"When we were filming the final scene at the factory, Linda was actually already injured, but she didn't say anything, and none of the crew knew. So, I kept pushing them as usual. It wasn't until we were repeatedly shooting the furnace scene that I noticed she was having trouble with her leg. But I insisted on continuing to shoot and yelled at anyone who tried to stop me. It wasn't until we finished that I let the crew take her to the hospital. So, in that sense," the bearded yet charming middle-aged man in the center of the group shrugged, self-deprecatingly, "calling me the tyrant of the set is pretty accurate."
The people around him chuckled, and the tall T-800 raised his glass. "Anyway, you're the best, James!" He then turned to the woman standing next to James and joked, "And you too, Linda. You're a real strong woman, not just on screen."
"Thank you, Arnold. But it's better to be a strong woman only occasionally; otherwise, some people might lose sleep." Linda Hamilton, dressed in a silver-gray low-cut evening gown, smiled and glanced at James Cameron beside her.
"No, no, no, I definitely wouldn't lose sleep. Believe me, dear, it would only make me sleep better." James exaggeratedly raised his hands, eliciting more chuckles from those around them. The sparks between him and Linda during the filming of "Terminator 2" were almost an open secret.
"I have to say, James, your 'Terminator' is fantastic. Luckily, our films target different audiences and were released at different times. Otherwise, there might not even be this party tonight." The older man, Michael Eisner, who had taken the time to attend the party, patted James on the back. The two had a good relationship.
"Of course, Michael. In the future, more movies will make way for mine!" James laughed heartily. Though somewhat arrogant, "Terminator 2" had basically cemented his status as a master filmmaker, and he certainly had the credentials to back it up.
Although he understood James's personality, Michael still reminded him, "I heard the original budget for the movie was $50 million, but you later asked for an additional $20 million. Then you requested another $20 million, which was denied."
"I just want to say the Columbia executives are all misers. If they had agreed to another $20 million, I could have made the film even more perfect." James complained. For someone as dedicated to perfection as he was, funding was never enough.
"James, that won't do. If you always overspend during filming, who will invest in your movies in the future?"
"There will always be someone, Michael. Look, 'Terminator 2' has already grossed $160 million so far. I bet it will reach $180 million. As long as there's money to be made, how could there be no investors?" James said dismissively.
"Two hundred million!" a clear voice called out from the periphery. "The final box office will be $200 million!"
The group, who had been chatting among themselves, turned simultaneously toward the source of the voice. It was a very pretty young girl, standing behind James not far away, with her hands behind her back and chest out. Her round face bore a faint smile, and her bright green eyes had a dreamlike quality. She exuded both a lively innocence and a hint of maturity, a contradictory yet harmonious presence that was hard to look away from.
"Hi, I'm Linda Hamilton. Can you tell me your name?" Linda, who always liked children, approached the girl with a smile.
Before the girl could answer, Michael Eisner walked over and introduced her, "This is one of tonight's stars, Miss Catherine Mason."
"Really?" Linda was slightly surprised. After taking a closer look at the girl, she marveled, "How surprising, Miss Mason. You're much prettier than you were in the movie."
"Thank you, Ms. Hamilton. You look much more slender in person. It's hard to believe you're the same strong woman from the film." Catherine smiled, glancing at Michael. She remembered George introducing him as the CEO of Disney, but she had seen him somewhere before.
"Dear, you really know how to talk." Linda laughed, covering her mouth. "You can call me Linda."
"Alright, Linda. You can call me Catherine." Catherine nodded gracefully and then approached James Cameron, extending her hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. James Cameron. I love your movies."
"Nice to meet you too, Miss Mason." James's eyes sparkled as he looked at her. If Catherine didn't know enough about this talented director, she might have thought he was a creepy old man.
"You can call me Catherine," she shrugged.
"Okay, Catherine, while I'm very pleased that you're so confident 'Terminator 2' will reach $200 million at the box office, can you tell me why you're so sure?" James asked with great interest. Even the Governor showed an attentive expression, as everyone was curious about what gave this little girl such conviction.
"It's very simple," Catherine said calmly, raising one finger with a smile. "First, it's 'Terminator 2.'"
Then she raised a second finger: "Its director is James Cameron!"
The crowd exchanged puzzled looks. Such flattery coming from a little girl was quite absurd, but Catherine quickly continued, "'Terminator 2' will become a classic in the history of sci-fi films, without a doubt. This movie will stand alongside Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey' and George Lucas' 'Star Wars,' because 'Terminator 2' is the first to vividly present the question, 'Will humanity be destroyed by the very robots we create?' This is fundamentally different from 'Terminator 1,' which relied purely on blood and combat to attract audiences!"
Her statement left everyone gaping, but Catherine wasn't done yet. She went on to discuss the entire film, analyzing James's filming techniques, the use and integration of special effects, and more. She practically echoed all the praise and criticism 'Terminator 2' had received in her previous life. The people around her, whether it was the Governor, Linda, James, or Michael, were all a bit dazed. Fortunately, Catherine kept a clear head, glossing over many technical terms and trying to speak from a child's perspective. Otherwise, who knew how they might have reacted.
"...So, with all these factors, a domestic box office of $200 million is very normal. I believe the international box office might exceed $300 million." Catherine finally concluded her speech.
"My God, that's the most detailed and accurate review I've ever heard!" James suddenly picked up the little girl and gave her a big kiss on the cheek.
Although her heart raced with panic, she kept her composure and frowned, "Mr. Cameron, perhaps you should shave your beard."
"I'm very sorry, truly sorry," an exhilarated James quickly put her down and apologized repeatedly, "I got too excited."
"That's not surprising. Even I'm shocked. Miss Mason, are you really only 11 years old?" Arnold Schwarzenegger nodded, agreeing with Catherine's character analysis.
"Catherine, dear, did you really come up with all that on your own?" Linda asked.
"Most of it is my opinion, and I referenced a lot of movie reviews." Catherine shrugged. Well, broadly speaking, those were her views.
"This is incredible. It's simply astonishing." James, now completely calm, was also somewhat skeptical. But Michael took over the conversation, "There's nothing incredible about it. I think when everyone watched 'The Parent Trap,' they probably didn't notice that under the screenplay credit, Nancy's name is listed below Miss Mason's."
Everyone froze. It took James a while to react, "Michael, are you saying that Catherine wrote the screenplay for your current movie? You can't be serious."
The old man smiled and spread his hands, not directly answering, but his meaning was clear.
"You really amaze me, Catherine. Does this mean I'm getting old?" James joked.
"I just based it on my life and made some adaptations. It's not that hard," Catherine shrugged.
"Look, Catherine is being modest again. You should know she recently finished another top-notch screenplay," Michael added.
"Oh? What screenplay?" James asked, intrigued.
"You wouldn't be interested, James. At least, I've never seen you direct a romantic comedy."
"Come on, Michael, you don't get to decide whether I can direct it or not."
Seeing the two of them getting caught up in this debate, the little girl stuck out her tongue and tried to slip away. She had only planned to meet this perfectionist genius director and the future governor who started out in bodybuilding. But in a moment of excitement, she had said too much. She vaguely recalled having seen Michael Eisner at one of her father's parties before. Such old foxes always had something up their sleeve, so she decided to leave quickly and go home after the party.
However, good intentions don't always pan out. Just as she was backing away while everyone was focused on James and Michael, she suddenly bumped into someone and accidentally stepped on his foot.