Chương 29: Chp 29 : Sci-fi Is Future?

After leaving the court, they went back to the orphanage with a new tenant, Drew, and lived their life normally.

Few days have passed since the trial, Ari Emanuel came to the orphanage to meet Al and Drew this morning. Drew has become his new client because her previous manager was her mother.

Now, Ari has become one of the top agents of CAA. Although he got not much fee from Al because Al only had played 2 films currently, but the fame he got from becoming his agent is bigger.

Ari's client currently was Denzel, Sharon, Drew, him, and a newcomer actor named Arnold Schwarzenegger. All of them are future A-list stars.

Even Al wondered at how much luck parameter Ari has, maybe almost EX rank.

Today, he came to the orphanage to tell something to Al and Drew. For Drew, he gave her an audition for a film that will release next year.

Ari gave 2 scripts for Drew, <Cat's Eye>, <Return to Oz>, Al knows that both of the films have mixed reviews, he preferred <Return to Oz> to further enhanced her experience in acting but <Cat's Eye> made her fame increased, so he will just ask Drew later and give her pros and cons about this two films.

For Al, Ari brought him some good news. Al has told him from last year that he wanted to buy a distribution company and finally, at the end of last year, someone wanted to sell it.

The company name is New World Pictures, currently, the owner, Roger Cornman, and his brother wanted to retire and decided to sell it.

He competed with Larry Kupin who only want to buy his company name for $16.5 million.

Al asked Ari to become his middleman to purchase New World Pictures and offer $30 million include a film library.

After long and hard negotiations, Cornman finally agrees to sell it for $40 million include their film libraries. Ari got a 2% fee for his effort.

So now Muspelheim Films finally became a production house, film distributors and has its film library.

Not many employees left in there, only in the distribution department and some office worker totaled 10 people.

His new instruction to the distribution department is to search for some independent film in the film festival and distribute it in NA. Al will find time to build the overseas distribution part.

The New World Picture left 70 films in its library. Al knows how important the film library is. He will begin his hunt for a production house in tight financial conditions and buy their film catalog.

In the 80s, home videos are not popular yet but in the late 90s, after the emerge of DVD, the home video income can almost compete with the box office income and even better, and in the internet era, the emerges of streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu and others each competing to enrich their content.

Secondly, he got the nomination for Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Script in Golden Globe Awards, his first nomination in his life.

The Oscar nomination will be announced in early February.

Thirdly, his next cooperation with Robert Zemeckis. Zemeckis said that the film will be shot after his new film screened on March 30th.

His compensation also soared almost 10 times. Because as a Hollywood's Lucky Charm, both of his film has box office of $300 million in North America and both also get over $600 million worldwide.

Ari has negotiated with 20th Century Fox to get at least $10 million with 10% North America box office shares. Finally, his final payment will be $5 million with 15% of North America's box office shares.

Al signed this contract happily, if they knew that <Back to the Future> would gross at least $200 million in North America, Universal would be crying by now.

The filming will be started in July, so far Al was the first cast who sign the contract. He also met with Robert Zemeckis and he invites Al to see other cast audition a few days later.

"Did you already see the script, Al?" Robert asked him, they are taking a walk in Universal Studios while checking out the filming location.

"Yep, what can I say about it? It's an amazing script, I like Sci-fi films, especially <2001 Space Odyssey> by Stanley Kubrick, my favorite director." He smiled.

"Not Spielberg?" He teased Al.

"Maybe, wait until he is above 50 years old, he will be my favorites, don't tell that old man, he will be grumpy when he meets me." He laughed thereafter.

"This is where we will be filming, everything in this studio, I'm wondered about what you said in <Sixth Sense> celebration party last year, about how we can shot every scene in just one building, with the background of a green screen can generate a real-life image."

"You know I just bought the graphic rendering department from Mr. Lucas right? I'm working on it right now, technology to render a whole environment as real as it is so we can do a scene what in real life can't, but it will take a long time."

Robert just nodded and was amazed at this kid's dream, Al waked up his fiery feelings the filmmaking.

"How's the preparation anyway?" Al changed the topic.

"Better, you know that because the <Sixth Sense> now the budget increase from initial $20 million to $30 million, the new president, Frank also supportive with me, unlike that Tanen guy, kicking me out of <Cocoon> Luckily I won't meet with him anymore. I will never work with someone like him."

"Wow, you hate that man, or are you hating those Hollywood executives?"

"Both, which director like them anyway? None I tell you none." Al is laughing after he heard his jokes.

Both of them were calling it a day, he also needs to prepare for the Golden Globe Awards in a few days.

This year, Al under a pen name of Edward B. Ephron released another book.

There is a long line in some of the book stores where a book by Edward was displayed.

His new book titled <A Song of Ice and Fire: The Game of Thrones> is released and it got a 5-star recommendation by the New York Times.

They even began to call the author the "American Tolkien". Before his nickname was the Father of Modern Sci-fi, now they call him American Tolkien, an epic fantasy drama writer.

So what will this author write next? A love novel? Thriller? Even everybody wondered what is he look like because he really guards his privacy.

While there was a big commotion when his book was released, Al was typing some codes in his newly Macintosh in his room while Drew was reading her newly acquired script and lie in his bed.

"What should I choose Al?" She said while her head was buried under the pillow.

"It depends, if you choose <Cat's Eyes> another thriller film, the script is a bit bad but it is adapted from Stephen King's novel. You got a few screen time but it will be memorable. <Return to Oz> you will be the lead, but it will be a test of your acting skill, the outdated story and darker tone than the fairy tale books will get you a mixed review. I will only say that everything you choose, I will fully support you and help you achieve it." He came over and patted Drew's head.

"Okay, I'll decide it tomorrow. What are you doing anyway? Is that a computer?" She came over and became dizzy after seeing a bunch of words and numbers.

"My little experiment Drew, I want to try to make movie editing software from and test this Macintosh capability, and send them to my Alfheim Studio to test it."

"Movie sowhere? Where is your computer going anyway?"

"Soft-Ware Drew, not sowhere, I will explain it when you grow up, now let's pack up, tonight is Golden Globe Awards. I will tell Jessica to prepare the dress for you, now go!" He made a tickle gesture to scare Drew.

"Bye Al." She used her little legs to escape from his room.

To Be Continued.....