Hollywood Art: System of sunnys
569. the scripts: adverse summaries.

A script written to offer solace for the miserable hatred the Fight Club book carried, being violent, aggressive, and subversive, completely out of the ordinary for a published novel. As a curious fact, Chuck Palahniuk received death threats for the publication of the first edition of the book.

-I don’t think the ending can take place in a jail cell—we need something that sets this scene apart, and I believe the best way is by collapsing the buildings, some explosions that keep pace with the idea of striking back at the capitalist system, which is on the verge of imploding, - said David Fincher, taking a sip of water. - I think the cinematic impact is more evident and somewhat sinister. I see it as something different from what people expect. -

-I like the change. We can tone down the language, but I’m not okay with changing the character. That’s non-negotiable. As far as I know, the actor’s been preparing for two months to channel the intrinsic air of someone utterly unhinged, - Chuck replied, who insisted on portraying a line of madness, the proposal of a person completely unaware of what’s happening—the dual personality, the insanity, and the transformation of a man hanging by a thread who creates someone born out of stress, depression, anxiety, and insomnia.

-I think we can tweak the script a bit, but overall it’s brilliant. Maybe add some extravagance to the character of Tyler Durden. That’s my character! I have an idea for the script that could be used to fix certain scenes, extend the shoot time, and introduce some eccentric elements. We need completely contrasting shots, - Billy added. He had been working out regularly for two years, with 19 days of extreme training. Every day, he woke up at 6 a.m., did three hours of exercise, followed by cold baths in buckets of ice, along with other recovery techniques, then did another round of cardiovascular training.

-We begin programming preparations in February, - replied David Fincher.

-We’ve secured most of the production elements and reserved several locations, - said Ross Grayson Bell, who had already secured the majority of the filming locations, from a studio that would formalize most of the sets, to a deserted street that served as an abandoned neighborhood—an old construction project that had been halted a few years ago and was meant to be a new condominium development over the next three years, stopped due to licensing issues and other regulations.

-As for the budget, we initially proposed that Regency would cover half of the investment—$28 million. But from what I’m seeing, costs could rise to $61 million, and maybe even beyond that. Keep it under $60 million. That’s all, - said Arnon Milchan.

David Fincher didn’t respond to the budget issue, but his silence spoke volumes—it seemed he didn’t care and would stick to his plan. As usual, directors only cared about making their movie, so devoted to the art that money appeared irrelevant. Yet, very few had the guts to risk their fortunes. But because they were so talented, people gave them money. The catch was—one failure, and the faucet turned off. That freedom was always at odds with business.

-I agree. In business, if someone doesn’t know how much they’re spending, they’re doomed to fail out of sheer incompetence… Nowadays, film involves different dynamics. You can recover investments through work, but excessive use of resources is detrimental when it comes to marketing and distribution. There’s no point in spending everything. Let’s keep things balanced, - said Jim Gianopulos, executive producer at Lux Films.

“Of course, that’s exactly how we should do it,” Billy commented, taking a breath. Not long ago, he had been thinking about how Raimon played with stocks, short selling with such aggressive precision. It was amazing to see how his friends' methods worked, from the purchases and debts to every tiny move.

-We’ll do what needs to be done, - David Fincher replied, casting a deep gaze.

Fight Club – 20 points.

In the same spirit, he was preparing to do a great job. He already had a method for organizing a script. He knew which parts needed work and which ones could be elevated.

...

-So you’re okay with all this corporate fanfare? If we want to make a great film, the only thing we should focus on is delivering the best product, - said David Fincher. From his stance, he had ideas on how the extra money would help improve his vision.

Billy raised his gaze, aware of how close the missteps were. They gave him a distinct discomfort. In the coming months, David Fincher’s ideas as a director were growing sharper than expected—he could now see the Ego everyone talked about. So many powerful ideas with no room for error.

-You need to consider everyone’s position in the company. I hear your artistic vision, but I also listen to the executives. If they speak, it’s for a reason… Arnon Milchan is one of the best executive producers I know. I’ve followed his work for a while, and we recently began working together, - Billy replied.

-Well, they’re wrong. They see investment levels like products, like processing a transaction, selling a hamburger… Cinema is an art that must be handled with care, just like painters of the past, - said David Fincher.

Billy looked at David.

-You want to bet your money? From what I see, you want to hit $70 million, then put in the missing ten, plus five for marketing. But understand this—you’ll only recover your money if we gross at least $150 million, and that’s with a low distribution fee, I’d place the breakeven point at $160 million, - Billy responded.

-I’d be willing to invest, - David said.

-Fifteen million. -

-I have five. -

-You can mortgage your properties, take a loan… All for the film. We’ve got a gem in our hands. This movie will lead us to our next major production, - Billy replied.

David began to sweat. For the first time that day, someone had shut him up.

-We’ll use a smart percentage system, so the interests kick in and you double your earnings, - the young man said, eyeing David Fincher more closely. David was speechless. His moment to speak the truth had passed. Now it was all about capital.

-Think about it. Even though I’m the owner, I have thousands of people to take care of. When I use my own money, it’s because of the plan. My films will support the inputs for my animation channels. When Toy Story premiered, our ratings spiked, and kids watched the film multiple times. The same thing happened with Hercules, - Billy said.

-I see… - David was a little unsure, sweat trickling down his back, a chill running through him.

-I’ll be at the Golden Globes—we can meet up. I’ve made some script changes I liked, - Billy replied.

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