Chapter 62: Chapter 62: Roxette
[Chapter 62: Roxette]
"Hey, Penny, how's it going?" After chatting with Jeffrey and James for a while, Eric started mingling with the other guests.
Penny Marshall signaled to the two guests beside her, who quickly took the hint and left. "Same old, same old. I've been flooded with script offers, but none of them excited me, so I decided to take a break. Not everyone can jump from one movie to the next like you."
Eric chuckled, "I don't have much choice. There are so many people waiting to see me stumble, so I gotta give them something to keep them thinking. I heard that the box office for 17 Again hit $70 million, right? It seems like breaking $100 million is only a matter of time. You're going to be hard to beat as a female director with two $100 million hits in a single year."
Penny smiled appreciatively at Eric's compliment but replied, "That doesn't even come close to your success. Home Alone raked in over $24 million again last week."
"Alright, enough with the mutual flattery. I'm starting to feel queasy," James Brooks suddenly interrupted. "Eric, I need to discuss something with Penny..."
"Of course," Eric nodded and turned to walk over to others.
...
As the party drew to a close, Eric caught up with Kepler, who was about to leave. "Kepler, can you come here for a minute? I need to talk to you about something."
Kepler nodded and followed Eric to the study on the second floor. The room looked somewhat messy; one wall that used to be covered with clippings was now plastered with Eric's hand-drawn storyboards for Pretty Woman. In the window, the returned piano had once again found its way back thanks to Eric.
Kepler seemed surprised by the stark contrast of the messy room to the rest of the tidy villa. Anyone who stumbled in here would definitely feel out of place.
Eric shoved a couple of folders off the desk into the bookshelves, explaining, "This is my creative space, and I don't allow cleaning staff in here, so it tends to get a bit chaotic."
"Doesn't Drew live here?"
Eric pulled out a chair for Kepler. "She doesn't really keep it tidy; I'm the one who occasionally cleans things up."
"You can't spoil her too much," Kepler suggested with a smile.
Eric shrugged, not answering, as he slipped a tape into the recorder and hit play. "Kepler, let's listen to this first."
Kepler knew Eric wouldn't waste his time, so he listened along.
A lively rhythm started, followed by a captivating voice.
Must have been loveBut it's over nowLay a whisper on my pillowLeave the winter on the groundI wake up lonely, this air of silenceIn the bedroom and all around
...
A few minutes later, as the song wrapped up, Eric asked, "What did you think, Kepler?"
Kepler answered honestly, "I don't know much about this stuff, but the song is really powerful, and the singer has an explosive voice. Eric, why are we listening to this?"
"I'm considering using this song for Pretty Woman's soundtrack. But that's not the main point. Kepler, have you thought about UTA's future?"
Kepler nodded, "Of course, we've signed Al Pacino, and if your Pretty Woman succeeds, with Julia Roberts too, those two stars could really establish our agency in the industry. UTA is still pretty small; we can't rush into things."
Eric continued, "Haven't you thought about expanding into other areas?"
"What do you mean..." Kepler glanced at the tape recorder. "Singers?"
Eric nodded, "The acting talent pool in film and television has mostly been taken by various agencies, big and small. If we want to grow in that sector, we'll have to slowly recruit and develop talent. But the music industry is still a pristine territory -- CAA and those big players don't pay much attention to it right now, giving us a great opportunity."
The 1990s proved to be the golden age of the recording industry. While preparing for Pretty Woman's soundtrack, Eric had a tough time finding the famous song It Must Have Been Love in the film, only to discover that the Swedish band Roxette hadn't yet made a splash in the U.S.
Having remained active for over a decade, Roxette's first single after debuting in North America swept through in 24 countries' music charts. Eric couldn't let such a potential breakout slip through his fingers.
"Kepler, that song we just heard? The performers are the up-and-coming band Roxette from Sweden. This is a Billboard-worthy song that hardly anyone has heard yet, so it's our chance. Do you understand?"
Kepler replied, "Looks like I need to make a trip to Sweden myself."
"Definitely, the sooner the better. If I found this song, other record companies will notice soon, and they have much better eyes for this than I do. We don't have much time."
"Are you thinking of starting a record label?"
Eric shook his head, "It's too early for that; my focus remains on film for now. After securing the management contract with Roxette, you'll need to figure out the specifics yourself."
Kepler nodded in agreement, and they discussed some details before Kepler took his leave.
...
Once Kepler was gone, Michael Krauss quickly approached Eric. "Eric, it's been ages! Is Resident Evil still not finished? Aren't you always a quick shooter?"
The last part was overheard by a waitress who instinctively glanced at Eric and stifled a laugh, her face contorting cutely as she hurried to the kitchen, tray in hand.
Eric sighed, "Michael, can you be a little more careful? If that girl accidentally lets your slip of a comment out, I can't even imagine how those gossip rags would have a field day with it."
Michael Krauss gave an insincere apology as he continued prying for updates on Resident Evil.
"Alright, here." Eric pulled out the manuscript and handed it to Michael. "The contract is still the same; you get it done like before, and just bring it over for my signature."
Just then, Drew suddenly popped out, seeing Michael look through the manuscript, and shouted, "Hey, Eric! I haven't finished reading that yet!"
Michael blocked Drew's reaching hands several times, pushing her tiny hands away while stuffing the manuscript into his bag, ignoring Drew's protests. "Eric, I'm out. See you later!"
With that, Michael grabbed his bag and dashed away as if pursued by a little gremlin.
"Alright, no more games." Eric tapped Drew's forehead. "We still need to have a chat about your skipping school, especially since you deleted the voicemail from the principal I got!"
Drew instantly lost her defiant edge, turning into a compliant little girl, though mischief still sparkled in her eyes. "Sorry, Eric, I won't do it again."
Eric, with a serious look, asked, "Drew, have you been getting into trouble again?"
Drew quickly shook her head, "No, I promise! I just took a few classmates to the Rose Bowl to watch a game. Eric, I swear, I won't touch that stuff ever again."
Letting out a sigh of relief, Eric hugged her, surprised by her comment, and couldn't help but chuckle while giving her a playful smack on the rear. "No wonder the principal sounded a bit worked up when he called me. Not only do you not take your studies seriously, but now you're corrupting the good girls in your school."
Drew squeaked playfully and wriggled in Eric's embrace, lifting her face to say, "Eric, my girl classmates are all really pretty! Want me to introduce you? They're all still innocent; I checked!"
"Uh..."
Certain images popped into Eric's mind, leaving him utterly flustered. "That's too much mischief for one day; get to bed. No going out before school starts."
"Hmph, so bossy! You better watch out, or I'll report you for imprisoning a girl!"
*****
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