Por Que No Los Dos?
Conrad Bach was greatly annoyed, not an unusual occurrence, but still something that needed to be addressed.
As part of Lucasfilms acquisitions team he'd been part of the many, many, many times they'd been sent to try and acquire the new properties from which Lucasfilms would usually then try to turn into new films or shows for entertainment. Sure, it was not the glamorous work he'd once envisioned as a child when hearing his uncle speak about his own cases; defending the little guy against the big companies, getting settlements from clearly amoral businessman, heck even managing to exonerate a man accused of fraud and proving the accuser was the guilty party.
Yeah, going from wanting to be the defender of the innocent, to working as part of a big studio company was no what he may have expected, but it was a living. Besides, Lucasfilms was not a bad place to work with. In his time in the company he'd seen that, unlike many of the different places he'd interned or even worked at before, that their dealings were always above board, making sure that the entire legalese was clear and easy to understand for their employees and those they did business with.
No that they were kept idle though, as despite their every effort there was always that needed their attention, just one more thing that was required to make their endeavors run smoothly; whether dealing with small lawsuits that barely had any leg to stand upon, from making sure that the newest acquisitions were all up to par, new deals that needed to be made and renegotiated (and always with the spectre of the Toho deal hanging over them... the knowledge which had become a yearly presentation to remind everyone to never let themselves be fooled again) and of course the many times when they would accompany Mr. O'Brian or Mr. Eisner when they signed new deals for movies, properties, etc.
All of which meant they should had been on top of any and all situations as they developed. They had the practice for it after all. Hardly a month passed when they were suddenly thrusted into needing to speak with directors, authors, actors, producers, business owners, the list went on and on... as their boss's mercurial moods took them to different areas of America, and the world, whenever they found something new that they just had to make into a movie, or sometimes they would remember an old-time candy they ate and suddenly they had to buy the entire company.
Yes, looking at you Oatfield! Better make a bloody profit soon or God help you...! Those were some of the most excruciating months of his life that he spent in one of the most impoverished areas of Ireland! He was still sure they were not speaking English as well, probably trying to mock him and make him waste time.
English speaking country his ass!
The point was Conrad and his colleagues (some of them his friends) knew that they had to be ready at any time and moment to have everything ready when their bosses wanted something. It was a point of pride for them that rarely had they failed, and when they did, it had been for unreasonable circumstances that they could have never predicted; the person in question had a clear bias against Lucasfilms, they'd made a deal beforehand, they were scared of Mr. Eisner (though for the life of him he could not understand why).
Clear and simple.
Which made moments like these truly vexing for him.
To wit, once more there had been talks about adding a new property for the creatives work; a novel this time which had exploded into popularity in Italy and Europe, along with the most literary circles in America. A murder mystery set in medieval times, and though he had not read it himself, he could still appreciate the amount of talent needed if they were to be noticed by Mr. O'Brian. Conrad swore that he man must be able to see the future sometimes considering how he seemed to know just what works to go after and which to just ignore.
Either that or someday he and the rest of his colleagues will find themselves having to find a way to keep the entire company from going bankrupt.
The Name of the Rose, an interesting novel written by Umberto Eco, a more interesting man. An erudite and philosopher whom he would not mind discussing different topics under any different circumstances. Yet his time was precious, and he was not paid to tarry, as such while keeping his courtesies, he also made sure to keep to the topic at hand and not waste either of their time; he had been sent to get the rights to make the movie. He offered a generous (more than generous really) settlement for the rights, showed the prowess of Lucasfilms when it came to adapting works, and even gave him the chance to be part of the entire process.
He even showed some of the
different costumes and graphic designs made by the ILM Team, a way to prove that they were fully committed to bringing his vision to life.
All that effort only to be interrupted mid-conversation when a new visitor decided to interrupt, someone that unfortunately he could not dismiss, and someone who had come with a clear agenda that ran counter to his.
Jean-Jacques Annaud, Academy Award and Cesar Award winner, one of those rare French directors who could make the successful transition to American cinema and back, and whose works do not go overly much into near incomprehensive crap that they like to sprinkle in all their films. And at that moment, his direct competitor when it came to getting the rights to make the film adaptation.
It was just...annoying to hear the man speak about how much he knew about the movie, how he felt fascinated by the book, and how he even had knowledge on both Greek and Latin that would aid him in the more semiotic and linguistic parts of the adaptation. He spoke at length about the different sets he could work with, and the passion he could bring to the entire work.
And somehow, this was enough to get Umberto Eco to delay until he could think it over, with Conrad's mission going from a certainty to being a flip of the coin. He could understand passion, heck the entire company he works with was founded on it, as well as for giving the artist a chance to shine. Even Mr. Eisner agreed with Mr. O'Brian and Mr. Lucas on occassion.
Which is why he was on the phone, waiting for the line to be connected internationally to speak with Mr. Eisner. Taking into account the time differences, he should be calling around the midday or the morning. This mission had just turned complicated, and if he was to succeed he would need to know just how deep he could go.
And how creatively he could interpret his orders as well.
Jean-Jacques Annaud was preparing to spend some time looking at his notes when he received the call. It was nothing out there, just a request for a meeting at a downtown cafe near the area. But his previous experiences had him on the edge, this was not the first time he'd been asked to meet with studio representatives only to be ambushed with either unreasonable demands, or as that American film put it "An offer he could not refuse".
Granted, Lucasfilms reputation did not suggest that they would try to stoop to any such lows, but for all they claimed they were above such petty things, he could still recall the many horror stories his director friends had told him of Hollywood, the Gilded City that hid one of the darkest underbellies that one could think of.
And he'd chosen to go against them due to his passion and desire to bring Umberto Eco's novel to the big picture. He could not help himself in this case, even when he arrived and saw him already in discussions with said company's representative, he knew he had to make his pitch, make him understand that he was the right person to direct the film, to make it come alive like no one could. Sure, he did not have the production company, funds, cast, or perhaps even a script yet, but he could get them in time, if he was only given a chance.
Which is why when he was finally sat in front of Mr. Conrad Bach he steeled himself and prepared to refuse any and all offers to stop his suit. He was determined to make the movie, come hell or high water, and he was not going to take no for an answer. If it was a fight they wanted, then it was a fight he was willing to take.
"Would you like to work for us?"
...
Okay, this was new.
"Excuse me?" He replied, his English still having that hint of an accent to it.
"It's occurred to my superiors that while we would prefer to have the rights to the novel for ourselves, we can also compromise. We want to make the movie; you want to make the movie. You'll need a production company unless you're willing to pay everything out of pocket."
"...Well, perhaps I will. It won't be as glamorous as other Hollywood productions, but I can make the movie better than any others."
"I think Mr. Howard or Mr. Spielberg might disagree, but let's not go into what ifs, let's deal with facts. Fact is, there is a 50% chance you get the rights to the movie. You working with us moves it up to 100%. I don't think you need to do the math to see which is the better choice."
If he wasn't so damn smug about then he might have considered the offer without questioning it too much. For all his apprehension, it was true that he would need a production company...but he did not have to make it easy for them either.
"I think you overestimate yourself."
Mr. Bach remained silent, but he could feel the slight anger in him.
"It's true that I need a production Company, but whether Lucasfilms, or Ardmore, I have other options as well in France alone, not even mentioning the rest of Europe. This is not America where a movie has to be an entire spectacle. I can make a good, deep, movie without your oh so precious "Special Effects" and still make it a great adaptation. As for the percentage? Considering you were the ones who called me, I'd say it's more a 70% chance... in my favor."
Which was true in many ways. He had options, he had connections, and he knew himself well enough that he could make the movie without the need of Lucasfilms. And considering that Mr. Bach called on him just the day after, he was willing to bet that he was more desperate than he let on.
Case in point...
"...what do you want?" Bach gritted out.
He smiled "The movie is made with my vision. I direct it, and get full support both financially. All casting decisions are made by me. I'll accept your suggestions, but they all must be approved by me in the end. I choose the location, and I want as little interference from your studio as possible."
"...Your vision, direction and support is agreed to. Casting conditionally, if the producer insists on an actor then you must at the very least give them a chance to prove they can do it. The filming is done by Ardmore, and the setting along with the Special Effects are given as well. As for interference...we have a script already on the works, so at least you have to give it a look."
Better than you expected, and more than good enough for your purposes. Not all companies would give you what you asked, and the money would certainly help in fulfilling his vision. Now, about- wait, what was the last part?
"...Just, why did you start work on a script for a novel you did not have the rights for?"
While not technically illegal, usually producers would prefer to have the script done once all the i's had been dotted and t's crossed as well. Writing could be an exhausting, and expensive, process. Heck, he had yet to start writing the script for his adaptation!
"Our writers get zealous sometimes."
That...that explained so much, and yet so little.
"So, are we in agreement here?"
He shook himself out of it, looking at the stretched hand in front of him. The possibilities, both good and bad swimming through his mind. Greater support, greater funding, the sure chance to make his vision come true without having to jump through many hoops in order to achieve it. And in return, he would bind himself to Lucasfilms for the foreseeable future... it should be a no-brainer, but some small apprehension still remained in him.
What if it was too good to be true in the end?
... But, what if it was true?
In the end, he decided to trust his instincts, to trust what he had heard and seen instead of what may be.
He shook the man's hand, a gentleman's agreement made between the both of them.
And he hoped he'd made the right choice.
A.N.: Truth be told, when my reward was to have
The Name of the Rose ready to be produced, I thought that we still needed to get the rights ready. Then I thought about how it's a shame that Jean-Jacques Annaud would not have the chance to direct it since, for all that his version lacked the philosophical, and semiotic, themes, I do think he could have made good use of them had he not been constrained for lack of funds and time. I mean, looking at his filmography he's actually a very good director, and made some of my favorite movies as well. I think that he can work very well if he works with us, thus having the best of both worlds.
