America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM

Chapter 35 Visiting team and release plan

The contract for "Saw" was signed very quickly. It was drafted on the first day, reviewed by Ray Whannell, and signed the next day.

MGM will buy out the rights to "Saw" and its subsequent or derivative rights, and the two also expressed that they do not want a share of the box office.

But for better cooperation in the future, Eric still added a share of the profit to the contract, but the amount is not high. When the box office exceeds 50 million US dollars, each person will receive 1% of the net profit share.

Different from gross profit, the so-called pure profit is a very manipulable concept. All costs related to the movie must be deducted before the final figure can be arrived at. To put it simply, it is accounting.

This can even include travel expenses, accommodation expenses, gift expenses, etc. for directors, producers, actors, etc., as small as the price of an ice cream can be included.

It was obvious that the ice cream he was eating was from a roadside stall, but what was written on the book was ice cream from a Michelin three-star hotel. The price difference was dozens of times higher in an instant. There was also the famous straw hat that cost $6,000 a piece. It was funny just to say it.

There are thousands or even tens of thousands of similar accounts, and the types are so diverse that it is impossible to check and review them.

After being modified by professional accountants, a movie that makes a lot of money can turn into a big loss, in order to avoid the sharing that needs to be given to actors and directors.

For example, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" cost US$500 million to produce and sold US$300 million at the global box office. All fools know that it is a huge profit.

But in order not to give the actors a share, Warner hired accountants with high salaries to do the accounting. As a result, not only did it make no money, it also lost US$6.7 billion, and it had to pay actors to pay it back.

Therefore, those big-name directors and actors generally do not sign pure profit sharing agreements, but gross profit sharing agreements. The percentage will definitely be much lower, but it is actually more secure.

But Eric knew in his heart that the moment the contract was signed, he had already picked up a gold mine, so he would not hold back Soso. He valued these two people more than some money.

Moreover, "Saw" has great box-office potential, and the original $100 million has not reached its upper limit.

Because Lions Gate’s initial investment was only US$1.2 million, it was just a scratch-off game and not a big deal on publicity.

Now that I have invested US$5 million, if "Saw" can get better publicity treatment, the box office will definitely reach new heights.

Wan Ziren and Ray Whannell have already been grateful to join the crew, mainly the actors. MGM will hire masters for the soundtrack, and other staff members can also be competent within MGM.

This is the great thing about big companies. They may not be able to produce a lot of Oscar-level talents, but at least they cover everything.

After the conversation the day before yesterday, Ray Whannell is now a little confused about whether to play the leading role. After asking himself, he actually wants to be a screenwriter, director, and producer.

The reason why I wanted to play the male lead in "Saw" was firstly because I felt that no one could perform that state better than myself; secondly, I had no money and no one, so I had no choice but to shoot a short film myself.

But now that he has 5 million US dollars, it is not a bad idea to change to a more professional actor.

After talking to Eric about his thoughts, Eric recommended two candidates to him.

One is Ryan Reynolds, who himself promised that Xiaobian would give him a role.

In the original time and space, he has starred in the horror thrillers "The Amityville Horror" and "Buried Alive", and received good reviews. As long as he is properly trained, it is not difficult to get into the state a few years in advance. It should not be a problem to master "Saw".

The second one is Patrick Wilson. Many people may not know his name, but he also has a nickname - James Wan's Queen Actor. The impression immediately comes to mind.

Patrick Wilson is a drama actor. He has appeared in "Insidious" and "The Conjuring". His acting skills are better than Ryan Reynolds at this stage. Eric plans to let him and James Wan join forces in advance.

After arranging this matter, Eric went to the set of "Sharknado". The filming had already started for half a month, and he had never been to the set to see it.

It’s not that I don’t care, but I really don’t have much to care about. The budget is no more than 2 million US dollars, and it’s just for bad filming. A few fools can still have fun on the set.

The Colorado filming base, I don’t know who named it.

When he stepped into the studio, he heard a young man shouting loudly.

"Ryan, this shark prop is not cheap. It is filled with plasma. Our budget is not big, so you must make it accurately!"

Then there was Ryan Reynolds' voice: "Don't worry, I've practiced it countless times in private, I'm ready, let's shoot."

Then there were the sounds of chaotic footsteps, and the young man yelled: "Action!"

Then there's the sound of a chainsaw starting up and Ryan Reynolds bellowing, "Ah come on bitch!"

After a moment, the young man shouted a sound card, and applause broke out from the surroundings.

Eric also clapped, and walked out of the corner while clapping: "Well done Ryan, I can tell just from the sound, your performance is perfect."

At this time, Ryan Reynolds is covered in blood and holding a chainsaw. If he wears Leatherface again, he is guaranteed to be shot to death by the police when he walks out of the studio.

Seeing the boss suddenly appear, a smile appeared on his face. He wanted to step forward but was worried about the blood on his body.

"Sorry Eric, I'm afraid I can't hug you."

"Haha, it doesn't matter. I don't like men's hugs anyway."

In the corner, Warren also came over: "Eric, you didn't say anything in advance before coming."

"I still want to ask you, is the job of a producer easy?"

Warren pointed to his belly: "Look here, it will give you an answer."

At this time, the director and several other main actors also came over. They didn't know Eric, and they just found out after asking about him that this was the real big boss.

As for Warren Harrison and Bema Hardy, who arranged jobs for them, they were just wage earners. Otherwise, why would AK Film and Television enjoy the resources of MGM.

Eric shook hands with several people one by one and said some complimentary words. However, when he shook hands with several actresses, the other party gently tickled his palms. He knew exactly what they meant.

As long as Eric hooks his fingers, these women will be willing to serve him during the lunch break without waiting until night.

Let alone one, with this little Karami among actors, it is not a problem at all for them to serve together.

Would you be ashamed, you ask?

You have no face at all, so how can you talk about being embarrassed?

It's a pity that Eric really doesn't like them. Those parts on his body have been crossed by countless people, and they are worse than the secretary Lisa and the stewardess.

After spending more than half an hour on the set, the director and Warren both promised to complete the production within half a month without overspending the budget. They also asked the special effects department to hurry up and complete the post-production within a month.

Eric's purpose is very clear. To put "Sharknado" on the Christmas screen, there will be a large flow of people, and the audience will come together and watch the bad movies together. Only then will the box office be guaranteed.

Today is the most important day. Tuesday’s data determines whether there will be recommendations next week. Please don’t keep books.

In addition, I shamelessly asked for rewards, monthly tickets, and brothers for support. This is related to my life and death, so I kneel down and thank you!