Chapter 328: Fancy Diva Behavior

Chapter 328: Chapter 328: Fancy Diva Behavior

At ten o’clock in the evening, another day had passed smoothly, and filming finally wrapped up.

The staff members were packing up the equipment one after another. Irene was looking down, checking tomorrow’s shooting schedule, when Jerry Bruckheimer’s figure appeared beside her.

He held a list in his hand, his brow furrowed into a knot: "Irene, we need to talk about Depp."

The two walked to a shaded canopy at the corner of the set. Jerry handed over the list: "Take a look. These are the ’necessary benefits’ his team recently added. If this keeps up, we won’t even need to go on location. We might as well do all the filming in the studio."

Irene looked down and flipped through it, her frown deepening the more she read.

The requirements for location shoots on the list had long exceeded the standard treatment for artists: in addition to designated five-star hotels and custom bedding, Depp also demanded that the crew provide exclusive nannies for his three pet dogs. Their daily meals had to be air-lifted Australian Wagyu beef and organic vegetables, and even the dog crates had to match his specified brand and model.

Then there were the more than ten entourage members he brought with him, including a private hairstylist, nutritionist, masseur, and even a dedicated cigar blender. He demanded the crew bear the full cost of all their expenses.

Even more ridiculous was that, citing "too much filming pressure," he requested the crew charter a private jet to take him and three friends to a certain island in the Caribbean Sea for a two-day vacation. He claimed he could "help the crew" scout the location conditions in advance. The round-trip airfare, hotel, and catering costs amounted to five hundred thousand dollars.

Irene almost wanted to applaud him for such fancy diva behavior. Truly, there was nothing he couldn’t think of, only things he couldn’t do.

She continued reading. Not only did the other party demand that the tableware be 18K gold-plated, but he also specified the daily brands for drinks.

Breakfast had to be paired with vintage champagne, lunch had to be a Bordeaux First Growth red wine, and dinner required limited-edition whiskey. Even if the filming location was remote, someone had to be sent on a three-hour drive to purchase them.

Even the chair he sat on during breaks on set had to be an Italian hand-crafted custom leather sofa, weighing over two hundred pounds, requiring four staff members to move it specifically every time they changed locations.

"To put it bluntly, it’s because the salary negotiations didn’t go his way, so he’s using this to vent his anger," Jerry sighed. "After the first movie became a massive hit, his market value multiplied several times. Now, the salary of any random second-tier star in Hollywood might be higher than his. But the three-picture contract you signed back then locked in his salary, so his team is naturally unwilling to settle."

Irene’s fingertips brushed over the items on the list, understanding it clearly in her heart.

When she signed the three-picture deal, she had anticipated such a situation. The character of Captain Jack was too successful, and it was inevitable that Depp’s side would demand an exorbitant price. The long-term contract was specifically meant to circumvent this risk.

But she hadn’t expected the other party would try to "make up for it" in such details, which not only increased the crew’s costs and workload but also subtly affected the morale of the other actors.

Keira Knightley had complained to her privately that Depp’s exclusive treatment had caused quite a few extras and supporting actors to grumble, feeling that the crew’s treatment was unfair.

"In principle, as long as these supplementary agreements don’t affect the filming progress and quality, I won’t interfere," Irene said calmly. "After all, he is irreplaceable for the role of Captain Jack."

She looked up at Jerry, "How about I find a time to talk to him privately? If we talk things out, maybe he’ll restrain himself a bit."

Jerry immediately shook his head: "No. You are the director and the core of the project. If the talk goes south and he takes his anger out on the work or intentionally slacks off, the entire production will suffer the loss."

"It’s better if I step in and talk to his agent. The contract is in our hands. No matter how dissatisfied he is, he won’t joke around with his own golden reputation. Now that Captain Jack is a hit, he is the one who benefits the most."

He added: "I will tell him clearly that we can meet reasonable benefits, but we will never compromise on demands that exceed the bottom line, such as private jet vacations or meaningless high expenses. Additionally, I will hint to him that if his subsequent performance is good, we can consider giving him some compensation through merchandise profit-sharing after the third film wraps up. It’ll give them a way to back down gracefully."

Irene nodded, approving of this plan.

She looked at Depp, who was removing his makeup in the distance, feeling a bit conflicted.

The actor’s talent was beyond doubt, but the ego brought by fame and fortune was indeed troublesome.

Those seemingly unreasonable demands were essentially a hidden protest against his salary. He wanted to maintain the dignity of a superstar while being unable to break the shackles of the contract, so he could only seek psychological balance this way.

"I hope it works," Irene said softly. "There are still at least six months of filming left. We can’t be tied down by these trivial matters all the time."

Jerry patted her shoulder: "Don’t worry, I’ll handle the agent with the right amount of tact. No one wants to smash this golden rice bowl. He knows that if he leaves Captain Jack, he might not encounter such a blockbuster role again. And we know that if we replace him, the soul of the movie will be gone."

As the night grew darker, the lights on the set were turned on one by one.

Depp had already gotten into the luxury van arranged by the crew, preparing to return to the five-star hotel. It was a penthouse suite the crew had specially booked for him, equipped with a private pool and a viewing terrace.

Meanwhile, Irene and Jerry were still standing where they were, their shadows stretched very long by the lights.

The next day, Depp’s agent led an entourage into the conference room. The group of over ten people was quite imposing, and as soon as they sat down, they presented the pre-prepared list of demands.

Jerry Bruckheimer pushed the written agreement toward the other party, his tone calm but unquestionable: "Regarding the private jet and gold-plated tableware, they do not comply with the ’reasonable benefits’ clause in the contract, so we cannot fulfill them. Additionally, the entourage needs to be streamlined, keeping only core necessary personnel like the hairstylist and nutritionist. The expenses for non-essential personnel, such as the cigar blender, must be borne by Mr. Depp personally."

The agent’s face darkened: "Mr. Depp’s status deserves this treatment."

"I understand, but the crew has unified standards." Irene spoke up at the right time, placing a breakdown of the crew’s treatment on the table. "All lead actors stay in the same class of luxury rooms, and the dining standards are consistent with the core creative team. Mr. Depp will be no exception. This is both to control the budget and to avoid causing dissatisfaction among other actors."

She changed the subject, turning to the merchandise profit-sharing agreement. "However, we have prepared long-term benefits for Mr. Depp. As long as the film’s box office and merchandise sales reach the targets, he can receive a considerable share. This is more valuable than short-term special treatment."

The agent picked up the agreement and looked through it carefully, his expression gradually softening.

Jerry Bruckheimer took the opportunity to add: "In addition, to improve communication efficiency, all future requests from your team must be submitted to me in writing 48 hours in advance. Making requests on the spot that affect filming is prohibited."

He looked at Depp, who was sitting to the side fiddling with a pirate ring. "Of course, Ms. Irene will fully respect your ideas on a creative level. Adjustments to character details and space for improvised performances are all things we are willing to cooperate with, as long as they are reasonable."

Depp raised his eyelids, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth: "You people certainly know how to calculate."

"We just want everyone to be able to focus on the work," Irene responded with a smile. "Captain Jack is a classic that you shaped yourself. We hope this sequel can surpass the previous one and make this IP even more influential. This is beneficial for both of us."

During the subsequent filming process, the triple constraints quietly took effect. The agent would occasionally inform him of data related to the merchandise. Seeing the rising numbers on the pre-sale charts and thinking of the considerable future profits, he began to concentrate his attention on character creation. Those excessive material demands also gradually faded away.