[Chapter 964: Director's Privilege]
Eric smiled playfully as he gently held Scarlett Johansson's small hand. Based on some recent details, it seemed likely that meeting Scarlett here was no coincidence.
However, Eric didn't dwell on any of those tangled thoughts. There were just too many people in Hollywood trying to get close to him. He merely said to the girl in front of him, who still bore a rather youthful face, "I know you. You played Sean Connery's daughter in that film, Just Cause."
The fourteen- or fifteen-year-old girl, ultimately still a child, had little depth of thought. Originally trying to maintain her composure, Scarlett's face lit up with astonishment upon hearing Eric's words. She stammered a bit, "Really? Really, Mr. Williams? How did I do?"
"Very well," Eric responded with a smile, offering his praise.
In reality, Scarlett had only a handful of very simple scenes in Just Cause, barely showcasing any acting skills. However, landing the role of Sean Connery's daughter in that film indicated the depth of her family's connections in Hollywood.
Just Cause was a crime thriller from Warner Bros., with a budget of 50 million dollars, making it a big production. Sean Connery, of course, was the film's leader. The lead actress, Kate Capshaw, also had impressive connections; she was Spielberg's wife. Scarlett, having just turned ten, was already cast as their daughter -- a starting point that made 99% of actors in Hollywood envious. Most actors in Hollywood would never get the opportunity to work alongside top stars even at the end of their careers.
When the other girls heard Eric praise Scarlett, they quickly realized and scrambled to introduce themselves.
Eric patiently listened to the group of girls chatting for a while before pointing at his watch and laughing, "Alright, girls, since you're back, I need to head home for the day."
A collective sigh of disappointment filled the air. Feeling somewhat smug, Miranda stepped forward, intending to leave with him. Eric subtly loosened her grip and shook his head, "Not today. Go play with your friends, but remember to be home early. I'll call Weissman tonight to check if you made it back on time."
Miranda had hoped to showcase her closeness with Eric, but now rejected in front of her friends, she immediately pouted and batted her eyelashes at him, "Eric, I don't want to go back to Beverly!"
"Be good, don't be difficult," Eric replied, unmoved. Looking around at the other girls, he realized he had been too lenient with Miranda; she wasn't as smart as he had thought.
After emphasizing this to Miranda, he smiled at the other girls and stepped onto the helicopter with his bodyguard.
...
Watching the black helicopter soar away, Scarlett felt a wave of excitement. Her mother had advised her to get close to Miranda, which she found puzzling at the time. Experiencing everything today, especially meeting Eric Williams, made her understand her mother's intentions completely.
Furthermore, Eric Williams actually knew her -- that was surely the biggest surprise of the day.
Since 1988, Eric had directed films that propelled many originally unknown actors into stardom. Even considering his massive wealth, the two movies he had directed that recently crossed a billion dollars in global box office sales elevated his status in Hollywood to a level that was nearly unattainable.
Though Scarlett was still young, she had entered the Hollywood rat race early on and was much more savvy than Miranda regarding personal connections. She understood that Eric merely knew her name, but that fact alone represented a significant opportunity for her.
Thinking back to her recent audition for a film adapted from a bestselling Miramax novel, if Eric Williams could help advocate for her, she would undoubtedly secure the role with ease.
That role carried much more weight than her smaller part in Just Cause -- it was equivalent to the second female lead, and her mother did not have enough connections in Hollywood to help her get it. However, after this encounter, she wondered how long it would be before she could see Eric Williams again.
Well, maybe she could ask Miranda for Eric Williams' contact information.
"Miranda, what's the Shell Villa like?"
"Is Eric really that great in bed?"
"When can you take us to the Liberty City to look around?"
"..."
The chattering sounds interrupted Scarlett's thoughts. Although Eric hadn't taken Miranda away, it didn't affect how the other girls felt about her. These girls were very precocious; none of Miranda's friends was an innocent little lamb. They weren't sensitive about age-related issues; they were simply envious that Miranda had managed to become Eric Williams' little girlfriend. Therefore, as soon as Eric left, Miranda was quickly surrounded by her friends, bombarding her with questions.
Emboldened by her friends, Miranda soon shed her earlier disappointment and transformed into a proud figure again. Scarlett was resolute in her intentions and cheerfully joined the gathering.
...
Iron Man didn't have many scenes set in Las Vegas, but being one of the hottest hotels in the gambling city, Caesar's Palace certainly couldn't close down for the filming. After some coordination, the crew planned to shoot the related scenes over three days.
Early Monday morning, Eric departed LA with the crew's convoy for Las Vegas. He had considered flying in his VH-60N helicopter; that way, it would only take about an hour and a half from Liberty City in Malibu. However, following the crew meant a drive that lasted all morning.
The crew had reserved a floor of middle-tier suites at Caesar's for everyone to stay, so Eric naturally wouldn't choose the villa-style apartments he had once occupied; he found it hard to tolerate hotel living. However, staying in his own house posed no problem. Eric's assistant had already prepared a villa in Las Vegas for him in advance.
Once they arrived in Las Vegas, there were no significant scenes scheduled for the afternoon. They merely needed to set up for a party scene where Colonel Rhodes presented the MVP award to Tony Stark. Although this scene would take place at night, filming indoors during the day was perfectly feasible.
Just half a month prior, during the cave scene, it had mainly been Eric acting opposite Ed Harris, who played Dr. Yinsen. This time, Jeff Bridges, Don Cheadle, Natasha Henstridge, and Larry Ellison, who Eric had roped in for a cameo, would join the crew.
...
At a buffet restaurant in Caesar's Palace, the crew, weary from their journey of several hundred miles, sat down to dinner. Though most of them felt slightly fatigued after traveling, the atmosphere in the restaurant was lively.
Eric, however, was tucked away in a corner of the restaurant, discussing the acquisition negotiations for Virgin Records with Barry Weiss, the president of Firefly Records, who had just returned from Europe. They had been in contact with the parent company of Virgin, EMI, for two months now.
"For the last week, EMI hasn't budged at all. They've held firm at a price of $1.3 billion, a hundred million higher than our previous agreement. I've spoken with EMI's executives several times, but there's been no progress, so I flew back to let you decide."
Barry explained the current situation in one breath, glancing at the food he had just gotten from the buffet but struggling to find his appetite. He just took a sip of the bottled water beside him and looked expectantly at Eric, waiting for him to make a decision.
Eric showed no intent to start eating. He lightly drummed his fingers on the table and, after a moment, said, "If we walk away from acquiring Virgin Records, do you think EMI will find another buyer for this burden?"
Barry hesitated before answering honestly, "If the price exceeds 1 billion, it's basically unlikely. The actual value of Virgin Records is at most 800 million; aside from us, no other buyer would want to take it on at a high price."
"Well, that's no problem then. Virgin has struggled for a few years, but the foundation is still there, which is one of the reasons we're willing to take it on. If we delay for a few more years, Virgin might completely collapse. By then, not even half of a billion would interest anyone. So, even though Firefly desperately needs Virgin, if EMI's management just showed a little rationality, they wouldn't miss this opportunity to unload the burden," Eric shrugged and continued, "So, you should call them later and tell them our maximum offer: $1.2 billion. Let EMI give us a definitive answer tomorrow. If they refuse, then there's no reason for us to keep discussing this."
Barry looked worried. "Eric, I think 1.3 billion is not an unreasonable offer."
"$1.2 billion or $1.3 billion really doesn't make much difference for the Firefly Group," Eric explained. "However, Barry, since we initially set the maximum offer at $1.2 billion, we have to stand firm. If we concede this time, we're likely to concede further down the line; eventually, you'll find there's nothing left to concede. Virgin Records is our best option, but it's certainly not the only choice. If this deal falls through, I can still allocate a budget of $1.2 billion for the expansion of Firefly's record division if you want. So, think carefully; I need to chat with Joss and the others for a bit."
After expressing himself seriously, Eric picked up his plate and headed over to join Joss Whedon and the others, ignoring the pensive Barry Weiss. Although Eric appreciated Barry's talent in managing the record company, he wouldn't feel regret if Barry couldn't even make this decisive call.
...
Upon reaching the table of Joss Whedon, Jeff Bridges, Larry Ellison, and others, Eric overheard Larry, who had just shaved off his facial hair, asking Joss for advice on how to portray Happy Hogan, his character in the film, as if he were determined to steal some of Eric's thunder. Eric could tell what Larry was trying to do but felt no concern and was, in fact, quite pleased.
The character Happy Hogan barely had a few lines of dialogue, and Larry lacked the natural commanding presence of Hollywood stalwarts like Jack Nicholson. It was nearly impossible for him to steal the spotlight from the lead. Eric was more worried that Larry might half-heartedly approach it; if so, he would rather replace him at the last minute.
Noticing Eric's arrival, Natasha Henstridge, who had earlier been actively listening to the conversation among the men, patted the empty seat beside her and flashed an attractive smile, "Eric, sit here."
As Eric nodded, Larry protested in discontent, "Hey, Natasha, that's not right. Beautiful women should be coy and wait for men to approach them, not the other way around."
Natasha Henstridge paid no attention to Larry's teasing and replied graciously, "Mr. Ellison, I've been waiting for you to make a move, but unfortunately, your eyes are only on the director."
Her comeback was noticeably sharper than Larry's, prompting laughter around the table.
Eric chuckled as he set down his plate and took a seat beside Natasha, enjoying the pleasant scent of her perfume. He asked, "So, Larry, what were you discussing with Joss?"
"Eric, I've been rereading the Iron Man comics lately. Happy Hogan is a really important character, don't you think my screen time in this movie is way too little?"
"Larry, since you signed on for just a dollar, perhaps you shouldn't be so greedy and try to take on work worth more than a dollar."
Before Eric could say more, Larry made a mock sad face and complained, "Actually, I ended up losing $4,999,999."
Eric corrected him seriously, "That was a sponsorship, not a loss. We have a contract; it's all very legitimate."
Laughter erupted anew.
...
After lunch, Barry Weiss was resolute and spent a little more time discussing matters with Eric before leaving Caesar's Palace and planning to head back to Los Angeles right away.
The afternoon's set and rehearsal didn't require Eric's involvement. He intended to return to his residence in Las Vegas to rest for a while when Natasha Henstridge approached him, "Eric, you don't have any work this afternoon, right? Can you help me go over our scenes together?"
As everyone gradually departed the restaurant, Eric walked outside with Natasha, laughing as he said, "Giving instructions to a pretty actress, isn't that the director's privilege? Joss would probably hate me if he found out."
Natasha Henstridge shot him a playful glare, her expression somewhat alluring, "I just want to go over lines with you; what you men think about it is beyond me."
Eric chuckled, "Then come with me. I recently bought a villa at Las Vegas Country Club, and I'll be staying there for these days."
Natasha's expression turned a little worried, uncertain about the truth of his statement. "You're not trying to take me out for something more, are you?"
"Would you resist?"
"Do you want me to resist?"
"The more forceful, the better."
"..."
"Alright, stop rolling your eyes. My assistant will be with us, along with a bodyguard."
*****
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