[Chapter 373: Upcoming Oscars]
Ding-ling-ling!
Link set down his script and picked up the phone. On the line was Quentin Tarantino's voice.
"Haha, Link, come out for a drink."
"Any good news to share?"
"No, it's been a while since we got together. Isn't it good to drink and chat?"
"I don't have time today. I've got work, but let's get together this weekend."
Link continued to flip through the script in his hands.
This script was sent by Julia Roberts, titled My Best Friend's Wedding. The story was well-written and had great box office potential, so Link planned to arrange for the production department to take on this project.
"Work? Are you really working, or are you just hiding in your office?"
"Hiding from people? What do you mean?"
Link leaned back in his office chair, relaxing.
"Hehe, don't play coy. I've been reading the Los Angeles Times every day, and there's been a lot about you in there saying you're into other people's wives. Hehe, are you worried we'll bring it up at the party? That's why you're avoiding drinks? Don't worry; we'll just talk about something else."
Quentin laughed as he spoke, clearly in good spirits.
Link smirked, "You mean my rumors with Cindy Crawford and Nicole Kidman? I'm a playboy; I'm used to this kind of gossip. Why should I care?"
"Hmm, if you don't care, then come out for drinks."
Quentin was skeptical.
"I really don't have time. I'm busy preparing the new movie The Rock, and we plan to start shooting next week. I can't take a break right now."
Link kept browsing through his documents.
"You're shooting a new movie? Didn't you just finish your last one at the end of last year and start a new one in February?!"
Quentin shouted.
"Yes, I shot three films last year, and I'm doing three more this year. I have to stay on schedule, or I won't finish by the end of the year."
Creak!
There was a grinding sound on the phone.
"Quentin, what's up? Your last film, Four Rooms, is about to leave theaters. When does your next film start shooting?"
...
Quentin's second film, Four Rooms, released on December 25 last year, produced by Miramax, grossed $3.52 million and was expected to reach about $4 million.
The production budget was $2.5 million, and it was likely to result in over $3 million in losses for Miramax.
The film also got average reviews; while it was a decent anthology, the plot was absurd, and the dark humor didn't match the caliber of Pulp Fiction, falling short in narrative technique, dialogue crafting, and actor performances.
Total Film magazine commented that Quentin, wanting to show off, had made a simple film too chaotic. This kind of movie didn't serve the audience; it was merely for the director's self-indulgence.
This was also a reason behind the film's disappointing box office and reviews.
...
"Why do you ask?"
Quentin's tone turned dark.
"We're both directors who debuted around the same time. I'm now preparing my tenth film, and you haven't even started your third; that's too slow. I don't want you to waste your talent by goofing around."
"This is your tenth film?"
"Yes, I have six released, three unreleased, and I'm about to start shooting the tenth."
Adding in The Blair Witch Project, he had actually completed ten films, with The Rock being his eleventh work.
"Damn! Nine films in four years, at least two a year, and you're not worried about burning out?"
Quentin cursed vehemently.
"I'm more worried about dying without having made classic films that truly showcase my talent and skills. That would be even more regrettable."
Link paused and said, "Quentin, you're more talented than I am. If you could hustle a bit and shoot two films a year, your achievements would be just as significant as mine. The only thing holding you back is your laziness. You don't value your time and waste your talent in films; I feel sorry for you."
There was a long silence on the line, and just as Link was about to hang up, he heard Quentin grit his teeth and say, "You're right; I do have great talent but lack self-discipline. I'm lazy. I've decided to take your advice and strive to shoot two films a year from now on."
Slap!
Link slapped the desk in excitement. "Awesome! Quentin, I'm really looking forward to your new movie. If you need funding, just let me know."
Having hung up, Link smiled softly, thinking that Quentin dared to tease him with gossip; he wouldn't hold back next time they met.
---
"Link! The premiere starts in ten minutes."
Just after one in the afternoon, Monica knocked at the office door, reminding him to attend the premiere of The Net.
This film had completed editing last September and wrapped up post-production in January. Link had arranged for an internal screening today.
There weren't many people at the screening; mainly the main creative team and staff from production and distribution departments, totaling over forty people.
After arriving at the screening room, Link greeted Matt Damon and others, then pulled Sandra Bullock and Milla Jovovich to sit in the middle as they began to watch the new version of The Net.
The viewing experience of the new version of The Net was great, featuring trendy social networking, gunfights, extreme car chases, intense explosions, stunning visuals, and political intrigue.
It shared many similarities with Speed, released in '94, with the extra plot showcasing the Internet making it feel fresh and unique. Watching the film was akin to enjoying a delicious piece of fresh fruit.
...
"This scene looks awesome; I guess I'm cut out to play a spy," Matt Damon exclaimed, his fist pumping in excitement.
After finishing Good Will Hunting, the media had praised his performance in dramatic roles, and his agency had suggested he pursue more dram movies.
When Link invited him to play Agent Jack in The Net, he worried his action scenes wouldn't measure up, potentially dragging the crew down.
After watching the movie, he was very pleased with his performance.
"Yeah, you did great, but my Batman performance is still the best," Ben Affleck said, arms crossed, chin raised defiantly.
"Okay, we both did well, but it's Link's talent that brought us to this level. Without his guidance, we wouldn't have come close to this quality."
Matt glanced towards Link, who sat in the middle with a heart full of gratitude.
Ben didn't see it this way; after overcoming the role's challenges, he often recalled the 'torment' he'd faced while filming Batman.
That period had been too unbearable; he struggled to get into character while feeling threatened by Link's potential recasting. It was like a massive boulder crushing him, leaving no room to breathe.
Later, with Nicole Kidman's advice, he continuously adjusted himself, gradually becoming part of the role and even suffering from a mental health issue to excel in it.
After enduring so much and being pushed so hard, how could he thank Link? It wasn't happening!
...
Clap clap clap!
When the screening ended, the room erupted in applause. Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Bob Gorton, and others cheered, paying tribute to Link.
The people at Guess Pictures' production and distribution department praised the film for its brilliance.
"Link, The Net seems to have a more interesting story than Speed. This film might even gross higher than Speed!"
Sandra Bullock smiled ear to ear.
"I predict The Net will make at least $400 million worldwide," Milla Jovovich shouted.
Link looked at the two ladies beside him and chuckled, "Don't celebrate too early; the movie isn't released yet, and nothing is certain."
"Don't worry, I believe in you," Milla said, locking her arm tightly with his.
"Me too," Sandra Bullock snuggled against him, completely unconcerned about the others around.
Link smiled and kissed both of their cheeks, then chatted with others to gather their thoughts on the movie and any suggestions for changes.
Many films often went back to the drawing board after test screenings if they found plot holes or unsatisfactory endings. This was common in Hollywood, with many films like ET, Pretty Woman, and Dark Phoenix undergoing such revisions.
However, Link's film had a tightly woven plot with no apparent gaps, and the ending was handled maturely, meaning no reshoots would be necessary.
...
After the screening, Link also received system feedback.
[Movie production completed; box office subsidies are being tallied...]
[Host participation rate: 70.1%, movie completion: 95.8%, market compatibility: 91%]
[Reward: 2.4x box office subsidy; directing experience +15%; stamina +20%; quality increase +15%]
Compared to his last film, Batman Forever, participation rates were up; completion rates remained similar, while market compatibility was the highest among all his films to date.
The box office subsidies were higher than for Batman Forever, with the director's experience and stamina boosts dipping slightly, perhaps because this film featured a less impressive cast than Batman and The Sixth Sense.
Overall, the rewards were quite decent.
After receiving a 20% stamina boost, Link felt his body heat up again, beads of sweat forming on his skin.
Once the heat subsided, he clenched his fists, feeling his physical strength clearly improve. His energy had increased too, though changes in his endurance would have to be assessed later that night.
...
After the premiere, Link took the film reel back to his studio, planning to rewatch the movie and see the impact of the 15% quality boost, noting what to pay attention to ensure better results next time.
That night, when he returned home, he carried Monica, who was doing yoga, back to the bedroom.
The next day, everyone at home except Link woke up late.
---
After the internal preview of The Net, once Link finished up his business at the company, he took the crew 600 miles away to San Francisco's Alcatraz Island to begin shooting The Rock.
Meanwhile, media in Hollywood still buzzed with his alleged involvement in the marriages of Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford, and Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise, attempting to tarnish his image further.
But since there was no substantial evidence provided by the puppet masters, combined with Cindy Crawford's and Nicole Kidman's public clarifications, mainstream media struggled to find fresh and compelling material to make a big news story out of.
The heat surrounding this news started to die down.
Thanks to the efforts of Guess Pictures' PR team, the media began to shift focus to other entertainment news.
...
"What a shame, if we had solid evidence, we could definitely bring Link down this time," Bob Weinstein said regretfully as he set down the newspaper in the Miramax office.
Harvey sat grimly, not saying a word.
Initially, when this news broke, he not only employed Richard Gere to speak out but also arranged for detectives to approach Cindy Crawford and Nicole Kidman, attempting to pay them off to admit they had intimate relations with Link before their divorces.
Cindy Crawford and Nicole Kidman had replied, saying they would agree, but the condition was $100 million in cash each.
Harvey was livid upon receiving that feedback, thinking if he had $200 million, he'd already retire and enjoy life, not still be in Hollywood under Link's thumb.
The two women asking for such high amounts clearly had no intention of cooperating and were deliberately making things difficult for him.
Seeing he couldn't convince them, Harvey attempted different methods to gather evidence, which ended up costing him tens of thousands of dollars without any useful leads.
According to sources acquired by paparazzi, before Cindy Crawford divorced Richard Gere, she had no overlap in daily life with Link.
It was only after her divorce that their interactions sharply increased.
After returning from a trip to France, Cindy Crawford often stayed over at Link's mountaintop mansion, sometimes for more than ten days, without any care for appearances.
As for Nicole Kidman, although she had previous connections with Link, she denied it, claiming the two were just friends and colleagues, leaving media unable to fabricate anything.
Harvey also tried to reach out to Tom Cruise, hoping he might stand up against Link for ruining his marriage.
Tom Cruise declined, stating his split from Nicole was due to personality differences, having nothing to do with Link.
The unwillingness of the parties involved to speak out left their investigation in a bind.
Harvey had also contemplated rehashing Link's image as a womanizer exploiting emotions.
However, Vice President Scott Greenstein reminded him that Link was already a world-famous womanizer; he had sleaze stories practically every week. Using such tactics wouldn't only be ineffective -- it would be costly.
Scott estimated it would take $5 million to turn this story into a hot topic in the entertainment industry, and over $20 million to potentially reach a societal hot issue.
Moreover, considering Guess Pictures' retaliatory measures, the chances of failure with the publicity campaign were even higher.
The thought of needing to spend so much without certainty of success, along with warnings from Michael Ovitz and others, led him to begrudgingly cease his petty schemes.
The media also stopped reporting on Link's scandals, rendering all his prior efforts and spending futile.
...
Harvey exhaled in frustration. "The Oscars are coming up soon. How are our PR efforts? What are our nominated films' chances for winning?"
Earlier, he had been so busy pushing Link's negative news that he had left Oscar campaigning to Bob and others.
"Not bad; Mighty Aphrodite has a 90% chance of winning, All Things Fair has some chance, but it's slim. This year, we're guaranteed at least one statue; if our luck holds, we might snag three!" Bob replied.
Harvey nodded, though his mood didn't improve.
Before '93, Miramax frequently released sleeper hits that triumphed at the box office and critical acclaim, winning numerous Oscars.
Since '93, however, as Guess Pictures rose, consuming much of the box office and profits in the industry, Miramax's revenues plummeted, with significant increases in debt.
Having no funds hindered them from making more and better films, and they couldn't afford to buy many international film rights on the global market.
This situation had also led to Manmax's deteriorating performance at the Oscars.
Harvey's only hope now was that Ovitz's 'poison pill strategy' succeeded, leading Guess Pictures to suffer massive losses, after which they could pounce and divide Guess Pictures among themselves.
"Let's just settle for one or two little Oscars; that's not too shabby. Either way, our attempts to thwart Link's film from winning will be considered a success, putting a hitch in his career, and we'll have another chance to make it big in the future."
With that, Harvey slammed his fist down on his desk.
*****
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