Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"Tom Cruise wants to see the complete script before considering whether to act." Jerry Bruckheimer got the response from Tom Cruise who was far away in London.

"Fuck, this movie is just an aerial version of a western cowboy movie, why do we need a complete script?" Don Simpson completely disagreed that a script was needed before making a movie.

"The script that Gubel made before was very complete, but is it usable? Who would read the story of an aerial photographer? The hero's profession must make people feel cool. They are already shooting fighter jets, so why not a story about a fighter pilot?"

Don Simpson's role in the duo is the one who pursues dreams and has wild ideas. In his opinion, a movie only needs a hero, a fighter jet, a beauty, and then some one-on-one fights, and the hero kills the bad guy.

"That's right, but we must get a star to star in it. Since Tom Cruise asked for it, we can either satisfy him or choose someone else."

Bruckheimer is the one who focuses on practicality in the duo. How Simpson's good ideas turned into feasible projects, how to sign stars, and how to get the studio to agree to invest money, all of which were implemented down to earth.

"What backup plan do we have? What about Matthew Modine (atthewode) who was in talks when Eisner was still there?" Simpson asked.

"Him? He can't do it. I read the records at the time. He said that this movie was too supportive of the army. He wanted to play an anti-war movie."

"Anti-war, anti-my ass..." Don Simpson burst out with a swear word. This kind of actor still wants to play the leading role in a commercial big production?

"Then there are those old-fashioned ones left, Emilio Estevez, he is very popular now. Matthew Brodick, his father just passed away, he can return to the film industry. And Tom Hanks, he is also very handsome..."

"Hormone, hormone!" Don Simpson shouted loudly, we want a leading actor with overflowing hormones.

"Sean Penn? Or Van Kilmer?" Bruckheimer thought of two more.

"Neither of them is handsome enough." Don Simpson thought of something else, "Where's the director? Why did Ronald go to the East Coast? I remember he has a good relationship with Tom Cruise. If we sign him as the director, we will have a better chance of convincing Cruise."

"Yes, he is also a very good screenwriter. We can bring him in to improve the script together."

"Well, very good. We have to sign one first, and then use his name to sign others. Cruise's agent protects him like a little rooster. This time, his salary is estimated to be no less than 800,000."

The two gave a new offer to Paula Wagner. The news came back that Tom Cruise was interested in the story itself. If the producer invited Ronald Lee to direct, he would be more interested.

"This Paula is so annoying. She always refuses to give us a definite yes."

"Why did he specifically add the condition of naming Ronald? Do you know?" Bruckheimer keenly felt that there seemed to be a story in it.

"I don't know. Let's go to New York. It seems that we have to start with the director's contract."

"Okay, I understand. I will insist on using Tom Cruise as the male lead. To be honest, he is the most suitable for this movie. Without CAA's arrangement, he is also my first choice."

"Very good, I plan to make this fighter movie the first package project for Paula and me. We must get the main creators." After learning that Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer went to New York, Niceta hurriedly called Ronald to discuss the caliber of both sides.

"When will you return to Los Angeles?"

"I will stay here for a while. Jane Fonda asked me to discuss business matters. She will also visit my factory."

After hanging up the phone, Ronald took a fishing rod and ran to the small river in Totville Town at the southern end of Staten Island to fish.

Business matters are sometimes like fishing. Don't move around to scare the big fish. Just wait quietly in the right place.

Ronald received a call from Jane Fonda unexpectedly the day before yesterday. After not seeing her for a few years, the actress did not maintain a high frequency of filming, but closed her and her partner's studio and signed a long-term exclusive contract with Warner. Her current attitude towards accepting films is completely based on interest.

The confidence she has in doing this is that Jane Fonda has earned huge income from fitness videos. Since 1981, her video tapes priced at $59.95 have been the top seller for 41 weeks and second for 75 weeks.

Compared with the low production cost, Jane Fonda can get a lot of share from copyright and sales revenue. The producer of the TV series "Dals" also bought out her original video tape producer for $3 million and took over the production and distribution, which brought sales to a higher level.

Jane Fonda has money to support her favorite California Donkey Party business, and opened an aerobics center in Beverly Hills, Hollywood. The sideline also includes selling video tape peripheral products, the largest of which is the RTKD leg warmers produced by Ronald.

This time she came to Staten Island to inspect the factory operations, hoping to invest in acquiring Ronald's entire leg warmer business and completely integrate it into her own fitness industry empire.

Aunt Karen was very happy to see Jane. She hoped that Ronald could make a movie out of the old script and let Jane Fonda play the role of a veteran's wife again. This time, her role would be very loyal to the veteran, which was completely in line with traditional values.

Jane Fonda had forgotten the content of the script Ronald wrote. She was very happy to see the factory manager, Ronald's aunt, who was her fan. After seeing the production line, quality inspection, and warehouse, she had decided to buy the entire factory.

Ronald and Jane Fonda were only responsible for finalizing two important details. Whether the original employees would continue to work in the factory, and how much the original shareholders would get.

"All employees can continue to work in the factory. However, I will move the factory to Southern California, which is closer to Hollywood, within two years. I can accept any employee family who is willing to move there. They are all rare and experienced people.

As for the purchase price, after Ronald took out the income statement with an annual profit of $200,000, Jane Fonda proposed a purchase price of $2.2 million.

The signing ceremony was held in the factory after that. The two shareholders, Theresa Kate and David and his wife, received more than $400,000 in purchase money and smiled from ear to ear.

They will continue to serve as sales representatives in Jane Fonda's factory. The retail store in Manhattan will still be operated by them and is not within the scope of this acquisition. They can also continue to retail Jane Fonda's products after the acquisition and enjoy the "famous authentic leg warmers" .

Movie stars will not discuss the details of the acquisition. Ronald's lawyer, Miss Lindsay Dole, led her colleagues in the firm to happily discuss the details of the acquisition with Jane Fonda's lawyers. This kind of acquisition business is very profitable.

Aunt Karen finally finished her hard work and could return to Staten Island to concentrate on the charity work of the Veterans Association. Several of her friends, such as Bud's mother and her family, received some gifted shares and were able to buy a house in Totville this time.

"It's a very beautiful house." After the acquisition, Jane Fonda was retained by Ronald and continued to play in Staten Island. The scenery here is pleasant and has a strong colonial architectural style.

Ronald served as a tour guide for Jane Fonda to visit the scenery on the island.

"This is the house where the wedding was held at the beginning of "The Godfather". Ronald drove Jane Fonda, still focusing on the filming locations of classic movies.

"This used to be the residence of Paul Newman and his wife Joanne Woodward. It is the most famous former residence of a film star on our island."

After taking Jane Fonda for a walk, Ronald invited her to go back and taste the cookies baked by her aunt as a parting gift.

"Ronnie, your agent has brought people to see you."

Ronald parked the car and saw his aunt saying to him at the door, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

He could hardly think of a reason to ask Jane Fonda to stay. If the female star was asked to stay again, she might doubt whether he wanted to pursue her, a married woman.

"Ronnie," Niceta and Richard appeared at the door together, "Ms. Fonda."

Next to them were Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer who came to discuss the new film contract with Ronald.

Jane Fonda greeted them and went to Aunt Karen to exchange the secret of cookie making.

"Why, are you and Jane talking about a new film again?" Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson exchanged glances, and Bruckheimer asked.

"No, she's here to buy my other businesses," Ronald denied. "My first script, 'My Brother's Keeper,' was bought by Frank Price, who invited Jane Fonda to star in it. If it had been made, maybe my career history would have been very different."

"What about this script now?"

"It's probably still in Columbia's script library. Maybe Mr. Price would be interested in bringing it to Universal?" Ronald shrugged casually and asked the two producers to go into the living room for a detailed discussion.

Both producers frowned. If Ronald really went to film his own script "My Brother's Keeper" with Jane Fonda, they would be even more passive in casting.

"I'm very willing to direct such a movie, and my aunt also supports me. You know, she's a widow of the Vietnam War. I wouldn't shoot it without her approval." Ronald immediately expressed his attitude after hearing the two producers' intentions.

"I think the leading actor in this movie must be Tom Cruise. I'm not saying this because he and I have the same agent, nor because we've known each other for a long time.

But he is indeed the best choice for such a hormone-filled movie. Of course, I'm open to you if you have a better candidate. Among the existing stars, he is undoubtedly the most suitable."

"My salary? You can talk to Niceta and Richard. I only ask for treatment commensurate with my position in the industry, appropriate salary, and profit-sharing terms that match my status. After all, such a big-budget movie by Paramount will be of great reference value for my future director's salary. If there is no profit sharing, I won't be able to make an offer in the future."

The two producers were both sad and happy. The good news was that Ronald agreed to direct, and his words revealed that he would use his influence to persuade Tom Cruise to sign. The sad thing was that it seemed that there was no room for bargaining, and he could only sign this hot commercial film director with the agent at the market price.

After explaining the matter, Ronald sent Jane Fonda, who was carrying a large bag of freshly baked cookies and cooking secrets from her aunt, to the airport.

"It seems that your aunt regrets that I didn't play in the movie 'My Brother's Keeper'." Jane Fonda said in the car.

"Yes, she is a fan of yours and has always thought that you and Robert Redford are the perfect screen couple. What will be the story of your next movie?" Ronald asked.

"Well, I will go back to Canada soon to participate in a movie about nuns, 'Daughters of God.'"

"Nun?" Ronald was surprised. Hasn't Jane Fonda always stood on the left-wing position of the Donkey Party? Why would she make such a religious conservative film?

"One of the heroines is the unlucky Meg Tilly. If she hadn't sprained her ankle before filming, she would have been better in the heroine of 'Amadeus'."

"Oh..." Ronald laughed. It turned out to be a movie of an old friend. It seems that Meg Tilly's husband, after the loss of power of Disney's son-in-law Ron Miller, did not affect his established route of pushing his wife to the top.

"Meg just gave birth to a lovely daughter. It is very hard for her to return to the screen now. Fortunately, she is playing a mother, and she does not need to invest too much in acting."

Ronald listened to the plot for a while. It was about a nun played by Meg who got pregnant unexpectedly and insisted that the dead child was the result of virgin conception. Fonda played a psychiatrist to solve the truth.

It turned out to be a conflict between liberal and conservative religious values.

Ronald sent Jane Fonda away and returned to his home in Staten Island.

The two producers and agents have preliminarily negotiated a fixed salary of $600,000, plus a 1.5% domestic profit dividend, and Ronald will get it before everyone else.

"It's so annoying. I don't like this feeling." Don Simpson said unhappily, shaking his head.

"He also promised to improve the script for us, so that if we send it to the Navy for review, it will reduce a lot of trouble." Bruckheimer advised his partner to be relieved.

Ronald came back and saw Niceta indicating that the contract had been signed according to the agreed terms. So he happily poured the two producers red wine from Coppola Winery, took out a few plates of salami, and cookies baked by his aunt to entertain them.

"By the way, how do you plan to shoot the fighter shots? Will you use model special effects, or will you rent them from the Navy?"

"This time we are here, we will also submit the script to the Pentagon, hoping to get approval to shoot real scenes in the Pacific Fleet."