Chapter 233: Cash-Strapped King of the World

Words : 1065 Updated : Oct 12th, 2025

"Mr. White, there might be some issues with this budget," said Cameron, lacking confidence. He had already decided that if the boss disagreed, he would forgo part of his share. "Alright, I'll give you another three million. James, your financial management skills are problematic." "Okay, okay, don't get wound up. I've never doubted your integrity. By management, I mean cost control, though I admit that's a flaw of mine too." "Mr. White, every cent goes into the film." "As I said, I don't doubt you. Look, go find someone good at managing. I mean, the money isn't the issue; you need to leave room while shooting this film. In fact, I had this three million ready for a while now." "Don't worry, Mr. White. This film won't let you down." "Of course, if I didn't trust you, why would I give you the final cut?" Since the release of Heaven's Gate, Hollywood directors didn't have that privilege anymore. Sure, except for folks like Spielberg. But for someone like Cameron, considered a failing director, to have that right was unprecedented. He indeed needed to thank William White. "Let's go, Cameron. Show me the behind-the-scenes footage." "Sure thing, Mr. White. I'd love your feedback." "Haha, no need. This is your script; it has your unique touch. If I interfere, it loses meaning. James, I'm a film lover too, and I enjoy watching a good movie as much as anyone." Cameron couldn't argue further. William White's trust was genuine and clear. Cameron was aware of his own shortcomings, so when William mentioned his cost control weaknesses, Cameron couldn't refute. When a movie is funded by a single investor, you can always turn to them. But what if it's a crowdfunded film? How would you handle it? William White was well aware that films like Titanic almost wiped out half of Hollywood. Besides the lengthy shoot, the investment increased more than ten times. Eventually, all investors backed out, forcing Cameron to invest his own assets and even take loans from banks, just to barely finish it. No producer would favor such a director. If every film were made this way, movie companies would collapse constantly. Just think how many companies went bankrupt over a single film. Heaven's Gate was one, Cutthroat Island is one, and Windtalkers yet another. It seems that films with heavy themes often fail, potentially taking down their companies with them. Cameron went through the same ordeal while filming Avatar, funding it with his own money in the end. That's why when he stood on the Oscar stage and said, "I am the king of the world!" Some might think he was gloating, but he wasn't. Considering he had to fund two movies out of his own pocket, it leaves you speechless. If it weren't for utter despair, no film company would operate like this. It's impossible to be out of money. In a place as commercialized as Hollywood, how could you not find money? Those so-called giants had already given up. They had written off their previous dollar investments as worthless and didn't want to lose any more. By the time Avatar 2 rolled around, it's said only about thirty minutes had been filmed over several years. Haha, anyone daring to work with him needed a strong heart. "Well, I'm pleased, James. How much longer do you think it'll take?" "Mr. White, I fear we won't make next summer's release." "Tsk," William White was speechless. It seemed three million wasn't enough. "Well, do your best. Let's split the work. You focus on the film, and I'll handle the schedule and promotion. Just let me know when you're close to finish, and for any extra costs, come and apply." "Alright, I'll get it done." There wasn't much else to say about someone like him. He and George Lucas shared a similar mindset. Only obsessive directors like them could create films like Avatar. Creating a language for a film, although somewhat like Sanskrit, was simply a daunting task. ... While Cameron's film wasn't finished, William White's Rumble in the Bronx was close to wrapping up. If all else failed, he could push that for next summer. William White was troubled; Cameron had indeed posed a challenge. It simply wasn't feasible for him to start a new film now. Upon learning the schedule, Danny DeVito was excited. He wasn't about to settle for being a backup. If William White said summer, then it was summer. "Hey, Will, should we bump up the promo budget a tad?" "Danny, a bit more, but not too much. With an Asian lead, don't set your expectations too high." "Understood. There was only one Bruce Lee." "Haha, even if he were around today, the times have changed." Having settled these details, William White got busy. He couldn't delay any longer. Near year-end, Americans didn't like working. If things weren't completed on time, next year would be tight. This film required a lot of dubbing, and William White didn't want to turn it into a foreign language film. ... NBC didn't have the bandwidth for the Oscars; American Idol was nearing its finale. Ratings soared past fifty million. And mind you, it was still down to the last eight. By the final showdown, a sixty million viewership was definitely within reach. Not much could be said about other TV media. Even Nielsen, responsible for rating services, was baffled. They couldn't fathom why a music talent show commanded such attention. After all, who can't sing? Sure, people can sing, but were their shows grabbing any attention? The ratings differ. Today's singing competitions aren't rare. In terms of singing levels, American Idol contestants were miles ahead. The American Idol contestants were an eclectic bunch: teachers, chefs, sales clerks. Seriously, what are they trying to do? With such a mix of people still managing to sing well, many were keen to know if that million-dollar contract would actually be signed. Many realized American Idol wasn't about vocal techniques but more of a cultural sentiment, something ordinary folks couldn't quite grasp. ***** https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.

Chapter 233: Cash-Strapped King of the World

Comments (0)