Anson was no longer an unknown name.
As the star of the upcoming "Spider-Man" movie set to release next year, he certainly wasn't a nobody. Even though the movie hadn't hit theaters yet, and its box office performance was still uncertain—it could flop, after all—his visibility was undeniable.
But the names Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks carried a different weight altogether. When Anson's name was mentioned alongside these two industry giants, everything changed. People couldn't help but take notice.
While the public was busy buzzing about Paris Fashion Week and the tangled web of rumors, Anson's acting career quietly gained new momentum.
Edgar's negotiations with DreamWorks went much more smoothly than expected.
At first, DreamWorks insisted on a fixed payment—just a single paycheck for Anson, and that would be it. Although Anson was the lead in this project, his bargaining power was limited in the face of Spielberg and Hanks. DreamWorks wanted to keep the salary low to ease their tight cash flow.
Edgar knew all too well about DreamWorks' financial constraints. From the start, he didn't aim for a high upfront salary. Instead, he emphasized Anson's willingness to collaborate, even hinting that Anson would be willing to lower his fee just for the chance to work with Spielberg and Hanks. However, Edgar never named a specific figure.
After several rounds of back-and-forth, Edgar proposed a profit-sharing deal, which caught DreamWorks by surprise.
On one hand, DreamWorks was sensitive to profit-sharing. They already had to pay a cut to the distribution company, leaving them with less revenue to share with the director, actors, and producers.
On the other hand, DreamWorks was puzzled—most actors these days were risk-averse, preferring a guaranteed payout. The $20 million club was still the pinnacle that everyone aspired to, but Anson was different.
Yet, Edgar managed to convince DreamWorks—
Cash flow was indeed tight.
Even though Anson wasn't a top-tier actor yet, so cutting his salary wouldn't save much, any savings were better than none. Plus, having Anson share in the risk was appealing.
Most importantly, Edgar offered a very reasonable deal.
$2 million plus 1.5% of the box office gross.
It wasn't much. Both the salary and the profit share were modest, and the numbers were well within DreamWorks' control. Plus, this was far cheaper than hiring Leonardo DiCaprio, saving the production at least $10 million in flexible funds, which DreamWorks desperately needed.
The contract was quickly finalized, and Anson signed on the dotted line, officially joining the project.
In terms of numbers, the pay for "Catch Me If You Can" was slightly less than "Spider-Man." The profit-sharing percentage dropped from 3% to 1.5%, effectively cutting it in half.
There were two reasons for this:
First, Edgar genuinely had no intention of squeezing DreamWorks for more. He had said from the beginning that Anson was willing to lower his fee just for the opportunity to work with Spielberg and Hanks, and he meant it.
Second, there were no limiting conditions on this profit share. For "Spider-Man," Anson's share only kicked in after the North American box office exceeded $100 million, but "Catch Me If You Can" had no such restrictions.
All things considered, if both movies performed well at the box office, grossing over $100 million domestically, "Catch Me If You Can" could end up paying Anson slightly more than "Spider-Man." Anson's career was still steadily progressing.
Of course, Edgar's sincerity was the real key to this successful negotiation, so much so that Spielberg himself called Anson to subtly express his gratitude.
Meanwhile, as Edgar was busy with negotiations, the media caught wind of the deal. By the time the news broke, everything was nearly finalized, and the buzz in the media exploded—
Pre-release publicity.
The free publicity immediately gave the project a boost, and DreamWorks didn't even have to lift a finger. "Catch Me If You Can" had already received its first wave of media exposure.
While all this was happening, Anson was at home, diving into the script.
He started by reading Frank Abagnale Jr.'s autobiography.
Overall, Anson still lacks acting experience. He needs to seriously delve into each role, trying to build the character from a holistic perspective while exploring different acting methods. This time, it's an autobiography, which makes it even more unique.
The thing about an autobiography is that it's based on a real person.
There might be some embellishment in Frank Abagnale Jr.'s autobiography, but it's undeniable that he is a real person and those stories truly happened.
Typically, when adapting an autobiography or a film based on a real person, filmmakers face a significant challenge:
How to find the right balance between portraying a real person and creating art.
If the person is still alive, they might even directly interfere with the film's production, and in extreme cases, legal action might be taken.
This was the case with "The Social Network." After an internal screening, Mark Zuckerberg claimed the film defamed him and distorted the truth, threatening legal action. The ensuing drama made headlines across major media outlets.
But "Catch Me If You Can" was very different, with none of this happening.
Frank Abagnale Jr. is still alive, living a quiet, low-key life, completely removed from the public eye. He chose not to engage with the film at all—
He didn't raise any objections, but he also refused to provide any assistance.
Anson wanted to sit down and talk with Frank Abagnale Jr. face-to-face, to see the real person behind the story and discuss the events directly. But his request was denied.
Not just Anson; Frank Abagnale Jr. refused to meet with anyone from the production, including the screenwriter, producer, and of course, Steven Spielberg.
Frank Abagnale Jr. wanted no involvement with the movie's production.
Other real people mentioned in the autobiography, even if they are still alive, also declined the production team's requests for interviews and made no demands.
This is rare and quite strange.
On the downside, they didn't offer any help. But on the upside, they allowed the filmmakers to have creative freedom, even if it meant deviating a bit from reality.
Because of this, after Anson had an in-depth discussion with Steven Spielberg, Steven expressed that he wanted to shift the focus away from the crime aspects of the autobiography— The source of thɪs content is noⅴelfire.net
The crimes, though bizarre and jaw-dropping, were perfect for generating buzz and securing viewership.
However, Steven preferred to approach the story from a family perspective, giving Frank Abagnale Jr.'s character a clear and complete narrative arc.
When I first watched "Catch Me If You Can," I didn't understand this creative motivation; I was more impressed by Leonardo DiCaprio's peak looks, which were showcased even more effectively in this film than in "Titanic."
It wasn't until twenty years later, after watching Steven's autobiographical "The Fabelmans," that I truly understood. Steven's parents divorced, leading him to move with his father while his sisters stayed with their mother. This experience deeply influenced Steven's approach to storytelling.
In "Catch Me If You Can," Steven projected his childhood onto Frank Abagnale Jr.
Looking back twenty years later, it's surprising to realize that the vibrant, colorful blockbuster "Catch Me If You Can" is actually one of Steven's most personal and emotionally invested films.
Anson thinks it might be the same for him as well.