I am Hollywood

[Chapter 559: A Dilemma for My Daughter]

As Mel Gibson's agent, Ed Limato felt incredibly disappointed when he saw that Mel's first film as both director and actor, The Man Without a Face, had only made a little over $300,000 at the midnight screening. Though the film's budget was under $5 million, that figure didn't account for Mel Gibson's own market value, as he was already a Hollywood superstar with blockbuster franchises like Mad Max and Lethal Weapon under his belt, commanding a salary around $15 million.

Limato thought Mel Gibson should focus on acting, but at Mel's current level of fame, an agent had little influence over the actor, let alone control him. Limato originally hoped this cash cow wouldn't go off the rails, but early that morning, seeing the entertainment news in the newspapers and receiving a flurry of calls from various movie studios lifted his spirits significantly.

After hanging up from a call with a Paramount executive, Limato rushed to Mel Gibson's luxurious hotel suite and pressed the doorbell.

As the door opened, Limato hurried inside, dismissing the figure of a woman who was clearly startled and retreating to the bedroom. He raised the newspaper he was holding and asked, "Mel, did Eric Williams' personal assistant contact you yesterday?"

Mel Gibson frowned at his agent's abrupt entrance, taking the newspaper to glance at it before cursing, "Those damn paparazzi can even find out what I say at a cafe."

Just as Limato was about to reply, his cellphone rang. He gestured an apology to Mel and stepped out onto the suite's balcony to take the call.

Moments later, he returned to the living room, clearly excited. "Mel, guess who just called?"

Mel, lounging on the sofa and reading the newspaper Limato had brought, responded with mild disinterest, "God?"

Limato choked on his words, then explained, "It was Michael Eisner, CEO of Universal Pictures. I also received calls from Warner, Paramount, and Fox -- executives at the president level. They haven't been this courteous to us in ages!"

Mel, not foolish, lifted the newspaper, "About this?"

"Yeah, Mel. Hollywood pretty much knows Eric Williams is interested in Braveheart now. Didn't you receive any calls?"

Mel shook his head, glancing at the slightly ajar bedroom door. The quiet night was valuable, and he wouldn't let any chaos disturb it. Limato made a knowing expression and moved on. "So, what did Eric Williams' assistant discuss with you yesterday?"

Mel raised the newspaper again, "You saw it, right? Braveheart -- Firefly Films and MGM are looking to invest in this project. Allen Fisman came by yesterday; we talked about my ideas for the film."

Limato asked, "And what kind of terms did Firefly offer?"

Mel shook his head, glancing at the newspaper again, his anger at being photographed forgotten. He finally understood why his agent was so excited. "Most of the time, I did the talking. Allen took a dossier home with him." He then stood and went to his bedroom, quickly returning with the materials on Braveheart, handing them to Limato. "Here."

Limato had already seen the Braveheart materials; he had even pitched it to several studios alongside Mel earlier. He casually flipped through the pages and then looked back up. "Mel, this is a great opportunity for you. But first, you need to talk to Eric Williams himself."

"My thoughts are all in that dossier," Mel stated, pointing at the newspaper thrown on the coffee table. "And while the idea of being photographed is annoying, I think since Eric is interested, those studios likely won't push back on investment. I can use this to gain more leverage. As much as I admire Eric's abilities, I'm not particularly keen on working with Firefly, as that would strip me of control."

"Mel, this is a film with a budget of at least $50 million," Limato said with a serious expression. "If you mess this up, it'll be tough for you in Hollywood for the next few years. Think of the disaster two years ago with Cutthroat Island and Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was getting $15 million for Last Action Hero, but it bombed, so he only made $3 million for his next project with Firefly; he was even out-earned by some B-list actors."

Mel fell silent for a moment. "So what you mean is..."

Limato noticed Mel's expression had softened. "Eric Williams has never failed on a film he personally got involved with, so you should speak with him. Find out his specific thoughts about this project, then we can discuss the terms. Even if the negotiations with Firefly fall through, working with other studios will be much safer."

"Ed, if Eric Williams finds out he's been played, how do you think he'd react?"

Limato wore a worldly smirk. "Mel, what I said was just a possibility. If Eric truly views this project positively, I'm sure he's going to agree to our terms. Even if we can't close a deal, if you happen to use some of his ideas in the future, it shouldn't create a huge issue. You're an A-list superstar; as long as our interests align down the line, you guys will likely collaborate again."

Mel pondered for a moment and then nodded. "Okay, arrange a meeting time. We'll head back to Los Angeles together."

...

Meanwhile, in Malibu, Eric read today's newspaper, feeling a bit annoyed. Drew sat across from him, occasionally reveling in the situation like a cat with a mouse, saying, "Eric, this will be the show of the year. You promised a lot last night!"

As Eric recalled Sophie, he regretted being too eager. Braveheart had won numerous Oscars but had underperformed at the box office, making Eric reluctant to chase after it. If the fight between studios caused Mel Gibson to raise his asking price, Eric would drop the project.

After a moment of reflection on this minor misstep, Eric began to brainstorm a strategy.

After a while, Eric looked up. "Drew, could you hand me a pen?"

The girl lounging in her chair, sipping milk from a glass, lazily called out, "Natasha, bring me a pen!"

Moments later, one of the Russian twins appeared in the dining room with a sharpened pencil, accurately handing it to Eric.

Eric thanked her as she collected the empty plates next to her and said to the girl, "You're getting lazier by the day."

Drew didn't feel embarrassed at all. "I've always been lazy. It's too late for you to notice now."

Eric shook his head with a smile, looking down to write something on the blank part of the newspaper. He then added, "By the way, how's that situation on your end going?"

Drew pouted, "You've been back for days and just now thought of it. I thought you'd forgotten about our little company."

Eric ignored Drew's grumbling.

Drew continued, "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls is done filming, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer is mostly completed. TG Films will be delivered to Fox's production department together, and Liz will be going to 20th Century Fox as the vice president; that's already a done deal."

Eric recalled Rupert Murdoch's offer from a few months back and asked, "What's the final offer?"

Drew blinked, "Aren't you aware?"

"Hmm?" Eric sensed trouble stirring.

Drew picked up on the tension. "Liz said you had a deal with her old man. Fox offered $120 million for the full acquisition of our company, $80 million to buy back Firefly's distribution rights, and also, our company retains overseas distribution rights for our films with Firefly."

"That was the discussion, and while that price is reasonable, I didn't agree to it," Eric replied.

Drew paused, then abruptly put down her glass of milk. "That Liz actually tricked me! I need to go have a word with her. This matter is unacceptable!" She said as she dashed out before Eric could stop her, crying out for Natasha, her voice quickly fading away.

Eric looked at the suddenly empty dining room and chuckled, shaking his head. While he hadn't outright denied the agreement, he hadn't agreed either. He didn't believe Elisabeth, known for her straightforwardness, would deceive Drew. It seemed likely Murdoch, the crafty fox, had played some word games, tricking his daughter in the process.

Now things were getting entertaining; while it wasn't rare to see a father get played, watching a daughter get played was a different story.

...

"Eric, I'm really sorry. I didn't expect it to turn out this way," Allen said, appearing in front of him as soon as he reached the office, holding a copy of today's Seattle Times.

"It's fine. It's just an accident, and mainly my oversight," Eric replied.

They both entered the office when Allen continued, "Just now, Mel Gibson's agent called me. Mel wants to speak with you personally."

"Speak with me personally?" Eric repeated, a knowing smile creeping onto his face. "How did you respond?"

"I didn't give them a definite answer," Allen said. "However, during the call, Mel Gibson was already at Seattle Airport, and he'll arrive in Los Angeles in four hours. Eric, do you want to meet with him?"

"Do you think they noticed today's paper?" Eric countered instead of responding.

Allen nodded. "Absolutely, and I suspect other big studios have also been trying to get in touch with Mel Gibson regarding this matter."

"Then what do you think is behind their urgency to want to meet me?"

Allen pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "I can't quite wrap my head around it, but it shouldn't be anything bad."

Eric smiled, picking up a notepad from the side and quickly writing down a series of words before handing it to Allen. "Let's skip the meeting. Based on these terms, have the production department negotiate with them. Also, when DreamWorks' management finalizes things, shift the negotiations for this project over to them. What I gave you is our bottom line."

Allen looked at the contents of the note, nodded, and left Eric's office.

...

"What? They turned us down?" Mel Gibson exclaimed in surprise and frustration as he stood in the lobby of Los Angeles International Airport, reacting to what his agent, Ed Limato, just said after hanging up the phone.

Limato nodded, his expression equally grim. "I think Firefly may believe the news in today's paper was released intentionally by us. You know, this sort of thing happens often."

If it had been leaked by himself, Mel wouldn't have minded, but being wrongly accused when he didn't do it at all was infuriating for an egotistical Mel Gibson. "Forget it. Didn't you just say Michael Eisner, CEO of Universal, called as well? Perhaps we could schedule a meeting with him."

"I really think we should avoid that," Limato advised. "Although Eric Williams declined to meet with you, he has provided specific terms for cooperation."

Mel relaxed his expression slightly and asked, "What are the terms?"

Limato replied, "Firefly wants you to direct while also playing the lead role, with a salary of $15 million. Additionally, you'll receive a portion of the profits as producer and director, and they promised the movie's budget would not be less than $60 million."

*****

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