As a film with most scenes taking place in a single room, the two-week shooting period of "The Man from Earth" is more than enough. If it were not for the pursuit of excellence, it could actually be completed in one week.
Simon arrived on the Toronto set, halfway through filming.
Brett Ratner is a music video director, so he is not suitable to direct such a drama-style movie. The reason why he handed over the project to him is because Simon has high hopes for him, hoping that he can use some diverse styles of movies to get rid of the drama. There are some bad habits that many MV directors have as filmmakers.
New World Pictures has acquired Jack Cheng's "Red Zone", which is expected to be released in February next year. After that, the "Rush Hour" series will be included in Simon's production list. This time, Simon does not intend to let Brett Ratner direct the "Rush Hour" series as he once did. He wants to hand over the more important "Charlie's Angels" series to him.
The filming location is located in the suburbs of Scarborough in Toronto's east end.
Arriving at two o'clock in the afternoon, Simon watched the filming until it was finished at five o'clock in the afternoon. Although he did not interfere or even express any opinions during this period, everyone on the crew was obviously a little nervous because of his arrival, so the set shooting tasks were only completed. Half done.
In the middle of winter, five o'clock is already evening.
After everyone finished work, they were notified that Simon had prepared a buffet party at his villa in downtown Scarborough. Everyone in the crew could go as long as they had no other arrangements tonight.
I had never expected to receive an invitation from Simon Westeros before. It was a rare opportunity. How could everyone have other arrangements? Some people tried to see if they could bring their companions with them. After receiving a positive reply, they even called New York directly. .
It was definitely too late to get to Los Angeles, but it was still possible to catch up by temporarily hiring a private plane to fly from New York to Toronto, a distance of 500 kilometers.
The opportunity to meet Simon Westeros face-to-face is something that no one in Hollywood could ask for, so of course we must seize it. The longer you stay in this circle, the more you will understand the importance of connections. Maybe just a meeting or a conversation can leave an impression on others, and opportunities will come before you know it.
Of course people are different.
If Simon Westeros has an extremely thick network of connections, if he can connect with him, he can make people prosperous by randomly throwing in some resources.
So, from five o'clock when the crew finished work to seven o'clock when the buffet started in the evening, in two hours, two private jets from New York flew to Toronto specifically for this dinner party, one arranged by WMA and one arranged by ICM .
As for the three pillars of CAA, I can only say that it is a pity.
For this current project, director Brett Ratner and actress Elizabeth Perkins both belong to WMA. The actor George Clooney is from ICM, and most of the other supporting actors are from these two companies. CAA, which gathered a large number of Hollywood superstars in the 1980s, has begun to decline in recent years with the rise of Daenerys Entertainment Group, which has always disliked using big names, and due to some initial discord.
Just like the Screen Actors Guild is divided into two parts on the east and west coasts, the three major Hollywood talent agencies also have two headquarters on the east and west coasts, and the distribution of their artists is also the same. It is easy to gather a group of people to attend this dinner in a short time.
The planned venue for the dinner is another of Simon's properties near Red River Park in the eastern suburbs of Scarborough. After the crew finished work, Simon returned to the property for a short rest. Unexpectedly, he received a call from Jonathan Friedman in Los Angeles to test whether he would mind if the buffet was more lively.
Simon didn't expect that a dinner party he had impromptu would turn out like this. Since Jonathan had called, he must give a favor, so he agreed and asked Zoe and Isabel, who were in charge of the party preparations, to increase the portion of food.
At seven o'clock in the evening, it was completely dark.
Because of the snow that had just fallen, the nighttime temperature in the Toronto area was below minus 10 degrees Celsius. However, the guests who came one after another to attend the buffet were all dressed in costumes. The banquet, which was originally planned to only have more than 20 people, has more than doubled, and it is expected to be More than seventy people.
There is actually a reason why WMA and ICM are so deliberate here.
Daenerys Entertainment Group has a slew of recent blockbuster projects in the early stages of preparation, and opportunities are everywhere.
Although Daenerys Entertainment Group is very strict about movie casting, and it is difficult to finalize it after a meal and a sleep like in the past, but as long as you have a strong foundation, you can show your face in Westeros at this time. In the future, you will definitely get bonus points if you make it to the final round of casting.
What's more, Simon is not an unkind person. If the time comes, make a phone call and ask, "Do you still remember XXX at the dinner party in Toronto?" After a few words, maybe the deal can be finalized.
This time in "The Man from Earth", the heroine Elizabeth Perkins was won by Jonathan Friedman.
Of course, Elizabeth Perkins' profound acting qualifications are also the most basic premise. This 34-year-old actress with excellent appearance and temperament not only has a standard drama academy background, but also has more than ten years of acting experience in Broadway and Hollywood. He has experience and has participated in blockbusters such as "Future". This is the basis for the other party to get the role.
If Jonathan Friedman recommends a vase with absolutely no acting skills, he may be asking for trouble, and Jonathan would not be stupid enough to do so.
On the other hand, actors with the qualifications of Elizabeth Perkins are very popular in Hollywood, where there are more than 200,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild alone. When the qualifications are sufficient, the network factor becomes crucial.
At seven o'clock sharp.
The villa next to Honghe Park is already crowded with people.
Although the portion of the buffet dinner was temporarily increased, and a chef cooked for everyone on site, most of the people present were not paying attention to what they were eating.
Before Simon could think of it, Nancy Josephson, the daughter of the founder of ICM, Marvin Josephson, the major shareholder, had also rushed over. This female Hollywood agent who was already the vice president of ICM would be in charge of ICM in the next few years. It can be said that it is very popular in the actor circle, and Nancy Josephson also brought Johnny Depp, who she personally praised, with her.
After exchanging pleasantries, I learned that Johnny Depp happened to be in New York to attend the recording of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" in order to add another force to "Interview with the Vampire" starring Depp and Pitt and promote this vampire film. The movie broke through the 100 million yuan threshold.
In the villa hall.
After chatting for a while, Nancy Josephson said very directly: "Simon, what do you think about letting Depp give Depp a try on the "The Bourne Identity" that Daenerys and MGM are preparing?"
Simon was holding a glass of red wine and was about to put it to his mouth. He paused after hearing this. He imagined the shocking scene of Captain Jack Sparrow starring as Jason Bourne. He shook his head and said, "John's image is inappropriate. Nancy, you should be better than me." It’s clearer what type of film he’s suitable for.”
Nancy glanced at Depp who looked disappointed and did not give up: "John became famous by starring in "The Boys". I think he can fully support the action movie style. Simon, how about arranging an audition?"
"It's better not to mention this matter, Nancy. John is a very talented actor. I hope we can have the opportunity to cooperate in the future. However, he is not suitable for "The Bourne Supremacy". There is no need to waste your time," Simon said As he was sitting, he suddenly remembered something and asked Nancy: "By the way, what is Bolton busy with recently?"
Burton is a very common surname in the United States, but Nancy Josephson immediately reacted. The Burton Simon was referring to was naturally Tim Burton, who had collaborated with Depp in "Edward Scissorhands".
Having just been rejected by Simon, Nancy's emotions towards Tim Burton are inevitably a little complicated.
Before "Edward Scissorhands", Johnny Depp was just a TV star who had just gained a foothold in the entertainment industry with the help of the "The Boys" series. If he wanted to develop into the film industry, he could only star in the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" series. In such a youth horror film, the protagonist is not the absolute hero.
It can be said that "Edward Scissorhands" directly transformed Depp from a TV star to a movie star, but at the same time, the negative effects were also very obvious. The literary atmosphere of "Edward Scissorhands" was too heavy, causing Depp's big screen image to be directly In recent years, he has only been able to work in the literary and art film industry. Even if the opportunity for "Interview with the Vampire" came up, David Geffen only reluctantly approved it after watching "Edward Scissorhands".
Because they are all non-human.
Although after "Edward Scissorhands" he continued to star in literary films such as "Arizona Dreams" and "A Different Sky", neither Depp nor Nancy Josephson wants to continue to be a literary star. Blockbuster commercial films are the way to go.
If possible, Nancy Josephson did not want Depp to continue working with Burton, lest he be completely stereotyped by Depp's strong personal style.
However, when Simon asked, it was impossible for Nancy Josephson not to respond.
Nancy Josephson is not personally responsible for Tim Burton. However, because of the cooperative relationship between Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, the two parties also have a very good relationship in private. Regarding Burton's movements, Nancy Josephson Josephson also figured it out, thought for a moment and said quickly: "He is currently supervising the production of an animated and live-action fantasy film produced by Disney called "The Adventures of Flying Peach". It seems that he has no new directing projects yet. "
With that said, Nancy Josephson immediately went one step further: "Mr. Westeros, if you are interested in Bolton, I can arrange a meeting for you. How about tomorrow, which happens to be the weekend?"
Even if she doesn't want Depp to participate in Burton's movie again, Nancy Josephson doesn't mind promoting the cooperation between ICM's filmmakers and Simon Westeros.
Because of Simon's appearance, Hollywood history has changed a lot.
One of the big influences is Tim Burton.
This filmmaker with a strong personal style should have become a god with Michael Keaton's version of "Batman" and became one of the most popular super directors in Hollywood in the 1990s. However, the birth of the DC movie universe series led by Daenerys Entertainment Group completely changed Burton's fate.
Although Tim Burton is still one of the famous blockbuster directors in Hollywood thanks to films such as "Beetlejuice", "Edward Scissorhands", and "The Nightmare Before Christmas", his popularity is far less than before.
Simon smiled. He didn't expect this woman to be so good at beating snakes and following the stick. This is probably the most basic quality of an excellent agent.
Without giving away, Simon said: "Forget the meeting, but I happened to see a project recently that should be very suitable for Burton to direct, Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", Nancy, do you know?"
Nancy Josephson shook her head honestly.
Simon didn't mind and said, "You can let Burton read the novel first. If you are interested, we can take the time to chat."
Nancy Josephson nodded and agreed without hesitation: "Okay, Simon, I will tell Tim."
The project that Simon suddenly remembered was "Sleepy Hollow" directed by Tim Burton in his memory.
Simon dislikes Burton's version of the "Batman" series very much, but he has watched "Sleepy Hollow" many times. This classic horror film, every frame of which can be used as wallpaper, fully demonstrates Burton's style of film aesthetics. It's so beautiful that it's so mesmerizing
The budget cost of "Sleepy Hollow" in my memory exceeded 100 million, and the global box office was only a little over 200 million. The producer, Paramount Pictures, needed to recover the cost through post-production operations. However, for a piece of art, Simon is very happy to invest in photographing it, even if he suffers a small loss.
After agreeing to this matter, Nancy Josephson still did not walk away. She just motioned to Johnny Depp to chat with other people. When the other party walked away, he walked not far away and was talking to Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Helena. A girl chatting with the couple gestured and promoted again: "Simon, what do you think of Mei Chen in "Charlie's Angels"? She is 24 years old and has starred in David Lynch's "Twin Peaks" And some other good movies, very malleable.”
Nancy Josephson refers to Metchen Amick.
This actress became famous for starring in David Lynch's "Twin Peaks". Speaking of which, several actresses in this TV series are very beautiful and impressive.
In fact, Mei Chen Amick, who had been paying attention to the movements here, saw Simon and Nancy looking over together, and immediately showed a decent smile, and came to the two of them, looking at Simon with an undisguised amorous look. and teasing: "Nancy, and Mr. Westeros, what can I do?"
In fact, Simon, like David Fincher, is a serious face-controller. He always has a little more patience with beautiful women. When he saw Meichen Amick being angry with him, he smiled and said: "Just call me Simon, Meichen." , Nancy just recommended you to participate in "Charlie's Angels" to me."
Meichen Amick's eyes suddenly lit up with an expectant expression: "So, Wei...Simon, do you think I can give it a try?"
Simon said: "I've seen "Female Lovers", which was pretty good. However, "Charlie's Angels" may be launched a little late. If you are interested, you can come and audition by then."
Meichen Amick didn't expect that the man in front of her would have seen "The Flirty Lovers," in which she starred with James Spader. You know, this is a very commercial failure. It was invested by PolyGram and launched in North American theaters in the first half of the year. It was distributed by Gramercy Pictures, an independent film company. The North American box office was only a pitiful US$250,000.
Although she has gained some fame with "Twin Peaks", when it comes to celebrity status, Mei Chen Amick is barely considered a second-tier star. In recent years, she has only appeared in a few low-cost small-production movies. If it were not for today's chance, Nancy would · Josephson also felt that she might be able to compete for a role in "Charlie's Angels" and was not qualified to attend this dinner.
She has been in Hollywood for a long time. When she heard the man say that she could audition, Mei Chen Amick's excitement cooled down a lot.
When Simon said this, he actually said nothing.
Glancing at Nancy, he saw that she was slightly lowering her head to sip the red wine in the glass as if she had suddenly thought of something. Meichen Amick did not hesitate anymore, and stepped forward slightly to the man's side. His arm rubbed against Simon's body intentionally or unintentionally: "Simon, maybe we could go upstairs and talk alone, couldn't we?"
Simon smiled and shook his head: "There are still many guests here, and it is not convenient to leave now."
Saying this, before Meichen Amick could be disappointed, Simon had already raised his hand to grab the girl's chin: "But as long as you are willing and I have time, I will call you."
Meichen Amick only paused for a moment and quickly relaxed. She was not dissatisfied at all with the man's sudden frivolous actions, nor did he care about the strange looks from around him. Instead, he slightly raised his delicate face to cooperate with the man: " It’s settled then, Simon, I’m waiting for your call.”
Simon finally pinched the girl's chin, withdrew his hand and said, "But, when the time comes, you still can't get the role in "Charlie's Angels", what should I do?"
Meichen Amick smiled brightly: "It is an honor for me to date Simon Westeros."
"You are very smart," Simon smiled, gestured to the buffet table not far away, and said, "Have fun, and the chef tonight is very good, you can go and try it."
After saying this, Simon turned and walked away.
Maichen Amick watched Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley blocking the man's path and chatting with each other. After a moment, he looked away, looked at Nancy who had not walked away, and asked: "Nancy, do you think I can Did you get the role?"
Nancy Josephson shook her head slightly: "It's hard to say. The most indispensable thing around Westeros is beautiful women. He may have forgotten you early tomorrow morning."
"ah?"
Seeing that Mei Chen Amick opened his mouth slightly and seemed a little unconvinced, Nancy said: "Me Chen, beautiful women always overestimate themselves, but I think you should know your acting skills and want to win "Thunderbolt". The role in "Girls" is still a bit lacking. A blockbuster of the level of "Charlie's Angels" is not something you can decide by who you want to sleep with."
Meichen Amick felt that Nancy did not mean what she said, and asked: "So, what should I do?"
Nancy smiled and said: "I think Simon just seemed to have hinted that "Charlie's Angels" will not be launched in the short term. This is your chance. My suggestion is that when you go back this time, you need to take some intensive acting courses, preferably In addition to physical training, fighting, etc., "Charlie's Angels" is an action movie, which will place very high physical demands on the actresses."
Meichen Amick hesitated and said: "Is this okay?"
Nancy looked at the other party and said: "Think about Valerie Golino and Nicole Kidman. "Charlie's Angels" is a more purely female-led blockbuster than the DC Movie Universe project, or Simon Westeros." Take the lead personally. If you succeed, you will become as famous as those female stars. If you can't get the role, unfortunately, according to your current celebrity status, the best way out is to find a man with a relatively rich net worth. Marry yourself. You have just left an impression on Simon, so this is your closest chance to success, either shining brightly or being unknown."