"To be honest," Zane said to Martha, "ITV's offer of 20 million pounds is way more than I ever imagined." He was back in his hotel room after signing the contract, and he still couldn't quite believe it.
Twenty million pounds!
He knew that in the future, other big shows would sell for more, but that was after they were already proven hits. His show, Got Talent, was just a brand-new idea from a small company. For ITV to pay that much money right now... it was a very brave and smart move.
Martha nodded. "Boss, it's no wonder ITV is the biggest commercial TV network in the UK. They certainly have good instincts."
"They really do," Zane agreed.
Inside, Zane was doing a little victory dance. Wow! he thought. In my old life, ITV was the channel that made 'Got Talent' anyway. I can't believe it ended up with them again... but this time, I got to be the middleman and make a cool 20 million pounds! This is amazing!
Zane knew ITV was a powerhouse. They had made famous shows like Mr. Bean and would one day make Downton Abbey. They were the BBC's biggest rival.
Because they were so big, the news of the Got Talent deal spread fast.
The News Spreads
At University College London...
Christopher Nolan was resting in his dorm room, reading the Evening News. He suddenly shot up, his eyes wide.
"Brother, look!" his younger brother, Jonathan, yelled, pointing at the paper. "It says 'Wald Pictures'... is that Mr. Zane Blackwood's company?"
Christopher just nodded, too stunned to speak.
"Wow! Mr. Blackwood is amazing!" Jonathan chattered, full of excitement. "Just the idea for a variety show... and he sold it for 20 million pounds! That's staggering! You could make a whole movie with that money!"
At the BBC Headquarters...
BANG!
Klaus Tang, the head of the variety show department, slammed his hand on his desk. He was furious.
"That darn Blackwood! And that traitor, Cindy!" he yelled. "They sold the Got Talent show right to ITV! It should have been ours!"
He turned and glared at his other manager, Dacorta. "And you!" he cursed. "You promised me you could get that show! You said 3 million pounds was too much! And now look!"
Dacorta felt miserable. He couldn't believe the prize had slipped right through his fingers. And what made it worse was that his rival, Cindy, had been the one to make the deal with the BBC's biggest competitor. He was so angry and bitter.
Wald Pictures... just you wait, Dacorta thought, his fists clenched. I'll get you back for this. I have friends in Hollywood, too!
In the Newspapers...
The next morning, the news was everywhere.
Some newspapers were very positive:
The Daily Telegraph: "ITV Makes a Powerful Move, Joining with a Hollywood Company to Create a Great New Show!"
The Daily Mail: "A Sky-High Price of 20 Million Pounds! We Can't Wait to See 'Got Talent'!"
The Guardian: "ITV Shows Its Boldness as the UK's Largest Commercial Station!"
The London Evening Standard: "Wald Pictures? We know them. They're the company that gave us the hit show 'Teletubbies'!"
But other newspapers just wanted to cause drama:
The Sun: "Sky-High Price?! It's Just a Publicity Stunt!"
The Daily Express: "ITV Becomes a Laughingstock! Their Stupidity Will Drag the Whole Network into a Big Mess!"
The Daily Mirror: "A Silly Show for Idiots. It's Doomed to Be a Clown Act. It Will Fail!"
On the Streets...
The newspapers could say whatever they wanted, but the regular people on the streets of Britain were just... curious.
One young man, when a reporter shoved a camera in his face, just shrugged. "How do I see it? I'll see it when it's on TV, of course. Are you stupid?"
The reporter was left speechless.
Another reporter found a young, enthusiastic woman. "You're asking me about Got Talent? Of course, I saw the news! What? You think ITV is stupid? You're the one who's crazy! 'Got Talent' is a fantastic idea! A stage for regular people to show off their skills? Of course, I want to join! I believe I will be the champion!"
The reporter, who was hoping for a mean comment, just sighed and turned off his camera.
Back in Los Angeles
Before leaving the UK, Zane made sure to call the Nolan brothers and invite them to a nice dinner. He wanted to show his support for them as new filmmakers. The brothers were so excited and thankful for his kindness. It made them want to fly to Hollywood and start working for him right away.
When Zane and his team got back to Los Angeles, the first thing he did was go see Victor.
"First thing's first," Zane said as he walked into the office. "What's the current box office for Hard Candy?"
It was true that the movie's cost was tiny, and he had just made a ton of money in London. But that wasn't the point.
How much money it made wasn't the most important thing. From the very beginning, Zane knew that the movie company was his true passion. It was the business he loved most. He would never ignore it.
"Boss, Hard Candy has been in theaters for 10 days," Victor reported. "The box office has reached $3.1 million. We think the final number will be around $5 million."
Zane nodded. "That's a good, solid number."
He smiled at his friend. "No matter what the final number is, the real win was working with Zack Snyder. We need to make sure he knows we're a team. He's going to make amazing movies for us in the future."
"I agree completely, boss," Victor replied.
Zane was right. Making a little money was nice, but making a loyal friend out of a superstar director? That was the real prize.
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