Chapter 174: The Crying Game

In England, inside the studio office of The Crying Game at Shepperton Studios, 41-year-old Irish director Neil Jordan looked despondent as he complained to one of the film's producers, Nick Powell.

"Nick, the crew members haven't received their salaries for two weeks, various bills are overdue, can the company solve the funding problem?" Neil Jordan grabbed his hair, looking helpless.

"We only started shooting a month ago, and within two weeks, the cinematographer Frederick Elmes left, but fortunately, we found a replacement."

"We went through so much trouble to find a young man who is often mistaken for a girl in real life to play the role of the girlfriend Dil. Although he has never acted before, other than meeting the physical and temperamental requirements, his recent performance has satisfied me!"

Neil Jordan spent nearly ten years preparing this script, with intermittent additions and changes, to achieve the final version we have today.

Currently, apart from receiving some funds from the Japan Film and Development Fund, The Crying Game had been ignored by almost all major American companies. European investors were also not optimistic. It now depended on the funding from Channel 4 in the UK!

Nick Powell sighed, "Ah, the funds from Channel 4 are still not here, and now Palace Productions has already sent the script to many independent film companies in Hollywood and France, hoping for support.

Stephen recently maxed out his own credit card to support the film's production. He even emptied the cash registers of the two theaters he owns daily to supplement the crew."

Stephen Woolley, the boss of Palace Productions, was also the producer of The Crying Game.

The most important actor in The Crying Game was Jay Davidson, who played the "girlfriend" Dil - a trans person who appears as a woman but is biologically male. This might be the biggest gain for the crew so far.

Neil Jordan lit a cigarette, "If this film can't be made, I'll quit directing and just focus on writing in the future!"

Nick Powell was taken aback, "Neil, you can't give up, believe in us, we will definitely get support."

"Mr. Stephen Woolley even wrote to Channel 4 threatening to immolate himself in front of the TV station if they didn't support us..."

Listening to Neil Jordan's words, it felt like this guy was already feeling disheartened and wanted to give up.

But, there was no choice. Palace Productions was just a small company, with only two small theaters under its name.

"Ah, is that Hollywood company Miramax also not interested? The one that distributed Sex, Lies, and Videotape earlier?" Neil Jordan asked.

Nick Powell shook his head, "No response from them. However, the best independent film company in Hollywood right now is Orion Pictures, followed by Carolco and New Line Cinema. We have already sent the script and some stills to them."

"Haha, Hollywood has someone to support our movie!" Suddenly, Stephen Woolley rushed into the office, extremely excited.

"Hiss," Neil Jordan and Nick Powell were both surprised, looking at Stephen Woolley's delighted expression. "Really?"

Stephen Woolley nodded, "I just received a call from Orion Pictures in Hollywood. The responsible persons, Arthur Smith and Amy Pascal, have agreed to invest in The Crying Game."

"Orion is paying 1.7 million pounds for the North American rights of The Crying Game!"

Neil Jordan first made a cross on his chest, "Thank God, finally someone is supporting us."

Nick Powell was more concerned about the funds, "Did Orion mention when they can allocate the funds to us? Stephen, you know the crew urgently needs money right now!"

Stephen Woolley smiled, "Of course, Orion has a movie Emma shooting here. The executive producer managing the crew is an Orion employee. I have already spoken to him on the phone. We will sign the rights agreement tonight, and he will ensure that Orion wires the funds to our account as soon as possible..."

...

The approaching Christmas made the streets of Los Angeles even more bustling. Jennifer Aniston, who had just returned from shooting Emma in the UK, went straight to Orion Pictures on Burbank Boulevard in North Hollywood.

Meanwhile, Winona Ryder stayed in New York to promote her new movie Father of the Bride. She would soon come to Los Angeles for promotion and then return to the UK for further shooting.

After all, Winona Ryder was the leading actress in Emma, with a substantial role, while Jennifer Aniston, a supporting actress, had finished all her scenes after shooting for over two months.

"Arthur, have you noticed that your company's space is getting a bit small?" Jennifer Aniston reminded while sitting on Arthur's lap.

Arthur smiled, rubbing her waist, "Orion also has an office in Hollywood. But, I am indeed looking for a site to build our own headquarters.

Nowadays, the company is getting bigger, with more people and more business. We definitely need a larger space and I need to build a dedicated studio, along with other post-production facilities like recording studios and editing rooms."

Jennifer Aniston's eyes lit up, "So, have you found a location?"

Arthur nodded, "Roughly. At the entrance of the San Fernando Valley, next to Glendale, west of Burbank, near the Los Angeles River, opposite Griffith Park in the Hollywood Hills.

Orion is currently negotiating to buy more land around it to build our headquarters."

Glendale is between Hollywood and Burbank at the entrance of the San Fernando Valley, so the land prices are certainly not as high as outside the Valley.

Compared to Disney, Warner Bros., and Universal Pictures, which can access the North Highland Avenue, Arthur's chosen location in Glendale is farther but close to the I-5 freeway, making it convenient.

Jennifer Aniston kissed Arthur on the cheek, "Sounds like a good plan. Besides, Disney and Warner Bros. are in Burbank, and the land here is much larger than in Hollywood!"

"Indeed, things seem to be getting bigger," Arthur said, reaching into Jennifer Aniston's arms to feel the softness.

Jennifer Aniston moaned softly, turned her head, and kissed Arthur.

As Arthur's "first woman," Jennifer Aniston held a special meaning for him.

*****

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