From Hollywood to Media Empire

On the weekend, Charles had a rare day off and enjoyed sleeping in. He woke up feeling fresh and rejuvenated.

Shortly after, Evelyn came over, cast a glance at him, and said, "Tom Hanks and his wife want to meet me for a chat. Change your clothes and let's go!"

"Tom Hanks!" Charles's eyes lit up. It's already the end of the month. Could Tom Hanks be interested?

Charles quickly changed his clothes and grabbed a folder as he headed out.

Evelyn was a bit puzzled but didn't think much of it.

Charles and his mother arrived at the meeting place early, and after waiting for about half an hour, Tom Hanks and his wife arrived.

It was a cafe in Beverly Hills. Evelyn and Charles stood up to greet them.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Hanks!"

"Good morning, Ms. Carpe!"

"This is my son, Charles Carpe. He admires you a lot, Mr. Hanks, so I brought him along!"

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Hanks!" Charles greeted with a smile.

After the four of them sat down, Tom Hanks smiled and said, "I heard from Rita that the script for My Big Fat Greek Wedding has been bought by Ms. Carpe. Since Rita is of Greek descent, she really likes the story, and I also think it's a great story for a movie. So, I'm interested in acquiring the script."

Just as Evelyn was about to speak, Charles tugged her arm. With a confused look on Evelyn's face, Charles took out a document and handed it to Tom Hanks.

"Mr. Hanks, this is a movie proposal I've been working on for My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Could you please take a look? Turning the stage play into a movie is also my idea!"

Tom Hanks, though a seasoned professional, was a bit taken aback but smiled and accepted the proposal after a moment of surprise.

As for Rita Wilson, she couldn't help but chuckle after her initial shock. A movie proposal by a kid?

Evelyn turned her head towards Charles, completely baffled.

Charles merely patted his mother's arm gently, signaling her to stay calm. This was to seize the initiative; otherwise, given their relative statuses, they wouldn't be on equal footing with Hanks and his wife.

Tom Hanks began to actually go through the proposal. Initially, he seemed just to skim through, but the more he read, the more interested he became. The budget was modest, only 5 million dollars. Apart from Nia Vardalos as the lead, the rest of the cast and crew would be newcomers.

The proposal included preparation, production, and post-release promotional strategies, focusing on minority communities in the U.S.

Though a bit rough, it could be polished into a complete proposal with some professional refinement.

"Did you do this?" Tom Hanks asked, astonished after reading the proposal.

"Yes, I've been preparing this for over a month, ever since I saw the stage play," Charles replied calmly.

Tom Hanks looked at Evelyn, who shrugged, still a bit confused.

"I knew Charles was working on some movie proposal every night, but I thought he was just doing it for fun!"

Tom Hanks nodded. Despite his easy-going demeanor in films, the real Tom Hanks was sharp.

"Charles, what are you thinking?" He had realized it was time for negotiations.

"Carpe Film Production Company participates in the production. I want to be one of the producers, and we will not ask for any upfront script fees or producer's salary. Carpe Film Production Company wants 15% of the global box office and DVD profits after the movie is released," Charles stated directly.

Evelyn was taken aback but remained silent, wondering when her son had become so impressive.

"Kid," Tom Hanks smiled, feeling a great liking for Charles, "making a movie isn't that simple. I have to organize the production crew, finance it, and find distributors. Asking for 15% is too much.

I'll buy the script for $150,000. You get a percentage of the net profit from the box office as a producer, and after the film is released, you'll get a box office bonus of up to $1 million!"

Charles shook his head, signaling the start of negotiations.

In the end, Charles proposed a tiered revenue share structure.

"For North American box office grossing up to $25 million, Carpe Film Production Company gets $200,000, including script and producer fees, plus 5% of the net profits; up to $50 million, the revenue share stays the same but with an additional $100,000 producer fee.

For box office grossing over $50 million, 7% of the profits plus at least a $500,000 check.

For box office grossing over $100 million, 10% plus at least a $1 million bonus, and for grossing over $150 million, 12.5% plus a $2 million bonus.

For over $200 million, 15% percentage of the box office profit plus at least a $3 million bonus.

Overseas box office and DVD revenue shares will follow the North American model!"

[Note: I think the percentage numbers make sense for a new producer. If anyone thinks otherwise, please suggest what the values should be. If I think they are better, I will update.]

Charles's conditions shocked everyone. Could he really be that ambitious?

Tom Hanks laughed out loud. It was just a low-budget romantic comedy with a $5 million budget and mostly newcomers.

"North American box office hitting over $50 million, over $100 million, and even $200 million?"

*****

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