America gains both fame and fortune

Chapter 392 Tit for tat
Once again coming to Paramount Studios, Martin was accompanied by Thomas. The agent had only one goal, to get a suitable big contract for Martin.

Bob was waiting for Martin at the door of the studio. When he saw him, he said, "Come over here, please."

Martin is going to meet with Finch.

Thomas walked alone to the producer's office to discuss the specific contract terms with Kathleen Kennedy.

In a conference room, Martin met David Fincher.

Later, Cate Blanchett also entered the meeting room.

Martin greeted casually: "Long time no see, Kate."

Blanchett's tough face is very recognizable. Without making any expression, she looks very cold: "If possible, I don't want to see you."

Martin's smile deepened, with something different in it: "My eldest brother, Jack, has always been thinking about you."

When Nicholson's name came out, Blanchett broke down: "Don't mention that bastard to me!"

Martin stopped smiling and said no more.

Blanchett thought of Pinewood Studios and Nicholson's public display of affection in the hotel lobby, and was so angry that she didn't want to say anything.

David Fincher looked at the two men and suddenly felt a headache.

It's a bit difficult for the male and female protagonists, who are at loggerheads with each other, to play two characters who love each other.

Fortunately, he has experienced similar situations before. When filming "Fight Club", Brad Pitt and Edward Norton were not easy to deal with and they had a big fight at one point.

David Fincher said: "You are all mature actors. Your personal relationship should not affect the normal work of the crew."

Martin was the first to agree: "No problem on my end."

"Me too." Blanchett agreed for the moment, then added, "As long as Nicholson doesn't come to visit the crew, everything else is fine."

Martin laughed. "Why can't old Jack come to see me? Ha... I asked the crew not to allow any Australian actors to come, except for the employees."

“You’re taking it too far,” Blanchett said.

Martin raised the corners of his mouth, smiling brightly and sunny: "Jack is almost 70 years old. What can he do on the crew? Will he hurt you?"

Blanchett's rock face was so angry that it almost turned into a swamp face.

David Fincher raised his hand to stop the two from continuing: "Okay, let's put aside all your personal conflicts and grudges while you're on the set, OK?"

He found that mediation was a mistake, and was too lazy to do anything more, so he simply used his authority as a first-line director: "I know that you are all good actors with excellent professional qualities. I just hope that your performance at work can be worthy of the high salary you get."

Martin nodded and said nothing more.

Blanchett simply stopped talking.

"That's it." David Fincher sent the two away: "If there is any new situation, I will contact you in time."

Martin stood up and left the meeting room first.

Blanchett waited for a dozen seconds before coming out.

Martin came to the studio lobby, found a place to sit down and waited for Thomas to come out.

Blanchett walked by.

Martin was as shameless as Nicholson and said, "Are you free at noon? I'll ask Jack to come out and have lunch with us."

Blanchett quickened her pace.

Martin added: "Jack loves you!"

When Blanchett heard this, she was walking down the stairs. Her high heels tilted, and her foot sprained slightly, and she almost fell.

The young man who was walking up the stairs next to her helped her up out of kindness.

Maybe he grabbed the wrong place in a hurry. Blanchett was angry again. She turned her head and glared at him: "Get out of the way!"

Shia LaBeouf quickly let go and raised his hands up as if in surrender.

The two had met during the filming of "Indiana Jones 4".

Blanchett patted her chest lightly and, in a rage, fired off a rant: "All men are bad."

Shia LaBeouf said, "Kate, what did you say?"

Blanchett ignored him, shook her ankle, and walked away quickly.

Shia LaBeouf touched the back of his head and said, "A woman with a problem in her brain."

He walked in and saw Martin.

I didn’t recognize Martin who was wearing makeup yesterday, but I still recognized Shia LaBeouf when he was not wearing makeup.

This man seemed to be very familiar with people. He walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down opposite Martin. He said, "I have no grudge against you, right?"

Martin nodded: "Strictly speaking, no."

Shia LaBeouf was indignant: "Why did you scare me yesterday?" He pinched the corners of his mouth with both hands and pulled them up: "Just like that, you smiled like Jack Nicholson in The Shining, and you scared me to the point of peeing my pants."

Martin suddenly grinned: "Is that so?" With a ping-pong sound, the chair fell over, and Shia LaBeouf jumped out like a frightened rabbit.

"I've been timid since I was a child, don't scare me!" He walked into the studio without looking back, muttering as he walked: "Everyone in this theater is not normal."

Shia LaBeouf said to himself: "The director is a depressed and dark schizophrenic, the heroine has paranoid delusions, and the hero is a horrible pervert. Fortunately, I am relatively normal, which raises the normal value of the crew."

The young actor also has a mysterious confidence.

Martin waited for a while, and Thomas came over from the producer's office. The two of them went out together and got into the Cadillac driven by Bruce.

"We just had preliminary contact today," Thomas said of the initial negotiation. "We only discussed the pay."

Martin patted the front seat and asked Bruce to drive back to the company.

Thomas continued: "The crew proposed a pay model similar to The Dark Knight, which is a basic pay plus a share of the North American online box office."

Martin asked: "What is the specific amount and proportion?"

Thomas said: "The basic salary is $500 million, and the North American online box office share point was originally $1.5 million. I initially negotiated $1 million, but it was only %, which I felt was inappropriate."

He looked at Martin and said, "If the North American box office of the film can reach 2 million US dollars, I can negotiate with them based on 1000 million US dollars as a stepping point, but this type of film..."

The type of film determines that it is difficult for it to reach $2 million at the North American box office. Martin has been in Hollywood for so long and can see very clearly that under normal circumstances, the commercial attributes of a film are much more important in affecting the box office than the appeal of the leading actor.

"What about the offline share?" Martin knew that this film was aimed at the awards season.

Moreover, David Fincher's films have offline commercial revenue that far exceeds the box office of theaters, and can even be four or five times that of online revenue.

Thomas said: "For now, Kathleen Kennedy is unwilling to discuss offline profit sharing with me."

Martin thought for a while and said, "If they insist on paying the film with a basic salary plus a share of the profits, I will not only ask for a share of the North American box office, but also a share of the offline DVD and TV copyright revenue."

At this point, he remembered something else: "The revenue share of new Internet media is also included in this."

“I try to get as much as I can,” Thomas said.

However, considering that DreamWorks, Warner Bros., and Paramount were all rip-offs, and Martin's affiliates had not invested in the project, he simply said, "These are the initial negotiation prices. In the end, I want $1500 million for the film."

Thomas said honestly: "Yes, even if we can't directly negotiate to $1500 million, we can achieve $1300 million plus compensation clauses."

Martin knew this payment method. For example, according to his current status, he could only get about 1300 million US dollars. But when he signed the contract with Benjamin's crew, the Dark Knight, in which he starred, had not yet been released, and this film would definitely be released before Benjamin. Once the Dark Knight became a hit, Benjamin's film would definitely benefit.

In this way, he can try to sign a compensation clause with Benjamin's crew, stipulating that the North American box office of The Dark Knight will reach a certain amount, and Benjamin's crew will pay him a certain amount of salary.

Similar clauses are most commonly used by Will Smith today.

Shi Huang has been receiving many film offers. Often, a new crew will come to him before his new film is completed. If he does not accept a promising project, he will definitely suffer a loss. If he accepts it, his salary will inevitably increase after the new film becomes a box office hit.

The compensation clause perfectly solves these problems.

Not all Hollywood stars, including big names, can use this clause.

The films starring actors like Martin and Spade must be successful one after another, the actors must continue to improve, and they must have strong box office appeal.

Martin said: "We can talk about it. I am very confident in The Dark Knight. This movie will explode at the box office."

Thomas first ensured that Martin would take what he could get: "That's $1300 million in base salary plus a tiered compensation component."

This kind of thing is not something they can succeed just by thinking about it, so Martin said directly: "You go and talk about it."

While Thomas was exchanging sharp words and negotiating with Kathleen Kennedy, Martin continued to punch in at the psychological clinic on time. He also went to the nursing home several times to visit the lonely elderly and gave them some gifts.

He continued to prepare for the role in the film by spending long hours every day in nursing homes, observing how elderly residents walk, sit, talk and entertain themselves.

Just like his reputation in public opinion, Martin's professionalism is impeccable.

If you work hard, of course you want people to see it.

Martin also attended several gatherings of old white people in the academy through Warren Beatty and Annette Bening, observed their behavior on the spot, and asked for advice on acting on the spot.

This attitude of respecting predecessors and learning with an open mind has improved Martin's reputation among the seniors in the college.

Human beings are creatures that once they have a good impression of someone, they will like him or her more and more.

Once the impression is bad, everything will look awkward.

The representative of the former is Martin Davis, and the typical representative of the latter is Leonardo Dicaprio.

In addition, Ivan always shows up on time at the occasions where Martin is working, takes relevant photos, and spreads them through the media.

Martin also received rave reviews from critics in Los Angeles.

In mid-September, Thomas negotiated Martin's acting contract and successfully achieved his goal after much negotiation.

Martin's salary is divided into two parts, the leading actor's salary is 1400 million US dollars, which is consistent with his current net worth.

At the same time, a compensation clause was signed. Before the release of "Benjamin", if the North American box office of the film starring him exceeds 2.5 million US dollars, the crew will pay another 200 million US dollars. If the North American box office exceeds 5 million US dollars, the crew will pay another 300 million US dollars.

In fact, the crew is also hoping that one of Martin's two films that have yet to be released will be a huge box office hit.

(End of this chapter)