Chapter 154 152 Birthday Party, Greetings From Murdoch

Chapter 154 Birthday Party, Greetings from Murdoch

The last script in Eric's hands was the famous "Million Dollar Baby."

A very exciting drama that tells the story of a female boxer chasing her dream.

But it is not about how to succeed, but how to fail. The plot is very touching and deserves to be read carefully.

Unlike "The Passion of the Christ", Eric had watched "Million Dollar Baby" seriously, and many of the plots are still vivid in his memory.

Because this movie is about sports, it was not well received when it was released. Even with the support of Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, and Morgan Freeman, it was still not enough.

It was only released on a small scale, in dozens of theaters, and the box office in the first week was less than $200,000.

However, due to its excellent quality, the film managed to break through the siege and eventually earned more than 200 million U.S. dollars at the global box office.

The high box office is second to the high box office. The film even won four Oscars at the 77th Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Director.

It also received three nominations for Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing.

All 7 awards are important, and there is not a single technical award, which shows how awesome it is.

"What's going on with this script? Promotion? Buyout? Financing? Or something else?"

Judy walked up to Eric and looked at it: "It's a script agent promoting Paul Haggis's script. He's fairly well-known in the industry."

"But I guess I don't have much confidence in sports themes, so the agency gave us a way to buy it out. The $1.2 million is ours."

Hearing this, Eric made a decisive decision: "Then buy it out. This script is very exciting, but a wonderful script must be paired with a capable director."

"After completing the deal, I will send a directing invitation to Clint Eastwood, and find Hilary Swank as the heroine. I will not make any other requirements."

"For "Mean Girls," the two heroines were sent to the Olsen sisters. They have been filming school idol dramas for so many years, and they are very good at this kind of subject matter."

"By the way, although the male lead is not very important, I have sent an invitation to Chris Evans. He also started his career in campus youth dramas, and he is very good at playing this kind of role."

Judy took note of Eric's request seriously and nodded: "It's been three months since Transformers was filmed. I don't know what Chris Evans' current schedule is like. Let's give it a try first."

"Well, by the way, there's one more thing. Evans hasn't signed a contract with MGM. Give him a movie contract, and at least he won't be able to run away with the Transformers trilogy."

"Okay, I'll communicate with the marketing department and production department."

After drinking the rest of the coffee, Judy put down the cup: "I'll go out if I have nothing else to do."

"Wait a minute, I told Gadot some time ago that I didn't say that MGM was planning to open a new drama. There is a role of a female reporter in it, which would be more suitable for Refaeli."

"You mean House of Cards?"

"Yes, the role of Zoe is a novice reporter. Refaeli's acting skills are still relatively green, so the effect of his true performance will not be bad."

"Give her the script and let her get familiar with the character first. Filming will start soon. Refaeli hasn't taken any new roles."

"No, the roles in the scripts that came to me were not very good. Now she is mainly a part-time model and shoots commercials."

"That's not going back to the old business." Eric chuckled.

"Pretty much, it's good to be idle, and filming *** can also increase your reputation."

"Then do as I say. The second season of The Walking Dead will not start filming until at least winter, and we will film House of Cards first."

"knew!"

Judy left the office, and Eric was smiling. Judy was worthy of her lucky aura, and she got three good projects at once.

It is conservatively estimated that when it is released next year, it will bring more than 200 million U.S. dollars in direct box office revenue to MGM, and the revenue from subsequent copyright-related derivatives will also be considerable.

I picked up the phone and called Ju Liou, the director of the production department. The script had been sent to Kevin Spacey for half a month, and it was still not confirmed yet.

The call was quickly connected, and Eric asked: "Julio, regarding "House of Cards," has Kevin Spacey not responded yet?"

"I replied. He said that the script was very good and he was interested in starring in it, but he still had objections to the remuneration. We are currently negotiating with his agent."

"$350,000 per episode is not enough? How much does he want?"

"Kevin Spacey's agents are offering $400,000 an episode, which is the minimum salary they will accept."

Eric took a deep breath. His father had said that $400,000 was the lowest price at the beginning. It seemed that his judgment was accurate. After all, he was an Oscar winner, so it was not that cheap.

But Eric also has his own considerations. For a show like "House of Cards" that is destined to be a hit, the actors' salaries will definitely rise accordingly.

The first season gave 400,000 US dollars per episode, and the second season should at least increase a bit. The question is what happens next?

In the end, if the price goes up to a sky-high, it will be troublesome. He is a soulful actor and cannot be replaced, so Eric still hopes to keep his salary down.

But depending on the situation, it can’t be suppressed, and the US$400,000 will still have to be spent.

"Okay, just give him a salary of 400,000 US dollars per episode and sign the contract as soon as possible."

After making this decision, when Eric was considering the choice of the heroine, the phone rang again. He looked down and saw that it was Peter Jackson.

When this bearded man called, it was most likely about Transformers.

"Hi, Peter!"

Peter Jackson's hearty laughter came from the other side: "Eric, good news, the special effects of "Transformers" have been preliminarily completed."

"Now you can use it to do something, and I also made a rendering version of the trailer for you."

"Really? I actually troubled you, a great director, to come. It seems that I have to pay you a salary." Eric made a joke.

"Hahahaha, it's mainly because I want to see what the Transformers movie you shot will look like. I have to say, it's quite impactful."

"The battle of the robots will definitely make the fans scream crazy, which indirectly proves that I made the right decision."

"What?" Eric asked.

"Of course, we should avoid the Autobots. If our schedules conflict, both The Lord of the Rings and Transformers will definitely suffer."

"MGM should release the trailer quickly. I really want to see the market feedback, especially the unlucky look of Harvey Weinstein."

"Miramax has two movies in that period. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World will be released on November 14 and Kill Bill will be released on November 27."

"Your Transformers will be released on November 16, blocking the head of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and kicking the ass of Kill Bill from behind."

"Add to that the impact of other movies, Miramax will be unlucky."

As he spoke, Peter Jackson laughed happily again, and the reason why he was so happy was naturally because he had a grudge against Harvey Weinstein.

The source of the hatred was the filming of The Lord of the Rings. Miramax Films won the film and television adaptation rights of The Lord of the Rings.

Peter Jackson finally got the right to direct the film after begging for help. Just when he was working hard to write the script and ambitiously planning to make a trilogy.

Harvey Weinstein told him, what are you thinking, buddy.

Do you know how much investment is needed to make a trilogy of such an epic blockbuster? Can an independent film company like Miramax afford it?

Trilogy is bullshit, just shoot one trilogy for me, and don't ask for too much budget, preferably no more than 50 million US dollars, it's time to test your ability.

Peter Jackson was so angry, this was equivalent to wasting natural resources.

He found Harvey Weinstein to argue with him, but the initiative was not in his hands, so he could only humbly request.

Just shoot one, but I want to shoot a 4-hour version, otherwise the plot really can't be connected.

Harvey Weinstein scolded him again, what are you thinking, bro, is a 4-hour movie for the audience?

It's a competition to see who can hold their urine, right?

You quickly dismissed this unrealistic idea and honestly limited the duration to within 2 hours.

If you can shoot, shoot. If you can't, get out. I have a backup director here.

Peter Jackson was angry and anxious. He could only beg and plead again, and finally let Harvey Weinstein give in.

Promise him three weeks to raise investment by himself. If you can, you can shoot. If you can't, get out.

Fortunately, New Line is very optimistic about this project and has invested nearly 300 million US dollars in the budget. I, Wang Duoyu, invested in this project.

Finally, the audience can see the classic "Lord of the Rings" series on the big screen.

And it is precisely because of this experience that Peter Jackson and Harvey Weinstein have a big grudge.

He even spoofed the other party in "The Lord of the Rings 3: The Return of the King" and molded a half-orc commander in the image of Harvey Weinstein.

As long as you are a Hollywood actor, you can recognize who that thing looks like at a glance.

Now that the rough cut of Transformers has been released, it's time for an internal preview. It's not for MGM, but because the Ministry of Defense still has to pass that level.

After pressing the doorbell, Chen Xing walked in.

"Contact Lieutenant Colonel Freeman and set a time to hold an internal preview of Transformers."

"Also go to Weta Digital and copy the trailer of Transformers. Today is Friday, so let's release it next Monday."

"Okay, boss."

Today is Friday, June 20th, and it's Neeko's birthday.

She's going to hold a birthday party at home, and Eric only received the invitation this morning.

Needless to say, this little girl must have done it on purpose, but she told him at the last minute to see if Eric had prepared in advance.

If you're prepared, it means you have me in your heart. If you're not prepared, then haha.

Before getting off work, Eric had already driven to Neeko's villa in Beverly Hills alone.

He came early, and when he arrived, he didn't find any luxury cars parked here.

There were only paparazzi taking pictures openly in the distance, but they were not allowed to enter the interior.

This time Eric entered through the main entrance. This was the second time he had walked through the main entrance after coming here so many times, except for the night at Oscar.

The door was open, and from a distance he could see many servants cleaning and arranging things.

When he stepped inside, he saw Nicole directing the servants to place the custom-made decorations.

Seeing him, Nicole opened her mouth in surprise: "Eric, why are you here so early? There are still two hours before the show starts."

"Of course I came to see you. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Nicole smiled charmingly: "How dare I bother you, the big boss? It's too messy here. Come on, come upstairs with me for some coffee. I have some questions about the script of "La Vie en Rose" that I want to consult you about."

"No problem."

The two of them walked upstairs with a serious look, one behind the other, at a distance.

They closed the door gently. After not seeing each other for a week, the two hungry people hugged each other instantly.

After a passionate kiss, Eric's lips slowly moved on the snow-white neck.

"You are so beautiful today, Nicole!"

"Only today? Aren't you beautiful at other times?"

"In my heart, you are the most beautiful at all times, especially when you are in bed."

"Hate it!"

"Come on, while you haven't changed your clothes yet."

Eric picked up Nicole and walked to the bed.

"Wait, there are people down there. After the party, you can enjoy me as you like, okay?"

Eric shook his head: "Most people would say yes, but I won't. I will say no."

"Of course, I am also a reasonable person. If you agree to one condition, I will let you go for the time being."

Nico put her arms around his neck and asked softly: "What condition?"

Eric took out the gift box: "Open it and take a look."

"Is this your birthday gift for me?"

Nico took it with a smile, and then opened it impatiently, and then saw the belly button ring, anklet and bracelet lying inside.

Her face suddenly turned red, and her pink fist gently hit Eric's shoulder: "Pervert, you just gave me this kind of thing?"

Eric laughed: "Of course not, this is the condition you have to agree to, this is the gift."

As he said, he took out another exquisite box, which contained the valuable brooch worth one million dollars.

At the first sight of the brooch, Nico's eyes could no longer move. The exquisite shape declared its value, and the shining brilliance of the jewelry made the woman intoxicated.

Suddenly, the beauty turned around and pressed Eric on the bed, and the surging emotions were aroused between the two.

Two hours later, Eric stood in the living room on the first floor, and many people had gathered around him.

Hugh Jackman, Jude Law, Julianne Moore, Renée Zellweger, Meryl Streep, Robbie Williams, Naomi Watts, Natalie Portman, Russell Crowe, etc.

It was just like a Vanity Fair party. In addition to these acquaintances, there were many people whose names Eric couldn't remember.

Amid the applause and laughter of the crowd, Nicole walked down the stairs in a white gauze dress, with the orchid brooch hanging on her chest.

"My friends, welcome to my birthday party. Let's enjoy happiness today and don't go home until we are drunk."

"OH"

Everyone cheered, the music sounded, and the atmosphere of the party was immediately ignited.

Then Robbie Williams stood up and sang as a professional singer, which attracted another round of applause.

Everyone knew each other in private, and they didn't need to maintain their image in front of friends, and they all showed off their talents.

Nicole was surrounded by a group of sisters in the center, and a group of women laughed from time to time.

Eric touched his somewhat shriveled stomach. Just now upstairs, the two of them couldn't help but work hard and consumed a lot of physical energy.

He looked at Uncle Wolf beside him: "Jack, I have to eat something. How about a piece of Filipino barbecue?"

Hugh Jackman looked at his abdomen with some embarrassment, and said hesitantly: "Forget it, I have to maintain my body shape, and I can't touch food with too high calories."

"It's okay to eat a little occasionally. Look, everyone is eating. Don't you feel lonely?"

Eric persuaded, just like a man likes to persuade people who can't drink to drink.

Uncle Wolf swallowed his saliva, and his taste buds were struggling: "Maybe, it's not bad to have a piece."

"That's right, being an actor is like an ascetic, aren't you miserable?"

Pulling Hugh Jackman to the table, ignoring his request to eat only one piece, picked up the plate and put a bunch of meat and dessert for him, and stuffed him a glass of champagne.

"Eat, eat. One piece is also eating. One plate is also eating. Let go of your psychological pressure."

Eric began to eat heartily. Seeing him eating so happily, Uncle Wolf simply let go and picked up a piece of dessert and put it in his mouth.

"OMG! This is the taste of God!" He said with satisfaction.

While the two were eating meat and drinking big cups of wine, a man stood beside Eric.

The man looked about 30 years old, with short hair and glasses, and looked like a scholar.

"Would you like a glass?" Eric asked casually.

The man took the champagne and smiled, took the initiative to extend his hand and said: "Hello Eric, James Murdoch, nice to meet you."