Chapter 895: A Trade of Money and Roles

Burbank barely felt the cold in February. Warm sunlight spilled from the sky, carrying that distinct Californian heat. It was the exact opposite of New York, and having just stepped off the plane, Nelson Peltz felt a little out of his element. He wore a slight frown as he walked into the agreed-upon private club—much like how East Coast elites always viewed the West Coast through tinted glasses.

Flying all the way from New York to Los Angeles and booking out the entire café of a luxury club meant Nelson Peltz was here to meet someone important—a billionaire with a net worth far surpassing his own, and a blockbuster director of even greater fame.

He had only managed to secure a meeting with Duke Rosenberg through the Lauder Family's connections. Naturally, he treated it with the utmost importance, arriving over ten minutes early.

Sitting in the open-air café, taking in the beautiful view of the club's gardens, Nelson Peltz went over his pitch one last time. He knew the person who had pulled strings for him was only Aerin Lauder's cousin, not Aerin Lauder herself. Given Duke Rosenberg's reputation, the director probably wouldn't give him much face based on that connection alone.

Nelson Peltz had done his homework on Duke. To sway the man, he had to offer tangible benefits.

Nelson Peltz took a sip of his coffee and sighed. If it hadn't been for his favorite daughter, he never would have made this trip.

But since she had chosen the Hollywood path, Duke Rosenberg's films were undoubtedly her best opportunity.

Though a ruthless businessman and capitalist, Nelson Peltz was also a good father.

With less than a minute to spare before their agreed-upon time, Duke appeared in the open-air café right on schedule. He glanced at the older man standing up to greet him, offered a polite smile, and walked steadily over.

"Hello, Director Rosenberg," Nelson Peltz said.

Stepping forward to meet Duke, he proactively extended his right hand. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Hello, Mr. Peltz." Duke reached out and shook the man's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you too."

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries before sitting down at a table under Peltz's guidance. Once the waiter served Duke's coffee and left, the polite formalities vanished, and the conversation steered straight to the point.

"Mr. Peltz..." Duke asked with a hint of confusion. "I'm curious why you asked to meet..."

"Just call me Neil," Nelson Peltz said with a smile.

Duke nodded. "You can call me Duke."

He kept his questioning gaze on the billionaire, acting as if he truly had no idea what the man's intentions were.

"I hear Star Wars: The Force Awakens is partnering with multiple brands," Nelson Peltz asked with a slight smile, "for a comprehensive promotional campaign?"

This was no secret. Duke nodded directly. "That's right. Every commercial blockbuster in Hollywood does it."

"My brand, Snapple Beverage, would like to join those ranks," Nelson Peltz said with utmost sincerity.

This was the Star Wars franchise. Partnering with a project of this magnitude required not just real money, but an astronomical sum of it.

There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Duke knew this all too well.

He cut straight to the chase and asked, "And your demands, Neil?"

"I heard the female lead for Star Wars: The Force Awakens hasn't been locked in yet?" Nelson Peltz phrased it as tactfully as possible. "Duke, could you perhaps carefully consider your choice for the leading lady?"

With that said, his intentions were laid completely bare.

"Sorry, Neil." Duke shook his head slightly. "Your information is a bit outdated. I've actually already finalized the candidate for the female lead."

This wasn't just an excuse to brush him off. After the third round of auditions a few days ago, Duke had already decided that the British actress Daisy Ridley would play the female lead in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Nelson Peltz furrowed his brow. "May I know who the final choice is?"

The news would soon be made public anyway to coordinate with Lucasfilm and Warner Brothers' promotional plans, so Duke saw no need to hide it.

"An actress from Britain," he said.

Even though he knew his daughter's chances of winning the role were slim, Nelson Peltz had still clung to a shred of hope. However, the moment he heard the actress's nationality, he knew Nicola Peltz was out of the running.

But he was a seasoned business mogul after all.

After a moment's thought, he pressed on. "Snapple Beverage can become the title sponsor for Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

Duke just smiled. Instead of answering, he picked up his coffee cup.

Snapple had stood out with its trendy, alternative style to secure a leading position in the market. It was a high-end beverage brand, but not a mass-market staple. Duke was highly skeptical about the promotional boost a partnership with them would actually bring. More importantly, risking the film by swapping out his leading lady just for a sponsorship deal wasn't remotely worth it.

Since when had his commercial blockbusters ever lacked sponsors?

Seeing Duke pick up his coffee cup, Nelson Peltz knew his terms hadn't swayed the director. This was to be expected. The man across from him was Hollywood's top director; if he were that easily moved, he never would have reached his current status.

Before coming here, Peltz had done his homework. He knew Hollywood had been suffering a drought of capital since 2008, and funding was the most indispensable foundation for a successful film.

"I personally would like to—"

But the moment the words left Nelson Peltz's mouth, Duke set down his coffee cup and raised a hand to cut him off. "Neil, I want to remind you of one thing. This is my movie. This is Star Wars!"

Nelson Peltz fell silent, a bitter smile creeping onto his face.

Right. This was Duke Rosenberg's movie, and on top of that, it was the Star Wars franchise. How could it possibly lack investors? Trying to move Duke Rosenberg by dangling investment capital was a completely unrealistic fantasy...

Just as a Hollywood actress couldn't win a leading role simply by taking her clothes off, using a partial investment to guarantee someone the female lead in a corresponding film wasn't a reliable method either—especially for a massive commercial production.

Take a film on the level of Star Wars, for instance. How much could Nelson Peltz possibly invest personally?

Duke had some understanding of this New York billionaire. He had ranked 360th on last year's Forbes World's Billionaires List, with a net worth of around 1.1 billion dollars.

And that 1.1 billion wasn't liquid cash; it was his total accumulated assets. With that being the case, how much could Nelson Peltz realistically pull out for a personal investment? Probably an eight-figure sum at best. Meanwhile, if Star Wars: The Force Awakens succeeded, what was its expected profit?

Even Nelson Peltz's entire net worth combined probably wouldn't match it!

Compared to an investment of tens of millions at most from Nelson Peltz, the immense risk of swapping in an unsuitable female lead was simply too great.

As a veteran of the business world, Nelson Peltz naturally knew there was no point in continuing the negotiation. Duke's stance was crystal clear: his daughter, Nicola Peltz, had zero chance of securing the female lead in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

A hint of disappointment inevitably crept into Nelson Peltz's eyes.

But ever since hearing that Nelson Peltz was willing to invest for his daughter's sake, Duke's thoughts had shifted elsewhere. Nicola Peltz's profile had long since been forwarded to Michael Bay. The child-star-turned-heiress had even attended an audition, though her performance hadn't been ideal.

The budget for Transformers 4 wasn't nearly as abundant as the one for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. To save money, Michael Bay was even planning to omit the transformation sequence for the reborn Megatron—Galvatron—which would inevitably draw a flood of complaints from the fans.

For the sake of the entire franchise, Duke had originally intended to inject another sum of money into the project. Now, however, a much more suitable option had presented itself.

Nelson Peltz was just about to offer a few closing pleasantries and take his leave when Duke suddenly spoke up.

"Neil, I actually have very high hopes for Miss Nicola Peltz's future. It's just that her aura and appearance don't suit the requirements and character settings for the female lead in Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

Hearing Duke's words, Nelson Peltz immediately swallowed the goodbye he had been about to say. To be favored by Duke Rosenberg... if that news simply got out, Nicola Peltz's market value and fame would skyrocket, potentially even landing her a heavyweight acting contract.

"I recommended Miss Nicola Peltz to Michael Bay, the director of Transformers 4..." Duke trailed off.

Nelson Peltz caught on instantly. "My advisors have also suggested I invest in Transformers 4."

Even though the franchise's reputation grew worse with every installment, recouping an investment was never an issue. If he could smoothly slot his daughter in as a major cast member along the way, it was an entirely worthwhile deal.

Duke was clearly borrowing a hen to lay his own eggs. Hollywood had endless ways to deal with outside investors; if Nelson Peltz invested in Transformers 4, getting his initial capital back in the future wouldn't be a problem, but seeing any actual profit would be immensely difficult.

It could be said that both men had their own distinct calculations.

Having found common ground, the rest of the conversation flowed much more smoothly. Duke didn't discuss the specific details; Tina Fey would have someone handle all of that. Besides, Michael Bay had actually already locked Nicola Peltz in as the female lead right after her first audition. Nelson Peltz's investment and sponsorship contract were essentially being swindled out of him.

For this globally beloved film franchise, practically whoever played the female lead became an overnight sensation. After Duke and Michael Bay kicked Amber Heard out of the series, the casting choice for the new leading lady had become a massive focal point for the media and fans alike.

Originally, Duke hadn't planned on changing the female lead. It was just that despite being famous for so many years, Amber Heard still wasn't smart enough—especially when it came to keeping her mouth shut.