Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"Hi, PJ, it's such a nice surprise that you're here."

Ronald arrived at Mary Woronoff's home in Los Angeles and unexpectedly discovered that PJ Soles, the heroine of "Rock of Ages", was also there.

"What movie are you making now? Are you interested in playing a cameo role in my movie?" Ronald was very happy to see his old friends. It had been several months since he last saw PJ and his wife at the New York Tennis Open. .

"Ronald, it's time to tell the truth. Did you provide convenience to Dennis at the last Tennis Open?" Mary Woronov asked Ronald to sit down, and then stared into Ronald's eyes. , waiting for an answer.

"What convenience? You confused me, Mary." Ronald was confused, "Where is Dennis? Why didn't you see him?"

"He wants to divorce PJ because of the girl selling burgers."

"Huh? Divorce? Who is the burger girl?"

Ronald looked at PJ Sowers. She looked very calm when she entered the door, but after hearing the news and looking carefully, she seemed to have something strange in her eyes.

"PJ, you and Dennis?"

Seeing that the other party nodded sadly, Ronald stepped forward and hugged PJ Sowers.

"Tell me what happened?" Ronald looked at Mary Woronov who calmed down.

Mary Woronoff briefly talked about the reasons why Dennis and PJ broke up.

Dennis Quaid's acting career has not developed as well as PJ Soles. PJ also recommended her husband to join the big drama crew in many ways.

Finally at the beginning of this year, the two starred together in "Space Pioneers" directed by Philip Kaufman, telling the story of America's first astronauts.

Dennis played the second male lead for the first time and received good reviews. After that, various movie appointments began to increase. A few months ago, he even accepted the leading role in "Jaws 3D".

At the party after the last tennis match in New York, Dennis Quaid met Leigh Thompson, the girl who starred in Burger King commercials. After being introduced by Dennis, Leigh Thompson also starred as a water skiing girl in "Jaws 3D".

Then there is the old story. The husband gets the male lead, falls in love with the young and beautiful actress, and in turn files for divorce from the wife who has always supported her husband's acting career and does not hesitate to use her own connections to find roles for her husband.

"I really didn't know, PJ. I'm sorry. I didn't know Leigh Thompson was a marriage-breaker."

PJ wiped his eyes with his hand, lowered his head and said, "Ronald, she is not a person who destroys marriages. I had a premonition that Dennis would leave me one day, but I didn't expect it to come...

I don’t know what happened between Dennis and Leigh, whether Dennis filed for divorce or whether it was our marriage itself. "

"Ronald!" Mary Woronoff always spoke quickly, "Don't say that about PJ, she is sad enough."

"What did I say?" Ronald didn't know what he had done wrong.

"Why do you say PJ is a third party? She just wants a child. PJ is already thirty-two years old. She has always wanted a child of her own, and then quit the entertainment industry to rest. Dennis was unwilling."

"No...why do you think I'm talking about PJ? I'm talking about Leigh Thompson."

"Um...oh..." PJ finally couldn't bear the two friends discussing her unhappy marriage in front of her, and she cried softly.

"Oh, PJ." Mary Woronoff stepped forward and hugged PJ, comforting her gently.

"PJ, what I'm saying is, no matter what, you shouldn't destroy other people's marriages. Both Dennis and Leigh Thompson should be morally condemned in this matter," Ronald said.

Voronov glanced at him, as if to say, "That's pretty much it."

After comforting PJ, Ronald didn't know how to deal with this kind of thing, so he could only listen to Mary comforting PJ, and PJ sobbing quietly from time to time.

In communicating with them, Ronald knew that he had made an own mistake. It turns out that in America, people do not refer to women who destroy marriages as third parties. Instead, they generally use the term "marriage destroyers."

And between two couples or boyfriends who have no true love, if one party finds true love, the original partner will sometimes be called the "third party" or the "superfluous person".

Praising true love is of course a very good value. But Ronald doesn't quite believe that Dennis Quaid abandoned PJ for true love.

The actor who had just starred in a big-budget movie immediately filed for divorce from his original wife. Ronald doesn't really believe in the idea of ​​finding true love. Otherwise, the timing would be too coincidental.

He felt that PJ might actually know who Dennis Quaid was, and he should have an idea of ​​the real reason for the divorce.

Hey, maybe it’s really harder to find true love in marriage in the entertainment industry than in other professions?

Afterward, Ronald hung up the phone with his agent Eddie, who was also Leigh Thompson's agent.

Eddie told Ronaldley Thompson's financial contract that he had sold it to a big agency. Now Thompson has entered the entertainment industry and there are still people to support him.

Her contract sold for a high price. As for Thompson's personal privacy, he had no interest in it and advised Ronald not to interfere.

"By the way, Burger King is very satisfied with your last ad. Now they are going to shoot a Christmas version. Are you interested?"

"If it is shot in Los Angeles, I can arrange it. You know I am short of money now, Eddie."

"Well, I will talk to them. I heard that Burger King's revenue has increased well after the ad was broadcast. In addition, the last time you made a product placement ad, Vans shoes sold a million pairs. They are a little superstitious about your advertising director skills, hahaha."

"Then why are they still unwilling to place an ad in my new film?"

"Business is business. They heard that your new film only has a budget of more than one million, so they are unwilling. For Burger King, at least the average level of the seven majors, and they will only consider movies with a budget of about eight million.

Otherwise, the audience will be too narrow. The fast pace is a miracle. Burger King's decision is not wrong from this point of view."

"Hey, Vans shoes also said so. It seems that it is not so easy for low-cost movies to attract product placement. They don't believe that I can create a box office miracle again."

...

Ronald returned to the CAA office again and saw the company's partner Ron Meyer wearing a Hawaiian shirt and carrying luggage hurried into the office.

"Hi, Ronald." Mayer suddenly turned around and greeted him.

"Hello, Mr. Mayer."

"Your script is very good, Sly has decided to direct it." Then Mayer raised his straw hat to greet him and walked quickly to his office to change clothes.

Ronald looked back and saw many employees coming out, as if to welcome some big shots, including his agent Nicita, so he found Nicita and asked, "What's going on? Rick?"

"Sylvester Stallone didn't like the script "Beverly Hills Cop" recommended to him by CAA, and he was not interested in other scripts we recommended. It is said that he threatened Ovitz to fire CAA and return to WMA.

Your script helped CAA a lot. Whether he was starring or directing, he finally had a project he liked. Of course, it was also thanks to Mr. Eisner of Paramount who helped him and personally called him to invite him." Nicita whispered in Ronald's ear.

"But I remember that Rocky's director was not Sylvester Stallone." Ronald touched his head and said it casually at the time.

If we follow the experience and rules of film shooting, Patricia Burch, the director of "Grease 2", is actually a good choice.

Ronald went to the cinema to watch "Grease 2". In fact, the director's singing and dancing scenes are not bad. After all, Burch is a Broadway choreographer.

It's just that the performance of the male lead is a disaster. The female lead Michelle Pfeiffer played very well. The characteristic of her always being a little embarrassed is more like the female lead.

Thinking of his ex-girlfriend, Ronald began to think about it again. Could it be that Pfeiffer proposed to break up at that time because she didn't feel the so-called "true love" between them?

"Ronald, Ronald..." Nicita's call pulled Ronald back from his memories.

"It's Mr. Stallone. He knows that you are a script editor with great talent." Nicita reminded in a low voice.

Ronald only then realized that behind the two tall and mighty bodyguards in front of him was the most popular male star in Hollywood, Sylvester Stallone.

"Hello, Mr. Stallone, I like your Rocky very much." Ronald hurriedly greeted the super star. You can't afford to offend this guy. Even Paramount's president Eisner invited him to come in person.

"Kid, I was nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor for 'Rocky'. John won the Best Director. He also thanked me for my script and performance, you know?"

"Rocky's never-give-up spirit is our common wealth in America." Ronald looked at Stallone, wondering if he heard what he said just now that he was not the director of Rocky.

In fact, Stallone directed and acted in the second and third Rocky movies, and the box office was very impressive.

But they did not repeat the grand occasion of winning awards and nominations for the first movie. The director of the first movie, John G. Avildsen, won the Oscar for Best Director with him.

"You know what? I like the story of the script you revised, but you don't know how to highlight the protagonist. Let me teach you how to write a hero."

Stallone put on his sunglasses again, and two tall bodyguards, one white and one black, rushed forward, trying to knock Ronald away and make way for Stallone.

Ronald dodged backwards, avoiding the collision of the white bodyguard, which attracted the gaze of the bodyguard with a ponytail.

Ronald nodded, stretched out his hand to the door, and motioned them to go in first.

"Hmph..." The bodyguard made a meaningless sound and escorted Stallone into the CAA office.

All the offices over there opened their doors, and several partners led the employees to stand on both sides of the aisle behind the front desk, applauding. They welcomed Stallone to CAA like an emperor.

His new film "First Blood" has already exceeded 35 million in domestic box office, and its overseas distribution has also been a great success.