Bab 149: Chapter 149: Demands
At dusk, outside a mansion halfway up the Palisades, the narrow mountain road was nearly impassable due to the throng of media reporters, with flashes of cameras going off non-stop.
Before the party, many media outlets had offered high prices for entry to film the event but were all rejected. However, Simon's refusal only attracted more reporters to the scene, with some TV stations even bringing their live broadcast vans.
Compared to the thank-you party at the end of last June, the scale of this birthday party had expanded significantly.
With many projects of Daenerys Film Production in the early stages of preparation, for reasons more obvious than not, Simon's agent, Jonathan Friedman, had wheedled and cajoled his way into obtaining 100 invitations, equating to 200 guests just from the WMA side, matching the scale of the last party.
Due to his changed status, Simon's social circle had rapidly expanded over the past half year, with many guests from New York and San Francisco making special trips for the party. Simon spared no expense, chartering two jets for their transport.
Including numerous Hollywood locals, the party's guest count exceeded 700, with the staff for security, waiters, and bands reaching into the hundreds. Thus, the spacious estate, originally spanning an acre, quickly felt crowded.
When Sandra Bullock arrived, the party hadn't officially started yet, but the estate was already bustling with people. It took her a while to spot Simon, who was in the midst of a seemingly tense conversation with Terry Semel, the CEO of Warner Brothers.
"Terry, I didn't intend to catch Warner off guard. I wanted to do 'Batman' and also liked 'Superman'; it's as simple as that."
"You must have already been in touch with Salkind when we were negotiating 'Batman.' Warner was the last to know, Simon."
"You should understand why I did it, Terry. The moment I show interest in something, its value skyrockets. I don't like being seen as an easy mark, so I had to keep it low-key. Besides, even though I've acquired the rights to 'Superman,' the terms of the contract haven't changed. Warner still retains the rights you're entitled to."
"Simon, I know you want to buy DC, and I'm sure you have other ideas. But regardless, I hope we can keep an open line of communication between us. That's the only way we can both win," Terry Semel said, softening his tone and extending his hand. "Also, happy birthday."
After shaking hands with Semel, Simon replied, "Thanks, Terry. Have fun tonight."
Sandra Bullock waited for Terry Semel to leave before approaching. Simon turned around and hugged her, saying, "Sandy, you look beautiful tonight."
"Thanks," Sandra stepped back slightly to appraise him and said, "Happy birthday."
"So, where's my gift?"
Sandra pulled a small, elegantly wrapped box from her purse and handed it over: "Here."
Simon examined the tiny box, no larger than two centimeters squared, in his palm and pretended to be dissatisfied: "So small?"
"If you like it big, I'll prepare something bigger next time," Sandra said.
Simon looked at Sandra seriously and nodded: "The bigger, the better."
Sandra, feeling somewhat embarrassed by his gaze, said, "Could you not stare at me when you say that?"
Simon laughed, "I didn't mean anything by it."
Sandra rolled her eyes, "Sure you didn't, you coward."
"Provoking me?" Simon challenged.
Without hesitation, Sandra repeated, "Coward."
Simon conceded, "Okay, I'm a coward."
Sandra made a disdainful face at his lack of spine, glanced around at the crowd, then continued standing beside Simon, asking, "With so many projects your company has initiated, there must be a role suitable for me this time, right? I still have half a year before 'Back to the Future' starts filming."
"How about 'Scream'? Would you do it?" Simon asked.
Sandra immediately shook her head, refusing, "No, that script is too silly."
"What about Catherine's 'Blue Angel'?" Simon suggested.
Recalling Simon's ambiguous relationship with Catherine, Sandra still shook her head, "I, I still don't think it's quite right."
"If you don't want to do those, both leading roles, there's nothing suitable for you at the moment," Simon shrugged. "You've seen the other projects; they're all commercial films. It's not like we can have you play a supporting role."
After a thorough consideration, Sandra glared at Simon, "It's all your fault. I can't even find a suitable role now. 'Cocktail' with Tom Cruise—Disney had agreed to cast me as the lead, then suddenly changed their minds. Jonathan heard that Cruise thought I was too famous."
"That's just how Cruise is; what does it have to do with me?" Simon responded innocently. "Besides, I recommended 'A Fish Called Wanda' to you, which is pretty good. If I had enough funds last year, I would have definitely secured the script."
After the success of "Run Lola Run" and signing on for two "Back to the Future" films, Sandra, naturally not one to idle, began looking for other projects. There was no suitable role for her in "Pulp Fiction," and after some consideration, she took on "A Fish Called Wanda" on Simon's recommendation.
Simon remembered "A Fish Called Wanda" for its absurdity, coincidences, and cultural humor, telling the story of four bumbling thieves stealing a diamond worth millions. The film was a box office hit and won several awards, including Oscars.
Hearing Simon mention the film, Sandra half-jokingly complained, "Speaking of which, such a low-budget film, $1 million plus 10% of net profits, I wonder if I'll even see any profit sharing. I took it on your advice. If it flops, you owe me compensation."
After Sandra's confirmation, the production budget for "A Fish Called Wanda" was only $8 million. With "Run Lola Run's" success and her $5 million package for two "Back to the Future" films, her standalone film fee would undoubtedly be higher—something "Wanda's" production couldn't afford.
Initially, Jonathan was reluctant for Sandra to take on this film, preferring her to star in Cruise's "Cocktail." After "Cocktail" fell through and with Sandra's insistence, Jonathan negotiated a profit-sharing contract with MGM, reducing her fee.
Simon recalled "A Fish Called Wanda" grossing over $60 million in North America alone, with net profit sharing exceeding Sandra's worth, especially since she signed a full-channel profit-sharing contract.
With box office, video rentals, and TV broadcasts combined, although it would take years to collect various revenues, the total could potentially exceed $10 million.
In the 1980s, actresses earning tens of millions per film were rare.
When Sandra signed the contract, "Run Lola Run" had already crossed $200 million, almost guaranteeing it as the year's top box office hit. Thus, MGM was placing high hopes on Sandra's next film post-"Run Lola Run," setting its release for the popular summer season, expecting easy success.
Simon couldn't share all this with Sandra now, so he just smiled at her complaint, "Yeah, if it really fails, I'll compensate you."
Sandra, puzzled by Simon's inscrutable smile, couldn't help but say, "Then, compensate me with yourself."
Simon's expression turned serious: "Do you want me cooked? Jenny would definitely have me boiled."
Sandra burst into laughter, noticing many around them looking their way, she quickly composed herself and nodded 'fiercely,' "Yes."
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