Hollywood: Behind The SpotLight Chapter 33

Behind The Spotlight Chapter 33

"Everyone, I'm Collin East. The agent who will handle the negotiation." His voice echoed slightly, carrying a confident tone.

Collin swallowed hard as he saw people approaching him like waves crashing against the shore. It would be a lie to say he wasn't scared. Still, he was more nervous and excited than afraid, a strange mix of adrenaline and anticipation.

'The golden words... I think they are the epito of talent.' That phrase echoed in his head.

He once thought that a person with golden words simply had amazing talent. But he was wrong. The golden words were more than that.

'I wonder what would happen if Lawrence starred in a romance movie. His talent is about the box office, after all.'

Could that movie gross over $1 billion? It was an absurd thought, but not an impossible one. No one knew the answer. Not yet.

Collin smiled with a slight upward curl of his lips. He had the kind of smile that could brighten a room, the best and most beautiful smile in his arsenal. He was a model, undoubtedly attractive, with classic good looks and natural charisma.

He often used this "model smile" to win over people in negotiations or during awkward conversations. Sotis it worked, sotis not, results varied. But no one could deny that a smiling face was far more welco than a frowning one in almost any situation.

This ti, however, the representatives who had attended the screening were well-experienced industry veterans. They wouldn't fall for beauty tricks or surface-level charm.

"Emmanuel, try to negotiate with this Collin guy. We can offer $10 million for a buy-out. If he has terms, handle them on your own. I'll go outside and call the Chairman or CEO. The signal here is bad," Tyler said in a fast, urgent tone.

"Yes, sir," Emmanuel replied with firm conviction.

Tyler Ryan, the supervisor of the Acquisition Departnt, stood and turned in a rush. He didn't bother walking, he sprinted out of the auditorium despite wearing stiff leather shoes unsuited for running. The slaps of his shoes echoed through the hallway.

He had seen the movie's potential reflected in every eye inside that room. It would be foolish to walk away without fighting for the acquisition, even if it cost a fortune. But he still had to talk to his bosses, the Chairman or CEO, to get the green light.

Wash Dismay Studio was one of the Big Six, Hollywood's major players. Their influence extended from theaters to TV networks. Usually, producers begged for their distribution, often with desperation in their tone. But The Accidental Wedding Crashers flipped the script. It was a rare film that reversed the balance of power.

Executives from rival studios had also watched the movie with equal intensity. Many had the sa idea running through their heads. They would fight for the movie, if they could afford it and justify the bid to their superiors.

Like Tyler, several others also exited the auditorium to urgently call their bosses.

As soone in the acquisition departnt, Tyler knew the typical price tag for buying movies from unknown or independent sources. It hovered around $10 million, the sa figure he ntioned to Emmanuel.

For a film produced for only $300,000, $10 million was a windfall. In any context, $10 million was a lot of money. Even billionaires would hesitate to drop that amount on a single, untested product.

Unfortunately, Tyler also knew that so movies demanded higher investnts, regardless of budget ceilings.

Just last year, they had purchased an action film from an independent studio. The plot involved a bus with a bomb underneath. If the speed dropped below a certain threshold, the bomb would explode. A thrilling concept that held audiences spellbound.

That movie had cost them $45 million for full rights, including global distribution and copyright ownership. That deal turned out to be their best decision of the year. The film grossed over $526 million worldwide, surpassing every projection.

Tyler had only been part of the negotiation team during that acquisition. He hadn't initiated the deal, and so his personal bonus was modest. The executive who led the acquisition took most of the credit and the reward.

But now, things were different. If Tyler and Emmanuel successfully acquired this cody, and it perford as expected at the box office, the bonus could be life-changing. He could finally pay off his housing loan.

Emmanuel would receive a share too, not a huge one, but enough to be satisfying.

Once Tyler stepped outside and saw that the signal had improved, he imdiately dialed the Chairman's secretary. He needed authorization to increase their buying power. Their acquisition team could only greenlight purchases below $10 million, anything higher required corporate approval.

"Damn the new CEO of ANT! Why'd she have to make it difficult for us?" Tyler muttered as he paced outside, his voice tense with frustration. "She should've invited us one by one, not like this. Now the other studios are going to fight for this film, and the price is going to skyrocket."

Freed from the building's decorum, Tyler didn't hold back. He cursed under his breath while waiting for the call to connect, his eyes fixed impatiently on his phone screen.

...

...

...

anwhile, inside the auditorium, a new scene unfolded.

"$3 million! We want to buy this movie for $3 million!"

A sudden outburst broke the silence.

A slightly overweight man with a receding hairline shouted confidently, trying to grab everyone's attention. He wasn't speaking only to Collin, it was as if he was making a public announcent.

"I heard this movie cost $300,000. Can you imagine the profit you'll earn from a $3 million deal? That's ten tis your investnt. The ROI is off the charts!" His voice cracked a bit from excitent, but his enthusiasm remained strong.

He used exaggerated hand gestures, explaining with dramatic flair. Sweat dripped down his face as people sward toward the center like bees drawn to honey. Not even the air conditioning could stop the room from heating up due to the crowd.

Collin smiled and nodded politely, careful not to reveal any of his thoughts.

"Actually, I'm thinking of only signing a distribution deal." His words hung in the air like a thunderclap.

"What? You're not selling the movie?" the man recoiled, clearly stunned.

"That's right," Collin replied, his tone diplomatic, but firm.

Upon hearing that, many attendees looked visibly disappointed. Their dreams of acquiring full ownership seed to shatter in an instant. They had hoped to buy the movie outright, it was a better deal for them, both financially and strategically. Full ownership ant copyrights, videotape sales, broadcast rights, and potential sequels. Long-term profits would be entirely theirs.

It was far better than rely distributing the movie for a fraction of the earnings.

'I'm not stupid enough to sell the movie... unless they offer $50 million in cash.' Collin thought to himself. From their reactions alone, it's obvious this movie will make a fortune at the box office.

It was far too valuable to let go easily.

This was likely the first and last ti Collin would take on a job like this. He wasn't ant to be a producer.

This was exhausting on every level. Hundreds of people had circled around him, and it was getting harder to breathe. The pressure was imnse and relentless.

Still, he remained grateful. He would never forget the opportunity Lila had given him. As overwhelming as this thod was, it was better than being trapped in a studio and forced to sign a contract out of desperation.