Bab 621: Chapter 622: Damn Los Angeles
[Chapter 622: Damn Los Angeles]
Eric's pessimistic judgment about Fair Game darkened Joel Silver's expression. Although Firefly and Warner Bros. were rivals, when it came to a movie project, Eric typically made no judgments at all. But since he had spoken up, he certainly wouldn't rattle off nonsense. After all, a movie had to be released, and if the outcome contradicted everything Eric had said, his comments would undoubtedly make him a laughingstock in Hollywood. Given Eric's status, no film was worth risking his reputation.
Hollywood was both a tight-knit community and exceptionally cold and ruthless. The failure of a big-budget film often foreshadowed the exit of a studio executive or producer. This phenomenon created Hollywood's distinctive "firing season," where, after the summer blockbuster and holiday seasons, failed films inevitably resulted in heads rolling. Fair Game had a budget of $50 million, considerably less than the $70-80 million super-productions of recent years, but it was still a significant film. Joel Silver understood that if this movie flopped, while it wouldn't necessarily cost him his job at Warner Bros., their collaboration would be far from what it had been in the past. Although Eric's tempting offer did entice him, Joel had been operating within Time Warner's system for nearly a decade. Unless absolutely necessary, he didn't want to switch companies rashly.
After a moment's hesitation, Joel couldn't help but probe, "Eric, where do you think this movie's issues lie, and is there still a chance for redemption?"
Eric shook his head with a smile. "Joel, my position doesn't allow me to consult for you on these matters. Just sharing my thoughts is already generous."
In his memory, Fair Game had many problems. While action blockbusters inevitably suffered from weak plots, this film didn't even manage to tell a weak story clearly. Even swapping the KGB for another nefarious force wouldn't change the movie's fate.
Eric believed the only remedy was to scrap the project altogether. Though this would waste the initial investment, it could save further production and distribution costs, preventing greater losses. However, the likelihood of such a decision happening at Time Warner was low. The structure at Time Warner was overly cumbersome and faction-ridden. The approval process for large-scale films was always a battleground for various interests. When a project had bright prospects, management could rally together. But when issues arose, involved parties would scramble to disavow responsibility. Even the CEO of Time Warner wouldn't risk board scrutiny to cancel a project already in production unless it affected his own interests.
Eric was reluctant to elaborate further, and Joel couldn't ask for more.
...
Joel Silver had intended to talk business with Arnold Schwarzenegger, who had revitalized his image with True Lies, at this party. But after hearing Eric's words, he abandoned his original plan. If the Fair Game project flopped, any collaboration with Schwarzenegger would be thrown out the window. Certain elements of Fair Game bore similarities to Die Hard. Joel had hoped to create another hit action series following Lethal Weapon and Die Hard, but now, he was only trying to figure out how to minimize damages. The movie had just begun shooting; there was certainly room for adjustment.
On his drive back to his mansion in Beverly Hills, Joel Silver increasingly felt this was urgent. He called several key creatives behind Fair Game and instructed his driver to turn around towards the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank.
...
Sitting across from him in the luxury vehicle, Cindy Crawford anxiously watched her fidgety companion and felt an odd pang of regret. Her agent had a good relationship with Edward Razek, the operations director at Victoria's Secret. Earlier that morning, a phone call from Razek had informed Cindy about some news, reason enough for her to appear at the True Lies party. Eric's speculation about her was indeed accurate; Cindy was unwilling to give up her role as the lead in Fair Game, but she also wanted to secure a contract as a spokesperson for Victoria's Secret. Confident in her allure, she had thought that merely meeting Eric Williams would pave the way for her, but now, the situation starkly contrasted her expectations.
...
After some time, Joel Silver noticed the woman beside him again. Initially, he had intended to enjoy the company of this beautiful woman, but now he had lost any desire for casual romance. He clearly understood that his Hollywood power came from filmmaking; if he lost his job as a producer, his influence would evaporate. The women who once looked at him like docile kittens would completely ignore him.
Pulling up to another intersection, Joel casually instructed his driver to stop and said to Cindy, "Miss Crawford, I have other important matters to attend to. I'm afraid I can't take you home. I apologize."
"It's alright, Mr. Silver," Cindy Crawford said with a charming smile, exiting the car with grace after the driver opened the door for her, turning to wave goodbye as the luxury vehicle drove away.
...
Once the Cadillac disappeared from view, she looked around at the somewhat desolate street, the clank of a kicked metal trash can echoed, followed by her frustrated exclamations, "Damn Los Angeles, damn Hollywood..."
...
Everything, even a handful of worthless dirt, could be spun as beneficial if someone were to say it was good. Conversely, even a gem could be torn apart if someone deemed it lacking.
Joel Silver had initially thought the Fair Game script was fantastic, overlooking many flaws which could easily be spotted by others. But once Eric, the legendary director behind many box office hits, dismissed the story as worthless, the script's shortcomings became glaringly obvious.
At a late-night meeting room in Burbank's Warner Bros. headquarters, despite it being the early hours, an ominous Joel Silver left the director of Fair Game, Andrew Sipes, writer Charlie Fletcher, and other assistant directors and producers -- silent and tense.
"Stop filming for a week," Joel said, tapping his fingers on the table, staring at the collective results of their hours of discussion on the memos. "The KGB gimmick is no longer viable; the Soviet Union has collapsed. Without the KGB, there's no allure for the audience. You can replace it with the mob or a Latin drug lord. Also, what's the deal with the male lead's ex-girlfriend? I remember she only had a single scene. This character is expendable, so why does she suddenly reappear in scene 24?"
Faced with Joel's penetrating gaze, the writer Charlie Fletcher instinctively glanced at the assistant director Thomas Samuel.
Seeing the reaction, Joel understood and flipped through the actor profiles until he found one and mockingly smiled at Thomas Samuel. "Salma Hayek, huh? Big chest. This Mexican girl certainly serviced you well, right?"
Thomas Samuel realized this was a prelude to Joel's impending wrath. Nervously, he stood up. "Mr. Silver, let me explain, I just thought the character in the original was interesting, which is why I suggested..."
"Your life is about to get much more interesting," Joel interrupted, crumpling the profile in his hand and throwing it at him. "Now, take your Mexican bimbo, and get the hell out of here. Don't let me see you in Hollywood again."
After that unfortunate assistant director left the meeting room in a disgraceful manner, Joel coldly swept his gaze over the remaining people. "I don't care how you manipulate your status to entice those naive young actors, but if you dare gamble your jobs, I will have you taken care of. Remember, this is a multi-million dollar business -- millions!"
Once he finished his tirade, Joel quickly calmed down, refocusing on the memo in his hand before looking again at the writer Charlie Fletcher. "The female lead has too much screen time. If she were Nicole Kidman, I might not mind, but her character, apart from showing off, is just a screaming eye candy in the latter half. Since there are no standout qualities, we should focus on developing the male lead instead. Also..." he recalled an incident from a few hours prior, "Notify Cindy Crawford tomorrow that she's fired. This woman has zero box office draw. If we need a trophy, it at least needs to have some box office pull."
Sitting to Joel's right, director Andrew Sipes spoke softly, "But, Mr. Silver, Cindy Crawford was introduced to us by Mr. Melnik..."
Joel hesitated for less than a second before recalling Eric's tempting offer at the party, instantly growing more confident in his response, "If I don't want to, no one can shove anyone into my movie. If Melnik insists, I don't mind bringing this up at the Warner board meeting."
Benjamin Melnik, the executive president and CFO of Warner, was someone most in the room knew Joel had traditionally treated politely, which instigated curiosity about why he suddenly took a hard stance tonight.
Yet, such high-level disputes were hardly their concern, so everyone nodded in agreement.
Joel was pleased with their reactions. "So, does anyone have suggestions for alternatives?"
Andrew Sipes suggested, "What about Claudia Schiffer? If we're looking for a trophy, no one in Hollywood has more box office draw than her, but her fee is around $5 million, ten times what Cindy Crawford was earning for this role."
Of course, Joel was aware of Claudia's relationship with Eric. He instinctively felt that if they extended an invitation, he was certain Eric would have Claudia refuse the offer.
However, Joel quickly considered that if they presented a revised script, what if Claudia accepted? That could indicate Eric's endorsement of the script, a boon worth far more than $5 million. He believed Warner would undeniably increase the budget by that much for this reason -- plus, even if turned down, there would be no losses on their end.
"First thing tomorrow, contact Claudia Schiffer's agent," Joel instructed Andrew Sipes. "But don't send the current script yet. Just gauge her availability, and after the script is revised, then present it."
Andrew nodded, jotting down the note.
"Alright, let's continue our discussion," Joel said, sipping his coffee to invigorate himself, "The chase scenes seem excessive as well, leading to an oppressive experience for viewers. Thus, we have to trim those down and add scenes of the leads teaming up to fight back. That's what the audience wants to see..."
...
Eric had no idea that his casual remarks would ripple through so many people and events in just one night. After attending the party, considering the Victoria's Secret spokesperson role, he placed a tentative phone call and coincidentally learned that Claudia had just returned to Los Angeles, so he made his way to her home in Beverly Hills.
At a hillside mansion in Beverly Hills, Eric, dressed casually in a tank top and beach shorts, sat on the second-floor terrace basking in the warm morning sun while reading the newspaper. Below him, the city was awash in gold from the rising sun, with car traffic flowing like blood through the urban veins.
Claudia, looking radiant and relaxed in a simple T-shirt and jeans, emerged from the second-floor living room with a breakfast tray. She placed it on the round table and leaned in to kiss Eric. "I made beef sandwiches. Want to try?"
Eric pecked her soft lips and pulled her into his embrace, wrapping his arms around her slender waist under the T-shirt. He mischievously pointed at the breakfast and said, "I fed you last night; now it's your turn to feed me."
Claudia giggled and wiggled her waist but showed no intention of breaking free. She obediently sat on Eric's lap and reached for a sandwich from her plate, bringing it to his mouth.
After taking a few bites, he suddenly recalled something that had been tossed aside the night before. He asked, "I happened to want to ask your opinion about something. You know I'm preparing for a Victoria's Secret show, right? They need five spokespersons, four have been confirmed, and the compensation will be quite generous. However, unlike ordinary shows, this one requires some rehearsal time. Are you interested in joining?"
Claudia's eyes sparkled. She had always hoped to participate in a film directed by Eric. Though this event was not a film, she recognized it as a prime opportunity to spend time with him. However, she soon let her happiness turn to disappointment, shaking her head. "If we had discussed this last year, I would have jumped at it. But now, I can't."
Eric wasn't put off. Curiously, he asked, "Didn't you just wrap a film? Surely you wouldn't have another project lined up so soon?"
Claudia shook her head, regret in her voice. "No, but I did sign a three-year endorsement contract with the French lingerie brand Farmanl last year, so I can't participate in other lingerie shows. I'm really sorry, Eric."
Eric smiled and shook his head. "It's fine. I was just asking casually."
Claudia made a soft sound, leaning in closer with an alluring demeanor as she asked, "When do you plan to shoot your next film? Can I be the female lead?"
Eric inhaled the lovely scent coming from Claudia. "I can't promise you anything. I won't have another film planned until after the Victoria's Secret show wraps up. But I assure you that if a fitting role arises, you will be the first I consider."
"Really?" Claudia asked with a playful smirk, "You won't consider Julia Roberts or Nicole Kidman either?"
Eric nodded confidently. "Not at all."
Claudia gave him a peck on the cheek. "I know you're just flattering me, but it still makes me happy."
"I'm definitely not flattering you. You are a completely different type of actress, so there's no competition."
"Oh..." A hint of disappointment flickered across Claudia's face, her performance noticeably improved. Her tone turned sorrowful. "You probably think I'm just a pretty trophy."
"Indeed, the most beautiful trophy in Hollywood, without a doubt."
"Still a trophy," Claudia seemed a bit unwilling to concede, tugging at Eric's collar, as if trying to get him to retract his statement.
Eric chuckled and pinched her cheek, finishing the sandwich in her hand before suddenly lifting her and carrying her indoors. "Plenty of time left; let me enjoy my 'Miss Trophy' properly."
"Hey, no! Not like this!"
*****
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