System in Hollywood

"The production cost of *The Dark Side* is around 14 million dollars. Once it's completed, we'll get another 42 million dollars in production funding."

"Even if all that money goes into shooting *Resident Evil 1* and *2*, it will just barely cover the needs. So, we still need to continue working on two projects at once, starting with getting *Mean Girls* filmed."

"As for the funds from selling *The Dark Side*'s rights, aside from leaving some for the promotional budget of *The Bourne Identity* and allocating a portion to Marvel for rights buyback, the rest can be used for investments."

"But who should I get as the producer for *Mean Girls*?"

"Sierra's main focus still needs to be on company operations. Balancing both daily operations and overseeing *The Dark Side*'s production was too exhausting for her."

After pondering for a moment, Wayne picked up the phone and dialed Sierra.

"Hey, Sierra. Are you busy? I need your opinion on something. For the producer role on *Mean Girls*, who do you think would be better—Melanie Sloan or Nancy Meyers? Or do you have someone else in mind?"

Once the call connected, Wayne got straight to the point without much small talk.

"*Mean Girls* is just a small-budget film with a 13 million dollar budget. Either Melanie Sloan or Nancy Meyers could handle it just fine," Sierra replied after thinking for a moment. "Melanie Sloan has more experience as a producer, but Nancy Meyers has a more impressive track record. From that perspective, I'd lean toward Nancy Meyers."

"However, a producer needs to supervise and ensure the smooth running of the entire crew, especially in terms of budget management."

"If Nancy Meyers also takes on the producer role, she'll lose some oversight over the budget since directors are responsible for 'spending the money.'"

"In my experience, when directors double as producers, production costs can easily exceed the budget."

"Plus, a person's energy is limited. Producing takes a lot of time and effort, so if Nancy Meyers takes on both roles, it would inevitably distract her from directing."

"So, overall, I'd recommend Melanie Sloan."

Sierra didn't mention two other points. First, there was Wayne's connection with Scarlett Johansson. Second, Melanie Sloan is Jewish. While Hollywood isn't as dominated by Jewish people as it would be twenty years from now, they already held a large share of the industry. Having a Jewish producer often made things more convenient and less troublesome.

"What about in terms of long-term collaboration?" Wayne asked after a moment of silence, catching Sierra off guard. She then showed a thoughtful expression.

"It sounds like you have a lot of faith in Nancy Meyers?"

"Yes," Wayne admitted. "I think both her writing and directing skills are excellent. That's why I want Hemera Pictures to maintain a long-term partnership with her—maybe even convince her to join the company."

After thinking for a moment, Sierra said, "Establishing a long-term partnership with her shouldn't be a problem, but getting her to join the company would be tough. With her experience and reputation, if she wanted to join a company, she wouldn't have waited this long. She could even create her own small production company."

"Then we'll go with Melanie Sloan as the producer for *Mean Girls*." Wayne made his decision without further hesitation.

Sierra smiled. "I think it'd be better if you told Scarlett yourself~"

"Ugh." Even someone as thick-skinned as Wayne couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. After all, Sierra was his mother-in-law.

"I'll also reach out to Nancy Meyers to see if I can convince her. I've heard her second daughter, Hallie Meyers, is interested in becoming an actress, so maybe we can approach it from that angle."

"Thank you," Wayne said.

"Oh, by the way, for the next project, *Taken*, I'll need you to take on the producer role again. As for company operations, you can let Mia handle them for a while. Spend some time mentoring her."

On the other end, Sierra paused for a moment before smiling warmly. It was clear that Wayne was telling her that, no matter how many women he had, Mia would always hold the highest position.

"Alright, I understand. I can also take the chance to take a vacation in France."

"Make sure to bring extra bodyguards. To be honest, the security there is terrible—worse than downtown LA."

They chatted for a few more minutes before Wayne invited Sierra to dinner with him and Mia that evening. Afterward, he hung up and called Scarlett.

"Huh? What did you say, honey? You want Melanie to be the producer of *Mean Girls*? No problem at all! I swear she'll be over the moon when she hears that!"

Scarlett's playful voice came through the phone after Wayne told her the news.

But she wasn't exaggerating.

Although Melanie Sloan had more experience and qualifications than Sierra did at the time, the gap wasn't huge. Both were on the same level, producing films with budgets under 10 million dollars. So, a 13 million dollar project like *Mean Girls* was a great opportunity for Melanie Sloan.

"But you've heard about Hemera Pictures' rules, right?"

"Of course!"

Without hesitation, Scarlett nodded, recalling Wayne's "rules."

The company could offer higher pay, but they avoided giving a share of the box office revenue. This was common practice among major production companies, including the "Big Seven."

Even the Big Seven would sometimes make exceptions for top-tier directors and actors, like Ben Stiller, who could negotiate for a percentage of the box office earnings.

In the case of sequels, stars could secure even more in profit sharing.

For instance, Jackie Chan only earned 5 million dollars for *Rush Hour 1*. But because he only signed for one movie, by the time *Rush Hour 2* came around, he was able to demand 15 million dollars plus 15% of the box office earnings.

(End of Chapter)