[Chapter 251: The Importance of Moderation]
The weather on Waikiki Island was beautiful, with a mild and humid climate, where temperatures ranged from a low of 60 degrees to a high of 91 degrees, making it perfect for a vacation. However, this year, Hawaii was experiencing even hotter weather than usual, with September temperatures hitting 95 degrees.
The local Hawaiian TV station reported that temperatures in the region had broken historical records and reminded both residents and tourists to take extra precautions against the sun.
Upon waking from his nap, Link found himself covered in sweat. He pushed away the arm draped across his chest and legs and made his way to the bathroom for a shower. Inside, the bathroom was a messy chaos of discarded clothing, brightly colored like a garden after a rainstorm, with petals scattered everywhere.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, the sun shone brilliantly against a vivid blue sky that met the equally blue ocean. A crescent-shaped beach greeted him, separating the turquoise water and white waves from the bay. Several tall palm trees swayed under the sunlight, creating a picturesque scene.
After his shower, Link dressed in clean clothes and kissed Jennifer Lopez on the shoulder, who was still half-asleep, before heading to the side villa to chat over tea with Sam Haskel.
...
"Is Jennifer not around? I thought she said she was vacationing here too," Sam asked.
Link paused for a moment, remembering he was speaking about Jennifer Connelly, not the Puerto Rican wildflower Jennifer Lopez, or America's sweetheart Jennifer Aniston from New York.
"She's gone, busy shooting on set right now."
Initially, he had been vacationing here with Monica, Lily, and Jennifer Connelly, but Lily had to return to Los Angeles for her daughter's school, and both Monica and Jennifer Connelly had left to start filming. After they departed, Link called Renee Zellweger and Julianne Moore, inviting them to join him on the island. They brought along Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Lopez, which made his vacation even more vibrant.
Sam nodded, holding a cup of tea. "This place is beautiful, probably one of the prettiest beach estates in the world. It's quiet too, perfect for reading. I've been diving into Francis Bacon's works lately; have you read Bacon?"
Link noticed Sam's hesitant expression. "I've been busy writing a screenplay lately and haven't had time to read Bacon. If there's something on your mind, just say it directly."
"Ha ha! Alright, here goes. Bacon said that after achieving success, a person's greatest virtue is moderation, and in adversity, it's resilience. What do you think of that?"
"It's pretty good. I used that quote in my sixth-grade writing class," Link replied with a grin.
Sam chuckled, "I don't mean to meddle in your personal life, but I want to advise you to take care of your health. For a man, the most important thing is his career, and the foundation of it all is health. At your age, you might not realize it, but once you reach my age, with your stamina declining, you might regret having overindulged in your youth, which could severely affect your vitality."
"You're right. I will be mindful of that," Link nodded, accepting Sam's warning.
However, he didn't plan to change his personal lifestyle. One reason was that he had a golden finger and his physical condition was getting better and better. Even the strongest person couldn't match him, not even a tenth. Second, he maintained a focus on exercise and nutrition, had good habits, and practiced moderation in his personal life. He rarely engaged in wild behavior and was not as reckless as Sam presumed.
In his case, competing in volleyball against twenty professional women would be no issue. Right now, it was just four.
He felt he demonstrated enough moderation in this area, with no issues to worry about.
"Ha ha! Willingness to listen to advice is a good sign. In Hollywood, many young stars became famous and made loads of money, but they lacked restraint. They squandered both money and health and became complacent about their careers. It doesn't take long for such people to be forgotten by the entertainment industry and turn into has-beens. You're a hundredfold better than them, and your future achievements will soar well above theirs."
...
As Sam Haskel was giving his lengthy lecture, Richard Fox strolled over from the center of the pavilion.
"Link, we need to talk."
"Hold on, let's have some iced tea first. It's pretty hot today," Link waved his hand as a servant brought over a refreshing glass of Hawaiian iced tea.
After he sipped his drink, Richard Fox got to the point. They had just had a meeting with top executives at Warner Bros. to discuss Link's new proposals.
After deliberation, Warner Bros. agreed to let Link oversee the entire production, including finalizing the script, casting decisions, and final editing rights. However, Warner Bros. wanted to assign a producer to the movie.
This producer's role would be to act as a liaison between the production company and Link's crew, keeping track of developments and requirements without interfering in the creative process or filming.
Link considered it for a moment and agreed, but he insisted that the responsibilities of the producer be clearly outlined in the contract.
Regarding his paycheck, the base salary of $10 million would remain unchanged, but Warner Bros. proposed a new revenue-sharing plan. For the sequel to Batman, if the North American box office exceeded $100 million, he would receive 5% of the North American box office. If it exceeded $200 million, he would get 5% of global box office revenue, and should it surpass $300 million, he would take 10% of the North American box office and 5% of international earnings. If the North American box office crossed $400 million, he'd receive 10% of the global take.
If it hit $500 million in North America, he would get an additional 10% of the global earnings, although that was unlikely.
Link rejected this revenue-sharing model because it was insufficient. The director's pay wasn't just for him; it included wages for everyone on the directing team, including the assistant director, camera operators, editors, and script supervisors.
For a large production like Batman, the directing team would need to expand, and the shoot would last longer, leading to higher payroll costs. After shooting for two to three months, they would need to pay out around a million in wages.
Even if the North American box office exceeded $300 million, he would only pocket around $40-50 million. Earning that much in half a year was significantly less compared to directing films for his own company.
Furthermore, doing a movie for Warner Bros. meant he was assisting them in making money, which wouldn't necessarily benefit Guess Pictures.
From a financial perspective, it wasn't very appealing.
However, he didn't outright refuse.
Originally, he aimed to shoot a new film The Sixth Sense by the end of the year, but Bruce Willis had been busy filming Die Hard with a Vengeance and wouldn't have time until next year.
Without a fitting lead, The Sixth Sense couldn't commence, leaving him with free time in the second half of the year to potentially shoot another movie.
Another reason played into his thoughts.
Now that he had money, his main goal in filmmaking was no longer just about profits, but rather to gain more experience and skills as a director. In the past, he shot two or three films each year, with only a 30% gain in skills, which felt slow.
He planned to turn over company responsibilities to Michael Leeson and others starting next year so he could focus solely on directing, aiming to shoot three or more films each year, gaining more professional experience and boosting his abilities. He was curious if he could become a true master in filmmaking.
So, when an opportunity like the Batman sequel arose -- an endeavor that seemed likely to enhance his skills -- he was willing to give it a shot.
*****
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