Chapter 61: The Party

[Chapter 61: The Party]

"Didn't the Ronkels make it?" Jeffrey casually asked as he held a glass of red wine in one corner of the party.

It was the day after returning to Los Angeles, and to thank everyone for their support over the past six months, Eric decided to throw a private gathering at his Beverly Hills mansion. He had invited several people he had crossed paths with in that time, including James Brooks, Penny Marshall, Jeffrey Hanson, Michael Krauss, Edward Lewis, among others, as well as some actor friends he got to know while filming Home Alone and 17 Again.

With the guests' partners included, there were almost forty to fifty people in attendance, and luckily, Eric had changed venues, avoiding the crowding that had marred his last party.

Hearing Jeffrey's question, Eric shrugged unconcernedly. "I personally called to invite them, but Charles declined."

Jeffrey looked worried as he said, "I heard that Stuart Ronkel has signed on for three movie deals through CAA, and his schedule is booked until next year. What's your plan, Eric?"

Eric reassured him, "Don't worry, Jeffrey. CAA thinks they can control us with a sequel to Home Alone, but that's just wishful thinking. Once those movies Stuart's working on come out, you'll see what I mean."

In his memories, Eric recalled how Macaulay Culkin had shot to fame with Home Alone, but after that, his subsequent films had not fared well at the box office -- some even lost money due to his high salary and overexposure.

"You mean to say that Stuart's other films won't do too well?" Jeffrey mused.

Eric nodded, "Everyone knows Home Alone is an outlier. I'm not denying that. Stuart is just a kid; no matter how famous he is, he can't draw in audiences the way adult stars can. By next year, to maintain Stuart's fame, even if it means severing ties with CAA, the Ronkels will choose to work with us again. That couple..."

Eric trailed off, his expression turning glum as he recalled his cold conversation with Charles Ronkel when inviting them -- he had sensed some arrogance in Charles's demeanor.

Eric surmised that Charles probably believed that without his son, there wouldn't have been such success with Home Alone.

Some folks always exaggerated their own importance.

"But what if Stuart ends up starring in a blockbuster?" Jeffrey pressed.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Even if that happens, we can negotiate then. Once Pretty Woman comes out, you'll understand that I'm not just living off Home Alone," Eric replied confidently.

Just then, he caught a glimpse of Drew Barrymore in a little red dress casually pouring herself a glass of red wine from a server's tray. Eric shot her an annoyed look, and Drew, realizing she had been caught, quickly put the glass back, stuck out her tongue, and dashed back to a group of younger guests.

Noticing Eric's reaction, Jeffrey teased, "You're such a softie with her. Even at eighteen, you treat Drew like she's your daughter. If you ever have kids, you'll definitely be a good dad."

"Let's not rush into that -- I'm only eighteen, and I'm not in a hurry to tie the knot or start a family," Eric chuckled.

...

As they were talking, James Brooks and a few other guests came over to greet them.

"James, thanks for that favor," Eric said as he raised his glass.

James grinned, "No big deal. I saw that photo of you two in the Los Angeles Daily News the other day. You really look good together."

Jeffrey joined in the laughter, "Eric, are you sure that photo wasn't staged? It's hard to believe that snapped by an amateur photographer!"

"But that's how it happened! I even spent a grand to buy the negatives. It inspired me for a new script," Eric said.

Now intrigued, James asked, "Can you share what it's about?"

"Of course," Eric replied. "The story unfolds between a single father and a journalist engaged to someone else..."

Eric took a few minutes to share the story outline for Sleepless in Seattle.

James remarked, "Sounds like the inspiration came from An Affair to Remember."

Eric didn't deny it. "In the script, the female lead loves An Affair to Remember. If we end up filming it, I might even pay homage using the theme from that movie."

At first, James entertained the thought of producing Eric's script himself, perhaps partnering with Firefly Films, but after hearing Eric's description, he reconsidered.

Eric hadn't detailed much about Sleepless in Seattle, so James viewed it merely as another romantic story. Though romantic films made up a significant portion of Hollywood, few succeeded at the box office during this era, where action, sci-fi, and even thrillers tended to far outpace romances in revenue.

James's lack of excitement about the script actually relieved Eric. If James had shown interest, he wouldn't have known how to turn him down. After all, Sleepless in Seattle was expected to be a blockbuster, and the thought of owing James a favor in giving it away was hard to swallow.

Soon, the conversation shifted to other topics, and the discussion of Sleepless in Seattle faded into the background -- until later, when the movie grossed over two hundred million worldwide, and James Brooks would be regretting the missed opportunity.

"Eric, I heard Pretty Woman is set to release around Valentine's Day. I think it's a risky move. You've only got five weeks after the New Year to start filming, and with the review process, the actual production and post production time could be less than four weeks."

Eric was confident as he responded, "Actually, we started prepping the film two weeks ago. It's just over a week until we begin shooting, which gives me plenty of time to iron out all the details, so four weeks is more than enough. Pretty Woman doesn't have many main scenes; filming should be a breeze."

In Eric's past life, unforeseen delays had taken twelve weeks during which they switched production companies and revised the script.

Typically, large film shoots amassed dozens of hours of film footage; major productions sometimes even exceeded hundred-plus hours, which consumed a massive amount of time.

But with a complete film already in mind, Eric surely wouldn't waste that much time. If it weren't for the necessity of actors putting in the work to bond with the material emotionally, he could have filmed those memories directly.

Even so, as long as the actors hit their marks, Eric remained confident that he could compress the footage to under ten hours. With that, the four weeks for shooting and post-production would be more than sufficient.

*****

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