Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"Why did you CAA put Demi Moore in the A-list? Is she popular now?" Ronald asked Nicita on the phone.

For a female star to rise to the top, she must rely on the power of the roles in the hit movies. The audience remembers a star because of the dazzling roles they played in the movies.

After all, Michelle Pfeiffer became a sexy cat with her stunning performance in "Scarface", and Kelly McGillis became the imagination of male high school students across the country about female teachers because of "Top Gun". What are Demi Moore's representative works? Her boyfriends?

"Hehehe, you have to ask yourself, Ronald. It was you who pushed her onto this list that only looks at popularity and appeal." Nicita laughed on the other end of the phone.

"Me? I'm not...her boyfriend."

"I'm talking about the Coca-Cola commercial you shot for her. After it was broadcast on TV, her action stunts caused a sensation. Many teenagers specially recorded her commercial clips and played them repeatedly at parties.

Besides, you shot her so beautifully. This kind of sexy and sensual, two eyes that seem to be sparking at you even through the TV, is exactly the type that high school boys like most. She looks like a beauty who just graduated from college, which can arouse the desire to conquer those boys with overflowing hormones. Besides, her previous roles in the movies "St. Elmo's Fire" and "Last Night" are very consistent..."

"This..." Ronald scratched his head. He didn't expect that the commercial he shot unintentionally would make Demi Moore's popularity rise so quickly. No wonder she was eager to find him to smooth things over and star in a "Die Hard" with the potential to be a box office hit.

No matter what kind of star, their image is established by a well-known movie. Demi is still lacking a movie that will let the national audience know who she is.

"And now Demi and TV star Bruce Willis often show their affection in front of the media. Her PR manager is quite capable. Whenever there is a photo of Willis in the newspapers in Los Angeles, she will be linked to him..."

"Sure enough..." Ronald is very clear about Demi Moore's ambitions. This way of dating a popular star is also her old trick. Many actresses want to take a shortcut, and finding a male star to date is a good way.

Of course, there are many cases like Cher's boyfriend on the other hand.

"What do you think? Is it a good idea to use Demi Moore to play Tess?" Nicita asked Ronald. Unlike his boss Michael Ovitz, Nicita prefers not to interfere with the casting decisions of his directors. Although this will reduce short-term profits, it will be more likely to maintain cooperation with the director in the long run.

"I think she's a suitable candidate and can be invited to audition. However, now is not the time to consider these things. I have to finalize the director contract with Goldberg first. I don't want to receive many calls from people who want to audition. Besides, Mike Nichols hasn't officially withdrawn yet, and I don't want people to misunderstand."

"Okay, let's make some preparations now. I'll go and find out the schedule of the stars you want to work with. This way you can have a clear idea."

"Then let's talk about them one by one," Ronald and Nicita began to discuss on the phone which star might play the role in "Working Girl".

...

"Well... do you prefer to find female stars to play the leading roles, and then let less famous male actors pair with them? Why?"

After more than an hour of discussion, Nicita suddenly realized that Ronald's preference was clearly to want female stars to play the leading roles.

"This is a very different movie. The perspective revolves around the heroine. It has similarities with Dirty Dancing and Moonlight. I just think so from the perspective of casting and narrative convenience."

"Really? Hahaha... Let's do this for now. I'll go to the office to sort out the audition photos of the stars you like, and then communicate with Mr. Goldberg. When you come back from New York, I'll go to Fox with you to finalize the contract."

Nicita heard that Ronald was not sincere. In fact, Ronald didn't say it, but he and Mike Nichols might have a plan in their hearts.

Except for those commercial productions that must have big male stars, Ronald and Nichols don't want to have a star who can't completely obey the director's instructions.

In terms of influence and ability to drive box office, Hollywood male stars are about ten times that of female stars, just like their pay. Naturally, they lose their temper on the set and act on their own, which is about ten times that of female stars.

For a big production to be successful at the box office, there can only be one or two stars in the main roles, plus ordinary actors. Otherwise, the two tigers will always have conflicts in the crew, which will hinder the performance effect.

Instead of finding a big-name male star to play Jack Traynor, it is better to use two female stars to play Tess and Catherine.

This is also why Ronald is not willing to follow the casting of his dream and let Harrison Ford be the male star.

…

"Ring, ring, ring..."

After a while, Ronald's phone rang quickly.

"I'm Ronald." Ronald put down the pencil he was using to revise the script and picked up the phone.

"Ronald, did you leak the secret? Why did all the agents call me when I just returned to the office and asked me if I was going to direct the "Working Girl"? All the agents of Hollywood's female stars are calling me and Paula."

The urgent voice of Nicita was on the phone. The news that Ronald was going to direct this movie seemed to have been leaked from some channel.

"What? Leak? I was very cautious and didn't tell anyone. I also told you to keep it secret, remember?" Ronald frowned. He was always very careful about this kind of thing, not to step on other people's toes.

Mike Nichols was bargaining with Goldberg on the pretext that he had other private matters. If the news of Ronald taking over spread now, although it was not considered as grabbing food in theory, the director circle was very small, and it was inappropriate to release the news and audition before he officially signed the contract.

"One of us leaked the secret. I will check it carefully. You should also check those people you told that you were interested in directing "Working Girl." "Nicita hung up the phone in a hurry and went to deal with it. This matter itself was not very serious, but if there was a traitor in the communication channel between him and Ronald, it would be a very serious problem.

Ronald put down the phone and began to think about who he had told the news to. In addition to his two agents and screenwriter Kevin Wade, there are only two close female friends.

Kevin Wade is an insider and knows the rules, so it is unlikely that he will leak the information.

Diane knows that she has a script, but she is not clear about the details, so the possibility is not very high. But her agent is Paula, could it be that Niceta's wife is doing it for the sake of profit...

Only Helen... She has read the entire script of "Working Girl"... However, she is a very simple-minded person. But people with simple minds are often easily exploited...

Ronald felt a little uncomfortable and a little suffocated in his chest. He knew in his heart that no matter who leaked the news, he didn't want to go into it. Who doesn't have a little ambition?

And leaking the news so easily is not conducive to getting the role. Ronald is a soft-hearted person. If he doesn't cooperate, no one can force him to submit by leaking the information.

If you want to find out, it may not be very difficult. He has the trump card of private detective Frank McPike, a former elite in law enforcement, who is very efficient in handling such things.

However, these people who might leak secrets are all close to him. No matter who they are, if he knows who did it, he might have a grudge in the future.

A little upset, Ronald put on his coat and left the apartment, planning to go downstairs for a walk.

"Mr. Li, where are you going?" The elevator man was a Puerto Rican, and Ronald usually gave generous tips. Therefore, he was very concerned about Ronald's service here and tried his best.

"Where to go?" Ronald was stunned for a moment. He had nowhere to go. He could talk to his agent about the usual showbiz affairs. He could consult Douglas Jr. about business and important social matters. But for this kind of matter involving his private life, he couldn't find anyone to talk to for a while.

"If you need a car, I can help you call our building's luxury car driver, who can take you anywhere in New York and New Jersey. Our tenants have discounts, and other tenants use it a lot."

"Oh", Ronald usually has Bud Jr. drive, and he doesn't use the building's services much. This time he took a leave to visit his relatives in Staten Island before the premiere.

"Call me a car. I'm going to Staten Island."

"Staten Island, I'll find a smaller car. The ferry has restrictions on car size, sir."

...

"Mr. Li, we're here..." The driver drove the car to the door of Auntie's house in Staten Island and woke up Ronald, who was a little absent-minded.

"Thank you, you can go back. I'm going to stay here for one night." Ronald got out of the car and walked towards the gate.

"It's a pleasure to serve you. The bill will be sent to your apartment." The driver called from behind.

"Ronnie," Auntie Karen opened the door and was surprised to see Ronald. "What a big surprise. I thought you wouldn't come home this time. Kid, you've been too busy recently. You haven't come to see your aunt for a long time."

"Auntie," Ronald went up and hugged Auntie Karen.

Auntie Karen's boyfriend was not at home. She and Ronald seemed to have returned to the time a few years ago. The two went into the house and sat down. Aunt Karen saw that her nephew was worried, but she didn't ask him about it. Instead, she took some baked cookies for him as usual, and poured a cup of black tea for Ronald.

"Well, I can't forget this taste. It seems that I have to come back to see you more often in the future." Ronald suddenly felt relieved and his irritability was much less.

"No need to come back specially, Ronnie. Aunt is not so fragile. I have my own life now and have a lot of things to do. You also have a career, and so does Donna. As long as family members have each other in their hearts, when you encounter difficulties, don't forget that Donna and I are here."

Ronald smiled. His aunt was right. Don't think too much about close people. Just ask directly. Even if one of them leaked the news, it is likely to be unintentional.

Discarding the idea of ​​finding a private detective to investigate, Ronald talked a lot with his aunt at home and ate the dinner prepared by his future uncle.

"Helen, the news that I am interested in directing 'Working Girl' has leaked." In the evening, Ronald went to his room and called Helen Slater first.

"Ah? How could this be? Then have you communicated with director Mike Nichols? He is very respected on Broadway." Helen knew Nichols' status in the New York circle, and he was still the most authentic An Ashkenazi Jew, a Holocaust survivor in Germany, and a distant cousin of Einstein, he was favored in Jewish circles.

"My agent is handling it. I will call Director Nichols. I also want to ask you if you accidentally told someone? If this matter gets serious, it may It involves you."

"Huh? No...I didn't even tell my agent."

…

"Diane, news of the new film I want to direct has been revealed."

"Ah? You've already signed a contract? Didn't you just get in touch with me when you were in Los Angeles last time?"

"No, it was accidentally exposed. Fox also has another candidate, Mike Nichols, so it's a bit complicated. I'm dealing with it. I'm calling you to ask, have you told anyone else?"

"No, I know the rules. If I want to audition, I won't tell anyone. Hehehe..."

…

It doesn't seem to be Diane either. Ronald was relieved. He no longer thought about who leaked the news, but prepared to deal with the subsequent impact.

"My movie will be released in New York over the weekend, will you and Donna come to see it? This time it's a love story for middle-aged people." Ronald was preparing to return to Manhattan early the next morning to say goodbye to his aunt.

"Then I'm going to check on Donna. I'll call her."

Instead of renting a car, Ronald took the express rail to the ferry and then took the subway back to his apartment on Fifth Avenue.

"Ronald, Mike Nichols was interviewed by CBS Morning News. Look, there's a replay on Channel 25." Richard, the agent who came over from Los Angeles overnight, talked to Ronald as he entered the door. Nader said.

Turn on the TV, a rerun of the CBS morning news, and the two hosts are connecting with director Mike Nichols.

"Okay, let's not ask questions about you and our colleague Diane. I heard that you are currently preparing a new film? After finishing the filming of "Genius", will you take on another one soon?"

"I originally had some intentions to cooperate with Fox, but they prefer to use a star strategy, and I prefer to find candidates with suitable scripts. So, I will not continue to work on this project... now? Now I will take a break."

"Who's going to take over? I heard they're looking for commercial film director Ronald Lee. I like his work very much, especially the recent one with Cher. Yeah... I'll wait and see the stars when the time comes. This is a very good version of the movie and Ronald will not disappoint us."

"Wedding? Haha, you must be asking for Diane. We now have enough time to prepare for the wedding. Is it Jewish? That depends on Diane's opinion..."

Mike Nichols' fiancée is CBS host Diane Sawyer. On the show, he turned the topic to his married life with his Puritan fiancée and his views on the suffering of the Jews.

"Phew, he gave up." Richard wiped his sweat, "But in theory, we stepped on his toes. As a courtesy, you have to call him and explain the situation.

"Call his agent and I'll talk to him when he gets through." Ronald shook his head. Richard didn't understand the director's business. On the surface, Mike Nichols was conceited about his status in the industry and didn't agree with Ronald. Nader, a junior, competes for opportunities.

In fact, Mike Nichols was unwilling to succumb to Twentieth Century Fox's star strategy and did not want to use stars with poor acting skills to star in his scripts. As a great director who lives both in Hollywood and on Broadway, he has very high requirements for actors.

Moreover, such a public statement was tantamount to limiting his choices. After Ronald took over the film, he had no choice but to take a commercial route without looking for stars.

"Hello, is this Mr. Nichols? I'm Ronald, Ronald Lee."

"Hi Ronald, can I call you Ronald? I'm glad you called me."

"Of course, I want to explain the situation to you. When Goldberg from Fox sent me the script, I didn't know you were interested. As for the subsequent leaks, it's not my problem."

"Ronald, this is a good script. I hope you won't make too many concessions because of the stars. You will soon taste the privileges of stars. I wish you good luck, hahaha. Anyway, I just went to prepare for my This is my fourth wedding... I hope the wedding can be more comfortable. You know, the most important thing for American girls is the wedding..."

It can be seen that Nichols is still a little concerned about Ronald ruining his plan against Fox. However, he has become famous and is now in a passionate relationship with Diane Sawyer, a writer for Richard's Headquarters and current CBS host. He is disappointed that he lost the opportunity to direct "Working Girl" according to his own ideas. Not terribly disappointed.

"Rick (Nisita)'s side?" Ronald put down the phone and asked Richard how the investigation was going.

"No clues were found. Rick used other reasons to replace two of his assistants. Several junior agents under him did not move them immediately. Rick is going to find someone to investigate secretly."

Richard was sweating a little. If he and Niceta leaked the secret, it would be a very unprofessional performance for Ronald's service.

"I usually organize the documents myself and lock them in the safe when I get off work. I can guarantee that it was not leaked accidentally by me. Even if it was, it was a professional business espionage method."

"It's not that exaggerated. I believe you." Ronald patted Richard on the shoulder.

"You stay here with me. Help me deal with the New York premiere of "Moonlight" this weekend. Someone will definitely come to recommend themselves. Please help me deal with it..."

"No problem. I will block all people who are not related to "Moonlight" for you." Richard quickly said that it was no problem.

"I have complete confidence in you and Rick. Just keep tracking it down. Don't let this little episode disrupt our rhythm."

(