Chapter 318: Inside Information at the Dinner Table

[Chapter 318: Inside Information at the Dinner Table]

Francis Ford Coppola quickly said, "No, no, no, Sofia, you have to believe in yourself. You have immense potential. Don't listen to that little kid talking like he's an old man. If he can achieve that at only nineteen, then my daughter can, too."

"Dad, I actually think Williams has a point," Sofia Coppola's brother, Roman Coppola, suddenly interjected.

"Roman!" Francis glared at his son in disapproval.

Roman shrugged and promptly lowered his head, while Nicolas Cage remained silent. Though he also agreed with Eric's sentiment, he had seen his cousin's performance before, and that feeling... well, better left unspoken.

Sofia sensed the tension rising and quickly said, "Dad, let's just drop it. I know you love me, and I love you, too. That's why I want The Godfather Part III to be even better. I've made up my mind to start small, just like Nick. Didn't Tim Burton recommend a girl named Winona Ryder to you? I heard she's an incredible talent. Maybe you could let her audition."

Francis glared at his son for being biased but then softened a bit, turning to his youngest daughter, "Alright, Sofia, I'll let Winona try out."

Roman was resigned to his father's favoritism. He thought for a moment, then grinned mischievously at his sister, "Sofia, since Eric Williams suggested this, you should definitely make him give you a role."

"Hmph, I'm not that thick-skinned," she huffed, returning to her breakfast.

This time, Francis didn't scold his son but remarked with a hint of nostalgia, "It's true, Eric Williams has a powerful knack for creating stars. From that little kid in Home Alone to that actress from Australia at the end of the year, what's her name? Nicole Kidman? They're all now top-tier actors. I heard Tom Cruise not only rejected the offer for Ghost but also disparaged the film. What a foolish guy."

"Hey, Dad, you can't say that about Cruise; he's one of my idols!" Sofia protested, lifting her head in disapproval.

"Little sister, Dad isn't wrong. Tom's actions this time were a bit foolish. Sure, he's been famous for a decade, but his box office numbers are all over the place. Plus, he has one critical flaw -- he doesn't have any blockbuster franchise backing him. In that case, if a string of his films tank, he could easily slide out of the A-list."

Sofia challenged, "But there are so many famous actors in Hollywood without franchise support."

Roman continued, "Sure, many actors do fine without it, like Al Pacino or Robert De Niro. They rely solely on their talent. But Cruise? Remember those hit movies Grease and An Officer and a Gentleman? They were big back then, but can you spot either of John Travolta or Richard Gere in Hollywood lately? The reason is simple: after those two hits, they hit a rough patch with no big hits to follow up. Cruise was on a similar path, but he got lucky and kept landing hits every few years, which is why he's still on top. But in this town, luck isn't reliable."

Francis gave a rare approving nod to his son.

Sofia looked thoughtful. "So you're saying if he had a popular franchise, even if his star power wanes, he could revitalize it with sequels?"

"Of course! Look at Harrison Ford. A few years back, his popularity dipped significantly. But then last year, with Raiders of the Lost Ark, he easily bounced back to A-list status." Roman leaned in, lowering his voice and taking on a more gossipy tone, "And I heard at a party that Tom Cruise's capable agent, Paula Wagner, was scouting a franchise project for him. But the rights to adapt that project, it seems, were snagged by Eric Williams."

Sofia immediately perked up, leaning toward her brother with curiosity, "What show? I want to find the tape!"

Roman stirred his fork around in his plate before replying, "I think it's called Mission: Impossible, but it's pretty old. You probably won't find any tape."

"Okay, enough chit-chat. Let's eat," Francis said, eyeing his children who were huddled together like conspirators in a cartoon, sounding quite displeased. Then he turned to Nicolas Cage, "Nick, this time in Ghost, put in some effort and establish a good rapport with Eric Williams. It'll surely be beneficial for your future."

"I know, Uncle," Nicolas nodded.

Jennifer Connelly listened as this family discussed the ins and outs of Hollywood, most of which most people wouldn't even know. Though the Coppola family included her in their conversations occasionally, she still felt out of place in their world.

After breakfast, Jennifer rushed to excuse herself from the Coppolas. She kept thinking about another matter -- Eric had asked her agent to meet him at Firefly Films at ten.

...

As she stepped out of the Coppola mansion, Jennifer spotted a silver sedan parked about ten meters from the entrance. Her agent, Jim Lister, anxiously watched the door. The moment he saw her, he waved excitedly, and Jennifer quickened her pace to join him.

Jim hadn't slept well after receiving Eric's call the night before. He had been slightly hyped but couldn't get in touch with Jennifer until the morning. He had even had to call Tony Blanton, who was quite rude but finally provided Jennifer's whereabouts.

So, Jim arrived outside the Coppola household early in the morning. However, he felt unsure if Jennifer would actually be here. After all, this was the house of one of Hollywood's top four directors.

He lacked the courage to barge in, opting instead to wait near the gate, hoping she would emerge soon so they could head to Firefly Films together. Even though Eric hadn't explicitly said they should go together, Jim felt that was the implication, and taking Jennifer along would boost his own confidence.

"Good morning, Jim," Jennifer greeted shyly as she approached him.

Jim hardly had time for small talk. He quickly said, "Jennifer, get in the car. We can talk on the way."

"Um, do I really have to go?" she hesitated.

Jim nodded affirmatively, "Of course! Eric Williams definitely wants to see you."

...

Barely processing her situation, Jennifer found herself pulled into the car, and before long they arrived at Firefly Films' headquarters. Jim led her to the reception, where he exchanged a few words with the receptionist.

She looked at her records and said politely, "You must be Jim Lister. Mr. Williams asked for you to come up directly, but he didn't mention this young lady."

Jennifer's expression dimmed, but Jim assured her, "Mr. Williams probably just forgot. Could you let him know Jennifer Connelly is here? I'm sure he'll let us both go up."

The receptionist glanced at Jennifer and reluctantly nodded, taking up the phone to ring through a message. After a brief chat, she said, "You two can go up now. Mr. Williams' office is on the seventh floor, room 706."

After thanking her, Jim led Jennifer toward the elevator.

"Jennifer, please... no more temper tantrums, alright?" Jim hesitated for a moment in the elevator before finally voicing his concern.

Jennifer remained silent, silently nodding her head.

Jim sighed in relief but couldn't resist adding, "Eric Williams is single, and there are countless women in Hollywood eyeing him. Plus, he clearly likes you. If you could become his girlfriend, it would greatly help your future. Hollywood is quite practical, and I'm sure you've felt that deeply this past year."

"Yeah..."

...

Inside the office, Eric was multitasking, listening to Allen recount his work plans for the past few days while skimming through reports about Hollywood's special effects companies provided by a consulting firm. He wasn't focusing on every detail but was looking for any standout effects teams he remembered from his past life.

He still believed in the power of memory. If someone had excelled in his previous life, with his assistance in this timeline, they could undoubtedly do even better.

Sure enough, he spotted a name he recognized: Stan Winston Studio.

*****

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