The contract for saw was signed very quickly. It was drafted on the first day, Leigh Whannell reviewed it, and it was signed the next day.
MGM would acquire the buyout rights for saw and its subsequent or derivative copyrights, and the two also stated they didn't want a share of the box office.
However, for better future cooperation, Eric still added a profit-sharing clause to the contract, though the amount was not high: when the box office exceeded 50 million US dollars, each person would receive 1% of the net profit.
Unlike gross profit, net profit is a concept with a lot of room for manipulation, as it requires deducting all costs related to the film to arrive at that final number. Simply put, it's about creative accounting.
This can even include travel expenses, accommodation fees, and gift expenses for directors, producers, and actors, down to the cost of an ice cream. It can all be factored in.
They might have eaten street vendor ice cream, but the books would list it as Michelin three-star restaurant ice cream, instantly creating a difference of dozens of times the price. And then there's that famous 6,000-dollar straw hat—it's laughable.
Similar accounts include thousands, even tens of thousands, of items, all kinds of bizarre things that are impossible to verify or audit.
With the embellishments of professional accountants, a hugely profitable film can be made to look like a huge loss, all to avoid paying out shares to actors and directors.
For example, harry potter and the Order of the Phoenix had a production cost of 500 million US dollars and grossed 938 million US dollars globally. Even a fool would know it made a huge profit.
But to avoid paying actors a share, Warner Bros. hired high-paid accountants to cook the books, and the result was that not only did it not make money, it lost 67 million US dollars, almost making the actors owe it money.
That's why big-name directors and actors usually don't sign net profit-sharing agreements, but rather gross profit-sharing agreements. The percentage will certainly be much lower, but it's actually more guaranteed.
However, Eric knew in his heart that the moment the contract was signed, he had already stumbled upon a gold mine, so he wouldn't be stingy. Compared to some money, he valued these two people more.
Moreover, saw has great box office potential. The 100 million US dollars in the original timeline did not reach its upper limit.
Because Lionsgate's initial investment was only 1.2 million US dollars, to put it bluntly, they were playing a lottery and weren't serious about promotion.
Now, with his 5 million US dollar investment, if saw can get better promotional treatment, the box office will definitely reach new heights.
James Wan and Leigh Whannell have gratefully gone to assemble the crew, mainly the actors. MGM will hire masters for the soundtrack, and other staff members within MGM are also capable.
This is the awesome part about big companies: they might not have a bunch of Oscar-level talents, but at least they're well-rounded.
After their conversation the day before yesterday, Whannell is now a bit conflicted about whether to play the male lead. Honestly, he actually wants to be a screenwriter, a director, and a producer more.
The reasons he wanted to star as the male lead in saw were, firstly, because he felt no one could portray that state better than him; and secondly, because he had no money or people at the time, so he had to step in himself to shoot a short film.
But now with 5 million US dollars, it's not impossible to find a more professional actor.
After discussing his thoughts with Eric, Eric recommended two candidates to him.
One is Ryan Reynolds, as he had promised Little Mercenary a role.
In the original timeline, he had starred in horror thrillers like The Amityville Horror and Buried, receiving good reviews. With proper guidance, it wouldn't be difficult for him to get into character a few years earlier, and handling saw should be no problem.
The second is Patrick Wilson. Many people might not know the name, but he also has a nickname—James Wan's go-to actor. Doesn't that immediately ring a bell?
Patrick Wilson came from a theater background and, in the original timeline, starred in Insidious and the conjuring, among others. At this stage, his acting skills are stronger than Ryan Reynolds', and Eric plans to have him meet James Wan ahead of schedule.
After arranging this matter, Eric went to the sharknado set. Filming had already started half a month ago, and he had never been to the site to see it.
It's not that he didn't care, but there really wasn't much to care about. The budget was no more than 2 million US dollars; it was meant to be a bad movie. Even a few idiots on set could make it work.
The Colorado filming base, he didn't know who named it.
As he stepped into the studio, he heard a young man shouting loudly.
"Ryan, this shark prop isn't cheap. It's filled with blood. We don't have much of a budget, so you really need to cut accurately!"
Then came Ryan Reynolds' voice: "Don't worry, I've practiced countless times in private. I'm ready. Roll it."
Then there were messy footsteps, and the young man's loud shout: "Action!"
Then came the sound of a chainsaw starting and Ryan Reynolds' roar: "Ah, come on, you bitch!"
A moment later, the young man called "cut," and applause erupted around them.
Eric also started clapping, walking out from around the corner as he clapped: "Well done, Ryan. I can tell from the sound alone that your performance was perfect."
At this moment, Ryan Reynolds was covered in blood, holding a chainsaw. If he wore a leather face mask, he would surely be shot by the police the moment he walked out of the studio.
Seeing his boss suddenly appear, a smile appeared on his face. He wanted to step forward but was mindful of the blood on him.
"Sorry, Eric, I'm afraid I can't hug you."
"Haha, it's fine. I don't like men's hugs anyway."
From the corner, Warren also walked over: "Eric, you didn't say you were coming in advance."
"I was going to ask you, is the producer's job easy?"
Warren pointed to his stomach: "Look here, it will give you an answer."
At this moment, the director and several other main actors also gathered around. They didn't know Eric, but after asking around, they learned that this was the real big boss.
As for Warren and Bema Hardy, who arranged their jobs, they were just employees under him. Otherwise, how could AK Films enjoy MGM's resources?
Eric shook hands with everyone one by one, saying some complimentary words. However, when he shook hands with the female actresses, they all gently scratched his palm, and he knew exactly what that meant.
As long as Eric crooked his finger, these women would be willing to serve him, not even waiting until night, but during lunch break.
In fact, let alone one, for these minor actors, having them serve him together would be no problem at all.
You ask if they would be ashamed?
They had no face to begin with, so how could they lose face?
Unfortunately, Eric really couldn't bring himself to care for them. Those parts on their bodies had been, who knows, with how many people. They were even worse than his little secretary Lisa and the flight attendants.
After staying on set for over half an hour, the director and Warren both promised to deliver the work within half a month and not exceed the budget. He also urged the special effects department to hurry up and finish post-production within a month.
Eric's goal was clear: release sharknado during the Christmas season, when there's heavy foot traffic and audiences bring others to collectively critique and watch bad movies, ensuring box office success.