Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 361 Dragon Flying and Wind Dance

  William Morris' veteran agent Ed Limato is still the same old man who likes to use extended family as a metaphor for his relationship with his clients.

   "Nick is my child. He is a very dedicated actor. I am very optimistic about him. Although CAA took advantage of Francis Coppola's eagerness to relieve financial pressure to sign him, the hearts of Italians are still together."

   "Stop talking nonsense, Nick came to play my movie, how much?" Ronald didn't bother to go around with Limato, he took a cigar from the Italian's desk, threw it into the sky, and caught it.

   "Hey, this is Cuban, you little bastard."

   Ronald also threw the cigar into his arms, "Let's make a price. I'll give him the lead role, although it's not too much."

   "So, $50,000 in salary..."

  Ronald turned to go, the price was far more than Nicolas Cage's worth, and much higher than the minimum wage.

   "Don't do this, Ronald. We've known each other for a long time." Limato grabbed Ronald's hand.

"I didn't make a fool of myself at this price. Michelle Pfeiffer was supposed to play 'Valley Girl' with Nick. Sino played 'Scarface,' and they gave Pfeiffer that number."

   Limato made a "ten" gesture.

   "What are you doing? It's a big project of 20 million around the world. I'm a small cost. The price is two to five thousand dollars. If you don't want it, forget it."

  Ronald looked angry, Brian de Palma gave up "Lightning Dance" and went to shoot "Scarface", the big Universal production, can it be the same as his own small-budget exploitative film?

"10,000? Well..." Limato offered a not too high price, Cage has not been able to prove his work yet, and he has not participated in the big production, "but Nick went to the audition for the new film during your shooting. If so, you have to let them go."

   "It's easy to discuss. But this is a small production, and the audition should not exceed one day."

   After negotiating the verbal agreement for Nicolas Cage's participation, Ronald continued his journey to find money.

  …

   “Sly, Sly…”

   Ronald entered CAA's office and heard one of the partners, Ron Mayer, calling at the front desk. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses, a tropical vacation dress, and carrying a large bag.

   "What happened to Mr. Mayer?" Ronald asked Nisita in the office.

"Stallone," Nisita pointed a finger to his forehead twice, "he didn't want to do comedy, and rejected 'Beverly Detective', a project that both Ovitz and Mayer were optimistic about. Mayer Going to Hawaii and trying to convince him to take the movie."

   "Comedy and action?" Ronald sat down at his desk.

   "Yeah, Sly says he doesn't like to ruin his tough guy image. You know, the stars are always very important to their screen image."

"A tough guy with a sense of humor seems pretty good, right?" Ronald thought about it, the current commander has a bit of this style. He has also acted as a tough guy in Westerns in the past, and he has an excellent sense of humor. To tell the joke of the Soviet Union, the popular support rate is very high.

   "But he's Rocky, and Rambo." Nisita made two punches.

   "Yes, his characters are all unsmiling."

   Ronald finished talking about Stallone, stretched out his hands and rubbed in front of him, "How much money can I get for this script?"

"One hundred thousand dollars. The script has actually been written twice, but Mr. Robert Sterwood, the owner of RSO Records, is still not satisfied. He remembers the sequel to 'Grease' that you wrote him, and this time he called and asked you to revise it. Sequel to 'Saturday Night Fever'."

   "Very good, I'm almost getting the budget for 'Night of the Comet'."

   Ronald took the script for the sequel to "Saturday Night Fever" and opened it up.

  The matter also starts with John Travolta, the hero of this blockbuster musical.

   Travolta has had a lot of musicals waiting for him since he starred in "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease" and became the new Hollywood dancer.

   But Travolta didn't want to repeat his screen image. He wanted to transform into a real actor and declined all musicals.

   After the successful romance "Cowboy", he took on the thriller BlowOut directed by Brian De Palma. But this new type of film co-starring with Nancy Allen was a big failure at the box office, so he couldn't find a good script for him to act.

  Seeing that more than a year has passed, and there is no suitable movie, John Travolta has to return to musicals, hoping to borrow the sequel of "Saturday Night Fever" to get back on his feet and set off on Hollywood's first-line male stars again.

  Hollywood often refers to this kind of big-budget movie, which aims to foster the fame of the hero and heroine, as the "catapult". An actor, after the launch of the "Catapult" movie, suddenly leapfrogged his peers and reached star status.

   The script for the sequel, with the same name as the original, uses the song name of the BeeGees band, called "Staying Alive".

   In fact, this sequel was written the day after the original 1977 "Saturday Night Fever" was released.

  In the original, Tony Manero, who came from a poor family in Brooklyn's Italian Quarter, came to Manhattan, trying to find a place in the Broadway musical.

   But due to his background and lack of formal music and dance training, he didn't find any suitable roles when he spent a lot of time in Manhattan. I ended up working as a trainer in a fitness center.

   Travolta has always welcomed the sequel, but he doesn't like this kind of realistic script. He hopes that with his talent, Manero will be successfully selected for musicals and succeed on Broadway.

  Stwood of RSO Records, and Paramount's executive producer, spent a lot of time trying to convince Travolta to accept such a realistic ending. Because of the success of the original, it was attributed by critics to a very realistic depiction of Italian-American life in Brooklyn.

   The situation that had been stalemate has turned around after Travolta suffered a major failure in his acting career.

   "So what is Mr. Sterwood's request?" Ronald looked at the script, what kind of ending should he give to the protagonist Manero?

   "I'm more optimistic than the original, but I can't give up realism. It's too far from reality, so it's too far from the spirit of the original. I'm afraid the audience who watch the sequel will be disappointed."

   "Can I meet John Travolta?" Ronald demanded.

   He had never seen the real Travolta. Based on the script alone, he was afraid that he would not be able to dream of the movie, so he proposed to meet the main actor.

   "That's fine, Travolta has a lot of ideas for movies, and you happened to be talking to him."

  John Travolta was also a client of CAA, and the meeting was arranged at an upscale gym in West Hollywood.

   Travolta, wearing a headband and a baggy T-shirt, is lifting a barbell. He is trying to get back in shape. He knew very well that a large part of the audience, especially the female audience, came to see his **** body dance hot.

   Six years later, he needs more efforts to restore the sturdy figure of the year.

   "Hello, Mr. Travolta." Ronald stood by, watching him do squats with the help of the coach.

   "Call me... um... John... um" Travolta put down the barbell and took a towel to wipe off his sweat.

   "You're Ronald? I really like the script you wrote for the 'Grease sequel', but it's a pity they didn't stick to your script, otherwise I'd make a cameo in it, so we could have collaborated a long time ago."

   Travolta is no different from the screen poster, with thick hair, blue eyes, and a small dimple on the chin. Many American women like this chin very much, thinking it is a sign of sexiness and masculinity.

   "John, how do you imagine Manero's ending?"

   "Ronald, look how talented Manero is." Travolta pointed to the famous poster of "Saturday Night Fever" on the wall.

   Travolta in a white suit, pointing to the sky with one hand and the ground with the other. Travolta sticks him in the gym, motivating himself to work out. This move is also imitated by many dancers.

   "Why can't such a talent for dancing be picked up by Broadway producers to star in a musical? I don't understand, they keep saying it's not realistic, I don't understand what's unrealistic."

"I think what they mean is that the original is full of the struggles a little guy needs to go through to get ahead in Brooklyn, right?" Ronald thought for a moment, then said, "Maneiro won't go to college, and if it wasn't for his talent in dancing, he would be very good at it. Possibly looking for a job in a garage."

   "Yes, Ronald, yes. A lot of people of Italian descent start mixing after high school. But Manero's talent is enough to get him a job on Broadway."

   "It seems that your debut didn't go so well." Ronald murmured. The agent had told him that Travolta had taken on Diana Hyland, an actress eighteen years his senior, to get the lead role in the Broadway remake, "Grease."

   He also played "Grease" on Broadway, which was just a backing dancer.

   By the way, dancer.

Ronald said, "John, I think Manero's own struggle is also very important in addition to his talent. Don't you think he should be rewarded for his hard work? It's better to let him be seen by Broadway producers and be the first How about the backing dancers for the new musical?"

   "Backing dancer?"

   "Yeah, so we got to the third part, and there's still a story to tell. Manero climbed from backing dancer to starring."

   "I like your idea, Ronald." Travolta thought for a moment, then smiled, he seemed a little satisfied, "Like Rocky, huh? Fight, beat one opponent after another, and succeed!"

   Travolta threw two combined punches into the air.

   "How about we give Manero a love life? A dancer who struggled with him, and both ended up getting roles in musicals?"

   "You think it's great." Travolta nodded. The original actor who played the heroine Stephanie was thirty-seven years old this year, and he was no longer a good match for him in the camera. Manero needs a new girlfriend.

   Got Travolta's approval, Ronald excitedly returned to the apartment. Do some yoga with a Jane Fonda workout video, then take a hot shower and go to bed early.

"what…"

  Ronald saw the alarm clock beside the bed, already pointing to six o'clock the next morning, and dreamed nothing!

   (end of this chapter)