[Chapter 691: Moving Some Cash]
Qualcomm's headquarters was located in San Diego, California, just under two hours' drive from Los Angeles, making travel very convenient. After Eric expressed his intention to invest in Qualcomm to Irwin Jacobs, the two began close negotiations.
In Eric's office at Firefly Studios, Kelly, who had just returned from San Diego, handed over a memo and said, "Chris is going to have discussions this afternoon with several key shareholders at Qualcomm. He asked me to come back first with the results of our negotiations from this morning. Qualcomm's board is willing to accept only half of what we proposed for the investment, but they aren't completely firm on that. Reaching a deal is just a matter of time."
Eric opened the memo Kelly had handed over and said, "Now that we've started formal contact, we can't keep this under wraps for long. The longer we drag this out, the more chance there is for something unexpected to happen. All I care about is time. Let's set a week; I want this deal finalized in the next week."
Kelly replied, "Eric, if we try to compress the negotiations into a week, we'll be at a disadvantage."
Eric shook his head. "We can't rush this or it will draw too much attention, putting us in a truly passive situation. You need to go back to San Diego tomorrow and explain the pros and cons clearly to Qualcomm. AT&T just got spectrum licenses and announced GSM as its technology standard. Other operators that received spectrum licenses won't hesitate for long. If they miss the best time to push for CDMA because of indecision, we'll pull out of this deal without hesitation. So, just one week."
Once news of Firefly's attempt to invest in Qualcomm got out, it would not only cause the stock price to skyrocket but could also draw interest from others. After all, Firefly's recent investments in Cisco, America Online, Yahoo, and Nokia had reaped substantial returns, and the capital market had already begun paying close attention to Firefly's investment movements. Delaying too long could allow another interested company to emerge, which would pose the biggest problem.
After a moment of consideration, Kelly nodded, "Okay, I'll make the preparations."
Eric finished reading the memo and discussed some key points with Kelly before picking up a thick package from his desk. "The Wachowskis are about to arrive; you should join us."
Kelly followed him, surprised. "Eric, are you really thinking about letting them direct The Matrix?"
Eric replied, "It hasn't been finalized yet; let's meet them first."
"I just feel like this is a bit... absurd. They're just two relatively unknown screenwriters."
Eric chuckled, "I used to be a relatively unknown screenwriter too."
Kelly said, "But you didn't start off directing films with such a massive budget. Home Alone's budget was only a million, and after that you had Pretty Woman, Home Alone 2, and Ghost, and it wasn't until Twister, your sixth film, that you began attempting big-budget productions."
Eric explained, "At that time, I was a bit timid. If I had jumped straight into a project with over a hundred million dollar investment and it flopped at the box office, I definitely wouldn't be where I am now."
Kelly still looked somewhat puzzled. Considering Eric's steady rise as a director, he had always been very rational, yet this time seemed a bit irrational.
Thanks to Jurassic Park's tremendous success, Firefly had very high expectations for Eric's adaptation of The Matrix, with a production budget set at one hundred million dollars. Jeffrey Katzenberg and others hoped Eric would continue directing, yet he developed an interest in the two newcomers in Hollywood who had yet to direct a single film, which was quite baffling.
...
At a little restaurant near the administration building where Eric often had lunch, the Wachowski brothers stood up as soon as they entered, accompanied by a studio employee.
Eric dismissed the employee, taking a seat across from the Wachowskis with Kelly. As he looked at the Wachowski brothers, who at that moment still appeared as men, Eric felt an inexplicable sense of strangeness; he found it hard to understand the mindset of a transgender person.
Noticing Eric's gaze, the younger brother, Larry Wachowski, who was slender and wore glasses, glanced at the package Eric had placed on the tabletop and said, "Mr. Williams, what do you think about our concept for The Matrix?"
Eric collected his thoughts and pulled out the storyboards from the package. "You can call me Eric. I think your ideas about bullet time and the 360-degree rotating shots in your storyboards are really cool. However, it feels like you haven't adhered entirely to the narrative of my novel. These storyboards don't provide a detailed script; could you share your specific ideas for the plot?"
To prevent any cognitive overlaps, the novel version of The Matrix that Eric had written did not follow the film's path in memory beyond the title and main concept. It lacked deep philosophical contemplation and primarily focused on the male lead, Neo, serendipitously discovering that he lived in a virtual reality. Together with his friends, he fought to return to reality.
In response to Eric's question, Larry Wachowski said, "Eric, actually, Andy and I had similar concepts before, but they were just scattered fragments. It wasn't until we saw your novel that we decided to script our story. What you see in the storyboards is us combining your novel with some of our own ideas. We think that compared to the novel version, this story offers a deeper exploration of themes regarding reality and illusion, the origins of life, and so on, rather than just being a sci-fi novel."
Eric nodded, "So, completely discarding my story, tell me about your concepts."
"Of course," Larry Wachowski replied. "Our idea is that in the illusion created by the machine, Neo should be a hacker and programmer, and one day, a mysterious person suddenly contacts him..."
The Wachowskis eagerly began detailing their story concepts, with Eric chiming in occasionally. Before they knew it, even Kelly became gradually engaged in the discussion.
It was past two in the afternoon before they remembered it was time for lunch. After a quick bite, Eric started asking the Wachowski brothers about their specific shooting ideas, and they continued to discuss until evening when the brothers finally left Firefly Studios.
...
Eric had the waiter clear the coffee from the table, ordered dinner on the side, and then turned to Kelly beside him, "What do you think of them?"
Kelly pondered for a moment and said, "They're two very imaginative individuals, but if the film is shot according to their ideas, it might come across as somewhat... obscure. If made into a low-budget cult film, it might become a classic. But for a big-budget film with over a hundred million in investment, the box office becomes a real concern."
Eric nodded; his assistant had keen insights.
In the original timeline, to secure investment for The Matrix, the Wachowskis had kept their screenplay quite restrained, skillfully blending the philosophical elements they wanted to express with commercial elements. As a result, audiences were presented with a film that was not only cool but also rich in meaning. When the first Matrix film released, it immediately caused a sensation, achieving both box office success and critical acclaim, thus catapulting the previously unknown Wachowskis to the forefront of Hollywood directors.
There was a simple yet brutal rule in Hollywood: as long as you could produce a commercially successful film, you could attain everything you desired. Therefore, after the first film's success, the brothers gained ample control over the sequels. The studio, Warner Bros, was willing to grant their every request. Consequently, the brothers began to insert their ideas into the films without restraint.
The sequels, while showcasing excessive special effects, also grew darker and more convoluted. This extreme discord produced catastrophic results: after fans anxiously awaited four years, they ended up with two mediocre sequels, and as the second, Reloaded, nearly exhausted the series' goodwill, disappointed fans unleashed their frustration on the third installment, which should have been the pinnacle of the series, leading it to become the lowest-grossing and critically reviled film in the original triology.
Recalling these events, Eric told his female assistant, "I will personally oversee the screenplay. I won't let them run wild."
"Eric, but they have no directing experience at all. Based on a general film production timeline, if everything goes smoothly, The Matrix might need three months of shooting and another four months for post-production. The pre-production could take about three months, totaling little less than a year. From now until next summer, we have around a year and a half. We could perhaps let them use the next six months to direct a low-budget film to build their skills."
Eric nodded, "That's a good idea. One and a half years... uh, a year and a half, eighteen months, six months, 1995, 1997..."
As Kelly noticed Eric's expression change suddenly as he muttered to himself, she stood up worriedly, asking, "Eric, are you okay?"
Eric calmed down, forcing a smile, and patted Kelly's small hand resting on his shoulder. "I'm fine; I just suddenly thought of something."
"Are you really okay?" Kelly still looked concerned, checking Eric's forehead with her hand. Aside from some light perspiration, nothing felt amiss.
With a smile, Eric took her small hand and kissed it lightly. "I'm really fine; I just suddenly realized that I might have overlooked some things."
After Eric kissed her hand, Kelly, noticing the surprised gaze of a nearby waiter, blushed slightly and withdrew her hand, resuming her seat while forgetting to ask Eric what had caused his brief lapse.
Eric quickly returned to normal, but the previous thought lingered in his mind.
Thanks to Kelly's unintentional reminder, Eric suddenly remembered the production timeline for Titanic. In the original timeline, after Titanic created a box office miracle, many production details were uncovered by the media. Eric clearly recalled that the original Titanic movie started preparations in the second half of 1995, began principal photography in 1996, and Fox initially planned for it to be released in the summer of 1997. However, Cameron kept pushing the production timeline further along, ultimately leading to its release at the end of 1997, with an entire production period of nearly two years.
Though an initial budget of $150 million had been approved for Titanic, Eric was already mentally prepared for Cameron to reportedly go over budget again. Still, as long as he could deliver a classic film like the one in the original timeline, Eric didn't mind if Cameron raised the budget to $200 million. However, he inadvertently overlooked the fact that Cameron would not only exceed the budget but also extend the production timeline.
Due to Disney's auction of their hand-drawn animation department last year, Firefly already faced a hold-up in their planned animation releases for the summer cycle, and if Titanic was not released on time, the only film scheduled for Firefly that summer of 1996 would be The Matrix.
In the past few years, the profits from Firefly's flagship summer films were responsible for about half of the annual profits from the film business. This highlighted the significance of the summer cycle to Firefly's cinematic division. If next year's summer film slate dwindled to a third of what it usually would be, the Firefly Group's film business would undoubtedly experience severe ramifications.
Staring at Cameron wasn't likely to yield results; ultimately, that would only result in him roaring louder on set.
Taking firm resolve, Eric decided to prepare in advance.
Furthermore, it was fortunate that it was just the beginning of 1995. If he realized this later in the year, attempting to prepare a film capable of supporting the summer slate of 1996 would be impossible within the time constraints.
...
With Eric's direct decision-making, the choice for the director of The Matrix quickly fell to the Wachowski brothers.
Following Kelly's suggestion, during the pre-production phase of The Matrix, Eric arranged for the Wachowski brothers to shoot a low-budget film to hone their directorial skills.
The Wachowskis, who were already screenwriters, had a script they personally wrote titled Bound, which had been sold to a production company affiliated with Warner Bros. However, with Eric personally mediating and Firefly agreeing to co-invest, Warner Bros happily consented to hand over the directing rights to the Wachowski brothers.
...
Negotiations with Qualcomm continued, and word inevitably leaked out in the following days. Major telecom operators expressed close interest, with even AT&T executives calling through Warren Buffett to inquire about Eric's intentions.
While Qualcomm's stock price skyrocketed as a result, under Firefly's firm stance, Qualcomm's shareholders and board began gradually compromising.
...
Hollywood was gearing up for the Golden Globe Awards, but Eric paid little attention to the event. To avoid any delays from Cameron's Titanic affecting the upcoming summer slate, he became increasingly preoccupied with selecting scripts.
"Mr. Williams, the story goes like this: a Marine officer, unhappy with the U.S. government's treatment of fallen soldiers, leads his men to seize a batch of gas canisters and takes a group of tourists hostage in a prison island that has been turned into a tourist site to demand a ransom of $100 million to compensate families of the fallen soldiers. That abandoned prison was once known as 'Devil's Island,' famous for its high level of security. During the hostage rescue, the FBI discovers a former British agent as the only successful escapee from Devil's Island, prompting FBI executives to deceive the agent into thinking he will receive government protection, on the condition that he leads a special forces team into Devil's Island to rescue the hostages..."
Inside Firefly Studios, an emaciated middle-aged man narrated his screenplay concept to Eric, punctuating his words with hand gestures. Eric listened quietly as Jerry Bruckheimer, seated beside him, nods repeatedly. Once the middle-aged man finished, Jerry Bruckheimer said, "Eric, how about David's idea? It's fantastic, right?"
Eric wore a noncommittal smile and said, "Mr. Weisberg, you can head back for now. If there is any result, someone will notify you."
The emaciated middle-aged man glanced at Jerry Bruckheimer, then hesitantly told Eric, "Mr. Williams, can you imagine Sean Connery playing the role of the British agent, the first 007? That's quite a hook. The role of the chemist could go to Nicolas Cage, and John Woo would be the director; his style suits this script perfectly. With that cast, this movie would absolutely be a box office hit, and there's more..."
Eric still did not indicate anything, but Jerry Bruckheimer's patience wore thin as he frowned. "David, listen to Eric. You should head back, and I'll call you in the afternoon."
Feeling Jerry Bruckheimer's displeasure, David Weisberg did not dare to insist further and left the office quietly.
Once the office door closed, Jerry Bruckheimer turned to Eric and said, "Eric, now can you share your thoughts?"
"Jerry," Eric shrugged, smiling, "you know my rule. I don't want a repeat of the situation with the script for Cutthroat Island."
After learning that Eric was seeking screenplays, Firefly received a deluge of scripts delivered by agents within just a few days. However, to avoid past pitfalls, any script reaching Eric needed to first have the writer sign a strict letter of intent with Firefly. This ensured that once Eric selected a screenplay, the writer would not attempt to sell it to other studios for a higher price.
Today, Jerry Bruckheimer coincidentally brought in a screenwriter with a promising idea to pitch, leading to the earlier interactions.
Jerry Bruckheimer said, "I understand completely. And I also think that incident was a trap you laid for Michael Eisner, wasn't it? Am I right?"
Eric shrugged; even if everyone guessed it, he wouldn't confess.
Jerry Bruckheimer smiled knowingly and explained, "I've acquired that screenplay, so don't worry. As long as Firefly agrees to invest, the rest will be fine."
"Jerry, it seems you overlooked one problem; as of now, I don't even know the name of the screenplay."
"Uh, that is something I missed, but you know how it goes, screenplay titles are often still tentative at this stage," he said. "However, David has given this story a title: The Rock."
"Alright, The Rock," Eric repeated with a smile. "By the way, David Weisberg just mentioned Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, and John Woo. Oh, and you, the golden producer. In that case, have you calculated the budget for the film?"
Eric was unsure of Sean Connery's salary for The Rock in the original timeline, but he knew Connery later received his first $20 million paycheck for Entrapment, so even if it were lower now, it wouldn't differ by much. Cage's current salary was around $15 million, and John Woo's fee after three successful films wouldn't be below $10 million. As for Jerry Bruckheimer, a top producer, he surely wouldn't settle for less than $10 million. Therefore, the salaries of just the main creative team would exceed $50 million.
After a moment of thought, Jerry Bruckheimer said, "Eric, the lead expenses for this film are a bit high, but the film doesn't have many special effects or grand scenes, so the budget should stay under $80 million."
Eric was unsure about the exact box office for The Rock but knew the North American and worldwide box offices couldn't have been bad. Tapping his fingers on the chair arm as he considered, Eric nodded, "Alright, Jerry, $80 million is the cap. And you know Firefly doesn't follow the habit of granting salary bonuses, so this $80 million is the sum of all production expenses."
When Jerry Bruckheimer mentioned this budget, he had actually inflated it slightly; he estimated $75 million would likely complete the film. Unlike many film company executives Eric had previously worked with, he didn't deliberately try to cut out a creator or compress the budget to create problems for the producers. This made Jerry feel at ease as he said, "No problem, Eric. I'm quite familiar with Sean Connery; I can help persuade him to join this project. As for Cage and John Woo, you should reach out to them directly."
The two went into detail discussing the project. Just as Jerry Bruckheimer was about to leave, Eric jokingly said, "Jerry, everyone entering this office these days seems to leave behind one or two film ideas. You aren't planning to leave empty-handed, are you?"
Jerry Bruckheimer laughed, remembering that he didn't have anything urgent to attend to, prompting him to sit back down. Crossing his legs casually, he said, "Actually, I do have one more script. It's a bit cliche, a crime action film mimicking the buddy-cop dynamic of Lethal Weapon. I originally planned to sell it to Columbia for some quick cash; the budget is just $19 million. Are you interested to hear about it?"
Eric narrowed his eyes slightly, keeping his smile steady. "Oh, what's the title of the script?"
"Bad Boys."
*****
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