"Haha, so you're saying that James Wan will become a director? Or did you invest?"
That night, after dinner, the two of them sat on the bed, and Lyman recounted the recent events.
Eva Green was unusually joyful. Although she felt a bit surprised by his sudden rise to this inexplicable new status, she couldn't hide the delight on her face, which revealed her attitude.
"It's not as much as you think. I'm just a figurehead. If I were to be a producer for real, that would be baffling. It's manageable internally, but dealing with third-party regulatory agencies like Allianz Insurance on the outside, I wouldn't be up for it. We might even end up arguing."
"Hahaha…" Eva seemed highly excited at the thought of such an amusing scenario, unable to contain her laughter.
Actually, it was true that directors despised others meddling in their work, but industry regulations were in place. If third-party regulatory agencies were dissatisfied, it would indeed complicate matters.
Even someone as irritable and ill-tempered as James Cameron had to endure.
"Enough of that. Let's talk about something serious." Looking at Eva's laughter and her gracefully attractive figure, even under the clothes, Lyman suddenly recalled an old saying:
"A moment of spring night is worth a thousand gold coins, with the fragrance of flowers and the shadow of the moon. Don't ever let it go to waste."
A self-inflicted torment.
"What serious matter?" Watching Lyman suddenly turn serious, Eva wondered what he had in mind.
"After not seeing each other for so long, don't you want…"
He whispered the last two words into her ear.
Before she could react, Lyman lightly nibbled on her earlobe as he said it.
That spot was particularly sensitive for her.
Don't misunderstand.
...
EuropaCorp Headquarters.
Luc Besson puffed on his cigar, then, after carefully reading through the documents in his hand, smiled and said, "I see that the shooting plan mentioned in these documents states that "Saw" will become a serialized film project. Director Lyman, could you elaborate a bit more?"
"Of course."
Lyman nodded, set down his coffee, and explained, "The primary target audience for this film is those who are extremely fond of gory cult movies. The settings of these films happen to scratch that itch for them, coupled with many explicit scenes that offer visual excitement, stoking their enthusiasm for viewing. As long as the first film performs well, subsequent development can continue in the same vein, as long as we maintain the essence while changing the specifics. Audience reception should remain positive."
"Oh?" Luc Besson blew a smoke ring and then pondered it for a while, finding it quite novel.
"Isn't it the same with 'Mission: Impossible' and '007'? You add what the audience loves to see. Tom Cruise's death-defying stunts and the ever-present Bond girls in alluring roles—these elements' consistency is the essence of film series. Can you imagine 'Mission: Impossible' with a different lead? Even Leo DiCaprio wouldn't work. Established norms and stability are the key, isn't that right?"
"It seems you've done quite a bit of research on this." Luc Besson chuckled.
"Research or no research, isn't your 'Transporter' series also doing the same thing? You're not oblivious to it." Lyman retorted.
"Well, no more joking around. EuropaCorp is very interested in this project, so…"
"Being interested is what matters," Lyman thought.
"The preliminary budget for this film is around 8 to 10 million. There's ample room for actor salaries, and other expenses are quite normal and reasonable. What do you think?"
"Well, I certainly believe you. Are you the producer for this film?" Luc Besson asked.
It had to be said, James had a keen sense for the industry. Even though he was a newcomer director with no materials or achievements to show, Luc Besson was willing to invest just based on his face. Perhaps he felt secure with Lyman backing the project.
Lyman exchanged a glance with Luc Besson and smiled slightly as if to say, "Exactly what we were waiting for."
If they were to shoot, if they were to invest, how could they proceed without a distribution company's support?
And EuropaCorp was the crucial link in this chain.
When the big players were in, how could they not contribute, provide resources, or offer channels?
For Lyman himself and Mann Studio, such a film series would be a significant opportunity for development. As long as they maintained the core essence of "Saw", the studio would have a solid front, a stable pillar.
Yes, that's right. Lyman intended to bring James into Mann Studio. Not the French part, but he had the intention to establish a film company in the United States as well, not just an entity affiliated with EuropaCorp, but a genuine studio with production capabilities.
And this time, the collaboration would still involve three parties sharing the investment.
After all, the U.S. market couldn't be ignored. No matter what, without heavyweight support in distribution like Paramount Pictures, they wouldn't even penetrate the market, let alone secure screening slots or theaters.
You might wonder why they didn't cooperate with others or directly approach Paramount, bypassing EuropaCorp? Perhaps such thoughts could arise, but this kind of thinking was far from practical.
However, if both sides didn't have needs from each other, Lyman wouldn't have been negotiating terms so smoothly. Moreover, EuropaCorp demonstrated prudence, and he was a French director after all.
Consider the profit distribution for this film:
EuropaCorp invested $2M, holding 30% of the box office profit; Paramount Pictures invested $3M, holding 35%; Mann Studio invested $4M, holding the remaining 35%.
Additionally, EuropaCorp and Mann Studio each held 50% of the film's copyright, and the same applied to Paramount Pictures, but they had no stake. However, within three years, Paramount would enjoy 40% of offline revenues, as would Mann Studio, and after three years, all profits would be separate from them.
In the long run, EuropaCorp had the upper hand, while in the short term, Paramount had an advantage. Mann Studio invested the most but didn't excel in these two aspects.
But who could blame them for lacking industry resources for monetization?
You couldn't just make a movie and not release it.
He had to shoulder these costs, accept these losses.
In reality, thinking about it, it was fair and, compared to before, the terms were becoming more favorable, a good thing.
Besides, if "Saw" didn't have the support of these two giants, the box office might have been a disaster. Then, all those plans would have seemed like a joke, wouldn't they?
It would just be over.