Chapter 741: Are You Really Letting Others Live?

[Chapter 741: Are You Really Letting Others Live?]

Eric stepped out of the car in front of the Fox headquarters at Century City and made his way, familiar as ever, to Elisabeth's office. Just as he approached, a young secretary holding a microphone and on the phone attempted to block his path. Although she recognized Eric immediately, she mustered the courage to say, "Uh, excuse me, Mr. Williams, do you have an appointment?"

Eric looked at the fresh-faced blonde girl and playfully asked, "Can I make an appointment now, hmm..." He glanced at his watch and continued, "Let's set it for 4:05."

It just happened to be 4:05 PM. The secretary understood at once that Eric was teasing her. She was also acutely aware of Eric's relationship with Elisabeth but had only started working there a few days ago and wasn't sure if she should let him in directly.

Seeing the flustered look on her face, Eric chuckled, "Okay, just a joke. Is Liz busy with a client right now?"

The secretary shook her head.

"Then call her and tell her I'm here."

The secretary finally snapped out of her daze, put down the phone she was holding, and dialed Elisabeth's extension. After a brief exchange, she gestured for Eric to go in.

Eric pushed the door open and stepped into Elisabeth's office. She was buried in a pile of documents on her desk. Eric noticed that when he entered, her shoulder, clad in a white shirt, paused for a moment, but she didn't look up to greet him. He smiled and walked around the desk, leaning against the edge beside her. "Why did you hire such an inexperienced secretary? She doesn't seem to know anything."

No response.

Eric's lips curled into a mischievous grin as he gently flicked her earlobe.

"Ah!"

Elisabeth jumped slightly, turning to glare at him. "You jerk! I'm working here. What are you doing showing up now?"

"Nothing much. I just got back from San Francisco and suddenly thought of you, so I came to see you."

Hmm... hmpf.

A flicker of joy crossed Elisabeth's face, but it quickly turned into a frown. "What's so interesting about me? I don't have a 'Mission: Impossible' universe to entertain you."

"Oh, so that's where today's little fire is coming from."

Eric chuckled, wanting to flick her earlobe again. "But MGM doesn't have an animation studio either."

Elisabeth swatted his hand away, rebutting, "That's totally different."

"Alright, don't be upset. Come on, give me a kiss."

Eric soothingly leaned in closer. This time, Elisabeth only slightly dodged, allowing him to kiss her by the lips.

Once he pulled away, Elisabeth still sounded slightly annoyed. "You've spoiled her with popular franchises like Mission: Impossible, Night at the Museum, and Charlie's Angels. And now there's 007 -- she's practically been pampered to the heavens."

Eric explained with a grin, "You know the situation with MGM better than anyone. Without these popular franchises to boost them, they've been on a decline for years and can't regain any strength. Fox is doing quite well now; Jim Carrey's Liar Liar should reach about $180 million in North America, and it cost only $40 million to make -- way more profitable than any blockbuster out this summer. Plus, I heard you were recently negotiating with Lucas about rebooting Star Wars; how did that go?"

Mentioning Star Wars brightened Elisabeth's mood a bit.

The Star Wars series had been a phenomenon for over a decade, and the talks of a reboot were ongoing.

Based on a long-standing agreement, even though nearly twenty years had passed, Fox still held distribution rights for the Star Wars series. Although the significant profits went to Lucas, Fox could still fill their coffers simply by holding the distribution rights across various channels.

"I've contacted Lucas a few times already. We can probably start preparing for the project next year, but it won't hit theaters until at least 1997."

While Elisabeth sounded somewhat dissatisfied, Eric knew that this was actually two years earlier than in his former life, which wasn't too shabby.

"For things like this, rushing doesn't help," Eric said, picking up the stack of documents in front of Elisabeth and casually asking, "What's got you so busy?"

"The script for this year's The X-Files. Can you take a look at it for me?"

The X-Files was set to enter its sixth season, and according to plan, after the seventh season wrapped up the next year, Brad Pitt and Famke Janssen wouldn't be renewing their contracts, putting an end to the classic sci-fi series.

Eric had long since moved on from that project and hadn't even looked back at the first two seasons, only knowing that the show's ratings remained steady. As he flipped through the script for the new season, he felt an odd sense of unfamiliarity.

Noticing that Eric was engrossed in the script, Elisabeth got up and guided him into her office chair, saying, "You keep reading, I'll go make you some coffee."

Eric nodded, thinking that matters regarding the Digital Domain weren't too pressing. He set the script back on the desk and continued flipping through the pages.

A little while later, Elisabeth came back with two cups of coffee, pulled over an extra chair, and sat down beside Eric. Just as she was about to ask something, Eric pulled out several pages from the script and said, "I want this episode -- have them come up with a new one to fill in."

"Hey, I asked you to take a look at the script! I didn't ask you to steal my work," Elisabeth protested, a bit annoyed, while reaching for the pages Eric had taken.

She had just skimmed the script, but a quick glance was enough to bring the content back to mind.

This episode narrates a series of mysterious deaths during a class trip to New York, where a student has a premonition of a plane crash and manages to get a few teachers and classmates off the flight before takeoff. After the plane took off, it soon exploded, killing all passengers and crew members onboard, while those who temporarily got off survived.

But that was just the beginning. Those who had avoided the flight soon met their demise in inexplicable accidents, classifying the incident as mysterious. Detective Mulder and his partner Scully were sent to investigate, yet they ultimately couldn't prevent the remaining survivors from perishing, nor could they uncover any potential cause.

Flipping through the writer's notes, Elisabeth said, "I remember now, the writer for this episode is Asian, and he based it on some mysterious beliefs. It's about the grim reaper's claims for life..."

Without a doubt, this was the premise for what would become Final Destination in the future. Eric hadn't expected to find this script here, nearly being used for The X-Files.

Listening to Elisabeth's vague explanation, Eric explained, "There's a kind of fatalism in Eastern culture. The grim reaper believes everyone has a set lifespan; once that time comes, you die, with no one able to escape death's grasp. This script adopts that philosophy."

"Mm-hmm, exactly," Elisabeth nodded, suddenly recalling he was somewhat familiar with the Eastern pholosophy, "Are there any other strange customs?"

Eric pretended to ponder for a moment. "Yeah, their men can marry seven wives."

"That's nonsense," Elisabeth scoffed, raising her chin and lifting the script in her hand. "If you want one, bring something to trade for it."

Eric feigned a deeply determined expression. "How about this: I'll just give you a chance."

"Pfft," Elisabeth playfully pinched his side.

Eric grasped her hand and said, "Alright, enough of the teasing. I actually have a script I intend to give you; it might be a good exchange. This script is styled perfectly for New Line, while the other is more suitable for Fox."

"Really, what script?" Elisabeth perked up.

Eric briefly summarized the script for Austin Powers, which he planned for New Line to develop. However, as the relationship between Firefly and MGM became closer and closer, Eric finally decided to give up.

For the sake of brand reputation, just like Disney wouldn't parody its own princesses like Snow White and Cinderella, MGM definitely wouldn't mock the 007 franchise. Even if Firefly and MGM didn't show much overt connection, Eric was currently spearheading MGM's spy film universe plan. Thus, it would have been highly inappropriate for New Line to make a spoof like Austin Powers under those circumstances.

After listening to Eric's explanation, Elisabeth understood why Firefly was passing on that script and teasingly remarked, "Wow, you're really protective of her."

"I'm protective of all of you."

"Hmm..."

Elisabeth responded with a soft hum, feeling somewhat touched. Then she realized the 'YOU' Eric referenced was plural, lightly tapping him on the shoulder. "Greedy guy."

Eric reassuringly patted Elisabeth's shoulder and said, "Tomorrow, let the writer of this episode contact New Line. I'll arrange to have the script for Austin Powers sent over. Oh, and one more thing: if possible, try to cast a Victoria's Secret Angel for the female lead."

"I got it! But if their acting isn't up to par, I won't agree."

"The female lead is basically just a pretty face; there's not much acting skill needed -- just look good," Eric chuckled, glancing at his watch. "It's about time. Let's grab dinner and talk shop."

"I knew you wouldn't come all the way to see me for nothing," Elisabeth mumbled, starting to gather her things to leave a bit early.

...

As the two left the office, Eric initially thought about inviting Julia, but learned she was in the UK.

"Shakespeare in Love?" At a restaurant in Beverly Hills, Eric was surprised to hear Elisabeth mention the title.

Turns out, the Weinstein Brothers had already begun planning for Shakespeare in Love and had invited Julia to be the female lead.

"Julia feels that Daniel Day-Lewis is the perfect choice for Shakespeare, so she personally flew to the UK to ask him."

After his roles in In the Name of the Father and The Age of Innocence two years ago, Daniel Day-Lewis had taken a temporary hiatus from acting due to his marriage, and with his already limited output, Eric didn't hold high hopes for Julia's trip to the UK.

However, he quickly recalled another detail: in the original timeline, Shakespeare in Love would absolutely sweep the Oscars in 1999, even winning Best Picture.

But this year had Forrest Gump; Eric couldn't believe the Weinsteins could manage to overshadow Forrest Gump with Shakespeare in Love.

"What's the detailed production plan for Miramax? It shouldn't be set to release this year, right?"

"There was a plan for that," Elisabeth replied as she browsed the menu, stealing a glance at Eric. "But Harvey is very optimistic about this project. He knows if it premieres this year, it won't win against Forrest Gump at the Oscars, so he pushed it back to next year. Julia's trip to the UK is to consult Daniel Day-Lewis about his availability next year."

"Oh, that's good to know." Although the previous life's Best Actress was somewhat questionable, the overall Oscar potential for Shakespeare in Love was undeniable. If it coincided with Forrest Gump, it could lead to one of the biggest Oscar blunders in history.

Ugh, blunder.

This year, with Forrest Gump; next year...

Titanic.

If Forrest Gump was a surefire winner, Titanic was definitely set to shock the Oscars with its box office performance.

Noticing Eric's change in expression, Elisabeth asked, "What's wrong?"

"I was just wondering if Julia was aiming for an Oscar win or something," Eric pondered for a moment.

Elisabeth nodded, "She wants to try, which is why she invited Daniel Day-Lewis. But really, just getting a nomination would be good enough; after all, she's not in a rush."

At only twenty-eight, it wasn't easy for actors, male or female, to snag an Oscar before turning thirty.

Hearing Elisabeth's words, Eric remarked, "So why not wait another couple of years? I mean, for this project, if Daniel Day-Lewis doesn't agree this time, wouldn't it make sense to wait another two years?"

Elisabeth hesitated for a moment, slowly understanding, "Next year... You mean there would be another film around the caliber of Forrest Gump coming from your side?"

Eric shrugged, "I can't say for sure, but the odds, well, they're quite high."

Elisabeth let out a long sigh and said to Eric, "Are you really letting anyone else live?"

*****

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