Chapter 435: Here is the Sea

Under the blue sky, clear sea, white clouds, and sea breeze, Arthur embraced Nicole Kidman and Catherine Zeta-Jones on the deck of the Black Pearl, enjoying the sun.

"Aren't you afraid of being photographed by the press?" Nicole Kidman glanced at Arthur. He brought her to the deck yesterday, along with Catherine Zeta-Jones who had come from England.

"We don't care, but aren't you worried about those glamorous shots of you cuddling at Cannes appearing in the newspapers?"

"Hmm..." Arthur turned his head and kissed Nicole Kidman directly, reaching to unfasten her bikini top. "Isn't this a bit unnecessary? And besides, we're at sea. Who could photograph us?"

As he said this, Arthur glanced over at Catherine Zeta-Jones, who was lying on the other side, topless.

Nicole Kidman took off her bikini top and lay back on the deck. "This is much more comfortable. You really know how to enjoy yourself!"

Catherine Zeta-Jones smiled. "Arthur has really missed you, Nicole. You were absolutely stunning in Batman Forever!"

Nicole Kidman, although not quite a top-tier star yet, was already in the second tier, and her fame significantly surpassed that of newcomer Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Both were foreigners in Hollywood and had plenty to talk about.

"You're the same. He's always good to the women in his life," Nicole Kidman remarked. She had starred in quite a few films, but the projects arranged by Arthur had the most influence!

"Me? I'm still collecting experience, but I feel good about the upcoming release of Sense and Sensibility," Catherine Zeta-Jones said, not too worried, especially considering Arthur Smith's reputation.

Elizabeth Hurley, who came from modeling, also gained fame from her sexy looks; she could hold her own!

Arthur leaned down and kissed Catherine Zeta-Jones on the chest, smiling, "Actually, it's pretty easy to develop a simple art film, but most of them end up losing money. That's a headache for a lot of film companies!"

Nicole Kidman grinned, playfully pinching Arthur's waist. "I have some bad news. Do you want to hear it?"

"What bad news?"

"Last year's breakout director Quentin Tarantino, he's been very close to Harvey Weinstein at Miramax. He teamed up with directors like Allison Anders, Alexander Payne, and Robert Rodriguez to help Miramax shoot the short film anthology Four Rooms!"

Nicole Kidman said this while sitting up against Arthur. "Recently, Robert Rodriguez is developing a new Miramax project titled From Dusk Till Dawn, and Quentin Tarantino is one of the lead actors!"

"Quentin Tarantino, his fame skyrocketed with Pulp Fiction," Catherine Zeta-Jones chimed in.

Arthur remained unfazed, caressing Nicole Kidman's softness. "Miramax doesn't even compare to Orion; they're barely in the same league. As for Quentin Tarantino, he still has two film directing contracts with us. If he has a project, Orion's always his first choice."

Without the success of Crying Game and Pulp Fiction, Miramax was just another ordinary art film distributor under Disney.

They could manage projects under $12.5 million, and because they wanted to release the controversial The Inbetweeners against Disney's wishes, it made Disney pretty unhappy.

Harvey Weinstein? He didn't have anything worth noticing these days!

"Alright, I'm going to take a shower. I have to attend the Batman Forever press conference tonight," Nicole Kidman stood up, as the film was set to be released next month, and there were many promotional events to attend.

Tim Burton was also producing Batman Forever, and he would help promote the film.

The director Joe Schumacher, along with main cast members Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, and Nicole Kidman; Nicole Kidman, the least famous among them, had been sent to Cannes for promotion!

"So, is Twister about to start filming?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah, I'll officially join the cast after returning from Cannes," Nicole Kidman gave Arthur a peck on the cheek before heading inside the cabin.

"Arthur, how about we check out the old town area?" Catherine Zeta-Jones suggested.

"Sure," Arthur nodded. "I'll make a call. I received a pretty good script yesterday!"

"Is it the one adapted from Irvine Welsh's novel, Trainspotting?" Catherine Zeta-Jones stood up, heading back to the hall with Arthur.

Trainspotting depicted the lives of four heroin addicts in Edinburgh, chronicling their enjoyment of life in the depths of despair; It was a British black drama film. Last year, the director Danny Boyle had a successful low-budget black comedy titled Shallow Grave; it was pretty good.

"Just as I thought," Catherine Zeta-Jones settled into Arthur's lap, "You guys can casually decide a film's fate. So many filmmakers can't even secure funding."

"It's a very unique British director, and the investment isn't high, around two to three million pounds," Arthur instantly made a call to notify his companies to prepare for the investment and distribution for this film.

Catherine Zeta-Jones chuckled, "For you guys, that's probably a drop in the bucket, but to other independent filmmakers, it's different. Two to three million pounds is not a small amount!"

Arthur shrugged and picked up the phone. "That British black film sounds good; Orion can invest. By the way, how did Bad Boys do at the box office?"

"Oh, it opened to $15 million, and now it has grossed $32 million in ten days! The reviews are good, so that's pretty nice..."

Arthur remembered that Bad Boys ultimately grossed over $140 million globally!

"Congratulations, Arthur! Another commercial success for you, kicking off the summer blockbuster season right," Catherine Zeta-Jones smiled.

"Then we definitely need to celebrate," Arthur said while lifting the girl and heading towards the bathroom.

"Hmm," Nicole Kidman, under the shower, suddenly saw Arthur Smith and Catherine Zeta-Jones walk in.

"You two..."

"Hmm," before Nicole Kidman could finish her thought, Arthur came over and kissed her, silencing her with a passionate embrace.

Arthur then casually pulled Catherine Zeta-Jones over as well!

*****

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