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And yet the star some of the films investors were most focused upon was Benedict Cumberbatch.
The actor had voiced an interest in playing Hugh, a writer friend of Thompsons character.
By October 2019, it became clear Cumberbatch couldnt make the timing work.
Shooting began at the beginning of November, and days in, the production still hadnt cast its Hugh.
One financier who had pledged 15 percent of the budget dropped out a week before principal photography began.
She was like, Should I call Chris Hemsworth?
Still, Bongiovi was moved; it was clear Thompson grasped the realities of how Hollywood works.
In an increasingly top-heavy industry, every non-franchise movie is a miracle.
Still, a decade in, every independent film they have backed has been a grind to get made.
The needle hasnt moved much, Bongiovi says.
Its a continual struggle.
Bongiovi and Whitaker met in 2009.
She never saw a Black parent, though.
When they get there, the parents face a wave of prejudice.
Her connections in the Chinese film industry helped land actress Maggie Cheung.
Then Bongiovi decided to take a swing: She made an offer to Whitakers agent.
Thinking back, Im like,Man, I was naive.
But I think that naivete took me far.
Whitaker read the screenplay and called Bongiovi.
Each night, they had dinner with her family and film-industry friends.
But to Whitaker, Bongiovis ability to organize a location-scouting trip from 6,000 miles away was striking.
I got a chance to get to know her as a person, Whitaker says.
When they returned, Bongiovi learned they were denied a permit to film in the country.
She was crushed and nervous about breaking the news to Whitaker.
I remember going to his office and telling him, Im so sorry I failed, Bongiovi says.
I thought,Thats the last Ill see of Forest.
But a few months later, he called again.
Hed signed a television deal with ABC, and he was starting a production company.
And he goes, I wanna know if you want to join me?
By that point, Whitaker had collected decades worth of Hollywood capital.
It was like, I usually dont do this.
I teach a lot of filmmakers and students, but something about Ryans really special.
Would you meet him?
His classmates had tapped their connections and landed summer internships, but he couldnt afford to work for free.
Bongiovi and Whitaker watched five of Cooglers short films.
Bongiovi and Whitaker invited Coogler back for a meeting at their offices by the Disney lot.
I pitched a few different projects, butFruitvaleStationwas the one that really stuck with Whitaker, Coogler says.
He was like, Id love to do it, right then and there.
But at the time, it was rare for studios to take a chance on an unknown Black director.
Add in thatFruitvalewas the story of a police killing in Oakland, and it was a nearly impossible pitch.
I dont know what would have happened with me if it hadnt been for that meeting, says Coogler.
Soon after Significant agreed to produce the film, Michael B. Jordan signed on to play the starring role.
A few financiers Bongiovi approached were still wary of the films prospects.
They told her and Whitaker that Jordan wasnt a star.
And everyone was like, Well, its different.
Patching together the production ofFruitvale Stationtook a series of hustles and favors.
They put up 80 percent of the budget.
Cooglers relationships throughout Oakland made finding filming locations possible.
Fruitvale Stationbrought in $17.4 million on a $900,000 budget.
It stars all these Black women!
They responded that it was different because Kevin Costner was in that film.
And youre just like,What?
So she met her for lunch.
More than that, she was impressed by how thoughtfully Hall talked through her own misgivings.
Partway through the meal, Hall reached across the table and handed Bongiovi a notebook.
Shed storyboarded the entire movie by hand, Bongiovi says.
Convinced, Bongiovi reached out to Chow and Shen at MNM Creative.
Significant had never lost its investors a dime, so they had faith in Whitaker and Bongiovis instincts.
Other financiers took more convincing.
Into the third week of filming, the Hugh role remained vacant.
The budgetary realities and tight timeline meant they would need an actor who lived in New York.
I immediately was like,How do I explain this to investors?
Its about constantly reinforcing that we are choosing the best artists for the role.
Theres no doubt having Cumberbatch in the trailer would have made Bongiovis role sellingPassingeasier.
Brad Pitts Plan B Entertainment has long leveraged Pitts star power to get films made.
Distributors weigh a films ability to perform internationally when calculating their purchase prices.
Black films dont travel because they have never been allowed to travel.
The institutional bias becomes part of the model.
Still, Bongiovi is wary.
She told me her agent called afterMinariwon Sundance 2020 to inform her that multi-cultural stories are a hit!
She worried the energy was performative.
No ones ever wanted to take a risk, Bongiovi says.
