Chapter 137: Preliminary Intentions

Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Preliminary Intentions

Fox’s attitude surprised Amy Pascal a little.

She pondered for a moment, not immediately refuting it, but simply said, "This request truly exceeds our expectations, and I need to report it to headquarters. However, to be honest, given your qualifications, making this request is indeed very bold."

Irene did not say anything more. She knew this request would inevitably spark controversy, but it was her bottom line.

Final cut rights were not only about protecting the story but also an important step in fighting for a voice in Hollywood. If she couldn’t even control the final presentation of her own original project, it would only be harder to gain a foothold in larger productions in the future.

She wanted to be more than just a director.

The subsequent discussion became relatively dull.

Both sides communicated preliminarily on issues such as investment ratios, marketing and distribution directions, and casting scope, but no specific details were finalized.

As Irene had anticipated, the investment ratios were: Fox Pictures at forty-five percent, Disney at forty percent, and Echo Pictures at fifteen percent.

Echo Pictures would still only have short-term gains, while long-term profits would be split between Fox and Disney. As for the specific ratios, that was a commercial secret between them and would not be discussed in such a setting.

As for the casting scope, Irene stated that the central male lead, Jack Sparrow, needed an actor with character, charm, and drawing power, while the female lead, Elizabeth Swann, and the male supporting role, Will Turner, could be played by newcomers to save on investment costs.

Both Fox and Disney expressed their approval, but Irene could imagine that the casting process would definitely be a tug-of-war between all parties. After all, she still couldn’t understand how someone like Orlando Bloom, a pretty boy who debuted as eye candy, managed to play a blacksmith role.

In the subsequent discussion, Amy Pascal hinted multiple times: "The Italian Job will be released in two months. The market performance of this film will directly affect our investment confidence in Pirates of the Caribbean."

Baird also added at the right moment, "Fox’s attitude is the same as Disney’s. The Italian Job is Irene’s first time handling an action film. Its box office and word-of-mouth will allow us to more clearly judge her ability to handle large productions.

Therefore, we might as well wait until after The Italian Job is released to discuss the formal advancement of Pirates of the Caribbean."

This proposal was accepted by both sides. After all, neither Fox nor Disney would rashly invest over a hundred million in high-risk pirate-themed material based solely on an Oscar nomination and a script.

The performance of The Italian Job was like a "qualification exam." Only after passing it could Pirates of the Caribbean truly enter a substantive advancement stage.

When the meeting ended, Jerry specially walked over to Irene, patted her shoulder, and said with a smile,

"Daring to ask for final cut rights—young people have a lot of guts. I hope The Italian Job achieves great results, and I also hope we can truly collaborate soon. I am very much looking forward to bringing the pirate world you wrote to the big screen."

Irene smiled back. "Thank you, Jerry. I feel the same."

Walking out of the Fox Building, Shelly had already parked the car on the side of the road, and he lowered the window to signal Irene to get in.

"Are you done with your business? Did something happen?" Irene asked curiously after getting in the car. Shelly was originally supposed to accompany her to the meeting, but he had been called away by a phone call just as they reached downstairs, and she didn’t know what urgent matter it was.

She even noticed that a button on his shirt cuff was askew and his tie was hanging loosely around his neck, evidently having gone through some chaos.

Shelly’s hand on the steering wheel hesitated for a beat but then caught up, merging into the evening traffic.

He then sighed, "It’s Britney. Do you remember Justin Timberlake from her company? That kid, I don’t know what got into him, suddenly confessed to Britney in front of the whole company, saying something about having a crush on her for a long time."

Irene frowned. Why was this guy like a piece of sticky plaster, everywhere she looked?

"Doesn’t Edward go to Jive often? It’s impossible for the other party not to know that Britney has a boyfriend."

Shelly’s tone became agitated. "Britney refused him on the spot, saying she already had Edward, but Justin wouldn’t let it go, pestering her and saying Edward wasn’t good enough for her. As luck would have it, Edward happened to come to the company to bring Britney something and ran right into them."

He paused, a helpless expression on his face. "Both young men have hot tempers. After a few words, they started fighting. Justin punched Edward in the face, and Edward didn’t back down, pinning Justin on the sofa and beating him. The whole agency was in chaos, and many employees took photos with their phones."

Irene was also a bit surprised upon hearing this. "Is the situation under control now?"

"When I rushed over, security had already pulled them apart," Shelly sighed.

"Justin was taken away by his agent, and Edward also took Britney and left. I spent the whole afternoon talking to the employees who were there one by one, confiscated most of the photos, and had them sign non-disclosure agreements.

But you know, this kind of thing can’t be hidden from everyone. There are bound to be some who slipped through the net. I expect all the major newspapers will be scrambling to report this tomorrow."

Irene couldn’t help but feel relieved. Fortunately, the internet wasn’t that developed yet. If this happened a few years later, the whole thing would have gone viral online.

But even so, the news of Britney dating definitely couldn’t be hidden anymore.

"You’ve handled it very well. Collecting photos, signing NDAs—you did everything you could. As for the relationship being exposed, maybe it’s not all bad. Isn’t Brit always considering her transformation? Dating is part of becoming an adult. There’s nothing to shy away from."

This is the United States, after all. Which celebrity doesn’t date or have rumors? A good relationship can actually gain the support and adoration of fans.

Shelly nodded, then shook his head. "That’s easy to say, but I’m still worried about it affecting her development. Besides, Justin isn’t someone to be trifled with either. He’s quite popular now and has many fans. If this really blows up, who knows how he might smear Britney and Edward."

Irene pursed her lips. That was true. Justin was definitely up to no good.

The car drove onto the coastal highway of Malibu, and the sea breeze blew in through the car windows, slightly dispelling some of the oppressive atmosphere.

Shelly glanced at Irene and changed the subject. "Let’s not talk about these annoying things. Let’s talk about your meeting today. What was Disney’s attitude? Is Jerry Bruckheimer really that optimistic about Pirates of the Caribbean?"

Mentioning the meeting, a smile appeared on Irene’s face, and she detailed what had just happened, including Jerry’s praise, Disney’s requirement for a lead producer, and her request for final cut rights.