"Eric, take a look, the situation is not what you imagined, Carol Buguet, Natasha Kinski, Isabelle Huppert, Isabelle Adjani and other top European actresses either refused I received an invitation, or I am very interested in this story, but I hope you can cut down the passionate scenes as much as possible," Jeffrey said in the office, handing a stack of mail to Eric.
Eric took it, and silently checked each other's receipts one by one. After a while, he shook his head and smiled wryly: "It seems that my thinking is too simple."
"Of course, it is very difficult to get a first-line actress with good acting skills to star in "Instinct". Even these European actresses, although they can accept the scale of this movie, but if they are interested If Hollywood develops, they will not take this kind of film easily, otherwise it will have a great impact on their image in Hollywood. If you have no intention to come to Hollywood to develop, let alone, your taste in this film does not conform to the habit of filming Most of the European actresses in literary films."
"By the way," Eric suddenly lowered his head and looked at the several emails in his hand: "Carole Bouquet's agent replied that he was very interested in this movie. Please contact me and see if I can let you know. She flew to Los Angeles for an interview."
Jeffrey looked at the profile of Carole Bouquet@≡, and said with a smile: "Eric, the image of this French actress is indeed in line with Catherine Chumei's setting, but the other party is three years old. Yue just won the French Cesar Award for Best Actress, so I think it will be even more difficult to convince her."
"Then package it and bind it. I happen to have a movie with a female lead in my plan that I can let her try. It is also a big production. The investment will not be less than 60 million U.S. dollars."
"Why don't I know." Jeffrey suddenly became interested: "Tell me?"
Eric smiled and shook his head: "This is a secret. And, it doesn't have to be my next movie. I have asked Stan and the others to do the special effects of "Ghostly Love" and prepare for "Jurassic Park" Therefore, my specific work arrangement after "Ghosts" has not been finalized. Maybe I will start preparing for "Jurassic Park", or maybe I will shoot some other simple special effects Movies. Gain experience."
"Okay, then I won't ask," Jeffrey said, "However, Disney is very dissatisfied with the progress of "Ghost Love" and hopes that you can start shooting as soon as possible."
"It's not that they don't know my film scheduling speed. Although special effects will be used in this movie, they are not too complicated special effects. I will shoot the parts that need special effects first, and hand them over to Stan for post-production. They will use them for a month. No. According to the plan, it will be completed in mid-June, and there is still nearly a month of publicity time. It is enough."
"That's what I told them too," Jeffrey smiled and said, "However, Eric, I think we still need to prepare an alternative plan, and many local second- and third-tier actresses have handed over information , you may wish to choose from them, I think there are still many good ones.”
"Give me a copy of their materials when you leave, and I'll pick and arrange a simple audition," Eric said.
While the two were talking, Jeffrey's assistant knocked on the door and said, "Mr. Hansen, Mr. Williams, Mr. Roger Spottywood, and Mr. Don Johnson are here."
"Let's go," Jeffrey said to Eric: "Finally, the director and leading actor have been determined."
Eric and Jeffrey came to a small reception room together, and the three people in the room stood up quickly. Eric was a little surprised to see Melanie Griffith appearing here, but soon Just relieved, Melanie Griffith is Don Johnson's wife.
To be honest, Don Johnson was only a TV actor before, and his fame is far less than that of her wife, Melanie Griffith. It is estimated that Melanie Griffith came together to cheer her husband up. We have only been married for more than a year, and the marriage is still in the honeymoon period.
Eric chose Don Johnson as the leading actor in "Basic Instinct" only because of a certain movie in his memory. As for the original Michael Douglas, Eric felt that the other party was too old. Although his acting skills were good, Eric did not I always felt that the opponent's momentum was weaker, and he didn't fully express a hot-tempered detective like Nick.
Holding hands with the couple, Eric suddenly thought of another person. According to time, Eric's rebirth should not affect the appearance of this person, that is Don Johnson and Melanie Griffey Dakota Johnson's daughter, Dakota Johnson, in parallel time and space, Dakota Johnson starred in a very famous movie called "Fifty Shades of Grey". Speaking of which, the Melanie Griffith family also It can barely be regarded as a Hollywood film family, but it is far from being comparable to the Coppola family or the Fonda family in terms of influence.
"Mr. Williams, is there any question?" Don Johnson asked curiously seeing Eric looking at the couple with great interest.
"Oh, sorry, I suddenly remembered something."
Eric smiled and turned to another person, Roger Spottywood, a middle-aged man in his forties with a thin face and eyes. The most famous movie of the other party in his previous life should be "007: Tomorrow Never Dies".
But now, although Roger Spottywood is forty-five years old, as a director, he has always been calm, and there is no outstanding movie. After Jeffrey recommended it to him, Eric deliberately found the other movie to watch. , found that the other party is very good at dramas like "Basic Instinct". More importantly, Roger Spottywood is not only cheap, but also does not ask for the final editing rights, so Eric quickly made a decision.
After exchanging pleasantries, the three of them sat down.
"Mr. Spottywood, you've been studying the script for several days, let me tell you what you think about this movie first."
"Of course, Mr. Williams," Roger Spottywood nodded, "I think "Instinct" is on the surface describing the process of solving a perverted murder case, but it is actually depicting a A primitive desire. A wild passion. It can be seen from the script. As the detective, Nick is actually the same person as the murderer Catherine Chumei. Primitive destructive tendencies, therefore, during the undercover process, Nick accidentally killed innocent tourists in excitement. Moreover, after the rock singer was killed, Nick determined from the beginning that Catherine Chumei was the real murderer, and After that interrogation, because of Catherine Chumei's teasing, Nick's inner desire was aroused, and then he was rude to Beth... "
Although Roger Spottywood has been a director for ten years and has been calm, he has put in a lot of effort in understanding the script, and several people in the conference room nodded repeatedly.
Eric also realized that Roger Spottywood is probably the same as Jonathan Demme back then. Jonathan Demme became famous in one fell swoop with Eric's "Small Island Cry", and now he has become a first-line director in Hollywood. It is estimated that Roger Spottywood also wants to seize this opportunity, although the script of "Basic Instinct" is very different from Eric's other movie scripts. But after all, Eric wrote the script himself, even if it will cause controversy in the future. Then the firepower must be on Eric. As long as this movie is successful, he, the director, can go one step further.
Several people have been discussing all afternoon, about all aspects of the shooting of "Basic Instinct". After get off work, Eric returned to Angle Manor with a thick file of candidate actresses.
Pushing the door open and entering the villa, a petite figure greeted her.
"Hi, Vicky, when did you come back?" Eric asked as he hugged the girl and kissed her.
"I got off the plane at 10:30 in the morning. I feel really bad. I don't want to take such a long plane again." Virginia complained, holding Eric's arm. The girl went to Europe to attend a film awards ceremony, The other party originally wanted to invite Eric to go, but Eric couldn't spare the time. Besides, if he attended any awards in person, he would definitely be exhausted, and Jonathan Demme was nervously filming "The Silent Lamb", in the end, Virginia could only make a trip.
"Actually, I also hate taking long-distance planes. The experience of going to Venice was very bad," Eric said with a smile: "Since I'm back, let's stay here. I just want to go to New York in a few days. Can you help me?" I look after the house."
"I won't help you look after the house," the girl said angrily, "by the way, in the afternoon, a man named Michael Krause sent you a sample of your new book. It's wonderful, just a little short."
As Virginia said, she left for a while, and after a while, she brought a hardcover book, the cover design specially explained by Eric, with 'Matrix' written in the middle of the green digital flow.
Eric looked at the cover and nodded, "Yes, I didn't expect it to be published so soon."
After walking to the sofa in the hall and sitting down, Eric opened it and read it.
Virginia lightly put away Eric's coat and office bag before walking over and sitting next to the man. Eric naturally hugged Virginia's waist.
Virginia giggled a few times, and then lay down on the sofa, pillowing Eric's thigh, feeling a pair of big hands getting into the neckline and gently kneading, her face turned red soon, and her chest rose and fell slightly faster.
"Have you decided on your next movie yet?" Eric asked casually.
"Not yet. I have received a lot of scripts, all of which are horror films. "Small Island" has just finished. If I continue to act in horror films, it will be difficult to transition in the future, so I want to try other types."
As the girl spoke, she pushed aside the book in front of her and looked at Eric with bright eyes.
"Okay, let me help you pay attention," Eric said casually.
"Well, why don't you write another script for me?"
Eric smiled and gently pinched the girl's face: "It's really greedy, will you play "Basic Instinct"?"
Virginia happened to have seen the script of "Basic Instinct", she gave Eric a reproachful look, and said provocatively, "I will act if you ask me to act."
Eric pretended to be angry and turned Virginia over, and slapped the girl's butt a few times, and Virginia hummed twice before falling softly on Eric's legs.
"Okay, get up," Eric said helplessly.
"It hurts, you are disgusting, you are not considerate at all." Virginia turned her blushing face and complained a few words, but quickly got up.
"I don't have any scripts that suit you right now, so try to ask Kapoor to help you choose, or you can find some and bring them over for me to look at." Eric explained. The girl nodded. Then he continued: "By the way, help me get the purse just now, I still have some things to deal with."
"It's off work now," the girl said, but got up and took the briefcase.
Eric took out a stack of actress files and put them on his lap to flip through them one by one, picking out one that he thought was good and putting it aside.
"What are these for?" Virginia picked up a document curiously and asked.
"The shortlist of actresses for "Instinct"," Eric said, "Almost all the first-tier actresses in Europe have rejected them. Basically, the first-tier actresses in Hollywood will not accept, so I can only choose from the second and third tiers." .”
"Actually, many second- and third-tier actors have good acting skills."
"Of course, but now I don't have that much time to pick pearls in the sand. Of course, the first-line actors who can use insurance should try to use them as much as possible, so that the box office will also have a certain guarantee."
Virginia sighed softly, and soon felt that she was really lucky: "Eric, then you can be busy. I'm going to make dinner, what do you want to eat?"
"Whatever you want. You can do it," Eric said without looking up.
The girl knew that Eric was telling the truth, and Eric was never picky about food, so she stood up and walked towards the kitchen.
Eric had just picked halfway, when the phone rang behind him, Eric got up and took the cordless phone over and pressed the answer button, Jeffrey's voice came from inside: "Jeffrey, what's the matter?"
"..."
Jeffrey on the other end of the phone talked for a while, Eric thought for a while, and then said: "Okay, let's talk on the phone, and you give my phone number to Carol Bugay."
"..."
"No problem, then I'll hang up." Eric pressed the hang-up button, put the cordless phone on the coffee table in front of him, and continued to select the list of actresses in front of him.
More than ten minutes later, the phone rang again, Eric picked it up, and a female voice with substandard English pronunciation came from the opposite side: "Hello, Mr. Williams, I'm Carol Bugay .”
…
Half an hour later, Virginia came out from the kitchen to call Eric for dinner. Seeing Eric still holding the phone in his hand, walking up and down in the open space by the floor-to-ceiling windows, dancing and talking, she dared not to bother.
After a while, Virginia saw that Eric hung up the phone, and casually threw the cordless phone on the sofa, and the whole person looked exhausted and threw himself on the sofa.
The girl walked up to Eric and asked considerately, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. A French actress I invited before, Carol Bouquet, wanted her to star in "Basic Instinct", but she still refused."
Virginia wanted to gloat and tease a few words, but she didn't expect that there were actors that Eric couldn't invite. However, seeing Eric on the sofa looking devastated, she quickly held back her emotions and comforted her: "Then choose slowly, anyway, it's not like no one is willing to act. Um... Carol Bouquet, the spokesperson for Chanel No. 5 a few years ago?"
"Yes, and played a Bond girl," Eric nodded.
"I remembered a little bit. It is said that she was a very individual woman. After she acted as a Bond girl, she didn't want to continue to be a vase, so she returned to France to act in literary films."
"Don't talk about her, just reject it," Eric said in frustration. Anyway, most Hollywood movies are like this, and there are constant twists and turns in casting, even if it's Steven Spielberg or James Cameron There are no exceptions. I remember that it took several months for Cameron in his previous life to convince Fox to agree to let Leonardo play the role of Jack in "Titanic".
"Let's eat first, then," said Virginia.
Eric nodded, stood up and walked towards the restaurant.
It was past ten o'clock at night, and Virginia was wearing pajamas, leaning on the big bed with a pillow in her arms, watching Eric still walking around and calling the list in his hand.
"... I don't care about this, I have already given them enough time tomorrow morning, if they can't come, I can only say it's a pity... Tomorrow I will decide on the heroine of "Basic Instinct"... Yes, on the spot, New York There was a call an hour ago, Royce and the others have been waiting in New York for a week, and the two protagonists have also passed. I can't waste any more time. That's it. I hung up."
Heaving a sigh of relief, Eric closed the line, put the phone on the landline next to the bed, and fell down on the bed a little tiredly, stretched out his arms to hug Virginia's soft body, and greedily sniffed the girl's body The body fragrance, the irritability in my heart dissipated a lot.
Gently massaging Eric's temples with her small hands, Virginia said softly, "Eric, do you have to be in such a hurry? You are already so good, why make yourself so tired."
"These were originally plans for the first half of the year. Unfortunately, because of the incident at the beginning of the year, more than three months were wasted in vain, and now it will become like this," Eric explained, with a weak tone: "I always feel Time is too tight and I want to do too much.”
"I wish I could help you, but unfortunately I can't," Virginia said softly.
Eric smiled. He hugged the girl's waist tighter: "Actually, you can help me, be my big pillow. I like to sleep with women in my arms."
"Are you just hugging and sleeping?" the girl said in an ambiguous tone, and reached out to press the light in the bedroom, and the room became dark immediately, because the sound insulation is very good, although there is wind outside, there will be no sound of waves It was heard, and the surrounding was silent.
"Yeah, just hugging and sleeping," Eric said with the girl in his arms and his head resting on Virginia's plump chest. Before he knew it, his eyelids had started to fight, and he soon fell asleep.
The girl was stunned for a while, and then pulled the quilt to cover the two of them with some pity.
…
In the audition room of Firefly, a woman wearing a simple coat sat down on a chair, raised her long legs with ease, took out a cigarette from her pocket, and always had a faint, nonchalant smile on her face .
"Smoking is not allowed here, Miss Chu Mei," the assistant behind the camera said into the lines.
The girl glanced at the assistant's position coquettishly, and said, "What are you going to do, sue me for smoking?"
After the girl finished speaking, she lit the cigarette and took a puff, exhaling a faint blue smoke.
After a brief silence, the assistant said again: "Can you tell me about your relationship with Mr. Buzz?"
"I have maintained a sexual relationship with him for more than a year. I like to have sex with him. He is not afraid to try new things. I like that kind of man who can give me great pleasure," the girl said while smoking Smoke, while unabashedly telling his desire.
"Have you ever played sim?" the assistant asked again.
The girl still kept smiling: "You guessed right."
"Will you tie him up?"
"Won't,"
"Did you never tie him up?"
"No," the girl denied again. "Johnny likes to use his hands. I like his hands."
After the girl finished speaking, the assistant was about to continue, but Eric interrupted: "Okay, let's stop here."
The girl sitting on the chair suddenly showed a disappointed look, and at the same time complained in her heart. The preparation time given by Firefly was too little. She received an invitation for an audition in the morning and came here in a hurry, with less than an hour of preparation time.
However, although she complained in her heart, the girl did not dare to reveal it in front of the young man, otherwise, there would be no hope at all: "Mr. Williams, I think, I can try again."
"No need," Eric said, "Miss Nelson, although your appearance is very suitable for the role of Catherine Chumei, but your performance makes me unable to see too much of Catherine. You just showed too restrained Yes, it’s like walking a single-plank bridge carefully. I understand that this may be because you didn’t have enough time to prepare. But the most fatal point is that I failed to see the potential in you, a kind that can release Catherine’s femininity The potential of the field, so, I can only say sorry."
Eric explained it so patiently. Although the girl was still a little unwilling, she didn't ask for anything. After getting up and thanking her, she opened the door and left in disappointment.
After the girl left, Jeffrey couldn't help but said: "Eric, I think your mood is not right, you are too impatient. Why don't we rest for half an hour and give those actresses Another half an hour of preparation time, anyway, now there are only 11 people left, we have enough time to complete the audition.”
Eric sighed and looked at his watch. It is true that there is still enough time. He has eliminated eight audition candidates on the spot just now. If this continues. Then nothing will be gained today. The heroine of "Instinct" will continue to be stranded.
"Notify them. Rest for half an hour," Eric stood up and said to Jeffrey, "I'll go out to get some air."
"Well, go ahead," Jeffrey nodded.
Eric opened the door and went out. The audition girls who were waiting on the benches in the corridor stood up involuntarily when they saw him come out.
"Have a rest for half an hour, you can go to the meeting room over there to prepare." Eric said to the girls, and then walked to the other side of the corridor.
The rest of the women looked at each other, and several of them were eager to catch up, but in the end they didn't move.
When he came to the bathroom at the end of the corridor, Eric was about to go in and wash his face to wake up. A woman came out suddenly and bumped into Eric. Because he didn't stand still, he fell to the ground again, and Eric also stepped back. step.
The girl was a little angry at first. After seeing that it was Eric, he stood up in a panic: "I'm-sorry. Mr. Williams, I didn't mean it."
"It's okay, I'm wrong," Eric shook his head, looked at the girl with very special eyes opposite, and said, "Your name is Joanna Pakula?"
The girl's eyes lit up, and she nodded quickly: "Yes, Mr. Williams, I didn't expect you to know me. By the way, the audition over there..."
"Rest for half an hour, you can prepare more," Eric said, his heart moved slightly, and said: "Miss Pakula, can you say it again?"
"What?" The girl heard that the audition was suspended, and she didn't intend to go back. She keenly felt that this was a good opportunity.
"That's right, your first sentence just now."
Joanna Pakula thought for a while, although she didn't understand what she meant, she still said, "i'm-sorry..."
"Yes, that's the sentence, say it a few more times," Eric leaned against the corner wall, lowered his head and took out a cigarette and lit it.
When Joanna Pakula heard that Eric asked her to apologize continuously, she suddenly felt uneasy in her heart: "Mr. Williams, I really didn't mean it just now."
"Wrong, not this sentence," Eric shook his head.
"i'm-sorry, i'm-sorry, i'm, sorry..." The girl tightly squeezed the small red leather bag in her hand, repeating it repeatedly, she felt that the young director in front of her was really perverted, I just bumped into him accidentally and tossed myself like this. For a moment, Joanna Pakula felt that today's role must not be for her, and wanted to muster up the courage to leave, but she still had a tinge of expectation in her heart.
"Okay, stop," Eric finally interrupted the girl's repetition: "The accent is wrong, it doesn't sound good."
"..."
"I read your profile last night. You are from Poland. You used to be an actor at the Polish National Theater?"
"Yes," the girl nodded.
"Why did you come to the United States? National theaters are better than being a third-rate actor in Hollywood, right?"
Joanna Pakula was silent for a while before saying: "Because of political reasons..."
Eric nodded and didn't ask any more questions. He wasn't interested in politics at all. He carefully looked at Joanna Pakula in front of him. Years old, but in comparison, Sharon Stone is much older than the girl in front of her. If it is said that the girl is in her early twenties, some people believe it.
"I can't see it, you are thirty-three years old," Eric said with emotion.
Joanna Pakula had a sad expression on her face. Women don't always like to pay attention to their age.
What's more, thinking about the circumstances of these years, I really feel a little sad. In 1980, because of the political turmoil in Poland, she was once under house arrest and finally immigrated to the United States. The man who helped her immigrate did not care about her anymore. , but married another woman.
She has been wandering in Hollywood all these years, feeling like a lonely ghost. Last year, although she played the leading role in a low-budget horror movie, that movie only got more than one million yuan. The box office did not bring any improvement to her career.
The more Joanna Pakula thought about it, the sadder she became, and the more she thought about it, the sadder she became. Glancing at the man in front of her, it was obviously his fault just now, and she had to apologize repeatedly. It was really disgusting. The girl suddenly felt that the whole world was bullying her. Unknowingly, tears filled his eyes.
"Uh, what's wrong with you," Eric saw that Joanna Pakula was in tears, and suddenly felt a little helpless. He fumbled in his pocket and finally found a tissue and handed it over: "Don't cry .”
The girl finally wiped her eyes with a tissue, but the more she wiped, the more sad she became, and gradually she couldn't help but choked up: "You hateful Americans, that bastard sent me to the United States and left me alone, you... you too You bastard, I just accidentally bumped into you, and you bullied me like that, you bastards, all, bullied me."
Eric raised his hand in a panic, seeing the girl chattering endlessly with a substandard accent, and finally gradually became impatient, and raised his voice: "Okay, stop."
The girl's voice froze, she rubbed her tears, she regained consciousness, and immediately realized what was going on with her, and soon regretted it, this time the opportunity was completely wasted.
After the girl stopped crying, Eric asked, "By the way, I didn't watch it carefully last night. Why do you want to act in this movie?"
"What?"
"I mean, "Basic Instinct." Eric continued.
"Then what's the matter?" Joanna Pakula asked softly, puzzled.
Eric thought for a while and said, "I don't want you to act in this movie. You should act in a more mainstream movie. Since you can enter the Polish National Theater, there must be no problem with your acting skills."
"You think I don't want to act in mainstream movies?" Joanna Pakula said, "But, where did I get such an opportunity? I have participated in many auditions, and none of them succeeded. They can always find various actors. They rejected me for various reasons, and I couldn't compete with local actors."
Eric thought for a while and said, "Well, don't participate in today's audition." (To be continued...)