“Peter is in his last year of prep school, and he’s been accepted at the Yale School of Drama, where he plans to study directing. He’s made a film called Autumn Kill and I’m going to messenger it over to you right now.”
“Okay. What’s it about?”
“It’s better if you see it cold, I think. If, after ten minutes, you can switch it off, I’ll be very surprised. Leo Goldman at Centurion saw an incomplete version and immediately wanted to buy it.”
“Is Centurion who you want to sell it to?”
“I think we owe them the first refusal. I’m on their board, so I don’t want to deal directly with Leo.”
“Do you have any idea what you want for the film?”
“I’ll tell you what I think would be ideal: We sell the rights to the film for a limited period and take some cash, plus a percentage of the gross.”
“A limited rights deal is not what a studio wants,” Janklow said.
“I understand, but let’s start there.”
“I’ll be at home tonight, so I’ll watch the film and call you in the morning.”
“Thanks, Mort. It’s on its way.”
Both men hung up, and Stone buzzed Joan. “I want to messenger something to Janklow amp; Nesbit, a rush.” She came in and he gave her two discs.
“You’re sure Mr. Janklow is better than someone on the coast?” Peter asked.
“He has a deal with Creative Artists Agency. If he feels they can help, he’ll go through them, but I thought I’d leave that up to him.”
“Okay,” Peter said. “Now I’m starting to get nervous.”
“Don’t be. You already know that Leo wants your film. The rest is haggling.”
Peter laughed. “Oh, something I forgot. If the film is released, I think we’ll have to come to some arrangement with the various unions and pay the actors and others at least union scale. I paid each actor a hundred dollars and got a release from everybody.”
“Smart move,” Stone said. “The studio will know how to handle that.”
Peter stood up. “I’ve got some reading to do,” he said. “I’ll see you at supper.”
At half past five Joan buzzed him. “Mr. Janklow on one.”
“Hello, Mort?”
“Stone, I’ve watched the first twenty minutes of the film, and I’m rapt. And, guess who just called me about another matter? Leo Goldman. I mentioned that I have a new client, and when he heard who, Leo went quietly nuts.”
Stone laughed.
“I’m overnighting the DVD to him, but he’s already made an offer, which I did not accept.”
“What’s the offer?”
“Ten million dollars for all the rights, plus five percent of the gross. Don’t worry, when he sees what I’m seeing, with titles and a score, we’ll do better.”
“What did he say about a limited license?”
“Exactly what I thought he’d say, but wait until tomorrow. I’ll hear from him by noon his time, maybe sooner, if he’s really excited.”
“When you talk to him again, tell him he has to make the various unions happy about the release, at his expense, and he has to pay Hattie Patrick, who wrote the score.”
“Good point.”