In the film room, a preview of the new film "The Deadly Gunman" starring Pitt was going on. Warner Pictures executives such as Daniel, Alan Horn, and Charles Rowan all had expressionless faces.
On the screen, Brad Pitt is wearing a cowboy suit, looking quite imposing and with a unique yuppie feel.
But the Warner guys thought of Coca-Cola’s latest commercial almost at the same time.
The cowboy who originally looked like a yuppie gentleman turned out to be so awkward.
I even felt that this person should be severely trampled underfoot, ravaged, and made to cry and repent.
It would be fine if Pitt used other looks in the film, but the sharpshooter James he plays is a typical cowboy.
Not only people at Warner Bros., but also people on Pitt's side were not immune to this idea.
Including Maggie Darkhill.
She felt the film might not go well.
At the end of the preview meeting, without waiting for Pitt, the producer and leading actor, to speak, Warner executives and film viewing experts who exchanged glances reached a tacit understanding.
Allen Horn said: "Brad, we need to have a small meeting internally, please wait for a while."
Peter smiled: "As you wish."
Warner executives and movie viewing experts entered the adjacent office.
Allen Horn asked directly: "Isn't this movie a little weird?"
Several film viewing experts have reached a consensus. One of them said: "It's not that the film is weird, it's that Pete looks weird. His cowboy look is too easy to associate with the latest version of Coca-Cola's commercial."
Daniel responded: "That's true."
Charles Rowan smiled helplessly: "When I saw Pete in cowboy clothes on the screen, Coca-Cola was pouring out of my head."
Seeing others nodding, Alan Horn asked: "If the audience sees it, will there be drama?"
"Maybe some of them won't," said the film viewing expert, "but some of them will definitely think of that version of the advertisement."
Daniel suggested: "I remember that the company signed a distribution contract with the crew?"
Alan Horn said: "When this project was initiated, we signed a distribution contract, but Pete was very confident at the time and refused to let us participate in production investment. Apart from today's screening, we did not make any other preliminary investment. , the investment is basically zero.”
Charles Rowan then said: "Now that we have signed a distribution contract, we will suppress it for the time being and wait until the influence of Coca-Cola advertising subsides before releasing it."
It's impossible for Allen Horn to give up on this movie. For pure distribution, the chance of losing money is very small.
He made a decision: "Let's decide."
The internal discussion ended quickly within a few minutes, and Alan Horn asked Pete to come over to formally inform him of the decision.
"Release later?" Since marrying Aniston, Pitt has never enjoyed such second-tier treatment. He is somewhat dissatisfied: "Ellen, this film has been completed, time is the cost..."
Alan Horn raised his hand to interrupt him: "Warner Bros. has a very full schedule and can't find a suitable time slot at the moment. We can't let a film like this face the direct impact of those commercial blockbusters, right?"
For a star of Pitt's level and the major shareholder of Plan B, he spoke more politely: "Give Warner some time. I will let you know when a suitable schedule is available."
The six major publishers are at the absolute upper reaches of the industry chain, and it is normal for schedules to be tight. Peter urged him a few words and left Alan Horn's office.
When he went downstairs to join other people, he happened to meet Banks, a Warner moviegoer who was attending the screening.
"Hey, Brad, let's talk." Banks was having a hard time getting ahead at Warner Bros., so he had other ideas.
Pete asked, "What's the matter?"
Banks said: “In regards to the release of ‘Death of a Gunslinger’…”
He rattled off Warner Bros.' concerns.
Peter didn't think it at first, but his face grew darker as he listened, and he couldn't help but think of the Coca-Cola advertisement.
"That's about it." Banks finished selling and left quickly: "I have something else to do, so I'll leave first."
Pete put his hands into his pockets, still trying to maintain his grace, and took the elevator downstairs.
As soon as he entered the spacious front hall of the Warner Building, he saw a new promotional poster posted on the Coca-Cola vending machine. On the poster, Martin, who looked like a cowboy, used Coke as a gospel to inspire another bully cowboy who looked like him.
Peter came to the rest area and sat down, wanting to be alone for a while.
He calmed down and gradually regained his composure. It was not difficult to find that Warner's decision was okay. If "Death of the Outlaw" was released into theaters when this version of the advertisement had the greatest impact, there might be big problems.
It's okay to wait.
After thinking about this, Peter's anger emerged again. Why was it me who was hurt?
…………
In the soda fountain at Warner Studios.
Martin came to the counter and ordered a cup of tea.
Part-time actress Mia happily collected the money and gave change: "Same as before, black tea, without milk or sugar?"
"Yes!" Martin passed by and was familiar with Mia. He was very happy to see her and asked, "Did you get an important role?"
Mia nodded heavily: "Yes, there are nearly ten lines."
Martin gave her a thumbs up: "That's a big step forward."
Mia's face dotted with freckles showed a satisfied smile: "Among the five of us who rent a house together, I was the first to get the lines."
Martin took the black tea from her and suggested: "Let your agent run more. If he works hard, you will have more job opportunities."
"He doesn't pay much attention to me," Mia said.
"Let's do it step by step." Martin came to the empty table with tea and sat down, waiting for Thomas to bring someone over.
Marcus has finished handling the funeral affairs of the two dogs, Daisy and John, and several black people have been officially arrested. He will soon be able to get out and start working on the memoirs.
Thomas found a suitable candidate from among the contracted writers and screenwriters within WMA to serve as a ghostwriter to assist Marcus in completing the memoir.
Today, Martin is meeting the playwright.
There were no other customers in the cold drink shop at the moment, so Mia picked up a pen and started writing in a notebook.
What she recorded was all her experiences and insights at the studio.
After working here for more than a year, Mia is still a small actor, but in addition to being an actress, she is also trying to write something.
Not proactively, but forced into helplessness. It is too difficult for a simple actor to get ahead.
Thomas then entered the store with a man in a gray shirt.
This man is in his thirties, slightly fat, and has a beard.
Thomas introduced: "This is Robinson, a playwright signed by the company, who has participated in many film projects."
Martin shook hands with him, asked him to sit down wherever he wanted, asked Mia to bring him two cups of coffee, and asked directly: "Have you participated in many film projects?"
Robinson is not new to Hollywood and knows the importance of a resume, saying: "I was a member of Mark Ball's writing team."
Martin had never heard of this person and was slightly confused.
Robinson detailed: "Mark Ball is the screenwriter of 'Black Hawk Down,' and I participated in the script writing of this project as a team member."
Martin knows that the writing of many scripts in Hollywood is also an assembly line model of division of labor and cooperation. Behind many well-known screenwriters, there is often a team as support.
Naturally, these screenwriters cannot sign their names on the film. Each Hollywood movie can only sign a maximum of three screenwriters, and signature means various online and offline divisions stipulated by the Screenwriters Guild.
Robinson focused on war-related projects: "The last time I worked, I participated in "Battle of the Valley of Elah" directed by Paul Haggis. Like other projects, I participated as a team member and did not Authorship.”
Martin asked: "Do you have any scripts or works that you have written?"
Robinson took out a printed copy and handed it to Martin: "This is the part of "Black Hawk Down" that I was responsible for writing. "The Valley of Elah" has just been filmed and has not yet been released, so the script cannot be released to the public."
Martin nodded and looked at it carefully.
When it comes to English writing, Martin is a scumbag. He is definitely a scumbag among scumbags, but his reading ability is normal. He has read many scripts and has a certain ability to identify.
"Black Hawk Down" is not an ordinary movie, he also watched it recently during a screening.
Martin read it for more than ten minutes before putting down the script and asked: "Why did you leave Mark Ball's team?"
Robinson hesitated and decided to tell the truth: "I have been working in his team for five years and still don't have the right to sign. I feel that if I work for another five years, it will still be the same as now. Although he, the boss, has given me various promises, I still don't have the right to sign." Think the chances of fulfillment are very low.”
He smiled helplessly: "I also want to write my name on the script I created and sign the movie. This time, although I don't have any copyright on Marcus's memoir, I can sign it."
Martin nodded slightly: "In addition to the remuneration, you do have the right to sign, but the ghostwriter's name must be ranked behind Marcus."
"No problem," Robinson said.
"In this case, I will ask Marcus to come out and meet together." Martin wanted to examine it in a more practical way: "You listen to Marcus tell a paragraph, and then write it out."
Robinson responded immediately.
Martin called Marcus and arranged to meet at Davis Film and Television Studios.
Within half an hour, the two parties met in Martin's office.
Marcus' situation is somewhat similar to Martin's. When speaking, there is generally no problem, but when it is converted into written expression, it becomes blind.
Oral and written expression are completely different.
Marcus was very excited to see Martin find a suitable playwright so quickly. He talked and gestured with his hands to describe an experience when he first joined the seals.
Robinson first recorded it in a draft. After Marcus finished speaking, he went into the conference room next to him alone and began to organize and write.
When it was almost time to get off work, he came out of the conference room and handed the paragraph he had written to Martin.
Martin looked at it quickly and handed it to Marcus.
The latter read it once and said: "Yes, that's it!"
Martin asked Thomas to look at it again, determined that there was no problem, and decided to hire Robinson.
(End of chapter)
