"First, there's the issue of accents. In my setting, most of the main characters are British."
As everyone, including Duke, turned to look at her, J.K. Rowling pondered for a moment before saying slowly, "Accents can be adjusted, but we will undoubtedly use a large number of underage actors, and that will be a huge undertaking."
Neither Duke nor Doug Walter was moved; they continued looking at Rowling.
Compared to the benefits brought by tax rebates, such tasks were negligible.
J.K. Rowling gradually realized the crux of the issue. She turned to discuss briefly with her agent and then said, "If my demands can be met, I'm willing to lower my share of the film's profit by one percentage point."
The conference room immediately fell silent. Duke frowned, seemingly unsure of the truth in her statement. When he looked at Doug Walter, the latter also glanced back at him, and the two exchanged a silent communication with their eyes.
One percentage point of profit share didn't sound like much, but don't forget—this was the Harry Potter series!
Although the novels had already become hugely popular, J.K. Rowling couldn't possibly realize what that one percentage point represented!
Of course, Doug Walter didn't fully grasp it either, so by the end of the meeting, no agreement had been reached on the matter.
Warner Bros. had already made a massive investment in the series, and every decision was approached cautiously. Like Duke, J.K. Rowling didn't have a halo of irrationality.
This issue would undoubtedly require lengthy negotiations, and the film was still some time away from officially beginning pre-production. Duke instructed Tina Fey to monitor developments while he continued deliberating on Rowling's offer.
Compared to the incentives offered by tax rebate locations, Rowling's concessions had already become much more enticing.
Leaving the Warner Bros. building, Duke continued contemplating Rowling's words. After the car started, a memory suddenly struck him—he seemed to recall from his previous life that Rowling had made significant concessions to Warner Bros. to keep the Harry Potter production in the UK. While he couldn't remember the specifics, anything that could sway Warner Bros. must have been substantial.
Afterward, Duke headed to his Duke Studio. Since Warner Bros. had taken a stake in the studio, it had increasingly become more of an investment entity.
Duke harbored no grand ambitions. He knew he lacked the operational capacity for such aspirations. While he now had some capital, it was exceedingly difficult to change the power dynamics of Hollywood giants in this era.
Currently, Duke Studio had three major projects: The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Mission: Impossible 2, and the two sequels to The Matrix.
For a mid-sized film studio, this was nearly its operational limit.
Modern big-budget commercial films required ever-increasing promotional expenditures, making it harder to turn a profit solely through box office revenue. One of Duke Studio's critical roles was to use a range of legal methods to maximize ancillary revenue and avoid the crippling tax burden.
Even though the studio was registered in Delaware, the United States was still a tax-heavy country, and the tax rate was daunting.
After conveying his thoughts to Tina Fey, Duke tasked her with negotiating further with J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. He himself traveled the next day to Cupertino in the San Francisco Bay Area, heading to Apple's headquarters.
Duke was there to attend Apple's shareholder meeting. Rumor had it that, after years of restructuring, Steve Jobs would unveil an exciting new product at the meeting.
Of course, Duke wasn't naïve enough to think it would be the iPhone.
During Apple's darkest years, Duke had acquired 6.5% of the company's shares through the stock market, shareholder transactions, and financing. Although Apple was far from its future glory, Steve Jobs' return had already brought about significant positive changes.
The most notable was the concept prototype of a portable multifunctional digital multimedia player, the iPod, which Jobs unveiled at the shareholder meeting.
Apple was gradually approaching a turning point, though countless challenges still lay ahead.
Afterward, Duke had a brief meeting with Steve Jobs. The two merely exchanged a few words, as someone as obsessive as Jobs wouldn't easily be swayed by others.
Likewise, Duke didn't flaunt his limited IT knowledge in front of him.
This was merely a typical conversation between a CEO and a shareholder.
Duke planned to hold onto Apple's stock for the long term while remaining cautious of Jobs, who disliked seeing any single shareholder gain too much influence and wanted Apple's voice to solely reflect his own.
In the business world, intrigue was everywhere. Although Duke had invested in Apple, this was a realistic world, and things wouldn't always go as he wished.
A successful person could be proud but not so arrogant as to lose their way.
While Duke was conversing with Steve Jobs, Michael Bay, in a villa in the San Francisco Bay Area, welcomed a heavyweight guest.
"Hello, Mr. Ovitz."
Michael Bay escorted Michael Ovitz into the living room, maintaining a respectful demeanor toward the renowned Hollywood figure. "I just received your call this morning; I didn't expect you to come over so quickly."
The two had already communicated extensively in advance. Michael Ovitz asked directly, "Bay, have you made up your mind?"
"Like many others, I'm eager for you to take charge of management," Michael Bay said. Then, with a sudden change in tone, he asked curiously, "Are you sure I'll get the director position?"
Michael Ovitz smiled confidently. "Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett are both signed with me. I've also secured the lead actress and key department heads under my talent management company. While I haven't signed a formal agreement with Touchstone Pictures yet, this project will undoubtedly be under my control."
He stopped there, and Michael Bay appeared contemplative.
In truth, Ovitz had essentially finalized the deal with Touchstone Pictures; otherwise, he wouldn't have personally approached Bay to poach him.
Ovitz's first packaged project since his return hadn't been a major success, but Godzilla had grossed $400 million worldwide and generated considerable revenue through DVD and video sales, making the project ultimately profitable.
Although Sony-Columbia Pictures decided not to proceed with a sequel due to Godzilla's poor reception in North America, its profitability added another feather to Ovitz's cap.
Even though Ovitz had left Disney as a perceived failure, he could still strike deals with Touchstone Pictures under favorable conditions.
He had already assembled a rough team for the project, waiting only for the director to be confirmed.
Michael Bay and his team were Ovitz's top choice, but joining the project required Bay to leave William Morris and join Ovitz's talent management company.
"I don't have much time, Michael," Ovitz reminded him. "The film's budget is $140 million, and Touchstone Pictures plans to release it during next year's Memorial Day weekend. Time is tight, and I need to finalize the director quickly."
Bay had deliberated on this for a long time but remained undecided. He coveted the director's position, knowing the film's subject matter suited his style perfectly. He also wanted to prove he was just as good as another director with a similar approach.
Leaving William Morris to join Ovitz's company—was it worth it?
Ovitz timely added, "My goal is to build a new CAA!"
A new CAA?
Had anyone else said this, Bay wouldn't have believed it. But standing before him was the creator of CAA's golden era, the once-mighty king of CAA!
Not skilled in screenwriting, Bay recalled the grand bombing scenes in the script. His heart raced with excitement.
The film's theme and scenes aligned perfectly with his preferences and style.
The war epic Pearl Harbor, slated for Memorial Day release, might be Bay's best chance to surpass Duke Rosenberg in the war film genre.
Touchstone Pictures had already set the massive war film in motion and was collaborating extensively with Ovitz's talent management agency.
While Bay was still discussing and hesitating, another actor confirmed for the project in Los Angeles had already decided to leave ICM and her agent, Nancy Josephson, to join Ovitz's agency.
"Sorry, Nancy."
In a quiet café, Kate Beckinsale looked at Nancy Josephson, her soon-to-be former agent, and said, "This opportunity is too important for me to pass up."
"It seems you've made up your mind," Nancy said calmly.
In Hollywood, it wasn't unusual for A-list actors to change agents, let alone someone like Beckinsale, who was just beginning to gain recognition.
Considering Ovitz's influence, Nancy wasn't surprised or upset. Standing up first, she said, "Best of luck becoming a leading star, Kate."
"Thank you!"
Kate Beckinsale responded with a reserved yet confident smile.
....
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