Chapter Summaries

After waking in 1991 as USC directing student Steve Kevin, the former Chinese director Chen Daoxuan accepted Pera’s breakup and resolved to build a career through box-office success. He chose a low-budget horror film for his graduation project and settled on Saw, beginning work on an investment proposal.

• Pera broke up with Kevin, who unexpectedly agreed as Chen Daoxuan’s memories surfaced.
• Three days later, Steve Kevin sorted out his merged memories and told his roommate Mitt he was fine.
• Kevin asked Mitt to complete the graduation project with him, and Mitt agreed.
• Kevin decided to pursue box-office success by making a film rather than taking the usual gradual career path.
• Kevin chose Saw as his low-budget horror project and began preparing a proposal to attract investors.

Kevin visited his CAA agent, Dawson, to pitch his film project, Saw. Dawson saw promise in Kevin’s script and considered the opportunity it could bring them both.

• Kevin left school with a project proposal and traveled to the CAA building for his appointment.
• Kevin met with Dawson and handed him the Saw proposal, asking him to consider the project.
• Dawson read the script and noted that it followed Hollywood formatting standards.
• Dawson recognized potential in Jigsaw, whose trials gave selected victims a chance to survive and marked those who failed with puzzle-shaped pieces of skin.

Kevin and Dawson committed to finding backing for Kevin’s Saw project, while Kevin prepared to protect its rights. Dawson presented the proposal to CAA partner Michael Ovitz, who saw promise in the script and considered pairing Kevin with experienced production staff.

• Kevin planned to register the Saw script with the Writers Guild and the project with the Directors Guild to protect his rights.
• Kevin and Dawson shook hands and agreed to prepare for filming while Dawson sought investors.
• Dawson brought Kevin’s project proposal to a CAA meeting and asked the agency to help secure funding.
• Michael Ovitz read the proposal, recognized Jigsaw’s potential, and considered finding an experienced assistant director and producer for Kevin.

After completing his proposal for Saw, Kevin assembled a student film crew and went to meet potential investors. News that his film had attracted funding spread across campus, reaching his ex-girlfriend Pera.

• Ovitz praised Dawson’s proposal and asked the agency’s partners to seek similar projects from their director clients.
• Kevin worried about his student debt and recruited Mitt and other skilled students to help make Saw, planning to negotiate for control over the film.
• Dawson told Kevin that three film companies were interested in Saw and invited him to discuss the project with them.
• Mitt told five students in the cafeteria that Kevin had gone to meet investors, and they celebrated his opportunity.
• Pera heard that Kevin’s film had received funding and stiffened at the news.

Kevin met representatives from New Line Cinema, Big Jazz Film Company, and Great American Pictures to discuss funding for Saw. After presenting himself as a commercial director, he heard their similar budget offers and proposed an idea before negotiations advanced.

• Pera reassured herself that Kevin's first film would fail while Louis noticed her arm stiffen.
• Dawson told Kevin that New Line Cinema, Big Jazz Film Company, and Great American Pictures wanted to discuss Saw.
• Kevin met the three companies' representatives, and Dean from New Line Cinema asked why he had made the female lead an attractive type.
• Kevin said young people liked attractive women, convincing the representatives that he considered commercial audiences.
• The companies offered roughly the same $1.3 million production budget, including Kevin's $50,000 directing fee, and Kevin raised an idea about the deal.

Kevin negotiated a box-office wager with New Line Cinema for Saw, then began auditions for the film’s major roles. He recognized Salma Hayek’s potential when she arrived, but was left considering whether she would accept the film’s nudity requirements.

• Kevin agreed with Dean to receive no salary unless Saw earned more than $20 million, then a box-office share that rose by 1% for each additional $10 million, capped at 5%.
• Dawson and Dean finalized the agreement, and Dawson began arranging the crew and casting newcomers for Saw.
• After Saw was registered as a project, more than a hundred actors lined up to audition for roles in the low-budget horror film.
• Kevin reviewed the résumés and personally handled auditions for the film’s most important roles.
• Kevin recognized Salma Hayek’s Mexican acting awards and assessed her appeal, while wondering whether she would agree to show her nipples in the film.

Kevin auditioned actors for his film and found Salma Hayek suitable for the female lead, while no one fit Jigsaw until Dawson introduced him to Clark Gregg. Kevin decided Gregg could play Jigsaw, though Gregg did not know he had already been chosen.

• Kevin auditioned Salma Hayek, approved her for the female lead, and told her she would need to sign with his CAA agent if selected.
• Kevin found no suitable actor for Jigsaw and asked Dawson to loosen the age requirement.
• Dawson invited Kevin to meet his friend Clark Gregg, who was interested in playing Jigsaw.
• Kevin met Clark Gregg and decided he was right for Jigsaw, believing makeup could make him look older.

Kevin assembled the cast and crew for Saw, then directed the film through twenty-five days of shooting. After completing the final shot, he asked producer Mr. Kate how much money remained in the account.

• Kevin cast Clark Gregg as Jigsaw after Dawson recommended him.
• Kevin found locations and hired a prop company to create Saw’s torture devices while the assistant director organized the crew.
• On September 15, 1991, Kevin began filming Saw with New Line Cinema’s $1.3 million investment and an experienced producer overseeing the budget.
• Kevin and the cast filmed Saw over twenty-five days, with time reserved for reshoots.
• Kevin announced that filming was complete and asked Mr. Kate how much money remained in the account.

After wrapping the film, Kevin celebrated with the crew and delivered the footage to New Line Cinema, where he had priority editing rights. He spent the next day with Salma Hayek, leaving their relationship as a mutually chosen, casual encounter.

• Kevin announced a wrap party at the Hollywood Hotel and told the crew to celebrate without him while he delivered the footage.
• Kevin left the film reels at New Line Cinema and arranged to take a day off before joining the editing work.
• Kevin went to the party, relaxed with the crew, and woke the next morning beside Salma Hayek.
• Salma Hayek recalled how she and the half-drunk Kevin had ended up together after crew members helped her escort him to his room.
• Kevin and Salma Hayek spent the day together, and neither asked the other for anything.

Kevin completed editing Saw, a low-budget horror film, and screened it for New Line Cinema’s executives and evaluators. The evaluators praised the film and predicted it would become a landmark horror movie.

• Kevin spent eight days editing Saw with Tyn, making adjustments to match his vision and address common audience complaints.
• Kevin brought the completed film to New Line Cinema, where Shaye led him, Dean, and Dawson to an internal screening.
• The evaluators watched Saw and followed Adam and Gordon’s captivity, Gordon’s escape, and Jigsaw’s final revelation.
• The evaluators praised Kevin’s direction, the camerawork, and Jigsaw’s charisma, and agreed that Saw could become a classic horror film.

Shaye approved a major promotional campaign for Saw after screeners and his own viewing convinced him it could become a classic. Kevin then met Robert Downey Jr., who had guided him in his early career, and followed him into a bar.

• Shaye ordered three million dollars in advertising near colleges and arranged an advance screening for critics and traditional media.
• Kevin agreed to cooperate with Saw’s promotion and told Shaye to contact him or his agent, Dawson.
• After the others went to handle their own affairs, Kevin arrived on Broadway and recalled his difficult upbringing and education.
• Robert Downey Jr. greeted Kevin and dragged him to a nearby bar for a drink.
• Kevin remembered how Downey had helped him study acting and learn about directing and Hollywood, then disliked the chaotic bar as Downey moved through it comfortably.

Kevin told Donnie that his first movie was about to be released, then warned him to avoid addictive substances before joining him in a night of partying. At New Line Cinema’s advance screening, Kevin watched the critics’ reactions as Saw began, and their curiosity about Jigsaw suggested the film had captured their attention.

• Kevin told Donnie that his first movie was about to be released and urged him not to use addictive substances, but Donnie changed the subject and took him to meet women.
• Kevin spent several days partying before arriving at New Line Cinema for Saw’s advance screening.
• Shaye welcomed film critics and print media representatives, having spent heavily on public relations to encourage favorable coverage.
• Roger Ebert attended the screening and resolved to judge Saw honestly, whether his verdict was positive or negative.
• As Saw played, Kevin observed mixed reactions from the critics and media, who were curious about Jigsaw’s identity.

After a screening of Saw, Kevin explained Jigsaw’s purpose to Roger Ebert, who was impressed and planned to review the film. Kevin then agreed to promote Saw at colleges as Halloween approached, and the next day he read positive reviews in the newspaper.

• After the screening, Roger Ebert asked Kevin how he had created Jigsaw, and Kevin described the character as someone who punished people for failing to value life while giving them chances to change.
• Roger Ebert praised Kevin and decided to write a favorable review of Saw, while Dean expressed surprise at how warmly the critic treated him.
• Dean took Kevin to meet Shaye, who asked him to promote the film at major colleges ahead of Halloween, and Kevin agreed.
• Kevin and Shaye discussed the promotional plan, scheduling its first stop at a cinema near the University of Southern California.
• The next morning, Kevin read critics’ glowing reviews of Saw in a newspaper and reflected on how a film’s quality alone did not guarantee box-office success.

Kevin promoted Saw on Halloween Eve as the film prepared to open at midnight, relying on its strong reviews and publicity tied to The Silence of the Lambs. The story ended with college students Kyra and her boyfriend entering a theater, hoping the R-rated horror film would set the mood for intimacy.

• Kevin explained why Saw's promotion could benefit from The Silence of the Lambs' reputation and said he trusted Saw's quality.
• Salma Hayek read the positive reviews with Kevin and asked whether Saw would succeed.
• On Halloween Eve, Kevin promoted Saw to students at a mall plaza and noted that New Line Cinema had secured 800 screens near universities for three days.
• At midnight, theaters began screening Saw as Halloween crowds sought horror-film thrills.
• Kyra's boyfriend persuaded her to enter a theater to watch Saw, hoping the movie would bring them closer.

Saw earned $8.43 million on its first day, turning the low-budget film into a major success and prompting New Line Cinema and CAA to step up their support. Kevin agreed to attend Shaye’s party, while Dawson brought the news to Michael Ovitz.

• New Line Cinema staff calculated Saw’s first-day box office at $8.43 million across 800 screens.
• Shaye told Dean to invite Kevin to a Beverly Hills Hotel party and arrange talks about Kevin’s next film, then ordered $3 million more in promotion.
• Dean called Kevin with the results, and Kevin agreed to attend the party and continue promoting Saw.
• Kevin told Dawson the opening-day total, and Dawson decided to seek broader promotion through CAA.
• Dawson told Michael Ovitz about Saw’s $8.43 million opening, changing Ovitz’s plans.

After Saw’s successful opening, CAA arranged Tom Cruise’s public support for Kevin’s film, while Kevin considered how to use his growing reputation and future earnings. The chapter left Kevin planning to prove himself with another horror film before pursuing bigger projects like Mission: Impossible.

• Ovitz approved Dawson’s plan to have CAA clients publicly support Saw and raise Kevin’s standing.
• Tom Cruise praised Saw in the newspaper after his agent agreed that supporting a fellow CAA client made sense.
• Saw earned $12.13 million the following day, and Clark Gregg drew crowds at promotional events across the United States.
• Kevin realized CAA had likely arranged Cruise’s support and considered pursuing Mission: Impossible after Far and Away flopped.
• Kevin planned to direct another horror film before seeking larger investments and major stars, while his five percent box-office share promised a substantial payout.
• After the first week, Kevin stopped following Saw’s box-office news and left promotion and business matters to New Line Cinema and CAA.

After handling his graduation paperwork, Kevin rejected his ex-girlfriend Pera and checked into the Beverly Hotel while planning his next film. Meanwhile, Saw continued gaining influence and posted box-office results far beyond the original film’s.

• Kevin completed his graduation procedures and left campus after the teacher urged him not to rest on his first film’s success.
• Pera asked Kevin to get back together, but he refused and told her they were over.
• Kevin took a taxi to the Beverly Hotel and checked into room 1211.
• Kevin admired the Beverly Hills estates but decided to wait for a future financial crisis before buying property.
• Kevin considered his next film as Saw’s box office and influence continued to grow, with the film outperforming the original on Halloween in 1991.

After Saw’s box-office success made Kevin a sought-after director, Michael Ovitz and Shaye brought him to a Beverly Hills party where Hollywood’s powerful mingled. Kevin secured Shaye’s promise to pay his share before discussing another film, then explored the party and drew mockery from two models as he ate.

• Saw’s weekly box office reached $45.86 million, and film companies sought Kevin for their next projects.
• Michael Ovitz invited Kevin to a Beverly Hills party, and Kevin joined Ovitz and Shaye at the estate.
• Shaye asked about Kevin’s next film, and Kevin said they could discuss it after Saw left theaters and he received his share.
• Shaye agreed to have New Line Cinema’s finance department transfer Kevin’s share as soon as the box-office revenue was settled.
• Kevin wandered around the party, filled a tray with steak, and began eating while two models mocked him.

At a Hollywood party, Angelina Jolie approached Steve Kevin after learning he directed Saw, and the two agreed to continue their conversation privately. Harvey Weinstein interrupted them, introduced Miramax Films, and offered to help Kevin’s next film win an Academy Award.

• Angelina Jolie ignored her friends’ mockery and approached Steve Kevin, curious about his presence at the party.
• Steve Kevin revealed that he had directed Saw, prompting Angelina Jolie to praise the film and invite him to discuss it at a hotel.
• Steve Kevin accepted Angelina Jolie’s invitation.
• Harvey Weinstein recognized Kevin as the director of Saw and went over to meet him.
• Kevin dismissed Weinstein, who explained Miramax Films’ role in distributing art films and pursuing Academy Awards, then asked whether Kevin wanted his next film to win one.

Kevin rejected Harvey Weinstein’s Oscar-campaign pitch and warned Angelina Jolie about his broken promises. At a party, Kevin told Warner Bros. president Jeff Robinov that he would sell the rights to Saw and make a different horror film, prompting Robinov’s interest in the profitable franchise.

• Harvey Weinstein tried to persuade Kevin to let him run an Oscar campaign, but Kevin refused and Weinstein left angrily.
• Kevin told Angelina Jolie that Weinstein used awards promises to exploit young women, and Jolie stayed beside Kevin as his companion.
• Kevin turned away the female models and actresses who approached him, while Jolie blocked them.
• Ovitz introduced Kevin to Jeff Robinov, president of Warner Bros. Pictures, who praised Saw.
• Jeff Robinov asked about Kevin’s next project, and Kevin revealed he planned to sell the rights to Saw and make a different horror film.
• Jeff Robinov became eager to learn Kevin’s asking price for the Saw rights.