After seeing Sergei Hassenfield off, it was time for Eric to leave Park City.
He came here mainly to avoid trouble; finding movies was secondary. Besides, he had already reviewed the film catalog, and apart from "whale rider," there wasn't anything too outstanding.
Once he finalized the deal for this movie, he would leave.
He contacted the organizing committee, asking them to notify the director, and Eric waited in a coffee shop.
The plot of "whale rider" is not complicated: a young girl from an ancient tribe saves a whale, and the whale is considered the tribe's totem and sacred object. Consequently, the little girl is chosen as the tribe's new leader.
The plot is simple. Eric watched for a while in the screening room and found the director's camera work excellent. The film, especially the underwater scenes, was beautiful, offering an enjoyable visual experience.
The core message of this film was immediately clear: environmental protection and animal welfare. This is what made Eric believe it had potential for profit.
In America, or rather the Western world, environmentalism and animal protection have always been firm political correctness, and there are always some crazy people who launch movements like madmen.
Since some people like to launch movements, Eric naturally had to cater to them. So, even though it's an art-house film, if MGM distributes it, the box office should be decent.
He didn't wait long before a beautiful, blonde-haired woman, appearing to be around 30, entered the coffee shop.
After entering, she looked around, saw Eric smiling and gesturing to her, immediately took off her thick coat and handed it to the waiter, then walked over, her tight sweater revealing her good figure.
"I didn't expect the director of this film to be such a beautiful woman." Standing up from his seat, Eric lightly shook hands with her.
"I also didn't expect MGM's vice president to be such a handsome young man."
"Haha, don't you read the news? If you follow the entertainment section, you should have seen me often recently."
The woman shook her head slightly: "I'm from New Zealand and came specifically for the Sundance Film Festival. I've been so busy these past few days that I haven't had time to pay attention to gossip or entertainment."
Hearing her say that, Eric understood. No wonder she didn't recognize him; it turned out she wasn't involved in the American scene at all.
"Nice to meet you, Eric Cooper!"
"Hello, Niki Caro!"
After sitting down again, a waiter brought a cup of coffee. Niki Caro said with some emotion: "Winter in America is too cold. After a few days here, I'm already missing New Zealand. It's a good season there right now."
"That's right, it's summer there. But isn't winter just as cold?"
"No, it rarely snows in New Zealand in winter, unless it's in the mountains. It's always very warm there. I never have to wear a thick down jacket there."
Eric agreed: "I don't like down jackets either; they make us look bulky."
"Men never like them!" Niki Caro joked.
As an experienced old hand, Eric instantly understood. Both laughed. As people in the industry, they were very clear about the unwritten rules here.
After chatting for a while, their relationship became more familiar. People with high Appearance have a huge advantage in this regard.
"Niki, I've seen "whale rider". It's a very delicate and emotional film, and MGM is interested in buying it."
Niki Caro took a sip of coffee: "Eric, you're the first person to express interest in buying, but I still want to know, after MGM buys the film, will it be released in theaters or go through television channels?"
Niki Caro knew in her heart that the DVD market was definitely not suitable for her film. As an art-house film, she wasn't confident about theaters either. The biggest possibility was the TV movie route.
However, as a director, deep down, she still hoped her work could appear on the big screen. Perhaps it wouldn't achieve high box office, but just seeing it would be satisfying.
Eric understood her thoughts; this was a common sentiment among directors. And since they were going to capitalize on environmental and animal protection, the big screen naturally couldn't be overlooked.
"Niki, I understand what you're thinking. I promise it will go to the big screen. If the process is fast, you can see your work in February, but it will only start with small-scale screenings. I hope you understand this."
Hearing this, Niki Caro's voice was a little excited: "Of course, "whale rider" is an art-house film, and I completely understand."
"Then let's talk about money. I've inquired about the film's budget, which is roughly 3.5 million US dollars, correct?"
Niki Caro nodded, marveling at his extensive connections, how he managed to get crucial information so quickly.
"Then I plan to buy out all the copyrights of this film, and you and your team can get 6 million US dollars in remuneration. Think about it."
When Eric mentioned "all copyrights," it meant that from now on, "whale rider" would only bear Niki Caro's name, letting people know she directed it, but everything else would be unrelated to her.
The film's profits would have no connection to her team, and she and her team could no longer use the film for any commercial purposes; otherwise, it would be copyright infringement.
Across from him, hearing this offer, Niki Caro couldn't help but feel joy. Reputation was important, but money was equally important.
The 3.5 million US dollar cost certainly had some padding; this was a consensus in the industry. In reality, the film's true cost was less than 3 million US dollars.
This also included her director's fee and other aspects, meaning Niki Caro and relevant personnel had already received money once.
And for an art-house film, selling for 6 million US dollars was indeed not low. After deducting what went to investors, she could still earn another sum.
"Eric, while I have no objection to selling the copyrights, this isn't something I alone can decide. Please give me some time."
"Alright, but I will be leaving Park City tomorrow. If you can't give me an answer tonight, you'll need to contact the company."
Eric finished speaking, stood up, shook hands with her, and left. The potential of other films wasn't high, and instead of wasting time searching, he might as well thoroughly ravage Chloë Sevigny, that little hottie!
Sweetwater Manor, a phone call brought Chloë Sevigny back.
She gave him a dissatisfied look: "I'm in the middle of promotions. What's so urgent?"
Eric pointed to his little brother: "I'm leaving tomorrow!"
Hearing this, the girl instantly understood and obediently knelt down.
Ring!
Just as things were getting intense, the phone suddenly rang. It was Niki Caro; it seemed she had made up her mind.
"Niki, I didn't expect you to contact me so quickly."
"Eric, I've already communicated with everyone, and we can sign the contract now. Hmm? What's that sound?"
Below him, hearing the phone, Chloë Sevigny became even more excited, screaming like crazy.
"Nothing. So, the location is still the coffee shop, but you'll have to wait for me for half an hour!"
"Only half an hour?" A teasing voice came from the phone.
"You can try!"