Chapter 193: Global Casting

The global casting for Fifty Shades of Grey had begun. When Judy saw the news in the newspaper, she couldn't help but jump up and cheer.

"What's going on, why so happy?" Milon, who was with her, asked, puzzled.

"Look, global casting, reader voting! As long as the actor candidate list is released, all you need to do is send the special number under the actor's name to a specific phone number to vote!"

Judy handed the newspaper to Milon. "I can participate in the casting process now! I'm definitely going to pick the hottest male lead!"

"Uh..." Milon admitted he felt a little jealous, but after all, they were just actors, and Judy wouldn't actually be able to meet them.

Suppressing his discomfort, Milon continued asking, "But look, you have to pay. Two dollars per text, that's expensive."

"Expensive? I think it's cheap!" Judy said happily, completely unconcerned about the money.

There were plenty of girls like her. In school, they had already started discussing the male actors' choices.

"How about Tom Cruise? He's handsome and has that manly vibe."

"I like Leonardo; he was so cool in The Aviator!"

"I like Keanu Reeves. Don't you think a guy with deep-set eyes is so charming?"

On the other hand, female actresses didn't generate as much discussion.

Most girls only had one requirement: she must be beautiful but ordinary enough to allow them to relate to her.

After gathering these feedbacks, the magazine and publisher passed them over to Ethan.

However, Ethan was busy negotiating with the movie company.

MGM was the first to change their attitude. Their business had been struggling for a long time, weighed down by heavy debt.

Even though they had been acquired by Sony, the market outlook for them had shifted from pessimistic to merely cautious.

They were eager to find a money-making film to turn a profit, which led them to offer the highest terms among all the movie companies. Still, it fell short of Ethan's expectations, so he hadn't agreed yet.

Now, seeing how Fifty Shades of Grey was being managed so successfully by Norton's Eye, they decided to take the plunge.

Parente, the current CEO of MGM, sat in Ethan's office, which also doubled as Angel Declaration's headquarters.

Ethan had been considering relocating his office. Now, it all depended on the box office of Fifty Shades of Grey after its release.

"Ethan, I've been hearing your name everywhere recently. Even in my dreams. Do you know why?" Parente, a charming middle-aged man with neatly combed dark brown hair, asked.

"Why?"

He took the coffee from Rachel before answering, "Because of Fifty Shades of Grey, Saw, and Little Miss Sunshine. I have to say, you really have an eye for choosing projects that rake in huge profits."

"If it were up to me, I'd prefer MGM to be as small and precise as Norton's Eye, rather than being bloated as it is now."

Ethan could tell Parente was being serious.

It seemed that the overwhelming debt at MGM was truly suffocating him.

Unfortunately, the Sony acquisition hadn't been a cash purchase, leaving MGM without the funds to repay its debts.

"But I don't have the hundreds of Oscars and classic IPs like you do," Ethan said, and Parente smiled.

That was the valuable legacy of MGM as one of the original eight major Hollywood studios. But now, all of that belonged to Sony.

"Alright, I won't beat around the bush... Ethan, you know why I'm here." Parente sat up straight, switching to a businesslike tone.

"I want the distribution and investment rights for Fifty Shades of Grey. We're willing to offer more than any other company."

"Unfortunately, due to the betting agreement, our film will be distributed by Lionsgate," Ethan said. Norton's Eye had signed an agreement with Lionsgate, making Fifty Shades of Grey the second film under that deal.

"Emmm..." Parente raised an eyebrow, not expecting such an immediate setback. But after thinking for a moment, he said, "Then, we can handle the overseas distribution with a ten percent revenue share."

Normally, the overseas distribution percentage would be higher than domestic, with fifteen percent being typical. Parente, however, offered only ten percent, a cut that would probably be the lowest among competing companies.

Ethan nodded. "Your sincerity is apparent."

"And that's just the beginning." Parente placed his hand on his knee. "The production cost for the film is reportedly about fifty million dollars. We can offer thirty-five million dollars and..."

He emphasized his next words: "Only take thirty percent of the domestic box office and forty percent of the overseas box office."

This was undoubtedly the most generous offer Ethan had seen from any other company, but he still wasn't satisfied.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Parente..." Ethan paused for a moment. "Although I'm tempted, please allow me to decline."

"Why? Ethan, I'm sure no other Hollywood company would offer such a deal except for me." Parente frowned, feeling that Ethan's demands were getting too high.

"Because I believe this movie will create a miracle." Ethan spoke with confidence. "The response from the female demographic is already showing that they have been restricted for too long and are in desperate need of a chance to prove themselves."

Ethan wasn't entirely sure the movie could surpass the box office of the original, considering the ten-year gap between the two. But he had tried his best. Unlike the original book, he didn't make it purely a Mary Sue story. Instead, he focused on the heroine's efforts and her determination to fight for equality.

It seemed that this approach had paid off.

At a time when the feminist movement was gaining momentum, women were eager to have a film that proved their power and allure. Fifty Shades of Grey hit this target perfectly.

A regular girl who tames a young billionaire and stands on equal footing with him.

Isn't this exactly the fantasy they need?

Though it might be illogical in real life, in the context of the story, it was satisfying.

Ethan continued, "As long as it resonates with the female demographic, their boyfriends will naturally be brought to the box office. Though they may not admit it, they won't be able to avoid it."

"Moreover, our research shows that thirty percent of Fifty Shades of Grey's readers are stay-at-home wives over thirty. Mr. Parente, do you know what that means?"

"What?" Parente looked at the stack of reports Ethan handed him, finally realizing the level of preparation Norton's Eye had put into the movie.

"It means we will see families going to the movies together, creating a chain reaction. Most communities have women's organizations or social groups. Once they see the movie and like it, word will spread quickly among the women in different communities."

Ethan smiled. This was part of his promotional strategy for Fifty Shades of Grey.

"Therefore, I'll invite a few of these women to watch the film for free. Of course, these will be the leaders of the women's organizations. They will be our best marketing tools."

Parente was stunned, not expecting such an unconventional approach.

Typically, movie promotions rely on heavy advertising and media coverage. But Ethan had come up with a completely different idea, letting the target audience promote the film themselves. No doubt, once those women watched the movie, they would eagerly recommend or criticize it to everyone they knew.

In any case, it would spread quickly to the ideal audience.

Parente felt a little restless as he realized that Fifty Shades of Grey was already halfway to success. On one hand, it had garnered the core readers through voting. On the other hand, the promotional strategy had effectively reached the wider audience.

Unless Ethan made a huge mistake in directing, the film was almost guaranteed to succeed.

But who was Ethan?

Though he hadn't made many works in the past two years, each one had been a classic example of "small budget, big returns." Even when shooting music videos, he had never made a mistake.

His reputation as a tyrant on set was the best guarantee for quality!

Parente didn't believe that Ethan would fail if he stuck to the source material.

Thus, the only option left was...

"Well, Mr. Parente, I have other guests waiting. If you have no further questions..."

"No, Ethan, I can offer a new contract."

Parente seemed to have made up his mind. He adjusted his tie and said seriously, "We can invest forty million dollars, taking twenty-five percent of the North American box office and thirty percent of the global box office. This is the lowest share I can offer."

Ethan was surprised by Parente's determination and the pressure behind it. It was clear that if he couldn't lead MGM out of their financial trouble within a year, he would lose his job.

Ethan thought for a moment, then tapped the table.

Rachel suddenly approached him. "Boss, Universal's people are here."

"Let them talk to Jimmy," Ethan said, not lowering his voice. Parente heard him clearly, understanding his meaning.

"Ethan..." Parente looked at him.

"Mr. Parente, let's continue discussing the contract." Ethan smiled.

Thirty minutes later, Parente left Angel Declaration's office, satisfied.

And Ethan had secured a preliminary movie investment agreement.

The investment percentages and share remained the same as Parente had originally offered, but Parente added one new condition: Ethan would have to direct two films for MGM in the future and be in charge of the marketing strategies. The films would be of Ethan's choosing.

Ethan had no objections. After all, it was still a money-making venture no matter how the film was made, and helping MGM out wasn't a big deal.

After all, when MGM faced bankruptcy, restructuring, and liquidation in the future, he might be able to seize the opportunity to gain an advantage.

Once these matters were settled, Kane came to him again, this time with a few actresses who had volunteered and sent in their resumes.

Ethan skimmed through them, intending to put them in the resume cabinet for later selection.

But then Kane suddenly said, "Actually, Ethan, an agent has brought his actress to the company's door."

"Who?"

"James Froh from Universal Talent Agency, and his signed actress. Sorry, I didn't catch her name."

"Looks like the casting for Fifty Shades of Grey has caught their attention."

"Of course!" Kane laughed. "It's an adaptation of a bestselling book, with a young woman as the lead. Who knows how many people are watching this."

Although the book was a huge bestseller, so far, there had been very few choices for the lead actors, or rather, the quality was generally low.

Especially for the male actors, no famous stars were willing to take on this role because SM (sadomasochism) was closely linked with eroticism.

This posed a risk to their screen image, and the type of male stars readers expected would not be able to take on this kind of project.

The well-established female actors were also unwilling to bare themselves so easily, especially in a film that was bound to not win any awards—exposing themselves in such a film wasn't worth it.

So now, Norton's Eye found itself in a dilemma: there were no high-profile actors available.

But that was fine. Ethan could use this opportunity to let Cindy or any other Angel Declaration actresses take on the role.

"Well, let them in."

Ethan nodded, deciding to meet with the self-recommending agent.

Five minutes later, Ethan met the two of them in his office.

James Froh was a somewhat balding, plump man who looked rather oily.

The actress he brought, however, was fresh and beautiful, with distinct facial features. Her golden long hair cascaded around her neck, and her grey eyes left a lasting impression.

Ethan felt like he had seen her before.

"Hello, Mr. Norton," James Froh said, shaking Ethan's hand with a big smile. "This is Chloe Grace Moretz. Come on, say hello to Mr. Norton."

"Hello, you can just call me Chloe," the blonde girl smiled brightly, her expression very soothing.

"So, you're here for the lead role audition? But the casting for the movie hasn't officially begun yet."

As soon as Ethan heard the girl's name, he realized where he had seen her before—she was Hit-Girl from Kick-Ass.

She had entered Hollywood in 2003 and appeared in TV shows before getting her first movie opportunity in 2005.

However, her movies hadn't made much of a splash and had flopped without a sound.

He hadn't expected her to be here auditioning for Fifty Shades of Grey now.

"We just wanted to meet with you in advance because Chloe is really an excellent actress..." James continued to introduce her to Ethan, and Chloe kept smiling the whole time.

After listening for a while, Ethan raised his hand to stop James's incessant talking. "I understand your feelings as her agent, and I'll seriously consider it. But the casting hasn't started yet, so…"

"I understand!" James nodded and suddenly stood up. "But let Chloe speak with you directly, Mr. Norton."

"What?" Ethan raised an eyebrow.

But James had already walked out the door and even thoughtfully closed it behind him.

Click.

Chloe and Ethan locked eyes.