Chapter 39: She Was Always the First Choice

Quickly, Arthur informed his agent, Tracy Jacobs, about the terms he discussed with Orion Pictures. She would handle the upcoming series of contracts for him!

"Sleeping with the Enemy script?" Tracy Jacobs asked somewhat wistfully, "You could have informed the ITA to help you with this."

"Can you get me a $15 million production budget?" Arthur scoffed.

"Alright, after Sleepless in Seattle wraps up, I will help Orion develop this Sleeping with the Enemy," he continued. "And the script for The Silence of the Lambs, I also need Orion's $5 million investment. I plan to develop both projects simultaneously!"

Tracy Jacobs was wide-eyed upon hearing this, "You want to develop two projects at the same time?"

Arthur nodded, "But, I'll prioritize Sleeping with the Enemy first. The Silence of the Lambs still needs investment."

Although Arthur could save on the $20 million budget, he still needed at least $15 million in funds, so he had to secure an additional $10 million.

"Do you have a plan?" Tracy Jacobs inquired.

"I have a rough plan. You first negotiate this agreement with Orion. Once Sleepless in Seattle wraps up, we will sign the contract as soon as possible," Arthur insisted on focusing on Sleepless in Seattle first.

"Alright, since you decided, I'll help you negotiate with Orion," Tracy Jacobs had no reason to oppose. After all, she received commissions from Arthur Smith's income from script sales and producer roles.

Upon returning to Los Angeles, although Winona Ryder lost her role in The Godfather III, she was not too emotionally disturbed thanks to Arthur's counsel.

Arthur certainly wanted to prevent future scandals involving Winona Ryder, such as shoplifting due to mental health issues.

Before Christmas, Arthur returned to New York to the Sleepless in Seattle crew. As for meeting Jennifer Connelly in Los Angeles, Arthur did not give it much thought.

Currently, compared to his career, the importance of women must come second.

"Cut," Director Nora Ephron shouted from the observatory of the Empire State Building, "That's a wrap for today!"

This was the final scene of the movie. Arthur waited for Nora Ephron to sit down and then said with a smile: "After Christmas, we will go to Baltimore to shoot for about half a month before wrapping it up. By March, the film should be edited, and Columbia can release it in late June."

Nora Ephron looked at Arthur, "I heard you have a new script with Orion Pictures?"

Arthur nodded and didn't hide it from Nora Ephron, "It's a thriller, and the investment is smaller than this one."

"I'll start preparing for that one as soon as we wrap up Sleepless in Seattle!"

"Alright," Nora Ephron patted Arthur's shoulder in encouragement, "If you need any help, feel free to call me. The smooth shoot of Sleepless in Seattle owes a lot to you."

"Thank you, I will," Arthur knew Nora Ephron excelled at women's stories. Though Sleeping with the Enemy also had a female lead perspective, it wasn't Ephron's forte in romantic comedy but a thriller.

"Merry Christmas!"

"Same to you," Nora Ephron thought for a moment before reminding him, "Many scenes in Baltimore are exterior shots, which are relatively easy. You don't have to stay with the crew all the time."

Arthur nodded, "If any issues arise, just call me!"

Thus, after Christmas, Arthur stayed in New York and did not go to Baltimore. As the New Year arrived, Tracy Jacobs also finalized the contract with Orion.

Arthur Smith transformed into the executive producer of Sleeping with the Enemy, and he also obtained the coveted rights for The Silence of the Lambs!

"Is Orion being stingy? Not even providing $1 million for the early preparation of The Silence of the Lambs?"

In the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan, after signing the contract, Arthur was given $3 million by Mike Medavoy to start preparing for Sleeping with the Enemy, but there was no mention of The Silence of the Lambs, which he deeply cared about.

Mike Medavoy consoled him, "Arthur, the company's focus right now is on two movies: Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves and your Sleeping with the Enemy. You're still young. If you handle the production of two projects simultaneously, it might be overwhelming!"

Arthur frowned, "Is Orion Pictures planning to withdraw from The Silence of the Lambs project?"

Mike Medavoy shook his head, "Jonathan Demme is a good friend of mine. I'll support him. The $5 million won't be less."

"You'll need to find the remaining funds yourself!"

Looking at Arthur Smith, Mike Medavoy changed the topic, "The most important thing for Sleeping with the Enemy is the lead actress. She must be sexy, pretty, and have commercial appeal."

"Arthur, do you have any ideas?"

"Nowadays, in Hollywood, when it comes to scripts about young women, the first choice for movie companies is always Meg Ryan," Arthur pointed out directly. "Mr. Medavoy came to New York to sign the contract with me for her, right?"

"That's right. The role in Sleeping with the Enemy is different from her typical comedic roles and tests her acting skills. We believe Meg Ryan is very suitable!"

Arthur was helpless. Meg Ryan was as popular as ever. She was the first choice for the lead in Pretty Woman and The Silence of the Lambs too.

Meg Ryan had explicitly declined Pretty Woman, not wanting to play a prostitute, which gave way to Julia Roberts.

As for The Silence of the Lambs, she declined because she didn't like the thriller-horror genre. This made it hard to secure investment for the script. Even Jonathan Demme's desired lead, Michelle Pfeiffer, also turned down the role!

"Mr. Medavoy, Sleeping with the Enemy is also a thriller. You're aware of Meg Ryan's situation. She's very selective with her scripts now."

Although Arthur was currently working with her on Sleepless in Seattle, he wasn't in a position to persuade her to take on Sleeping with the Enemy.

"We can offer a higher salary. Arthur, you know that Meg Ryan's connection with the audience is something few actresses can match," Mike Medavoy was keenly focused on the commercial aspect.

For instance, Jodie Foster, an acclaimed Hollywood actress who recently won an Oscar, loved the lead role in The Silence of the Lambs so much that she didn't care about the fee.

But neither Orion Pictures nor Jonathan Demme considered her. The main reason was that Jodie Foster, despite her fame, didn't have significant box office appeal.

Arthur nodded, "I'll show her the script first. When the Sleepless in Seattle crew returns to New York next week, we can discuss it together..."

*****

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