Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Fortunately, when Weintraub was developing the first "The Karate Kid", he was still working with Columbia Pictures. Due to the provisions of the contract, he did not give the production rights of the sequel of this series to the unfortunate Weintraub Pictures he later founded.

This conveniently provided a platform for cooperation. Ronald then asked Susan Aikins to find two indispensable leading actors, Ralph Mazzio who played Daniel, and Morita Noriyuki who played Master Miyagi.

Ronald shook his head when he saw the two. No wonder when facing a financial crisis, Weintraub did not develop the third part of The Karate Kid, a project with great potential to make money.

Morita Noriyuki spent a lot of money on the Japanese-American co-production he led in the previous year, but it did not even have a chance to be released in America, and it was difficult for other movies to find a role suitable for him, a little Japanese old man.

In depression, Morita indulged in alcohol and sex, and had divorced his wife. He kept dating young beauties for several years. In addition, he was drunk every day, his hair turned white, and his mental state was also very bad.

As for Ralph Mazzio, he has other troubles. Mazzio, who has always looked like a Latino in a movie and seemed to have not developed in his twenties, has gradually started to gain weight in the past two years after marriage. Hormonal changes have made him look like an adult, and he can no longer play the energetic high school student in the first two episodes.

The first two parts of "The Karate Kid" actually took place in the same summer. Daniel, who returned from Japan, suddenly became an uncle. It would be a miracle if the box office was good.

Sure enough, it is better to change the story outline provided by Ronald to a story about Daniel and Master Miyagi traveling back to the Ming Dynasty in a dream, meeting the first generation of the ancestor of Master Miyagi's family, going to the South China Sea to learn Tang Shou, and then returning to Ryukyu to learn karate.

After all, it is a story in a dream. It is not surprising that the two people have become mature without meeting their ancestors who are unknown how many generations ago...

Tsui Hark studied abroad in America. He also found his girlfriend Miss Shi and contacted many Chinese filmmakers on the West Coast, ready to do a big job.

In addition to those actors who can play the Chinese ensemble, there are also many costume and makeup professionals. Many Hong Kong filmmakers have immigrated to America by getting married or other means. This time, they have the opportunity to participate in a theme movie about white people and Japanese people learning Chinese culture, and they are willing to contribute.

Ronald has seen the costume display and feels very beautiful. The extensive use of red and white has a natural hint of Chinese culture. The clothes are also very beautiful, not like the crude Ming Dynasty costumes imagined by Hollywood.

"I made this by watching the "Dragon Gate Inn" directed by King Hu. He is quite familiar with the culture and history of the Ming Dynasty." Tsui Hark saw that Ronald was satisfied and proudly told the source of his creativity.

"This is a newly established project company and has nothing to do with my Winterraub Pictures." Winterraub was relieved from his depressed mood. He knew that this sequel could get him some cash flow and rejuvenated his fighting spirit.

"We don't care. The box office of your movie must first be used for the debts of Winterraub Pictures." Several debt lawyers grabbed Winterraub.

"This is a limited company, the basis of American innovative enterprises. You are lawyers, don't you even understand this?" Weintraub didn't care about them. As long as he made money, he could bankrupt the old company and then his new company could escape smoothly. Maybe he could transfer some of the projects with the filming rights to the new company.

"We are lawyers representing Wall Street. We can do whatever we say." The lawyer was unmoved and left with a sneer. What they were looking at was the high-quality assets under Weintraub's personal name, a large number of live recording copyrights of Elvis, John Denver, and Frank Sinatra... In short, it would be more beneficial for Weintraub to continue to be stuck in the quagmire than for him to make a hit movie to pay back the money.

"Get this done as soon as possible, otherwise we can't cooperate..." Ronald reminded Weintraub that if he was involved in the so-called corporate debt, Ronald's income would not be guaranteed.

"Small problem, Jane (Morgan) has already flown to Washington..." Weintraub smiled proudly. He had a wife and a lover, who got along well and helped him solve problems.

…

“Barbara, those Wall Street vampires want Jerry (Weintraub) to continue to fall into this trap. Now he has a project that is sure to make money. I don’t want any special treatment, as long as they abide by business laws and rules.” Jane Morgan had already left in advance to go to Washington, DC to meet her best friend, Barbara, who was busy with her campaign.

“Of course, no problem. I’ll ask Jeb to make a few calls…” Although Barbara is very busy now, she actually doesn’t have many close friends in the upper class. Jane Morgan came, and she would definitely make time to meet her.

“I say, can your husband’s new project really make money?” Barbara and Morgan knew each other for a long time, before Jane Morgan and Weintraub got married.

“It should be no problem. He is going to shoot the third part of The Karate Kid with Ronald Lee. Hollywood sequels all make money, don’t they?”

"Ha, I still remember that when George and I went to Hawaii, we lent him our helicopter for filming. But even Ronald can't guarantee that the new movie will make money, right?" Barbara and Jane Morgan are actually in the same boat. They both face the problem of their husbands cheating on them for a long time and refusing to break up with that woman.

"I don't know, but Ronald is the Hollywood man I've ever seen who knows what the public thinks best. Every time he makes a movie, it seems to hit the hearts of us women. Oh..."

"That's true," Barbara fell into deep thought. She is now worried about her husband's continued lag in support. The schedule for the three debates in the presidential election has been set, and the gap in support between the two sides is still about 5%. Although George has caught up a lot by taking advantage of the incident where the black man Horton ran away and continued to kill people during his weekend home.

However, when it reached 5%, the support rates of both sides stabilized and there was no change. The huge amount of money invested in the advertisements to discredit Dukakis seemed to have hit the ceiling and was no longer useful.

"Don't worry, dear. No one will disturb your husband during the filming of the movie." Barbara was busy with work, and hurriedly said goodbye to Jane Morgan and went to find her eldest son George.

"You find a way to contact Director Ronald. I want to talk to him once."

"Mother, I asked him last time, and he didn't have any good ideas."

"Go and contact him..." Barbara was disappointed with her eldest son, and it was definitely because you wouldn't ask.

...

"Kim, where are you? There is good news here." Ronald was just calling Kim Basinger.

Sean Young, the actress who was not replaced by Basinger, fell down and broke her hand while learning to ride a horse at the Pinewood Studios in London.

"I'm calling you from the ranch. Do you want to come? I have two thousand acres here, many good horses, you can ride with me. Westerns can also be shot on my ranch, hahaha."

Basinger is now like Ronald, constantly getting funds from the videotapes of "Love You 9 and a Half Weeks". Almost every male customer who goes to Blockbuster will buy a box of this pornographic film. Just like every female customer will order a box of "Dirty Dancing".

Men and women have different tastes and hobbies. "9 1/2 Weeks" only has desires and fantasies, which is suitable for male audiences. Female audiences prefer "Dirty Dancing", where they talk about love first and then go to bed.

"The actress who plays Batman may be replaced now. You should go to London quickly and audition urgently." Ronald told Sean Young about the fall.

This matter is also very strange. Originally, there were not many scenes of the heroine Vicky riding a horse in the script of "Batman", but director Tim Burton insisted on adding a lot of horse riding scenes and asked Sean Young to train constantly.

Sean Young practiced for more than six hours every day. She was also too tired in the second week of training and accidentally fell and broke her handle.

It is said that Vicky, the heroine as a female reporter, only needs to be a good vase. If the director or producer supports her, Sean Young still has a chance.

When Orson Welles was filming "Touch of Evil", the heroine Janet Leigh was injured and had a broken arm. Welles carefully redesigned all the scenes of the heroine and found a good angle for the photographer, so that she could shoot a classic even when her arm was not healed.

This is actually accommodating. But everyone in the crew pretended that there was no such option. Sean Young had just been injured and they contacted CAA to request a replacement.

And Jack Nicholson even called Ronald to tell him that he had done what he promised, and asked him to contact the recommended actress to come to London as soon as possible.

"But if you say that, doesn't Sean Young still have a chance to play the role? Maybe I went to the Pinewood Studios in London for an audition, just to be a backup, and she will play the role in the end. I don't want to give her the opportunity to laugh at me."

"Don't worry, only you can laugh at her, it's impossible for her to laugh at you, but I don't encourage you to do so. Sean Young is a famous crazy woman."

"Okay, I'll go to London... But the business class tickets to London may be sold out." Basinger had to rush to New York from the ranch... Maybe she would have to endure the torture of economy class.

"Don't worry about these. The earlier you arrive, the more likely you will get the role. You don't think you are the only actress invited in Hollywood, right? I'll ask someone to book the Concorde for you..." Ronald simply helped Basinger decide.

There are many unreasonable things about Sean Young's fall, and I'm afraid it's not just one person who wants her to get out. In addition to Nicholson's love of sleeping in the morning and partying at night, and his dislike of Sean Young dragging the show, Jon Peterson, one of the producers of the film, probably also made a great effort.

Especially after Sean Young threatened to expose all the men she had slept with in order to play "Batman", there was a strange atmosphere in Hollywood, and no media, whether newspapers or television, continued to follow up on this matter.

Now Sean Young is in London, negotiating with Jon Peterson. Maybe Peterson had promised her something, so when Sean Young tore his face and insisted that he fulfill his promise, everyone hoped that the candidate who could replace her would appear in London as soon as possible.

"Okay, I'll go..." Kim Basinger understood the urgency of the matter from Ronald's tone and immediately said that she would leave immediately.

"Ring, ring, ring..." Ronald, who had just put down the phone, heard the phone ring again.

"Hello?"

"It's me again, baby. I forgot to thank you. When I come back from London, we will discuss editing techniques again... um, um..." Basinger was so excited that she forgot to thank Ronald, who had contributed the most, and hurried to make up for it.

"You go quickly... I'll talk about other things when you come back." Ronald smiled, Basinger's return was still worth looking forward to.

"Ring, ring, ring..."

The ring rang again.

"Baby, if you want to repay me, wait until the big thing is done..." Ronald said as he picked up the phone. Although Basinger is tall and outstanding, she actually has some little woman's meaning and likes to say little things in this way.

"What do you want in return, Ronald? Just bring it up. When George's big thing is done and he sits in the Oval Office, everything will be easy to talk about."

"Uh... Ms. Barbara? I thought you were calling from someone else." Ronald heard that the caller was the deputy commander's wife Barbara, and what he said was so embarrassing.

"That's not important. Tell me, what do you want in order to help George improve his support rate? We don't have much time now."

"Ms. Barbara..." Ronald wanted to say, what can I do if your highly paid campaign consultants can't do it?

"Listen, Ronald, I'm very busy and don't have time to be polite. Jane Morgan told me that you are the director in Hollywood who understands what the people need the most. Campaigns and acting are actually very similar. Do you have any good ideas?" Barbara interrupted Ronald's refusal forcefully. Now is not the time to take it slow.

"The people want the deputy commander to say... uh, what can they say to support him?" Ronald repeated, and then began to think quickly.

"I think attacking the other party is not enough to change my mind. I voted only for my own interests..."

"Go on..." Barbara took out a pen and paper and started to record. Ronald is really good. This sentence makes sense. Why didn't she realize it before? (In fact, George Jr. had conveyed this idea a long time ago, but George Sr. was ahead at that time, and Barbara preferred Jeb's strategy)

"Uh... For example, in addition to agreeing with the vice president's political views and leadership, there is another important reason, that is, the vice president promised to continue the current president's economic policies, and various tax policies that are conducive to the creativity of entrepreneurs..."

"Tax policy..." Barbara wrote in her notebook. She had heard these countless times, but after the method of attacking Dukakis could no longer narrow the gap between the two, she was very interested in any new ideas.

"Also, I like the vice president's attitude towards the three armed forces. My father served in the Marine Corps, and my grandfather and great-grandfather served in the US Army and died for the country. Dukakis' attitude towards the military..."

"I don't know, you still come from a traditional patriot family..." Barbara felt very inspired and was about to discuss with Roger Ailes. Many of the military and military-industrial enterprises, as well as their families, were in the North, the East and West Coasts, and those states with more intense competition had factories and bases.

"I won't forget your help today..." After listening to Ronald's ideas, Barbara hurried to hold an emergency meeting. The tone of the entire campaign was about to change.

"I said Doug, isn't the president's approval rating up yet?" Ronald put down the phone and quickly called Douglas Jr.

Don't let the donations he and Douglas Jr. made to George Sr. go to waste.

"I'm not very optimistic. The first candidate debate next month will tell the outcome. You haven't forgotten how the current president defeated his opponent and won two big victories."

"Of course..." Ronald was worried about whether he could still enjoy the tax cuts. George Sr.'s personal charm is much worse. A TV debate is actually all about seeing who looks more like a president.