Echoes of Hollywood

The weekend flew by, and on Monday morning, Jordan Belfort, who had been closely monitoring the box office performance of "The Wolf of Wall Street," welcomed a newly hired lawyer familiar with Hollywood and the entertainment industry to his home.

The film's eye-popping box office numbers were enough to make him salivate. Even though all the income he might get would have to go towards paying off court-ordered debts, he could still clear a significant portion. If he managed to secure more money, he might even be able to buy a new house and move out of this suffocating small three-bedroom apartment.

But he knew it wouldn't be easy, which is why he had hired a professional lawyer.

Taking the contract from Jordan Belfort, the lawyer carefully read through it, section by section. After a long while, he finally said, "Mr. Belfort, to be frank, it won't be easy to get more income from 'The Wolf of Wall Street.'"

Jordan Belfort jumped up, "But that's my due! 'The Wolf of Wall Street' made nearly $40 million last weekend, and its North American box office has already reached $142.75 million! I deserve to get more income!"

"I need to remind you, Mr. Belfort," the lawyer said professionally, "the contract you signed for the rights transfer does not include any royalties. The $3 million you received was a one-time buyout, meaning that any subsequent earnings from the film have nothing to do with you."

"I was deceived!" Jordan Belfort exclaimed anxiously, "I was tricked by that shameless Murphy Stanton. He promised me that I would participate in the screenplay, and screenwriters get royalties..."

The lawyer spread his hands, "There are no such clauses in the contract."

"Those were verbal promises!" Jordan Belfort emphasized, "Verbal promises!"

The lawyer said nothing more, but his face showed that he didn't quite believe Jordan Belfort. He had always worked in the Hollywood industry and knew that Murphy Stanton had a very good reputation in this regard, always following the unwritten rule of 'payment for work done.' In contrast, the infamous man in front of him was a standard conman.

If it weren't for the fact that Jordan Belfort was offering a very generous lawyer's fee and that this case had some operable space according to industry practice, he wouldn't have taken it on.

Jordan Belfort, knowing the lawyer's thoughts, nearly fumed with anger.

"Am I a conman, huh?" he raised his voice, "How much did I scam? Look at Murphy Stanton. 'Man of Steel' swindled over $200 million in personal royalties from the audience, and 'Inglourious Basterds' made over $100 million, right? He's the real fraudster. Compared to him, I'm insignificant."

"Indeed, insignificant."

The thought flashed through the lawyer's mind. Although he didn't say it out loud, he still added, "In any case, these are legal incomes."

Hearing this, Jordan Belfort got angry, "Are you my lawyer or Murphy Stanton's lawyer?"

"I'm just discussing the matter as it stands," the lawyer said calmly.

"You..." Jordan Belfort raised a hand, pointing at the lawyer, about to say something but was cut off.

"Mr. Belfort, let's focus on the matter at hand."

Jordan Belfort swallowed his words and sat back down on the couch, saying, "Fine, I don't want any royalties! But Murphy Stanton and 'The Wolf of Wall Street' infringed on my legal rights."

The lawyer took out a pen and notebook, asking, "What exactly?"

"The final scenes!" Jordan Belfort emphasized, "They're not in line with my autobiography. And I've reformed, but he still portrayed me as a conman! This damaged my reputation. I can totally sue him!"

"You certainly have that right."

The lawyer reminded him, "But Mr. Belfort, the U.S. entertainment law clearly states that the facts on which the film is based do not fall under the protection of copyright or trademark law. The person involved does not have rights to the facts they experienced. No law explicitly states that a movie based on real events needs the authorization of the person involved."

"What?" Jordan Belfort, not knowing this before, exclaimed in shock, "How can that be! Murphy Stanton clearly infringed on my legal rights. Can't I pursue it?"

"Filmmaking is the freedom of Hollywood and production companies, provided they don't infringe on individuals' legal rights."

Hearing this, Jordan Belfort relaxed a bit, thinking this would work in his favor.

But the lawyer continued, "The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides for this. Movies, as a form of speech, are naturally protected by it. If a movie's material comes from public records, such as news reports, public information, official records, etc., its creation is not restricted. Moreover, if a movie gets authorization from the journalists who reported the matter, it also holds legitimate copyright."

Jordan Belfort's just relaxed face immediately tensed up again.

The lawyer didn't stop, continuing, "From what I've gathered, Murphy Stanton collected enough material about you to prove the movie's storyline. The final part not only had authorization from the journalists and newspapers but also got support from the courts. If you try to sue him on these grounds, the chances of winning are very slim. Not only will you not get money, but you might also lose a lot in legal fees."

This wasn't the era when Jordan Belfort rampaged, nor was it the financial industry he was familiar with. He didn't have any backing from interest groups.

Thinking for a while, Jordan Belfort gradually calmed down and coldly said, "So, there's no way I can deal with that shameless conman Murphy Stanton?"

"That's exactly the service I can provide." The lawyer said confidently, "Mr. Belfort, that's why you hired me, isn't it?"

Jordan Belfort remained silent for a long time, then lightly nodded, "What's your plan?"

The lawyer explained slowly, "We will still sue Murphy Stanton and the film 'The Wolf of Wall Street' for infringing on your legal rights, demanding an apology and compensation."

"Hmm?" Jordan Belfort, not understanding much about Hollywood, couldn't grasp the lawyer's intention, so he asked, "Didn't you just refuse my previous suggestion?"

"Because you want to sue for the sake of suing. I don't."

The lawyer, seeing that this former Wall Street wolf was out of touch, had to explain, "Our goal with the lawsuit is to force Murphy Stanton to make concessions and settle out of court, paying you some compensation."

Jordan Belfort's eyes widened, "Is that possible?"

"Of course." The lawyer nodded vigorously, "In recent years, lawsuits against Hollywood directors and producers for infringement have been increasing. Many directors have faced true or false infringement lawsuits. But after researching most of the cases, I found a common thread."

"What common thread?" Jordan Belfort said through gritted teeth, "Are there other shameless scoundrels in Hollywood like Murphy Stanton?"

The lawyer glanced at Jordan Belfort. Murphy Stanton wasn't a saint, but in terms of reputation, he far surpassed this outdated man.

However, being a professional lawyer, he ignored Jordan Belfort's remarks and continued, "In the cases I studied, more than ninety-nine percent of the people and companies chose to settle out of court."

Jordan Belfort asked, "Why?"

The lawyer explained again, "These plaintiffs reasonably control their greed, capping their compensation demands at a certain amount. As a result, compared to the cost of an out-of-court settlement, the time and expenses involved in a lawsuit are much higher for the production company."

"So..." Jordan Belfort understood, "If we sue, Murphy Stanton is very likely to choose to settle out of court to save time and costs?"

The lawyer said confidently, "The chances exceed eighty percent. A big director's time is precious, and they want to compete for the Oscars. Even just for a nomination, they might compromise with us."

Eighty percent?

Hearing this number, Jordan Belfort walked a few steps. Eighty percent was an exceptionally high probability.

"Are you sure?" he asked again.

"Very sure!" The lawyer analyzed, "Murphy Stanton's work schedule typically involves starting the preparation of a new project soon after a film's release. His time is very valuable..."

He glanced at Jordan Belfort again but didn't say, "Murphy Stanton certainly wouldn't waste time on a small fry like you."

"Alright!" Jordan Belfort, in dire need of money, quickly made up his mind, "Let's do it."

"One thing I need to state upfront, Mr. Belfort," the lawyer suddenly said, "I know Murphy Stanton's lawyer Robert personally and can communicate with him privately. So, whatever compensation amount we get from the settlement, fifty percent will be my fee."

"That's impossible!" Jordan Belfort rejected without thinking, "I've already paid you a large lawyer's fee."

The lawyer shook his head, "Let's put it this way: my private communication with Lawyer Robert is key. If you think you can find another lawyer to do this, please feel free."

As he spoke, he packed up his briefcase and was about to leave.

Jordan Belfort hurriedly raised a hand to stop him, "Can you give me some time to think about it?"

"Of course." The lawyer smiled, "Please be quick. Time is precious!"

"No later than tomorrow night," Jordan Belfort said.

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