Chapter 154: Julia Roberts

"How's it going? Are you getting used to working on a Hollywood movie?" Arthur asked Sophie Marceau after they returned to her apartment in Culver City.

Sophie Marceau took off her coat and kissed Arthur on the cheek. "It's fine, no problems. Hollywood's film industry is very organized. Do you want something to drink? Coffee or something?"

"No, let's just rest a bit, and then we can go out for dinner," Arthur said as he hugged Sophie Marceau and sat down on the sofa.

"Arthur, there's been a lot of talk about Galaxy Films and you lately," Sophie Marceau said, cupping Arthur's face in her hands. 

"Not only are you called Hollywood's golden boy, but also the youngest centi-millionaire in Hollywood. All your projects seem to be hits!"

"Hey, of course," Arthur said, pinning Sophie Marceau down on the sofa and getting close to her face. "When I dropped out of school, I set a small goal for myself: to make a hundred million dollars first. And now, the dream has come true!"

"That's amazing!" Sophie Marceau laughed, wrapping her arms around Arthur's neck and kissing him.

As Arthur responded to her kiss, he started unbuttoning her shirt. "Sophie, you look great in a uniform. Do you have any spares at home?"

"Hmm, you have a lot of ideas. What uniform do you want me to wear? I'll wear it for you next time," Sophie Marceau said, sliding her hands under Arthur's shirt with a smile. "Did you get the idea when you saw me in my costume on set?"

Arthur nodded. "Then you should prepare several different uniforms!"

Sophie Marceau sighed, feeling his touch. "Arthur, weren't we supposed to go out for dinner?"

"Yeah, let's go to The Ivy in Beverly Hills," Arthur suggested, sitting up.

"Then I'll go change," Sophie Marceau said, sitting up and adjusting her clothes.

Soon after, they drove to The Ivy, near Westwood, and chose a small private room on the second floor.

Sophie Marceau, being French, and Arthur's fondness for French and Italian cuisine made French food the obvious choice!

"On the way here, I saw posters for Disney's animated movies at the theater. When will Pixar start making feature-length animations?" Sophie Marceau asked, remembering Arthur's recent acquisition of an animation studio.

Arthur shrugged. "Pixar's first feature film will take at least three to four years. As for the posters and ads you saw, they are for Disney's new animated feature, Beauty and the Beast. It just premiered. It's a major project for Disney, so the marketing is intense."

Sophie Marceau took a bite of her steak. "Disney's animated movies always do well at the box office."

Arthur smiled. "Yes, Disney has dominated the children's market for half a century. Their resurgence started in the last few years."

"Who Framed Roger Rabbit and The Little Mermaid had huge box office success, kickstarting Disney's revival. Last year, Touchstone Pictures' live-action film Pretty Woman was a big hit, as you know."

But now, with Arthur's Galaxy Films owning Pixar, Disney's hand-drawn 2D animation only had a few more good years left.

As for live-action films, Miramax wouldn't achieve much, and Disney's growth in live-action would be even harder if they relied on Miramax.

Without Pixar and Marvel, Disney's path to becoming a Hollywood giant would be blocked.

After dinner, Arthur and Sophie Marceau went to a bar in West Hollywood to unwind, enjoying the leisurely and indulgent nightlife of Los Angeles.

In a private room on the second floor, Arthur was lounging on the sofa, kissing Sophie Marceau when suddenly there was a loud crash at the door, followed by a staff member's voice: "Miss Roberts, are you okay?"

"What's going on?" Arthur stood up and walked to the door. When he opened it, two staff members were helping a dazed woman off the floor.

"Sir, I'm sorry. Miss Roberts may have had too much to drink," one of the staff members quickly explained upon seeing Arthur.

Arthur glanced over. "Julia Roberts?"

The woman being helped up was none other than Hollywood's current sweetheart, Julia Roberts.

"What's happening, Arthur?" Sophie Marceau walked over.

At that moment, Julia Roberts' assistant arrived and, seeing Arthur at the door, was momentarily stunned. "Good evening, Mr. Smith. Miss Roberts, she…"

Arthur waved his hand. "Just take her home to rest. Tell her to lay off the stuff."

No need to guess — Julia Roberts was clearly high and had collapsed right in front of Arthur's private room.

"I'm sorry," Julia Roberts' assistant said as she quickly helped the disoriented Julia Roberts away.

"Is that the Julia Roberts who ran away from her wedding three days before it happened?" Sophie Marceau asked, intrigued.

Arthur nodded. "Yes, that's her. Who knows how much of that stuff she's been using?"

Last year, during the filming of Steven Spielberg's Hook, Julia Roberts was in a bad state due to her breakup with Dylan McDermott.

She was using drugs on set, argued with the director, and even made the usually calm Steven Spielberg lose his temper and curse frequently.

After filming Hook, Julia Roberts quickly started a new relationship with actor Kiefer Sutherland.

This June, Julia Roberts and Kiefer Sutherland were set to marry, but three days before the wedding, Julia Roberts canceled it and ran off to Europe with actor Jason Patric — who was also Kiefer Sutherland's good friend. What a drama!

Sophie Marceau laughed. "The star of Pretty Woman, it's surprising that Julia Roberts is so unconventional in real life."

Arthur casually said, "This summer she had a romantic drama, Dying Young, which was pretty average at the box office. Coming up in December, Hook will be released. I bet Spielberg and TriStar are worried about her current state!"

"Let's go back. There will probably be a lot of reporters outside soon," Arthur said, patting Sophie Marceau on the shoulder.

Sophie Marceau nodded, and soon they were on their way back to Arthur's Bel Air estate.

*****

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