Chapter 105 – Signing the Deal
With the position of assistant director finally settled, Wayne could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Now, all that remained was the official word from Warner Bros.
From late July through mid-August, he spent his time drafting simple storyboards while holding regular calls with Zack Snyder. Together, they discussed shot composition, camera angles, and filming techniques, building a shared visual language for the upcoming project.
Eventually, Warner Bros. completed their internal risk assessments and gave the project the green light. They notified Jimmy that he could begin negotiations regarding Wayne's director contract.
Wayne had been impatient, but he understood how it worked. Even for a studio giant like Warner Bros., greenlighting a project with a multimillion-dollar budget required thorough internal processes and multiple levels of approval.
Despite the myths, Hollywood wasn't a place where CEOs could casually throw hundreds of millions at a film just because they felt like it. Every major studio had a well-established vetting system and strict checks and balances—no investment, no matter how promising, was made lightly.
"I'm planning to push hard for a premium rate on your director deal," Jimmy said confidently. When it came to negotiating contracts, this was his domain—and Wayne now had the track record to back up such demands.
"With your commercial success, you've earned first-tier director privileges. That includes final cut authority."
"Leave it to you—you know my bottom line." Wayne trusted Jimmy completely in these matters. Their interests were aligned, and if anyone could wrestle a bigger piece of the pie out of Warner Bros., it was Jimmy.
More importantly, Wayne was no longer the struggling newcomer who once had trouble finding a distributor. If Warner Bros. crossed his bottom line, he now had the leverage to push back.
From a business standpoint, he had become a serious player—and the studios knew it.
"Alright, leave it to me," Jimmy said with a nod.
The two discussed a few more production details before Jimmy left the house in a hurry to begin preparing the materials for the upcoming negotiations with Warner Bros.
Meanwhile, Get Out had essentially finished its theatrical run worldwide. Only a handful of remote North American cinemas—ones Warner had specifically requested—were still screening the film once or twice a day.
International screenings had all ended, and the film had amassed a staggering global box office total of $310 million. The media had erupted in praise and analysis, hailing it as a cultural and commercial phenomenon.
In North America, the final tally had reached over $165 million, and while it was still inching upward in small increments, the number had mostly stabilized—this would likely be the final figure.
Wayne had pulled off the impossible again.
Amidst the media frenzy, Wayne had quietly ascended into the upper echelons of Hollywood.
After a couple of tentative meetings between Jimmy and Warner Bros., both sides gradually reached common ground. At the end of the day, talk is cheap—only interest drives compromise.
As Get Out finished its global theatrical run, its massive success gave Warner Bros. renewed confidence. This allowed them to loosen their stance on several previously inflexible terms during negotiations.
By early September, after two more weeks of back-and-forth, Warner Bros. and Jimmy finally sealed the deal and signed the director's contract.
The project, Joker, was officially approved with a production budget of $60 million, fully financed by Warner Bros., who would also handle both domestic and international distribution.
The reason the talks took so long was simple—Jimmy had opened with an outrageous ask for Wayne's compensation.
In his initial offer, Jimmy proposed a top-tier commercial director deal of "20+20"—that is, $20 million in base salary, plus 20% of the global box office. The number nearly gave Warner's rep, Thomas Mendes, a heart attack.
Of course, Jimmy never expected them to agree right away. This was classic negotiation strategy: aim high and settle somewhere realistic.
His job was to fight for every dollar for his client.
Through this back-and-forth, both parties gradually found their compromise. Wayne was no rookie anymore—he couldn't be bought off with a mere million-dollar offer. In the end, they landed on a revenue-sharing agreement.
Wayne would receive 10% of North American box office profits, but only if Joker grossed over three times its production cost—$180 million domestically.
The percentage was locked in—no bonuses, no performance escalators.
As the originator, screenwriter, director, and second producer on the film, Wayne's base salary was set at $10 million, to be paid in three installments: before filming began, upon production wrap, and at the time of release.
Jimmy had also tried to negotiate a cut of the film's merchandising revenue, but that was a non-starter. Once he sensed Warner's firm stance, he dropped the idea immediately.
In Hollywood, merchandising rights are sacred territory. Only the very top-tier blockbuster directors and megastars even get to talk about that revenue stream.
Unlike box office or upfront fees, merchandising generates long-tail profits—slow but steady returns that can span decades. As long as the film remained part of the studio's intellectual property library and continued to generate income, the recipient of those rights would earn forever—even pass those royalties on to their heirs.
While Wayne's deal wasn't quite at that legendary level yet, it was still one of the most elite director contracts in the industry.
To ensure a smooth production, Warner Bros. assigned Wayne's longtime collaborator, John Gray, as the studio's on-site producer and liaison. They also appointed two assistant directors to help with pre-production tasks.
One of them would act as casting director, working with Wayne and John to oversee the first round of auditions and screen out unsuitable candidates.
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By mid-September, Wayne and his team entered Warner Bros.' main conference room for a formal press conference to announce the new project. With a budget of tens of millions, Joker had already entered the studio's official marketing cycle.
Wayne had never cut corners on promotion. He came from a future where marketing was everything, and he understood better than anyone how crucial publicity was—not just for the film's success, but for his own financial stake.
Hollywood press conferences all followed a familiar format. Studio reps and media alike treated it as a routine performance. Wayne smiled and posed for the cameras as he and Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara signed the ceremonial documents and exchanged copies under a cascade of flashbulbs.
Of course, the real contract had been signed privately beforehand. What they were holding now was just for show.
Once the photos were taken, it was time for the final part of the event: press Q&A. The studio naturally called on their own affiliated media first.
A female reporter from HBO News stood up to ask the opening question.
"Director Garfield, will this film be in the same horror-thriller vein as your previous works? Can you tell us a little about the theme?"
Wayne pulled the mic closer, shook his head, and replied:
"No, this film is very different from my earlier projects. It's not a traditional thriller. If we had to label it, I'd call it a crime drama.
"The title is Joker—yes, inspired by DC Comics' Arthur Fleck. The film explores how Arthur became the Joker. The story is set in Gotham, and I intend to present a realistic vision of the city, one that captures both chaos and order—just like a true modern metropolis."
"Wayne, that sounds suspiciously like New York," chimed in an old acquaintance—Bella Grant, the journalist from Los Angeles Times who had covered Get Out extensively.
"Of course!" Wayne admitted with a grin. "If you ask people what Gotham is based on, 90% will say New York. But Gotham isn't just New York—it's New York amplified. Everyone who lives there feels different because of it."
After thinking a moment, he added, "We plan to shoot on location in New York as much as possible—to bring Gotham to life as authentically as we can."
Whether that was 100% feasible didn't matter—his words had already done their job. The publicity effect was in motion.
In reality, Wayne knew full location shooting was impossible. There would have to be set construction, props, and heavy CGI compositing. Once pre-production officially started, he would immediately reach out to Industrial Light & Magic. No one did it better—they were the ones behind Star Wars and Indiana Jones, after all.
Fortunately, the CGI-heavy scenes would be limited and wouldn't eat too deeply into the budget.