"Hi Simon, how are you doing?"
"Busy, Brian, how about you?"
"I just came back from New York. Bob and I went to see the performance at the Metropolitan Opera House. It was so beautiful. Martin also said he planned to add it to his own works in the future."
"Speaking of Martin, hasn't he been wanting to do 'Gangs of New York' for years? I'm just going to talk to him."
"Oh, this is really good news. Martin has been waiting for more than ten years. Simon, if you are not joking, I will call him after this meeting?"
"Of course it's not a joke."
In another conference room with several sets of sofas and projectors hanging on the wall, which looked more like a lounge, Simon exchanged pleasantries with Brian De Palma and then chatted with Ella Deutsch, President of Gomen Pictures. Mann and Linda Vargas, the casting director who has been with him for many years, briefly greeted him and everyone sat down on the sofa together.
Get to the point.
The project discussed today is called "L.A. Confidential", which is the third part of the "L.A. Quadrilogy" by the famous American crime novelist James Ellory. The first part of the quadrulogy is based on the 1947 The novel "The Black Dahlia" is adapted from the "Black Dahlia" murder case in Los Angeles that caused a sensation in the United States.
After the first novel became famous, Allori wrote three other novels of the same theme in the same era and setting.
As for the copyright of the L.A. tetralogy, the original "The Black Dahlia" was purchased by Universal that year. It was produced as an unsuccessful miniseries and then refrigerated. After the MCA merger, it was taken over by Daenerys Entertainment, and "L.A. Confidential" " was completed in 1990 and purchased by Daenerys Entertainment.
Simon was not very interested in the other two films, "The Infinite" and "White Jazz," and they were snatched away by other studios.
Due to difficulties in scheduling, it was not until the end of last year that "L.A. Confidential" was put on the schedule.
If Simon wanted stability, he could have brought back the original cast, but instead of doing that, he planned to let Brian De Palma serve as director.
This is actually a somewhat risky decision.
Because the 2007 version of "The Black Dahlia" was directed by Brian De Palma. It was criticized after it was released and the box office was also a dismal failure. With an investment of US$50 million, the global box office was only close to US$50 million.
However, Simon has watched Palma's version of "The Black Dahlia". Whether from the perspective of a filmmaker or an ordinary viewer, this film is definitely not as bad as outside criticism. For example, the scene where the body of the Black Dahlia is discovered, the camera scheduling It's amazing, and the performances of Elizabeth Short played by Mia Kirschner in the film are amazing video recordings, and many film critics believe that it has reached the level of Oscar nomination.
It can be said that Brian De Palma's directorial level is absolutely fine.
where is the problem
script!
This can be said to be the most direct reason for the failure of "The Black Dahlia".
Anyone who has watched "L.A. Confidential" and then "The Black Dahlia" can feel the producers' ambition to create a second "L.A. Confidential". Whether it is the combination of characters or the story structure, it will imitate "L.A. Confidential". The traces of "City Secret" are too heavy.
So it was self-defeating.
What the audience wanted to see was Elizabeth Short and the Black Dahlia Murder Case. As a result, the Black Dahlia case in the film was almost reduced to the background of the story. Instead, the narrative focus was repeatedly placed on the various trivial matters of the two pairs of male and female protagonists, without fail. Just saw a ghost.
As for why this is the case, a closer look shows that the original director of "The Black Dahlia" was David Fincher, and the script was already finalized. However, Fincher wanted to make a three-hour black-and-white film, and the producers were done with it as soon as they heard about it. , so Fincher withdrew, and the film fell into the hands of Palma, who had been unable to get out of the trough for several years due to the box office failure of "Mission to Mars" in 2000.
Palma, who had been idle for several years, wanted to take on this job and had no choice but to follow the producer's wishes.
The results can be imagined.
Let’s talk about “L.A. Confidential.”
How about the original "L.A. Confidential"? Of course it's excellent. It's just a script that perfectly combines the structure of three male protagonists. It deserves the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
It’s just that the overall film is a bit mediocre after all.
It's like a solid dish. The overall quality is not low, but it just lacks something that makes people shine.
Therefore, Simon gave up the original director Curtis Hanson and chose Brian De Palma. In addition to the friendship that Palma helped him accumulate from the "Lola Run" era, he also hoped that this film would Take it to the next level, based on the original version, add more Parma-style bright colors.
Thinking about this, after Simon sat down, he took a folder from Girl A who had arranged the Johnson sisters and rushed over quickly. While watching the female assistant distribute the files to several other people, he asked Palma: " So, Brian, what do you think of the script for L.A. Confidential?"
"It's very exciting. Frankly speaking, Simon, I'm a little worried about whether I can control this project. I roughly counted that in the entire script, there are more than 80 characters with lines. In addition, not counting interiors, there are more than 60 exteriors. This It was a big test for shooting and editing. I tried to streamline it, but found that there was nothing superfluous. Simon, this is definitely not something that the screenwriter signed by Brian Helgeland can accomplish. I think only you You have to write it yourself to achieve this level, right?”
Simon smiled and shook his head: "I don't have that much time to complete a script myself now. The main reason is that Alori's novel is good enough. However, I did provide the outline. In addition, Helgeland rewrote and revised it several times. times to reach the current level.”
"I have already read the novel," Brian De Palma said. He paused but did not continue. He had already experienced the talent of the young man next to him ten years ago, so there was no need to express too much emotion. Turning to the main topic: "Simon, in my opinion, this script is a wonderful ukiyo-e of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 1950s. Because there are many characters in the scene, the choice of the protagonist is crucial. If their acting skills, temperament, etc. cannot support it, Given the story, the film ends up being very mediocre. But if you cast the best actor, Simon, you know, it's going to be very expensive."
"Since you agreed to be the director, this is what we are discussing today," Simon said, gesturing towards Linda Vargas: "I have asked Linda to start preparations some time in advance."
Linda Vargas, who had just sat down for a while, saw her boss gesturing towards her, got up and walked over to turn on the projector. She did not return, but sat nearby at the console where a laptop was placed.
A photo soon appeared on the projection screen.
Nicole Kidman.
In the photo, Nicole is wearing a close-fitting silver silk low-cut dress, with a fur vest on her shoulders. She has blond wavy hair and flaming red lips. At a glance, she looks like a dazzling actress from the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Seeing everyone around him looking at the screen, Simon said: "According to my personal understanding, the greed, sin, corruption, depravity in the City of Angels described in the book... in the final analysis, are all because of desire. And the desire between men and women is undoubtedly the easiest A kind of desire that makes people feel. The heroine Lynne Bracken, as a high-end call girl, does not seem to have many roles, but she is not only a key to the development of the storyline, but also the angel in this movie. A symbol of the desire of everyone in the city. This is the reason why the candidate for this role is shown first. Therefore, regardless of the setting in the book, I think she should be about 30 years old, with the temperament of an actress in the golden age of Hollywood, and can At the same time, it triggers a man's desire to conquer and protect, and Nicole is the most satisfying to me in every aspect."
Simon really doesn't like the original Kim Basinger.
Moreover, Kim Basinger won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "L.A. Confidential". It was obvious that she was mostly involved in public relations. Not to mention other things, Julian Moore's performance in "Boogie Nights" of the same year was enough to put her aside. Basinger had many choices, but it was a pity that the producer of "Boogie Nights" was New Line Cinema, which had basically no public relations capabilities. Julian Moore did not have the connections and qualifications as strong as Basinger in Hollywood, so it was a pity that he failed.
Linda Vargas kept switching between Nicole's special looks for this movie, Brian De Palma carefully appreciated the taste, and Ella Deutschman whispered to Simon: "Boss , Miss Kidman’s salary should be on the high side?”
Since he planned to let Gaomen Pictures take charge, Ella Deutschman knew in advance that her boss planned to spend 30 million to 40 million to complete the film.
This is really stressful.
First of all, Brian De Palma's director's salary needs to be 5 million US dollars. Now, the heroine is Nicole Kidman. This actress started from "Pulp Fiction" and later became a vase in the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" series. The heroine reached her peak with Poison Ivy in the "Batman" series, and now the quotations for commercial films start at US$5 million.
Even if it is handled by High Gate Pictures, "L.A. Confidential" cannot be regarded as a literary film. It is a commercial crime drama, and it is impossible to ask the actors to receive the low salary of a literary film.
When Simon heard Deutschman's question, he shook his head slightly: "Linda has already communicated with Nicole, $3 million, plus an Oscar for supporting actress."
Lynne Bracken is definitely the heroine in "L.A. Confidential". However, because she doesn't have many roles, it's okay to be the supporting actress. Kim Basinger once won the statuette because she was the heroine and the supporting actress. , otherwise, if you sign up as a heroine, there will definitely be no chance.
US$3 million is acceptable.
However, it is inevitably a bit rash to promise someone else an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress before filming has even started.
What if it can't be fulfilled
Ella Deutschman thought so, and was even more worried about the future.
If it was Nicole Kidman's level of casting, let alone a budget of 30 to 40 million US dollars, it might not be possible to complete the filming with 50 million US dollars.
The cost of such a black crime drama, which is definitely not short in duration and has an unpopular subject matter, reaches 50 million. In addition, the publicity and distribution will cost at least 20 million US dollars. The global box office will need to reach 150 million to 200 million US dollars to make back the money.
Frankly, Ira Deutschman has no confidence at all.
Maybe it would be better to make "The Black Dahlia". After all, the copyright is also in Daenerys' hands, and her reputation is much higher than that of "L.A. Confidential", so it will be easier to succeed.
Simon ignored Deutschman's concerns. He knew the budget of "L.A. Confidential" well. It was 35 million, which was about the same as the original version. The main reason was that Nicole was actually the biggest star in the movie, and her 3 million salary was also the highest. .
After a few words of discussion, Palma agreed with Nicole's casting, and Linda moved on to the next one.
Simon continued to explain in person: "Jack Vincens seems to be a bad cop on the surface. He is sleek and sophisticated, seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages. He even uses a game-like attitude to hide in the Los Angeles Police Department, but he has not completely abandoned himself as a police officer. conscience, and finally took the initiative to help two young people trace the truth and died as a result. This is a very complex person. I prefer Kevin Spacey to play this role. He had a very wonderful performance in "Seven Deadly Sins" , and last year he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "The Usual Suspects."
Compared with the later "The Black Dahlia", the most successful thing about "L.A. Confidential" was the casting of the characters. Two of the three leading actors were Oscar-winning actors, which successfully supported the movie.
For the role of Kevin Spacey in the original version, Simon remains the same this time.
As for the bad things that happened to Spacey in his memory, Simon can't control that much. If you care about these things, there are really not many people in Hollywood who can use them. Kevin Spacey was just picked out. Simon occasionally even thought about bringing back the Weinstein brothers who were hanging around at this time. After all, they were also a pair of talents. However, he thought it was too difficult to suppress the two brothers, so he gave up.
Except for Nicole, who had just been directly selected by Simon, Simon did not make a decision on Kevin Spacey. Instead, he asked Palma and Deutschman to contact Spacey personally. If they were not satisfied, they really wanted to change. If you can come up with an actor that satisfies Simon more, that’s no problem.
Next, Ed Exley, who once starred in Guy Pearce, and Russell Crowe, who was actually the number one leading actor, starred in Bud White. Simon didn't force it. In addition to the original two actors, he also recommended other actors. There are several candidates, the standard is that the pay is cheap and the acting skills are good enough.
Among them, Bud, who has an inner struggle, is grumpy and has a cold side, Simon recommended Hugh Jackman this time.
"Contact", which is about to start filming next week, struggled for a long time last year for one of the original roles of a priest starring Matthew McConaughey. Simon didn't think Matthew McConaughey looked like a priest at all, and finally found the role in Australia. One candidate that satisfies Simon is Hugh Jackman.
Uncle Wolf is a gentleman, and he is more than enough to play a handsome and personable priest.
However, when Uncle Wolf becomes violent, he is 1.9 meters tall and full of muscles. It is more than enough to play a Bard who happens to have this image in the original work.
Of course there is no sign of Wolverine yet. What Linda showed was the poster and footage of "Behind the Bar", a TV series starring Hugh Jackman in Australia two years ago. In this series, Hugh Jackman, who played the role of a prisoner, had short hair and With his stubble, tattoos, and dark, cold eyes, he could almost pass for Bud White. Compared with Russell Crowe, the young and irritable temperament with childhood trauma is more obvious.
In addition, Matthew McConaughey has become a candidate for Ed Exley this time.
Ella Deutschman initially felt that Nicole Kidman was too expensive. Later, she felt that the quality of the candidate actors was too low. After Linda finished the introduction, she said again: "Simon, the role of Bud , I think we can let Pitt try, he is the number one male lead after all." Seeing Palma look over, Deutschman added: "It's Brad Pitt."
Simon immediately shook his head: "Actually, I have also considered that Pete's Superman image is too profound. In order to change the audience's potential impression, a certain contrast must be formed, so I let him star in "Face". If it were this movie, he would If it’s not suitable for Bud, who is ultimately positive, you can try the role of Ed. The problem is that Ed is actually the third male lead and not as important as Lynn, so Peter’s status and salary will be too high.”
Deutschman said: "Pete has taken the initiative to contact me several times. He has always hoped to open up his own acting career besides Superman. The salary is not an issue. Simon, why not let him try it? Bud and Ed, take a look. Effect."
Simon thought for a while and said, "Spacey's salary is US$1.5 million. If Pitt wants to participate, whether it is Bud or Ed, the salary cannot exceed this number, otherwise there will be no negotiation."
Deutschman thought about it for a moment and nodded: "It should be fine."
Simon smiled and said: "Then you'd better sign the contract before "Face" is released. I am very optimistic about "Face"."
If the new version of "Face" starring Brad Pitt in the summer is successful, the actor will have broken through the shackles of "Superman" to a certain extent. Talking about the project will not be so easy.
Deutschman understands.
Then several people discussed the details of the script, preliminary preparations, etc. Time once again seemed very insufficient, and it was already noon in the blink of an eye. The key points that need to be said have been mentioned, and the rest is left to Deutschman and Palma. Simon only needs to make some final decisions on some key points.
Because I was too involved in the discussion, I left the conference room and it was already past 12 o'clock.
Simon casually invited Deutschman and Palma to have lunch together. After leaving the house, he realized that there was a pair of little sisters that he had almost forgotten and could only call out to them. However, after entering the executive-only restaurant of the movie theater, in order to avoid some topics being overheard by the two little girls, Simon still sent Girl A to accompany them to another table, where he sat with Palma and the others.
This continued until after lunch, while continuing to work in the afternoon, Simon asked Linda Vargas to arrange a small audition for Scarlett's sister Vanessa.
The results were disastrous.
Compared with her sister, Vanessa is only in better appearance. In terms of performance, according to Linda's original words, she is just like a piece of wood.
However, this is not a problem for Simon.
Acting is something that most people learn. There are only a few Hollywood stars who dare to say that they have never taken an acting class.
Instructing Linda to arrange an acting class for Vanessa, Simon also gave a small incentive. If her acting skills are up to standard by then, she can get the role of a female high school girl in the blockbuster film about a comet hitting the earth that Daenerys is preparing. The character who was born is the original Lily Sobieski's character.
Um.
Speaking of which, Lily Sobieski is more in line with Simon's aesthetic than Vanessa.
It's not hard to guess just by looking at the name.
I simply asked my casting director to look for it again. The little girl is 14 years old this year and is also a child star. It is easy to find, so I made arrangements and received it in the bowl in advance to avoid being taken away by others.