Capítulo 312: English patient.
After the political meetings came the entertainment, back and forth, the gathering became lively, and one could see many of them drinking, while the wives engaged in quiet conversation, as if it were common practice. At all times, each of them continued to stand out.
One Gwyneth was slightly flushed from the drinks, while there in the distance, Billy got up from his seat, feeling overwhelmed by the drinks too. Those old folks drank like fountains.
-Billy, come, let me introduce you to my friends, - commented Gwyneth, happy about everything that had happened.
-Girls, this is Billy... Billy Diana Keaton, Goldie Hawn, and Jane Fonda, - she approached slowly. - Jane Fonda is Ted Turner's wife, the founder of CNN, and unfortunately, your archenemy, - she whispered secretly.
-Wow, what a handsome young man, " murmured all three women in their forties or older. These women, what they call seasoned, knew all the ins and outs of the film world, were positioned as actresses in their youth, then directors, producers, and others married to magnates.
Diana Keaton, a blonde woman with a distinguished appearance, wore frame gl, blackblack lenses, and a bowl-shaped hairstyle, and later adopted a fresher style. On the other hand, Goldie Hawn was a blonde woman with chubby cheeks and a round face that showed her age, which suited her.
-Hahaha, it's true, look at those shiny eyes standing out, - commented Gwyneth.
-Ladies, it's a pleasure to share a table with you, - Billy responded politely, kissing each of the extended hands of the women, who smiled flirtatiously while Gwyneth kissed his cheek.
-Oh my God, how illogical and unfair life is to poor men these days. It's nice to meet you again, young man. I recently saw one of your movies again with Kurt, and I must say, you keep getting better, - Goldie Hawn commented.
-Oh, which one specifically? - Billy asked.
-Before Sunrise. We were in Berlin less than a month ago, - Goldie replied.
-What a surprise, Billy was there for the Berlin awards, - Gwyneth responded.
-Oh, you have a new project, dear? - Jane Fonda inquired.
-I hope so. I've done some auditions, but everything is moving at life's pace. For now, I have good prospects with three films. If all goes well, I'll take two supporting roles and most likely a voice-over, - Billy commented, taking a seat in the small circle. Gwyneth followed suit and took her seat.
-It's promising, but not as promising as that movie you're investing in. I heard you worked with Saul Zaentz and Michael Ondaatje, the writer... a love story for more interest, - Jane Fonda replied.
Even in her fifties, she still had a magnificent presence, and her demeanor explained one of the reasons she's considered one of the most beautiful women in history.
-How do you know? - Billy asked.
The three women smiled, with an almost youthful daringness, and Gwyneth could only shrug. Moments earlier, she had stressed that Billy was a bit straightforward and lacked some political acumen, which he balanced with his business savvy, vision... charm.
-Dear, everything is known in Hollywood. People hear the gossip, but here, everything is known. We know the truth and the reason behind that truth. Kurt might have mentioned it to you, but he's not much different from you. He hates sitting down to talk about these things; he'd rather play basketball with his group of friends, - Goldie Hawk commented. She has been in a stable relationship with Kurt since 1983, and it's rumored that she was the reason Kurt cut ties with his wife, quite the opposite, it was because of Kurt.
-Playing basketball wouldn't be bad, - Billy responded with a smile, ignoring the fact that if everyone knows, especially why don't I know? These thoughts kept Billy entangled in a series of cycles about what to do or say, and how painful it is to think about anything you say.
-They're expecting you to say something about The English Patient, - Gwyneth whispered to his right, while the women gossiped.
This earned a slight chuckle from Diana Keaton, which halted the overheard words. - They're not pretty, - she said.
-Oh, they are, -Jane Fonda replied.
-The production is in progress. I think we'll start filming this summer and it will be released by the end of the year. We still have a lot to discuss, but Jim Gianopulos is in charge of the entire process. He's my entertainment director, - Billy commented.
Raimon is forgotten, but he is the one who checks the finances of the entire company. In this case, he acts as a financial director, along with Rachel, but it's just a control, provided by Anne, who checks the accounts three or four times every four months.
-Jim Gianopulos, I know him. He was in charge of the small independent company... mmmm from Fox in the distribution sector. What led you to hire him? - Jane Fonda asked.
-A gut feeling, - Billy replied.
-You hired an entertainment director on a gut feeling, - Jane repeated, somewhat incredulous at Billy's words.
-There were surprising candidates, but he met the conditions of the offer and gave me a gut feeling that he was the right fit for my company at this time, - Billy commented, still carefully choosing his words.
***
By March, there were still two long months—no, three long months—before the start of The English Patient. There are three main issues: the film is being made a year earlier than planned, the script, like the book, has been ready since 1993, but the timeline has been extended to 1994 to allow for sponsorships. At that time, the rights to The Lord of the Rings were purchased by Miramax in late 1995 for $15 million, which kick-started The English Patient series.
Additionally, Miramax itself was there to support the production, contributing an extra $12 million, $3 million of which went to advertising. Thus, the money provided by Billy is perfect for the series, totaling $23 million. They've tightened their belts; the lead actor, Ralph Fiennes, is filming another movie, and actress Juliette Binoche did a similar drama less than a month ago. She's hesitant, while the next actress, Kristen Scott Thomas, was chosen for Mission: Impossible, a mega-production set in the same period.
-Why don't we choose Billy? He'll act for $500,000 if needed. He's a good actor. Mr. Magnelia can see it; he's incredible. It's just that he's had issues standing up to Warner, and some projects have fallen through. But he acted recently in Little Women, and I watched the whole thing—it's good! Better than I would have expected from a love movie, - said Raimon. Little Women grossed $99 million at the box office.
-He's not British, and he's very young, - commented Anthony Minghella.
-Please, he has known how to do a British accent since he was 12. He has studied at several art academies, - said Raimon, producing some papers—Billy's resume—a sheet listing the four art academies he attended. His chubby fingers handed over the papers, along with the movies and his brief appearances in commercials and small miniseries throughout his life. Three films, four voice-overs, three commercials, and three miniseries, all in supporting roles, with the miniseries shooting no longer than 45 minutes.
-He has a good resume; he'll surely act for so little. It's almost a salary for a low-tier star; his last salary was five million, - commented Anthony Minghella.
-Oh, he'll do it, but don't be stingy; his time is worth gold after all, - said Raimon.
For the three individuals—Anthony Minghella, Saul Zaentz, and Michael Ondaatje—this reality emerged in 1992. They wanted Daniel Day-Lewis, but he rejected it, saying the script was bland and repetitive, something he didn't like. Even Bruce Willis wisely decided to stick to British actors only. Juliette Binoche is still tempting, but she doesn't want to.
-You know, Billy is friends with Steven Spielberg, he's friends with Winona Ryder; I'm sure they had a romance, - said Raimon, commenting on something that would only cause more chaos for Billy.
-Ohhh, - said Saul Zaents. - With Spielberg, they can attract many interesting people. -
-I can convince Juliette Binoche, but we need to finish casting as soon as possible. I'll improve the script a bit to give Juliette's character more drama, and she'll decide to act; she likes art films, - said Anthony Minghella, storming off.
-You can convince Winona Ryder to play Katherine Clifton, -
-Sure... but it's Billy, - said Raimon, sweating over the problem he's dragged Billy into. If they have a relationship, the chemistry must be good. Director Minghella rushed to see Little Women to determine the truth of the romance between them. Similarly, Saul Zaentz went up, smiling inside. If Billy acts, they can raise the budget a bit for better promotion, and if Spielberg is there, he can help with Oscar promotion; it's perfect.
Confirmation isn't needed, as there have been rumors for some time that Billy Carson will be invited to Steven Spielberg's new company. The lines start to blur, and Raimon might be in trouble, but Billy, can take on this major role.
...
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