Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Toshiro Mifune regretfully failed the audition. Weintraub explained the language and action problems to him. Mifune had to suppress the idea of ​​starring in a Hollywood movie and returned to Japan.

"The Karate Kid" had to continue looking for Master Miyagi, while Ronald temporarily let go of the preparations for the film. He received an invitation from Spielberg and George Lucas to go to Lucas's Skywalker Ranch to attend the celebration party for the successful completion of the Star Wars trilogy.

Skywalker Ranch is in Marin County near the San Francisco Bay Area. A large ranch covering 4,700 acres is located in a place called Lucas Valley. Of course, this Lucas Valley was named by a local landowner in the early 20th century and has nothing to do with George Lucas.

Due to opposition from local residents, Lucas' plan to build the movie sanctuary in his mind was strongly obstructed. After getting off the airport, the driver who picked him up took Ronald around to see the protest signs hung by the surrounding neighbors against Lucas's building of a film production center.

"Hollywood tycoons, go back!"

"We don't welcome Skywalker!"

"Starfleet is the best!"

Entering Skywalker Ranch from the main gate, Ronald saw large tracts of grass, with only one completed house on it, which was the first residence built by Lucas.

That was where his wife Martha cheated on the Renaissance glass craftsman.

George and Martha Lucas had announced their divorce in front of their colleagues at Industrial Light and Magic. Martha will return to Los Angeles with her adopted daughter, and the two will share custody of the child.

The driver spared no effort in gossiping about the creator of Star Wars. According to him, Martha Lucas may take away George's cash of 50 million to 100 million US dollars at one time, as well as the high monthly child support for her daughter.

The California law of equally dividing the common property of husband and wife has caused George Lucas to suffer heavy losses. His cash was basically spent on the divorce lawsuit, and the construction of the Industrial Light and Magic studio was also forced to slow down.

"George, congratulations on the successful completion of your trilogy." Ronald entered the hall of the room and saw George Lucas standing there greeting the guests. However, there was still a trace of sadness between his eyebrows.

"Ronald, please be casual, just like at home." George Lucas still recognized Ronald, the young man he met at the dinner when The Empire Strikes Back won the Oscar. Let him communicate with the guests casually.

Ronald nodded and left, looking for people he knew in the crowd. At the Oscar dinner where he won the Best Original Song Award, George and Martha were still a loving couple. Unexpectedly, when Return of the Jedi was released, the two had become strangers.

The guests seemed to be praising each other for how great the last part of the trilogy, Return of the Jedi, was, in fact, in their eyes, they were asking each other about the most important divorce in Hollywood so far.

Ronald felt a little bored. The two loving couples did not continue because of various things. He did not want to get involved in gossip about this kind of thing. So he began to walk slowly along the hall, leaving the place where these gossips were exchanged.

"Ronald, this way." A young man with glasses called Ronald.

"Chris, hi, long time no see, how are you?" Ronald recognized that it was Chris Columbus, the screenwriter of Spielberg's Amblin Studio. He greeted him warmly.

"I'm fine, my script is being filmed in Hollywood now. I'm about to prepare the next script." Columbus answered excitedly.

"That one..." Ronald couldn't remember what script Columbus was writing when he was at Amblin.

"Yes, it was when we met, I was writing 'Grels', and now Joe Dante is directing that movie. I'm so excited now, watching my own script being made into a movie, it's a great feeling.

Oh, sorry, I've said too much, Ronald, you wrote and directed all your movies, I think you understand this feeling better."

"You can put it that way, what is this movie about?"

"It's about a kind of elf, called Gremlins, who originally lived in Chinatown and was later given to grandchildren as a toy..."

Chris Columbus talked about his script nonstop, "Sorry, I've said too much again. The heroine in this movie is Phoebe Cates in 'Fast and Furious Richmond High' directed by you."

"Oh, really? She's a good actor."

"Yeah, yes, I went to the set to see her, she's really a natural actor." Columbus is still in the stage of just getting started with film production and shooting, and is passionate about everything.

"So, will you direct your new movie yourself?" Ronald chatted with Columbus while walking.

"Mr. Spielberg said that I still need more training, so I will continue to be the screenwriter for the second film. I will try to direct a film when I have more experience." Columbus pushed his glasses and said.

Ronald frowned slightly. What kind of preparation and experience do you need to be a director? If you don't become a director, you will never be able to learn the experience required by a director.

"Why don't you start with a low-budget exploitation film? There's a good chance of making a movie that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars now. With a talent like yours who wrote for Spielberg, it shouldn't be hard to find someone willing to take a chance on you. ”

"Stephen said I still need more training. Besides, I have signed a three-part screenwriting contract with Amber Lin. After I finish writing the script and accumulate more experience on the set, I can start the director's adventure."

"That's right." Ronald doesn't like the Jewish way of doing business. They always try to take advantage of you, until he takes away your last pair of underwear. Once your weakness is exposed in front of them, they will use it to attack you all the time.

Even though Spielberg is an artist with childlike innocence, he is also a Jew. Columbus, as an excellent screenwriter, may have contributed more to Amber Lyn than he did as a director.

And Spielberg’s assistant-turned-manager Kathleen Kennedy, an Irish woman, was not an easy woman to deal with either.

All I can do is wish Chris Columbus good luck.

"Ronald, come here."

Ronald looked up and saw Francis Coppola's wife, Elena.

He said hello to Columbus, walked to a nearby house, and chatted with Elena.

"Ronald, your new film Francis told me about it and I watched it. It's very good."

"Thank you, Elena." Ronald found that he had walked to the library unknowingly.

The ceiling is covered with colorful Renaissance church-style glass, forming a dome, and the sun shines slightly through the dome.

"This is it?" Ronald asked.

"Yes, that's the library." Elena smiled. This is where Martha and the glassmaker spent time together and fell in love.

"What's going on between the two of them? Is there no room left?" Ronald looked at Elena. Fortunately, these were close friends of George Lucas, so he felt free to gossip.

"It's too late. The director of the final part of the trilogy that George chose was not good. He had to fly to London himself and intervene in the filming. Martha was left alone with her children in a high-end hotel in London. Lack of companionship was Probably the main reason why Martha finally made up her mind.

Ronald, from now on, please don’t be so busy working that you forget about the people around you. "

Elena is actually also an excellent documentary director. She looks at Ronald like her nephew and likes him very much.

"Boom..." Suddenly in the hall, everyone's voices suddenly stopped. The crowd also began to part, and a woman came over. Just like Moses parted the Red Sea, the guests automatically parted on both sides.

"Martha, come here." Elena waved to the woman.

"Elena." The person coming was none other than George Lucas's ex-wife, Martha.

"Hi, hello, Martha." Ronald hugged her and said hello. At the dinner after the awards ceremony that year, Martha was very friendly to him.

"These people are avoiding me like the plague." Martha complained to Elena.

"No way, George said he doesn't want us old friends to have too much contact with you, especially on one occasion." Elena said.

"But my social circle is basically the same as George's." Martha said angrily.

Ronald didn't know what to say, so he silently handed over a glass of champagne.

Martha took it and drank it in one gulp, "He is just an ice cube. I used to be a working woman. Ever since he filmed Star Wars, I have become a housewife who can't wait for her husband to come back every day."

"you and him?"

"No, we're done already. I've already found a divorce lawyer, and Rodriguez loves me very much. We will have our own baby."

Ronald listened extremely embarrassed and wanted to leave but couldn't find a suitable excuse.

Fortunately, Elena saw his embarrassment, "Ronald, Martha and I are going to talk about women, you go over there first."

"No problem", Ronald quickly fled the library.