Chapter 292: Robert's Concerns

[Chapter 292: Robert's Concerns]

After Eric met with Murdoch on Sunset Boulevard, Murdoch put on quite a performance for the public. However, Eric was not unprepared; he had arranged for a few well-placed insiders to leak some information to the tabloids ahead of time.

As a result, the next morning, numerous newspapers circulated dubious stories. There was talk that Fox would continue to distribute all films directed by Eric for the next three years. Rumors suggested that Fox was engaging in a stock swap with Firefly Films to strengthen their collaboration, or that they were joining forces to produce a special effects blockbuster titled Jurassic Park.

While to the uninitiated these reports might have seemed trivial, they caused quite a stir within the Hollywood circle. No one doubted that many people who were aware of the recent turmoil recognized that Fox was clearly "betraying" the alliance of the seven major film companies in favor of Firefly Films.

Undoubtedly, after this uproar, alongside the seemingly unscathed Firefly, Fox would emerge as the biggest beneficiary.

Despite Fox's attempts to clarify and insist that they weren't forming significant partnerships with Firefly, the quick revival of the previously stalled television shows The X-Files and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire served to indicate that some form of collaboration had indeed been agreed upon between Fox and Firefly.

In this scenario, the other major studios that had hoped to suppress Firefly soon found their alliance crumbling. To mend their rift with Firefly, various film companies extended their goodwill and expressed interest in working with Eric. After all, the total box office for North America had barely crossed the $5 billion mark that past year, and films related to Eric constituted nearly one-fifth of that total. No one would question Eric's capabilities in filmmaking at this point. Since suppressing him yielded no results, collaboration seemed to be the best route forward.

...

"Robert, the selling point of this film isn't just pure sensuality. Simple sexual affairs can only invoke a fleeting, shallow impulse. But when sex is mixed with bloody violence, human desire becomes exceedingly intense. That's the real edge of the script for Basic Instinct.

You must have read it by now. If the initial sex scene in the script was just that -- a sex scene -- the audience might respond with a whistle or a gasp. But when that passionate intimacy suddenly morphs into a bloody slaughter, their adrenaline will spike, drawing them into the story without them realizing it."

In Firefly's small conference room, Eric was outlining the script for Basic Instinct to Robert Shea. Initially, Robert had shown great interest in the script, but Eric's announcement that he wouldn't be crediting himself as the writer began to raise his doubts. Although Robert understood that Eric wanted to protect his public image -- especially since adapting Basic Instinct would undoubtedly invite controversy -- this rationale did not fully assuage his concerns.

During their negotiations the previous year, Robert had managed to secure the opportunity to independently handle two major films this year. If things went south, it would be challenging to ask for similar chances in the future; he would only have to settle for handling film distribution.

Thus, even though Eric had personally written the script for Basic Instinct, Robert felt uneasy about moving forward without Eric's name attached. Based on Eric's recent response to the debacle, as well as his maneuvers that dismantled the alliance of the seven studios, Robert didn't want to underestimate Eric, who was still just twenty. He hesitated, uncertain if he could completely trust Eric with this script. After all, if the film flopped, it was hard to imagine Eric not laying the blame at his feet, considering each of Eric's past scripts had turned into box office hits.

After a moment of contemplation, Robert devised another reason: "Eric, I think this movie is going to face serious challenges with ratings. You've mentioned that the budget is over $20 million -- if it gets slapped with an NC-17 rating, we would surely take a huge loss. We just had a standoff with the seven major companies; they might not hesitate to squeeze us in this regard, especially since everyone knows the rating board is controlled by those seven studios."

Listening to Robert's insincere words, Eric understood his apprehensions and sighed inwardly, deciding not to push further.

Since Robert was reluctant, he figured he would hand the film over to Jeffrey to handle. That way, he could involve himself worry-free and avoid any major deviations from his vision.

Just as he was about to speak, the mobile phone at Eric's right suddenly rang, the sound echoing sharply in the otherwise quiet conference room.

Robert didn't show any signs of displeasure; he simply nodded to Eric and picked up his coffee. Eric hesitated for a moment before reaching for the phone, silently hoping it wasn't a debt collector.

That night, under unexpected circumstances, Eric had ended up in bed with Elisabeth and Julia. Although it had been thrilling at the time, he had to make a hasty exit that morning. He figured that if the two women woke up and discovered what had happened, they might react in a way that could become utterly chaotic. Sneaking out was to give them a bit of cooling-off time.

However, things took Eric by surprise. He had thought Elisabeth and Julia would be tracking him down for an explanation that very day, yet three days had passed without a word from either of them. Instead of feeling relieved, Eric couldn't shake off his restlessness.

Making a gesture to Robert Shea, Eric walked out of the small meeting room and strolled down the hall until he reached a quiet corner before answering the phone.

*****

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