Chapter 46: Jenny's Call

[Chapter 46: Anne's Call]

After reading through the script for Pretty Woman, Jeffrey expressed his doubts. "Eric, I still feel that this story is too perfect. It seems just like a fairytale of a prince and Cinderella. Do you think audiences will really enjoy a fairytale about a hooker? Even famous works like The Lipstick Murders and The Lady of the Camellias all ended in tragedy."

Eric thought to himself that he intended to write a perfect fairytale.

The original script for Pretty Woman was actually a dark drama called 3000, reflecting the survival struggles of Los Angeles's sex workers through a $3,000 transaction between the male and female leads. However, during filming, due to a generous budget, both the director and producer made numerous revisions, and it ultimately transformed into a romantic comedy. Surprisingly, this heavily altered film ended up grossing $170 million in North America, leading many stars who had previously declined the role due to the dark nature of the original script to regret their decisions. It also launched Julia Roberts into stardom.

The film retained an early scene where a hooker was murdered in a seedy alley, taken directly from the original script. So, when audiences watched the entire movie, that scene stood out as jarringly out of place amidst the film's romantic tone.

"Jeffrey, putting everything else aside, how do you feel about Vivian's character in the script?"

Since it was just a written description and hadn't been portrayed visually yet, Jeffrey hesitated for a moment before responding, "She's honest, cheerful, a bit rough around the edges, but it feels genuine. Even though she falls from grace, she still has her own little principles..."

Eric listened patiently to Jeffrey's lengthy musings before interjecting, "Jeffrey, perhaps you didn't notice, but when you described Vivian just now, the corners of your mouth were upturned, indicating that you don't actually dislike this fallen girl. In fact, you might even like her a little."

Jeffrey had unconsciously expressed his feelings for Vivian and hadn't noticed the detail Eric pointed out. "Did I really?"

Eric nodded in affirmation. "Of course! So, since you don't dislike Vivian, it stands to reason that audiences will definitely take a liking to her too."

Jeffrey nodded, but soon raised an eyebrow in dissatisfaction. "What do you mean 'not even I dislike her'? Do you think I am a very harsh person?"

Eric quickly denied it, "Not at all! You just tend to ramble a bit."

"..."

Eric chuckled and patted Jeffrey on the shoulder. "Don't be so down. People tend to ramble a bit as they age, so don't take it to heart."

Jeffrey shot a displeased glance at Eric. "Fine, you're the boss, and facts do prove that your judgment is superior to mine. Since you've made the decision, when do we start preparations?"

"As soon as possible! It would be best to finish preparations and casting before Christmas. We'll start filming right after the New Year. This movie is perfect for a Valentine's Day release."

Jeffrey looked down, calculating the timeline. "A Valentine's Day release does fit this movie quite well. But, Eric, isn't that a bit rushed? By then, Home Alone might still be in theaters?"

Eric shook his head. "Jeffrey, you've seen how fast I worked on Home Alone, so a little over a month is more than enough for Pretty Woman. We can coordinate with Fox and start promotional work during post-production."

"When do we start casting? Do you have a plan in mind?"

Eric said, "I've decided to cast Richard Gere as the male lead. For the female lead, my first choice is Sophie Marceau. Jeffrey, you'll need to help me find her contact information and send her an invitation. If she declines, we'll go with Julia Roberts. As for the supporting roles, we'll figure that out after acquiring the talent agency. Some of the supporting roles are significant and shouldn't be given to just anyone."

"Eric, Sophie Marceau -- spelled that way, right? She's that French actress, isn't she?"

"Exactly! She played in The Kiss, and her image fits Vivian perfectly. The question is whether she'll accept the invitation. You've likely heard some of the stories surrounding her."

"Alright, I'll send the invite out promptly. If she turns it down, Eric, I think Meg Ryan would be a good option too. About Julia Roberts, isn't she the waitress who showed up at your place that night? She doesn't exactly fit the bill, does she?"

In his memory, Meg Ryan had been a generation's 'America's Sweetheart' before Jennifer Aniston. Eric recalled Meg's notable films, like the famous Sleepless in Seattle, and agreed she had a great image. But since he had already chosen to promote Julia Roberts, influenced by the past, Eric wouldn't pass this opportunity to someone else.

"Trust me, Jeffrey, it's settled. I have my reasons for choosing Julia Roberts. And by the way, make sure to contact Kepler Hyde, the owner of the Hyde Talent Agency, as soon as possible."

Taking the sheet of information Eric handed him, Jeffrey glanced over it. "Eric, Kepler Hyde is indeed quite capable. I heard that over the last couple of years, he managed several A-list projects for CAA. It's just that he had a fallout with Michael Ovitz, which is why he was ousted from CAA. They are quite powerful in the industry right now, so it might be best not to intentionally anger Michael Ovitz."

Eric smirked to himself; he had long been annoyed by how quickly CAA signed Stuart Ronkel. Though Michael Ovitz was being hailed as the most powerful man in Hollywood by some media outlets, Eric speculated that CAA's reign of power wouldn't last more than five or six more years. By the latter half of the 1990s, while CAA would still dominate many star resources, it wouldn't hold the same sway against the emerging media conglomerates.

Besides, Eric felt that compared to CAA, he was still a 'small fry,' so stoking conflict wasn't a concern. CAA might dominate numerous A-list stars, but Eric was confident in his ability to create a star.

"Let's go with this decision, Jeffrey. We're still a small operation, and CAA wouldn't bother with us."

With a resigned shrug, Jeffrey replied, "Alright, as you wish."

...

After persuading Jeffrey to join him for lunch, Eric planned to head to his study to work on Resident Evil when the phone in the living room suddenly rang.

"Hello, this is the Williams residence," Eric answered, slightly distancing the receiver from his ear. He had received several harassing calls in recent days, including one instance where a guy launched into a tirade as soon as the call connected, leaving Eric's eardrum ringing. He had even contemplated changing his phone number after that experience.

There was silence on the other end for a while. Eric was about to hang up on thinking yet another harassing call when a voice finally broke through. "Hello, Eric."

Hearing that familiar voice, Eric felt a rush of excitement as he sank into the couch. "Hi, Jenny! I've been wanting to explain what happened that morning. Drew and I weren't involved at all. I was completely tanked that night; she was just messing around!"

"W-wait, that has nothing to do with me. We... we already broke up?"

In a Manhattan apartment, Jennifer Aniston listened to Eric's anxious explanation, her voice trembling. She clearly struggled with her feelings and harbored some resentment towards the oblivious guy on the other end of the line.

On her third day in New York, Drew Barrymore had somehow managed to find her contact info and explained the situation. Meanwhile, the infuriating guy had yet to seek her out or even reach out since that day. If it weren't for a special, important matter that day, Jennifer swore she wouldn't have contacted that jerk for anything.

If Eric had known what Jennifer was thinking, he would have felt wronged. Ever since that day, a whirlwind of events had been wearing him down, leaving him afraid to go out. He couldn't afford to deal with this mess.

*****

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