Here is a tale we can all learn from as actors, directors, writers and ilk. Hold out for the best deal you can get, talk it over with your client, then you will get the deal you want and the client will get the deal he wants. Everybody will be happy.

Washington attached himself to Unstoppable last April to reteam with Tony Scott and play a veteran engineer who jumps into a locomotive with a young conductor (Chris Pine of Star Trek) to stop an unmanned runaway train loaded with toxic cargo, apparently this story is based on true events.

As the tale goes, Fox insisted that the budget be brought close to $90 million, which required special salary considerations from the director and star. Rumor mill said the studio asked Scott and Washington to shave $3 million and $4 million off their respective salaries. Washington declined and his WME agent Ed Limato began looking for other film jobs for his star’s fall slot.

As the journey goes Washington went with Scott to promote The Taking of Pelham 123 in Europe, the actor took a fresh draft of the script with him. As he and Scott kept talking, Fox and Washington’s WME reps found some common  ground to make a deal. Both parties found ways to be accommodating.

As a result, Fox has salvaged the fall start date on a priority film that the studio has invested years developing and, obviously, Washington likes the script and wants to do the film. Pre-production is under way in Pittsburgh and by fall the cameras will be rolling on the train track. – a happy ending for all.

(Source)