Hollywood Enigma (Hollywood Name Game #5) - Alexa Aston Page 0,40

in less than a week.”

“I’m glad you asked.” Scarlett removed the treatment copies. “Read over this and see what you think.” This time, she walked the folders over to Mussfield.

He opened one. “A treatment for Carbon Man 4? We’ve got an entire completed screenplay that’s been cast. I don’t need this.” Angrily, he shut the folder.

“Read it,” she urged. “Let your casting director have a copy.” She looked around. “I wasn’t introduced to everyone. Is the director of the upcoming film present?”

Craig Cullen raised his hand. Scarlett made sure he got a copy.

“Give me the room,” growled Mussfield as he handed Princeton a folder.

Everyone pushed back in their chairs and began filing out.

“You two stay,” Mussfield commanded, pointing at Wynn and Scarlett. “And those who have the treatment.”

The room emptied and Wynn flicked his eyes from one to the other, trying to gauge the opinion of the four men reading the treatment. One by one, they closed their copies, a contemplative look on their faces.

“It’s fantastic,” Cullen said when everyone had finished. “Bloody fantastic. It makes the current screenplay look like gibberish.”

“Two advantages come to mind,” Scarlett said quickly. “One, if the current script needs work, this would give time for that. It could become Carbon Man 5.”

“I like that,” Cullen said. “Not throwing the baby out with the bath water.”

“We’d still have to get a new script based on this treatment written and cast,” the casting director said.

Mussfield sighed. “I see Cassie Corrigan and Breck O’Dell wrote this treatment. It’s good. Better than good.”

“They would certainly entertain the idea of writing the screenplay,” Scarlett said, sweetening the pot. “I spoke to Cassie before we arrived and she said she and Breck could be persuaded to clear their schedules to concentrate on Carbon Man 4.”

“Seriously?” Cullen asked. “Ed, come on. We’ve got to do this. Think of the bloody money we can make off it. It’s quality stuff. A real story. The public will come out in droves to see Wynn Gallagher’s last time as Carbon Man. Multiple times, most likely. This story’s got the depth the others have been missing. We can take this franchise in an entirely new direction.”

“With someone we’re paying a lot less, Ed,” chimed in Princeton. “We could cast Carbon Man as ten years younger in order to get more years in the franchise. While the script gets written, we can find our new Carbon Man. Groom him. Sign him to a multiple film deal.” He paused, looking at Wynn. “Much as I’m not in favor of releasing you, I think it’s a clever move. It gives both you and Rylon tons of free publicity. We’ll blow up the Internet. I guarantee you worldwide box office figures will be broken.”

Mussfield glanced at his team. “You’re sure this is the right move?”

“Absolutely,” Princeton said, showing he was firmly committed to the idea. “I can work on drawing up new contracts. Have them ready by tomorrow.” He looked to Scarlett. “Is that agreeable with you, Ms. Corrigan?”

Scarlett opened her briefcase a final time and extracted a notebook.

“I’ve taken care of the preliminaries, Mr. Princeton. Why don’t you look over this and let me know if it can stand as is or what adjustments you might want to make to the documents?”

“A little arrogant on your part, Ms. Corrigan,” Princeton said grudgingly.

She smiled. “I like to call it being prepared.”

Mussfield waved his hand. “Do whatever. Read through it. Draw it up. Let’s meet back here at ten tomorrow morning and finalize things.” He stood. “I only ask that you keep all of this quiet. The new contract. Wynn leaving the franchise. If this is going to have the desired effect, secrecy begins now.”

“Agreed,” she said. “It benefits us all to keep the proverbial cat in the bag. For now.”

“Give me the number of those writers,” Mussfield said to Scarlett.

“Give me your card and I’ll have them contact you.”

“Today,” the CEO barked.

“Of course. Gentlemen.”

Scarlett gathered her things and Wynn helped her from the chair. They left the conference room, very much the object of attention as they departed from the Rylon executive offices. In the distance, Wynn heard Mussfield hollering for everyone to return to the conference room. He assumed the studio exec would read the riot act to anyone who’d been present in order to maintain silence regarding the new Carbon Man project.

He punched the button and the elevator opened right away. No one was on it as they got on and he sent the carriage down. Halfway