Chapter 29: The Distribution Deal
Seated in the back corner on the right, Wayne waited patiently as the screening was about to begin. They were in a small private theater on the sixth floor of the Fox building, having arrived promptly at 8 a.m. along with Luke and Jimmy.
Terry had brought them here—a small screening room with barely a dozen seats—and asked them to wait quietly. The screening was scheduled for 9 a.m.
Wayne checked his watch. Nine o'clock sharp.
Yet apart from himself, Luke, Jimmy, and a projectionist prepping the equipment, the room remained completely empty.
He suppressed his excitement and restlessness. There was nothing he could do now except wait silently in the back. Luke was visibly even more anxious, his fingers tapping nonstop on the metal case holding the film reels.
Just as Wayne was about to say something to Jimmy to break the tension, the door creaked open. Terry stepped in first, followed by a striking middle-aged Latina woman in a sleek business suit, her skin a rich cocoa brown.
Behind her came a man—clearly of Jewish descent—who walked straight to the front row and sat beside the woman, whispering something in her ear.
Terry motioned for Wayne's group to remain quiet, closed the door, and signaled for the projection to begin.
Wayne nodded to Luke, who handed the reel case to the technician and helped load the film. As the lights dimmed, silence blanketed the room, and the movie began.
Wayne focused on the middle-aged man in the front row. He was certain this was the key decision-maker—the one who would determine the fate of Happy Death Day. Whether Fox picked it up for distribution or told them to take a hike, it all rested on this man's verdict.
Beside him, Yuliana Avdeeva—an elite acquisition analyst for Twentieth Century Fox—was trying to hide her growing impatience. It wasn't aimed at Rossman, her long-time ally in the company, but at the film itself.
Yuliana had known this was a favor-screening from the moment she stepped in. She'd even checked with Terry and was convinced this would be a complete waste of time. A film by a twenty-year-old rookie? She had no expectations. In her view, movies like this weren't worth the attention of someone with her industry experience.
Even as she stared at the screen, her thoughts lingered on Rossman beside her.
Who on earth could've convinced him to personally show up for this?
But just a few minutes into the film… everything changed.
The movie opened with the brash female lead waking up next to a man she didn't remember, spitting sarcasm, roasting classmates she'd once hooked up with. On its own, that wouldn't have caught Yuliana's attention.
But the narrative accelerated.
The protagonist was suddenly and violently murdered—
Then, without missing a beat, she woke up again—in the same bed, on the same day.
That twist made Yuliana sit up straighter. She reached for her notepad and fixed her gaze on the screen.
"Potential?" Rossman whispered beside her.
She nodded slightly, murmuring back, "Some potential. This isn't a traditional horror flick. Let's keep watching."
The screening continued in complete silence.
Ninety minutes passed, and Wayne could tell—the two people in the front row were hooked.
When the lights came up, Luke began packing up the film reels while Wayne kept an eye on the two executives whispering to each other. Their conversation was hushed, and Wayne didn't dare interrupt.
Terry returned and gestured for Wayne's group to follow him out.
"You can head downstairs and take a break," he said. "Let's meet again after lunch to discuss the distribution deal. We'll need a bit of time to talk it through."
"Of course," Jimmy answered quickly. "We'll be in the downstairs lounge. Feel free to grab us anytime."
Back in the distribution office, Yuliana was already sharing her analysis with Rossman.
"Of course, you saw the other selling points," she said. "But what really surprised me was the core of this movie. Beneath the dark, cynical tone is something I didn't expect. Let me share what I felt after watching it."
"First of all, this film deliberately subverts expectations. It doesn't glorify the protagonist's bad behavior—it condemns it. All those hidden 'evil' choices are shown to have consequences. The message is clear: only someone who sincerely seeks to change—who truly wants to be better—can break the cycle and find a way forward. In the end, it's a story of light overcoming darkness, that no matter how far someone falls, there's always a way back if they try."
"It's a classic moral—maybe even cliché. But clichés exist for a reason. They've always resonated most with audiences."
"Now, yes, the director's inexperience shows. Especially in the comic relief scenes meant to lighten the mood—it's obvious he's not skilled at those yet. But those flaws don't hurt the story's core at all."
"Yuliana, that's a strong endorsement," Rossman nodded after listening to her feedback. Then, turning to Terry who had just entered, he instructed, "Handle marketing as you would for a Category C foreign import."
"Understood, Mr. Rossman," Terry replied, then asked, "What kind of distribution deal should we sign with him? Full buyout?"
"Buy out the North American rights. You handle the negotiation. Get the film rated as soon as possible. Skip the media screening—go straight to limited release."
"No problem. I'll inform them right away."
Terry closed the office door behind him and headed downstairs to notify Wayne that it was time to begin formal talks on distribution.
As soon as they heard the news, the trio visibly relaxed. Climbing the stairs again, Luke couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "This time, please let there be no surprises."
Back in the same meeting room as yesterday, they sat across from Terry once more.
"Director Garfield, first things first: if you want Fox to distribute your film, a North American rights buyout is non-negotiable."
Terry looked across the table at the young director, still finding it hard to believe that someone his age had pulled off a legitimate theatrical release.
Wayne didn't hesitate for even a second. "Of course, I'm fine with a buyout—as long as the price is right."
"Looks like we're already on the same page, Director Garfield. Now let's talk numbers. Trust me, Fox has an entire department dedicated to market evaluation—throwing out some outrageous figure won't get you anywhere."
"Four million dollars for a full buyout of North American rights—including distribution, merchandising, VHS, the works. I believe that's a fair price. Happy Death Day is going to bring Fox solid returns."
That was Wayne's ideal number. Considering the film's potential, it wasn't excessive at all.
Terry went quiet for a moment, thinking it over. He knew a bit more than most about what was happening behind the scenes with this movie, so he didn't bother negotiating down.
"Alright. Four million it is. We'll buy out the North American rights. Have your lawyer come to Fox tomorrow to iron out the details."
"Perfect. That's all for today, then. I'll head back and prep. I'll bring my lawyer with me tomorrow."
Wayne did his best to keep his voice calm, to suppress the euphoria bubbling inside him.
On the walk from the Fox building to the parking lot, the three of them exchanged glances in an atmosphere that felt tense with disbelief.
It wasn't until they were all in the car that Luke finally broke the silence.
"That's it? That's all it took? Goddamn, we actually pulled it off that easily?!"
Wayne didn't bother hiding his excitement anymore. He slapped Luke on the shoulder and shouted, "Yes! Luke, yes! We did it! We're getting this damn movie into theaters. It's happening!"
Luke returned the gesture, grinning wildly. "And there's no one left to screw it up this time. Hell yeah—we're actually going to make it!"
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Less than a week later, with the help of a lawyer, Wayne signed the official distribution deal with 20th Century Fox on behalf of Garfield Studios.
Fox acquired the full North American rights to Happy Death Day for $4 million—including distribution, home video, merchandising, and TV rights.
Garfield Studios retained the rights to sequels and international distribution, with Fox granted right of first refusal on any future development or foreign licensing.
The contract also required that all lead cast members—Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, and Naomi Watts—along with director Wayne Garfield, fully cooperate with Fox's promotional campaign during the theatrical release.
Just one day after the contract was signed, Wayne received the film's official release strategy from Fox.
It was sobering.
Wayne had allowed himself to dream of a wide opening—1,000 or even 2,000 theaters across North America. But once he saw the plan, he realized that had been wishful thinking.
Fox was taking a cautious approach. They wouldn't risk a large-scale marketing push until they saw how the film performed.
Even in 1991, making film prints was expensive.
Luke had just paid around $800 per copy for two reels. Even a major studio working with partnered labs would only save so much—the cost per 35mm copy still averaged around $600.
And for 2,000 theaters, that would amount to over a million dollars.
Fox wasn't going to drop that kind of cash unless the movie proved it could succeed.
Hollywood studios might be masters of spin, smoke, and mirrors—but charity wasn't in their playbook.
If the film didn't show early promise, Fox wouldn't spend a dime beyond the essentials.
The strategy: start small.
The movie would debut in twenty theaters around Los Angeles and New York through limited screenings. Fox would assign observers to gauge audience reaction and local box office performance.
If reviews and word-of-mouth were strong, and single-location ticket sales looked promising, Fox had the resources and flexibility to mass-produce additional prints and roll the film out nationwide—fast.
This was a common strategy when studios distributed low-budget films.
If the film took off, they'd rake in box office profits.
If it tanked, they'd lose virtually nothing on their initial investment.
That was the unspoken truth of the industry.
Even if the movie flopped in theaters, Fox could still recover its investment—and then some—through home video and TV licensing.