“…… These...... None of them you like?" Marshall rubbed his temples with a bit of a headache, watching Theolod put aside the scripts he had sifted out one by one. These scripts actually have one thing in common, that is, the investor is willing to give a salary that is more in line with Theorod's current Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor nomination, and these scripts are really good, at least Theorod can make a steady profit after acting.

But Marshall didn't know that Theorod was an actor who had read countless films, he only thought that Theorod had not yet figured out the laws of Hollywood when he had not been in the industry for a long time, so he persuaded bitterly: "Theo, I know you only want to play the subject you are interested in, but there are thousands of scripts in Hollywood every year, and it is impossible to send you all that you are interested in, you have to adjust it, even the actor has to ensure income when he can't pick a good script and act in a bad movie." If you want to be an actor, you have to adapt to that. ”

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I won't be able to adapt to this for the rest of my life. Theolod smiled apologetically at Marshall, even in his world, he who lost himself in pursuit of academic vision, would rather only make one or two movies in a few years, than beg to act in a mediocre public film that wastes acting skills, which is an insult to his pride as an actor, "But, Marshall, did you really only pick out these scripts?"

"Yes, what's the problem?"

"They're almost all dramas. ”

"It's what you're best at, and even your only cult film is a plot style rather than a plasma style. ”

"Oh no, my agent, I think I could try something else - given that I've only acted in three films right now, three story-based films. Theolod said, raising his finger and pointing to a stack of scripts in the corner behind Marshall's desk, "What's that?" ”

Marshall looked at Theorod in silence for a long time, and finally sighed in compromise, waved his hand, and got up to hold the stack of scripts in front of Theorod: "I knew this was going to happen, okay, this is planb, these scripts belong to the category of 'Theo should be eye-catching, but the agent will have a headache'." ”

"You should have turned this planb into a plana in the first place. Theorod shook his head and picked up the most faceted one.

"But I had to give my plana a try. Marshall shrugged his shoulders and sat down on the corner of the table with his chest folded.

This time, Theolod finally didn't throw those scripts aside one by one, he was very selective and divided them into two categories, one of which was very few, only two or three, and the rest were all put aside, and it seemed that there was finally a script that he saw.

It's just that when he picks out the scripts, he still seems a little dissatisfied, and Marshall finds that his employer is still frowning.

"What's wrong?" Marshall asked.

"I remember a long time ago, I fell in love with a script, 'Two Smoking Guns', and I was impressed by its circle-style plot. Has the film already started filming?"

"Two Smoking Guns?" the name made Marshall frown and recall for a moment before he suddenly laughed, "No, no, no, not yet, it's just that something went wrong with the budget." ”

"Don't have enough budget?"

"Yes, not enough. Think about it, after the director of this film, Guy Ritchie, received the attention and investment of Sting's wife because of a short film, and the initial cost was 20 million, 20 million! enough to shoot a special effects blockbuster, so they had the energy to cast a wide net at the beginning, and selected actors from the British mainland to the emerging Hollywood forces. However, due to the difficulty of finding the actors and the repeated revisions of the script, it took almost two years to prepare, the time line dragged on too long, and the director's investment of 20 million yuan slowly shrank and lost to other places, and the current shooting budget is only 1.6 million. ”

"Then this movie isn't going to be made?"

"No, Theo, don't you understand what I mean? Their cost is only 1.6 million, and your current salary must start at 2 million. ”

"So what?"

"So? Do you need to ask what about it? Their entire budget doesn't add up to your salary, and even they know that they can't pay you what you are. Shortly after the Oscar nominations were announced, the rookie director sent me an email saying that you should not be paid more than $50,000 at most, and there was no hope in his words, so I refused, and he seemed to have understood this for a long time. ”

"Oh, Marshall, you should have discussed this with me first. Theorod listened, and held his forehead helplessly. Although this is too different from his own value, if he puts it in the previous life, Theolod will refuse if he doesn't want to, but now it's different.

"You're still in Florida. Besides, anyone will refuse this kind of salary......" Marshall said, but when he saw Theorod looking at him directly, he immediately realized something, and hurriedly waved his hand, "Don't sue me, even if this salary is so insincere, you still want to play this debut." ”

Theolod didn't say anything, just looked at him with a smile on his face.

“…… This is a debut! A new director's debut! No matter how whimsical his screenwriting skills are, can you guarantee that his directing skills are the same? Besides, to be honest, there are no complex characters in the movie that can make you explode in your acting skills, any newcomer can play this movie, and you can find more movies that interest you, such as the ones you pick. ”

"But I love the plot of this movie. ”

Theolod listened to Marshall's bitter persuasion, and at the end, he slowly spoke, looking at his agent with an innocent face, and answered as a matter of course, so naturally that Marshall was almost choked to death by a mouthful of old blood.

If you like a movie, you can lower your value and even the role doesn't matter? What the hell, how can there be such a wayward actor in this world, and do you still have the consciousness of being an actor! Marshall's heart was a little crazy, but on the surface, he still held on to the last glimmer of hope, and struggled: "You have to know, you behave like this...... It's going to disrupt Hollywood's pay order, right?"

"Hey Marshall, I'm not so great as to make a movie that can disrupt the order of Hollywood's salary. Even if that's the case...... So what? What movie do I like and what does it have to do with what other people think?" Theorod shrugged indifferently.

“…… I think I'll die with you sooner or later, but fortunately, Heath is much more well-behaved and sensible than you, otherwise I, the agent, will run out of food sooner or later. Okay, don't stare at me, I'll send them an email later, saying that you've thought it through -- yes, though you nodded almost instantaneously, but I have to say that you've been thinking about it for a long time -- and you've decided to take this movie......"

Theolod didn't speak, just blinked and continued to look at Marshall.

“…… What else do you want?"

“…… Okay, I'll call, call this okay?"

“…… Okay, I'll surrender, I'll fight now, and I'll give you a hands-free back!"

In the end, Marshall could only pick up the phone, turn on the speakerphone, and dial Guy Ritchie, England, under the watchful eye of Theorod.

Counting the time difference, it's about 11 o'clock in the middle of the night on the British side. Marshall kept praying in his heart, hoping that by this time the other party had gone to bed or was not on the phone at all. After all, Guy Ritchie only gave Marshall his office number instead of his mobile phone number, and if the other party happened to go out at this time, then he could send Theolod away, and then find an excuse to delay it again and again, or try his best to let him sign a contract with one of the few films he selected, and once Theorod got a role, Marshall assured that he would never have any energy to care about other things.

But, hell, the phone went through, and the Englishman was still in front of the phone, so why did he stay by the phone when he didn't go to bed or go out for a drink so late?

While it's in the British nature to have a cup of tea every now and then, Richie certainly wasn't sitting at his desk for tea.

He is making unknown changes to his script, because the budget has shrunk again and again, and the actors who can be hired for the film have gradually changed from Hollywood big names at the beginning to newcomers on the streets of London. This also forced him to revise and simplify the characters in the script, after all, it is impossible for cheap newcomers to play such complex roles.

It doesn't matter, he just wants to tell a cool black humor story, and he focuses more on the plot than the characters. Therefore, he can make each character deliberately and face-painted, or even over-faced, so that the characters' reactions to promote the development of the plot in special circumstances can be taken for granted, and eventually become dramatic.

He doesn't plan to drag "Two Smoking Guns" on, two years is enough time for him to perfect the story seamlessly, he plans to revise the script and sub-shots today, and strive to find the remaining actors tomorrow, with the 1.6 million budget, and start filming in half a month.

So when the phone rang at first, Richie didn't want to answer at all - hell, who was calling so late, didn't they like the soft feather pillow or the hot black tea?

The ringing of the phone that lasted for more than ten seconds wore out his patience, and Richie casually waved his hand and pressed the speakerphone, casually and even a little irritably, snorting inarticulately, just a tone word, to the effect that there is something to say quickly and a fart to release, at this moment he has no energy to waste on speaking.

'Hello, Mr. Richie, I'm Marshall, Marshall Upton, Theolod Lecht's agent, and I've spoken to you on the phone a few times, I don't know if you remember. A man's voice came from the other end of the line, with a mixed accent of Australian and American English.

Marshall: Yes, he remembered that when the funds were not so tight, he even set his sights on Hollywood, and he knew that even if he could afford to get paid as a rookie director, those Hollywood A-list stars would not be able to join, so at that time he set his sights on those newcomers with quality and no fame, and Theorod was one of them.

Unfortunately, his budget has shrunk to less than a tenth of what it used to be, and that Lechter has now become a hot newcomer in Hollywood, with his first film nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. A week ago he sent an email to Lechte's agent explaining the salary, which his agent politely declined, as expected.

But now, why did he call again? Still at this point?

"Of course, Mr. Upton, how could I have forgotten you?" Richie finally stopped putting his hands on the keyboard, leaned back, and leaned back in his chair, "It's a nice night in London, and it's raining lightly. I wonder what you're calling right now?"

'Sorry for calling so late, did I bother you?'

"Not at all, I'm just tinkering with my script and storyboard, and I've got to finish it tonight, and I might have time to get out of the table and make a hot cup of tea, how can you bother me when you're calling? ”

Marshall, ...... on the other end of the line, paused for a few seconds, glanced at Theorod wistfully, and if he heard him correctly, the Englishman not only turned around and taunted him for forgetting the time difference between the United States and the United Kingdom, but also said that he was calling when he was too busy to even make tea, 'I'm sorry, maybe I'll change the time?'

"No, I'm pretty handy right now, and I just decided to stretch. "Don't tell me, Mr. Upton, you called me because Mr. Lecht has decided to star in Two Smoking Guns again." ”

Rich laughed, he was just joking, but Marshall, who was on the other side, said in a strange tone after two seconds of silence: "That's right, Theo did agree to play after careful consideration." ’

"......" Richie looked at the phone stunned.

'Theo is a very personal actor, he has read your script and is a little interested in the film, so he would like to give it a try, if you are also very sincere. You see, maybe we can find some time to talk about it, although Theo is willing to lower his price, but the salary of 50,000 yuan seems too cold, and it always takes a little energy and money to travel back and forth between Los Angeles and London...... Mr. Richie, are you still over there?'

"Yes, I'm listening. Rich immediately stepped forward and picked up the microphone. He thought that it would be over after being rejected by Marshall before, but he didn't expect that the other party would find him again. He knew he had a great story, but he had never been narcissistic enough that anyone would be willing to pay for it.

So, he had to get up strictly, change the casual sitting posture just now, and take this matter seriously: "To be honest, Mr. Upton, this 50,000 yuan is indeed the highest price I can squeeze out, maybe you won't like to hear this, I don't like to dwell on the matter of remuneration for too long, and no director likes it." What I gave at the beginning was my bottom line, if you can, if you can, then you will see you again. However, I think I can also find out the round-trip ticket money and accommodation location for Theorod to show my gratitude and sincerity to Theorod, what do you think?"

'This ......' Before the other could speak, Rich noticed that the American-Australian "mixed-race" cavity in the earpiece had changed to a standard American English accent, "I think it's good, Mr. Richie, but except for reimbursement of travel expenses and wrapping...... Do you want to eat it?'

It was a very nice baritone, with a soft and soft tone that sounded very comfortable, but the point of his words was ......

"Eat ...... Eat ......"

That's even better, my agent seems to see it that way. As for the characters...... Have you chosen the Eddie corner we approached?'

"No, in fact, the difference between the four protagonists is not confirmed. ”

'Then congratulations, Mr. Richie, you've found your Add. I don't think I have any doubts about the proposed contract tomorrow, and I can't wait to see your latest script. ’

This is probably the fastest end of actor contract negotiations in history. Until he hung up the phone, Richie couldn't believe that he seemed to have been upside down by a Hollywood star worth 2 million, and Marshall wanted to cry even more - what does it mean that "my agent seems to see it this way"? Is it useful that he disagrees with you? Do you care?!