Talented Maestro

Chapter 41: The Hundred-Million-Dollar Club

At exactly 8:00 a.m., Nina Klein knocked on the apartment door. Naomi answered it. Nina recognized her immediately—she was the lead actress in Wayne's last film. After offering a polite smile, Nina stepped inside with a bundle of newspapers in hand.

"Boss, I grabbed some papers. There's a lot of news about you," she said as she settled onto the couch and glanced over at Wayne, who was eating bacon.

"Oh? Nina, want some breakfast? Naomi's eggs and bacon are pretty good. You should try some. News about me, huh?" Wayne looked intrigued, picking up a newspaper. He gestured to Naomi to bring Nina a plate so the two women could get acquainted.

Naomi brought over another plate and set it in front of Nina with a warm smile, signaling her to make herself at home. After topping off her coffee, she sat beside Wayne and glanced at the seven or eight newspapers stacked on the coffee table.

---

From the Los Angeles Times:

[Yesterday marked a milestone for young Hollywood director Wayne Garfield. His low-budget thriller "Happy Death Day" has officially surpassed $100 million at the global box office.

The independently produced film, which wrapped up its North American theatrical run yesterday, earned $70.12 million domestically and was a major hit with younger audiences.

20th Century Fox picked up the film for international distribution, and in just one week it raked in over $40 million across 42 countries. With this, Wayne Garfield joins the prestigious $100M Club—straight out of college.]

---

From The Hollywood Reporter:

[Youngest Multi-Millionaire Director: Wayne Garfield!

According to sources at 20th Century Fox, the studio paid over $20 million to acquire the international distribution and sequel rights to "Happy Death Day."

With a production budget reportedly under $1 million, Garfield's indie horror-comedy is being hailed as the ultimate American dream success story—propelling him into the ranks of Hollywood's elite.]

---

"My God, Wayne! Are these papers serious?" Naomi exclaimed after skimming through two of them. "Were they just waiting for the U.S. box office run to end before dropping all this coverage? Did the film really sell for that much?"

Wayne swallowed his food and took a long sip of coffee. Lighting a Marlboro, he responded calmly, "Yeah, Naomi. That was the deal. You don't get many chances to squeeze the Hollywood vampires—this might've been my only shot."

He tapped the newspaper with a faint smile. "Even I'm surprised by how fast the media jumped on it. I guess they were all just waiting for that hundred-million mark. After selling the rights, I stopped tracking the box office. Overseas numbers always take time."

---

"Oh my God!" Naomi clutched his arm with excitement. "No wonder you're moving to Beverly Hills! That's been my dream forever. Promise me a room in the new house! Living in a Beverly Hills mansion—it sounds heavenly!"

Wayne chuckled and tried to calm her down. "Hey! I haven't even found a house yet. But if I do get the right one, yeah, you'll have a room. Now, are there any other articles? Something that's not just hyping me up—maybe some actual reviews of the film?"

"Let me see… yep, found one. Want me to read it?" Naomi asked, pulling out The New York Times.

Wayne shrugged and leaned back on the couch. "Go ahead."

---

From The New York Times:

[Brains Over Budget: The Rise of Smart, Low-Cost Horror

Amid a sluggish month of releases, one film stands out: "Happy Death Day," a tight, no-frills thriller from newcomer Wayne Garfield.

Made on a shoestring budget of around $1 million, the film has grossed over $100 million worldwide.

If you walk in expecting a horror film, you might be disappointed. But as a self-aware "chick flick" blending horror, suspense, comedy, and gore, it's full of surprises.

The standout element is the female lead. From beginning to end, she's smart, logical, and always in control. After discovering she's stuck in a time loop, protagonist Tree doesn't panic—she strategizes. She experiments. She even sacrifices herself for others.

While some critics may point out the film's simplicity and budget constraints, Naomi Watts' charismatic performance more than makes up for it. It's been a while since a female lead impressed this much on the big screen—gorgeous and talented in equal measure.]

---

"Oh come on, Naomi," Wayne groaned, cutting her off as she grew more and more animated. "Are you just picking out the reviews that praise you?"

"I can't help it!" she beamed. "I never thought a critic would actually like my performance! This Ed Ford guy has great taste!"

Wayne stifled an eye-roll. He suspected this glowing review had something to do with 20th Century Fox's PR team. In the business, it was common knowledge that some critics had... corporate loyalties. No way they genuinely thought Naomi's role had that much depth.

Sure, she looked great on screen and did a decent job—but the film didn't give her a whole lot to do.

"Alright, alright, that's enough with the papers," Wayne said, stacking them neatly and placing them off to the side. "We've got work to do."

Seeing his name splashed across so many headlines was a thrill, of course. But he knew the truth—Hollywood's love was fickle. The entertainment press had no shame. Today they'd crown him the poster boy of the American dream, and tomorrow, if his next project tanked, they'd crucify him without a second thought.

Just like the sharks they were.

With the perspective of someone who had essentially lived two lives, Wayne was able to stay calm—he was happy, of course, but nowhere near as giddy as Naomi. Media praise alone wouldn't make his next film a success. He knew the hard part was still ahead: shooting the film and continuing to learn the craft.

---

Meanwhile, over at the Fox headquarters, a regular executive meeting was underway. CEO Jeff sat at the head of the table, as the senior team flipped through the freshly printed project proposal.

"Thomson, you brought this proposal in—let's hear your thoughts," Jeff said once everyone had set down the documents.

"Hold on, Jeff, sorry to interrupt, but I need to clear something up first," said Tim Fisher, head of the film production department, cutting Thomson off before he could speak. "If I recall correctly, all project proposals are supposed to be submitted to Production first for preliminary evaluation—not the Distribution department. Isn't that right, Thomson?"

"What difference does it make, Tim?" Thomson Rossman fired back without hesitation. "No matter who brings it in, the end goal is the same—making money for Fox. As long as it doesn't turn into another Alien 3 situation, I don't see the problem."

That comment hit a nerve. Alien 3 had been a top-priority project this year, spearheaded by none other than Tim. But the results had been disappointing, and Fox was now staring down the barrel of a long, uncertain road to recover its investment.

Jeff didn't want internal politics to derail the meeting. He stepped in immediately. "Alright, that's enough. Thomson, go on with the project. Tim, we can discuss process issues after this meeting."

Thomson nodded and launched into his pitch. "As we can see, this is Wayne Garfield's new project—another horror-thriller, the genre he clearly excels at. The required investment is modest, the settings are simple, and frankly, the script is more refined than his last one.

My opinion is this: Garfield is an up-and-coming director. He's worth the investment. The box office of Happy Death Day speaks for itself."

Thomson looked straight at Jeff as he finished. He knew that if the CEO approved it, the rest of the board would likely follow suit without objection.

Jeff scanned the proposal again. "Hmm. A $5 million production cost—very manageable. Alright, Thomson, reach out to Garfield's agent and begin negotiations. I'll personally expedite the greenlight process."

"Understood. I'll get in touch with his agent right away." Thomson smiled. He had read the proposal and screenplay thoroughly. Despite the complex-looking plot, the production demands were actually lighter than most mainstream commercial films.

Plus, Garfield had already proven this formula could work. The risk was minimal.

---

When Wayne got the call, he pumped his fist in excitement. His second project was finally taking off. He just hoped things would go smoothly this time.

Jimmy, his agent, arrived at the apartment shortly afterward. After a quick introduction to Nina, they got straight to business.

"Wayne, I need to know where you draw the line," Jimmy said. "Only then can I negotiate properly with Fox."

"Alright, Jimmy—tell them this: For the sake of maintaining authority on set, I need to be credited as a co-producer. I'm too young to command the crew otherwise. That's a non-negotiable condition.

Also, I don't need a huge directing fee, but I do want a share of the domestic box office—not net profit, but a performance-based gross box office cut. You can frame it as a tiered incentive contract.

The project proposal and script are mine, so I want an upfront buyout fee for the project rights. Most importantly, I must be involved in post-production. I want, at the very least, editorial input rights—and that has to be in writing.

For everything else, just follow standard industry practices."

Jimmy rubbed his temples with a pained expression. "Jesus, Wayne. You're asking for a lot. This is 20th Century Fox, not some indie startup—and you're not even an A-list director. Hell, you're not even on the C-list yet."

He sighed. "Post-production involvement might be negotiable, but don't expect it to be easy. As for box office shares? That's almost impossible. Until you reach a certain status, those vampires will never give up a slice of that pie.

Brace yourself. Negotiations are going to be long and grueling. Every clause will have to be fought for, word by word."