MGM Building.
Eric calmly sipped his coffee, waiting for his companion to finish reading the script. Sitting across from him was Frank Darabont, a director twice nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and once for Best Picture for his work on "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile." Currently, he was holding the script for "The Walking Dead."
This script had traveled a long road from concept to final version, taking over two months for revisions – even more time than the script for "Transformers." Finally, when it was ready, the company contacted Darabont, and the bald director came to the meeting at the appointed time.
Darabont took a deep breath and a large sip of coffee, which he preferred without sugar. The bitter taste made his expression even sterner.
"It's a good script, I like how it portrays human suffering in a post-apocalyptic world, but it seems not quite refined."
"Frank, what do you suggest?"
"Do you already have a shooting schedule? When do you plan to start? I want to know if MGM is in a hurry with this project."
"The sooner, the better. This project has already been delayed, and I don't want to miss the opportunity to participate in the next Emmy Awards."
If the Oscars are the highest award for films, then the Emmys are the highest honor for TV series. Although the Emmy Awards ceremony is usually held in September, works released from June 1 of the previous year to May 31 of the current year are considered for the award.
Therefore, if "The Walking Dead" wants to compete for the Emmys, its premiere must take place by May 31 of the following year. It's now the beginning of November, and MGM has no more than seven months left for casting, filming, post-production, and most importantly, selling the series to TV channels. Time is indeed short.
Darabont thought for a moment: "Then give me another week. I need to refine the script. No, not just refine it, but perfect it. It's already good, I'll just make it better."
Eric nodded: "Alright."
"Also, how much freedom will I have in choosing the actors?"
"All roles except Maggie Greene you can choose yourself. I trust your taste."
"Trust, but verify," thought Eric. But Darabont smiled. Such an approach from a producer was simply ideal.
They shook hands, and looking at Eric's young face, Darabont couldn't resist commenting: "What a determined young man!"
Remembering himself, he couldn't help but regret the previous year when he invited Jim Carrey to shoot the film "The Majestic." He hoped to win an Oscar with this film, and Carrey dreamed of a serious role. Unfortunately, despite Carrey's good performance, the film flopped at the box office and with critics. An Oscar was out of the question, and the critics' reviews were just awful.
This failed project marred Darabont's career, and many job offers were withdrawn. Hollywood is cruel and doesn't forgive mistakes.
"Maybe trying my hand at TV series isn't so bad. I hope this helps me open new horizons."
...
As November drew to a close, "Red Dragon" was already out of theaters, with its final worldwide box office gross just shy of $310 million.
With the conclusion of "The Silence of the Lambs" trilogy, the total gross of all three films reached $950 million. Although it didn't cross the billion-dollar mark, it was still a worthy finale.
The film crew held a celebratory dinner, and Eric also attended. During the event, he tried to invite Anthony Hopkins to play the role of the Secretary of Defense in "Transformers."
However, Hopkins, concerned that transitioning from a cannibal role to a Secretary of Defense role would be too jarring for viewers, declined. Eric really wanted to work with him, but Hopkins stood firm in his decision.
He would have to look for other opportunities to collaborate in the future. After all, this actor was like an evergreen tree. Even in 2023, he was still in great shape, so there was plenty of time.
Meanwhile, "Barbershop" had been in theaters for a week. The film, with an all-black cast, was confidently heading towards success. Although "political correctness" hadn't yet reached the heights it would ten years later with the release of "Black Panther 2," black audiences were still eagerly going to the movies.
Thanks to the support of the African American audience, "Barbershop" grossed nearly $30 million in its opening weekend on an $8 million budget. The film had already paid for itself and continued to rake in box office revenue. It was expected that global gross would reach $70-80 million, which would be an excellent result for such a small film.
"Die Another Day" also completed its first weekend in theaters, and Eric represented MGM at the premiere. It was the twentieth film in the James Bond series and the last for Pierce Brosnan. The film also starred "black pearl" Halle Berry and Rosamund Pike, known to Chinese audiences from the film "Gone Girl."
Eric managed to meet these actors and exchange contacts, agreeing on potential joint projects in the future.
As for "Transformers," the Department of Defense was quite pleased with MGM's proposed plan, and thanks to his father's efforts, the project quickly received the green light.
The Department of Defense allowed filming on military bases and lent them essential military equipment, including tanks, planes, and helicopters. They also provided video footage of internal training to facilitate post-production, so real battles wouldn't be necessary.
MGM would pay only $10 million for this, which was a pittance compared to the real cost of the military equipment.
The only requirement from the Department of Defense was a preliminary review of the film to ensure a positive image of the American army.
Sponsors also began signing contracts. For example, Nokia obtained the rights to integrate their mobile phones into the film. MGM promised to create a special transformer for Nokia with no less than five minutes of screen time. For this, Nokia would pay $7.5 million, which might seem expensive, but given the upcoming release of a new Nokia smartphone, it was an excellent marketing strategy.
A contract with Weta Digital was also signed. Peter Jackson agreed to reduce the price by $15,000 per second of filming on the condition that "Transformers" would not be released simultaneously with "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" and that all subsequent films in the series would also be made at Weta Digital.
Peter Jackson didn't set excessive demands, and Eric didn't want to compete with "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" either, knowing it would be too serious an opponent. The hobbits were a formidable force, and Eric honestly admitted that the Autobots couldn't compete with them.
While active preparations were underway, casting for the lead male role in "Transformers" began.
There was a hustle and bustle at the MGM building reception. Handsome men of various types walked past the registration desk, delighting the secretary. Among the registered names were James Franco, Ryan Gosling, Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Chris Evans, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ben Foster, Shia LaBeouf, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, and Tom Hardy.
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