"Do I have such qualifications?"
Anson asked, wondering if he could become the lead of a film like Bill Murray, carrying the movie and driving its box office success.
A smile appeared in Jeff's eyes. "Yes, of course you do. You now completely possess those qualifications."
At this moment, Jeff finally understood Anson's plan.
By rejecting large projects like Troy, Anson was avoiding getting repeatedly caught in the whirlwind of big projects, which would truly turn him into a decorative idol. Instead, he focused on medium to small projects. He wasn't just immersing himself in honing his acting skills but was establishing his actor image through these commercial projects, laying the groundwork for his future transition while attracting box office success.
Recently, with Elephant and his music album, Anson has been in the spotlight, and many believe that this overnight success story has lost his way, blinded by the glamor of the entertainment world.
But now, it seems they were all wrong.
Including Jeff himself.
Jeff couldn't help but develop a heart that cherished talent.
Having been in Hollywood for years, Jeff knew that most actors are just products, created by agents and film companies, much like Barbie dolls. They lack thoughts and souls, becoming just another cookie-cutter product on an assembly line.
This is Hollywood.
They strive to find a successful formula that can be endlessly replicated and repeated.
Only a very small number of actors manage to break free from the mold and have their own vitality.
In Jeff's view, the current top A-list stars, like Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Julia Roberts, and Meg Ryan, still lack that actor's vitality.
Tom Hanks has already broken free, and Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp are in the process of doing so but haven't quite found their way yet.
Remarkably, Jeff saw that Anson was also starting to "break free," trying to take that step ahead before being fully caught in the Barbie doll trap.
Although Jeff couldn't definitively say whether Anson would succeed, this sense of calm and wisdom made him look forward to seeing more.
From a purely factual standpoint, Anson currently doesn't have strong box office appeal. The success of Spider-Man can be attributed to many other factors. If Anson were to carry a project on his own right now, he might not be able to draw audiences to the theaters. But at least Anson dares to take risks and try new things. Instead of remaining a pawn in large projects, he bravely chose to switch roles and become the one moving the pieces.
For this reason alone, Jeff wanted to take on this project.
It was an instinct.
Jeff had always believed that to achieve greatness, one needed not only rationality but also a touch of impulse and risk-taking. To him, those who play it safe and follow the rules would never make a big impact.
After a pause, as thoughts swirled in his mind, Jeff made a decision.
"Go to New Line Cinema. This project is better suited for them."
New Line Cinema was established in 1967, initially focusing on distributing low-budget European and local horror films to schools. After more than a decade of effort, they began producing their own films, still primarily focusing on low-budget horror movies.
In 1990, New Line bought the rights to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from 20th Century Fox, which they hesitated to release, and pushed it into theaters. The film became a major success, turning New Line into one of the top independent film companies in North America.
In 1993, New Line was acquired by Time Warner, becoming a subsidiary of the media giant. However, since the president of New Line still held most of the company's shares, they continued to operate independently.
New Line and Warner Bros. were both under Time Warner but operated separately.
Of course, though they were separate, they still supported each other.
In recent years, New Line has thrived, partly due to Warner Bros.' assistance in distribution and marketing. Warner Bros. even helped with the Oscar campaign for New Line's latest Lord of the Rings series, hoping to see the films win big at the Academy Awards.
When considering Warner Bros.' future development plans, Jeff certainly didn't overlook The Lord of the Rings.
Overall, Warner Bros. focused more on large-scale investment projects, while New Line handled relatively smaller projects. Interestingly, many people might not believe it, but the budget for The Lord of the Rings wasn't that high:
The first film had a budget of around $90.3 million, and the second film around $94 million.
Neither had crossed the $100 million mark.
So, while Jeff could greenlight Anson's project at Warner Bros., it likely wouldn't receive much attention or resources.
Especially considering Anson's rejection of Troy.
Jeff was a straightforward person. Unlike other top executives, he lacked some of the vanity and pretense of the industry and was more grounded as an artist.
"You can choose to work with Warner Bros. I estimate the budget could be between $20 million and $25 million, but the trade-off would be a strict, by-the-book producer who might interfere with the filmmaking process, someone like Chris Bender."
"Also, when the film is released, it may face some resource constraints."
"Sorry, you shouldn't have turned down Troy."
"Of course, if you use joining Troy as a bargaining chip for this project, that would be a different story."
Anson raised his hands in mock surrender, his face full of innocence and sorrow.
Jeff chuckled.
"Or, you could choose to work with New Line. I can help you make the connection, but you might have to go and have a face-to-face meeting."
"For them, the budget probably won't be as high—maybe around $8 million to $15 million, depending on your personal charm."
"However, they are more willing to give small to medium-sized sci-fi projects a chance, allowing you to develop your own unique edge and style. I believe you have your own ideas for this project and this role, and they will give you more creative freedom."
"Keep in mind, though, their distribution resources aren't as strong as Warner Bros.' But they're more experienced in distributing small to medium-sized projects like this."
There were pros and cons.
The key was how Anson positioned himself and what choice he made.
Honestly, Anson hadn't expected such a candid and truthful response.
This was the second time Anson owed Jeff a favor.
Though he jokingly said earlier that this project would repay the favor, Anson knew that Jeff's introduction to Steven Spielberg had been done without any expectation of return. No matter what, this favor was still owed.
And now, it seemed, one favor hadn't been repaid, and another had been added.
This was different from the Hollywood Anson had imagined.
Wasn't it supposed to be all about self-interest? Wasn't it supposed to be full of backstabbing and scheming?
But clearly, Jeff wasn't like that.
Instead, it was Anson who felt a bit embarrassed.
However, expressing thanks with words at this moment would feel cheap. Anson silently noted this favor, but jokingly said, "Jeff, do your superiors at the company know you're speaking ill of them behind their backs?"
Jeff tilted his head, looking serious. "If they find out, I'll know exactly who leaked it."
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