Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 572 Chapter 202 Ronald Fishing

   "Tom Cruise wants to see the full script before considering whether to star." Jerry Bruckheimer got a response from Tom Cruise in London.

   "Fuck, this movie is an aerial version of the western cowboy movie, why do you need a complete script?" Don Simpson does not agree that a movie needs to have a script first.

"The script that Guber made before is quite complete, but can it be used? Who can read the story of the aerial photographer? The profession of the male protagonist must make people feel cool, and they are all shooting fighter jets. Why not a story about a fighter pilot? ?"

  Don Simpson's role in the duo is the one who pursues his dreams and thinks wildly good ideas. In his opinion, as long as the movie has a male protagonist, a fighter, a beautiful woman, and then a heads-up, it is enough for the hero to kill the bad guy.

   "There's nothing wrong with that, but we have to get a star star. Since Tom Cruise asks, either satisfy him or choose someone else."

   Bruckheimer is the more practical one in the duo. How Simpson's good ideas turn into viable projects, how to sign stars, and how to get the studio to agree to invest, he is down-to-earth.

   "Which alternative do we have? What about Matthew Modine when Eisner was still around?" Simpson asked.

   "He? He can't. I read the records at the time, and he said that the movie was too pro-military, and he was going to do an anti-war movie."

   "Anti-war, anti-my ass..." Don Simpson burst out a foul language, this kind of actor still wants to play the leading role in a big commercial production?

"That leaves the clichés, Emilio Estevez, he's hot right now. Matthew Broddick, his father just passed away, he can go back to the movies. And there's Tom Hanks, he's also very handsome..."

   "Hormones, hormones!" Don Simpson shouted loudly, we want a hormonal hero.

   "Sean Penn? Or Van Kilmer?" Bruckheimer thought of two more.

"Not handsome enough." Don Simpson thought of something else, "Where's the director? How did Ronald go to the East Coast? I remember he had a good relationship with Tom Cruise. If he signed him as a director, he would convince him. Cruise has a better grasp."

   "Yes, he is also a very good screenwriter, you can pull him together to improve the script."

"Well, very good. We always have to sign one first, and then use his name to sign others. Cruise's agent protects him like a rooster. This time his salary is estimated It can't be less than 800,000."

  The two gave Paula Wagner a new offer. The word that came back was that Tom Cruise was interested in the story itself. If the producers hired director Ronald Lee, he would be more interested.

   "This Paula is really annoying, she always gives us a definite Yes."

   "Why did he specifically add the condition of naming Ronald? Do you understand?" Bruckheimer keenly felt that there seemed to be a story in it.

   "I don't know, we still have to go to New York. It seems that this time we have to move the first brick from the director contract."

   "Okay, I understand, I will stick to Tom Cruise as the male lead. To be honest, he is the most suitable for this movie. Without CAA's arrangement, he is also my first choice."

"Very well, I'm going to make this fighter film the first package project for Paula and I, and we're going to get all the main creators." Nisita told Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer After going to New York, I quickly called Ronald to discuss the caliber of both sides.

   "When are you going back to Los Angeles?"

   "I'll be here for a while, and Jane Fonda has asked me to talk about business. She's also coming to visit my factory."

   hung up the phone, Ronald took the fishing rod and ran to the small river in the town of Totterville at the southern end of Staten Island to fish.

  Business affairs are sometimes like fishing, don’t disturb the big fish, just wait quietly in a suitable place.

   Ronald received an unexpected call from Jane Fonda the day before yesterday. After not seeing each other for a few years, the female star did not maintain a high frequency of filming, but ended her studio with her partner and signed a long-term exclusive contract with Warner. Her current attitude towards filming is entirely based on interest.

   And the reason she can do this is that Jane Fonda gets a huge amount of income from fitness videos. Beginning in 1981, her videotape, priced at $59.95, has held No. 1 on the sales charts for 41 weeks and No. 2 in 75 weeks.

  Compared with the low production cost, Jane Fonda can get a lot of share from the copyright and sales revenue. The producers of the TV series "Dallas" also bought out her original videotape producer for $3 million and took over the production and distribution, taking sales to a higher level.

  Jane Fonda has the money to support her favorite California Donkey Party cause, and opens an aerobics center in Beverly Hills, Hollywood. The side business also includes selling video tape peripherals, the largest of which is Ronald's RTKD leg warmers.

   This time, she came to Staten Island to inspect the operation of the factory, hoping to buy Ronald's entire leg warmer business and completely incorporate it into her fitness industry empire.

Aunt Karen is very happy to meet Jane, she is very hopeful that Ronald can make a movie from the script of the past, let Jane Fonda play the wife of a veteran again, this time her role will be very loyal to the veteran, fully in line with traditional values kind of.

Jane Fonda has forgotten the content of the script Ronald wrote. She met the manager of the factory, Ronald's own aunt was her own movie fan, and she felt very happy. She had seen the production line, quality inspection, and warehouse. The decision has been made to buy the entire factory.

   Ronald and Jane Fonda were only responsible for hammering out two important details. Whether the original employees continue to work in the factory, and how much the original shareholders can share.

   "All employees can continue to work in the factory. However, within two years, I will move the factory to Southern California, which is closer to Hollywood. I can accept the families of employees who are willing to move. They are all rare and skilled.

   As for the purchase price, after Ronald presented an income statement with an annual profit of $200,000, Jane Fonda proposed a purchase price of $2.2 million.

The    signing ceremony was held in the factory. The two shareholders, Teresa Kate, and David and his wife, received more than $400,000 in purchase money and laughed from ear to ear.

They will also continue to work as sales representatives in Jane Fonda's factory, and the retail store in Manhattan will continue to be operated by their husband and wife, which is not within the scope of this acquisition, and can continue to retail after Jane Fonda's acquisition. products, and enjoy the slogan of "authentic leg warmers famous all over the world". .

  The movie star will not talk about the details of the acquisition. Ronald's lawyer, Miss Lindsay Dole, led the colleagues of the firm to discuss the details of the acquisition with Jane Fonda's lawyers happily. This acquisition business is lucrative.

  Aunt Karen is finally done with her hard work and can return to Staten Island to focus on the charity of the Veterans Association. Several of her friends, such as Little Bud's mother's family, got a little share of the gift, and this time they were able to buy a house in Totville.

   "It's a very nice house." After the acquisition, Jane Fonda was retained by Ronald and continued to play on Staten Island. The scenery here is pleasant, and there is a strong colonial architectural style.

   Ronald worked as a tour guide for Jane Fonda, exploring the island's landscapes.

   "This is the house where the wedding was held at the beginning of "The Godfather". Ronald drove Jane Fonda with him, and it is still the location of classic movies.

   "This used to be the home of Paul Newman and his wife, Joanne Woodward. It's the home of the most famous movie celebrity on our island."

   dragged Jane Fonda around for a while, and Ronald invited her back to taste the biscuits that his aunt baked by himself as a parting gift for her.

   "Ronnie, your agent has brought someone to find you."

   Ronald parked the car and was relieved to see his aunt say to him at the door.

   He can't think of a reason to ask Jane Fonda to stay again. If this female star is retained again, I'm afraid he will doubt whether he wants to pursue her as a married woman.

  "Ronnie", Nisita appeared at the door with Richard, "Ms. Fonda."

   Next to them are Don Simpson, who came to talk with Ronald about a new film contract, and Jerry Bruckheimer.

  Jane Fonda greeted them and went to Aunt Karen to share the secrets of making cookies.

   "Why, are you talking about a new movie with Jane again?" Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson exchanged glances, and Bruckheimer asked.

"No, she's here to buy my other business," Ronald denied. "My first play, 'My Brother's Protector', was bought by Frank Price and invited Jane Fonda to play the role. Yes, if I finally made it, maybe my career history will be very different."

   "What about this script now?"

   "It's probably still lying in Columbia's script library. Maybe Mr. Price would be interested in bringing him to Universal?" Ronald shrugged his shoulders with a pretense of ease, and let the two producers go into the living room for a detailed discussion.

  Both producers frowned, if Ronald actually went to work with Jane Fonda on his own script, "My Brother's Protector," they would be even more passive in casting.

"I am very willing to direct such a film, and my aunt also supports me. You must know that she is the widow of the Vietnam War. Without her approval, I would not have made it." Ronald listened to the two producers. People's intention to come, immediately express their attitude.

   "I think in this movie, the main character is Tom Cruise. I don't say that because I have the same manager as him, or because we've known each other for a long time.

   But he really is the best choice for such a hormonal movie. Of course, if you have a better candidate, I'm also open to choosing among the existing stars, and he is undoubtedly the most suitable. "

"My pay? You can just talk to Nisita and Richard. I just ask for treatment commensurate with my position in the industry, a decent salary, and a sharing clause that fits my status, after all, such a Paramount movie The large-scale production of the film will have an important reference value for my future director's remuneration, and if there is no profit sharing, I will not be able to make a price in the future."

   The two producers were filled with joy and sorrow. The happy thing is that Ronald agreed to direct, and his words also revealed that he would use his influence to persuade Tom Cruise to sign a contract. Sadly, I don't seem to have much room for bargaining, so I can only sign this hot commercial film director with an agent at the market price.

   After explaining things, Ronald sent Jane Fonda to the airport with his aunt's big bag of freshly baked cookies and cooking tips.

   "Looks like your aunt regrets that I didn't play 'My Brother's Protector,'" Jane Fonda said in the car.

   "Yes, she's a fan of yours and always thought you and Robert Redford were the perfect screen couple. What's the story of your next movie?" Ronald asked.

   "Well, I'll go back to Canada right away to star in a nun-themed movie 'God's Daughter'."

   "Sister?" Ronald expressed surprise. Didn't Jane Fonda always stand on the left side of the Donkey Party? How can such a religious conservative film be made?

   "One of the heroines is the hapless Meg Tilly. If she hadn't sprained her ankle before filming, she would have been better for the heroine of the 'Mozart Biography'."

   "Oh..." Ronald snorted. It turned out to be an old acquaintance's movie. It seems that Meg Tilly's husband, after Disney's son-in-law Ron Miller lost power, did not affect his established line of pushing his wife to the top.

   "Meg has just given birth to a lovely daughter, and it is also very hard to return to the screen now. Fortunately, she is playing a mother, and she does not need too much investment in acting."

   Ronald listened to the plot for a while. It was the nun played by Meg who got pregnant unexpectedly and insisted that the dead child was the result of a virgin conception. The psychiatrist played by Fonda went to unravel the truth.

   turned out to be a conflict between liberal and conservative religious values.

   Ronald sends Jane Fonda back to the Staten Island home.

  The two producers and agents have initially negotiated a fixed salary of US$600,000, plus a 1.5% domestic profit dividend, Ronald is ahead of everyone.

   "It's so annoying, I don't like this feeling." Don Simpson said unhappily, shaking his head.

   "He also promised to improve the script for us, so that if we send it to the Navy for review, it will reduce a lot of trouble." Bruckheimer persuaded his partner to relax.

   Ronald came back to see Nisita signalling that the contract had been signed according to the agreed terms. So happily poured Coppola wine red wine for the two producers, took out a few plates of salami, and served with cookies baked by my aunt.

   "By the way, how are you going to shoot the fighter jets? Are you going to use model special effects, or are you going to lease it from the Navy?"

   "When we come this time, we will also submit the script to the Pentagon, hoping to get approval to go to the Pacific Fleet to shoot the real scene."

   (end of this chapter)