Chapter 184: Park City

On January 17, 1992, the 49th Golden Globe Awards was grandly held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.

The highly acclaimed The Silence of the Lambs only won the Best Actress in a Drama award, which went to Oscar-winning actress Jodie Foster. It didn't win the Best Drama or Best Director awards it was nominated for.

Arthur's own film, To Die For, won Nicole Kidman the award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, marking her first major Hollywood acting award.

To Die For grossed $32 million in North America and over $40 million worldwide. As a producer and supporting actor, Arthur earned $1.2 million.

This achievement was satisfactory for the investor, Village Roadshow Pictures, as the film was at least nominated for the Golden Globe's Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and helped Nicole Kidman win an acting award.

Of course, awards in the Musical or Comedy category couldn't compare to those in the Drama category. Nicole Kidman's Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy couldn't be compared to Jodie Foster's Best Actress in a Drama.

"Congratulations, Jodie. The Oscar for Best Actress is probably in the bag too," Arthur said as he hugged Jodie Foster.

Jodie Foster shook her head, "The Oscar nominations haven't even been announced yet, Arthur!"

Arthur smiled, saying nothing more.

Soon, a jubilant Nicole Kidman found Arthur. Although she lost in the Best Supporting Actress category, she was still satisfied with winning Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.

Arthur smiled and squeezed Nicole Kidman's waist. "Why not go celebrate properly?"

"We will, but right now, I just want to thank you," Nicole Kidman whispered in Arthur's ear.

Arthur nodded, "Tomorrow I'm heading to the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. We can ski and relax in the hot springs there. Join me?"

"Sure, it can be like a vacation," Nicole Kidman agreed. "By the way, does Speed still need funding?"

"Huh," Arthur was taken aback.

"Village Roadshow," Nicole Kidman reminded him.

Arthur chuckled, "They can handle the distribution in Australia and New Zealand. Speed is an important project for me, and funding isn't much of an issue. Village Roadshow can provide some funding in exchange for distribution rights in Australia and New Zealand."

To Die For seemed to have given Village Roadshow a taste of success, but Arthur wasn't very interested in such films. He was now too busy to personally develop projects worth a few million or even tens of millions of dollars. He could invest in other independent production companies instead. What Galaxy needed was the distribution rights to these films.

Nicole Kidman smiled. She was smart and understood that Village Roadshow wasn't yet a major Hollywood studio. They mainly invested in low-budget films in Australia or Europe. Galaxy needed a company that could provide significant funding, and Village Roadshow was just a local partner for them in Australia.

It was clear that Arthur had no intention of bringing Village Roadshow along anymore.

"Arthur, when will the filming start since the script is done?" Nicole Kidman asked. She didn't lack scripts, but she trusted Arthur's work more.

"Probably in the second half of the year. Why, do you have a project now?" Nicole Kidman was quite popular, and her performance in To Die For was commendable.

Nicole Kidman explained, "I have a romantic film about family, co-starring Michael Keaton. I was worried about conflicting with the filming schedule of Speed. If you confirm it's in the second half of the year, then it should be fine."

"Don't worry, it will be in the second half at the earliest. I need to go to Europe in the first half," Arthur said, determined to establish a branch in Europe. The acquisition of Palace Pictures in the UK was just the beginning.

Sophie Marceau's project Fanfan would be a perfect opportunity to set up an office in France.

Park City, located in Summit County, Utah, is a small town about 32 miles southeast of downtown Salt Lake City. It is cold and snowy in winter. Known for its silver mines in the 19th century, it began transforming into a ski resort in the 1960s and is now one of the largest ski resorts in the United States.

In the mid-80s, the Sundance Film Festival, founded by Hollywood star Robert Redford, gained fame after launching the career of young director Steven Soderbergh with Sex, Lies, and Videotape. It became a benchmark for independent film festivals.

The day after the Golden Globe Awards, Arthur took Nicole Kidman to Park City and checked into the Snowbird Resort in the nearby canyon. The snow-covered landscape, valleys, trees, and rocks provided a breathtaking view from their suite in the resort.

In the evening, Arthur was relaxing in the indoor hot spring when Nicole Kidman, wrapped in a robe, came down.

"Arthur, are we going into town tomorrow, or skiing?" Nicole Kidman asked.

"Let's rest for two days first. I need to review the films our buyers have collected," Arthur replied. The Sundance Film Festival had already been going for four or five days, and there were too many films for Arthur to personally sift through.

"Oh," Nicole Kidman said, snuggling up to Arthur. Her perfect body tempted Arthur's senses.

Arthur embraced her, kissing her passionately. Nicole responded enthusiastically, and Arthur's hand wandered to her chest. He flipped her over and pressed her against the edge of the hot spring.

"Arthur, have you recovered your energy? Last night after the Golden Globe Awards, I, a big beauty, lay beside you, and you didn't even react," Nicole Kidman teased, pushing out her chest provocatively.

Arthur was speechless. After talking with Ted Turner a few days ago, Arthur had been researching Bill Clinton and other politicians, trying to understand their backgrounds and strategies. It was exhausting. Moreover, he had to keep track of the $40 million he invested in TPG Capital and the current situation in Russia.

"I've been thinking about a lot lately," Arthur admitted. Since returning from Asia, he had only spent a couple of nights with Jennifer Connelly and hadn't sought out other women.

"What are you thinking about?" Nicole Kidman asked, kissing his chest. "You already have everything: wealth, status, fame. What's there to worry about?"

"Worry?" Arthur pondered, moving off Nicole and leaning against the edge of the hot spring. The intricate relationships between America's long-established wealthy families and political dynasties were not easy to navigate. Arthur realized that stirring things up wouldn't be simple, and money alone wouldn't suffice.

"Nothing much," Arthur shook his head, pulling Nicole into his arms. "Darling, let's forget our worries now..."

*****

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