บท 399: Chapter 399: Palm Springs
A while later, when Arthur left the Roosevelt Hotel, he ran into director Martin Scorsese.
The two exchanged smiles and greetings before parting ways, as it seemed Martin Scorsese was here to meet someone. Recently, Martin Scorsese was preparing a crime drama, Casino, with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, and was choosing the final leading actress.
Up on the Hollywood Hills, Arthur arrived at Nicole Kidman's villa. After some intimate moments, Nicole Kidman lay in Arthur's arms, "Aren't you busy lately? Isn't Galaxy holding some film promotions to prepare for the awards?"
"Not too much," Arthur replied, stroking her blonde hair, "By the way, wasn't Martin Scorsese casting for his new movie's leading actress? He loves blondes. Didn't you get an audition invite?"
That was unusual, given Nicole Kidman's increased fame after Speed and her fitting appearance.
Nicole Kidman laughed, "You mean Casino? I got the invite, but the role wasn't great, so I turned it down. Not just me; Melanie Griffith, Uma Thurman, Rene Russo, and Michelle Pfeiffer all turned it down too. I heard Madonna auditioned and did pretty well, but somehow Sharon Stone ended up getting the role!"
Nicole Kidman lifted her head, "So, should I not have turned it down?"
Arthur laughed, "When has Martin Scorsese ever focused on women in his films? In gangster films, women are just there for the sex appeal and to mix things up. Remember a few years ago, you were in Touchstone's action film, Billy Bathgate?"
"Yeah, in that gangster movie, I was just responsible for being sexy and glamorous," Nicole Kidman said while climbing onto Arthur, rubbing against his chest. "By the way, did you know Madonna got the lead role in Evita?"
"Madonna!" Arthur sighed, "She really loves acting and is quite sexy too. She's open with roles, but she lacks the talent for acting."
Galaxy's United Artists was supporting producer Robert Stigwood and director Alan Parker in adapting the musical Evita. Who knows how Madonna managed to convince them to get the lead role to play former Argentinian First Lady Eva Peron. Still, Madonna's achievements in pop music gave her a huge advantage in the musical aspect.
Arthur had no intention of interfering in the movie adaptation of Evita, leaving it to Robert Stigwood and Alan Parker.
"Sharon Stone is wild and sexy too. Last month, she and Sylvester Stallone had a steamy bathroom scene in The Specialist," Nicole Kidman suddenly reminded.
Arthur twitched his mouth, "Whose genius idea was it to have Stallone and Sharon Stone perform explicit sex scenes? The Specialist only made over $50 million at the box office, and now the average daily box office per theater is less than $1,000, so it's basically done. Plus, the movie's reputation is poor, so it has to rely on overseas markets."
The Specialist was even listed as one of the "Ten Worst Sex Scenes in Hollywood Movies" by Empire magazine.
...
To the east of Los Angeles, in the resort area of Palm Springs in San Bernardino County, Arthur and Nicole Kidman enjoyed the therapeutic hot springs.
San Bernardino County, the largest county in the continental United States, is located in southeastern California bordering Nevada and Arizona.
"Feels good, doesn't it? These are mineral springs," Nicole Kidman suggested coming to Palm Springs.
Arthur smiled, "In Japan, you can enjoy hot springs while admiring the snow. It's a different feeling with snowflakes falling down."
Arthur had just returned from Japan, which certainly offered a more diverse experience than the hot springs of Palm Springs.
"No wonder," Nicole Kidman hugged Arthur's neck, "There are rumors about high-level changes at Sony Pictures Entertainment, is it true?"
Arthur nodded, "Yes, besides the interactive games and consumer electronics businesses, the film and TV entertainment division of Sony America will have new leadership. Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group is the main focus."
At night, in their hotel room, the two leaned against the headboard watching the Miss World final held in South Africa on TV.
"Mm," Arthur kissed the lady while feeling the softness of her sensual nightgown. The straps slid down, and Nicole Kidman passionately responded to his kiss.
"Miss World, Arthur, don't you want to take a look at these beauties?" Nicole Kidman reminded the man after a kiss.
Arthur smiled, his hand grazing softly on the lady, "No matter how beautiful they are, they can't compare to you!"
Then, his eyes turned to the TV, where they were announcing the winner of this year's Miss World - Aishwarya Rai from southern India. At 21, she had deep, captivating eyes, a delicate face, and a hot body.
"Indian beauties seem quite nice," Arthur seemed to remember Aishwarya Rai.
"You haven't been to India, right?" Nicole Kidman kissed Arthur's chest.
Arthur shook his head, "No, it's a fascinating country. If there's a chance, we should visit; 900 million people, the second most populous country in the world!"
Nicole Kidman lifted her head, "Hollywood movies don't seem to have much market in India, right?"
Arthur shrugged, "Although India's elite circles speak English, the country has over a dozen widely spoken languages and more than twenty subsidiary languages. Who can figure it out? Plus, the class divide is too big, and each state has its own customs, religions, and culture."
Moreover, India has a separate film industry for every language. It wouldn't be easy to break into that circle.
Finishing his words, Arthur flipped over, pressing down on Nicole Kidman, "Your look in Batman Forever was really awesome!"
"Do you like it?" Nicole Kidman removed Arthur's nightgown, "I felt like just a pretty face though."
"Not bad, at least not purely," Arthur said, lowering his head to kiss the lady's softness.
"By the way, Arthur," Nicole Kidman held the man on top of her, softly asking, "Do you still remember Naomi Watts?"
"Yes, I do. After Scream, she became the scream queen and showed great performances in many thrillers." Arthur certainly knew Naomi Watts. Back in the day, he was the one who brought her to the United States.
"She's in Palm Springs, following the crew for location scouting," Nicole Kidman reminded Arthur, "She wants to meet up tomorrow. Want to join?"
"Sure, I've got nothing much to do anyway. It's been a long time since I saw her!"
"You don't have any designs on her, right? Did you sleep with her?"
Arthur had Nicole Kidman turn over, lying on top of her, "No way, I rarely visited the Scream set..."
...
The next evening, Arthur met Naomi Watts at a desert open-air bar nearby.
At 26, Naomi Watts had matured a bit and, thanks to the Scream series, she found her way smoothly into Hollywood. "Naomi, getting more and more beautiful!" Arthur hugged her.
"You look even more handsome and stable since we first met," Naomi Watts chuckled.
"Alright, let's have a drink," Nicole Kidman raised her glass.
Arthur took a sip, "Naomi, has everything been going well? Coming to America with me was a smart move, wasn't it?"
Naomi Watts nodded, "I have to thank you, Arthur. After Scream, I've gotten many work opportunities!"
Nicole Kidman suddenly asked, "Weren't you going to shoot a punk-style sci-fi action comedy? You mentioned going to the UK. Why are you still in California?"
Naomi Watts smiled and glanced at Arthur almost imperceptibly, explaining, "Oh, you mean Tank Girl? The project was canceled before filming started!"
Nicole Kidman, being smart, found it amusing, "That project must've been one of those canceled after Galaxy acquired MGM, right?"
After acquiring MGM, Galaxy aggressively canceled many of MGM's film plans. Arthur understood, glanced at Naomi Watts, and smiled, "Is that right?"
Naomi Watts nodded, "Tank Girl was a United Artists project, based on a British post-apocalyptic comic. It indeed received the cancellation notice after the Galaxy acquisition!"
"Though it's a pity, Arthur's keen movie sense is well-known, and if he cancels a project, it surely wasn't good," Nicole Kidman had full faith in Arthur's film choices.
Arthur shrugged modestly, "Not always. Sometimes I get it wrong. But this year, buying MGM means we need to invest in better projects! But Naomi, I've always had a good opinion of you. If you have time, get a copy of William Diehl's thriller novel Primal Fear, published last year, and have a read."
Naomi Watts' eyes sparkled, clearly understanding Arthur's hint, "Sure, I will head to the bookstore tomorrow."
...
In the car back to the hotel, Arthur leaned back, loosening his grip on Nicole's head, and smiled, "Primal Fear is a thriller-crime novel, and Naomi Watts has been honing this genre for the past few years; it suits her. Plus, the main focus is still on two male characters!"
Nicole Kidman used a tissue to wipe her mouth and laughed, "I thought you might keep Naomi around tonight?"
"Do you want her to stay?"
"Next time!"
*****
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