Edgar looked at the calm and composed Anson in front of him, momentarily at a loss for words.
He had just thrown out a radical, unconventional, and shocking idea—one that in Hollywood would either be mocked or criticized. Clearly, no one would believe his perspective.
After all, who was Edgar Cook? What right did he have to give Hollywood advice?
Only in front of Anson did Edgar muster the courage to express his thoughts.
But even so, seeing Anson's nonchalant and dismissive expression still shocked him. "You don't think my judgment is too one-sided or foolish?"
Anson responded simply, "No."
His answer was crisp and direct.
"In fact, I believe in your judgment."
"But the key is, Captain, if you believe the $20 million club isn't the right answer, what do you think is the correct solution?"
Edgar didn't answer immediately, still immersed in the shock and surprise—
Anson had so easily believed him.
This kind of trust was rare in Hollywood.
Taking a deep breath, Edgar finally snapped out of his daze. "Anson, thank you for your trust. You didn't even question my idea."
Anson hadn't expected such a reaction from Edgar, and it took him a moment to realize just how radical Edgar's thinking was for 2003.
But after thinking it over, Anson said, "Captain, you trust me, so I trust you. It's a transaction, no need to get too emotional." He added with a playful smile.
"Haha." Edgar chuckled.
Indeed, Anson was just being Anson. He could joke so casually about something like this, which helped Edgar relax a little.
Then, Edgar spoke again.
"Base salary plus box office profit sharing."
Edgar laid out his answer.
"The base salary ensures a safety net for the actor, so they don't work for nothing."
"Profit sharing, with no upper limit, makes the actor and the studio share the risk. If the movie fails, both suffer. If it succeeds, both share the success."
"Of course, the studios won't like it. They want to minimize losses and maximize their share of the profits."
"But that's the key."
"If actors stick to the '$20 million club,' they're just employees—a tool, a worker serving the studio. No matter how high the salary, the actor is still just a cog in the machine."
"But profit sharing changes things. In essence, the actor and the studio are on the same level, partners in a project. That fundamentally changes the actor's position."
"Studios shouldn't treat actors as mere chess pieces but as partners playing the same game."
"Obviously, studios will 100% resist this."
"So, this is what we should aim for—more leverage, not quibbling over small changes in salary numbers."
Wow!
Impressive.
From a practical standpoint, actors are individuals, while studios or film projects are massive machines. It seems impossible for the two to be on equal footing because their natures are different.
But looking beyond the surface, things change.
Actors are not only individuals but also pillars in a film project. Treating top-tier stars as their own studios or companies makes sense—they have the qualifications to negotiate on equal terms with the studios.
Of course, easier said than done.
Just imagining it shows how difficult it is, let alone in practice.
However, it is indeed the trend.
Actors like Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Brad Pitt, and Ben Affleck eventually realized this and set up their own production companies, negotiating on equal footing with studios. They explore new territories not just as actors but as producers and business entities.
But that's for later.
Right now, Anson needs to take things one step at a time, steadily planning, without trying to achieve everything at once. Patience and composure are key to gradually moving toward the ultimate goal.
The critical point is—
From the start of Edgar's negotiations, if the goal isn't the $20 million club, the studios won't expect it, giving them a huge advantage.
Moreover, by coincidence, Anson had already embarked on this path:
Starting with "Spider-Man," Anson had already earned profit sharing from the box office.
In hindsight, it was Anson's attitude that allowed Edgar to slowly piece together his experiences and form this new idea.
Anson turned to Edgar. "So, how do you plan to respond to Focus Features?"
Edgar didn't hesitate anymore. "10% of the box office profits and a symbolic $300,000 base salary."
"Wow," Anson exclaimed. Such terms would be hard for Focus Features to resist.
Edgar added, "But this actually puts us at a disadvantage."
"Charlie Kaufman's work has never been a favorite at the box office."
"For example, with 'Being John Malkovich,' 10% of the box office would have only earned $1.7 million, plus the base salary would total just $2 million."
"'Adaptation' was even worse. 10% would only get $450,000. Even with the base salary, it wouldn't hit $1 million."
That's why Edgar needed Anson's opinion.
"Anson, we have many options right now. Salary is just one factor."
"If we choose something like 'The Day After Tomorrow' or '50 First Dates,' we could gain more leverage as box-office stars, not just in salary but in the studio's future positioning."
"But if we choose 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,' box office and salary will both be tough, but we could gain more recognition during awards season, breaking out of the heartthrob mold and broadening your range."
"So, are you sure we should go with Charlie Kaufman's project?"
On one side was the peak of the $20 million club.
On the other was the door to a more diverse acting world.
Was there really any need to hesitate?
Anson smiled. "I'm sure."
Edgar laughed. "I expected your answer, but not so quickly or simply."
"Hey, Captain," Anson called out, "Let's not forget, this isn't everything."
"'The Butterfly Effect' is in post-production, 'The Princess Diaries 2' and 'Spider-Man 2' are being written. We'll still be active in the mainstream. You don't have to worry about me suddenly turning into Sean Penn or Daniel Day-Lewis."
"But if I could become Daniel Day-Lewis, that wouldn't be a bad thing. Who doesn't want to be Daniel Day-Lewis?"
As Anson rambled, Edgar couldn't help but laugh.
Indeed, he had been briefly trapped in his own thinking.
Caught up in Hollywood's current state, he was desperate to seize an opportunity for Anson, but sometimes he overthought things. Taking a small step back to see the bigger picture made him realize:
Yes, the current situation was important, but not urgent.
And, in fact, when putting aside salary and future plans, purely from an actor's career perspective, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" was indeed the better choice. Anson truly needed a project like this.