The three of them came closer, Simon greeted the two of them, and looked at the expressions of Jonathan and De Niro without any trace.
Jonathan is still his usual gentle and humble appearance, but De Niro's expression is obviously a bit hesitant.
Seeing this, Simon realized that Jonathan should have a very good talk with De Niro.
However, Robert De Niro clearly hasn't made up his mind yet.
After several changes last year, the WMA, which has a rigid operating mechanism and fierce internal struggles, has clearly begun to turn from prosperity to decline. On the other hand, CAA's packaging strategy continues to strive for higher and higher salaries for Hollywood stars. When Robert De Niro wants to choose a talent agency, it is completely self-evident which side he prefers.
However, Simon was very reluctant to see this happen.
As his identity changed from screenwriter and director to producer and investor, Simon realized that if CAA becomes as dominant as it was in the past, Hollywood film companies will definitely become more and more passive.
The way to break this situation couldn't be simpler, to maintain an evenly competitive situation among the major Hollywood agencies as much as possible.
Daenerys Pictures is just a small yellow croaker that has just made a few waves in Hollywood. It is definitely impossible to change this industry trend on its own. However, Simon will not give up this effort easily.
Therefore, after chatting for a while, Simon said bluntly: "Bob, in my opinion, joining WMA is a better choice for you."
From that first meeting, Robert De Niro had a very good impression of Simon.
Hearing this, he glanced at Jonathan Friedman, thought for a while and said frankly: "Simon, and Joe, in fact, Mr. Ovitz has personally talked to me several times. To be fair, CAA is very important to me." The appeal is still greater.”
Simon glanced at Jonathan, who looked slightly uncomfortable, and continued to talk to Robert De Niro: "Bob, you must know that Sean Connery is in the CAA office, right?"
Robert De Niro nodded doubtfully.
Sean Connery is the first Hollywood star to be acquired by CAA. In order to show the importance to this client, Michael Ovitz once stated that CAA will always reserve a separate office for Sean Connery.
For most celebrities, this incident seems to reflect the importance CAA attaches to its clients.
Simon has a completely different view on this: "Bob, since CAA signed Sean Connery in 1979, basically none of the movies he has starred in in recent years have been box office hits. Even four years ago, The 007 spin-off "Missile" was not a box office success. But CAA still keeps getting high-budget projects for Sean Connery. Bob, do you know what this means?"
De Niro just shook his head, but Jonathan's eyes were a little more understanding, but he didn't interrupt, smiling and waiting for Simon to continue.
Simon continued: "This means that CAA is also a company that attaches great importance to seniority. Moreover, CAA's internal collaboration mechanism is destined to involuntarily focus more resources on certain people. Sean Kang Nalley is the beneficiary of this mechanism. Moreover, not only Sean Connery, CAA now also has Dustin Hoffman, Warren Beatty, Robert Redford, Al Pa Every superstar like Sino who is as famous as you has become a client of CAA earlier than you. So, Bob, do you think you can still get enough attention if you join CAA now?"
In fact, Simon's words are definitely not just an excuse to stop De Niro from joining CAA.
If Simon hadn't appeared, Robert De Niro would indeed have become another big-name client for CAA.
But what about the results.
Since the 1990s, Robert De Niro, who was definitely expected to rival Meryl Streep in terms of acting achievements, has gradually become a comedy star.
When Sean Connery was nearly 70 years old, CAA also obtained a sky-high salary of US$20 million for Sean Connery through "The Trap". But in his seventies, Robert De Niro can only star in vulgar comedies like "Dirty Grandpa."
This has to be said to be a great regret in the history of Hollywood movies.
Robert De Niro couldn't help but fell silent after hearing Simon's words.
Neither Simon nor Jonathan bothered.
After a moment, Robert said to Jonathan: "Qiao, I need to think about it again."
Jonathan realized that there would be no major changes in this matter, nodded, and said: "Of course, Bob, I'm looking forward to hearing your good news."
It was past half past nine before I knew it.
After saying this, Robert De Niro said goodbye.
After sending the other party away and returning to the party, Jonathan asked Simon curiously: "You seem to be less hopeful about De Niro joining CAA than I am. What's going on?"
Although they were close, Simon couldn't tell Jonathan everything he was thinking. He just said, "You must know what happened on Monday, right? The conversation between Ovitz and I was not very pleasant."
Jonathan nodded and smiled.
Of course he knew what happened on Monday, and was even worried that Simon would suddenly be poached by CAA.
After holding back for a week, Jonathan originally wanted to test Simon's attitude at this party. After what he had just done to persuade Robert De Niro, the agent was completely relieved at this time.
So he talked about another thing: "Simon, the information about the actress you sent me this afternoon is Nicole Kidman. I have already been in contact with her, and it will not be a big problem to recruit her. But, you are What's the plan?"
Simon didn't hide it, saying: "I want her to play Mia."
Jonathan is fully aware of the casting progress for "Pulp Fiction."
For the role of Mia, we are still in the resume submission stage. Nicole Kidman has some fame in Australia, but in Hollywood, she is still completely unknown. It is unlikely that Simon has seen her performance in advance.
However, the message 'Australia' flashed through his mind, and Jonathan immediately thought of Janet.
As Simon's agent, although he didn't know what happened between the two, Jonathan could determine from many signs that Simon and Janet were not at odds with each other as the outside world said, and they were not even at odds with each other as a couple. Calculate.
Perhaps, this Nicole Kidman was recommended to Simon by Janet Johnston.
Jonathan knew that Simon had never been a flippant person. Since he wants to cast Nicole Kidman as Mia, the actress can definitely hold up the role. "Run Lola Run" has already promoted Sandra to a top actress in Hollywood, so Jonathan naturally doesn't mind having another top actress appear under his banner.
The two chatted for a while, and Simon was about to leave, but he remembered another thing: "Qiao, I just made a story script for a cartoon recently. I'll give it to you next Monday. Help me contact Disney."
Jonathan was a little surprised: "Cartoon?"
Simon nodded and said: "The story tells the story of a little lion gradually growing into the king of the grassland. The name is called "The Lion King"."
Jonathan couldn't help but shook his head and said: "Simon, Disney is no longer the Disney it used to be. Eisner and Katzenberg both paid little attention to animated films. Not only did they reorganize the animation department into a subsidiary of Disney Pictures two years ago, , even the studio employees were sent to an abandoned warehouse in Glendale.”
Simon has been paying close attention to various developments in Hollywood on weekdays, and he naturally understands what Jonathan said.
Although before the rise of 3D animation, Disney successively launched many popular 2D animations such as "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin" in the early 1990s, in the first few years of taking charge of Disney, Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg is paying more attention to live-action films, and there were even rumors that Disney planned to shut down the animation department completely.
"Jo, I know what you're saying. I don't plan to sell the script to Disney. If possible, I hope that Daenerys Pictures will invest in it and entrust Disney's animation department to produce the project on my behalf. Production of animated films The cycle is very long. So, don’t consider the issue of distribution for the time being. You just need to negotiate with Disney based on this idea.”
Jonathan frowned and said, "Simon, I don't understand."
Simon will definitely do more things that make people around him confused in the future. He doesn’t want to waste his breath every time. At this time, he just said: "Qiao, this is actually the gift I want to give to Jenny. So, you Just approach Disney with my ideas.”
Jonathan looked at Simon deeply and didn't ask any more questions. He just smiled and said, "Well, who makes you my most important customer? However, Simon, if you follow your ideas, this should actually be Pascal's job." .My contact with Disney has gone beyond my job."
Simon spread his hands and said: "Amy is too busy. She has to fly to New York tomorrow. The annual salary you get from me is higher than Amy. You must do more."
After the two settled the matter, Simon said his goodbyes.
As usual, Neil Bennett drove to pick him up. Simon found Sandra from the crowd and took the girl into his SUV. The car left Jonathan's house and drove east toward West Hollywood.
It’s not too far from Coldwater Canyon to West Hollywood. More than ten minutes later, the Chevrolet stopped outside an apartment building near Santa Monica Boulevard.
Looking at the dark corridor at the entrance of the apartment building, Simon thought for a while and got off the car with Sandra.
The two of them had just stood on the roadside when a clear clicking sound was heard not far away.
Simon looked at Sandra, who was clasping her hands behind her back and looking downcast, and said with a smile: "That's it, 'Simon Westeros' new love affair has been exposed'."
Sandra felt inexplicably happy when she heard the shutter sound of the camera not far away, and someone turned on the flash. However, listening to Simon's nonchalant tone as he read the headlines of tabloids, she realized that he didn't care at all.
He really doesn't care about this.
Suddenly he felt dissatisfied and retorted: "Why not 'Sandra Bullock's new relationship revealed'?"
Simon shrugged and said, "You are not as famous as I am."
"Arrogant," Sandra rolled her eyes and dug her toes on the ground. After hesitating for a while, she finally said, "Do you want to come up and sit down?"
Simon looked up at the apartment building in front of him and said, "Your assistant, Gina, right? Doesn't she live with you?"
Sandra's assistant, Gina Kolos, lives with her on weekdays.
However, after agreeing to Simon to send her home, Sandra quickly sent Gina Kolos away from the party and specifically told her not to come back tonight.
Recalling some of the thoughts in her heart at that time, Sandra felt her cheeks heat up slightly.
At this time, she lied calmly and said: "No, she has a boyfriend and goes out to live on weekends."
Simon nodded: "Oh."
Sandra waited and saw that Simon didn't move, so she also uttered a single syllable: "Huh?"
Simon smiled and said: "I won't go up. You have to know that Jenny and I haven't sorted things out yet."
"You, didn't you and her break up?"
As Sandra said, she couldn't help but glance at the cab of the SUV on the roadside. Even she didn't believe it.
Simon shook his head and said: "No, I just encountered a little twists and turns. Things like relationships are always difficult to go smoothly."
Sandra's eyes flashed with disappointment, and she suddenly raised her head again and said, "Then, will you go to bed with that woman at the party?"
Simon thought for a moment and said, "Maybe, maybe not."
"Um?"
"depend on mood."
Sandra opened her eyes wide, remembering a certain title that Janet occasionally used, and couldn't help but said: "Jenny is right, Simon, you are indeed a little bastard."
Simon pretended to be worried and said: "You won't break up with me, will you?"
Sandra imitated Simon's tone just now: "It depends on your mood."
Simon smiled and said: "Go up, it's very late."
Sandra didn't move, her hands were still behind her back, she mustered up the courage to stare at Simon and said, "You know I like you, right?"
"Yeah, that's why I can't follow you upstairs."
Sandra was a little reluctant and said: "Why?"
Simon looked at the girl in front of him and said: "Because we are good friends, Sandy. There are not many people in this world that I care about. I already have Jenny, so I can't go any further with you."
Sandra still stared at Simon closely and said: "But you want to sleep with, um, a woman you don't care about?"
Simon nodded: "Yes."
Sandra felt that she was a little confused, so she took back her hands wrung behind her back, made random gestures, and said, "Then, aren't you afraid that Jenny will know?"
Simon shook his head: "Not afraid."
Sandra asked again, "Why?"
Simon thought for a while and said: "Jenny and I are probably the kind of people with a special outlook on life. She won't care about this."
Sandra said dissatisfied: "How do you know she doesn't care? Women all care."
"I thought so before," Simon nodded and said, "However, after this breakup, I realized that she doesn't care. Jenny is the kind of person who advocates absolute freedom. She believes that a person should do whatever he wants, If you don’t want to do something, don’t do it.”
Sandra subconsciously said: "This kind of freedom does not exist in this world at all."
Simon smiled and said: "So, this is probably why Jenny likes me."
Sandra made a look of disdain, but waited for Simon to take the initiative to explain.
"In this world, the more people stand at the top of the pyramid, the greater their freedom. Jenny thinks I will be the one standing at the top of the world's pyramid," Simon explained, but added with a smile: "Actually, I think so."
Sandra rolled her eyes at Simon and said, "I suddenly don't want to listen to your nonsense."
Simon opened his arms: "Well, good night."
Sandra looked at the handsome face of the man in front of her and thought a little angrily in her heart, God is really unfair.
He's already so handsome.
So talented.
Still so arrogant.
Not even my boyfriend.
How abominable.
Then got very angry.
So he took a step forward, suddenly put his arms around the man's neck, and kissed him directly.
Simon didn't expect Sandra's reaction. He only had time to tilt his head and was kissed on the cheek by the girl.
Listening to the rapid sound of camera shutters nearby, in order to avoid Sandra's embarrassment, Simon just raised his arms and put his arms around the girl's waist, exerting slight force, trying to push her away without leaving a trace.
But Sandra hugged Simon's neck tightly, adjusted the angle, and kissed him accurately with her soft lips.
After struggling for a moment, and finally biting Simon's lips lightly, Sandra let go of the man. Her face was blushing under the street lights, ignoring the paparazzi who had come around, and giving a proud look like a demonstration. He turned around and fled into the corridor.