Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 707 The female star was torn up on the set
"Yes, I've signed a distribution deal with MGM, and they're offering better terms than Paramount."

Ronald sat at home with a little pride, answering the call from Ned Tanin, the president of Paramount.

Tanin probably didn't expect that MGM's Weintraub would be so fierce that in order to quickly gain the dominance in the factional struggle, he would actually be willing to pay for Ronald to make this feature film.

I don't know that Weintraub, who was originally the owner of the record company, felt that he could handle everything after the success of the two "Longwei Boys".Or did he have some tricks, thinking that "Moonlight Alluring" can summon the audience of "The Sound of Music", in short, he lost Ronald's new film distribution contract so quickly, which made him both happy and worried.

I'm glad that this literary and artistic movie was negated in this way, so that I wouldn't get into a stalemate with Ronald.But I was worried, what if Ronald created another miracle at the box office?And this kind of movie with a strong literary atmosphere will be liked by the film critics.If Ronald won any awards by then, it would be too late for him to regret it.

"Ronald, I want to congratulate you for having enough budget to realize the dream in your heart. But if there are other commercial films, don't forget about Paramount. As long as it is a commercial high-concept, I can do it in a high-level meeting. Shout out to those old stubborn ones who slapped the table."

"I definitely will, I said the same to Mr. Eisner from Disney, and Mr. Barry Diller from [-]th Century Fox. I'm going to die. I'm going to fly to Massachusetts to talk to Cher about the heroine. ’” Ronald flaunted his popularity before hanging up.

"Damn it, it turns out that Disney and Fox are also planning on him." Ned Tanning put down the phone, smoked a cigar, and drank two glasses of whiskey, "No, such a genius must not be let go, I will become the laughing stock of Hollywood."

He pressed the call button on the phone and told his secretary, "Put me through Michael Ovitz from CAA, damn it, I want to talk to Ronald again, even if he doesn't direct, he is willing to be the producer , I must sign a few more movies with him."

"You're right. Tanin must be restless." Richard handed over the ticket, and he will go to Massachusetts with him to find Cher.

"I'm not lying anyway, Eisner and Diller did say so." Ronald laughed. "Moonlight Sultry" was treated similarly to Paramount at Disney and Fox, and everyone was a little worried about their transition to such an atypical commercial film.

Moreover, the current financial situation of these two studios is not very good. Without the generosity of Wall Street funds, they really can't spend a lot of money to gamble on their new projects.Or MGM was a bit more aggressive, and gave the distribution contract without any counter-offer.

"Now that I have got the publishing contract, if I go to negotiate with Xueer, the chances of success will be higher. Xueer is a straightforward person, as long as she thinks that Ni's play can help her acting career, she will definitely agree. "

"Perhaps, we'll go to her first, and if she doesn't agree, then to Sally Field."

The two flew to Boston, Massachusetts, and then turned to a nearby town, Cohasset (Cohasset).

This is where the Warner Bros. movie "Witches of Easttown" was filmed, and Cher is preparing to participate in the first day of filming here.

Ronald contacted Cher's agent through Nisita's wife, Paula, Tom Cruise's agent, and made an appointment to chat with Cher for a while in the morning before the start of the machine.

"The Witches of Eastwick" is a fantasy film about an alien wizard (played by Jack Nicholson) who comes to a small town in Rhode Island and three single women They all had a relationship, and then strange things happened in this religious town.

Xueer still had long curly black hair, and she met Ronald at the hotel where she was staying.

"Ronald, what on earth do you see in me? You came here to ask me to be in your movie? Tom called to say nice things about you."

Ronald first took a look at Xueer's appearance, and his gestures and gestures were full of a superstar style.This made him very satisfied. In "Moonlight Seductive", Loretta wanted this seductive look after she got along with Johnny and regained her heart.

"I know that you are a very good actor. My movie just needs a woman who is full of charm but lacks love. After being nourished by love, a beautiful woman who radiates brilliance again, you are the most suitable. "

"Aha... Did you write the script after you knew about Tom and me? Do you still want Tom to act together?"

Xue'er burst out laughing, she had actually known Ronald for a long time.The two met when their little friend Tatum O'Neal auditioned for Ronald's first movie.At that time, there was also an accident of an actress fighting. Tatum was beaten by the older Melanie Griffiths, who picked her up and picked her up.

Then she met again at Madonna and Sean Penn's wedding, when she and Tom first met.

"You are very good at pleasing women, Ronald. My focus of work has shifted from singing to acting recently. I actually like your movies very much and want to work with you. But..."

"What?" Ronald glanced at Richard, "He is my manager, and I have no secrets from him."

"No..." Xueer hesitated a little.

"I'll go out first." Richard walked out of the room by himself.

"You know, I have a severe aphasia. The script you sent me was thick and the dialogue was so long that I didn't have time to read it.

You know, people with aphasia need to spend five times more energy than normal people to read books.I can't even read my friend's phone number. "

"This..." Ronald didn't expect Cher's aphasia to be so severe, much worse than Tom Cruise's.

"It shouldn't be a big problem, right? Didn't you just play one of the three heroines in this play?"

"I don't have many lines in this movie." Xue'er brushed her long hair, "And I asked someone to make a special arrangement."

"It's okay, I can handle it as well," Ronald agreed first, and then said, "Tom and I also worked together. I arranged it very well, and no one on the set found out."

Ronald asked someone to record the lines in the script, and then listened to Tom Cruise with a tape recorder, so as to avoid the influence of aphasia.

"But your agent has read your script, and he told me that this play has very good dramatic scenes. But I either concentrate on reading the script, or concentrate on acting. It is impossible for me to do both at the same time. "Xue'er was still a little worried.

"I can ask someone to record..." Ronald explained his approach, "You can ask Tom to confirm that our effect on the set is still good."

"But I'm not Italian. The characters here are all Italians in New York, and their accents are very strong."

Since this "Moonlight Sultry" is a realistic drama, the characters must of course speak like Italians, and they must also speak like Italians in Brooklyn, with an Italian accent superimposed on a Brooklyn accent.

"It's okay, I'll find an accent coach and ask her to record all the lines in a Brooklyn Italian accent, and you can listen to it then."

"But I'm not Italian. I'm Armenian and a little American Indian. Will the audience recognize that I'm an Italian woman?"

"No problem at all, you have black hair, and you look a bit like an Italian face." Ronald thought to himself, anyway, you acted quite similar in the dream.

"Okay, since you've been so thoughtful, I believe you. Accent coaching and script recording, let's wait until I finish filming this 'Witches of East Town', you know my aphasia, watching two movies at the same time The script was difficult."

"Okay, no problem." Ronald heaved a sigh of relief, and the original heroine still nodded in agreement.

"You just hang around here? It's going to start in the afternoon, so hurry up and talk to my agent. If it's appropriate, we can reach a consensus after shooting the first day's shots in the afternoon."

"Okay, just in time to watch the filming of this movie."

……

"The price is not expensive. Xue'er's popularity is worth the price. Among the three heroines in 'East Town Witch', her salary is also ranked first."

Ronald found a phone number and told Weintraub and Nisita what Cher had promised.After talking with Cher's agent on the phone, they also tended to agree to the remuneration price she proposed.

"However, her schedule is very tight. After filming The Witches of East Town, she will soon go to Broadway to perform. In addition, there is another movie 'Suspect' waiting for her. When she has a free schedule, it will be early next year."

"Tsk... She's so hardworking? There won't be any financial problems, right?" Ronald said in his heart. This year, he will make three movies, one Broadway play, and new songs and performances. This is more than he can do. .

"I've never heard of it. She is still living in that new building apartment in New York. The rent is several thousand dollars a month. But what you said is also possible. A star always has to maintain her ostentation, otherwise the creditors will force her to come to her door." .

How about it, can you promise this schedule? "

"It's not a big problem. Anyway, Mr. Weintraub still needs three months. The filming schedule is about the same at the beginning of next year." After reconfirming with Weintraub, Ronald agreed to Cher's salary and schedule contract.

"Female stars are so expensive now," Ronald sighed as he looked at the numbers on the contract.

Cher's salary is relatively high among female stars, more than a third of Stallone's.If this wave of celebrity price increases continues, it will soon be impossible to make movies.

……

"Ronald, you are welcome."

At the shooting location of the small town, the first scene of "East Town Witch" will be filmed this afternoon.

"Hello, Mr. Nicholson."

Greeting him is the actor Jack Nicholson.

"When Roger and I called, I praised you very much." Nicholson and Roger Coleman had worked together for many years and were classmates in acting training classes together.The two of them were poor and humble friends, and they kept in touch frequently after they became famous.

"I owe a lot to Roger."

"Ronnie?"

"Michelle?

Ronald suddenly discovered that his ex-girlfriend Michelle Pfeiffer was also present.

"Are you the heroine? Oh? Sorry, I don't know."

"Hahaha... Didn't you come to see me? I still want to make headlines last time." Pfeiffer laughed happily. Last time she was involved in Ronald's scandal, the two hadn't seen each other for a long time. Surprise, so a joke.

"Haha, I'm here to find Xue'er and invite her to act in my next movie. Don't be jealous, it's an old woman's role..."

"Well, then I won't be jealous." Michelle Pfeiffer fell silent when she heard that she was playing a middle-aged man.

Once a Hollywood female star plays a middle-aged woman, it will announce the end of her girlhood, and she can only play a mother in the future.

"Where is Cher?"

"I'm here..." Xue'er came out from behind, found a place to take over the contract that Ronald presented, signed her name, and formally signed with the crew of 'Moonlight'.

"Don't let her hear me say she's an old woman..." Ronald made a cross on his chest. These actresses were all elusive, and he didn't see it at all.

"Hahaha, do you really want me to play the leading role so much?" Xue'er was in a good mood when she saw Ronald making the cross and praying.

"That's right, when you're free, I'll let the leading actor candidate audition with you to see the chemistry."

The two returned to the set talking and laughing, waiting quietly for the filming to start.

Another heroine also arrived at the scene, her name was Susan Sarandon, and the director and producer stepped forward to stop her, as if to say something.

Ronald watched from the side, thinking that writers always use metaphors, three women are like five hundred ducks, and the three heroines in this play don't know what will happen?
"You guys are so infuriating! This is a great disrespect to me! Even if the role is changed, you have to tell me in advance. I didn't tell me until the first day of shooting. I prepared for Alexandra for a month. What is it if you just told me today that this role will be given up to Xueer?"

Susan Sarandon's eyes were already big, but now they were staring like bull's eyes when she was angry.

"Hey, I chose the role of Alexandra, but the producer promised me this, and I like this role." Cher stepped forward and argued with Sarandon.

The two actresses were full of aura, and they gesticulated and cursed across the air from the unlucky director and producer.

"Oh, God?" Ronald, who was still holding a wet contract in his hand, was taken aback. He took off his sunglasses, "Is Xueer playing such a big name on the set? Can she still do this? If you take someone else's role, you don't tell the other party until the first day of filming?"

"Let me see how liquidated damages are written?" Ronald lowered his head and began to rummage through the breach liability part of the contract.

"What do women want?" Jack Nicholson sighed beside him. His girlfriend Anjelica Huston also wanted to play a role in this movie. This kind of script is really suitable for female stars to show their acting skills. is too little.

"What do women want?" Michelle Pfeiffer heard this sentence next to her, glanced at Ronald, and thought silently, "What do women want? Even women don't know what they want, but actresses just want to be themselves." The role I wanted. Would the role I got now be better if I hadn't broken up?"

(End of this chapter)