Chapter 271: Can’t Wait

Chapter 271: Chapter 271: Can’t Wait

Walking out of the Focus Features building, the Los Angeles heat hit him, but Arndt felt cold all over.

He drove back to his temporary rental apartment. When he pushed the door open, exhaustion was written across his face.

"How did it go?" His wife Mary hurried to meet him, handing him a glass of cold water.

Arndt dropped his backpack on the sofa and sat down heavily, running his hands through his hair. His voice was thick with discouragement. "They want to buy out all the rights for $1.8 million. I didn’t agree, so they gave me an ultimatum."

He gave a bitter laugh, despair in his eyes. "Mary, I don’t think I can hold on anymore. These Hollywood capitalists are no different from Wall Street vampires. They only care about profit. They don’t care about a creator’s work at all. Maybe I should just give up."

Mary sat beside him and gently patted his back. Her voice was soft but firm. "Michael, you can’t give up. This script is your life’s work. It’s the ’child’ we’ve protected together. How can you let someone strip its soul away?"

She paused, as if remembering something. "By the way, I got a call in the last two days from a company called Echo Pictures. They said they’re very interested in your project and want to talk. You were deep in negotiations with Focus, so I didn’t mention it. I hadn’t heard of them, and I was worried it might be some unreliable outfit."

Arndt looked up, confused, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. "Echo Pictures?"

"Yes," Mary nodded. "They said they would fully respect your creative autonomy and only handle investment and distribution support. Why don’t you call Buck and ask if he knows them? It could be a real opportunity."

His wife’s words were like adrenaline. Arndt’s deadened hope started beating again. He stood, grabbed his phone, and dialed his friend, Hollywood screenwriter Buck.

"Buck, do you know Echo Pictures?" Arndt asked the moment the call connected.

Buck paused, then laughed. "Echo Pictures? Of course I know them. That’s Irene Coppola’s company. You didn’t know?"

"Irene Coppola?" Arndt repeated the name, his mind racing.

"The genius director behind Mean Girls and The Italian Job, who invested in My Big Fat Greek Wedding!" Buck’s voice carried excitement. "My Big Fat Greek Wedding has passed $300 million worldwide. It’s the biggest sleeper hit of the year. And honestly, your Little Miss Sunshine has a similar vibe — small, sharp family story. She might invest. She has a great eye, and she respects creators."

"It’s her?!" Arndt’s voice shot up, disbelief and hope flooding his eyes.

He knew Irene Coppola — the young female director who had taken Hollywood by storm and was now one of its most sought-after names.

If he could get her investment, he might actually keep creative control of Little Miss Sunshine.

"I’ll call her right now!" Arndt was so excited he could barely speak. He hung up before Buck could say another word.

"Hello? Hello? Hello..." Buck listened to the dial tone and smiled, shaking his head. "Hung up that fast. Hope you have good luck."

Arndt’s hands trembled slightly as he found the Echo Pictures contact Mary had written down. His finger hovered over the call button. He took a deep breath.

This time, let God be on my side.

The moment he hit dial, Robert’s phone rang in the Facebook office at Rockefeller Center in New York.

He glanced at the caller ID, his eyes lighting up. He picked up and turned to Irene, who was going over IPO details with Chen Shiyu. "Irene, it’s Mr. Michael Arndt."

"Hello, Mr. Arndt!" Robert’s voice was warm and steady, with just the right touch of enthusiasm. "This is Robert from Echo Pictures. I’m glad you called back. Ms. Mary mentioned you were concerned about the rights to Little Miss Sunshine. Is now a good time to talk?"

Arndt gripped the phone, his fingertips warm with nerves, but his tone betrayed his urgency. "Hello, Mr. Robert! Yes, it’s a great time. Martha said you’d preserve my creative autonomy. Is that true?"

"Absolutely," Robert said, his voice carrying reassuring sincerity. "Echo Pictures never interferes with a script’s core. As for director and casting, as long as it fits the story’s tone, you have the say. We provide funding and distribution so more people can see your work."

The words hit Arndt like a warm current.

The grievances and anxiety he’d been carrying for months suddenly had an outlet. He opened up completely. "You don’t know — Focus offered $1.8 million, but they wanted all rights, including sequels and derivatives, and demanded revisions. But the Hoover family — their clumsiness, their persistence, their warmth — can’t be rewritten by committee!"

"I completely understand your position," Robert said, his tone resonating. "We’ve read Little Miss Sunshine closely. That kind of family warmth — never forced, but deeply moving — is exactly what Hollywood is missing right now. Too many films chase spectacle and speed, and forget that what moves audiences most is real emotion and real people."

Arndt felt his chest tighten, his eyes growing damp.

After years in Hollywood, this was the first time an investor actually understood him.

He found himself talking about the script’s details, about why the Hoover family set out on their road trip, about the core message he wanted to send: that imperfection is the normal state of life.

Robert listened intently, chiming in with agreement. They talked from script to industry, from the market for family stories to their own takes on film. The conversation flowed like they’d known each other for years.

"Mr. Arndt," Robert said after nearly an hour, his tone turning serious, "we very much want to work with you. If you’re comfortable with our approach, I’d like to invite you to New York to discuss the contract in person and move quickly. When would work for you?"

Arndt barely hesitated. "I can leave tomorrow!" He was afraid this chance would vanish, his voice full of urgency.

"Perfect!" Robert said, pleased. "I’ll have my assistant book your round-trip flights and hotel. I’ll send the details shortly. See you in New York!"

"See you in New York!" Arndt hung up and paced the living room, a smile breaking across his face for the first time in weeks.

Mary watched him, relief softening her expression.