Chapter 475: Stanley Kubrick

[Chapter 537: Stanley Kubrick]

After leaving the Bel-Air Country Club, Arthur and Jennifer Connelly arrived at a bar near UCLA.

"Is Woody Allen going to jail?" Jennifer Connelly asked as she sat next to Arthur on the couch.

Arthur shook his head. "Who knows? I mean, O.J. Simpson got off scot-free!"

Besides, Song Yi had been Woody Allen's girlfriend for several years now.

"That's too bad," Jennifer Connelly said, not knowing what else to say. "By the way, Arthur, at the Golden Globes, Sense and Sensibility won Best Film in the Drama category. Nicolas Cage and John Travolta each won Best Actor in the Drama and Musical/Comedy categories for Leaving Las Vegas and Get Shorty."

"They both gave solid performances!"

"Yeah," Jennifer Connelly suddenly fixed her gaze on the TV, which was showing an NBA game between the Chicago Bulls and the Orlando Magic.

Arthur reached over to touch Jennifer Connelly's thigh and asked, "Wasn't Dennis Rodman traded from the Spurs to the Bulls at the start of the season? With Jordan back, the Bulls reclaimed their throne this season!"

"Well, Arthur, haven't you been keeping up with the NBA lately?" Jennifer Connelly said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a peck. "The Galaxy is doing pretty well too!"

Arthur smiled. "The Galaxy's current home is at the Anaheim Honda Center; they're moving to the LA Galaxy Stadium next season."

"I'm really looking forward to the Galaxy Stadium opening!"

"Mm," said Arthur, then he kissed the girl. After their kiss, he excused himself to the restroom.

After leaving the restroom, Arthur bumped into the legendary director Stanley Kubrick in the hallway!

"Arthur, good evening," Stanley Kubrick greeted him warmly.

Arthur nodded and smiled. "Let's grab a drink together. I heard you're working on a new film?"

After directing Full Metal Jacket in 1987, Stanley Kubrick hadn't released any new works.

However, the 68-year-old director looked like he wasn't in great health.

Kubrick nodded and joined Arthur in the seating area, where Arthur introduced him to Jennifer Connelly.

"I've wanted to adapt the Austrian playwright Arthur Schnitzler's novel Dream Story since the '70s," Kubrick said. "I've finally finished the script, changing the setting from 1920s Vienna to New York."

Hearing this, Arthur realized it was that film Eyes Wide Shut; he wondered if he would still consider Tom Cruise for the lead role.

"Has it really been that long?" Arthur guessed that Kubrick was still planning for the film. Hollywood knew Kubrick was meticulous about details, with extremely high standards for his films.

Kubrick looked at Arthur and smiled. "You used to be an actor, didn't you? How about trying out?"

Arthur quickly shook his head. He had no time to act. "No thanks. There are so many actors in Hollywood; I'd rather not compete for roles!"

Jennifer Connelly, who was sitting next to Arthur, reminded him, "Plus, didn't Kubrick say before that this new film was going to feature a real married couple?"

Arthur paused, looking at Stanley Kubrick. "Is that true?"

Kubrick nodded. "It was indeed mentioned in the media!"

Arthur threw up his hands. "Look, I'm not married, and I'm not even an actor! Bruce Willis and Demi Moore are currently one of Hollywood's hottest couples, right?"

Kubrick shook his head. "I'm actually more optimistic about Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger as a couple. But, since the distributor is Warner Bros., we'll have to discuss it with them!"

Kubrick's status was significant; although he hadn't made many films, each one was a masterpiece in its genre. His works like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Lolita, The Shining, and Full Metal Jacket held monumental places in film history! Would Warner Bros. object to using Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger?

...

Later that evening, at Arthur's Bel-Air home.

"Arthur, is this new film Stanley Kubrick's last? It's certainly drawing a lot of attention," Jennifer Connelly said, lying on Arthur's lap, her voluptuous figure pressing against him!

"The impact is definitely significant," Arthur admitted as he roamed his hands over her body. "Stanley Kubrick is a master of cinema, and many people are eager to see his final work."

But Arthur knew that Kubrick's film would be nothing short of extraordinary!

Jennifer Connelly smiled and leaned in to kiss Arthur...

...

The next day, in Glendale at the Galaxy headquarters, Arthur noticed a headline in the San Francisco Chronicle: "A witness providing evidence of tax evasion against Mark Getty -- Jonathan Klein, a partner at Getty Investments, died in a car accident!"

"The Getty family, oh boy," Arthur said as he leaned back in his chair and made a few phone calls.

Clearly, Frank Jordan, who was successfully reelected as San Francisco's mayor, was now facing tough competition.

The death of Jonathan Klein significantly impacted the tax evasion and money laundering case against the Getty family, making the likelihood of successfully prosecuting Mark Getty slim.

However, Arthur was indifferent to such matters; after all, he was a famous tycoon. When would the law ever really catch up to the wealthy?

At that moment, Arthur's assistant, Anna Walker, entered his office. "Jim Carrey's agent has signed contracts for Dumb and Dumber 2 and The Truman Show with us!"

Arthur nodded. "Great, we'll start filming Dumb and Dumber 2 as soon as they're done with Liar Liar. The Truman Show will begin filming next year."

Anna Walker then handed Arthur an invitation. "This is an invitation from Mr. Rupert Murdoch for a private party at his Beverly Hills villa."

Arthur took the invitation. It was likely a precursor to the launch of Fox Sports Net (FSN), a joint venture between FOX and Liberty Media!

Nowadays, cable channels were facing increasingly fierce competition.

*****

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