Capítulo 516: Chapter 517: Is This Okay?
[Chapter 517: Is This Okay?]
Charlize Theron's rise to fame in her original timeline was quite typical.
Rootless and base, the South African girl, like many starry-eyed youths, headed to the City of Angels. After spending two years in Hollywood, she caught the industry's attention with a thriller called 2 Days in the Valley, which copied Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. With her acting and looks acknowledged, she began to take on roles as eye candy in various genres, and after a few years of hard work, she climbed into the ranks of near A-list actresses.
Later, she became an A-list star after her bold and self-destructive performance in Monster, winning an Oscar for Best Actress. This led to offers for leading roles in mainstream blockbusters like Hancock, Snow White and the Huntsman, and Mad Max: Fury Road.
Of course, luck played a significant role in her journey. Charlize Theron managed to become a top star in Hollywood and earned the nickname "South Africa's Diamond" not just because of her talent and beauty, but importantly, she never strayed off course. Eric recalled that in her early career, Charlize had auditioned for the lead role in Paul Verhoeven's notorious Showgirls. She "luckily" got cut from the cast, while Elizabeth Berkley, who did land the role, started off well in Hollywood but saw her career plummet after the film was released to scathing reviews, losing not just her career but also her agent.
...
Once the introductions were done, they took their seats at the table. Michelle Simmons finally relaxed but at the same time had to focus. Originally, she thought Eric was planning to have lunch solely with Charlize, so she had channeled all her thoughts into that meeting and hadn't prepared much for this encounter. She didn't anticipate that Eric's assistant would suddenly mention that Eric wanted her to come along with Charlize. To top it off, she hadn't expected Nicole Kidman to be sitting next to Eric.
The waiter handed out the menus, but Eric just laid his aside, ignoring the shy Charlize Theron as he turned first to Michelle, asking, "Michelle, are you good friends with Kepler?"
"Yes, Mr. Williams," Michelle replied. "Kepler and his wife, Mary, are my college classmates. We've known each other for almost twenty years now."
"That explains it," Eric smiled as he assessed the woman in the suit with short hair. He didn't ask further about her relationship with Kepler, but continued, "Kepler mentioned that your previous work focused on television. Why the sudden switch to being a film agent?"
"I felt like I had hit a ceiling in television, so I wanted to try my hand in film," Michelle said.
At this time, Nicole finished ordering lunch for herself and Eric, leaning over to him quietly, "Eric, do you think these are good?"
Noticing Eric leaning close to Nicole, who was clearly comfortable with him, Michelle seized the opportunity to casually order her own lunch as well, and Charlize echoed her selection.
Watching the two converse in hushed tones across the table, Michelle noticed Nicole chuckle softly at something Eric said, playfully hitting him. A wave of envy and an unsettling feeling washed over Charlize, yet she dared not express any unusual sentiments.
"Alright, let's keep it simple. We still have work this afternoon, so no alcohol, just juice," Eric concluded, then turned his attention back to Michelle and asked, "You must have quite a few television actors on your roster?"
"Yes," Michelle affirmed, "Mitch Pileggi, who plays Walter Skinner on The X-Files, is one of my clients. I also have seven other clients who play significant roles in various television series."
Walter Skinner served as Assistant Director of Bureau of Investigation in The X-Files, significantly involved with the two main leads. Although his role only began to emerge in the second season, he was crucial and ranked just below the main characters in episode appearances. Landing such a pivotal character in a show already proven to be a ratings hit is often harder than landing leads in fresh series. Michelle's comment wasn't a boast; it reflected her desire to connect with Eric since he was the creator of The X-Files, which also underscored her impressive skills.
"Transitioning to film representation is indeed a good choice, but balancing both worlds might not be so easy," Eric commented.
"I'll find a way to manage," Michelle answered confidently. Her mind was already made up; if all went well in Hollywood, she would transfer her clients to other agents.
The waiter soon brought their lunches, and the conversation became quieter. However, Michelle noticed that Eric spent most of his time chatting with her rather than with Charlize, which left her feeling uneasy; after all, she had come to pitch for her client.
...
After lunch, when their coffee arrived, Eric looked at his watch and said to Nicole, "Nicole, why don't you take Miss Theron to tour the park? I need to talk to Michelle alone."
Charlize felt both disappointed and a bit puzzled by the statement. Yet, Michelle suddenly realized Eric had been inquiring about her work situation as a way to gauge her capabilities. Now that he had sent the others away, he must have something essential to discuss.
Nicole didn't quite understand why Eric had suggested this either, but she obediently stood up, warmly taking Charlize's arm. "C'mon, Charlie. I'll show you around the lot. You might be visiting here a lot in the future."
Charlize could only comply with a shy smile, following Nicole out of the restaurant. As they reached the door, she couldn't help but pause and look back.
Nicole noticed the young girl, her cheeks still holding youthful softness. She gently patted Charlize's shoulder and said, "Don't worry. You won't be making a wasted trip."
"Uh, I just..." Charlize stammered at Nicole's expression, flustered and wanting to explain but instead asked, "Ms. Kidman, really?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Nicole replied with a bright smile, then disregarded Charlize's clumsy probing, leading her to explore the studio lot. Having spent most days there with Eric, Nicole had become quite familiar with this enormous film base, larger than the Universal Burbank studios. The more she learned, the more she could appreciate the formidable strength Firefly Productions had accumulated in such a short time.
...
Once Nicole and Charlize departed, Eric handed Michelle the concept sketch he had quickly drawn before their meal and said, "I assume you've heard some things from Kepler, right? This is a concept sketch I drew prior to your arrival."
Michelle took it, noticing the rough pencil outlines depicting three female silhouettes. Though it was very hasty work, she could immediately sense the confidence radiating from the figures.
"Did you ever watch Charlie's Angels? ABC had a show back in 1976 that celebrated feminism, and it was quite revolutionary at the time. I wonder if you saw it?" Eric asked.
Michelle nodded, "I watched some of it. I really liked that show back then."
"Great! I've acquired the film rights to adapt it into a series of action films with a female lead, styled similarly to the 007 franchise," Eric said, gesturing to where Charlize had just been seated. "Charlize is one; I'm still looking for two more leads."
Michelle felt intrigued but cautious, asking, "Mr. Williams, are you suggesting that I... find two more leads for this film?"
"Precisely. This is a brand new series, and I hope to feature newcomers around Charlize's age, but their acting must be top-notch," Eric clarified, holding up two fingers. "You've got two months. Do you accept this challenge?"
Michelle hesitated briefly. This was a tremendous opportunity for her, yet finding not just new and gifted actresses seemed daunting. After a moment of silence, she seemed to consider something. Tentatively, she proposed, "Mr. Williams, would this work? In North America, it might be tricky to find girls that fit your criteria, but I can try Europe. There, I might find actresses who have begun to shine but lack any foothold in North America. This way, I can evaluate their talent based on their work, and they'd likely meet your standards."
Eric thought it over for a moment before nodding. "Not bad; that's indeed a good idea. Let's proceed that way."
"And, Mr. Williams, aside from that, do you have any other requirements?" she inquired.
Eric considered it but didn't see a need to cast across different ethnicities simply to appease various demographics. "Aside from being beautiful, it would be best if they each had distinct characteristics. I don't want three cookie-cutter roles like the versions from the series. I envision a project where each character has her unique background and skills with strong, distinct personalities. Additionally, once they're signed, they'll undergo at least three months of physical training. Inform them ahead of time: the training will be rigorous, and if they can't handle it, they might want to bow out."
Michelle laughed lightly, "I doubt there'd be a girl foolish enough to drop out of a movie with you, Mr. Williams."
Eric shook his head, "I never intended to direct the series. I'll be involved in writing the scripts instead."
"In Hollywood, who doesn't know that as long as you're involved, it's considered your film, whether you direct it or not?"
"Thanks for the compliment, Michelle," Eric replied with a smile.
"That's no compliment; it's a fact."
"Fine," Eric said with a grin, glancing at his watch. "Let's wrap it up for now. I have more work this afternoon."
They stood, and Eric extended his hand again to Michelle. "Pleasure working with you."
Michelle smiled back, taking his hand. "Pleasure working with you too."
...
"I can't take you into those two soundstages. They're the most advanced virtual digital stages in Hollywood, specifically for shooting special effects scenes. Just the cost of these studios exceeds twenty million dollars -- twice that of regular studios, and they're filled with equipment that's been specially developed for digital work, completely unavailable on the market," Nicole said, proudly gesturing toward a secured stage as they walked with Charlize. Just then, her handbag chimed, and she swiftly answered her mobile phone.
After a brief chat, Nicole told Charlize, "They've finished their meeting; let's head back."
Charlize, who had started to zone out, perked up at this and followed Nicole toward the administration area.
Once they said their goodbyes, Eric arranged for a golf cart to take the two women out of the studio before heading to the post-production center with Nicole.
"What did you discuss?" Nicole couldn't contain her curiosity and quickly asked.
Eric responded, "You know there are three leads for Charlie's Angels, right? I handed the task of finding the other two angels to Michelle Simmons."
Nicole looked surprised, "Aren't you worried that if the movie becomes a hit, she might use the three leads to demand a higher price from Firefly?"
Eric showed no concern, saying, "You must see that this is a sharp woman who wouldn't make such short-sighted moves. Plus, if the three leads end up with different agents or agencies, negotiating for a sequel would just become messier once the film is successful. Of course, I'll have Firefly draft a contract to ensure at least for the trilogy, the leads won't create any major fuss."
Nicole inquired, "But you said you wanted to model it after the 007 series. What happens after the trilogy?"
"Such large-scale series films typically require at least five to six years for a trilogy. Who knows what will happen by then? Worst case, we might reboot the series and recast the leads. After all, didn't 007 change actors several times?" Eric replied.
*****
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