Chapter 005: Conditions
Chapter 005: Conditions
Inside a café in North Hollywood, Eric and Michael were discussing the details of their cooperation regarding Jurassic Park.
Eric did not haggle over the royalty split and accepted the standard 7% royalty share for a newcomer. The two only negotiated back and forth over the novel’s film and television rights.
With Michael’s experienced eye from more than ten years in the industry, he could naturally see the enormous potential this novel had for screen adaptation. On top of that, Eric had raised no objections about the royalty split, which made Michael feel that Eric was young and easy to fool. Therefore, he proposed a plan where Night Elf and Eric would share the film and television rights, while Night Elf Publishing House would act as the exclusive agent for those rights.
After patiently listening to Michael’s proposal, Eric refused decisively. “That’s impossible, Mr. Klaus.”
Michael Klaus froze, seemingly unable to react to Eric’s firm rejection for a moment. After adjusting his mood, Michael Klaus continued, “Eric, listen to me. You know, I just sold one of our publishing house’s novels to 20th Century Fox. That was an adaptation fee of over a million dollars. If the author had negotiated it himself, he might not even have gotten five hundred thousand dollars. That’s the advantage of having the publishing house act as agent...”
The two continued talking for more than ten minutes. Michael Klaus tried to persuade Eric with eloquent arguments to accept his terms, and he even voluntarily lowered the publishing house’s share of the film and television rights.
In the end, Michael Klaus disappointedly discovered that this little guy was no inexperienced rookie at all. He was practically an old hand who, like Michael himself, had been in society for more than ten years. Although Eric was not too familiar with all the twists and turns of the publishing industry, he could keenly detect the hidden tricks buried within seemingly generous conditions.
What surprised Michael even more was that this young man was not impulsive like others his age. Even after discovering the trap, he did not point it out directly, nor did he angrily break off negotiations. Instead, he subtly hinted that he understood the scheme inside.
In the end, Michael gave a bitter smile and gave up on interfering with the film and television rights to Jurassic Park.
The following negotiations naturally proceeded without obstruction, and the two quickly signed a cooperation agreement.
“Pleasure working with you, Eric. I believe you won’t regret handing Jurassic Park over to me to handle.” After signing the contract, Michael once again became that scholarly, refreshing middle-aged man, as if the shrewdness and cunning on his face during the negotiation just now had only been an illusion.
“Pleasure working with you, Michael. I hope so too.”
The two shook hands, sat back down, and chatted for a while longer. Then Eric seemed to ask casually, “Michael, do you have connections inside those film companies?”
Michael Klaus raised his eyebrows. “Of course. Otherwise, how could I have recommended that novel from my publishing house to 20th Century Fox? Actually, I know people at several other film companies too. You know, when I was at Simon & Schuster, I was responsible for cooperating with film companies on book rights for a period of time. So, Eric, hand the film and television rights to Jurassic Park over to Night Elf. I can directly recommend the novel to producers from the Big Six film studios.”
Eric shook his head. “Let’s not talk about that issue anymore, Michael. I won’t give up even the slightest share of Jurassic Park’s film and television rights. However, I’m currently finishing a screenplay. If possible, I hope you can help recommend it.”
The hope Michael Klaus had just felt was extinguished again. Hearing Eric mention the screenplay, he was not particularly interested, but out of politeness, he still patiently asked, “Can you tell me the general plot of the screenplay?”
“It’s like this.” Eric organized his thoughts and said, “Eighteen years ago, seventeen-year-old Mike O’Donnell was about to participate in a basketball game that was very important to his life. As long as he performed well, he would receive admission to an Ivy League school, along with a generous scholarship. But before the game, his girlfriend suddenly told him that she was pregnant. So, during the game, Mike resolutely threw away the basketball in his hands, turned around, left the court, and chose to shoulder his responsibility. Eighteen years later, his past glory and brilliance have vanished with the wind. Mike has become a middle-aged man whose career has failed, and his marriage with his wife, Scarlett, is also about to reach its end...”
Eric did not go into too many details. He only briefly narrated the story.
After hearing the Runkel couple’s argument, he very quickly thought of Back to 17. To carry out his plan, this movie could not be more suitable. A seventeen-year-old young man with the soul of a middle-aged man hidden inside his body—this was practically tailor-made for Eric.
Michael Klaus, who was listening from the side, found his eyes growing brighter and brighter. He had already thought very highly of this young man, Eric, but he had not expected that right after receiving the novel Jurassic Park, Eric would immediately give him another surprise.
Films involving traveling to the past and returning to the future, or transformations of this kind, had only just begun to rise in popularity in recent years. They were not yet as overused as they would be in later generations. Therefore, as long as the film quality was decent, they usually achieved good box office results.
Putting aside 1985’s annual box office champion Back to the Future, this year alone, two films of this type had already achieved good box office results. One was April’s 18 Again!. The other was Big, which had only been released for two weeks, had already recovered its costs, and might ultimately surpass one hundred million at the box office. This film also made Penny Marshall the first female director in North American film history to direct a film that grossed over one hundred million.
“This is a good screenplay, Eric. But don’t you think there have already been too many of these time-travel-type films in recent years? Besides, you’re only a completely unknown newcomer.” In order to seize the initiative in the negotiation, Michael naturally had to put on a little pressure. The previous negotiation over Jurassic Park’s film and television rights had left him feeling somewhat defeated.
Eric smiled faintly. Of course, he could tell that Michael was putting on an act. He directly held up five fingers. “Fifty percent commission!”
“What?” Michael found it somewhat unbelievable. Why had this guy suddenly become so generous? Could he have heard wrong?
Eric repeated, “Michael, you heard me correctly. If the screenplay is successfully sold, I can give you fifty percent of the screenplay fee as commission. However, I have one condition.”
Sure enough, there was no such thing as a free lunch. When Michael heard Eric’s final sentence, he let out a slight breath of relief. Things seemed to have returned to their original track. Sitting across from him was still that shrewd little guy.
“Let’s hear it.”
“I want to be the male lead in this movie. That is, the young Mike O’Donnell.”
“That’s impossible,” Michael said instinctively. “Even directors don’t necessarily have the power to decide film roles, let alone you, a newcomer screenwriter.”
“In the far East, there is an idiom: man proposes, Heaven disposes,” Eric said. “If you don’t even try, how will you know it’s impossible? Besides, with the release of Big, that possibility will become even greater.”
Michael Klaus could not quite follow. “What does this have to do with Big?”
Eric casually stirred the newly poured hot coffee in front of him with a spoon and said, “I think this film is very likely to gross over one hundred million at the box office. If that happens, for a film of the same type, especially one with an excellent enough screenplay, perhaps someone might consider my condition.”
Michael Klaus had not seen Big, but he still believed Eric’s words.
“Alright, Eric. I can try. But regarding the commission...”
“Michael, you’re too greedy. Don’t tell me you want to take more than me, the original author!”
Michael could not help rubbing his nose with his index finger, rarely showing a bit of embarrassment.
“It’s not as serious as you make it sound, right? Besides, if you become the male lead, even as a newcomer, your salary would be around five hundred thousand. As for the screenplay, I think getting two hundred thousand would already be pretty good.”
Although he said this, Michael Klaus did not bring up the commission matter again.
When they parted outside the café, Michael Klaus suddenly said, “Actually, Eric, I have the illusion that you really are suited for the male lead role in that screenplay. Because when we were negotiating the contract just now, I felt like I was negotiating with someone my own age, not an eighteen-year-old high school graduate.”
Eric chuckled. “Don’t mind those details, Michael. I’ll give you the screenplay in a couple of days. I hope you can bring me good news.”