The cocktail party hosted by Marvin Josephson at his Beverly Hills mansion was a major social event for ICM's artists before the Oscars.
On the previous Wednesday, Daenerys Entertainment officially signed a contract to play the actor Clark Kent in "Superman". Because he is an artist under ICM, Marvin Josephson personally attended the signing ceremony and also sent Simon this message. Invitation to cocktail party.
The actor's name is Brad Pitt.
Simon had noticed Pete two years ago.
In my memory, Brad Pitt was actually interested in starring in Warner Bros.'s 2006 reboot of "Superman Returns," but at that time, because Pitt's fame was already too great, Warner had to give up on him.
Brad Pitt is now 29 years old. He debuted in the mid-1980s. However, unlike Tom Cruise, who is only one year older than him, it has been smooth sailing. Pitt has been at the bottom of the industry and played various minor roles since his debut.
The most well-known role in recent times is just a "male vase" in "Thelma and Louise" that originally belonged to him. This was the result of Simon's deliberate arrangement.
In order to pave the way for Pitt to star in Superman, after "Thelma and Louise", the actor will also star in "River", which is invested by Daenerys Entertainment and directed by Robert Redford. The literary film adapted from the autobiographical novel happened to be Pitt's famous work in the original timeline.
According to arrangements, "River Love" will be released at the end of the year and impact next year's awards season.
Brad Pitt also signed a 15-year five-film contract similar to that of "Batman" actor Adam Baldwin.
However, unlike Adam Baldwin's five-picture contract, which is worth a total of $30 million, Brad Pitt's starting salary is $250,000, and the subsequent four films will be paid in increments of $2.5 million each.
If the "Superman" series meets expectations at the box office, the total value of Brad Pitt's five films will be approximately US$25 million.
A $25 million package deal is nothing compared to the potential value of the "Superman" series. However, for an actor of Brad Pitt's stature at this time, even if he breaks his head, he may not necessarily get a chance to rise to the top.
Not only Clark Kent, but also the actor Cyborg Victor Stone has been recently finalized.
The actor is Will Smith, who has transitioned from the rap world to Hollywood in the past two years.
Will Smith debuted as a rapper in 1985. Although he won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Group three years ago, he can only be regarded as second-tier in the music industry. The total sales of the album that won him the Grammy Award were There are only 500,000 copies.
Because of his excessive spending and tax evasion after becoming famous, Will Smith was found out by the IRS two years ago. The $2.8 million fine directly bankrupted the rapper, forcing him to try to make extra money in the film and television industry.
Subsequently, the ABC sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Miracles" which premiered in 1990, allowed Smith to successfully establish a foothold in the film and television industry.
In this era, there were far less opportunities for black actors to come forward than after the new century.
The DC movie universe is at its peak, and the role of Cyborg, a black superhero, has naturally attracted competition from a large number of black actors, and Will Smith is no exception.
With Simon's push, Will Smith, who was indeed very suitable for the role of Cyborg, successfully got the opportunity.
The same five-movie contract, because the popularity of "Cyborg" is much lower than that of "Superman" and "Batman", and Smith, who has only acted in one TV series, is not considered a big star. Therefore, the total value of this packaged contract is only $20 million.
Five films, with a starting salary of $200,000, with increments of up to $2 million for each of the subsequent four films.
Simon brought Nicole Kidman to the cocktail party at Josephson's house. It was already past eight o'clock in the evening, and the cocktail party had already started for a long time.
The atmosphere of cocktail parties is generally relaxed, and the organizers usually do not set an opening time, so Simon and his wife are not late.
not to mention.
Simon Westeros is late…
All right.
In today's Hollywood, this might sound like a joke.
Upon learning of Simon's arrival, Marvin Josephson came out with his daughter Nancy Josephson.
ICM has been reorganized several times in the 1980s. Now Marvin Josephson has basically withdrawn from the management of this talent agency and only serves as the chairman of the board as a major shareholder.
Nancy Josephson is the next generation leader of ICM trained by Marvin Josephson, and is now one of the emerging agents in ICM.
As a latecomer, Simon knew that Nancy Josephson would serve as co-president of ICM in a few years, and this agent also had a very famous client, Johnny Depp.
Johnny Depp became famous with "Edward Scissorhands" two years ago and is now a well-known young star in Hollywood. Depp also tried to get the role of The Flash before, just because Simon thought that Depp's style really didn't match Barry Allen's, so he didn't use him.
Next Monday is the Oscars ceremony, and many big names under ICM will gather in Los Angeles just like Nicole Kidman.
Therefore, the mansion, located on more than an acre of land at the top of Beverly Hills, is filled with people in groups of twos and threes inside and outside the villa and on the backyard lawn.
Mel Gibson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Denzel Washington, Susan Sarandon, Demi Moore, Julia Roberts, Jodie Foster and many other ICM pillars and celebrities All third-tier artists were present at the reception, including, of course, executives from production companies.
Many Hollywood film projects are finalized unknowingly in such social occasions.
Marvin Josephson strongly invited Simon to attend, of course, not just to enhance personal relationships.
After greeting the familiar Mel Gibson people, Marvin Josephson took Simon to a corner of the backyard lawn, where Arnold Schwarzenegger and Columbia Pictures CEO Peter Gu were already standing. Cypress.
"Simon, Amy said you are not interested in the script of "Phantom Heroes". I think you should listen to Arnold's own thoughts. This will definitely become a blockbuster no less than "Terminator 2"."
After last year's "Terminator 2", Arnold Schwarzenegger's popularity has returned to its peak, and the action star's next movie has become the focus of Hollywood.
A few days ago, news spread that Schwarzenegger was preparing an original script called "Phantom Hero", and the script of the film was also circulated in Hollywood for the first time.
Simon didn't need to read the script. Just by hearing the name, he knew that this was Schwarzenegger's worst fall in the 1990s.
"Phantom Hero" tells the story of a little boy who is obsessed with an action hero on the screen. He accidentally gets a movie ticket that can travel between the movie world and the real world, so he goes on an adventure with his idol. Arnold is among them. Play as the action hero named Jack Slater.
As I recall, the production cost of "Phantom Heroes" alone was US$85 million.
After the film was released, the North American box office was only a little over 50 million US dollars. The huge losses caused Sony to pay an expensive tuition fee again. Schwarzenegger's career was almost on the rocks because of "Phantom Hero".
Such a big pitfall, Daenerys Entertainment directly chose to reject the project when ICM pitched it to major studios.
Looking at the situation at this time, it is obvious that Columbia Pictures, controlled by Sony, will take over this project just like the original time and space.
However, after experiencing consecutive failures in projects such as "Ultimate Condor" and "Captain Hawk" last year, Sony has become obviously cautious. Peter Cooper still wants to bring in Daenerys Entertainment and create a Cooperation projects.
Simon will definitely not get involved in "Phantom Heroes", and of course he will not be kind enough to remind Sony not to participate.
The release of a project like "Phantom Hero" that failed miserably at the box office means that a large market share will be vacated during the same period. This kind of trade-off will definitely be beneficial to Daenerys Entertainment.
After patiently listening to Arnold Schwarzenegger talk about his views on this project, and chatting with Peter Cooper for a few words, Simon verbally stated that he would think about it again. Of course, he actually planned to let Arnold go in a few days. Mido himself refused again.
Seeing Simon walk away, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Peter Cooper and "Phantom Hero" screenwriter Zach Penn and others were a little disappointed.
Having been in this circle for a long time, everyone basically confirmed that Daenerys Entertainment would definitely not participate in this project based on the ambiguous attitude of Westeros.
However, Simon's indifference did not reduce their determination to make this film.
In the past year, although the projects Daenerys Entertainment participated in occupied the majority of the box office charts, after all, there were still many blockbuster films produced by other film companies.
Marvin Josephson didn't show anything strange about Simon not agreeing to participate in "Phantom Heroes", but he still warmly led him to another tall male star.
This is also an artist under ICM, Liam Neeson.
While filming "Jurassic Park," Spielberg is already looking for candidates for the lead role in "Schindler's List."
Because of the special meaning behind "Schindler's List", many big-name Hollywood actors such as Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, and Warren Beatty expressed their willingness to reduce their pay to star in the film.
However, Simon still prefers the original Liam Neeson.
Liam Neeson is 40 years old this year. He debuted in the 1980s and has only been a second-tier actor in Hollywood for ten years.
Thinking about the subsequent career development of Liam Neeson, I have to say that compared to female stars, Hollywood male stars who basically have no shelf life limit really have many advantages.
In private discussions, Spielberg believed that Schindler should be a person like Steve Ross, so he wanted to find a male star of the same category.
Since he hoped that Liam Neeson would get the role, Simon specially gave the interview and asked ICM and Neeson to find some videos related to Ross for reference.
Unlike "Jurassic Park", in the "Schindler's List" project, Simon will only make some suggestions, and the decision-making power rests with Spielberg.
The box office performance of "Schindler's List" in my memory was actually pretty good, but whether Spielberg still chooses Neeson as the leading actor or not, Simon actually doesn't care.
For this project, what Simon values is not profit at all, but an attitude expressed to the Jewish community in Hollywood.
To the outside world, Simon's race is actually a frequently discussed topic because of his unknown origin.
However, most media have generally confirmed that whether it is based on Simon's surname before changing his surname to Westeros or his own appearance, Westeros should be a standard Anglo-Saxon, that is, the mainstream American Wasp ( WASP) family.
This is actually the case if we don't consider the inner soul.
Although some people hope that Simon will be a Jew, including the Jewish community in Hollywood, some people have even tried to test whether Simon should join Judaism, but most people basically have a judgment.
In the impression of outsiders, the Jewish community in the United States seems to be particularly powerful and prosperous, but in fact this is not the case.
If you delve deeper into American society, it is not difficult to find that many Jews, whether they are political celebrities or wealthy businessmen, actually have a deep-rooted inferiority complex in front of WASP.
Many top clubs in the United States still do not accept Jews to join.
At the same time, many Jews will find ways to squeeze into the WASP circle after they become prosperous.
Why are racial issues so sensitive in the United States
The root cause is racial discrimination that is so deep-rooted that it exists everywhere. This kind of discrimination is definitely not just between white people and black people. Even among white groups, there are also discriminations such as 'red necks' and 'white trash'.
Simon certainly wouldn't declare himself Jewish or join Judaism just to cater to Hollywood's Jewish community.
However, as he becomes more powerful in Hollywood, it is actually very necessary to express an attitude by supporting the filming of "Schindler's List".
Just after chatting with Liam Neeson, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore took the initiative to say hello.
It can be said that the current situation of this couple is somewhat declining.
Bruce Willis's two consecutive films, "Condor" and "The Last Boy Scout," failed miserably at the box office, making Hollywood wonder whether the actor who rose to prominence with "Die Hard" still has the potential to be an action star.
After "The Last Day", Demi Moore's "A Few Good Men" last year once again consolidated her status as a first-line actress in Hollywood.
However, after the actress became famous, she may have been too eager to make money. After filming "A Few Good Men", she filmed two more movies back to back.
"The Psychic Wife" produced by Paramount Pictures was released in October last year with a budget of US$20 million and a total box office of just over US$9 million in North America.
Another movie had even worse results. "24" produced by Columbia Pictures, with a budget of US$40 million, co-starring "Ghostbusters" actor Dan Aykroyd, trying to copy "Ghostbusters" and "Ghostbusters" The success of "The Love Is Not Over".
As a result, the film was released during the Valentine's Day period on February 14 this year. The box office in its first week was only US$3.26 million. After two weeks, the total box office barely exceeded US$6 million.
It stands to reason that Demi Moore and the popularity of the male stars in her films will definitely not be in such unpopular schedules as October and February.
Both films were consigned to the schedule graveyard, which shows that the studio itself is not very optimistic about the quality of the finished films of "The Psychic Wife" and "24".
Two consecutive starring films failed at the box office. Even though the popularity accumulated through "The Last Day" and "A Few Good Men" has not dissipated, Hollywood studios are almost labeling the actress a box office poison.
Everyone can also see that Demi Moore's performance in "The Last Day" is indeed remarkable, but the success of "A Few Good Men" should be more due to Robert De Niro and Tom Han The two big names are supporting the show.
Moreover, there is a young man standing behind the scenes of "The Last Days" and "A Few Good Men."
Sorted out in this way, Demi Moore's box office appeal becomes even more doubtful.
Now, six years after Simon's rebirth, Hollywood has changed beyond recognition.
The era of blockbusters has begun ahead of schedule. Big scenes, big productions, big special effects, and big IP projects will gradually replace the personal appeal of stars. After continuous overturns, it will be extremely difficult for this couple to make a comeback.
"Simon, I had a phone call with Ms. Fessy yesterday to discuss the Oscar dress. I'm really sorry about the Van Cleef & Arpels endorsement last time. I have fired my public relations manager. She was the one who felt that Van Cleef & Arpels Bao's brand positioning is not very consistent with my image. However, if CK, which Melisandre just acquired, needs my help, I will definitely try my best."
When selecting Van Cleef & Arpels' spokesperson last year, Sofia's first favorite actress was Demi Moore. The two parties also tried to contact her, but Demi Moore chose to endorse Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels' most direct competitor.
"It's okay. Besides, I don't ask too much about Melisandre's side."
Simon shook his head and said.
He had never had high expectations for women, so he had no special feelings about that incident.
What's more, standing next to him is the current spokesperson of Van Cleef & Arpels.
Facts have also proved that Nicole Kidman is more suitable than Demi Moore to endorse a jewelry brand in terms of image and temperament.
Demi Moore couldn't help but glance at Nicole. She obviously wanted to say something more, but she hesitated. She just chatted a few more unhelpful topics and walked away with Willis.
Although he felt Demi Moore's flattery and regret when talking to him, and even took advantage of some hints made by her husband when he was not paying attention, Simon did not intend to waste much attention on her anymore. This actress probably It is true that all the spiritual energy was exhausted in the movie "The Love between Humans and Ghosts".
After continuing to socialize with the crowd of one or two hundred guests for about an hour, after half past nine, Simon left the backyard lawn and planned to leave the reception through the villa.
However, in the lobby of the villa, Simon encountered a figure that surprised him.