Chapter 421: The Leading Man of "Mission: Impossible"

"Simon, look this way, please."

"Simon, how's the post-production of 'The Flash' coming along?"

"Do you think 'The Dark Knight' can surpass 'Beginnings' in global box office?"

"Mr. Westeros, could you please put your hands in your pockets... yes, just like that, hold it... thank you."

"Simon, have you and Janet started picking names for the baby yet?"

"Simon, rumors say that casting for the third 'Batman' movie has started, is that true?"

"Simon..."

Amidst a flurry of flashes and questions, Simon patiently lingered at the end of the red carpet at the celebration party for "Batman: The Dark Knight" for a little over a minute before moving towards the corridor leading to the main hall, amidst the pleading voices of the reporters.

The venue was the Sunset Tower Hotel on Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills.

As soon as Simon left the media's view, Cindy Crawford, who had been waiting in the corridor, approached him. Dressed in a deep V-neck black evening gown that perfectly showcased her curves, with a string of pearls around her pale neck, light makeup on her face, and meticulously styled chestnut hair draped over her shoulders, she was dazzlingly beautiful.

Not hiding his appreciative gaze, Simon smiled and took the initiative to greet her, "Good evening, Cindy. You look absolutely stunning tonight."

Cindy Crawford, subtly aligning herself with Simon, flirtatiously adjusted the hair cascading towards him and responded, "Thank you, Simon."

They had just exchanged greetings when someone else approached to speak with Simon.

Upon entering the main hall, what followed was over ten minutes of continuous mingling.

Initially, Cindy Crawford knew she should step away once they entered the main hall. However, Simon, conspicuously without a date that evening, did not seem to mind her close presence.

Most importantly, the sense of 'borrowed authority' she felt was intoxicating.

All the guests who came up to greet Simon naturally assumed she was his date for the evening. They would chat with him for a few moments and always made sure to acknowledge her with a compliment.

Previously, when attending similar events, Hollywood big shots would look at her as if she were prey, almost stripping her with their eyes. This time, such gazes were absent, as if everyone suddenly became extraordinarily gentlemanly.

Many female guests, although polite, looked at her with evident jealousy.

Some even praised her performance in "The Dark Knight" and expressed interest in offering her roles in their upcoming projects, promising to contact her agency afterward.

In the past, these conversations would have led directly to a hotel room 'discussion,' not through an agency.

Her acting contract was with ICM.

Marvin Josephson, the now-retired head of ICM who was also present that evening, upon seeing her with Westeros, immediately offered to assign his daughter Nancy Josephson to personally handle her representation.

As an ICM-signed actress, Cindy had only been known in the modeling world before "The Dark Knight" and didn't have much of a status in Hollywood. But she knew that Nancy Josephson was being groomed as ICM's next leader.

And, as a highly sought-after trophy, having a female agent, especially the agency head's daughter, would definitely spare her many unnecessary hassles.

All this came from boldly—or thick-facedly—socializing with a certain man for just over ten minutes.

How wonderful it would be to truly reel in this man!

Not aspiring for anything further, even being his lover would probably make her wishes come true in Hollywood and the fashion industry.

Lost in thought and noticing Barbara Streisand, a Hollywood big shot, glance her way, Cindy Crawford quickly refocused and smiled as she listened to the conversation in front of her.

"Yes, I've actually seen the script for 'The Tides of Time,' a very impressive story. Barbara, if it wasn't one of Warner's reserved projects, I definitely would have chosen it as a joint project between Daenerys and Warner Brothers."

Barbara Streisand seemed surprised as if she hadn't really noticed Cindy. Upon hearing Simon say this, she covered her mouth, "Oh, that's really..."

Tonight, also present was Steve Ross who, seizing the opportunity, said, "Simon, 'The Tides of Time' is actually nearing post-production. How about coming over to take a look when you're free?"

Barbara Streisand also seemed to catch on, looking at Simon expectantly, "Yes, Simon, could you come and give it a look?"

"That, I'll see if I have time next week."

Steve Ross was quick to respond with a smile, "Then it's settled for next week."

Simon, cornered, reluctantly nodded, "Alright, next week. I'll make a few hours."

After some more chit-chat and as Steve Ross and Barbara Streisand walked away, Jonathan Friedman approached

 with an older and a younger man—Francis Ford Coppola and his nephew, Nicolas Cage.

After brief introductions, Simon gestured towards a seating area at the edge of the hall, "Let's talk over there."

They moved to a seating area, where Jonathan, Coppola, and Cage naturally took one side, leaving the other for Simon and Cindy.

After ordering some drinks, they casually discussed Coppola's new film project.

Despite being one of the four legendary directors in Hollywood, Coppola's recent years had not been particularly successful. The failure of "The Godfather Part III" both critically and at the box office had worsened his situation.

Now, Coppola's production company was struggling with a $27 million debt.

If his next film failed to succeed, he might face bankruptcy again.

Why again? Because after the box office disaster of "One from the Heart" in the 1980s, Coppola had already gone bankrupt once, even struggling to pay his phone bills at one point.

Coppola and Cage were both clients of WMA.

Simon had actually invited Cage to discuss something that evening, and Jonathan had brought Coppola along, likely hoping for some support from Simon.

Regardless, Coppola was still considered one of WMA's banner directors.

"This is a story about the origins of Dracula, called 'Four Hundred Years of Blood.' We've already secured Keanu Reeves and Gary Oldman, and also invited Winona and Anthony Hopkins. Winona is likely to accept, Anthony said he's considering it, depending on the attitude from Daenerys Entertainment."

To reassure Anthony Hopkins' participation in playing Alfred the butler in Batman, Simon had allocated the lead role of "The Silence of the Lambs" to someone else.

Due to contractual obligations, although Anthony Hopkins' popularity soared after playing Alfred, his participation in films required Daenerys Entertainment's approval.

Thus, Coppola's final comment was crucial.

Simon, simply nodding, could ensure no one would block Hopkins from joining the vampire film, even if Hopkins himself had reservations.

Hollywood's circle is small for those at the top.

Simon had already been aware of Coppola's project but had not planned to get involved.

The film was estimated to cost $40 million, with domestic box office receipts expected around $80 million.

Although the global box office eventually exceeded $200 million, considering Daenerys couldn't monopolize all successful projects, Simon had not made a move.

Not just "Four Hundred Years of Blood," but also the upcoming Kevin Costner film "Robin Hood," scheduled for August 2, which was also highly successful, had come to Simon's attention without his intervention.

Daenerys Entertainment had dominated seven or eight of the top ten spots in Hollywood's annual box office charts for the past two years. If they didn't give other studios some breathing room, backlash was inevitable.

Discussing the Oscar prospects for "The Tides of Time" with Barbara Streisand was not mere politeness.

Daenerys had dominated the Best Picture category at the Oscars for two consecutive years. If a horror-thriller like "The Silence of the Lambs" swept the Oscars again, it would surely provoke media criticism.

Therefore, for the 1992 Oscars, Simon had decided to step back voluntarily.

Even if Daenerys didn't want to let go, the Academy would likely make its choice to prevent the Oscars from becoming Daenerys's preserve.

Better to allocate the slot to Warner, with whom Daenerys had a relatively close relationship.

Speaking of which, the film "Thelma & Louise," managed by Catherine and scheduled for release on September 6, was also an Oscar contender in Simon's memory.

Perhaps, the next year's Oscars could see two women nominated for Best Director.

Of course, Simon didn't have high expectations for Catherine winning Best Director.

Getting a nomination would already be quite an achievement.

Noticing Coppola waiting for his response, Simon quickly refocused and stated, "As long as Tony is willing to act, Daenerys won't create any obstacles for this film."

Coppola nodded gratefully, glanced at Cindy next to Simon, and smiled, "Ms. Crawford, there's a role in my new film that might suit you well. Would you like to try it?"

Leveraging Simon's presence was one thing, but Cindy didn't dare to overstep. She looked at Simon, her eyes filled with a tender expression, "I'll follow Simon's lead."

Such a declaration from a glamorous beauty could indeed satisfy a man's vanity.

The three men across smiled knowingly at Simon.

Simon, however, simply smiled back and turned to Cage to discuss business, "Nick, you must have gone through the 'Mission: Impossible' details, right?"

Nicolas Cage, whose real name was Nicolas Coppola and nicknamed Nick, nodded, "Of course, Simon, I'm honored to have the opportunity to join the project."

Rumors about the "Mission: Impossible" series were

 widespread.

Many knew that Paramount initially intended to work closely with Tom Cruise for this project, and Cruise himself was very interested in the film.

However, due to past issues during "Rain Man," Daenerys Entertainment, while no longer hindering the careers of the three main actors from "Rain Man," had no intention of collaborating further.

Initially, there were attempts to discuss this with Simon, but after several rejections, no one dared to bring it up repeatedly.

As Simon's influence in Hollywood grew, it became clear that some individuals, regardless of their past glory, were destined to become increasingly marginalized in Hollywood.

The three-part collaboration agreed upon with Paramount started with "Indecent Proposal."

However, the preparation for the "Mission: Impossible" series was not entirely shelved.

Nicolas Cage was Simon's choice for the new Ethan Hunt.

Due to the Coppola family connection, Cage had started acting in the early 1980s but hadn't found the right opportunity for years. His most commercially successful film had been "Moonstruck" with Cher a few years back.

Simon also enjoyed "Moonstruck" for its irrepressible sense of unrest.

In "Moonstruck," a younger Cage, with a fuller hairline, could definitely be described as extremely handsome.

This was Simon's main reason for choosing Cage for "Mission: Impossible."

Having debuted in the early 1980s and honed in Hollywood for a decade, Cage not only had the acting chops but also the looks.

His performances in "The Rock," "Face/Off," "Con Air," and "Gone in 60 Seconds" in memory also proved his potential to handle action films.

Furthermore, unlike other considered but rejected leads for "Mission: Impossible" such as Mel Gibson or Kevin Costner, the 27-year-old Nicolas Cage was young enough, his salary demands reasonable, and he was available for a long-term contract, all of which played to his advantage.

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