Ira Deutchman was somewhat silent. Having been in Hollywood for so many years, how could he not understand the principles Simon spoke of?
But that's how people are; understanding a principle doesn't necessarily mean being able to act on it.
As a graduate of a prestigious university like Northwestern, Ira Deutchman felt a sense of academic superiority in front of most people in Hollywood. This sense of superiority unknowingly constrained his behaviour, making him constantly mindful of maintaining the decorum of an intellectual. Therefore, although he clearly knew that hyping up elements that audiences loved would lead to higher box office returns, Ira Deutchman had always resisted doing so from the bottom of his heart.
The waiter happened to bring lunch at this moment. Simon waited for a moment, and after the waiter left again, he asked Deutchman, "So, do you still want this job?"
Ira Deutchman hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Simon, is it really right to purely pursue the commercial interests of a film like this?"
"Many maverick filmmakers always say things like they don't make movies to make money. But in reality, that's not the case. Since they chose film, they are destined to have a stronger desire for expression than ordinary people. Deep down, they absolutely want more people to see their films", Simon looked at Ira Deutchman and said slowly, "As a film distributor, finding ways to let more people see a film is your job. This is being responsible to both the filmmakers and the investors, regardless of whether it's right or wrong.
For a film that tells the truth of life, if you use 'sex' as a publicity gimmick, the film's director might be very angry. But when this film, which originally had a box office potential of only a few million dollars, sells for 10 million, 20 million, or even more, and also wins an Oscar, then afterwards you will find that not only will he no longer blame you, but he will also look forward to continuing to work with you. Ira, only the victor is always right. The victor is beyond reproach".
After listening to Simon's words, Ira Deutchman's expression changed slightly for a moment, then he sincerely said, "Simon, I need to be frank. Before this meeting, I very, very much hoped to get this job. But now, I find that you have expectations for the company I might manage that are far beyond what I imagined, and I'm not sure if I can do it well".
Simon smiled and said, "Actually, I'm not sure either, Ira. The main reason I chose you is that your conditions in all aspects are just right. You are only 35 years old this year, so you won't be like those old men in their fifties and sixties who have completely lost their malleability, and at the same time, you have more industry experience than a fresh-faced youngster. However, once you join, you only have one year".
Ira Deutchman asked in confusion, "One year?"
Simon nodded and said, "That's right. Even if you are willing to accept this job, you will need to go through a one-year probationary period. During this year, I will completely oversee the operations of Highgate Film, personally supervising you to change your traditional and conservative business thinking. After one year, if your work results satisfy me, we will then sign a formal long-term contract".
Ira Deutchman keenly caught another meaning in Simon's words: "Simon, do you mean that Highgate Film will operate completely independently, and I will only report to you personally, without needing to be led by Ms. Pascal?"
"Yes, and Highgate Film's independence is even higher than you imagine. The production and distribution departments of Daenerys Entertainment and New World Pictures are separate, but Highgate Film will have a completely independent film production and distribution system. Aside from financial aspects needing to be supervised by the parent company, in other areas, you will have a very large degree of autonomy".
Ira Deutchman's expression changed for a few seconds, then he quickly made up his mind and said, "Simon, what should I do for the next year?"
"Complete your familiarization and adjustment of Highgate Film as quickly as possible. You can hire or fire some people yourself, and at the same time, take over the distribution of several art-house films under the company. For the next year, scouting projects, acquiring films, managing distribution... all these tasks will need to be done by you, but I will participate in major decisions as much as possible, offer my advice, and personally supervise you to change distribution strategies that I deem inappropriate. I will also help you find some projects to work on".
Simon paused briefly here, waiting for Deutchman to digest for a moment, then continued, "As for the criteria for evaluating your work performance, the core, of course, is the commercial revenue of the films, but it's not absolute. Film has always been a high-risk business with great uncertainty, and I allow my subordinates to fail. Therefore, all the projects you operate within the next year will be judged individually. As long as you put your heart and soul into each project and are on a path that I consider correct, we can sign a formal contract after one year".
Ira Deutchman carefully noted Simon's words, and after Simon finished speaking, he continued to ask, "So, Simon, how much company budget will I receive for this coming year?"
"$30 million. This is purely for film business, and you can do anything you deem feasible: production, film acquisition, distribution, and so on. And it doesn't all need to be completed by the deadline next year; you just need to pursue the projects you've identified", Simon said, then added, "Additionally, your salary for the next year will be $150,000, with no bonus clauses. But if your work is excellent enough, you will receive a signing bonus when we sign next year. In this regard, you can bet on whether I, your boss, am generous or stingy. Oh, and one more thing: once you start, you can use the company's private jet, but only for business flights. If we sign successfully after one year, you can have permission to take your family on vacation. If you stay with Daenerys Entertainment long enough, you might even own a private jet fully paid for by the company".
$30 million, such an amount of money might not even be enough for the production cost of a blockbuster film in Hollywood right now. The publicly announced budget for 'Batman', which Simon is preparing, reaches $50 million.
However, Ira Deutchman had no complaints. The New Film Company he was previously with didn't even have $30 million to freely dispose of in its most financially lenient years. Ira Deutchman even started to quickly think about how to spend this money. Although Simon did not forbid him from immediately entering the production field, Deutchman was determined to use all of this money for film acquisition and distribution. These two businesses had relatively the lowest risk and shorter operating cycles. The investment in art-house films was far lower than that of commercial films. Based on an average budget expenditure of $5 million per project, $30 million would be enough for him to operate six projects next year.
As for production, he could scout for scripts first, and it wouldn't be too late to invest in production if he could officially sign next year, at which point he would certainly have more budget.
Thinking this, Ira Deutchman quickly stood up, reached across the dining table to Simon, and smiled, "Boss, I'm really looking forward to the day I have my own private jet".
Ira Deutchman was quite decisive; he promptly signed the employment agreement and started working at Highgate Film the very next day.
In the following days, Simon also confirmed the other two major supporting roles for 'Batman'.
Besides Willem Dafoe for 'Black Mask' Roman Sionis, the final choice for Commissioner Gordon was Tommy Lee Jones, and Alfred, Batman's butler, was to be played by Anthony Hopkins.
Tommy Lee Jones and Anthony Hopkins both became immensely famous later on; one entered the 20 million dollar salary club with the 'Men in Black' series, and the other won an Oscar for Best Actor for his brilliant performance in 'The Silence of the Lambs'.
If it were ten years later, Simon wouldn't even dream of bringing the two together to play two supporting roles in 'Batman', but now, they were far from their later fame, and in Hollywood, they could barely be considered B-list actors.
Tommy Lee Jones was in his early forties this year. Since his debut in the 1970s, apart from the 1980 biopic 'Coal Miner's Daughter', he had no other notable works. Of the five films he made before accepting the role of Commissioner Gordon, only a low-budget sci-fi thriller 'Black Moon Rising' produced by New World Pictures grossed over $6 million; the other four films all grossed only over $1 million, which could only be described as flops.
Anthony Hopkins, who was already 51 this year, was even less successful compared to Tommy Lee Jones. In recent years, he had barely appeared in any major big-screen productions, mostly acting in TV movies and TV series.
Therefore, both of them were veteran actors who were affordable and recognizable to audiences, and they perfectly fit Simon's character definitions for Commissioner Gordon and Alfred the butler. Most importantly, both agreed to long-term contracts for five films.
In the original timeline, Scarlett Johansson, who played Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Samuel L. Jackson, who played Nick Fury, as series supporting actors, had salaries far higher than those playing protagonists like Thor, Hawkeye, and the Hulk. This was mainly because their roles were irreplaceable, but they hadn't signed long-term contracts like the others.
Unlike Catwoman, Commissioner Gordon and Alfred were completely tied to 'Batman'. As long as the series could continue, it was unlikely for the two to disappear out of thin air, and Simon also didn't want to replace them midway.
After negotiations, both of their starting salaries were $150,000 US, with a maximum increase of $300,000 per sequel. Simon wasn't overly generous in this regard, but for supporting actors, a $300,000 salary increase each time wasn't stingy. Furthermore, if the two could reach their former star status in the coming years, whether it was $300,000 or $500,000, it would only seem insignificant.
Therefore, although he couldn't restrict the future films of the two supporting actors like he could with the male lead Adam Baldwin, Simon secretly decided that if necessary, he would try his best to suppress their career development, such as replacing the male lead of 'The Silence of the Lambs' or similar actions.
As long as he could successfully advance his DC cinematic universe series, he couldn't worry too much about other things.
Beyond the core main and supporting roles, some minor characters in 'Batman' were also progressively cast during this period, and some extra-level small roles would likely be selected on an ad-hoc basis during filming.
With the roles confirmed, the film began more frequent script readings and scene rehearsals. Simon's assistant, Joe Silver, also flew to Melbourne again in late October to coordinate location scouting and set design for the film's early next year shoot.
Amidst this busyness, the Halloween season gradually approached.
Compared to the same period last year, the October season that was about to pass could only be described as dismal.
In October 1987, the total box office revenue was close to $180 million, but this year, although October has not completely passed, the estimated total box office revenue is only $130 million, a reduction of almost one-third.
Moreover, even for the upcoming November and December year-end slots, the number of films expected to be released is much sparser compared to previous years. To avoid further losses, major studios have even generally adopted a strategy of tightening distribution scales. As a result, Daenerys Entertainment, which is about to release four films 'Scream', 'Steel Magnolias', 'Dead Poets Society', and 'Rain Man', has become the most prominent presence in this year-end slot.
At Simon's insistence, and after negotiations with major North American theatre chains, 'Rain Man' ultimately secured 1136 screens. Including the other three films, Daenerys Entertainment's four films at the end of the year can basically be considered large-scale releases.
Simon also approved a pure advertising budget of $5 million for each film, beginning a full-scale promotion of the four films across various media platforms in North America. Including other costs such as print copies, the total promotional and distribution budget for each film is expected to generally exceed $8 million, with the possibility of further additions.
In this era, transitioning from traditional distribution to wide release, studios generally tended to be conservative in film distribution. Such promotional and distribution investments, almost matching production costs, were considered unwise by many, but Simon paid no heed.
After all, whether they could break free from the limitations of major studio distribution channels essentially hinged on this one gamble. In the next few years, Daenerys Entertainment would simply not encounter market conditions where timing and location were entirely in its favour as they were now. Once missed, when the major film companies recovered from the impact of this year's Hollywood writers' strike, the overly prominent Daenerys Entertainment would certainly face concerted suppression from all sides of Hollywood.
After the final wave of intensive trailer bombardments on mainstream TV networks and MTV, aimed at teenagers, the release date of 'Scream' finally arrived.
In the past week, due to the release of 'Halloween 4', a renowned horror film series from independent film company Galaxy International, the North American weekly total box office slightly rebounded, reaching $32.67 million. 'Halloween 4's opening weekend box office of just over $8 million, was basically unable to pose a threat to 'Scream'.
On October 28th, 'Scream' officially opened on a wide release of 1755 screens in North America.