In the director's office, Martin curiously looked at Robert Eggers.
If he rembered correctly, this bearded assistant director was one of Natasha's clients.
However, during the filming, Martin was quite impressed with him and felt capable.
Among the assistant director team, other than Steve Downton, it was Robert Eggers.
Robert Eggers tentatively said, "Martin, I've written a screenplay myself, could you take a look at it?"
Martin nodded, "Of course."
Robert Eggers opened the briefcase he had brought and handed over the bound screenplay, saying, "I... previously made an experintal film, researched a lot about witches in the New England region, and then wrote this screenplay."
Martin took the screenplay and carefully read through it. The script was highly polished, obviously revised several tis. It roughly narrated how the "Mayflower" carried a group of people to New England, one family settling in a rarely trodden wilderness, and then experiencing a curse.
It involved the most common elent in Western horror thrillers—The Witch!
Seeing Martin finish the script, Robert Eggers quickly said, "It's based on real events, 62 years before the infamous Salem Witch Trials."
Worried that Martin might categorize his screenplay among original films, he added, "It's docunted."
Martin wasn't concerned about that, "What about the production cost?"
"If I direct it, three to four million US Dollars would be enough," Robert Eggers hadn't forgotten to highlight his capability, "I plan to first make the film, then attend the Saint Denis Film Festival and make a na there..."
He suddenly stopped, realizing he was talking to an expert in film operations.
By the ti Martin had read a third of the screenplay, he recognized the plot since he had seen it, but he wasn't quite sure how the film was received.
He vaguely rembered, the most vivid mory was of the female lead, whose unique features were initially recognizable as beautiful, later modified to be more distinctive yet resembling a goldfish.
In his previous life's internet, so called her Fishy Girl.
She beca quite famous later?
"Your agent is Natasha, right?" Seeing the other nod, Martin picked up the script, "I will have soone contact her."
Robert Eggers's anxious heart relaxed a lot, quickly responding, "Okay, okay."
He thought, following the path Natasha set, he had finally made the right choice.
If he had not gotten to know Martin and proved himself capable during work, he probably wouldn't have been able to hand his script to Martin.
For a rookie screenwriter and director who had only made experintal films, who else would care? Hollywood was full of them.
As soon as Robert Eggers left, Louise ca in.
Martin asked her to wait, calling Jessica and Natasha to discuss the project, capping the investnt at four million US Dollars.
Louise, curious, pointed to the screenplay on the desk as Martin made the call.
Martin nodded slightly.
Louise opened it and soon asked, "Horror thriller genre?" Being experienced, she could discern the creator's style from the script, "Doesn't quite fit, a bit too artistic? Is this aid at film festivals?"
Martin hung up the phone, "It's a work by assistant director Robert Eggers. He wants to write and direct it himself."
"Robert Eggers?" Louise recalled him well, "A very capable and creative assistant director."
She advised, "Following the script's style, it's best to keep the investnt size in check."
Martin replied, "The production budget is capped at four million US Dollars."
Louise pulled up a chair to sit opposite him, recalling Martin's bet with Leonardo, she asked, "You're not planning to focus solely on chasing awards in the future, are you? Companies that mainly operate to win Oscars have questionable profitability."
Martin was well aware, "Before Harvey Weinstein went in, he actually faced a financial crisis. Weinstein Films was not doing well financially, owing debts to multiple banks, and many award-winning films' rights were mortgaged."
In his previous life, several Hollywood companies aiming for Oscars, not to ntion Weinstein Films, gan Ellison's Anna Purna Pictures won many Oscars but went bankrupt due to poor earnings, even the rising A24, seemingly securing Best Picture Oscars one after another, still had to seek to sell itself.
After talking for a while, Martin rembered Fishy Girl because of "The Witch," the most morable works of hers included "Split" from his past life.
The other was a chess-thed movie, its Chinese na translated to "The Queen's Gambit," though he couldn't recall the exact English title.
Martin casually asked Louise, "I rember reading an article sowhere, during the Cold War, an Arican female chess player defeated the champion from the forr Soviet Union, it might have been a novel or a docuntary, I only glanced at it back then, but now it seems like it has great potential for adaptation."
Louise, being a leftist, understood right away, "Adapted into a drama with a female lead?"
Martin nodded, "A film or series with a female as the absolute protagonist, and one who has achieved great international success at that."
Louise then recalled, "I rember Hollywood had a similar script... Hmm, many years ago, let think, it should be from the nineties, I'm not quite sure."
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