The strong box office numbers for Wrong Turn didn't go unnoticed.
In just one day, three different "Big Six" studios called Wald Pictures. They all wanted to buy the rights to show the movie in other countries.
Zane knew he couldn't get a "profit-sharing" deal. That was just the hard truth. Unless a movie made over $50 million in America, the big studios wouldn't share the profits. They just bought the rights for a flat fee. Zane understood; if he were them, he'd do the same thing.
But he wasn't them. He was on the other side. So, even though he was frustrated, he knew he still had to sell.
"Zane, my old friend," said Jordan from Paramount, looking sad. "If you don't sell Wrong Turn to us, are you really going to give it to Warner? You're breaking my heart here!"
"Enough, Jordan," Zane laughed, giving him a friendly look. "We are old friends. But Warner are my friends, too! You're all my friends, and you're all big studios. I can't afford to make any of you mad! How am I supposed to choose?"
Jordan frowned just a little. "Zane, Paramount is determined to get Wrong Turn. We don't care if Warner wants it. Even if Fox wanted it, we wouldn't back down."
Zane nodded. As one of the "Big Six," Paramount had that kind of confidence.
"Alright, my friend," Zane said, standing up. "I won't be part of the specific talks. I'm leaving that to Victor. You can talk with him later. I have some things to take care of. Sorry!"
It was a clear excuse, but a useful one. By letting Victor handle it, Zane kept himself out of the tough arguments.
In the first round of talks, Paramount offered $7.5 million. Victor said no.
As Jordan was leaving, he stopped by Zane's office. "Zane," he said pointedly, "$7.5 million isn't a low price."
"Oh? I know," Zane said with a helpless shrug. "But man, you have to understand. Even though I'm the boss, I can't just decide everything. I have to listen to Victor's opinion, too, you know?"
Liar! Jordan thought. You're telling me YOU don't call the shots? You're just saying that because the price isn't high enough!
Jordan's face tightened. "Zane, the first round didn't work, but... save it for me. Don't sell it while I'm asking my bosses for more money."
...
Around Noon...
Another guest arrived at Wald Pictures. —Sony Pictures.
"Mr. Blackwood, it's a pleasure to meet you," the man said, bowing politely. "I am Kenji Tanaka from Sony!"
Kenji was a short man with a sharp, determined look. His polite bow made Zane feel respected.
"Mr. Tanaka, you're too kind," Zane said with a warm smile. "Everyone from Sony is welcome here."
Zane stayed out of the talks again, leaving it to Victor.
"Mr. Jones," Kenji said to Victor, his polite smile turning into a confident grin. "I believe Sony's offer of $8.5 million is very fair. And knowing how cheap Paramount is, I'm sure they won't offer more than $8 million."
Victor nodded and smiled back. "Of course, I trust your judgment, Mr. Tanaka. And we thank Sony for their offer. But I can't decide too quickly. That would be disrespectful to our future partnership, don't you agree?"
"Of course, of course," Kenji replied, not bothered at all.
To be honest, the big studios were ruthless.
Usually, a movie makes about 1.5 times more money overseas than it does in America. Since Wrong Turn was going to make about $30 million here, it would probably make about $45 million overseas.
After paying all the costs, the big studio would keep about $15 million in profit.
And they were trying to buy all the rights—including DVDs and toys—for just $8 or $9 million. They were going to make millions in easy profit!
The big profits always went to the big studios.
"Knowing this is useless!" Zane thought with frustration. "The big studios use their power to take advantage of small studios like us. What can you do? Unless you want to make no money at all, you have to play their game."
...
That Same Afternoon...
Yet another guest arrived. —Time Warner.
The guest was Rhett, the young assistant from the distribution department.
"Mr. Blackwood, Mr. Jones," Rhett said, "it seems we're destined to work together again."
"We hope so, too," Zane and Victor replied warmly.
"Gentlemen," Rhett continued, "last time, Warner bought the rights for Hard Candy for $2 million. We know that, compared to you, Warner actually lost money on that deal."
A loss? Zane thought. Yeah, right!
"It's true," Zane said with a knowing smile. "Based only on the movie theaters, you might have lost a little. But the DVD sales for Hard Candy have already made you over a million dollars in just two months!"
"Hahaha!" Rhett laughed, his awkward look vanishing instantly. "Gentlemen, let's forget the past. Let's talk about Wrong Turn."
...
Three Days Later...
The overseas rights for Wrong Turn were finally sold to Time Warner for a full $10 million!
It wasn't that Zane didn't want to negotiate for more, but the studios were smart. None of them wanted to bid any higher.
You might wonder why Paramount and Fox dropped out. Even at $15 million, they still would have made a profit.
But they chose to walk away.
The reason was simple: Hollywood makes too many movies every year. For the same price, they could buy other movies that would make them even more money. So, they just gave up on Wrong Turn.
It was important to remember: 75% of all Hollywood movies never get released in other countries. Just being able to sell the rights at all was a huge achievement for Zane!
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