[Chapter 770: Tribute or Sacrifice]
Nastassja didn't realize that in some matters, men and women were the same. Just like herself, she knew there was no outcome, yet she still charged ahead without hesitation.
"Robert, let me double-check, you're available, right?"
"Of course, Nastassja. This script was penned by Mr. White himself, wasn't it?"
"Absolutely. With such strong imagery, I think this movie has been brewing in his mind for quite a while."
"Then why hasn't he made it himself?"
"Ha, you might not believe it, but he said he couldn't handle such a serious subject matter. If he were to make this movie, it would definitely turn out completely different."
"Cough, cough, did he really say that?"
Nastassja shook her head and smiled wryly. William White had never directed anything too serious. That film Evita was still being mocked, after all.
Of course, this film, often deemed the worst, remained surprisingly popular in the home video rental market.
It seemed that whether something was considered good or bad could only be compared to William White's own films. Compared to other biographical films, the reception of this one was still pretty decent. Although JFK was highly praised by professionals, it was a huge box office and rental flop.
"Speaking of which, how's Tom Hanks doing?"
"He's all set, in fact, he loves the novel as much as you do."
"Okay, so there's no problem now?"
"Robert, you didn't ask about the pay. Aren't you worried I'm going to shortchange you as a producer?"
"Hahaha, no way! White Films has always had a stellar reputation in Hollywood. Your boss takes good care of even the extras, so I doubt we'll be shorted. Honestly, I don't have high expectations for the pay. If I'm guessing right, this film is gearing up for an Oscar run."
"Yeah, the centennial of cinema, a hundred years of film. Robert, the competition is going to be fierce."
"Don't worry, I'll head out now. It's Tom Hanks, right? I need to have a word with him first."
Having a wealthy producer made Nastassja's job quite easy. It was just too bad there wouldn't be any product placements in this film.
Many were trying to emulate White Films, but the studio had its own grading system. Only commercial, lighter films allowed for product placements. If there were indiscriminate placements, it wouldn't be long before you saw James Bond driving a Mondeo.
...
White Films' big moves couldn't be hidden from scrutiny, nor was there any need to. This year's stack of art films was inevitable.
"Wow, how are we supposed to compete with this?" The hefty Harvey looked quite displeased. Of course, he wouldn't dare to loudly curse, but privately venting at home was a different story. Coming from Queens, he knew all too well who William White was.
"No choice, Harvey. It's not just one studio. Why not delay Schindler's List by a month or two?
If they insist on releasing now, Oscar season is going to be a battlefield. Just think about it. White Films is rushing too."
Quentin Tarantino said this with an air of frustration.
Of course, he understood very well Harvey's discontent. If Schindler's List and Forrest Gump clashed, they would surely muddle the waters for their own gain.
Alright, if that scenario came to pass, the older folks at the Academy would probably feel like dropping dead.
What was Forrest Gump about? It was an ode to the American spirit from beginning to end. The Jewish community is awesome -- try tarnishing that American spirit and see what happens. Especially in a contest of this kind, it's something that nobody wanted to witness.
Did Spielberg and Universal not know? A month's delay would align perfectly with the centennial celebration.
Of course, they were well aware; some things just can't be pushed too far. They had indeed faced harsh circumstances back then, alright, it was pretty grim.
But that was all in the past, and the bad guys got what they deserved. Pushing too hard now would come off as overly aggressive.
You couldn't deny, these were truly smart individuals. They had thought through all of this long ago.
Tributes were certainly a good thing, but if things went south, it could be quite embarrassing.
Glancing at Uma Thurman, Harvey still held onto some hope. Naturally, he didn't have the influence he would later attain. However, it wouldn't hurt to have a look.
Uma Thurman, of course, had no interest in this greasy old guy. In fact, she had some psychological barriers due to past experiences with older men -- instinctively, she disliked this leering man.
"Harvey, apart from the salary, we only have three million dollars. Buddy, I really like this script, so don't make it too difficult for me."
As soon as money was mentioned, Harvey lost interest completely. After so many years of hustling in Hollywood, he knew exactly what kinds of movies the older folks liked.
He didn't want any big-name actors, but unfortunately, he couldn't afford to fail.
With the actors he had in hand, he could still recoup the investment.
"Well, Quentin, this is all we can do now. You don't know? Warner's not faring well either. For an art film, eight million is already considered decent. You know what? Quentin, I've even lost five pounds for this deal."
Quentin Tarantino couldn't deny that Hollywood operated this way. White Films was planning an investment, and immediately someone would come crawling with money.
There were investors even for the wildest ideas.
Black leads? No problem, my cousin's black.
Female leads? Even easier! My wife's a feminist champion.
Even that ridiculously enormous ship had investors waiting.
Alright, William White said it would lose money, so he passed.
Because of this, a bunch of Wall Street guys had aligned against White Films. As soon as a script and filming plan were outlined, they jumped to start hustling.
Those in the know were making movies; those who weren't thought it was an IPO. Where on Earth were they supposed to negotiate?
Before the film even started, White Films was already in the black. It was outright cash grabbing, and it was practically being handed to them.
The craziest part was that bookies had started placing bets. Since your investment was in trouble, how about guessing this flick's box office returns?
Somebody piped up, saying the script was yours, and you weren't short on cash -- why bother bringing in outside investments?
Ha, do you think Hollywood earned its name as the film factory for nothing?
Since it's a factory, there are processes involved. Once the scripts land in the writers' guild, Hollywood's large-scale operation gets rolling.
You mention The Blair Witch Project? There were tons of films just like that. The few you saw succeeded, but there were thousands that flopped. That's just the life of an independent producer!
No matter how much box office success they had, getting into theaters was already a victory.
Haha, it was very much like the online novels of later years.
Do you know how many registered writers there are? Seventeen million.
Good heavens, if you can just get your work listed for sale, that's considered success.
What? It flopped?
Well, no biggie! There are still over thirteen million people out there looking for their break.
...
"Already filming? That was fast!"
"If it goes quickly enough, we might be able to catch the tail end."
"Nastassja, regarding box office numbers, even if we won't lose money, don't have your hopes too high. You know, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment."
"Humph, they told me that as long as you work hard, even an iron rod can be ground down to a needle."
"Cough, cough, don't say that's iron. My goodness, can't you be a bit gentler?"
"Can't do it! Today is a good day. I'm sure the result I want is coming, I can feel it."
In the end, William White could only buckle down and work hard. Women in such moments often had little reason.
*****
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