The Greatest Showman #1511 - Lion Opening

Hollywood industry rumors—Christopher may not know them, but Emma certainly does.

Among all the A-list and top-tier actors, Renly can be considered both the most difficult and the easiest to work with.

What makes him difficult is his incredibly high standards when it comes to scripts, characters, and performances. His pickiness has reached a level almost beyond reason. Large and small script projects from all six major Hollywood studios have fallen apart in Renly's hands—there have been countless instances where the project didn't even make it to an audition interview stage.

Of course, there's a widely circulated saying in the industry: Renly has a sharp eye. If he endorses a project, its chances of success increase dramatically. That's why Boom Drummer initially drew so much attention, and Nightcrawler is now destined for heated discussions.

But working with Renly is easy in some ways—he has almost no demands beyond the script. No concerns about co-stars, no unreasonable expectations on set, and no long lists of prohibitions. Even when it comes to remuneration, he's usually quite flexible. This attitude is rare, especially for a top actor.

Take Gravity, for example. The salary negotiations with Warner Bros. were smooth. Renly didn't push for excessive demands, and the entire process was amicable—a rare occurrence in Hollywood.

But now, Renly has made a salary request. And it's to the point.

What does this mean?

Emma was surprised, but it wasn't exactly shock.

Taking a step back, Renly's increased salary is inevitable. Right now, in Hollywood, Renly stands alone. He is the only actor who has achieved consistent success across four films with over $100 million at the North American box office. He's firmly established as one of the industry's top actors.

If Renly hadn't brought up salary, it would have been a problem. His peers, other actors, producers, and production companies would be watching closely. If his salary were kept vague or ignored, the entire industry's pay standards could be disrupted.

Everyone—agents, producers, and competing companies—is now looking at Renly's salary. The real question is: How much is Renly expecting? How much is he worth?

Here's where the perspectives of the production company and the agency diverge.

The production company wants to keep costs down. They don't want another Johnny Depp or Robert Downey Jr. situation, where the actor's salary becomes a disproportionate part of the project's budget.

The agency, on the other hand, wants the highest salary possible. Ideally, they want Renly to surpass Robert Downey Jr.'s record for Iron Man 3 and push the salary ceiling even higher. That would allow them to secure better deals for other clients too.

When Renly worked on Gravity, there was already industry buzz. Warner Bros. offered Renly 10% of the North American box office gross, which is considered good, but not top-tier. The figure wasn't as high as Tom Cruise's 15-20%, but it was still a solid deal for a first-tier actor.

Now, with the success of Gravity still to be fully understood, the situation has changed. If the film performs well, the box office dividends could exceed what Renly's been offered before.

And now, here comes Interstellar. The project is stuck in a tug-of-war between Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures, with no easy way to choose between the two. Neither side is willing to budge, which has left the project in limbo. This has placed Emma in a tricky position.

As she walks through the kitchen and into the backyard, Emma's mind is running at full speed. She knows the stakes. Business negotiations typically fall into two approaches: one where you let the other side set the terms, and one where you set the baseline first and build the negotiation around it.

Which approach will she take?

In the brief silence, Emma weighs her options and chooses her approach. "So, how did your conversation with Chris go?"

"I wouldn't describe it as 'smooth'—otherwise, he wouldn't have run off," Renly quips, catching Emma off guard.

She laughs, understanding the humor. "Of course! But you can't blame him. I was shocked too when I heard your topic. We certainly didn't expect this first conversation to go in that direction."

"I didn't expect it either," Renly shrugs lightly. "I thought Chris needed more time to think things over. Right now, all of Hollywood's top actors are lining up for a chance to work with him. I assumed this was just a first step, but Chris immediately offered me the role. I was caught off guard."

So, is it Renly's fault, or Chris's?

Emma understands the humor in Renly's words, and she laughs even harder. "But I guess you came prepared this time. Otherwise, you wouldn't have called it a gamble. Now, let's see if the gamble's worth it and if we're willing to take the risk."

Emma takes a more defensive approach to negotiations. Unlike the more cutthroat producers, Emma's role is more about facilitating communication. She's primarily responsible for overseeing Christopher's projects, and her approach is more about finding middle ground than aggressively pushing for the best deal.

Renly doesn't refuse. He doesn't elaborate on the details. He simply follows Andy's advice and states his expected salary figure: "20 million, plus 5% of the North American box office."

Emma is slightly taken aback—not because the number is too high, but because it's so reasonable.

There's no inflated rhetoric, no "lion's opening" with exaggerated demands. It's a grounded figure, one Emma can't easily refute or dismiss.

In fact, the industry already has a general sense of where the negotiations stand between Thomas-Tull and Renly for Jurassic Park. Given the personal relationship between Thomas and Christopher, Emma understands the broader picture: the transition from a $15 million salary to $20 million is well-known.

From a production company's perspective, Renly's demand of $20 million plus 3% of the box office is the industry's psychological baseline. The situation will change depending on how Gravity performs at the box office. If it's a hit, the dividends will likely exceed expectations.

But from the agency's perspective, they're hoping Renly will break through the $30 million barrier, pushing Hollywood's salary ceiling even higher.

In today's Hollywood, there are two options for higher pay: either negotiate for a lower base salary with higher box office dividends, as Tom Cruise does, or demand a higher upfront salary with fewer dividends, as Johnny Depp and Robert Downey Jr. have done.

In short, the industry is at a crossroads.

And Renly's demand? It's reasonable, and that's exactly why Emma can't refuse it.