Chapter 485: Disliked Marvel

[Chapter 548: Dogs Hate Cats]

After spending the brief vacation in Cancun, Mexico with Jennifer Connelly, she went to promote her upcoming movie, while Arthur went back to Los Angeles.

Sense and Sensibility won the Golden Bear for Best Film at the Berlin International Film Festival, as well as Best Film, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress at the British Academy Film Awards!

At the same time, the screening scale of Sense and Sensibility expanded, with North American box office earnings exceeding $30 million.

Overseas, it surpassed $50 million; it was clear that the final global box office for Sense and Sensibility would definitely exceed $100 million.

...

[T/N: I removed minor part where Brad Pitt asks Arthur for his opinion on Seven Years in Tibet and rejects the film on his suggestion. It doesn't make sense to me why Brad would ask Arthur for his opinion on this film.]

...

Arthur drove his Toyota Supra along Sunset Boulevard toward Santa Monica beach.

"Bang," he collided with a small car that came from a nearby street near the Riviera Country Club.

Arthur was fine, but both car fronts were damaged. He stepped out, just as he was about to take out his phone to make a call.

He saw two young white people getting out of the other car, a guy and a girl.

"Can you drive?" The guy looked at his dented car with a face full of sorrow and shouted at Arthur.

Arthur casually glanced over and called his bodyguard, "Hey, it was you coming from the side. You didn't give way! You better watch where you're going, bastard!"

"Peter, this guy looks rich," the woman beside him said, eying Arthur.

The man named Peter felt a bit eager, glancing at the demure Arthur Smith and instinctively stretching his neck.

He pointed at Arthur, "This isn't going to end easily tonight. You better have enough to cover the damages!"

"Hey," Arthur chuckled. Wasn't that neck stretching just a precursor to throwing punches?

Was he planning to rob him while it was dark?

"Hold on," Arthur lit a cigarette.

"Ten grand," Peter held up a finger, "Just give me ten grand for damages, or you'll lose a lot more."

Saying this, he walked over and flexed his muscles!

Arthur exhaled smoke. "It doesn't matter if it's ten grand or a hundred grand. Let me finish this cigarette first."

"You plan on waiting for the cops?" Peter moved closer.

"Bang," Arthur unexpectedly kicked him.

"Ah, you bastard," Peter yelled as he fell to the ground.

Just as he was about to get up, Arthur kicked him again, sending him back to the ground.

The woman behind looked shocked, trembling in fear. "Wha... what do you want? We'll cover your repair costs!"

Arthur ignored her, finishing his smoke just as Carl Anderson arrived with his bodyguards.

"Arthur, what's happening here?" Carl looked at the man on the ground, the frightened woman, and the two crashed cars.

"These two guys, I don't know if they were on drugs or what, but they came barreling right into me."

"And this guy," Arthur pointed to the man on the ground, "tried to take a swing at me and got kicked down instead!"

"Alright, I'm heading back. You all handle it," Arthur planned to leave and didn't even bother going to Santa Monica, opting instead to return to Beverly Hills.

Carl shrugged; this kind of minor incident could be resolved quickly.

...

Glendale, Galaxy Headquarters.

"Arthur, we finalized talks with Paramount for co-developing Face/Off with an $80 million budget. MGM holds the international distribution rights. What do you think about this film?"

In the morning, Amy Pascal arrived at Arthur's office, discussing negotiations with Sherry Lansing.

"Do you remember the film Broken Arrow that's currently showing?"

Amy nodded. "The lead actor is John Travolta, along with Christian Slater and others. The director is Hong Kong's John Woo, a thrilling action film, and its current box office is $43 million!"

"Yeah, John Woo's violent aesthetic really stands out. We can hand Face/Off to John Woo to direct," Arthur tapped his desk, "As for actors, let's skip Schwarzenegger and Stallone. It's just wasting time. With an $80 million budget, we won't even be able to book them!"

"Oh, John Woo?" Amy nodded again. "Directors Sam Raimi and Quentin Tarantino are really fond of him. They recommended him to us before."

After all, Sam Raimi and Quentin Tarantino had previous collaborations with Galaxy and MGM.

"By the way, have the Oscar nominations been announced yet?"

"Yes, Braveheart, Apollo 13, Sense and Sensibility, Babe, and Il Postino: The Postman are nominated for Best Picture!"

Arthur smiled, not too concerned. He inquired about another matter, "How far along is the blockbuster Titanic from 20th Century Fox?"

"James Cameron is still casting. We'll have to wait until the second half of the year to start filming," Amy Pascal shook her head as she spoke. "I heard a batch of custom silver tableware had the logo printed wrong, so James Cameron had to reorder a new batch. His attention to detail in the film has become quite picky."

Arthur stretched, "Marvel is currently suffering serious losses. The rights for Spider-Man and X-Men adaptations are expiring next year. This year, I plan to acquire Marvel. Then we'll really go head-to-head with Warner Bros. and DC!"

Acquiring Marvel was a given strategy, set to be implemented after Galaxy went public; after all, Marvel was a hot item no one wanted.

*****

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