Willing or not?
Of course, he was willing.
This work held extraordinary significance for him.
Jerry looked at the young director before him. If the news was accurate, this person was only 27 this year. Although he had heard that this director had launched several excellent works, it was only after "Miscreant" that his name began to rise in popularity.
However, those rumors were illusory to Jerry, mere distractions during his leisure time.
It wasn't until today or this afternoon that Jerry truly encountered him. Different from media and newspapers, this was a live and tangible reality.
A young director with an interesting personality, eloquent, and having his own ideas.
Thinking of his age and achievements, it made Jerry question whether he had lived the first half of his life in vain.
The thought prompted a chuckle. Jerry shook his head, dismissing those random thoughts, and focused on drinking again.
The crisp clinking sound resounded. Jerry lifted his beer glass, tilted his head back, and began pouring the remaining beer down his throat, a sense of grandeur emanating.
Wiping the beer that slid down his chin with his hand, his face flushed, he looked at Lyman. "I'm willing."
His words were straightforward, resolute.
Fortunately, there was no one else in the bar; otherwise, they might think these two were making a life commitment.
"So, tell me, what do you want me to do?" Jerry had a very forthright personality, perhaps due to his long years in the boxing world. When it came to doing something, he didn't beat around the bush.
Since he had decided to join the filming, he immediately embraced the role, "Honestly, I have limited knowledge of movies. Personally, I might not be able to help much."
Lyman smiled and said, "You can be the consultant for our production team. When we're shooting boxing scenes, point out any mistakes. Additionally, there's the script. This is where I need your help. Some scene designs are vague, and also the dialogue between characters and the training content. You should try to fill in those gaps."
Paul Haggis was a decent scriptwriter, but he wasn't familiar with the boxing world. Thus, the adaptation's focus was somewhat different. He placed more emphasis on Maggie's personal family circumstances and conflicts, downplaying the boxing part. This actually made the plot feel a bit draggy and less conducive to controlling the film's pacing. In contrast, Lyman wanted to emphasize Maggie's hard work and dedication to boxing, weakening the character's background story.
The main themes were always centered around inspiration, passion, choices, respect, and death.
As soon as Lyman finished speaking, Jerry's expression turned thoughtful. As the original author of the novel, he naturally knew more about the events that unfolded than anyone else.
...
"Don't drink and drive; don't mix alcohol and driving," is common sense.
Lyman had been drinking, so he wasn't driving.
After an enjoyable conversation with Jerry, it was 5 pm. Lyman called John to send someone to pick him up.
The next morning.
He headed straight for Warner Bros.' headquarters building.
Warner's main offices were also located in Burbank. In fact, when speaking geographically, out of the so-called Hollywood Big Six, only Paramount's company headquarters were truly in Hollywood.
Having already notified them, and no one obstructing him, Lyman smoothly reached the 8th floor.
People coming and going on the floor were plenty, mostly Warner's internal staff and some producers.
As Lyman walked along, people greeted him, and he nodded in acknowledgment.
Upon reaching the CEO's office, Barry Meyer's assistant was already waiting there and ushered him in.
One after the other, they walked through a corridor and arrived at Barry's location.
Situated near the floor-to-ceiling window on the left side of the office, he was engrossed in handling documents.
"Director Lyman."
"Mr. Chairman."
The two shook hands intimately, and Lyman's face bore a warm smile.
"How are the preparations for setting up the production team?"
"Alright, your company's filming budget should be ready for deposit." Lyman reminded.
"Yes, I'll notify the finance department shortly to transfer the funds."
Because both sides were collaborating on this project's development and proceeding as originally agreed upon.
Thus, the total production budget was about $40M, with Lyman owning 30%, requiring $12M from him. Warner would cover the remaining filming expenses.
Financial transactions between the two sides were managed through a newly opened bank account, also making it easier for Warner to track the fund flow.
After discussing the filming budget, Lyman brought up another matter, "Mr. Meyer, do you know Clint Eastwood?"
"Why are you looking for him?"
Of course, Barry knew Clint Eastwood. In fact, Warner's collaboration with the director had been quite frequent.
Although the films he made didn't yield enormous profits, they weren't easy to lose money on either.
Having collaborated for so many years, they had developed quite a bit of mutual understanding.
Because of this, Barry was slightly taken aback when Lyman asked about Clint's whereabouts.
"What do you need him for?"
"I'd like to ask Mr. Chairman for a favor."
...
Clint had also joined a talent agency, but not CAA; he went with ICM.
Not long ago, he directed a feature film called "Mystic River", which was currently in theaters. Art films generally didn't perform well in the market, so while it had good word of mouth, it barely made a small profit when compared to the expenses. The major earnings would depend on how well it did in the offline DVD and videocassette markets.
However, he didn't worry about such things.
At 73 years old, his wish was to die on a film set. This sentiment was expressed when he won the Oscar for Best Director. By 2019, he was 89 years old, and he still managed to create a film titled "The Mule", in which he also acted. He was a true filmmaker who loved his craft.
After finishing filming, he usually rested at home, contemplating his next movie while he was at it.
He didn't expect to receive a call from Warner's executive, Barry, and it was even from his personal phone number.
"Mr. Meyer, is there something you need?"
After exchanging pleasantries, he candidly inquired.
Nothing serious; this busy man wouldn't call him without a reason.
"Your film "Mystic River" is in theaters. If you need any assistance, feel free to ask."
"There's nothing I need. It's already released, and those who want to watch it will naturally go see it."
After getting a less than exciting response, Barry continued, "Do you have some free time recently? There's a film that wants you to act in it."