Chapter 28: The Pie Fell from the Sky
20th Century Fox—undoubtedly one of the most prominent film and television production and distribution companies in the United States. Its headquarters sat in Century City, just west of Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, California.
Founded in May 1935, the studio had long been a titan of Hollywood. Since its acquisition by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, it had built a vertically integrated empire that encompassed nearly every aspect of the media industry.
Inside his F-150 pickup truck en route to Century City, Wayne's mind was racing, sifting through everything he knew about this cinematic giant. Back when he was just a projectionist on the other side of the Pacific, countless Fox-distributed films had passed through his hands and lit up his screens.
Later, when health problems forced him into bed rest, he had still caught wind of the seismic shift in the industry—the shocking news of Disney's acquisition of Fox.
On December 14, 2017, Disney announced its acquisition of significant portions of 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion in stock.
Then came a twist: on June 13 of the following year, Comcast, the largest cable operator in the U.S., made a counter-offer—$65 billion in cash—setting off a fierce bidding war.
It was a cash offer, no less.
Not to be outdone, Disney raised its bid to $71.3 billion, forcing Comcast to withdraw on July 19. Fox's board was more than satisfied with the offer—after all, it was a number too good to refuse. The deal formally entered the final stages.
The truth was, it wasn't just Fox that had something to gain. Disney saw incredible value in the deal as well. It was a classic win-win, one that helped shape Disney into the undisputed king of global media. Fox's assets were the perfect puzzle piece.
What Fox had, Disney sorely lacked. Just the value of its vast library of copyrights and future licensing revenue made it an irresistible prize.
Among Hollywood's "Big Six," Fox had the most diverse distribution slate: sci-fi (Avatar), romance (Titanic), horror (Alien), comedy (Home Alone), animation (Ice Age)—they had no weak points.
Fox even held the rights to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, along with all subsequent distribution rights. And Disney, already the owner of Lucasfilm, practically turned the Star Wars franchise into a minting machine with every new installment.
As Wayne parked in the building's underground garage, he looked up at the towering structure overhead. Somewhere in his gut, he felt it—this could be the true beginning of his Hollywood journey.
Outside the lobby, in the waiting area near the entrance, Jimmy was pacing nervously. When he saw Wayne arrive, he finally let out a breath of relief. Jimmy didn't know how Wayne had managed to get Fox's attention—but whatever the method, this was a major breakthrough.
"Hey, Ms. Watts," Jimmy greeted Naomi first before turning to Wayne. "Wayne, who contacted you at Fox? Are you sure this isn't some kind of prank?"
Frankly, Wayne didn't blame him for being skeptical—he was still trying to make sense of it himself.
"I got the call at home," Wayne replied. "We'll know more once we're inside. Honestly, I don't even know how they found me."
As they approached the reception desk, a man in his early thirties stood up from a nearby couch and walked straight toward them. He gave them a quick once-over before stopping in front of Wayne.
"Director Garfield? Hello, I'm Terry—the one who contacted you."
Terry extended his hand, and Wayne quickly shook it. "Nice to meet you. I'm Wayne Garfield. You can just call me Wayne."
"Great, Wayne. Let's head upstairs and talk."
He turned and led them into the elevator. Behind them, Jimmy gave Wayne an increasingly puzzled look. Getting picked up in person by someone from Fox's distribution division? What the hell was going on here? Had they been wrong about the "Hollywood bullies" all along?
Still puzzled and uneasy, the three of them followed Terry up to the sixth floor and into a small conference room.
Once seated, Terry got straight to the point.
"Director Garfield, we brought you in today because we'd like to hear your thoughts. What are your expectations for distributing your film?"
Wayne blinked, caught off guard. "You don't want to see the film first?"
"If possible," he continued, "I'd like to sign a distribution deal with you and go the traditional theatrical release route."
That had always been his strategy: aim high and negotiate from there. He didn't know why Fox had reached out to him, but he sure as hell wasn't naïve enough to believe in miracles.
Terry nodded. "There will be an internal screening soon. You'll need to prepare a film print and all relevant materials. We can arrange it as early as tomorrow."
Wayne considered Terry's words. The more Terry talked, the more confused Wayne became. No one was negotiating terms. He had braced himself for pushback—maybe even ridicule, or a rock-bottom offer. Instead, the entire conversation felt like punching air.
"Alright," Wayne finally said. "I'll bring the print tomorrow. But… what about the actual distribution discussion?"
"We'll handle that after the internal screening," Terry replied. "Once we've seen the final product, we can tailor the distribution strategy accordingly."
With that, he stood up again and extended his hand. Wayne stood and shook it once more, feeling the surreal nature of the moment settle in.
And just like that, the meeting was over.
The three of them walked into the Fox building dazed—and stumbled out of it just as confused. It wasn't until they were back in the car that Naomi suddenly let out a scream:
"Ahhh! Wayne, did you hear that?! They want to distribute our film! My God, 20th Century Fox is going to distribute our film!"
Her voice snapped both Jimmy and Wayne back to reality. They exchanged puzzled glances, both silently acknowledging one thing—
Something wasn't right.
This wasn't normal. It didn't make sense.
"Jimmy, do you really think the film I shot is somehow famous enough for Fox to come looking for me? Or am I still dreaming?" Wayne asked as he started the car, almost beginning to suspect he was hallucinating.
Jimmy frowned. "No way. Who do you think you are? Be realistic—even if you showed up with the film and paid them to look at it, the big studios usually wouldn't even bother."
"Exactly. It makes no sense," Wayne muttered as he pulled into the parking lot. "So, what do we do? Just show up tomorrow with the print?"
"Of course. No matter what, this is a huge opportunity." Jimmy slapped the seat emphatically. "We don't have a choice. Once they see the film and we start talking distribution, we'll figure out what's going on."
At that very moment, on the sixth floor of the Fox building, in another office, a man in his fifties—Jewish-American—stood by the window, watching their car drive away.
"Terry, I'll be attending tomorrow's screening. Bring Yuliana along. Just the three of us. Set it up in advance."
"Yes, Mr. Rossman."
Yuliana Avdeeva—one of Fox's top film evaluators—was someone whose opinion carried real weight in deciding which films the company acquired or distributed. She was a true insider: not only did she screen massive volumes of content regularly, but she also had an exceptional ability to spot market potential.
More importantly, Yuliana had always been a staunch supporter of Rossman within the company, and they maintained a close working relationship. Her edge came not from some lofty critic's perspective, but from her razor-sharp understanding of what the market actually wanted.
After the Terry had left, Rossman had hesitated. Frankly, this was just a small, courtesy screening for a first-time twenty-something director. There should've been no need to involve someone of Yuliana Avdeeva's caliber.
But what changed his mind was what Terry had uncovered: Harvey Weinstein—that infamous bloodsucker—had taken a strong interest in this film.
That, Rossman thought, was worth a closer look.
He was curious to see what kind of movie a not-even-graduated kid could've made to catch the attention of that fat vulture.
To Rossman, tomorrow's screening was supposed to be a polite formality—check a box, do a favor, maybe throw the film into a few cinemas. His calendar was packed, and he had little interest in low-budget indie projects.
But with Terry's report and Harvey's involvement… suddenly, it felt like it might be more than just a favor.
---
Back at Wayne's apartment, Luke had just arrived and was now sitting in disbelief after hearing the story from Jimmy. None of it made sense. But they didn't have time to unravel mysteries—tomorrow's screening demanded their full attention.
"Luke, double-check the film reels. Make sure nothing goes wrong. First thing tomorrow morning, go over everything again," Wayne said, already mentally preparing for the day ahead. He knew there was no room for mistakes.
"Don't worry," Luke replied with full confidence. "There won't be any accidents."
Honestly, he had already been planning to look for a new job. But now—this film had a second chance.
After the logistics were sorted, Jimmy finally spoke up. "Wayne, you need to prepare for the real question—how do you plan to negotiate the distribution contract?"
Wayne gave him a helpless look. "Do you really think we're in a position to bargain? Don't be naïve, Jimmy. Let's just see what they say after the screening."
"I've said this before," Wayne added with a wry smile. "As long as they agree to distribute it, I'd be willing to sell it outright, even at a loss. My bottom line is way lower than you think."
Naomi chimed in, "But what if Fox agrees to distribute it under standard terms?"
Wayne gave her a look. "Naomi, I wasn't born yesterday. For a Fox executive to accept the kind of dream terms I threw out… they'd have to be completely brain-dead."
That was his usual tactic in negotiations—ask for the moon, then see where the other party really stood.
"Alright," Jimmy clapped his hands to bring the group's attention back. "No matter what, we set all these questions aside for now and focus everything on tomorrow's screening."
"Wayne," he added with a grin, "even if this pie falling from the sky turns out to be wrapped around a live bomb…
Would you really be able to resist taking a bite?"
Everyone turned to look at Wayne.
Jimmy shrugged. "I'm heading back. Gonna ask around at the office while it's still work hours. See you tomorrow—8 a.m., front entrance of the Fox building."