Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 559 Three Scripts
"Is this script based on real events?" Back in Los Angeles, the first thing I did was to meet with Nisita and Richard.They were handed a script synopsis sent by Katzenberg, Paramount's tube production COO.

"Yes, the script is based on an interview in last year's 'California' magazine by Ehud Yonay. He interviewed a lot of people at the Navy's Aerotropolis, Miramar next to Naval Station San Diego.

The story is based on the lives of a Navy aviation photographer, Lt. "Heater" Heatley, and some of the fighter pilots at the air station. "Richard handed over a magazine from last May, with the aerial photographer's picture on the cover.

"How is it? Is it in harmony with your family background?" Nisita put the Italian salami and poured the red wine from Coppola Winery, letting Ronald eat and drink while reading the script.

"Kazenberg is very optimistic about you. Your last movie 'The Dragon King' was adapted from a newspaper report, so this time he also wants to give you the script adapted from this magazine report. You can make any changes based on this first draft of the script."

Ronald ate a few slices of sausage, drank a sip of wine, and recovered from the fatigue of the long journey, and then flipped through the script quickly, as if checking whether there was a banknote in it.Then he took out the magazine report and looked at it.

"To be honest, it's not very good." Ronald spent half an hour flipping through the synopsis of the script and the magazine interview, telling the truth in his heart.

"how?"

"The original story of Kid Longwei is actually very dramatic. A kid who was bullied by others successfully counterattacked and defeated his opponent after practicing qigong. But this interview...is a bit touting the Navy pilots."

Ronald took a sip of the red wine refilled by Nisita, "This interview is from the small to the big, starting from the aerial photographer, telling the stories of the pilots and technical experts in the base. It is a very Nice interview, but he has no drama.

Our navy is professional, our pilots are competent, nope. "

Ronald put down the magazine and picked up the script, "This adapted script is even worse, it seems to have stretched a boring story five times, filling it with more boring details. How many people want to watch the pilot How to overcome high G force?
There is also the aviation analysis expert Christine Fox, who neither has a romantic love story with the protagonist, nor is she a mysterious identity like a female soldier.I doubt very much that the audience will fall asleep watching her lecture on aerodynamics on screen. "

"So it needed to be revised, right? Less technical details about the heroine and more romance?" Nisita asked.

"Did you do it on purpose?" Ronald responded.

"Hahaha, yes, what Katzenberg means is to ask you to write another draft." Nisita laughed, and then lowered the volume, "It will be very good for your career, let's talk about it in private, this secret You don't tell the fourth person."

"What secret?" Ronald wondered.

"Paramount's president, Barry Diller, has made a deal with Twentieth Century Fox to take charge of the company there. Here at Paramount, the most stable high-level production manager over the years is Michael Eisner, and Schenberg duo. So they are very likely to take over Paramount.

In this way, [-] was the first year that the duo operated this giant, and they would invest various resources to prove that the board's choice was not wrong.So you are their best card.

The young director is favored and entrusted with a heavy responsibility. It is the first time he directs a movie with a budget of tens of millions, and he will be a big success.It's a win-win for them as well as for you.

So I say it's a great opportunity. "

"The opportunity may be good, but what this script needs is not a revision, but a complete overthrow and reconstruction." Ronald was a little reluctant to do it. "Without a good story core, I have to start from the characters and the story. It's very troublesome."

Besides, I didn't dream about the clip, and I don't know if the movie will be made in the end, and what kind of story it is.

"You rest for a while and enjoy life first." Nisita said with a smile. The young director has suddenly achieved success, and he definitely wants to enjoy it comfortably for a while, and he is unwilling to do the screenwriting homework that racks his brains every day.Besides, the client was young and handsome, and had just caught up with the talented Yale Jodie Foster.

"By the way, is there any progress in the Chinese-American novel I asked you to find?" Ronald asked.

"There's one. It's a novel by Robert Daly. It's called 'The Year of the Dragon.'"

Richard handed over another novel.

On the cover is an oriental golden dragon with sharp claws and a huge dragon head breathing out the words "Year of Dragon".

"It's a police detective story?" Ronald flipped through it quickly. The author is a best-selling author. In the early 70s, he also worked as the deputy director of NYPD in New York City (appointed by the mayor, not a business position).

He is quite familiar with some of the NYPD's operating techniques, and there are many real details in the book. "Year of the Dragon" is about a NYPD detective who went to Chinatown, New York to investigate and fight wits with the triad boss there. The boss was very smart and did not leave any evidence of bad things.In the end, the detective used a crime of bigamy and sent him to prison.

Ronald felt that this strange trick was quite similar to the arrest of Chicago gangster Al Capone back then. There was no evidence, and the IRS finally convicted him.

There are Chinese background, there are detective stories, and there are some daily life in Chinatown, customs and habits, a three-way battle between two gang bosses and police detectives, and romantic stories about falling in love with beautiful women.On the contrary, he felt that this novel, after being adapted into a screenplay, would be very exciting.

"Who has the right to adapt it now?" Ronald looked at the time of publication, which was [-]. He knew that after a best-selling author published a novel, the right to adapt the film had generally been sold.

"Now the right to adapt is in the hands of the famous Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis. If you are interested, we will contact him."

"Oh, it's him." Ronald knew this man's name.He is a rare and successful foreign producer in Hollywood.

Before David Lynch, the reason why he gave up "fast-paced Richmond High School" was to film the sci-fi blockbuster "Dune" for Dino.In addition, Cameron's new film "Terminator" starring Schwarzenegger is famous for his "Conan" series.There is also John Carpenter's famous "Moonlight, Panic" series of horror films, which he also invested in and produced.

Speaking of which, Ronald still likes his movies very much, but he actually has a bias in his heart for the two scripts.

"By the way, the Dune movie is finally finished, right?"

"Hey, don't mention it. Lynch edited the four-hour version, and was ordered by Universal to cut it to two hours and 15 minutes. He is making trouble, and it probably won't have any effect. In the end, he may use the pseudonym of Alan Smithey."

"Ah, ha ha ha..." Alan Smithee (Alan Smithee) is a well-known pseudonym, and the directors' union allows directors to use this public name when they think that the original intention of the creation has been distorted by the studio and they are unwilling to sign the work. Fake names to avoid embarrassment.

A feeling rose in Ronald's heart. If Lynch hadn't rejected the "fast-paced" director back then, would he still be writing scripts for others like Cameron Crowe?
"However, let me remind you that Dino De Laurentiis is not a fuel-efficient lamp. He is very good at squeezing creators through various conditions and making them agree to other conditions. You want to make this 'Year of the Dragon' so much, you are rejected When he sees it, he may be hit hard."

"Then don't I rely on your CAA? If you can't do it, then bring out the name of Mr. Michael Ovitz."

Temporarily finishing with a few ideas for the next movie, Ronald went to the Weintraub house.

He has invited Ronald over many times, on the one hand to look at the box office report, and on the other hand to chat about the filming of the sequel.The box office has passed 7000 million, and it's time to prepare for a sequel.

"This is our box office situation. After the Labor Day weekend, the box office has dropped, and it is still more than 400 million per week. It is expected to be shown for more than eight weeks."

Ronald completed the box office report, and Weintraub's secretary Susan was very capable, and put the film's producer, distributor, various main creators, and a silhouette of a crane kick on the report.They want to use this result to attract investors for the second part.

"What company is this?" Ronald saw a strange name in the list of producers - Delphi Phase II.Doesn't look like a company name.

"It's a Wall Street fund," Weintraub replied.

"Can funds also invest in movies?" Ronald knew that brokerage salesmen often called Aunt Karen to persuade her to buy various funds, but she refused them all.She also learned from Ronald, bought a little Coca-Cola, and McDonald's stocks, and took dividends every quarter as living expenses.

"Yes," Weintraub explained. This Delphi fund is a fund specially sold to retail investors. It mainly invests in film projects released by Columbia and the newly established Samsung company.

The second phase means that the first phase of this fund has been closed and has been sold to the second phase.The third phase is about to be completed, and we are starting to look for investment in potential projects under Columbia.

"So the second part of Longwei Boy can also get Delphi's investment?" Ronald asked.

"Yes, they have an agreement. They will invest in a certain proportion of the projects they think are suitable, and never occupy too much share, so as to spread the risk."

"Are you interested in writing the second part?" Weintraub came over and took the report from Ronald, and asked him.

"If you have a suitable candidate, I will authorize it." As the author of the first part, Ronald has the copyright of the characters in the movie. If Weintraub wants to find a new person to write the screenplay, he must sign and agree.

But generally screenwriters will agree.

"Okay then, you'd better take more time off, we'll discuss it when the first draft comes out, and now it's really time for you to enjoy your success. I've thought about your idea of ​​two sequels, let's find someone to write Miyagi-sensei's story first .”

(End of this chapter)