Chapter 1419 Ah Fei (1/2)
Filming of The Fury had already begun and Pitt couldn't wait to see the Tiger Tank come out.
As one of the World War II most powerful war machines, the Tiger Tank served as the film's authenticity evidence, and many World War II and military aficionados went to theaters just to see it.
Therefore, from the beginning of filming, Pitt and the crew wanted to find a working Tiger Tank.
It was a job for the crew and the producers, and it was not supposed to be Pitt's mission, but it was anything but easy. The world's only working Tiger Tank was at the Bovington tank museum in England, and it was hard to get hold of a tank like this.
When approached, the Bovington tank museum opened a series of harsh conditions. The crew could not afford the price they asked, both sides have been in negotiations.
Then last month accidentally, Pitt found out Li Du had a functioning Tiger Tank. He seized the opportunity and hurriedly got in contact with Li Du.
Now, seeing the beast of steel galloping across the screen, Pitt laughed happily and said that his hard work would pay off. As soon as the tank arrived, the film's most important final battle could be filmed.
The cast were the ones who rented the tank. Pitt came forward to seek communication, and the cast thought that his reputation could be used. They investigated the identity of Li Du and knew that money alone wouldn't tempt him, so they decided to let Pitt deal with this matter.
Li Du talked easily, admitting he was not fascinated by the weapons of world war II. The purpose of agreeing to lease the Tiger Tank was to make money since the crew renting the tank can make him money, so he will rent it out.
Pitt showed the conditions given by the crew: the rental cost would be $100,000 per day during the use of the tank, the crew would be responsible for the maintenance of the tank for six months later, and during that period, if there were any problems, the crew would be following the agreement for high compensation.
There were several other conditions, but they were minor issues, such as giving Li Du some tickets for the premiere, inviting him to the premiere, being able to check on the tank at any time, etc.
Li Du looked at the contract and said, ”It should also be noted that you are responsible for the transportation of the tank.”
”Haven't the tank arrived in Los Angeles yet?” asked Pitt.
Li Du shook his head. ”Is the tank even allowed in Los Angeles? It's still in Phoenix, and I haven't found the right place to live here yet, so I couldn't bring it in.”
The assistant leaned over to Pitt and whispered something.
Pitt smiled and said, ”Well, Mr. Li, if you haven't found a place to live, I can recommend you some nice houses. They are all manor houses with large lots. I think this would be most suitable for you since you have so many pets.”
Li Du has been looking for a house recently but found nothing that was right for him.
There were many villas in Los Angeles, but they were not practical enough for him. The manor houses that Pitt mentioned sounded fine.
With the cost of transportation, Li Du accepted the lease agreement.
Pitt was exulted. He did not expect Li Du to be so easy to deal with, mainly because the negotiations with the Bavington tank museum were too difficult, like diplomatic contention.
Mr. Li faxed the contract to Mr. Neuberger, his private lawyer, who quickly called him. ”The contract is fine, but you'll notice there's a catch. They said that the rental price for the tank is 100,000 USD per day when in use, not during the leasing period.”
Li Du noticed this and wondered how the other side could pay the price of 100,000 USD during the lease period of the tank. They would lease the tank for at least one or two months, which would amount to millions of dollars. The crew was not rich and stupid.
However, Pitt told him that they expected the tank to be on the set for four or five days, which meant that Li Du could earn $400,000 or $500,000. That was a lot of money.
The cost of making a movie was obvious. It costs them so much just to rent a tank!
What Li Du didn't know was that it wasn't a lot of money for the crew. The Bavington tank museum was offering a much higher fee. Once the tank lefts the museum, they would have to pay, even when they didn't use it, will have to pay 20,000 USD.
The contract was signed and Pitt invited them to have lunch.