Exploiting Hollywood 1980

  Chapter 982 Ronald who kept his word

"Are you okay? I heard a lot of people talking about you, and it seems that there is something wrong with Malkovich." Ronald called Michelle Pfeiffer, and he also It's not convenient to visit at home, but it will be troublesome if you get involved in the scandal between Pfeiffer and Malkovich.

   "It's okay, my agent has taken care of it for me, I just can't go out now."

  Michelle Pfeiffer is nestled on the sofa at home, and she is very happy to have friends who care about her.

   "You and Peter..." Ronald first pretended to care.

   "We broke up peacefully. He helped me pack all my luggage, took it out of the house, and loaded it into the car for me."

   Well, if I could get a generous division of property and monthly alimony until the man finds a girlfriend, that would be it too. thought Ronald. "So are you still in touch with John (Malkovich)?"

   "Oh, this dog X, I don't want to mention this person again." Michelle Pfeiffer became angry when she heard the name.

  Markovich seems to be obsessed. After filming the movie, he left the environment and pestered himself. Now he goes to see a psychiatrist twice a week and is followed by gossip reporters, making himself unable to go out.

"The script of that movie seemed to be possessed by an evil spirit. I fell in love with him somehow. It seems that another couple of young people in the crew also..." Michelle Pfeiffer happened to have no one to tell. Such an insider, she confided on the phone for a long time.

  A film about **** love, shot far from home in Paris, and it's not just Pfeiffer who's possessed. Another pair of young actors, Uma Thurman and Keanu Reeves, who plays the governess and bravely duels with Count Valmont, also have a crush.

  Ronald listened to Pfeiffer's complaints for a while. He mainly called to inquire about the situation. If this situation continues, the movie "Steel Magnolia" will have to change roles. He took a chance to interrupt Pfeiffer. "Then you can still..."

"It's okay, Ronald. If you want to change people, I understand. I can't go anywhere now. If I go to shoot Steel Magnolias, I will be followed by reporters. I will definitely camp outside the shooting location. Like now they just Set up a tent in front of my house, if this is the case, you won't even be able to make a movie."

  Pfeiffer's biggest problem now is dealing with personal marriage and relationship issues. Her agent Limato has explained other things to her clearly, and she has to keep it low-key for the time being, in case someone takes the opportunity to make trouble.

   After agreeing with Pfeiffer, Ronald was halfway through the problem. He looked at the audition photos and resumes of the backup heroines on the table, and began to think about it.

One resume was that William Morris' Limato, Pfeiffer's agent, personally recommended a young actress to replace Michelle Pfeiffer, his colleague Elaine Goldsmith, an equally young clients of female brokers.

   This actress is Julia Roberts, just twenty-one years old, with a charming smile and a big mouth that is not obnoxious. Ronald remembered that Ang Lee's aborted project was to find her to star in a prostitute who witnessed a murder, and he almost had the opportunity to direct her.

  Another audition photo was personally recommended by Ovitz of CAA. The actress is twenty-four years old, but she doesn't look old, and she has no problem playing a newly married girl and the mother of the child.

   What's more, she was the original purchaser of Ronald's debut screenplay, actress Jane Fonda's niece, Jane's brother Peter Fonda's daughter, Brigitte Fonda. If the two can act together, then they can also create a gimmick of aunt and niece acting together to attract the attention of some movie fans.

   After looking over and over for a long time, Ronald's gaze was still attracted to Julia Roberts. The Julia Roberts in the audition photo had a fragile temperament, as if she would be snapped off by some ordeal at any time. It fits well with the tragic fate of the heroine of Steel Mulan.

  Brothers and sisters always have some mysterious similarities. It is strange to say that Julia's brother, Eric Roberts, who played Cannon's only Oscar-nominated film "Runaway Train", also has this fragile and persistent temperament. Like siblings Peter and Jane Fonda, both are suited to playing characters on the fringes of society.

  Different from when you are a director, you only need to pay attention to who is the most suitable for the role and use a standard to select actors. When you are a producer, you have to pursue a balance between artistic and commercial trade-offs. Ronald picks up Brigitte Fonda's resume again, weighs in...

  …

   A few days later, in the audition room, Ronald is seated on the right, with screenwriter Robert Haring in the center and director Herbert Ross on the left. He didn't watch the other procedural auditions, and mainly observed the performance of the two actual candidates.

   "I've seen Julia Roberts in modern-day Cinderella (the English title is actually called Mysterious Pizza) and it doesn't get any better than her in it."

  Director Herbert Ross has a lot of dissatisfaction with Ronald, and his own production company wants to invest in this movie and occupy a certain share. But Ronald was unwilling to withdraw some of the investment line for him, sticking to the agreement he had reached with screenwriter Robert Haring.

  He saw the niece introduced by Jane Fonda, who had a close relationship with Ronald, so he naturally opposed this choice. In his view, filming is a zero-sum game where you get more and I get less. On the set, the more people Ronald has, the fewer people he has, and the weaker the possibility of the director's intention being implemented.

   "Let's talk about it after seeing the candidates." Ronald was noncommittal. In addition to human factors, there are also several major brokerage companies' balance. Michelle Pfeiffer is a client of William Morris. If it is replaced by someone from CAA, then the entire project may be dominated by CAA, so that its influence may exceed its own.

"Hello, Brigitte, I know your aunt very well, but whether you can get this role depends on your own performance." Herbert Ross said this, and glanced at Ronald . After the little girl Brigitte came in, he spoke first, expressing his standards.

Ronald frowned, and still smiled kindly at Bridget Fonda, don't scare him. Although he appeared in his father's movies when he was a few years old, he hasn't acted in any film and television dramas since then. "Do you need some time to prepare? We will begin when we are ready."

"I'm ready," Brigitte smiled at Ronald. She is a talented woman, so she didn't make her debut in her teens like ordinary actresses. She first got a diploma from Tisch College of New York University before turning to Hollywood. .

   "What do you think?" Ronald asked screenwriter Robert Haring, who sat between him and Herbert Ross, after the audition. Director Roth must disagree with his own opinion, and the main creator of this film is actually the screenwriter, and his ideas are also very important.

"I think she's pretty good, and her acting skills are excellent. The scene of meeting her fiancé was also the first time the audience was happy when it was shown on Broadway." Robert Haring knew acting, and he gave Brigitte Fonda high point.

"The next one, please come in." Herbert Ross didn't say a word. What happened to this **** screenwriter, he actually supported Ronald. He played tricks and didn't give Ronald a chance to comment. Called in Julia Roberts.

   "Oh, God." The screenwriter blurted out in a low voice when he saw Julia Roberts walking in, "It's so similar, the temperament is too similar..."

  Looking at Ronald's eyes, the screenwriter Robert Haring just apologized, with a pair of eyes on Roberts, looking up and down.

   "If you are ready, you can start." Ronald also smiled and said to the actress with a small mole next to her nose.

  Julia Roberts smiled. The screenwriter's reaction just now made her a little nervous. Is it because her appearance is not good enough? But she is a girl who will become braver when encountering setbacks. Her unyielding character makes her work harder...

   "She acted very sincerely..." Herbert Ross thought for a while after Julia Roberts' audition, before he came up with a reason to praise.

   Obviously Roberts is a bit too hard, and the acting skills taught by the academics alone are not as good as the previous Bridget Fonda. Even the director who is interested in him cannot deny this.

but…

   Ronald asked screenwriter Robert Haring, "Do you really want to have a special opinion on her performance?"

   "Yes, when she first came in, she made me feel very similar to my sister's temperament. That kind of strength, that kind of stubbornness, desperate for love, and a fragile core. But, her acting skills?"

  Robert Haring also saw Julia Roberts' fragile character from her appearance and temperament, which made men unable to help but want to protect her. Moreover, her face shape is suitable for movie shots, and her smile is friendly. It is estimated that the audience will like the close-up of her smile.

   "Let me just say, Robert thinks the same way. The casting of a movie needs a look that can be liked by the camera." Herbert Ross didn't expect the screenwriter to be on his side, and was a little overjoyed.

  Take out the video recorder used for audition shooting, and several people watched the performance of the two in front of the camera in front of the TV.

   It feels more obvious now!

  Bridget Fonda is worse on camera than she is in real life. This Jane Fonda's niece has inherited too much of her father's square jaw and mother's round face, but has not inherited the small and delicate faces of her grandfather and aunt.

  Julia Roberts has a small face and a delicate chin, which is very suitable for movie shots. In a way, she looked more like her Aunt Jane than Bridget did.

  Ronald struggled internally and gave up the idea of ​​using Brigitte Jones against his will, although he could certainly do it. The opinion of screenwriter Robert Haring is very important. The heroine is his sister. The reason why this Broadway play is loved by the audience is mainly the role of his sister and the touching affection of many "mothers".

   This first feeling is indeed the key to the success of this kind of movie without too many dramatic conflicts. Audiences have to fall in love with the characters at first sight in order to be moved by them. In the end, the tragic death of the heroine can move the audience.

  …

"Yes, Brigitte is not suitable for this role, the other girl's acting skills are not as good as hers, but the appeal is amazing. Most importantly, she looks like the writer's sister, the archetype of the character. You know this kind of movie , very dependent on affinity and first impressions..."

   Ronald called Jane Fonda to say hello. Although the relationship between Jane and her younger brother Peter is average, she still takes good care of her niece.

  Like other Hollywood superstars, she doesn't like her relatives and juniors to join the showbiz and work hard in this extremely competitive industry. But as a junior, I was still attracted by the selection of Vanity Fair. After choosing to be an actress, she also tried her best to give me some support.

   "Ha, I see, her jaw." Jane Fonda regretted the shape of her niece's face as much as Ronald did. Although in real life, Brigitte's appearance is more in line with the public's aesthetics than Hollywood actresses, but the distortion of the lens makes her face look big and round on the screen.

   "Since Brigitte is not acting, I have no obligation. I'd better take a break now. Ronald, you understand that my appearance on the set may not be a good thing for your movie."

   "I understand, I understand, I will find someone else to replace your role." Ronald knew that this was what it should be. Jane Fonda came to play a supporting role, and it was entirely because of helping the niece and having a good relationship with Ronald.

   She's in similar trouble now with Michelle Pfeiffer. The fifteen-year relationship with her husband Hayden gradually became cold, and the two gradually separated. It wasn't that long ago that she was spotted dating Italian League transfer Lorenzo Casciaranza, a member of the West Coast Soccer League's Hollywood Kickers, hiding from the limelight.

  …

   Once the heroine is set, Ronald basically lets it go. The heroine's mother finally chose Sally Field, who won two Oscars like Jane Fonda. Olympia Dukakis and Shirley Maclean star as two of Sally Field's longtime besties.

  The actor chose a handsome guy, Dylan McDermott, to play the husband of Julia Roberts. Tom Skerritt, Viper, an instructor at the flying school in Top Gun, was cast to play Sally Field's husband and Julia Roberts' father.

   Another young female character in the whole play, the girl who escaped from marriage and came to the town, and finally went to work in a hair salon, is the quota reserved for Ronald's female friends.

  This role requires some acting skills, and the image was a little sacrificed at the beginning, wearing big glasses, deliberately acting ugly, and staying away from violent men like her husband, so it is not very good-looking.

  After she got rid of her husband who was abusive, she met and married a man in the town at Shelby's (Julia Roberts) wedding. The good looks don't come back until the end of the film, when she ends up naming the unborn child after Shelby, giving the story a promising ending.

  This character is a bit like Tom Cruise's role in "Rain Man". It is the introduction of the whole story and becomes the center of the story at the end. This woman who escaped from marriage in a foreign country is actually the twin shadow of the protagonist Shelby.

  Shelby has a loving mother and friends, lovers. She only has a violent husband and a cold family. In the whole drama structure, it is a character who turns from tragedy to happy ending. At the beginning of the wedding with Shelby, and the unfortunate death after giving birth to a son, there is exactly a corresponding relationship in the drama structure.

   This kind of cute character, who played ugly at the beginning, was able to win the love of film critics, and several dramatic twists were drawn from her. Of course, Ronald let Diane Lane choose first. After all, among the young female friends, only she has this kind of compound performance ability.

   "Is this the part reserved for me?" Diane is resting in Los Angeles after filming the "Lonely Dove" TV miniseries. I was overjoyed to see Ronald come to me with the script.

  Sometimes, just one or two roles missing by an actor will make a big difference in fate. After playing a lot of boring roles, this time I was finally able to play an important role in a big production that gathers female stars. This marks that Diane can return to mainstream Hollywood production.

  Although Lone Pigeon Town is not bad, but it is a TV series, Steel Mulan is a movie after all, and there are two Oscar winners and one Best Supporting Actress in it. This movie is destined to be liked by film critics. There are so many old actors acting in opposite roles, and their roles are no less than Julia Roberts who plays Shelby.

  Diane only felt a surge of joy, coming directly from the bottom of his heart. It has been many years since I played "The Urchin Outside the World", and I can finally make an appearance in a big Hollywood production. She hugged Ronald directly, closed her eyes, and waited for her lover to kiss him.

   Ronald was very happy to see Diane so happy. On the closed eyes, the long eyelashes were shaking slightly, and Ronald felt that Diane's eyelids were trembling with excitement.

   Before Diane could wait for the kiss, her trembling eyelids revealed the excitement in her heart, and suddenly there was a burst of sourness, and hot tears flowed out uncontrollably.

   "What's wrong with you?" Ronald gently wiped away her tears.

   "I'm just so excited." Diane simply hugged Ronald's body, and a warm feeling came over her, giving her a feeling that she could rely on.

  The two cuddled together for a long time, and Ronald also felt that Diane's body gradually stopped shaking and returned to calm.

   "I want to ask you something," Diane showed a rare embarrassment, "I'm not greedy, but why didn't you let me audition for the role of Shelby?"

Ronald hugged Diane, smiled and said, "This role is the focus of my dispute with the director Herbert. I originally wanted you to audition, but the screenwriter Robert Haring especially likes Julia Roberts. If I If you insist, he may lean on the director, and you may not be able to get this role.

  After all, this is not a project led by me personally. The production budget is only 15 million, and there are so many actresses to be found, which requires some balance. "

   "Well, I know. Anyway, if this role is played well, the depth will not be inferior to Shelby." Diane is currently studying acting skills, and an off-Broadway troupe originally invited her to act in a new play. Of course she knows the goods, and she can tell at a glance that this is the configuration of the shadow heroine. Maybe it will give the audience a better impression than the heroine on the bright side.

   "Hi, hi... as long as you can understand, I haven't reached the point where I can speak without objection in Hollywood." Ronald exhaled, and finally managed to get over it.

   For not letting Diane play this Shelby, he has another reason that is not easy to tell people.

   To play with Shelby, who plays his husband must be a handsome and earth-shattering man. Otherwise, it is difficult to explain why Shelby insisted on giving her husband a biological child despite the doctor's objection.

  In the three chapters of the pre-marriage agreement between Shelby's parents who agreed with him to have a daughter, Shelby was barren, and they wanted to adopt a child.

A man like him who has achieved nothing can make Shelby, one of the wealthiest families in a small southern town, take the risk of having a child because he has a biological child and opposes his mother. He must be very handsome to make Shelby Afraid of losing him, agree to this condition.

  Dylan McDermott, who was chosen to play this role, has a first-class appearance even among male actors.

  Actresses are afraid that when they are acting, the fake will become real. The plot of the movie is the kind of transcendence that can't be encountered in life. When this kind of romantic love scene is filmed, there is an uncontrollable risk.

  Even a beautiful woman like Michelle Pfeiffer can fall in love with an ugly man like John Malkovich because of the plot and a fake show. This handsome guy Ronald is even more worried.

   "Ronald, you are a man of your word." Diane's father, Burt, also called to express his thanks when he heard the good news about his daughter.

  Bert was brought into a trough by Coppola because of his daughter's acting career. He knew that the big director route he arranged for his daughter had failed, and he once entrusted his daughter's career in Hollywood to Ronald. How could he fail to see that this movie, in which many queens acted for two young women, was an opportunity specially arranged by Ronald for his daughter?

"This is a great opportunity, and the critics will love this kind of complex and shifting role. I put Diane on the speaking coach, and during this time, she concentrated on learning the southern Dixie accent. I remember her grandmother is Tennessee People, it shouldn't be difficult for her." Ronald still did a great job in this regard.

"Hey, Diane's mother still loves her very much. Before, she opposed her as an actress because she felt that Diane had paid too much in Hollywood and had no chance. Now their relationship is much better. It's also my fault, because I didn't Find good enough Hollywood opportunities for Diane's mother..."

Bert was very emotional. Ronald had done what he couldn't do back then. If he hadn't given his wife the chance to become a movie star, she wouldn't have divorced him, leaving him to drive a taxi and raise his daughter. .

  …

   "Ronald, you really keep your word." Another female celebrity also praised Ronald in the same way.

  Jane Fonda withdrew from the project, and several mother-level roles were reassigned, so that there was one less female owner of the hair salon who had no one to play.

   Ronald's final choice was Dolly Parton, a country singer. She worked with Jane Fonda from nine to five back then, and her hot figure was impressive. When starring as the whorehouse owner in "Chicken House in Texas", he and Ronald were filming in the next door studio.

   At the time, she was also joking about asking Ronald to give herself a role. Unexpectedly, many years later, Ronald actually invited her to play this role that fits her personality very well. He escaped from marriage in his early years and came to a small town to do hair for women, and became a true friend of many women in the town. She’s actually an early version of Diane’s character, back when hair salons weren’t as accepted as they are now, and there’s such elaborateness all over the show.

  However, this casting made director Herbert Ross very unhappy.

  He couldn't bear this kind of female singer who had no acting skills at all, and came to play an important supporting role. Find Ronald and start spraying.

"Dolly Parton, can she act? She can't, you know? This is a Broadway adaptation, not your B-grade exploitation flick! Does Dolly Parton stand out in anything other than her boobs? Other than her high voice , Is there anything higher than others?

You said Diane Lane, and I agree with him. After all, he was born as a child star on Broadway, and he was also directed by George Roy Hill (the director of Diane's debut film "Sunset Bridge"). Coppola also took a fancy to it. Yes, the acting isn't too bad. Dolly Parton sang and danced for filler scenes in 9 to 5 and Texas Chick House, would you have me sing a song or dance a dance in Steel Magnolia? "

  Herbert Ross, who has been suffocated since the beginning of the project, has reached the peak and can't bear it anymore. This project is not as good as what I want. I have no right to decide the casting, and I have no share in the investment. In addition, the fiancée puts on airs from time to time and invites a lot of New York celebrities to the wedding.

  If it weren’t for the film director’s halo, which allowed him to maintain a bit of dignity in front of his fiancée, it is still a question of whether the two weddings can be held...Now Ronald wants to make this serious Broadway play as a musical, and he is really angry...

"No, there will never be a song and dance segment. I assure you, the director is to the director." Seeing that the old director Herbert was angry, Ronald seemed to want to give up the pick, and immediately promised sincerely, "This is entirely an artistic and commercial consideration. .”

   Ronald explained. Dolly Parton's latest album is rejuvenating. Country music has been in decline for a long time, and this year there is actually some meaning of rebounding, repeatedly breaking into the top ten on the charts.

  And this kind of country music is the favorite of audiences in conservative areas of the South. Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer taught him back then, and the audience represented by Oklahoma parents like this tune.

  The participation of Dolly Parton will definitely draw a large number of southern audiences into the movie theater. And this character is carefree, longing for romance and very emotional, very similar to Dolly Parton herself. She has no children and shares emotional experiences with Dolly Parton herself.

  Dolly Parton is not a talented actress like Cher, she is actually only a semi-amateur actor, and she can only play suitable roles in her true colors.

"On the set, I have the right to decide." Herbert Ross gradually calmed down a bit, but he didn't trust acting idiots like Dolly Parton at all, thinking that he would be interfered on the set, he simply took this opportunity Ask Ronald for power.

"Of course, you are the director. I won't go to the production team every day without your consent. Of course, if you agree, I also want to go to the scene to learn. You know that I am not an actor like you. opportunity to learn."

  Ronald still has a lot of respect for Herbert Rose's ability to complete the project. He may not be able to make an 80-point script into a 100-point one. But it can run smoothly, and it will never make an 80-point script into a 60-point script.

"In addition, the distributor, Samsung Pictures, offered very good conditions. They are willing to pay 6 million US dollars, but they only occupy the 5 million investment quota. You can choose the remaining 1 million. You want to use the director's salary to invest in the stock , or it can be converted into box office dividends.”

  Ronald then released the bait. If he feels wronged artistically, he must make up for it in terms of remuneration.

  This time, Samsung Pictures, like "Chances Are", only talked about investment in Ronald's project, without asking conditions. He gave the best conditions in the industry, as if he was afraid that Ronald would be regarded as a failure if he did not choose them as a publisher.

They are willing to be in the position of the third round of dividends. After the production company of screenwriter Robert Haring and Ronald's Daydream take the dividends, they use the profits to subtract the dividends of the two parties as the basis for calculating their dividends. . In this way, if the domestic box office does not come to a big hit, if it exceeds 50 million US dollars, Samsung Pictures may have no money to make.

  Ronald was very moved that the other party valued him so much, and he also mobilized the strongest resources he could mobilize to do this project. Even the smallest supporting role, he strived for perfection. As a producer, he wants to create an environment for artists to produce excellent works.

  He is in Louisiana, and he has already found a good shooting location, equipped with the best facilities and team, to repay the trust of Samsung Pictures and all the artists.

  This is the first star-studded masterpiece shot by Daydream, and Ronald wants to make it a benchmark.

   "This..." Herbert Ross didn't expect Ronald to give himself an investment quota. He hesitated.

Originally, he really wanted his production company to invest in the creation, but after all, this is the last round of investment shares. You have to ask him to guarantee that the box office of the film can reach more than 60 million and get more money than the film salary, Herbert Ross did not have the confidence to take risks.

   And after filming the movie, the wedding between myself and the former commander-in-law's sister-in-law is about to take place, so it's better to be safe.

   "I still get paid, how much dividend can I get?"

"Hahaha, quite a lot," Ronald smiled happily. Only a strong producer can take risks and enjoy this kind of excess profit. "If our box office is good enough, your salary plus dividends, no Will take less than Sidney Pollack in 'My Fair Lady'."

"I believe you are a man of your word." Herbert Ross was satisfied, not only because he had the money to take it, but also because Ronald and him were regarded by critics as the second best Jewish filmmaker in the world. Director Sidney Pollack on par (the first was Spielberg).

  (end of this chapter)