boss is leaning toward using this type of actor for the Bourne series."

Amy hadn't hurried into her car and frowned as she thought aloud, "This actor doesn't have the best background; he seems to have been a little hoodlum back in the day and even did some time."

"These are things for ICM to worry about," Frank Marcasso replied nonchalantly. "As long as we sign the deal, ICM will help him maintain his public image. Besides, this is Hollywood -- we've seen everything."

John Calley added, "But if it's him, we should definitely remind ICM about this to avoid any trouble. There will definitely be envious eyes if the lead of the Bourne series falls into the hands of someone like him."

It was Friday, and the three didn't chat for too long. After a while, Frank Marcasso and John Calley both drove off.

...

Amy got into her car, started the engine slowly, but didn't leave immediately. Instead, she found herself lost in thought.

Just ten years.

The once inexperienced young man had become a master of Hollywood.

She still vividly remembered the first time she met Eric; at that time, he was a complete novice with the demeanor of a big boy just starting out but evidently possessing a rare talent and confidence that was uncommon among his peers. Back then, she hadn't been all that seasoned herself either. Although she had secured a decent position at Columbia Pictures, she left out of youthful impulsiveness.

Now, she might never take such rash actions again.

And retainers...

That somewhat classic title seemed quite fitting after all.

*****

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