Exploiting Hollywood 1980 Chapter 895

  Chapter 895 Role Exchange

"Woooo..." The noise of the projector, through the small opening in the projection room, penetrated into the seats in the front projection hall, circled a few times, and together with the dust floating up and down in the white light of the projector, got into the 20th Century Fox and Twentieth Century Fox President Goldberg's ears.

   "Kalala..." The film was put to the end, and a black and white editing symbol appeared on the screen. Goldberg ran his fingers through his ears. On the other side of the screening hall, there is an undecorated area because of "Die Hard", and there is a lot of dust every day.

"Is this the Melanie Griffith you're looking for? She seems to be acting much better than when she was a child star." Goldberg looked at Griffith's **** appearance on the screen, but came to his mind The blonde in Hitchcock's "The Birds" - Melanie Griffith's mother Tippi Hedren.

  Ronald first stood up and raised his hand to signal the projectionist to turn on the light. After returning to Los Angeles, it took Ronald a lot of energy to convince Goldberg, the president of 20th Century Fox, who is busy with business, to take the time to watch Griffith's performance in "Shotgun Lulu" .

"Look at her performance in the three scenes before and after, the dress like a street girl at the beginning, the dignity of a typical beauty in a small southern town when she attended the high school alumni meeting, and the kind of gaslight (Gaslight, English) after being kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend at the end. Geri Bergman starred in a movie whose title refers to a housewife who controls people. Our movies need an actress who can switch roles and states of mind."

   Ronald quickly seized the opportunity to speak well for Melanie Griffiths. She hasn't released any good works for many years. "Shotgun Lulu" did not cause much repercussions in the industry due to marketing reasons. It wasn't Ronald who took the copy, Goldberg didn't even know there was such a good performance at the Oscar queen level.

  Goldberg waved his hand and stopped Ronald from further promoting, "I know she is a good actress, and I can tell when I see her performance. I am thinking about other issues."

  Although Goldberg started his career in television and then transferred to Fox's film department, he has worked for many years and can still tell the difference between good and bad acting skills.

"Are you worried about the star? In fact, Sigourney Weaver still looks good to the audience." Ronald took a document from Richard who followed, and handed it to Goldberg . The above is a survey commissioned by CinemaScores.

Although there is still a big gap in the popularity of stars like Sigourney Weaver and Cher, Cameron's "Alien 2" still made a high percentage of audiences fall in love with this star, and many people who know her , They all said they would go to the cinema to watch her new film.

"Ronald, this is a $20 million production. I have to be responsible to the chairman and to the shareholders." Goldberg took off his glasses and wiped them. Sure enough, he was worried that there was only one star, Wei Wei. If Fur was in the lead, the marketing of the movie would go wrong.

  Twentieth Century Fox likes to bet on those high-cost blockbusters. In addition to "Working Girl", "Die Hard" and "Growing Up" starring Diane will be released next year. As the CEO and president of a listed company, Goldberg has only one idea, which is to do everything possible to reduce the uncertainty of the project.

  Hollywood executives are like this. They speak clearly and logically. In fact, few really understand why a movie is a hit. Regardless of them and the main creators, they can give a lot of reasons when facing the media. When it comes time to make a decision, they finally come back to a hard target, how many stars does your movie have?

  As the three major productions of Fox next year, Goldberg actually has the most confidence in Ronald's "Working Girl". But Fox still can't break away from Wall Street's bridge loans and channel financing to raise funds for filming and publicity for the company.

  Those bankers, when they evaluate film works, they don't know what film directors are and the suitability of casting. Obviously don't understand, but find a way to mass-produce box office winner movies. Analysts on Wall Street, many graduates of prestigious universities, have done a lot of analysis in front of the whiteboard behind closed doors in the office, and there are only two things that are certain:

  First, for big investments, it is best to look for plot models that have been proven by the market. For example, if ET is a blockbuster, then make some family fun movies that young children like. For example, "Ghostbusters" is good, so continue to invest in this genre of horror and comedy.

  The second is to find big stars who have been proven by the market, especially male stars. Various industry surveys have shown that the biggest reason for audiences to go to theaters today is to watch a certain star.

  The two major reasons have become the gold standard for Wall Street Jewish capital to measure the return on film investment, and they have also become the investment model of the seven major studios that are also controlled by Jews.

  Both reasons are occupied, and it is also the favorite film mode of investors and producers. Needless to say, it is also a sequel to a successful box office blockbuster. That's why there are "First Blood" and "Rocky series" filmed one after another.

   "But we changed players just before the battle, and the stars didn't have time to prepare the schedule, right?" Ronald began to find reasons. He wanted to persuade Goldberg that changing Melanie Griffiths would not affect the film's box office potential.

   "You don't object to me changing the leading actor? Find a more famous star?" Goldberg turned his head and looked into Ronald's eyes, as if to confirm whether this was Ronald's real idea.

"If you can find a big-name male star to play the leading role, such as Harrison Ford, or Warren Beatty, to play the role of Jack Trainor, of course I have no objection. In fact, their star images are very suitable for the characteristics. Reina's temperament."

   Ronald began to make excuses for himself. Alec Baldwin, whom he and Julia Taylor were looking at, was good. The acting skills are qualified, and the appearance is actually such a type with a burst of male hormones and a wide and powerful chin.

  For this kind of dramatic movie, the first shot of the character in the audience should firmly give the audience a hint that this is a larger than life male protagonist that is common in Hollywood. Baldwin has no flaws except not being famous.

   "Interesting, you are also optimistic about Harrison Ford..." Goldberg giggled.

   "What? Can you invite Harrison Ford?" Ronald was astonished. Didn't this kind of big star arrange the project schedule for the next year one year in advance?

"Harrison wants to transition. His previous screen image was limited to an action star with a sense of humor. He wanted to try the romantic comedy way. Michael Ovitz from CAA called me last week to express Harrison's vision." Meaning, so I recommended this script to him.

  And, Harrison himself, is also very interested in working with you..."

  Goldberg smiled broadly. Ronald himself came up and proposed to change the heroine, so it is logical that he, as the producer, proposed to change the hero. With a production cost of more than 20 million yuan, there must be a super male star, or two female stars can barely do it.

  If it wasn't for Demi Moore's "accident", I don't know how much it would take to persuade Ronald to change roles. One of the things directors hate most is forcing them to switch roles.

   "Aren't you kidding?" Ronald had an expression on his face.

"I'm not kidding, isn't it a coincidence? Harrison had a good impression of you before. He and Kelly McGillis' 'Witness', although the box office was very good, but the film reviews did not favor both him and McGillis. The chemistry of the couple scene is quite critical.

And you in "Top Gun" sparked a new standard of aesthetics among the audience, McGillis has become the new **** icon among high school boys, and her love scene with Tom Cruise also made The female audience is very convinced..."

   "I..." Ronald glanced at Richard, and there was his boss Ovitz's handwriting in it? Richard shrugged, saying that Ovitz's grasp of CAA's information was accurate and comprehensive.

"Okay, let me arrange Harrison's audition." Ronald touched his chin. In fact, when the screenwriter Kevin Wade wrote the script, Jack Trainor also followed Harrison Ford and Warren Beatty's example. It was written by a few top Hollywood male stars as a template, maybe it really works?

   "Hahaha, Ronald. Harrison doesn't audition..." Goldberg laughed, "Harrison either plays or doesn't play, Harrison doesn't audition, and competes with other people for a role."

   Ronald glanced at Richard and got a nod of approval, so he had to say to Goldberg, "I mean, ask him to read the script and talk about his thoughts on the characters."

  Goldberg raised his chin and motioned for Richard.

   "I will communicate with Mr. Ovitz." Richard closed his notebook and kept smiling.

   "The budget for the movie?" Ronald asked Goldberg.

  Harrison Ford's salary is now slightly higher than other first-line stars among Hollywood male stars. Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson and other big names, since the cannon broke the unspoken rules of remuneration, they all proposed to watch spectacle like Stallone, so their remuneration is 6 million US dollars.

And Harrison Ford, since the 1980s, has two Indiana Jones series, and the last Star Wars, three movies with over 100 million box office in North America, and the "Witness" is a well-known and well-received genre film. It has risen to about 7.5 million.

   "Twentieth Century Fox will increase the budget accordingly. After deducting the salary, the original production cost will basically remain the same." Goldberg is very bold. Anyway, Harrison Ford is joining, and he is not worried that no one will invest.

   "I need more, big stars on the set, these are all paid from the crew." Ronald insisted that the production budget for shooting would not change.

A big star like Harrison Ford needs to live in the best hotel, a separate caravan, several assistants, masseurs, bodyguards, exclusive hair stylists, makeup artists, costume artists, and also bring their own publicity staff and stills photography.

  Besides these, some stars also request special food, chef. Some also bring pets with them, with pet sitters and veterinarians.

  The money was finally spent in the crew's filming account. It adds up to a lot of money. If the production budget remains the same, it means that the money spent on shooting will be less.

  Goldberg whispered to the assistant beside him, and then promised that "an additional one million crew budget will be used to meet Harrison Ford's request. There is also a reserve fund, and we can add more if it doesn't work."

   "That's 28 million to 30 million?" Ronald and Richard looked at each other, expressing approval.

"How much is Ovitz involved in this matter?" Out of Goldberg's office, Ronald and his agent Richard didn't say a word. They took the elevator downstairs and got into the car. start speaking.

   "I'll go to the company to find out," Richard pushed his glasses, "but as far as I know about Ovitz, it's likely that he pushed this matter."

   "Hmm..." Ronald was a little annoyed, leaned back and stopped talking.

   Ovitz is a businessman. He signed some screenwriters and directors. In fact, the real purpose is to pack star actors and stuff them into the crew of the director's client.

   Relatively speaking, the salary of stars is much higher than that of directors, and the commission that CAA can get is also much higher. Therefore, whatever the director's artistic preference, complete film narrative, and suitable casting, all must be sidelined to make way for the client who brings the most money, the male star.

  As the boss who owns more than half of CAA's shares, Ovitz must report to him all broker client movements according to regulations. This is not like the leak of Ronald's intention to be a "working girl" last time. There are "spies". This is in line with the agency's system on the surface.

  Although compromises in various aspects are often encountered in film projects, Ronald is still very unhappy. After all, movie directors are all control freaks, trying to control everything about the crew, no matter how much they laugh.

   Once a superstar like Harrison Ford enters the crew, whoever decides a lot of things may decide.

   "Harrison Ford intends to play Jack Trainor?" Casting director Julia Taylor frowned when she heard the news relayed by Ronald.

The role of Jack Trainor requires delicate acting skills in many places. For example, he weighed the pros and cons among Tess, Catherine, and an important client at the end, and finally chose to betray Tess. It's a test of acting skills.

  This kind of inner activity cannot be fully reflected through the lines, the audience must see it clearly, it is all expressed by the actor's body movements, facial expressions and other small movements in front of the camera. Harrison Ford...he's got a smirk and a cool smile...

   "Don't complain, at least it's a step forward, isn't it, Fox promised Melanie Griffiths to play the leading role."

   "The third leading actress..." Julia Taylor smiled without saying a word. In this movie, Harrison Ford must be number one, Sigourney Weaver is number two, and Melanie Griffiths, the protagonist with the most scenes, is actually number three, and she has to be ranked second on the poster Row, below the names of the two stars.

   "She won't mind...", Ronald thought to himself, it would be great if Griffith had this kind of opportunity, so why bother?

"But it's a pity for Alec Baldwin. Are you going to say it or should I say it?" Julia Taylor thought of the actor Baldwin who was originally scheduled to play Jack Trainor. You have to give way obediently.

  When it comes to film project casting, before filming starts, and sometimes even after filming starts, the situation of changing roles is very frequent, and those who are replaced can only consider themselves unlucky.

   "Say, how about letting him play Tess' ex-boyfriend, Mick Dugan?" Ronald had a whim, and he also liked Baldwin's acting skills.

   "Let me talk to him, Alec's acting skills are of course qualified, but suddenly he was downgraded from leading actor to supporting actor..." Julia Taylor didn't know what Alec Baldwin would think.

   "You ask him to come, let's explain to him together." Ronald felt that he should show his importance and sincerity at such a time, and no matter what Baldwin thought, don't misunderstand him, making him think that he is different and wants to change.

"Melanie, I have good news for you. The working girl will find Harrison Ford to act opposite." Phyllis Carlyle, Griffith's manager, got the news and came to announce the good news to Griffith .

   "Phyllis, I'm so distressed, look..." Melanie Griffiths took out a document and handed it to her manager who cared about her and her friend Phyllis.

   "What?" Phyllis took the document and opened it. It was a contract document sent by another crew that Melanie auditioned for earlier.

   "The Accidental Tourist (The Accidental Tourist)? Director Lawrence Kasdan is confirmed?" Phyllis Carlyle took the file by accident. She had already given up hope for this audition.

"Yeah, Director Kasdan just called me." Melanie Griffiths bit her lip, "Shot Lulu" not only conquered Ronald, but also conquered another famous director Lawrence Kasdan.

   Coincidentally, Lawrence Kasdan is also the main screenwriter of Harrison Ford's two blockbuster films "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark". This time his "accidental tourist" has brought back many stars who have worked with him, and it can be regarded as his solo show.

  For example, William Hurt as the leading actor, and Catherine Turner as the leading actress, once starred in the movie "Body Heat" directed by him. And he likes Melanie Griffith to play a lot of roles, the second female Muriel who is comparable to Catherine Turner-the woman who finally got together with the male protagonist Macon.

"What should I do? The filming schedules of the two films are similar, both are famous directors, and both have main female characters. It would be great if the two films were back and forth..." Melanie Griffiths was about to cry up. In the past five or six years, I could not receive good scripts, but now I have two at once.

   "What do you think?" Phyllis Carlyle thought for a while, and asked Melanie what she thought first.

   "I...I don't know. I called my mother (Tibby Hedren), and I asked my ex-husband (Don Johnson), one said Kasdan, one said Ronald..."

Melanie Griffiths is holding two scripts in her hand. She read this one and the other one. They are both very suitable for her scripts and roles. She likes acting, and she thinks which one is very enjoyable. I want to keep them all for myself.

Phyllis Carlyle knows this client very well. She is an actress who is very interested in acting. In fact, the remuneration and treatment are superfluous, and both roles are challenging. If she plays the role, she will have a good future. .

"Look at me, Melanie," Phyllis Carlyle said gravely, grabbing Griffiths with both hands and staring at her. "Whoever plays Muriel in 'The Accidental Tourist' gets an Oscar." The Academy Awards. Whoever plays Tess in 'Working Girl' will be a star. Tell me, Melanie, who do you want to be?"

  Melanie Griffiths took both scripts in her hand, "I'll go up and think about it," and then went upstairs and locked herself in the bedroom.

   "Dengdengdengdeng..."

   About an hour later, Melanie Griffiths came down and said, "I've made my decision."

   Phyllis Carlyle said, "Who's playing?"

"I'd like to try out Tess in 'Working Girl'. I think this role is very similar to my experience, and it's the one that suits me at this stage. The accidental visitor, well, I'm not ready for the role of Muriel. "

   "Then, this is the final decision."

  (end of this chapter)

Chapter end