[Chapter 368: Ranch Vacation Horse Riding]
After a chaotic night at Michelle's house, Link returned to work.
After finishing editing The English Patient and Scream, he began preparing for his new film, The Rock. In addition, there are three pending projects: Saving Private Ryan, Fight Club and Primal Fear.
While preparing his next movie, Richard Fox, the head producer at Warner Bros., approached him again with a script, asking if he would be interested in directing.
The script was titled Tornado and was a disaster film with a budget of about $90 million. Due to the significant investment required, they needed a director with a proven box-office track record.
After reading the script, Link felt positive about it and was considering taking on the project. He proposed terms of 20% of the North American box office, 15% of the overseas box office, or a base payment of $10 million plus 15% of worldwide box office revenue.
Previously, when directing Batman Forever, Warner Bros. had offered a deal where he would get 10% of the global box office if the North American box office exceeded $400 million, increasing to another 10% if it surpassed $500 million.
However, that was last year's price. This year, the North American box office for his directorial work, The Butterfly Effect, was $142 million, with a worldwide total of $320 million. The Sixth Sense, having been in theaters for four weeks, was at $248 million in North America and $121 million overseas, expecting to surpass $800 million globally.
The successes of these films demonstrated Link's capabilities as a director, leading to an increase in his compensation.
Now, he could unconditionally ask for 20% of the North American box office and 15% of the overseas box office for any film he chose to direct.
...
"20%?" Richard Fox displayed an expression of concern upon hearing Link's price.
He had come prepared to negotiate, but the request for 20% of the North American box office and 15% of the overseas box office exceeded his expectations.
"Link, we're familiar; our previous collaboration on the Batman project went smoothly. When the company was considering directors, you were my first choice. I hope we can still negotiate the pay."
Richard began to play on their familiarity in hopes of persuading Link to lower his price.
He offered 15% of the North American box office and 10% of the overseas box office, with an additional 5% bonus for overseas if global box office earnings exceeded $600 million.
"Richard, you know many studios are approaching me for projects, including Disney, MGM, and Universal Pictures. The 20% of the North American box office and 15% of the overseas box office is my standard offer; it cannot be an exception for Warner Bros.," Link explained.
His words were not empty; recently, several studios had approached him with scripts, including Disney's Ransom, MGM's 007 sequel, and Universal's The Mummy project.
His schedule was tight, making it impossible to direct every film; he could only select projects with the most potential and compensation.
"Alright, let me discuss this back at the office, and I'll get back to you."
Richard Fox left the office looking disappointed.
...
However, as he stepped out of the Guess Pictures building, Richard's expression brightened with a hint of a smile.
Inside his car, he called President Terry Semel to discuss the conversation with Link and the price he proposed.
Terry agreed that the offer was too high; whether it was 20% of the North American box office and 15% of the overseas box office or $10 million with a 15% global box office share, it was beyond their budget.
"Is there any room to negotiate?"
"It's difficult; after The Sixth Sense's massive success, everyone knows Link's films are box-office guarantees. More companies are looking to work with him, and he has no shortage of projects. His pay demands will be firm, and until he fails, it'll be hard to bring prices down."
"This guy is a fast worker, directing two to three movies a year and making over hundreds of millions of dollars. Directing is much more lucrative than running a studio," Terry remarked. "So, are we still considering Link for this project?"
"We can still approach him. If he's on board, we won't lose money. If we choose someone else to direct, it's not a problem either. Everyone says Link has a keen eye for scripts. His interest in the Tornado script indicates its potential for investment. Perhaps we can find another director who can also create a hit."
Richard Fox chuckled.
"Oh, that sounds reasonable. Since Link's judgment of scripts is so precise, should we seek out more scripts to pitch to him? We could invest in the ones he's interested in and pass on the others?"
Terry's idea sparked.
Richard Fox smirked; was he putting Link in the position of a movie gatekeeper?
It was fine occasionally, but Link was no fool, and doing it too frequently could lead to awkwardness.
"Alright, your logic makes sense. We'll reconsider the director for Tornado. If we don't find a suitable candidate, we'll revisit Link."
Terry stated.
"It's settled then."
Richard Fox hung up the phone, glanced back at Guess Pictures, and drove away.
---
After seeing Richard Fox off, Link continued working in his office until the afternoon. After finishing his duties, he called for Lily and both left the company for home.
With Christmas approaching, the festive atmosphere was growing in Los Angeles.
Hollywood studios began their holidays, and the wealthy were heading out for vacations.
Link also planned to take the women in his life to a ranch in Provence, France, for a while, followed by skiing in the Swiss Alps.
However, due to some of the women still needing to tend to their work and others wanting to spend the holidays with their families, only Lily and her daughter, Monica Bellucci, three Jennifers, Sandra Bullock, Brooke Shields, Renee Zellweger, Cindy Crawford, Angelina Jolie , Sofia Coppola, Milla Jovovich, and others went to Europe together.
And after arriving at the Provence ranch, Sophie Marceau and Emmanuelle Beart joined in, making the ranch villa lively.
...
"What are you all doing?"
During the sunny midday, with the gentle scent of lavender in the air, Link, Renee Zellweger, and Jennifer Aniston took to teaching Cici to ride a horse, as Sophie Marceau and Sandra Bullock strolled over.
"We're horse riding," Link replied, patting the back of a small Norman horse, pure white with a snowy mane, standing just under 150 centimeters at the shoulder; gentle by nature, perfect for children to ride and entertain. It was one of the gifts he had given Cici.
"What a beautiful little horse!" Sophie Marceau and Sandra Bullock approached to pet the horse's neck.
The pony turned and gently nudged their palms with his forehead.
"Wow, he's really sweet!" Sandra Bullock laughed.
"Sophie, Sandra, this is Ice Cream; she's two years old," Cici declared, dressed in a children's riding outfit, looking very happy while sitting on the horse's back, arms around its neck.
"Ice Cream? Such a lovely name," Sophie Marceau praised.
"Alright, you all have seen enough now; it's time to let go. I want to ride Ice Cream a few laps!" Cici waved the reins, eager to feel the thrill of flying across the field.
"Slow down, don't go too fast; be careful not to fall!"
"I know, I know!" the little girl waved her small hands impatiently.
Link loosened the reins, allowing Cici to gradually trot on the pony, with two caregivers watching closely, so there was no worry of her falling off.
...
After a while, the ranch manager and riding instructor brought forward two fine-looking horses.
One was a slightly larger black horse, harmoniously built with powerful muscles, its black coat gleaming in the sunlight. The second was a chestnut horse, robust with a round back and flowing mane, exuding elegance.
Both horses had been specially purchased by Link when buying the ranch, cared for by a professional team, and often rented out for competitions or performances.
Renee Zellweger and Jennifer Aniston cheered upon seeing the two beautiful horses and rushed to take the reins.
Renee, a Texan who had ridden since her teenage years, skillfully mounted the saddle and gently nudged the horse's belly to start. The big black horse trotted quickly across the grass, clippity-clop.
Jennifer, having barely seen a horse before, wanted desperately to try riding, and seeing Renee easily get on the horse, she tried to mimic her, though her coordination nearly led her to tumble off.
Link quickly lifted her onto the saddle and then walked forward, taking the reins as Sophie Marceau and Sandra Bullock followed him for a leisurely stroll in the sunshine.
...
During their conversation, Sophie discussed her latest film, Anna Karenina, which she shot based on the novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy. The story revolves around aristocrat Anna's chance meeting with the charming Vronsky on a train, leading her to abandon her husband and son for love, only to ultimately face betrayal and choose to end her tragic life by lying on the tracks. The production cost for the film was 8 million francs.
To bring this film to life, Sophie had founded her own production company and invested 1 million francs into the project, nearly all her savings.
Expressing some apprehension about investing in the film, she worried about losing money and ending up with nothing.
Link chuckled softly, "You're an artist; why worry about box office numbers?"
"Of course it matters! That 1 million francs is what I earned over the last few years of hard work. If the box office doesn't perform well, all my effort would be in vain!" Sophie Marceau responded playfully, her bright eyes accentuating her delicate features and smooth skin.
"Don't worry; the film hasn't been released yet, and box office results are uncertain. It might not lose money; even if it does, that's just part of the learning experience. Next time, do better and recoup any losses."
Link reassured her.
Sandra Bullock joined in, chuckling, "Sophie, Link is a movie investment expert. Currently, many studios approach him to test scripts, hoping to hear his thoughts. If he gives a thumbs up, it shows great potential. If he doesn't like it, it's a warning that there might be issues. If you're looking to invest again, get Link's input on the script; having his insight would make losses nearly impossible!"
Link smiled, "Though the films I choose often do well, it doesn't guarantee a 100% hit rate. You can trust me, just don't put too much faith in me. By the way, what's the name of your film company? Are you still open to investors; I could get involved."
"It's called Passion Rose Productions, after my last film. It's a small company, only two or three employees. Are you willing to invest?"
Sophie Marceau smiled at him, pulling his free hand.
Link replied, "It's not about the size of the company; what matters is the ability to invest in films. I'd commit 5 million francs to you; choose promising film projects here in Europe, and we'll invest through Passion Rose Productions, starting with lower-budget art films, and once the company builds some capital, we can consider investing in blockbusters."
"Alright, I'm in!" Sophie smiled softly, tiptoeing to kiss him on the cheek.
...
Link led Jennifer Aniston on a leisurely walk around the field, and feeling confident, she wanted to race across the grass. Worried about her safety, Link mounted his own horse and took her along for a fun trot.
At first, Jennifer was ecstatic, sitting on the horse like a warrior, shouting with joy. However, the chestnut mare was equally spirited, bouncing about, and after a while, riding became bumpy.
Last night, she shared the master bedroom with Renee, Cindy Crawford, and three others. Since they were new to the vacation home, they were excited and had a wild time.
After a while, Jennifer Aniston blushed and asked Link to stop riding.
Once Jennifer dismounted, Sandra Bullock and Sophie Marceau jumped on to have their rounds.
Link carried them in rotation as they galloped around the field.
When Cici returned from riding, seeing everyone having a great time, she pouted, wanting Link to take her to run fast.
Link happily obliged the little girl's wish.
They spent over three hours at the equestrian center and returned to the main villa for lunch around two in the afternoon.
...
"What were you all doing outside? Why did Jennifer rush upstairs to change her pants the moment she got back?" Monica asked as she came down the stairs, wearing a sundress that closely hugged her curves, the fabric barely concealing her figure, a playful smile dancing on her lips.
"No way! Were you sneaking off to have fun again?" Sofia scrutinized the group, particularly focusing on Link.
"Of course not, we were horse riding. Jennifer got bounced off and needs to change. I should change soon, these riding pants are too tight!" Renee chirped, kicking her horse riding boots.
"It's your big butt! Renee, you need to be careful; don't let Link carry you around. Otherwise, that big butt will affect your acting career!" Angelina Jolie teased as she passed by, smacking her.
"You're horrible!" Renee shot a glance at Sandra Bullock and the others.
"I'm not the biggest here, not even in the top five! You should talk to them!" she retorted.
"Don't listen to her, Renee; your figure is very sexy. Many people work out and get surgeries to achieve what you naturally have, and I want to be like that too," Liv Tyler, lounging on the sofa with a snack, gazed enviously at Renee.
"Don't worry, with Link around, you'll get there in a couple of years," Renee laughed as she admired her curves.
...
While Renee and the others chatted, Link was on a call. It was Michelle Pfeiffer checking in from the States, asking when they were heading to Switzerland to ski. She and Diane were planning to join them as soon as they wrapped up their work.
Link mentioned that snow was expected in the Alps in the coming days and they planned to ski in Switzerland next week.
"Perfect! I'll be done with my work next week as well, so I can fly over to meet you. By the way, Jodie would also like to ski; should I invite her along?" Michelle Pfeiffer chuckled on the line, Jodie Foster's voice faintly protesting in the background, warning her not to say anything untoward as she hadn't committed to skiing.
Link chuckled at the memory of Jodie's unexpected appearance last time, almost giving him a heart attack when he spotted her leaning at the door.
After the weird moment, Jodie coldly told them to keep it down and slammed the door on her way out.
That night, the two hours of sex had to be trimmed to seventy minutes due to Jodie's presence.
Listening to Michelle mention Jodie wanting to come over, Link agreed but insisted on no more peeking from her side.
"Who's peeking? You beast!" Jodie Foster's retort came through the phone with a hint of annoyance.
Link was not inclined to argue with her; they exchanged a few more words before returning to the living room for lunch.
...
Back in Los Angeles, after hanging up, Michelle Pfeiffer looked at the flustered Jodie Foster with a knowing smile.
"What?"
Jodie shot her an annoyed glance and picked up a magazine to cover her face.
"Dear, haven't you noticed how often you blush, especially when Link is mentioned? You can't help but get red and annoyed. Out with it; do you like Link?" Michelle teased, pointing at her face.
"Of course not! I can't like men!" Jodie Foster dismissed her while observing the magazine distractively. Looking up after reading a few lines, her eyes met Michelle's, giving her an irritated glare before saying, "I'm not into that charming guy; I'm just curious about him."
"Curious about what?" Michelle asked laughing.
Jodie blushed again, she stretched out her arm and made a fist to measure Michelle's lower abdomen, "Almost to the gut; aren't you and Diane afraid?"
Michelle Pfeiffer giggled and whispered a few secrets about her time with Link into Jodie's ear.
Feeling embarrassed, Jodie pushed Michelle away. "Alright, I got it; you don't have to be so detailed. I'm not interested in this kind of thing!"
"Oh really?" Michelle chuckled, applying a face mask. "Next week, Diane and I are flying to France. Want to join us?"
"No way! I've got work to do."
"Okay, whatever you want," Michelle Pfeiffer smiled slightly, not pushing her further.
*****
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