The Greatest Showman #1271 - Continuous Fermentation

Disney CEO Robert Iger said, "I personally would love to see Renly Hall join the Marvel family."

"The 'Batman' project is being rebooted, and Renly Hall is locked in to take over as the new Batman."

"Fox Searchlight is going all out for Hall's new production."

"Renly Hall strikes again: the first official independent producer, focusing on independent art films!"

"Rumor has it: The Coen Brothers have reached a deal with Renly Hall to make more appearances at the Sundance Film Festival."

"Warner Bros. is fully backing Hall's latest project: 'Bumper'."

"After 'Drunk Town Ballad', Hall is expected to return to musical works, which is very exciting."

...

66 As the news about "Boom Drummer" continued to spread, it gained more attention and eventually became one of the hottest topics in March, sparking heated discussions across social media. But this wave of interest was only beginning to grow. When US Weekly broke the story, it stirred a storm and successfully captured the industry's full attention.

"Renly Hall's production project is creating a bidding war among the six major Hollywood film companies! The competition is fierce!"

The Big Six Hollywood Studios?

This kind of event hadn't been seen in years. It's rare for a film project to draw in two or three companies, let alone all six major players. Hollywood has no shortage of projects, and there's no need for everyone to compete for one.

Gavin Hunter of US Weekly exclusively revealed the story.

Although US Weekly got the scoop, it wasn't entirely accurate. Just 25 minutes before their article went live, the TMZ website had already broken the news, sending this frenzy into overdrive.

"Join the fray! Focus Pictures has officially entered the bidding for the production rights to 'Boom Drummer'!"

Five of the six major Hollywood studios were already in the game, but Universal Pictures had been slow to act. After nearly a month of silence, Focus Pictures, a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, could no longer resist and finally jumped into the competition.

Focus Pictures and Fox Searchlight are both independent subsidiaries of Universal Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox, respectively. While they operate independently with separate leadership, their connections to their parent companies often lead to strategic collaborations. It was clear that Universal's decision was influenced by the competition, especially after Fox Searchlight entered the fray.

Now, according to TMZ, Focus Pictures had made an important move.

Lang's decision, though not made lightly, was the result of pressure from Steven Spielberg, Paul Walker, Focus Pictures, and its competitors. After careful consideration, Lang developed a huge exhibition plan. "Boom Drummer" was just one piece of the puzzle, with other projects like "Jurassic Park: Extinction" and "Fast and Furious 7" also moving forward, alongside the re-emergence of the Luke Hobbs sidekick project.

Universal, typically hesitant to handle sequel projects, had finally decided to align with Renly Hall after much thought. The next three years would see a comprehensive plan that aimed to make the "Jurassic Park" and "Fast & Furious" series their flagship productions.

Focus Pictures, now cooperating with Universal's broader plan, had also jumped in with full force.

However, within 72 hours of TMZ's breaking story, they updated it again: Ron Meyer, despite his initial resistance, had been forced to compromise under pressure from the board of directors. While there were still internal disagreements within Universal, Diesel was actively stirring up trouble.

Clearly, the battle for "Boom Drummer" was still up in the air. The competition was fierce, and Universal Pictures needed to speed up their decision-making, as other companies wouldn't wait around for them to sort things out.

Returning to TMZ's initial report, Focus Pictures' involvement caused a significant stir. Although US Weekly was the first to fully analyze the situation—just 25 minutes behind TMZ—they had been closely tracking the project's progress, including Focus Films' decision to enter the race, and were quick to report on it.

In their exclusive article, Gavin delved into the details of "Boom Drummer", Damien Chazelle's personal resume, and most importantly, Renly's own perspective, which he confirmed through a phone interview. This information was crucial, highlighting Renly's personal interest and expectations for the project.

Gavin also listed the major competitors, noting that, in addition to the Big Six Hollywood studios, many independent production companies were eager to collaborate with Renly, hoping to take over the project and kickstart a long-term partnership. The competition was unlike anything seen before.

"At least fourteen film companies are now actively participating, expressing interest in producing and executing the project. Currently, Fox Searchlight and Warner Bros. are leading, while Paramount and Disney are planning long-term collaborations with Creative Artists Agency."

From the language alone, one could feel the intensity of the competition.

Gavin analyzed:

"As an artistic actor, Renly Hall, having honed his craft through works like Crazy in Love and Take Off, has become one of the brightest stars in the new generation of actors under 24 years old."

"As a commercial actor, his track record of six consecutive hits, and Edge of Tomorrow's North American box office success, has solidified him as one of the most attractive actors in the market."

"As a film industry professional, Renly is known for his keen eye for projects, from The Pacific War to Escape, and now the post-production Gravity and Drunken Country Ballad."

This is why Hall has become the hottest name in Hollywood, with unparalleled influence. "Boom Drummer", an independent art film with a low budget, is perfectly positioned, and Hall's involvement guarantees its success. The entire industry has taken notice.

After Gavin's article was published on US Weekly's website, it quickly went viral. Twitter and Facebook were flooded with discussions. Just Renly Hall's name was enough to stir up excitement, even for the most niche and experimental films like Take Off, which still garnered a large audience.

The audience's response was just the tip of the iceberg, giving the major studios more confidence that the project would succeed, which only fueled the fierce competition.

"Fox Searchlight: This will be the next 'Social Network' or 'Black Swan'."

"Warner Bros.: $10 million! For an exclusive 'Boom Drummer' deal."

"Paramount and Creative Artists Agency: We have long-term plans to collaborate on ten productions, including 'Bumper'."

"Sony Pictures pulled out of the 'Drummer' competition but hopes to see Renly Hall join 'Van Spider-Man 2' alongside Andrew Garfield for a youth version of Spider-Man."

"Disney and Andy Rogers are in close talks, with 'Star Wars' as a potential target, starting with 'Bumper'."

"Universal Pictures: Internal divisions persist, but negotiations between Focus Pictures and Damien Chazelle are progressing well."

"Breaking news: Roadside Scenery and Renly Hall have reached an agreement, potentially intercepting the 'Boom Drummer' project!"

"Mutant: Warner Bros. has reached a strategic agreement with Creative Artists Agency, though it remains unclear if 'Boom Drummer' is part of the deal. Further announcements are pending."

...

The media frenzy was overwhelming, but everyone knew that they were merely observers. The real negotiations were happening behind the scenes, and until a final decision was made, everything was up in the air. All the news was speculative, with no official announcements yet.

In just a week, Hollywood had been swept up in a whirlwind of competition surrounding "Boom Drummer". The tug-of-war between the studios had reached unprecedented levels, and things had escalated from a creative discussion to a corporate-level negotiation.

But for Renly, none of it mattered.

Apart from Gavin's phone interview, everything else was just noise. He hadn't spoken to anyone—no one from the studios or even Andy—and they wouldn't communicate until everything was settled. Right now, Renly was enjoying his vacation to the fullest.