Chapter 41: The Succubus's Logic
Mr. Zhou's Chinese Restaurant.
In the Chunhua Private Room.
After Martin finished explaining (or rather, fabricating) the inspiration behind his screenplay, he looked at Harvey with a sharp gaze and said, "Mr. Weinstein, this script is infused with my blood, sweat, and tears. So, the price needs to go up!"
Still engrossed in Martin's story, Harvey Weinstein was caught off guard, momentarily bewildered by this sudden turn in conversation. A few seconds passed before he realized that the kid had once again deftly shifted the topic back to negotiations.
Looking at Martin, just twelve years old yet discussing profit without a hint of childish hesitation, Harvey almost had the illusion that he was facing not a child, but a shrewd adult as savvy as himself.
"Martin, you're also asking to star in this film. Do you know how hard it is to be a lead actor in Hollywood unless you're already a major star? Sure, I'm not counting indie films that don't make it to theaters, but this script is obviously aiming for the mainstream."
Martin smiled slightly, remaining silent. Jeff knew it was his turn to step in.
"Harvey, Martin is no ordinary child actor. Besides his acting career, he's got a foothold as a writer and a musician. You can't view him through the same lens as other young actors. His fame among child stars is already comparable to Macaulay Culkin's in 1991, after Home Alone."
"Sure, rookies don't usually get paid this much, but Martin isn't your typical child actor."
"Remember, Disney offered Martin $100,000 plus a 5% share of North American box office revenue for The Parent Trap."
"Damn Disney!" Harvey cursed under his breath, then argued back, "But he's only done one movie."
"Yes, but that one movie was a massive hit. The North American box office is about to cross the $100 million mark, and it's close to $40 million outside of North America, too!"
As Jeff and Harvey exchanged barbs, Martin casually began sampling the food before him.
This steamed fish isn't spicy enough, he mused. This kung pao chicken's a bit too sweet. As for this General Tso's chicken, well, it counts as Chinese food...
In the end, Harvey relented. Martin's performance in The Parent Trap had been too impressive to ignore.
The film, which he had both written and directed, had an initial budget of under $16 million yet had grossed nearly $130 million worldwide—a staggeringly high return on investment.
"Alright, alright, Jeff, you really are a devil. $3.8 million. Martin's fee is nearly at the level of a B-list movie star."
"Hey, that's not much. Macaulay Culkin was already making $8 million back in 1991. And let's not forget, Martin's $3.8 million includes his pay as a screenwriter," Jeff said with a grin.
Martin was actually quite satisfied. The amount wasn't sky-high, but it wasn't low either—it depended on who you compared him to.
After all, even with his 5% share of North American box office revenue for The Parent Trap, his total earnings would only be between $500,000 and $600,000, even if the film crossed the $100 million mark.
At $3.8 million, Martin was earning more than many B-list actors in Hollywood.
The income disparity among Hollywood stars was enormous: A-list stars could command millions, even tens of millions, while B-list stars often dropped to around $5 million—and that's only for those with significant commercial appeal.
As for actors famous from independent or art films, their income was even lower.
Macaulay Culkin was an exception among child stars, commanding a near A-list salary of $8 million because Home Alone had grossed nearly $300 million in North America alone, over $500 million globally on a budget of just $18 million, breaking numerous records. It had become Twentieth Century Fox's most profitable film at the time and was the highest-grossing Christmas movie in U.S. history.
It even broke a Guinness World Record as the highest-grossing comedy of its time—a record that held for years. Culkin's central role in Home Alone 2 only cemented his astronomical pay.
Look at Culkin's career after Home Alone, though—his fees dropped significantly once he left the franchise.
Most importantly, Martin had secured what he valued most: a 40% investment share in the film's profits, which was what he truly cared about.
"Pleasure doing business."
"Pleasure's all mine."
With business settled, they were friends once more.
Harvey, grinning at Martin, said, "Martin, this may be a horror film, but I see real award potential here. You need to bring your A-game—maybe snag an Oscar as the youngest Best Actor ever."
Martin shrugged, "I'll do my best."
Linda was venting to her husband.
"Grant, how can you be so relaxed, letting our precious son negotiate with Hollywood vultures over profit margins?"
"Come on, Linda. Our son is special. He may not be perfect at this just yet, but with a little experience, he'll handle it just fine."
Grant was confident in Martin's abilities. "You know, our little Martin has the intelligence and capability to manage all of this. Besides, Jeff is there to guide him!"
Then, with a furrowed brow, Grant added, "Honestly, my worry isn't that he's too immature—it's that he's too mature. Sometimes, when I talk to him, I have this strange feeling that I'm conversing with a peer, not a child."
"I haven't even had the chance to enjoy my son's admiration, and I'm already becoming his admirer!"
Linda laughed at his self-deprecating words and teased, "Maybe we should have another one?"
Grant's eyes lit up. "That's actually a great idea. Lord knows, let's just hope we don't end up with another little prodigy. One is already enough."
Now it was Linda's turn to grimace. "Are you serious? But my career is just getting started."
Linda had been a stay-at-home mom for years after having Martin, only resuming her work when he turned six. She wasn't eager to put her career on hold again.
Grant chuckled, "Scared you, didn't I? I was just kidding."
He swiftly changed the topic, "Seriously though, honey, maybe we should get Martin's IQ tested."
Meanwhile, in Jeff's car, as he drove Martin home, he said, "Martin, have you ever thought about getting your IQ tested?"
"An IQ test? Why bring that up?"
"It would solidify your 'genius' reputation, and we'd have another marketing angle."
Martin considered it but ultimately shook his head. He wasn't sure how his mind, as a succubus, would score on a human IQ test—it might label him as either a simpleton or a lunatic.
A succubus's logic was fundamentally different from human thinking.
Best to play it safe!
Maybe once he fully understood human behaviors, mannerisms, and ways of thinking, he'd give it a try.
𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧
✨ • 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝟲𝟬+ 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.