[Chapter 234: Not Tonight]
"Are these the new projects for the latter half of the year?"
"Yes, after production department approval, there are a total of six projects."
Link took a few documents and glanced through them. Earlier in the year, five movies had wrapped up filming, including The Mask, The Butterfly Effect, Rumble in the Bronx, Good Will Hunting, and The Man from Earth.
Three films were still in production: Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise, Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility, and Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption.
Now, six new projects were planned for the second half of the year.
Link's new film The Sixth Sense, a collaboration with Columbia Pictures namely, Paranormal Activity 2, Ace Ventura 2, Hachiko, a crime-comedy To Die For picked up from Castle Rock Entertainment, and In & Out with MGM.
These projects had relatively high budgets. The Sixth Sense was budgeted at 40 million dollars, of which Link's directing fee was 12 million. Before securing funding, he was willing to take a smaller fee, but post-funding, his compensation would need adjustment, including a share as a director.
Hachiko was aiming to cast a leading male star as the professor, with a budget of 40 million dollars.
Ace Ventura 2 intended to continue with Jim Carrey as the protagonist. His involvement increased his personal fee to 20 million dollars, making him the highest-paid male star in town and a flagship client for UTA. They hoped to cast Jennifer Aniston in the leading female role, and since the first season of Friends hadn't aired yet, her fee remained modest. The film's budget was set at 38 million dollars.
Paranormal Activity 2 would have Link as the writer and producer, with The Hand That Rocks the Cradle director Curtis Hanson leading the project. It continued the first movie's story, switching to the perspective of Katie's sister, her husband, and children. Before disappearing, Katie had given her sister Kristi a necklace, which mysteriously disappeared when Kristi moved into her new home. Eager to uncover the truth, she and her husband installed cameras in the house, capturing more unsettling footage.
Apart from Monica Bellucci's cameo, the cast was predominantly newcomers, with a modest budget of 2.2 million dollars.
To Die For was a project Liz Gorinsky brought over from Castle Rock Entertainment, hoping to cast the stunning Nicole Kidman as the lead, with a budget of 22 million dollars, which was relatively high compared to similar films. Link thought the script was mediocre and couldn't compete with films like Gone Girl. However, given Liz and Nicole's influence, he considered investing as a balance of odds, knowing that any loss would be a learning experience.
In & Out had a budget of 25 million dollars, with potential involvement from director Gus Van Sant, known for his expertise in such film types.
The six projects totaled a budget of 167 million dollars.
Recently, Guess Pictures signed a cooperative agreement with Columbia Pictures, where Columbia would finance 500 million dollars over the next three years to collaborate on ten films. The production would be handled by Guess Pictures, while Columbia would handle distribution. If the box office surpassed a certain figure, Guess Pictures would receive a larger share.
Link planned to include four films in this agreement to alleviate the company's production budget pressures.
After reviewing everything, Link signed the documents.
...
"Daniel, when choosing a director for To Die For, reach out to Sofia first. Actually, I'll call to see if she's interested before we consider others."
"Got it. When do you plan to start filming The Sixth Sense? Any timeline? If it's soon, our production department needs to prep to avoid overlapping with other projects," Daniel DeVito queried.
"No rush. I'm supervising and editing The Shawshank Redemption. Once that's wrapped, I've got to spend time on set. We'll tackle The Sixth Sense by year-end, with the script's story set in autumn and winter."
"Alright, we'll prep the other projects for now."
Daniel DeVito tucked away the folder and squeezed out of his chair.
...
Link shook his head and dialed Sofia, curious about her current whereabouts.
Sofia mentioned she was at a recording studio, overseeing post-production audio work for actors. She wanted to wrap up the remaining work on The Man from Earth to release it early.
Link asked if she'd be interested in directing a new film, one focused on female themes.
Sofia wanted to see the script first and suggested he bring it when he got home, as she'd be over at their villa that evening.
...
After hanging up, Link checked on the movie production center's post-work on The Butterfly Effect. With numerous special effects, finalization was expected by August.
Ding-a-ling! Ding-a-ling!
The phone rang as he was watching special effects. To avoid disrupting others, Link stepped outside.
It was Winona Ryder on the line.
After spending a night getting to know each other, Winona seemed to soften, her voice now tender and frail.
"Link, where are you?"
"At the office. What's up?"
"Can you come over tonight, or I could come to you?"
Winona sounded sweet but hoarse, apparently not fully recovered from her day of rest.
"Tonight?" Link's mind drifted to Winona's delicate form and soft voice, but he remembered Sofia's visit and suspected Milla Jovovich might join. He wouldn't have time for dinner.
"Not tonight; I've got plans."
"Hmph, then when are you free? I want to see you, talk more. Can we?" Winona Ryder inquired.
"Tomorrow, between three and four in the afternoon. I'll come to your place."
"Great, see you tomorrow. It's settled then, be sure to come."
Winona sounded thrilled, and her excitement came through the phone.
...
Link felt uneasy, believing Winona might be developing feelings just from a short fling. He called Michelle Pfeiffer to gauge the situation.
Michelle laughed, claiming it was likely. Winona was the earnest type; if she wasn't interested, she wouldn't have pretended to be drunk at the club.
Link asked Michelle to paint a negative picture of him for Winona, warning her against getting attached to a playboy and investing too much emotionally.
Michelle retorted that such tactics were futile because he was too charming. Once women encountered him, other men seemed dull, and no woman wanted to leave his side.
Link asked her to try her best, reassessing if it failed.
After hanging up, he returned to the production center to oversee more work.
...
That evening, Link carried the script to the hillside villa, where Sofia, Milla Jovovich, Monica, and newcomers Lily and Cecilia were gathered.
After a family dinner, Monica and Lily tidied up while Milla Jovovich accompanied Cecilia walking the dog on the lawn of the villa. Link and Sofia headed to the study to read the script.
Sofia later critiqued the script as average.
To Die For followed a married woman, who, after becoming famous, finds that her husband has become an obstacle to her career. In order to get rid of her husband, she uses her beauty to seduce three rebellious young men and asks them to help kill her husband.
Sofia wasn't moved by the protagonist's story and wasn't interested in directing.
Link respected her decision.
Directors are creative artists; their passion lies in compelling stories and the desire to showcase them to audiences. This intrinsic motivation drives success. Without it, filmmaking becomes tedious, leading to lackluster results.
As a director himself, Link understood this.
"It's up to you. Guess Pictures has plenty of great scripts in its library. Browse them when you can and choose a few to hone your skills," Link said.
Sofia, dismissing the script, turned to sit on his lap. "If The Man from Earth scores well, I plan to continue with low-budget films like you. Accumulating experience there before diving into big-scale productions."
"That's a solid plan. How's post-production on The Man from Earth? When can we see the final cut?" Link asked, embracing the slender waist of the young woman.
"Around two weeks. How long will the post-production of The Butterfly Effect take?"
"It still needs a month or more."
"Not too far off. I feel my film might become a hit. How about we compete to see whose movie has the higher box office? If I lose, how about we go ride a roller coaster?"
Sofia grinned playfully, nudging closer.
"Isn't that a bit childish?" Link teased, feigning reluctance.
"Absolutely not. It's settled then." Sofia kissed him, sealing the bet with glee, ignoring any protests.
...
Finished with the script, Link and Sofia joined Monica and Lily at a gazebo to savor fruit and chat. Looking at the brightly lit city of Los Angeles that never sleeps below the mountain, they felt a leisurely feeling of watching the hustle and bustle of the world.
The only disruption was Milla Jovovich coaching Cecilia in Russian nearby.
...
At night, Lily and Cecilia stayed in the villa's wing, separate from the main house. Despite everyone being quite open among themselves, Lily still prized her privacy around outsiders, a choice Link respected.
It was another lively night.
---
The next morning, Link awoke early to exercise, his enhanced stamina and revitalized routine now requiring only four to five hours of sleep for full energy. Unlike Quentin Tarantino and Ben Affleck, who languished after a night at the strip club, Link remained spirited.
He embarked on a five-kilometer run along the mountain paths with the fitness-loving Milla Jovovich, then spent another hour working out in the villa's gym.
Drenched in sweat, a shower left him clean and refreshed. Admiring himself in the mirror, Link felt more handsome than ever, his facial features stark and defined, unrecognizable compared to three years prior.
Sofia rose groggily as he flaunted his vigor, claiming he leached her energy, leaving her fatigued while he thrived.
Link encouraged her to exercise more.
Among the household, Milla Jovovich always enjoyed staying active, and upon Link's suggestion, took up martial arts, allotting weekly time for practice. Her physical fitness was stellar.
Monica and Lily engaged in daily running, yoga, and aerobics, preserving their skin with regular care, maintaining radiant health.
Only Sofia remained indifferent to fitness pursuits.
---
After breakfast, Link took Lily to work, while the others followed their own schedules.
Once routine tasks concluded, he later visited Winona Ryder with gifts, discussing work, scripts, and light-hearted topics.
Winona, while introverted and sensitive, navigated Hollywood's competitive landscape with difficulty. Her temperament made her prone to depression and withdrawal.
To avoid further distress, Link exercised patience when interacting with her.
---
After managing both business and personal engagements, Link flew to Ohio on Thursday, joining The Shawshank Redemption set as a supervisor and editor, occasionally serving as an art director and cameraman.
To increase participation, Link even cameoed as a prisoner.
Witnessing his humility and dedication as a renowned director supporting the film, Tim Robbins was deeply touched, offering him a refreshing beer while filming rooftop scenes with criminals.
Sipping beer in prison attire was a first-time experience for Link.
*****
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