[Chapter 902: Keep an Eye on MGM for Me]
Arriving at the parking lot, Eric sent his driver and bodyguard away. He and Drew got into her Range Rover and headed out of the MGM headquarters.
After discussing where to eat next, the girl cozied up to him. "Eric, how about I transfer my shares in MGM back to you?"
Eric chuckled lightly. "The shares you have are probably worth about $4 billion. I can't afford that."
"I've already consulted a lawyer. There's a way to do it without spending a dime."
Before she could say more, Eric reached out and pulled her closer. The girl playfully sat on his lap, her eyes sparkling as she gazed back at him.
Gently holding her cherubic face, Eric said earnestly, "Drew, can I trust you?"
"Mm-hmm," she nodded vigorously.
"Honestly, finding someone in life that you can fully trust is very rare -- most people go through life never meeting that person." Eric leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips, adding, "I'm lucky to have met someone like you. So, keep an eye on MGM for me. Don't worry about what others think, and don't always make me decide. If anyone dares to cause trouble, just grab a bottle and smack them over the head like before."
"Mm-hmm," she agreed, nodding and playfully huffing. She seemed to melt into him even more, her little hands restlessly exploring Eric as she whispered, "Eric, I suddenly want to do something in the car."
"Uh," Eric wrapped his arms around her waist, feeling like he was holding a suddenly affectionate kitten. "We seem to be discussing serious business here. Plus, I kind of like this car -- don't mess it up. You know I've been developing quite the obsession with cleanliness lately."
The girl giggled, ignoring his concerns and tugging on his shirt while instructing the driver to take the car towards the nearby 405 freeway.
...
Century City, CAA Headquarters.
Richard Lovett was anxiously waiting for news from Pierre Truc, which might just be the last opportunity to persuade Eric to change his mind.
Aside from managing stars, CAA had expanded its advertising business since the '80s under Michael Ovitz, taking on advertising functions for large corporations, similar to packaged film contracts. These advertising projects provided comprehensive services like finding spokespersons, contacting ad agencies, and producing ads.
The Havas Group, led by Pierre Truc, happened to be one of the largest global advertising media companies. Richard intercepted Pierre at Los Angeles International Airport and promised a collaboration, hoping Pierre could persuade MGM to reconsider. Naturally, their mutual interest quickly aligned, with Pierre originally set on stopping MGM from replacing Brosnan.
Richard couldn't help glancing at his watch; it was already 8 o'clock. He contemplated whether he should call and check in when his phone rang.
Without hesitation, he answered, recognizing the voice on the other end. Rarely did he skip the small talk, getting straight to the point. "Pierre, what was the outcome?"
"..."
Whether he forced himself to listen until the end or not, the last shred of hope faded away. Richard instinctively started to mimic a grenade throw, yet he ultimately decided against tossing his brand-new phone. Slowly retracting his arm, Richard held the phone in his palm, pressed his hands together behind his desk, and assumed a prayer-like posture, rapidly devising how to deal with Pierce Brosnan next.
There were two knocks at the office door, and David O'Connor walked in, pausing at the sight of Richard's posture. He then said, "Richard, it's probably unavoidable. Pierre said if he doesn't hear back soon, he plans to head home today. How's everything on your end?"
Richard slowly exhaled and shook his head. "I'll speak to Pierre in person later."
David immediately understood the outcome and said nothing more, nodding as he exited.
...
After spending a day at CAA, Pierce Brosnan gradually reached some realizations while gazing at the night outside. Once David left, he turned to his ever-watchful public relations manager, Sarah Lindert, and asked, "Sarah, should I call Pascal or Williams myself?"
Sarah looked at him with a hint of pity, aware that Brosnan was still totally in the dark.
If he were to make that call, this morning would have been the best time. Now, Richard had obviously arranged everything, and even if the call went out, it would be too late.
Though she was right by Brosnan's side, she had been maintaining contact with the outside world all day. Based on current circumstances, things seemed worse than expected; perhaps she'd lose this client too. Thankfully, David had promised to introduce her to four other clients at Brosnan's level. Even if she lost Brosnan, it wouldn't be so tragic, especially with that recording ensuring David would think twice about backing out.
Just as she was about to offer some comforting words to Brosnan, Richard walked in with a grave expression. He patted Brosnan's shoulder, urging him to sit down while pulling up a chair to sit across from him. "Pierce, I've done everything I could. MGM has agreed to re-sign with you."
Brosnan barely registered joy before realizing Richard meant they'd be resigning based on the terms from yesterday and not reopening negotiations: "Richard, are you saying it's the same terms as yesterday?"
Even so, Brosnan suddenly realized he still had no idea what Eric had offered him for his salary yesterday. Rick Kozman hadn't shared any details with him. Earlier that morning, when he learned he was abruptly fired from the Bond set, his first reaction had been to punch Rick in the face; they certainly didn't exchange pleasantries then. Although he'd seen the announcement on Yahoo about MGM, such statements wouldn't cover the details of his salary. They only conveyed a vague concept of a 'hundred million-dollar package'.
Richard shook his head and patiently explained, "No, Pierce. MGM's current offer consists of two main Bond films at $20 million each, and two crossover spy films at $10 million each, totaling $60 million for four films."
Brosnan's expression shifted as he processed this. Not long ago, Rick had assured him, given the box office success of Casino Royale, he could expect at least $40 million per film for the next installment. Now, with the offer for four films at $60 million, that averaged only $15 million apiece, less than half of what he had anticipated.
What he had imagined as a $160 million contract had dwindled to a mere $60 million, causing Brosnan to instinctively place blame on Rick and CAA. He also realized he'd completely lost any bargaining power.
Suppressing the fresh surge of anger bubbling up again, Brosnan asked, "The Yahoo announcement said it would be a hundred million. Why so much less?"
Richard shook his head and calmly clarified, "There was never a hundred million offer. MGM exaggerated. Yesterday, Williams' offer was for four films at $70 million, plus a similar profit-sharing plan. You know how Williams can be -- headstrong and inflexible; we turned him down once, and now that we're trying to re-sign, he's holding your salary lower. So the profit-sharing plan got scrapped; he just..."
"No, that's not right." Before Richard could finish, Brosnan couldn't contain himself anymore. He jumped up, pointing at Richard. "It's not 'we'; it's 'you'. You guys rejected the MGM deal without consulting me, and now we're in this mess. It's all on you, and you've screwed everything up!"
Richard, standing up as well, maintained his calm demeanor. "Pierce, you need to calm down."
"Calm down? Why the hell should I be calm?" Brosnan glared at Richard and picked up a chair, hurling it towards a nearby window. The tempered glass didn't shatter, but some decorations fell from the sill with a loud crash. "This is all your fault! You have to give me an explanation, or I swear I'll leak everything you've done to the media."
Despite Brosnan showing signs of losing control, Richard still attempted to keep the peace. "Pierce, don't do this. I admit we might have flaws in our approach, but getting rowdy won't help. MGM only gave us one night; if you refuse this offer tomorrow morning, you'll lose the role entirely. Just think about it -- how many Hollywood stars ever see a $60 million payday?"
"It should've been a hundred. You lost me forty million."
"There was never a hundred. Seventy million. Williams claimed years ago his goal was to suppress Hollywood salaries, and that's what he's doing now. I had to pull every connection at CAA today just to keep him from replacing you, and we only lost an additional 10 million."
"Regardless, I'm not signing this contract, and I'll be making sure the world knows what CAA did. You'll all be discredited."
After taking a verbal beating, Richard found himself growing angrier, saying loudly, "Get realistic, Pierce. If you walk away from Bond, do you think anyone would pay you $20 million? No, that's absolutely impossible. Your image has been established. It's hard for audiences to accept you in roles outside Bond. Plus, you know about Lion King 2, right? That animated film originally had box office potential like Finding Nemo, but thanks to some sabotage from Firefly and Fox, it only grossed a little over half of what Nemo did. So, even more challenging, knowing the pressure from Firefly, most studios won't even risk inviting you to audition. Your Hollywood career would be dead."
"Even if I'm done for, I'll drag CAA down with me. I'm suing you."
"Hah, suing us? Do you know what the headlines are saying right now? 'Pierce Brosnan allegedly claims ignorance of MGM's salary conditions to win back the Bond contract.' Everyone thinks you're just pretending to be oblivious. If you sue, people will laugh at you as a desperate fool."
Brosnan paused, suddenly rushing forward and grabbing Richard by the collar, forcefully pinning him against the wall. "Did you do this? This has to be your doing, isn't it?"
"Let go, you lunatic." Even with Richard pinned against the wall, he maintained his composure, waving his arms and shouting, "I've been working all day to help you regain your contract. Do you really think I have time for silly games? This is just MGM flexing their muscles at you."
With frustration evident on Richard's face, Brosnan stared at him for a few seconds. As his fist lowered reluctantly, he hesitated but didn't want to release him just yet. They maintained their standoff for a moment until Sarah Lindert, cautiously lurking nearby, tentatively suggested, "Richard, how about this -- MGM only lowballed the offer by 10 million, right? Perhaps CAA could forego the 10% commission from this contract as compensation for Pierce's loss."
Richard, still gripping his collar, took a deep breath, casting a glance at Brosnan that reflected his unwillingness to accept this situation. After a long pause, he finally uttered, "Alright, I agree."
Upon hearing Richard's concession, Brosnan finally let go of his collar, but still angry, coldly remarked, "You shouldn't have taken a dime anyway. Sarah, let's go."
With that, Brosnan left the office without looking back. Sarah Lindert triumphantly raised a finger to Richard as she quickly followed.
"Pleasure."
Watching Sarah leave, Richard cursed under his breath. He slid down the wall to the floor, loosened his collar, and threw the crooked tie aside, letting out a sigh of relief.
Moments later, David O'Connor walked in, glanced at Richard sitting against the wall, then squatted down in front of him. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, offering it to Richard before lighting it for him, asking, "Did you sort it out?"
Richard took a long drag from the cigarette, nodding, and glanced at the mess by the window. He muttered under his breath, "Damn Hollywood."
*****
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