I’m in Hollywood - Chapter 705
[Chapter six hundred and ninety-eight]
The four people sat around a round table, and Coppola said to Eric and Katherine: “That’s it, Tyron has been preparing a World War II movie based on James Jones’ novel for years, and the script has already been written. Well, I just couldn’t find a suitable director, because I filmed “Apocalypse Now” and he wanted me to direct it, but I don’t have enough energy to deal with this kind of war-themed film now. I have seen “Saving the Privates”. After Ryan, Tyron thought maybe Ms. Bigelow could give it a try.”
Eric and Catherine are no strangers to James Jones, who was once another classic film about the D-Day invasion of Normandy, “The Best” The screenwriter of “A Long Day”, in order to prepare for “Saving Private Ryan”, the two also found this film together to watch.
Hearing what Coppola said, Eric was basically sure that the movie Terrence Malick was preparing was the “Red Alert” in his memory. The original “Red Alert” in the original time and space was only late in 1998. The late release, Eric guessed that it should be Terrence? Malick has not been able to find a suitable director, so he had to fight in person, and “Red Alert” not only released in the same year as “Saving Private Ryan”, but also competed together. In the 1999 Oscars, unfortunately, the two films basically had no winners or losers, but lost to the “peak” “Shakespeare in Love” under the Oscar PR method of the Weinstein brothers.
Catherine next to him heard Coppola’s introduction and turned to Terrence Malick. “Taron, can you briefly introduce this script?”
“Of course, although James Jones’ original novel is not an autobiography, it is basically The above is based on his experience when he served on the island of Guadalcanal in the South Pacific. You can read the original novel later, because I have changed the plot of the original book significantly, compared to exploring the value of war “Saving Private Ryan”, my script is more to analyze the impact of brutal war on human nature. The story revolves around a unit named Charlie’s Infantry Company…”
Eric felt Catherine’s attention getting more and more concentrated, and quickly ignored him and Coppola, discussing it in detail with Terrence Malick as if nothing else.
I know this woman has been attracted.
What a philosophical proposition is the impact of war on human nature.
It is simply the favorite of a young woman of literature and art.
Looking at Coppola, they both smiled without disturbing, and listened to their conversation quietly and patiently.
After half an hour, the discussion finally ended. Catherine turned her head and looked over with interest: “Eric, what do you think of this story?”
“Well, the story is great. Firefly is very willing to invest, Tyron. , have you made a rough budget?”
Catherine glared at Eric as soon as he finished his sentence. She had hoped that Eric could talk about the script, but she didn’t expect the hateful little man to ask directly. With a movie budget, it’s really unpleasant.
Eric felt a little helpless, and
said in his heart, sister, you are an immortal, you don’t have to live, I am a businessman.
Terrence Malick was not at all dissatisfied with Catherine.
He was very satisfied when Eric said he was willing to invest.
This project has been prepared for so many years, and several film companies have been contacted and rejected because the risk is too high.
Sometimes Terrence Malick almost gave up.
“Eric, the investment for the film is about 50 million US dollars. I showed the script to some well-known actors. Many people are very interested in this script. Sean Penn and John Travolta have given accurate information. As long as they can get investment, they are willing to join the film.”
Sean Penn and John Travolta are both front-line plots at this time, and if the two can join, the box office of the movie will be guaranteed.
This is also the purpose of Terrence Malick to reveal the news.
Eric knew, in fact.
“Red Alert” once had a more flamboyant cast, save for Sean Penn and John Travolta.
Also includes George? Clooney, John? Cusack, Woody? Hudson, Adrian? Not Lodi and other Hollywood big names.
Although history has changed, Eric believes that as long as Catherine can successfully win the Oscar for best director this time, although the cost of 50 million is a bit expensive relative to the film’s box office potential, it will not be the case in the new Oscar for best director and big names. With the blessing of the actor’s halo, it is not a big problem to recover the cost and achieve profitability of the film through various channels.
Terrence Malick took Eric’s thinking as hesitation. He also knew that a $50 million investment was considered a big-budget film, but the story didn’t have much commercial selling point. After thinking about it, he said: “Eric K, if you think the risk is too high, Firefly just needs to invest $25 million and agree to release the film, and I can go and find another $25 million investment.”
“That’s not necessary,” Eric quickly made up his mind, and the film The investment is a little higher, but the pressure to recover the cost is not great. Firefly cannot always invest in commercial films. It is also necessary to make some award-winning films that improve the style. He said: “Firefly can bear all the investment, but I have one condition. , Tyron, I hope that in addition to the screenwriter, you can also serve as a producer of this film.” The
former Cannes best director returned after 20 years of resignation, which was also a very important publicity stunt during the film’s release.
However, when Eric proposed this condition, what he valued most was not the qualifications of Terrence Malick.
Hollywood is a place that pays great attention to seniority. The projects involving veteran directors and producers can usually attract powerful stars, like Woody Allen and Robert Altman, whose films have always been They are all famous for their gorgeous lineup. Although Terrence Malick has not been out for 20 years, his qualifications and connections are still there. Otherwise, there would not be this meeting today. Let him be the producer himself, Terrence ? Malik will certainly be able to pull together the film’s ever-stronger cast more easily.
Terrence Malick knew that the producer Eric was talking about was not the kind of executive producer who only had a name and did not participate in the specific production of the film. He had not participated in the production of a film for 20 years. In this project , he also always wanted to be a screenwriter.
But after so many encounters, and finally turning around, Terrence Malick’s persistence was much weaker.
Catherine’s eyes shifted between Eric and Terrence Malick.
He also persuaded in a timely manner: “Taelen, we just had a good chat, didn’t we. I also hope that you can participate in this project together.”
Many of the creative ideas that Catherine just talked about coincide with him. A collaboration with like-minded directors.
It seems that it is not so difficult to accept. Terrence Malick heard Catherine’s words, no longer insisted, nodded and said: “Okay, Eric, I will take up the position of producer myself.”
“Then, I hope everyone Happy cooperation,” Eric smiled and raised the goblet in his hand.
Because it’s not purely entertainment.
The participants were also older, and after ten o’clock, guests began to leave one after another.
Eric and Catherine sent the guests away one by one. It was not until Coppola finally left the mansion in his own car that Catherine felt something unusual. Seeing that there were only a few waiters inside and outside the villa who were cleaning up the mess, Asked: “Eric, where is the… master here?”
Eric pointed to himself: “Hey, right in front of you.”
Catherine was amused by Eric’s actions, and said, “Why are you here? Buying a house here?”
“It’s an investment. There should be some other places besides here,”
Eric knew that Catherine wasn’t really interested.
Just a simple statement.
But in fact, in addition to the Corner Manor, in Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Malibu in Los Angeles and downtown Manhattan in New York, Eric has bought sixty or seventy mansions over the past few years, ninety In the 1990s, most of the luxury houses in American metropolises were within the million-dollar level, but Eric knew that even after the subprime mortgage crisis in 2008 in his previous life, which caused a long-term downturn in the U.S. real estate market, major cities such as Los Angeles and New York were still in the doldrums. city.
The price of luxury homes has maintained a strong upward trend as it attracts the wealthy and investors from all over the world.
Twenty years later, it is not uncommon to see luxury houses with prices of hundreds of millions.
The investment at this time will get ten times or even dozens of times the return in the future.
Of course, in addition to investing, investing in real estate can also offset personal income tax on the other hand. In order to avoid tax, Eric avoided dividends as much as possible on both sides of Firefly Group and Firefly Investments, kept the funds in the company account, and even served as the chairman of Firefly Group. For the seats, Eric only took a nominal salary of one dollar.
However, a series of films he personally participated in as a director, producer and screenwriter can still bring him a large amount of related income every year, just like the Victoria’s Secret show just past, because of personal investment, video tape sales Most of the split will fall into Eric’s personal income category, which alone will bring in $300 million.
Chris once provided Eric with a series of investment solutions, but because of the deep-rooted oriental cultural concept, Eric finally chose to invest in real estate, and he also enjoyed the feeling of having his own house wherever he went.
Catherine really wasn’t interested in these things, and only whispered when she heard Eric’s words.
Back in the courtyard, the two sat at the round table by the pool and continued to chat about “Red Alert”. Eric stopped talking about those boring budget data. Only then did Catherine discover that this little man had a deep understanding of the film. The analysis is no less than his own, as if he had just listened to the script once, and he already had the entire film in his mind.
Unconsciously attracted by Eric’s topic, and unknowingly being distracted by Eric, Catherine didn’t realize that she had begun to talk about the past that gradually disappeared. When she was a child, she wanted to be a cartoonist’s father. After teaching her to paint with paint, she became interested in painting, and then she went to school at the Art Institute of San Francisco. After ten years of working, living and studying in New York, she became interested in film, began to shoot short films, and then…
Memories, It’s often the thing that opens a person’s heart the most.
In the middle of the night, just in early spring, the surroundings were quiet, not even the chirping of insects, and the orange lights in the courtyard of the mansion seemed to be more and more confusing.
A cool breeze blew, and in the faint cold, Catherine suddenly realized that the surrounding atmosphere was getting more and more strange. The little man in front of him still had a faint smile, but there was a faint loneliness on his body that wanted to blend into the night, making people unable to help themselves. Soften down.
Perhaps instinctively feeling some danger, Catherine stood up subconsciously.
Eric raised his head suspiciously and looked at the woman with a flustered expression: “Catherine, what’s wrong with you?”
“Me. Eric, it’s very late, I should go back.” Catherine said with a slightly trembling voice, Make up your mind.
If…if he opens his mouth to keep him, he must refuse.
Well, the tone should be firmer.
Eric looked at his watch, it was half past eleven, he got up and said, “It’s very late, I remember you always rested at ten o’clock, right?”
Catherine shook her head subconsciously: “No… um, yes Yes
.”
Eric smiled.
Said: “By the way, do you still remember the gift I said when I first came, let’s go, I’ll show you.”
“Eric, can you do it tomorrow, now, it’s too late.”
Eric walked towards the villa Go and said, “Just a few minutes, it’s already so late anyway, there’s still tomorrow’s business.”
Catherine looked at Eric’s back.
Subconsciously followed.
When he came to the living room, Eric took out the box that was in the cupboard and said, “It’s Oscar soon. I know you can’t remember these things, so I prepared a dress for you, which I designed myself. Let
‘s see how it goes,”
Eric said, carefully picking up a light-gray silk embroidered gown from the box, which he made entirely from what he remembered Catherine wearing when she won Best Director.
Catherine stood by, but she noticed the heart-shaped embroidery of different sizes on the upper body of the dress, and her mood became flustered again.
Said: “Eric, my agent said that he has contacted me for dress sponsorship. I will try on the dress in two days.”
“Oh, then try this one first. Then you can choose which one you think is more beautiful. Which one to wear.”
“Then, I’ll take it back.”
“If it doesn’t fit, you need to modify it as soon as possible. Just try it here. I also want to see the effect.” Eric looked at the woman’s hesitant appearance, and smiled harmlessly: “You won’t even Don’t give me any face, it’s my hard work.”
“Then… well,” Catherine softened again, holding the box that Eric handed over, and followed his instructions and walked in in an adjacent room.
After dawdling for a while, the woman who changed her dress carefully walked out with the corner of her skirt.
I don’t know when I remembered the music in the living room, and the voice was very low, but Catherine could clearly hear the song “young-and-beautiful”. The innocent and desolate singing made people want to throw everything away and get lost.
Although there are images in his memory, Eric still feels a strong sense of surprise when he sees the woman walking out in a dress. Catherine’s tall figure almost perfectly interprets the golden section, and her beautiful face without traces of time still has a faint hint of flush.
Seeing Eric get up and come over and reach out to her, Catherine unknowingly threw away the corner of her skirt and put her right hand up. Then, the woman felt dazedly being pulled into her arms by Eric. The music moved slightly.
The music was repeated several times. Catherine lightly tapped her chin on Eric’s shoulder, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, “Eric.”
“Huh?” The little man’s voice also came to mind.
“I haven’t figured it out yet, I, I don’t want to be like this… Being tricked into bed by you, I, I want to go home…” The
woman’s voice trembled slightly, not as capable and strong as before, more like a fallen The little beast of the trap, pitifully begging the hunter to let him go.
Eric’s heart softened immediately, and he said softly: “Okay, I’ll take you home.”
“I don’t want you to take it, I can go back myself, I… I have a car.”
“Well,” Eric He loosened the woman’s waist and said, “The dress definitely doesn’t need to be changed. Go and change it first. You can’t drive with this dress.”
…
A few minutes later, Eric stood under the light yellow street lamp outside the mansion, looking at the white car shadow that was gradually receding, Catherine drove the poor BMW car to life in an aura of running away .
Smiling, and sighing softly, Eric doesn’t even know how he is feeling now.
It’s past twelve o’clock, except for the dim street lights, there are only a few lights left on this section of the street in the residential area.
He turned his head and looked at the gate. Although the living facilities in the villa were well-equipped, Eric didn’t want to live alone. Inexplicably, he suddenly expected a lively and lively environment, so he remembered that it was always lively and lively. Noisy little girl.
Pick up the phone and dial, after a few beeps.
Although there were two microphones, a lively atmosphere still came from the surface.
Xiao Nizi still did not rest, although it was early morning.
Still at a party somewhere.
“Eric, it’s so late. You still called me,” the girl’s tone was a little guilty, and the background sound became lower and lower and disappeared quickly.
Eric knew that the girl must have been hiding somewhere quiet, with a doting smile on her mouth, and blamed: “It’s so late, you’re still crazy, be careful with dark circles tomorrow.”
“No way. I’m just happy today. , hey, do you have anything to do with me?”
“Let Natasha pick me up, I’m here on Carman Street in the Hollywood Hills, the same house we saw together last time. There’s a cocktail party here tonight. , everyone is gone, and I am the only one left.”
“Oh, I’ll go over immediately, you wait for me,” the girl said.
Without asking anything, he hung up the phone in a hurry.
…
At Trousdale Manor, the party atmosphere in Drew’s mansion was very different from Eric’s.
A series of fluorescent lamps in the courtyard completely drove away the night, and the sound of music also resounded from a distance of dozens of meters.
Fortunately, this is a separate hill. Except for the mansion of Elizabeth and Julia next to it, there are no neighbors that are too close, and the mansion of Elizabeth and Julia has not been resold, but has been vacant, so there is no People report harassment.
Because Eric doesn’t like other men appearing in this mansion, the girl will only invite a group of girlfriends when she hosts a party at her own house, and her girlfriends are indeed a little more.
Yingyingyanyan’s group of girls were playing wildly and singing.
Dancing, fluttering in the pool.
There are even people who hug each other and play kisses. They are not ashamed or ashamed. If a man appears here, he will definitely be stimulated to the point of nosebleeds.
When Natasha handed the ringing cordless phone to the girl, she was chatting with Gwyneth Paltrow. Although she was also Spielberg’s goddaughter, she was far from being a girl at this time. Relying on Spielberg again, it was Gwyneth Paltrow who kept in close contact with the girl with some careful thought.
Seeing Drew hurried away with an expression of joy and panic with the cordless phone, Gwyneth Paltrow wisely realized who the caller was, her eyes flashed, and she followed without a trace.
Seeing Drew say this and got into a room, Gwyneth Paltrow took a glass of wine from nearby and waited quietly outside.
After a while, the door opened, and seeing Drew come out, Gwyneth Paltrow immediately showed a gossip smile and approached kindly: “Drew, is it Eric’s phone?”
“Yeah,” the girl replied, ignoring Gwyneth Paltrow’s reaction, walking to the microphone in the center of the courtyard, turning off the music, and taking it from Christina Aguilera The microphone clapped vigorously, and after a few muffled sounds from the subwoofer, everyone fell silent.
The girl stretched out her hand and hugged Christina next to her and kissed her gracefully. She said to the microphone with a smile, “Hey, babies, I can only be here today. I’ll give you ten minutes, go back to your own house, and move slowly. Yes, I will let Natasha throw her out. Ah, and the drunk ones, who will take them away, they can sell them for supper along the way, um, that’s it.” The
girls all know the girl Although she is smiling when she speaks, but if it takes more than ten minutes, this surly crazy girl will definitely throw people out.
So there was not much hesitation in their actions, and they were all ready to leave, but there were not many girls who joked: “Dru, is your man coming back?” The
girl waved her hand: “Yes, UU Reading www.sonicmtl.com I The king is coming, but you don’t need you little bitches to sleep, so let’s get out of here.”
A girl also said boldly: “Dru, I’m still in the house, can I stay and serve our king? ”
Go away, I’ll break it for you tomorrow with a beer bottle. It’s been two minutes, and there are still eight minutes.”
Another girl with a greasy voice said, “I really want to be thrown by Natasha. It looks very powerful.”
“You dead lily, I will let Natasha break your calf and throw it out, or not?”
“Dru, you are so violent.
” A lot of girls have basically dispersed, Xiao Nizi personally stuffed Christina, who was not yet of driving age, into a sports car and watched to leave, checked the inside and out, and made sure that no one was left, and ordered The two maids cleaned up as quickly as possible and drove away with the twins in a hurry.
(To be continued.)
Mobile users, please browse and read, a better reading experience, the bookshelf is synchronized with the computer version.
[End of this Chapter]
***Commenting is only available on the Novel Description Page.