Chapter 26: Moving in the Right Direction

In West Hollywood, at The Viper Room bar, Arthur sat on the couch with Winona Ryder in his arms. "The atmosphere here is way livelier than Northridge!" he remarked.

Winona Ryder, dressed in a cute pink knit top, looked up and gave Arthur a kiss. "If you like it here, why don't you move in?"

"You're hardly ever home, and besides, I have my own place," Arthur said as he sipped his drink, enjoying the rock performance on stage.

"Well, you're always welcome to come over," Winona Ryder said, thinking Arthur was just being stubborn.

"Hey, isn't that River Phoenix?" Winona pointed to the young man with a guitar on stage.

Arthur nodded. "Yes, he's said to be Hollywood's genius actor. His role in Stand by Me a few years ago made quite a name for him."

Arthur knew that within a few years, Phoenix would die of a drug overdose. He hadn't even starred with Keanu Reeves in the movie that would make him famous, My Own Private Idaho.

Johnny Depp, River Phoenix, and Keanu Reeves were known for their wild antics, indulging in psychedelic drugs, marijuana, and cocaine without restraint.

Winona Ryder touched Arthur's face, showing her disagreement. "Arthur, to me, you're the real genius. You're only 20 and have already written several scripts. Plus, they're about to be turned into movies. Everyone will admire you!"

Arthur found it amusing, wondering if Winona Ryder was trying to comfort him.

"Being an actor isn't my main career," Arthur said, pulling Winona Ryder into his arms and whispering in her ear, "I have big ambitions."

"Yes, I know," Winona Ryder said, giving Arthur a passionate kiss.

After the kiss, Arthur brushed Winona Ryder's hair aside. "You just got back to Los Angeles. Aren't you tired?"

"Not really, but let's go home and get some rest," Winona Ryder said, holding Arthur's arm.

As they left the nightclub, they saw two young men arguing and shoving each other at the door.

"That's River Phoenix," Arthur recognized immediately and asked Winona, "Is he a friend of yours?"

Winona Ryder shook her head. "No, I've never worked with him."

"Really? I heard he's quite close with Depp," Arthur smiled. "What do you think of Depp?"

Arthur had, after all, taken Johnny Depp's girlfriend, but he didn't care much about it.

"He's okay. Depp has a good work ethic and is a decent person," Winona Ryder said, pinching Arthur's waist, "Just a typical work relationship!"

Johnny Depp wasn't famous yet. Once he became a global sensation, everyone would realize how difficult he was to deal with. His work ethic? Depp was notorious for his poor attitude and temper, though the media portrayed him as a simple, innocent guy.

Arthur thought to himself, "Hollywood, beneath its glamorous surface, is full of darkness and dirt."

"Let's go. Just kids playing around," Arthur said, only a little curious about River Phoenix and not paying much attention.

Soon, Arthur's American Pie script was sold to Universal for $420,000. Although it was slightly below his expectation of $450,000, it was still a good deal.

Tracy Jacobs used this to pressure Castle Rock Entertainment, making President Alan Horn feel the urgency and quickly greenlight the Sleepless in Seattle project.

Castle Rock invested $20 million for Nora Ephron to direct Sleepless in Seattle, and Arthur got a producer role. Though his influence was uncertain, assisting Nora Ephron was enough for him.

At Columbia Pictures' office in Culver City.

"Finally, we can start," Arthur said with a smile to Nora Ephron, thinking this place would soon be known as Sony Entertainment.

Nora Ephron nodded. "Yes, it's time. Meg Ryan will sign the contract soon."

"What about the male lead?" Arthur asked, already addressing her as the director. "Tom Hanks' pay isn't high; he's quite suitable."

"Let's see how his audition goes. I have a good feeling about him," Nora Ephron smiled, patting Arthur.

"Young man, don't rush. Castle Rock has done a lot of prep work. This movie doesn't have complex scenes," she said. "We'll use locations in Seattle and New York, and Warner Bros. studio sets. I plan to start shooting in November. In a few days, you'll go to Seattle with the crew to scout locations. I'll handle the Empire State Building in New York."

Arthur nodded. "No problem!"

The Empire State Building's observation deck was crucial for the film's ending, so they needed to file for permission early.

Arthur knew Columbia and Warner Bros. co-owned the Burbank studios. Since Columbia's parent company, Coca-Cola, showed little interest in expanding the studio, they moved to Culver City this year.

Sleepless in Seattle was distributed by Columbia, so using Warner Bros.' studio was normal.

Meanwhile, Arthur had finished revising the Pretty Woman script and just needed to submit it. Tracy Jacobs was also negotiating his salary with Castle Rock Entertainment. Everything was moving in the right direction.

In the afternoon, Arthur went to Disney's Burbank studio to submit the Pretty Woman script.

"I heard Nora Ephron's Sleepless in Seattle is about to start filming?" Garry Marshall asked after reading the script and inquiring about his old friend's first directing gig.

Arthur nodded. "Castle Rock Entertainment has been preparing for a while. With the funding secured, the crew should be ready soon."

"Director Marshall's Pretty Woman is also a romantic comedy. Director Nora Ephron feels a lot of pressure!" Arthur joked.

Both Pretty Woman and Sleepless in Seattle were set to release next year. Arthur knew Pretty Woman would be a phenomenal success. Losing to it was fine as long as Sleepless in Seattle met his expectations.

Garry Marshall laughed. "We all know Nora's talent. She will succeed."

*****

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