[Chapter 924: The Next Movie]
A few years ago, the Cruz sisters were distinguishable -- one charming and one fresh-faced.
However, looking at the now twenty-year-old Monica Cruz, Eric found it hard to notice any difference between her and her sister.
"I'm really sorry, Monica, you're even more beautiful than a few years ago," Eric said, sizing up Monica Cruz as he introduced her to Cindy. "Cindy, this is Monica Cruz, Penelope Cruz's sister. See? Don't they look alike?"
"Yeah, I thought it was Penelope just now," Cindy replied politely, shaking Monica's hand with a playful smile as she shot a sidelong glance at Eric. "Well, you two catch up. I happen to have something to discuss with Anna."
After saying this, Cindy discreetly pinched Eric's arm before strolling toward Anna Wintour, who was not too far away.
Now that they were near the dance floor, Eric extended his hand to Monica. "Dance with me?"
"Sure," Monica nodded, stepping forward to link her arm with Eric's as they made their way to the dance floor.
...
As the slow music played, Eric held Monica's waist and began to sway with her. He had noticed that she seemed reluctant to mention Penelope, so he asked about other things. "It's been a few years; what have you been doing lately?"
"I've been taking acting classes and have done a few films," Monica replied, gazing up at Eric with a hint of expectation in her eyes. However, her demeanor lacked the boldness of her sister and was instead a bit shy.
After finishing high school, she started her acting classes. Given her identity as Penelope's sister, landing some roles was fairly easy. However, none were significant since mainstream studios preferred to cast her sister, who had a far greater reputation.
Over the years, Monica had hoped her sister could help her, but living in Hollywood for a while had given her some perspective. Although Penelope had risen to become one of Hollywood's leading ladies thanks to her role in Charlie's Angels, her status as a Latina and being from Spain meant that Penelope had little influence in Hollywood, leaving Monica without much support.
In fact, their similar looks had led Monica to feel that her sister was somewhat guarded around her. For the past six months, Penelope had subtly suggested that Monica consider furthering her career in Spain.
Feeling Monica's eager gaze, Eric smiled and said, "I see. I'll keep an eye out for any movies that might suit you."
The girl's presence in Hollywood was entirely a result of Eric's influence. He didn't know whether there was tension between the sisters, but at that moment, it seemed easy enough to help this girl out. Hollywood was filled with sibling collaborations, and having two Latina beauties together was more than manageable.
Monica Cruz's age and looks were just right for the teen films that had become popular in Hollywood in recent years. This genre was a focus for New Line Cinema and notably wouldn't conflict with the action-packed films or art house styles that Penelope specialized in.
Eric's casual mention sent Monica over the moon. She was well aware of Eric's vast influence in Hollywood. After all, it was Eric who propelled her sister to her current status through his film.
"Eric, are you serious? Don't tease me!"
"Would I lie to you? But I'll give you a chance, and it's up to you to seize it. If you don't deliver in the audition room, you won't land the role."
Monica nodded enthusiastically. After two years of training, she felt confident in her acting skills. Hollywood always emphasized innate talent, but in reality, very few made it purely on that merit; most still attended acting classes diligently.
After a moment's thought, Monica leaned in slightly, whispering, "Eric, I can come over to your place tonight."
Eric had come with Cindy, and it wouldn't be considerate to leave with another woman.
Shaking his head, he smiled. "Maybe some other time. Tonight just won't work."
Monica didn't press the matter. After their dance, she left him her phone number and turned to mingle with others at the party.
...
The next morning, Cindy Crawford awoke to her phone ringing. Blinking her eyes, she noticed Eric was no longer beside her. The ringtone was coming from the balcony.
After a moment of confusion, Cindy slipped on a robe, padded barefoot to the balcony, where she found Eric sitting at the round table, just hanging up from a call.
This apartment overlooked the East River on Manhattan's eastern side. After several gloomy days, New York finally had sunshine streaming down. Still, the fall sun felt a bit pale, giving a weak impression.
Cindy hugged Eric from behind and planted a kiss on his cheek before curiously asking, "Who was that?"
"Gisele," Eric replied, nuzzling his cheek against hers. "She called to pull some strings for a friend she wants to recommend for the Victoria's Secret runway."
"Did you say yes?"
Eric didn't respond directly but instead asked, "What do you think of Qusie Gauff?"
"I know her! She has a doll-like face, very pretty. People in the circle call her 'Lovely-Baby'," Cindy chuckled. "She's quite an ambitious Brazilian girl."
Honestly, Cindy figured she might not even have the audacity to push a friend to walk the Victoria's Secret show. Gisele hadn't even appeared in it yet but was already thinking of building her own circle.
Eric chuckled. "I like ambitious women. Too many mediocre people bring life down."
"So, I should probably show a bit more ambition myself?" Cindy remarked as she noticed the pile of sketches on Eric's lap under a notebook with its pages covered in quick sketches. She picked it up out of curiosity and mentioned, "I almost thought you left with that girl last night. Sisters, huh?"
"Well, too bad the sister wasn't around," Eric laughed, tossing the eyebrow pencil onto the table. "Do you have any sisters?"
"I do. Two, Chris and Danielle," Cindy flirtatiously glanced over at Eric. "But I would never bring them around you. What are these sketches about?"
"Just some camera notes. I plan to create a fun music video."
Cindy couldn't see anything particularly interesting in the sketches, so she pressed further, "What makes it so fun? I don't see it."
"You'll get it once it's shot."
"Guess I'll be waiting for the surprise," Cindy said as she handed the notebook back to Eric. "You keep working; I'll go make some breakfast."
...
Eric took the notebook and picked up the eyebrow pencil, getting back to sketching.
The music video he intended to create was for a song that had shot the Spice Girls to fame: Wannabe. The catchy rhythm certainly had the potential to be an earworm. However, the one-take approach of the music video fascinated Eric as well.
Due to the difficulties of filming, a one-take technique isn't widely used in cinema. To date, the most notable example had been Hitchcock's Rope.
If the handling of the camera wasn't up to par, using a continuous shot method could end disastrously. Still, employing it every now and then would offer a fresh take.
Eric wasn't particularly in favor of the one-take method but greatly appreciated classic long-shot films. He remembered enjoying the fluid long takes in Birdman, which satirized the overwhelming number of superhero films in Hollywood.
As he casually sketched out ideas for Wannabe, Eric couldn't help but recall the shooting techniques used by Emmanuel Lubezki in Birdman. Recently, he had heard that Nicole had agreed to be the photographer for this year's Victoria's Secret show. Although Eric had planned to find another photographer for Wannabe, he suddenly had the itch to pick up the camera himself.
After mulling over Birdman for a while, Eric invigorated his thoughts with another film shot by Emmanuel Lubezki -- Gravity.
The opening long shot of Gravity had been absolutely stunning, and Eric found himself appreciating its artistry, nobly born from an old desire to spark creativity again.
This was going to be his next film.
After Jurassic Park and Casino Royale, Eric had been contemplating what his next project should be. While he could easily list a few films with potential for a billion-dollar box office, those movies didn't particularly excite him.
Suddenly recalling Gravity felt different. This film not only required extensive new special effects technologies, presenting a significant challenge, but it also bore the potential for visual spectacle, marking a pivotal moment in transforming how films were shown.
...
Remembering that by around 2000, the North American film market had become saturated, Eric had long considered the necessity of pushing 3D and IMAX technology to maintain box office stability in Hollywood, aside from merely raising ticket prices.
However, the 3D sensation Avatar presented difficulties during production, making it unlikely at that moment to replicate its successful effects. Gravity didn't have those constraints; it was originally a 2D film converted to 3D and still achieved rave reviews.
Both 3D and IMAX technologies had existed for decades. The absence of widespread adoption hadn't stemmed from technological issues but from the traditional Hollywood film's lack of need for 3D versions.
In recent years, the rise of blockbuster movies opened up a market for higher-level visual experiences, leading to a demand for 3D and IMAX.
Nonetheless, Hollywood remained quite conservative. Historically, before Avatar, attempts to integrate 3D and IMAX technologies were mostly conducted by directors lacking significant decision-making power in Hollywood.
Without evident profit incentives, Hollywood executives maintained a rather lackluster attitude towards promoting 3D and IMAX.
Traditionally, influencing Hollywood's change meant incentivizing profit.
However, now, Eric didn't need to travel that rocky road. He had sufficient control over Hollywood to push this transformation, and the Firefly Group could expect to reap substantial benefits.
With these thoughts, Eric turned a page in the notebook and started drafting his plan.
...
The first issue to tackle was, of course, the cinema aspect.
In recent years, amid Hollywood's global rise, there had been a surge in cinema construction both in the U.S. and Europe.
While the number of screens in North America was nearing saturation, the American economy's growth would increase the cost of entering the cinema industry through Firefly. Nevertheless, the explosion of screens would lead to ruthless internal competition, likely causing some cinemas to struggle, thus providing ample opportunity for Firefly.
Of course, this aspect called for detailed investigation before any decisions were made.
Establishing a chain of high-end 3D or IMAX cinemas under Firefly's control was essential.
Once they had cinemas operating, the next order of business would be sourcing films.
Aiming for an average of one 3D film each month meant needing twelve 3D movies a year. Although that number seemed minor against Hollywood's hundreds of annual releases, meeting that requirement wasn't easy.
After all, low-budget indie films usually weren't worth converting to 3D; no one would willingly spend millions to produce a small film and then spend another fortune to convert it to 3D.
Hence, sourcing material for early 3D promotions would primarily involve selecting from mainstream blockbusters, and not all major productions suited 3D conversion.
Historically, 3D films gained a foothold only after the release of Avatar in 2009. The primary issue stemmed from sourcing films; theaters couldn't invest in high-end cinemas without available content, just as filmmakers were reluctant to produce 3D movies without adequate screening venues.
This created a classic deadlock.
Now, Eric could easily solve that deadlock.
In the coming years, the three Firefly associated companies -- Firefly, MGM, and Fox -- would have an ample supply of potential 3D source material at their disposal.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the 007 series, the Charlie's Angels series, the Spider-Man series, the Iron Man series, plus animated films from Pixar, Disney, and Blue Sky Studios -- all held the potential for 3D conversion.
Thus, the three major studios could easily provide a consistent stream of content for a high-end 3D or IMAX cinema each year.
*****
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