America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 248 Success and Failure

At the outdoor shooting range, Martin gripped his M9 pistol tightly and moved quickly using tactical maneuvers. As gunfire continued to ring out, one bandit after another fell to the ground.

Outside the safe zone, club owner Kane said, "His marksmanship is excellent; he's definitely one of the best in Hollywood."

Bruce, also a former soldier, shared the same topic and chimed in, "He has some talent and is willing to spend time practicing."

Chad asked curiously, "Why?"

Bruce explained simply, "In the kind of place we live, guns are a basic necessity for being a civilized person."

The gunfire stopped, and Martin turned off the safety and came out of the shooting range.

Kane glanced at the stopwatch in his hand: "1 minute and 55 seconds, and without a single mistake. That's a pretty good score. Even if I were on the court, I wouldn't be much better than you."

Martin put away his gun and asked, "Is this what the community shooting competition is about?"

Kane shook his head: "No, it's stationary target shooting."

"That's my specialty," Martin boasted without hesitation: "Whether it's a pistol or a rifle, I'm guaranteed a perfect score!"

Kane laughed: "I've met my match today."

At that moment, a staff member came over and said, "Boss, Marcus is here, and he brought his two dogs with him."

Kane said something and turned back.

Martin and the other two simply went back inside together.

The man who came looking for Kane was a burly man with a thick beard, and he was leading two dogs.

Kane asked, "Are you planning to return to Afghanistan?"

Marcus squatted down next to the dogs: "They'll have to stay with you now."

"You guys always board your pets with me," Kane said, patting the dog's head. "Should I double your fees?"

Marcus just smiled and looked behind Kane.

Kane said, "I'll introduce you to some new friends. The more friends you have, the easier it will be to find a new job when you get discharged from the military."

He called over a staff member, who first led away the two dogs, and then brought Marcus to Martin and the others, introducing them one by one.

Although Marcus isn't a fan of celebrities, he still took a photo with Martin.

The group arrived at the rest area and sat down to chat.

Marcus is currently serving in Afghanistan and is on leave. He will return to Afghanistan in a few days.

Bruce, a former soldier, was very curious about the situation in Afghanistan and shared common topics with Marcus and Harold, leading to a lively conversation.

Martin would occasionally chime in with a word or two.

Chad also asked a lot of questions.

Marcus was very interested in Chad and kept talking about action direction: "I have a colleague who joined the army and worked as an extra in Hollywood. He suggested that I consider this career after I leave the army."

Having just met, Chad hesitated to elaborate on the hardships involved, vaguely stating, "Hollywood produces a large number of gunfight scenes every year."

Marcus said, "I'll be discharged next year, and I'll ask you for advice when I get back from Afghanistan."

Chad replied, "No problem, you have my contact information, you can call me anytime."

Martin and Bruce exchanged a glance, sensing something was amiss.

Chad, a veteran stuntman who has been in Hollywood for over a decade, also noticed the problem.

Following the pattern of Hollywood movies, Marcus's words are definitely a sign of a positive shift.

In Hollywood movies, anyone who says something like that is practically doomed.

Marcus didn't stay long and quickly took his leave.

Martin and the others went to the fixed target range to continue practicing shooting.

Around noon, Thomas made a phone call. Martin and the others finished lunch nearby and headed to the studio.

Martin has enough money, and Davis Pictures officially moved out of Pacific Pictures' office building this month, renting two floors of Warner Bros. Studios right across the street as office space.

The equipment is relatively basic, after all, it's a shell company for convenient investment and legal tax avoidance.

When Martin arrived, Thomas and Jessica were already waiting in the meeting room.

The former said, "There are some things I need to explain to you regarding the negotiations for 'Dark Territory'."

Martin initially thought he would easily acquire the copyright: "Are there competitors?"

“No,” Thomas said. “It’s more complicated than you might think. Alan Grylls is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, which is similar to the Screen Actors Guild, and they sent representatives to the negotiations. Besides, the book’s publisher is Random House, the largest publisher in North America, so you can’t bypass them for the adaptation rights.”

Martin succinctly pinpointed the key question: "Copyright fees?"

Thomas said, "They want $30 in upfront fees, plus the revenue share stipulated by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America."

Martin understands this point. By joining the association and paying dues, the association will naturally guarantee the interests of its members, similar to the writers' guild model.

Therefore, screenwriters or writers will actively join their respective organizations whenever the conditions are right.

Martin stated directly, "We'll try to reduce the copyright fees as much as possible, and we'll only offer the lowest possible percentage of the revenue sharing later on."

Thomas glanced at the time and called to Jessica, "Let's go, let's go again and try to reach an agreement today."

If he can get Jessica out of here sooner, he can be free from being her manager.

These things are not within the normal scope of an agent's work.

But Thomas had no choice; Martin was the only client he could rely on.

Two days later, the film and television adaptation rights for "Dark Fields" were officially agreed upon, with an initial fee of $20, plus the minimum 0.55% share of the North American box office as stipulated by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

As a member of the Screen Actors Guild, Martin enjoyed the conveniences and rights that the union brought him, and thought that American unions were really great.

When he was the employer, he cursed and swore at other labor unions and associations, wanting to shoot them all.

The relationship between the butt and the head is really too complicated.

With the acquisition of "The Dark Area," Martin also met with Bradley, the screenwriter he had worked with on the wanted poster. Bradley said he needed to read the novel carefully before he could determine if he was suitable for the role.

Just like actors and directors, screenwriters' futures will inevitably be affected if a project is botched.

Regarding the director, Martin can only confirm that the film will not be directed by a top-tier director like David Fincher. He has no idea who it will be and will have to wait until the project has a basic structure before recruiting a suitable director.

Of the two projects, "I Am Legend" and "The Prestige," bad news came from the former.

Thomas made initial contact with producer David Heyman.

"I'm well aware that Martin has always worked with Warner Bros., including on the upcoming 'Wanted' movie."

David Heyman knew that Martin had connections both above and below him, so he spoke to Thomas politely: "I saw an internal screening of 'Wanted,' and it's a really cool movie. Martin's acting and charisma are on full display. Based on my years of experience in the industry, I think this movie will be a success without any surprises."

Thomas just laughed. These were the truths; at the Warner Bros. internal screening, "Wanted" had received a very good response.

The truth is often followed by something else entirely.

Sure enough, David Heyman added, "I personally have high hopes for Martin's future. In a few years, he may be able to carry the box office on his own. But the 'I Am Legend' project is going to start filming next year. It's a one-man show, and what's needed is a superstar who can carry the whole movie with his personal charisma."

Having said that, Thomas knew Martin had no chance, but he still smiled and tried his best to maintain good relations with top producers like David Heyman.

He said, "The 'one man, one dog, one gun' formula was brilliantly portrayed by Martin in 'The Hills Have Eyes'."

David Heyman agreed: "Strictly speaking, it was the huge success of this film that prompted me to decide to push forward with the I Am Legend project."

Thomas lamented, "We met at the wrong time; it's a pity we missed each other."

David Heyman laughed and said politely, "There will be opportunities to work together in the future. Looking across all of Hollywood, there are probably no more than five suitable actors for this project."

Thomas tentatively asked, "David, who do you like?"

David Heyman thought for a moment and then said directly, "I've extended an invitation to Will Smith, and he's still considering it."

Thomas has completely given up hope; Martin is now far inferior to Will Smith.

If it weren't for the heroic effect of the Burbank High School incident and the spy incident, we would have barely seen Will Smith's back.

A superstar with a $20 million salary plus post-production revenue share!

Thomas left Warner Bros. with a heavy heart. This time, he didn't need Martin to call him; he just killed himself.

"There's still a long way to go. Only when Martin becomes a superstar will I be qualified to be a partner in the company." Thomas touched his increasingly receding hairline, picked up his bag, and strode forward. "I believe in Martin. I can't let my guard down. A million-dollar fortune is already beckoning me."

He then found Daniel, and through Daniel's connections, met with Nolan's wife, Emma Thomas, and had a cup of coffee.

She is a very shrewd British woman who has formed a husband-and-wife team with director Christopher Nolan.

One person was responsible for filming and production, while the other managed the set and handled logistics.

Warner Bros. has given the green light to the "The Prestige" project.

After a brief conversation, Thomas immediately abandoned Mene's plan to use nuclear weapons.

Emma Thomas and Nolan have a good relationship, so having Menez go up and fawn over her at this time would only have a negative effect.

Thomas presented Martin's information, along with a recommendation from Daniel, whom both of them were quite familiar with, to Emma Thomas in an effort to secure a collaboration.

By revitalizing Batman, Warner Bros. and DC's most important asset, the Nolans have gained some say in their own film projects.

Thomas was busy trying to secure new roles and job opportunities for Martin.

Martin is also very busy.

After more than two weeks of negotiations, Ernie Lively secured a script for a teen comedy. Once the buyout agreement is signed, he will return to Los Angeles with the Blake siblings.

Blake's project is about to officially launch, while Martin is also promoting his new film.

Both sides quickly reached an agreement to use Martin and Blake as the main attraction to generate buzz and drive publicity.

Relatives from my hometown are coming to see me for medical treatment these past few days, so I need to go to the hospital frequently. I'll try my best to maintain two updates a day. (Middle-aged man...)

(End of this chapter)