"If you accept, I'm willing to invest 20% in this film." Jeff lowered his voice, intending to assert dominance. "Of course, my name must appear in the producer credits."
Driven by his competitive nature, he decided to join this high-stakes gamble.
If he won, he would not only stand tall in front of Spielberg but also significantly increase his weight on the board.
Jeff had only been the President of Warner Bros. for a little over a year. He didn't yet have the absolute top-down control over the company like Universal Music's Sir Lucian Grainge.
But if he lost, the losses would be in the tens of millions of dollars.
That was no small sum for him. Although he was part of the elite class, at the end of the day, he was just a professional manager.
The term "Emperor of Employees" is just a nickname; you can't become a real emperor purely by working for someone else.
"Listen, making a movie is like playing Texas Hold'em. No one knows if they'll win or lose before the cards are dealt..." Leon laid out the ugly truth upfront. Although he didn't really want to partner with someone like Jeff, the thought of someone coming with stacks of cash to plug the funding gap was hard to resist.
With the backing of the Warner President, many potential difficulties during filming would vanish.
Just the world-class promotional resources and unlimited access to DC Comics were irresistible temptations.
He had considered bringing in the deep-pocketed Netflix, but their conditions were too harsh.
Netflix offered two investment plans. One was for them to take the lead with over 80% of the investment share. After the movie wrapped, it would skip theaters and stream exclusively on Netflix.
This plan was a non-starter. Even a layman knew it would lose money all the way to Siberia.
But Netflix could afford to lose money to gain market share; other investors would just be suckers.
The second plan was for Netflix to take a 50% share, with the movie released simultaneously in theaters and on streaming.
Neither cooperation method was acceptable to Leon.
"I don't need you to tell me that. No investment is absolutely safe," Jeff paused and said. "But I will do my best to ensure our movie succeeds, inviting the director most adept at making this kind of film..."
Leon frowned. The partnership agreement hadn't even been signed, and the first conflict had already arisen.
If Jeff was already arranging the director, he would inevitably interfere in all aspects of the production later.
He retorted immediately, "Let's solve the copyright issue first. I haven't even seen a shadow of the movie being greenlit... As for the director choice, I should lead that, though of course, I will fully respect your opinion."
"You can't do everything yourself." Jeff spread his hands. "Leave professional matters to professionals. Do you think making one successful movie means you understand Hollywood connections? I'm talking about the world's best directors—Nolan, Michael Bay, Ridley Scott..."
"But didn't they all refuse your invitation?"
"Well..." Jeff choked, his temper flaring. He couldn't figure out why Leon knew everything.
Christopher Nolan was currently Hollywood's brightest genius director, with every film being a critical and commercial hit. Nolan himself was also a video game enthusiast, making him undoubtedly the best choice for director. Leon would have agreed with both hands raised.
But the problem was he was busy filming the finale of The Dark Knight Trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, which was expected to wrap at the end of this year. Even if Leon and Jeff were willing to wait, Nolan might not be willing to take on Ready Player One.
Recently, he had become obsessed with astrophysics to a fanatical degree.
Multiple media outlets reported that he often led a team of astronomy enthusiasts, driving off-road vehicles into the Nevada desert to observe celestial bodies with telescopes.
There were even rumors that he was planning a movie about the universe and spacetime with astrophysics giant and Caltech professor Kip Thorne. He had high hopes for this film, aiming to reach the level of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Michael Bay was even less likely to accept the invitation; he was a thorough disciple of Spielberg.
Although he was the director of the Transformers series, the one truly in control on set was producer Spielberg.
While an invitation from the President of Warner Bros. carried weight, it was much weaker compared to Spielberg. An executive position could be shifted at any time, but the "Emperor of Commercial Films" held power in this industry like a dictator. His authority was unshakeable until death.
As for Ridley Scott, he was burnt out from the impact of the "Diddy case" and had no mind for filmmaking.
Leon continued, "I have a friend. He is a true genius, a box office magician... A ten-fold return on investment is just standard procedure for him."
"Who are you talking about?"
Jeff didn't hide the disdain in his eyes. Bragging about film industry connections in front of him was like flaunting wealth in front of Buffett.
"James Wan. A young Asian director. You should have heard the name."
"Oh, that Asian kid is indeed impressive." Jeff squinted, seemingly searching his brain for information on James Wan. "But has that kid ever directed a big-budget movie? He probably doesn't even know what motion capture technology is."
"That, he hasn't." Leon continued his hard sell. "But for a movie, investing 1 million or 100 million, the filming process is about the same. Think about what James has achieved. Saw cost 1.2 million and grossed over 100 million; Insidious cost 1.5 million and also grossed over 100 million... As for Straight Outta Compton, I don't need to say more, right?"
He had confidence in Wan's ability. For a director, having one low-cost, high-return hit was normal. But creating box office miracles consecutively couldn't be called a coincidence.
Spielberg called himself the "number one player" and had been a video game enthusiast since childhood; no one could deny that. His autobiography spent pages describing his obsession with Atari consoles.
But those games were too retro. The iteration speed of the video game industry far exceeded that of the film industry. Ancient IPs like Pac-Man and Space Invaders would struggle to resonate with today's youth.
Leon had discussed Ready Player One with James Wan. Wan was also a video game fanatic, but compared to Spielberg, the games he engaged with were much more avant-garde.
He knew better what young audiences' nostalgia was. IPs like Contra, Dragon Ball, and Ultraman appearing in the movie would be a huge boost to the box office.
Most importantly, Wan was Leon's man, 100% obedient.
If Apocalypse Studios wanted to develop further in the film industry, having its own loyal big-name director was crucial.
Listening to Leon's brainwashing sales pitch, Jeff started to waver.
Even setting aside the extravagant bragging, James Wan's splendid box office record was right there, nakedly in front of him. Those numbers were more persuasive than any flattery.
"No director starts with a big production. Spielberg couldn't, and Kubrick's first work was a short film costing less than 100 dollars..." Leon said.
"You're right, that Asian kid does have the potential to become a top-tier director," Jeff conceded. "But if there's a better candidate, like Nolan, you would prioritize him, right?"
"Of course." Leon spread his hands.
Even if he favored James Wan, he wouldn't argue with box office returns.
Nolan's films also performed brilliantly in terms of ROI and he had extensive experience with big productions. The Dark Knight grossed over a staggering 1 billion dollars globally, firmly holding the top spot for superhero movies on major review sites.
This series was seen as Warner's opening salvo for the DC Universe, and a significant portion of fans believed it was the best superhero movie in the world.
"Very good." Hearing his idea accepted, Jeff's expression cleared up. "I originally thought you weren't easy to get along with. The media always says you're the Al Capone hiding in the entertainment industry..."
He stood up, taking brisk, light steps, and joked, "I was worried before that if we had a disagreement during our cooperation, you'd bring a bunch of gunmen in black trench coats to shoot at me..."
"Relax, don't bring movies into real life." Leon retorted with a joke.
Everyone has a different personality, but no matter what kind of person they are, they get along well with money.
"Hahaha..."
Both laughed in unison, and the atmosphere became cheerful.
They chatted for another half hour, and the bottle of whiskey was about to bottom out.
During the chat, Leon was constantly distracted. Taylor's messages were coming in one after another.
"Are you done, honey?"
"Who did you meet that takes so long?"
"I've been waiting for you at home... so bored I'm about to bubble over."
Just as Leon was figuring out how to reply, a picture came through.
"Holy sht..."
His eyes widened, eyeballs almost falling onto the screen.
In the photo, Taylor was arched over, butt in the air, on all fours. She was wearing Wicked Angel lingerie, performing the "Downward-Facing Dog," the soul posture of yoga.
Adding to the scene, her Scottish Fold cat had wandered into the frame, stretching in a pose synchronized perfectly with hers.
Jeff, already buzzed from too much whiskey, didn't notice Leon's strange expression and kept chatting away happily.
"The marriage of Disney and Marvel won't last too long. The union of a rich kid and a bitch usually ends in tragedy... You know that actress Amber Heard? I don't know what that woman is thinking. If she wants the role of Mera, she has to pay more... That bastard Heath Ledger overdosed and died at the peak of his fame, costing the company at least hundreds of millions of dollars..."
As a Warner executive, Jeff's drunken behavior wasn't much better than Phil's. Alcohol treats everyone equally; once buzzed, it easily tears apart the hypocrisy of the elite.
Money, women, power...
The brains of the poor and the rich aren't structured differently; they think about pretty much the same things.
Leon had no mind to listen to Jeff's drunken nonsense. He just wanted to rush back to Beverly Hills immediately to give Taylor one-on-one instruction on what orthodox yoga was.
But a name casually mentioned by the other party piqued his interest: Heath Ledger.
The Joker played by Heath Ledger was not only the most successful villain in superhero movie history but also became a legend for his profound interpretation of humanity's dark side and extreme dedication to the performance.
It is no exaggeration to say that Heath Ledger's Joker was the decisive factor in the success of The Dark Knight.
"I'm a fan of Mr. Heath Ledger. Hearing the news of his death made me very sad." Leon found an entry point to guide Jeff to talk more.
"He was a good man, a genius actor." Speaking of this, Jeff gritted his teeth. "I warned him long ago that a script is a script, and life is life... People love the Joker image he created on the big screen, but this guy insisted on bringing the character into his life. The company had already decided to greenlight a Joker project, and as a result, the guy died."
"Oxycodone, painkillers, anti-anxiety drugs, sedatives, sleeping pills... The toxicology report found six drugs in his stomach. This guy basically wanted to commit suicide..."
Speaking of this, there was no trace of pity or grief in Jeff's eyes, only greed for dollars.
Originally, the Joker's popularity among Batman villains was inferior to the Penguin. Through Heath Ledger's successful portrayal, he transformed into a top-tier IP.
After his death, Warner Bros. was forced to postpone the Joker project. Without his halo, the box office appeal of this IP dropped by at least half.
Leon didn't care about the torture Heath Ledger went through, nor was he interested in the Joker character. Warner wouldn't sell it anyway.
What he was really interested in was the fringe IP: Harley Quinn.
In Sucker for Pain and Heathens, there were scenes of Robbie with mismatched twin ponytails wielding a baseball bat.
He was 100% certain this was the Harley Quinn character from the Batman comic series.
This meant that one day in the future, this character would rise strongly and shine on the big screen.
Leon probed tentatively, "So what do you plan to do? Give up on Joker completely?"
"Of course not!" Jeff swirled his glass. "But it's impossible in the short term. The risk is too high. The filming plan for this series of villain IPs may have to be postponed."
"Alright." Leon pretended to sip his drink casually, looking down at his watch. "I have to go. I hope you can settle the copyright issue soon."
"Don't worry!" Jeff raised his glass unsteadily. "Cheers to this great cooperation!"
---
As a coastal city, Los Angeles has a large temperature difference between day and night.
Just walking out of the Warner Bros. headquarters, a gust of wind made Leon feel a chill. He needed to find a warm place immediately.
Getting into the commercial van and returning to the mansion in Beverly Hills, this time he could finally skip the step of knocking on the door.
After the tennis practice in the afternoon, he got a spare key from Taylor, temporarily becoming the master of this mansion.
"Honey?" Walking into the living room with excitement, the scene of Taylor practicing yoga in Wicked Angel lingerie from the photo did not appear.
"Where is she?"
After wandering around the big house, he finally heard her voice from the bedroom on the second floor.
Opening the door, Taylor was sitting on the big pink bed, with a mountain of various clothes piled on the floor.
"What are you doing?" Leon asked.
"I think I need to buy some new clothes." Taylor threw the dress in her hand to the floor and sighed lightly. "I can't find a dress that suits me."
Leon looked at the room full of clothes and didn't know what to say.
There were at least a few hundred dresses of various colors and styles, and even hundreds of bras. The amount of clothes here was enough to fill a luxury store.
"I mean, why are you trying on clothes now? Are you going out on a date with someone?"
"Of course not." Taylor rolled her eyes. "I'm choosing clothes for the MTV Video Music Awards the day after tomorrow."
"Okay."
Leon couldn't understand why Taylor, who usually wasn't very interested in award ceremonies, suddenly attached importance to this MTV award.
She had already won enough awards to get tired of them.
Moreover, she only received one nomination for the MTV awards the day after tomorrow, which was her bleakest performance in award events in nearly two years.
"Wouldn't it be better to leave this kind of thing to your assistant? can't your team of more than ten assistants do this little thing well?" Leon didn't say it, but he was anxious in his heart.
There were simply too many clothes. If Taylor kept trying them on like this, the yoga teaching tonight would be out of the question.
"No! This time I have to choose personally!" Taylor pouted, her eyes suddenly becoming sharp. "You have to give me some advice on which style suits me better."
"Whatever you think is suitable is fine; I know nothing about fashion."
"Don't lie to me. You are a genius designer. Everyone I know bought Yeezys."
"This..." Leon didn't know how to explain, so he could only bite the bullet and agree.
He couldn't tell her directly that the design drawing of the Yeezys was stolen from Kanye.
For the next hour, the two repeated the same dialogue.
"Does this dress suit me? Actually, I don't really like black; it makes me look less approachable."
"Too beautiful!"
"What about this pink one? Is it too childish?"
"Not at all. I can't take my eyes off it."
"How about the white one?"
"You look like an angel descended to earth."
Leon exhausted almost all the praise words in his mind before Taylor finally chose the dress she liked.
He lay on the bed and was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when he saw Taylor pouncing on him.
She kissed him gently on the ear. "Cheer up, honey. You have to help me choose shoes next..."
"Fck." He wanted to quit completely. "You outshine everyone no matter what you wear. Anyone's advice is meaningless to you..."
"No!" Taylor pouted, silent for three seconds, then gritted her teeth and said, "Your advice is very important to me! Robbie will also be at the award ceremony the day after tomorrow."