The wind whistled, swirling inside the car, but no one spoke.
Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, trying to process the information. Then, Eric sneakily lifted his head to observe Anson through the rearview mirror.
Unexpectedly, Anson caught him.
Anson asked, "What's up?"
Eric shook his head and forced a smile, "Nothing, I just feel like you're more suited to be a producer than either of us. What seems complicated becomes simple in your hands."
A slight smile tugged at the corners of Anson's mouth.
In his previous life, he had dabbled in various industries and tried his hand at different tasks, including working on film crews. Learning how to bring order to chaos and prioritize issues had become second nature, though he never imagined it would come in handy now.
It's true what they say: every path we walk shapes who we are today.
But Anson didn't dwell on himself.
He glanced at Eric in the rearview mirror, "So, this is good news."
Eric chuckled twice, "I agree."
After a pause, Eric realized his words were too vague, so he added, "I agree with your suggestion. I have no objections."
With that, Eric finally relaxed, taking a bite of his burger with a satisfied look on his face, "Hmm, not bad!"
But Mackie remained tense.
Mackie quickly glanced at the rearview mirror, "Anson, can you guarantee this?"
Anson thought seriously, "No, I can't."
Mackie: ...
Anson chuckled softly, "Mackie, we're not naive kids anymore. This is Hollywood. Even things written in black and white can be overturned. So-called trust is just a flimsy promise."
"But what should we do?"
"Trust our own judgment, take risks, and try things out."
"Mackie, I can't make any promises because this is my first time as a producer. For God's sake, I'm not even twenty yet, okay?"
Eric choked on his food.
"But I found the script, I found you guys, and I sincerely want to make this movie, to see it on the big screen."
"I thought my actions so far were the best promise I could make."
"If you need it, sure, I can paint you a pretty picture right now, saying there won't be any problems. But when challenges arise, you'll be disappointed, angry, and feel betrayed, which won't help our collaboration."
"So, I choose to be honest."
"Mackie, I don't have to make this movie, but I choose to. It's as simple as that."
Finally, Anson finished speaking.
Mackie couldn't help but look up at the rearview mirror again, with a sarcastic smile, "So, should we feel honored?"
Eric got a bit anxious, "Mackie!"
Here we go again—Mackie's arrogance and prejudice were rearing their ugly heads.
But Anson didn't mind; his smile grew broader, "Absolutely."
He admitted it just like that.
Eric was stunned.
Mackie was stunned, too. He looked into the rearview mirror for the third time and saw Anson's confident smile and bright eyes. Unconsciously, a smile crept up on his lips, "Indeed, it is our honor."
Eric: ???
What kind of 90-degree turn was that?
Mackie ignored Eric, "Well then, I'll leave it in your hands. Anson, I sincerely hope we can make a classic. I have confidence in this, and I'm ready, just need a little help."
Anson slightly lifted his chin, "If that's the case, then it would be my honor."
Their eyes met, finally finding a sense of understanding.
Despite the challenges and twists along the way, they were heading in the right direction. Anson, Eric, and Mackie had completed their initial bonding.
Everything else went smoothly—
A $10 million production budget, with New Line Cinema not interfering with the creative process. Mackie and Eric would co-direct and have final editing rights. However, New Line Cinema had the right to give feedback, which Mackie and Eric would need to consider, with further discussions to follow.
As for the final say?
It would be shared between Anson and New Line Cinema, requiring mutual persuasion and consensus. This was New Line Cinema's bottom line, non-negotiable.
A 20% box office bonus, with Anson getting 10% and Eric and Mackie splitting the other 10%. In return, none of them would receive additional pay; all the director, writer, and lead actor fees would be waived to boost the production budget.
After some minor hurdles and disagreements, they finally reached a consensus. "The Butterfly Effect" and New Line Cinema signed the deal.
It all happened faster than expected.
DreamWorks missed out.
When Steven Spielberg found out, he called Anson—
He didn't blame Anson, nor did he believe DreamWorks was the better choice. After all, New Line Cinema's distribution network was a significant advantage, something DreamWorks lacked. Moreover, DreamWorks was currently struggling with its cash flow, not necessarily a better option than New Line Cinema.
Steven simply offered some advice and told Anson to reach out anytime if he needed help. He'd see what he could do.
This moved Anson—
They had only collaborated on one project, purely a work relationship, yet Steven was generous with his friendship, opening a door to a new world for Anson in the realm of fame and fortune.
Later, Tom Hanks also called, asking if Anson needed any help.
"Being a producer isn't as hard as it seems. The key is not pretending to know everything; trust the expertise and authority of each position."
Tom chatted freely with Anson, providing valuable insights.
Only now did Anson start to realize that he was about to take a significant step forward, advancing from an actor to something more.
However, becoming a producer wasn't about gaining more power or earning more money—though that was certainly important. The key was winning a voice for actors, allowing them to take on more challenges.
Soon, the movie's production moved to the next phase, a step where Anson couldn't help much—
On one hand, Eric and Mackie began scouting locations for filming.
Clearly, they couldn't shoot in big cities like Los Angeles or New York, where costs were prohibitively high, and scheduling would depend on others' availability.
Fortunately, "The Butterfly Effect" didn't require a specific city setting, so the directors just needed to find a suitable location.
Their first stop was Atlanta.
The reason was simple: Georgia had implemented policies to boost the economy, such as tax breaks and easy procedures for renting streets or buildings for filming. The catch was that the crew had to hire local workers, which could save a lot of costs, making Georgia a welcoming place for film production.
But right now, everything was in the early stages. Georgia's internal operations were still being figured out, and there was no guarantee how things would play out. Saying one thing and doing another wasn't uncommon, so the directors needed to inspect things personally.
On the other hand, the crew in Hollywood officially began casting.
In his past life, Anson remembered a series of actors from "The Butterfly Effect," but their careers didn't take off afterward; they weren't big names.
And since this was now a new project, Anson felt that casting new actors wasn't a bad idea.
So, he didn't deliberately seek out the original cast, leaving it up to fate instead.