[Idiom] Movie dialogue phrase

[Joejoe]

Hello,

Can you please explain the following phrase (highlited blue), said by Nicholas Cage in the movie "Adaptation? I'm so curious what it means and need to translate it into Polish. One of the characters has just wrote an amazing book and has a chance to publish it. So here it goes:

- Listen, I'm just calling to say congratulations on your script.


- Isn't that cool? Marty says he can get me high-sixes against a mil-five.

Is it about money?

I would appreciate any ideas.

 

[emsr2d2]

Yes, it's about money. Can you work out the amounts it might refer to?

 

[Joejoe]

The amount isn't mentioned but it's known from the context it's about a huge amount of money.

"High-sixes" refers to a six-digit figure, I guess
But what is "mil-five" then? Million? Five million? And why the word "against"? In the movie scene it's all about his book, no one else's. He says that his book's been accepted enthusiastically and will let him earn a lot of money.

I've come across this expression for the first time. I'm not a native English speaker.

 

[emsr2d2]

I agree with you about "high sixes" being a six-digit figure but towards the higher regions, maybe £800,000 or £900,000. I think "mil-five" is probably a million and a half - £1,500,000. (I have used pounds sterling (£) but it is actually more likely to be dollars.)

 

[Joejoe]

Yes, it makes sense, I didn't think about it this way.

Thanks a lot!