Chapter 220: Tom's Studio

"Edward Pressman? He just bought the rights to a very controversial novel this year and wants to adapt it into a movie," Arthur recalled after returning to the Beverly Hills villa with Madchen Amick. Edward Pressman was someone he remembered.

The novel in question was last year's controversial thriller American Psycho by young American author Bret Easton Ellis!

The novel's story is set in the mid-1980s, during the peak of Wall Street. The protagonist, Bateman, is a wealthy financial investor who, bored with the competitive life of the upper class, begins living a double life.

By day, he is the golden boy of Wall Street, mingling with the elite.

By night, he is a bloodthirsty serial killer, greedily preying on the lives of the weak and women.

Not only is the novel filled with violence and sensitive themes, but Bret Easton Ellis also spares no details in his depiction of gruesome murder scenes.

American Psycho was surrounded by controversy from the moment it was released. The novel was X-rated, restricted in sales, and even banned in some countries.

Feminists heavily criticized and opposed the book due to its depiction of violence against women.

Under intense criticism from various groups, Bret Easton Ellis even received death threats!

However, Arthur knew that Edward Pressman faced significant resistance in adapting this novel. He recalled that it would be several years before Christian Bale starred in the movie American Psycho.

The distributor would eventually be Lionsgate!

"Well, I don't know the specifics, but I heard that finding a director for American Psycho is also tough," Madchen Amick almost took a role in Edward Pressman's film production company.

Arthur smiled, indifferent to these matters, and hugged Madchen Amick. "Let's take a bath together!"

Meanwhile, in New York, Tom Cruise attended a promotional event for A Few Good Men and had dinner with his agent.

"Tom, the reception for A Few Good Men has been excellent, and your performance in the movie is outstanding," Tom Cruise's agent Paula Wagner had to admit Arthur Smith's eye for selecting projects was truly sharp.

Tom Cruise also saw A Few Good Men doing well and felt reassured, but he was somewhat dissatisfied: "But my movie Far and Away, which was released in late May, fell short of expectations. To date, the North American box office has just reached $50 million, and overseas it has barely surpassed $60 million. And the movie's reviews weren't great either!"

Tom Cruise didn't have any movies released last year, but this year he had two come out, as the shooting of Far and Away had been extended.

"Your portrayal of the naval lawyer in A Few Good Men is vivid, and now Paramount has bought the rights to the novel The Firm, which is also about lawyers. John Grisham's novel, and Paramount intends to cast you as the male lead in the film adaptation of The Firm," Paula Wagner put down her utensils, wiped her mouth, and looked at Tom Cruise.

"You've seen the script; there's no doubt about its brilliance. Although it's also about lawyers, it's a very different type than A Few Good Men."

Also, Galaxy purchased another John Grisham novel, The Pelican Brief, and plans to release it next year.

"Don't worry, I like the script a lot," Tom Cruise didn't object. His habit was to release one movie starring himself each year.

As a megastar, he couldn't be overly exposed to the public eye; he had to maintain a sense of mystery. He also wouldn't take on commercials or participate in various TV shows, except for promoting movies or attending charity events.

"Once we set up our film production company, I won't be able to act as your agent anymore," Paula Wagner said seriously about the idea of a film studio.

Since Arthur Smith raised the idea last year, Paula had been thinking about it constantly. Initially, Tom Cruise wasn't keen on the idea, but now he wanted more control over his movies.

Setting up a film studio and getting involved in production was the way to achieve this.

"Got anyone in mind?" Tom Cruise was now very focused on establishing the film studio. Given his current status, it was long overdue.

However, Tom Cruise didn't want just a namesake film studio; he wanted to be genuinely involved in production.

Paula Wagner nodded and explained, "Yes, an experienced veteran entertainment manager, Pat Kingsley. Her PR skills are excellent and I believe she can handle all your other matters effectively. The studio will handle your film-related affairs, while Pat Kingsley can take care of everything else."

At 60, Pat Kingsley has been working in Hollywood for a long time and now has her PR firm working for many celebrities.

Compared to the 46-year-old Paula Wagner, Pat Kingsley has more experience and a broader network!

"Alright, I'll find time to meet Ms. Pat Kingsley," Tom Cruise trusted Paula Wagner completely.

"A while later, we'll resume detailed discussions with Paramount about The Firm. Also, we need to keep a close eye on the public's reception of A Few Good Men."

The racing action movie Days of Thunder, directed by Tony Scott and released two years ago, was commercially successful globally. However, the reviews for Days of Thunder were not very favorable. Then, this year's Far and Away was unsatisfactory both commercially and critically.

Now, A Few Good Men was the film Tom Cruise valued most this year. Maintaining his superstar status required a continuous output of good movies!

"Moreover, there's another project in the works, an adaptation of Anne Rice's novel Interview with the Vampire. It's being developed by David Geffen's Geffen Pictures in collaboration with Warner Bros. Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles series is very popular, and Interview with the Vampire is also quite well-known. David Geffen intends to invite you to play the vampire Lestat!"

Tom Cruise thought for a moment, "I've read that novel before. Has the project started?"

Paula Wagner shook her head, "It's still in the early stages of development, and they haven't even decided on a director yet. The novel was sitting in Paramount's warehouse for ten years before it recently moved to Warner Bros."

"I see...."

*****

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