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After getting off the plane and leaving the airport in Milwaukee, Murphy saw Bill Rosys, who had come here earlier than the headquarters of Dark Horse Comics, and had several rounds of formal negotiations with the Weinstein brothers with Dark Horse Comics.

"Frank Miller has nodded," got into the car, Bill Rosis told the driver to drive, and then said to Murphy next to him, "Dark Horse Comics has no intention of refusing to make a move, as long as the price and conditions are right, it is not a problem to get the adaptation rights." ”

"What is Miramax's bid right now?" Murphy asked with concern.

"Five million dollars," Bill Rothes clearly has a headache at the price, "and it's a one-time buyout." ”

Murphy frowned slightly, "What about the reaction of the Dark Horse Comics?" ’”

The $5 million buyout, which is a one-time payment of royalties, and any profits generated by the later adaptation of the film have nothing to do with Dark Horse Comics and Frank Miller, which is a very favorable clause for the buyer, but the seller will rarely agree.

Sure enough, Bill Rothes said, "Now the two sides are far apart, and Dark Horse Comics requires a base copyright fee of $8 million, in addition to enjoying a 15% dividend on the film's total revenue." ”

Hearing this, Murphy's brows furrowed even tighter, and this was completely a lion's mouth.

But they do have the capital to do so, and that's the way Hollywood is at the moment.

In the past five years, especially in the two years of the new century, Hollywood original films have shrunk sharply, and the proportion of blockbuster films based on literary or other works has become higher and higher, last year's box office champions "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings" are all adaptations, and "Spider-Man", which is booked in advance for this year's box office champion, is not only from adaptations, but also from comic book adaptations.

It is no exaggeration to say that what Hollywood is good at today has never been original, and those literary or other works that have a certain influence are the targets of Hollywood production companies.

For example, after the success of the current Marvel Comics in the two movies "X-Men" and "Spider-Man", its superheroes have become fragrant and sweet, and Marvel Comics itself has learned wisely and easily refused to sell the comic rights of well-known heroes.

There is also DC Comics, which has been rumored in the circle recently, Warner Bros. and DC Comics intend to reboot the Superman series.

Although the popularity of "Sin City" is not as high as that of the Superman and Batman series, and even Wonder Woman, it also has a large number of fans and enthusiasts.

This kind of negotiation will never sit down with the two sides and settle it in a few sentences, from the basic buyout fee to the box office dividend to the peripheral revenue share, every inch of land will be contested.

The car dropped Murphy directly to a hotel in the business district and into the booked suite, where Murphy first made a phone call with Harvey Weinstein and, as Bill Rosses said, the negotiations really didn't go well.

All the unhappiness is summed up in fact only one point, and the price is not negotiable.

Even after Murphy submitted the budget and project proposal, Miramax was more optimistic about the project's profit prospects after research and estimates, and still didn't want to pay too much cost.

On the other hand, Dark Horse Comics and Frank Miller also want to get more possible income.

And in addition to income, they also have more requirements.

In an office building in Milwaukee, Frank Miller sat in a chair and fell into thought, and a big fat man with gray hair across from him reminded him, "Sin City is so important to you, Fran!" You're so relieved to give it to a young director like Murphy Stanton, who is less than twenty-three years old? ”

Speaking of this name, a face suddenly appeared in front of the fat man's eyes, who would have thought that the young man who was ridiculed and rejected by him at the beginning would become a rapidly rising director......

He shook his head, shook the image of the other person out of his head, and continued, "I'll admit, that short film was really well shot, it's a recreation of the comic book scene, but Fran, aren't you worried? ”

Frank Miller took off his cowboy hat and asked strangely, "Worried about what?" ”

"Murphy Stanton didn't shoot and produce the style of this short film later!" The fat man reminded in an accentuated tone, "He just gave you a position as an assistant director, and if you really get to his crew, you won't have much right to speak!" ”

Touching the flattened hair on his head, Frank Miller had a thoughtful look on his face, and Bruce Berman's words were not unreasonable.

"Fran, an assistant director can't guarantee the style of adaptation you want!" Bruce Berman seems to think for his old friend, "You know what Hollywood is, it's full of lies and fraud, and you have to ask for more power!" ”

After thinking for a while, Frank Miller agreed with his old friend's opinion and nodded slowly.

On his second day in Manhattan, Murphy joined the negotiations as the initiator and future director of the project, but just like the negotiations between "Planet Terror" and international distributors, most of the time, he was a bystander, not directly involved in the director's business, and had no right to speak.

The negotiations are still going on around the price, both sides have a certain degree of sincerity, and have made appropriate concessions, Miramax's bid has increased to six million dollars, and the offer of Dark Horse Comics has also been reduced to eight million dollars, two million dollars is not an insurmountable gap, but there are still huge differences between the two sides on the sharing clause attached to the basic adaptation fee.

"Fifteen percent of the total revenue share is unacceptable to Miramax," Harvey Weinstein stood up directly in the conference room when Dark Horse Comics reiterated the condition, "This has no precedent in Hollywood!" Up to three percent! ”

"Three percent?" Nilek, the director of the copyright department in charge of negotiations on the Dark Horse Comics side, looked at Harvey Weinstein and shook his head, "You don't have the sincerity to negotiate at all!" This negotiation can end here! ”

Negotiations between the two sides suddenly reached an impasse.

Murphy was tempted to say something, but it was very inappropriate for him to speak.

He gave Bill Rothes a wink, and the CAA was the intermediary that brokered the deal, and it was only fitting to be a party to the negotiations that eased the atmosphere.

In fact, Bill Rothes is also ready to speak, and in the first few contact negotiations, whenever there was an impasse, he was the mediator.

"Well, the terms are negotiated slowly," he said, one of the people who wanted to get the project off the ground, "and the 15 percent revenue share is really high." ”

As soon as Nilek was about to say something, Bill Rothes preemptively said, "The three percent share is indeed a bit low. ”

"How about a fifteen percent profit share," he suggested? ”

"It's too low!" Nilek said.

Harvey Weinstein glanced at Nilek, "Too high!" ”

Although there were still differences between the two sides, the atmosphere eased and negotiations continued.

Enjoying dividends from the profits of future films has also been recognized by both parties.

Despite finding a common starting point for the negotiations, Miramax and Dark Horse Comics are still at loggerheads over the percentage, and there is no consensus in this negotiation.

Today's negotiations are about to end, and the two sides are ready to fight again another day, Frank Miller, who has been silent and has not come to speak, suddenly spoke.

"I have one thing to say," he said, looking into Murphy, "if the collaboration can be done, I need to be on the set and be involved in the whole production." ”

Murphy exchanged a look with Harvey Weinstein and said, "No problem, Fran, I made that to you in the first place. ”

Frank Miller smiled, remembered his old friend's suggestion to make sure the project was in the style of a comic, and said again, "I asked to be one of the directors of the film and sign the subtitles!" ”

Harvey Weinstein immediately asked, "Named director?" ”

Frank Miller nodded, "That's not wrong, but I ask for ......"

He turned his head and glanced at Murphy, knowing that this was not a comic, and some things could not be too much, "In terms of directing, I demand power second only to Murphy. ”

Hearing these words, Harvey Weinstein and Bill Rothes both turned their heads to look at Murphy, Frank Miller is a prerequisite for cooperation, and if he repents, there is no need for subsequent negotiations.

Although it is extremely rare to ask for a signature in the director, it is not uncommon for the original author to ask for a certain amount of power in the adapted crew, Harvey Weinstein doesn't feel anything, even if he agrees to Frank Miller, the filming of this crew must be dominated by Murphy, his producer is enough to limit Frank Miller, and the crew is very flexible in this regard when it is actually operated.

In fact, it was Murphy who was most affected, after all, the other party asked for the director's signature.

Bill Rothes's brow furrowed, Frank Miller's request was completely unexpected, Murphy had previously promised him the assistant director, and now he is also asking for the director's authorship......

Murphy didn't say anything, just thinking, from his point of view and the perspective of the final style of the film, even if Frank Miller was given more power, the other party asked for this, and the biggest possibility was that he was worried that he would change the style of the film.

He turned his head to look at Bill Rothes, who was shaking his head slightly.

"Fran," Murphy said, looking at Harvey Weinstein again, "and we'll need to talk it over and get back to you in a few days." ”

That was the end of today's negotiations, and on the way back to the hotel, Murphy and Bill Rothes were in the same car.

"The power he's asking for is actually easy to solve, and Harvey doesn't object to it in principle," said Bill Rossis, "and with your ability, it's not hard to deal with him, and you're going to make a movie that is similar to the style of the comics." The biggest trouble is that he asks the director to sign it! (To be continued.) )