Chapter 285: Sleeping with the Enemy

In Beverly Hills, at a restaurant near Fox Studios, Simon was having lunch with Joe Roth, the president of Fox Filmed Entertainment.

It was Friday, August 11th.

Daenerys Entertainment had officially signed a settlement agreement with the WGA yesterday, and today Simon had arranged to meet Joe Roth to discuss the first of the ten external collaboration film projects.

Simon had his eye on more than one project, but he started with Fox due to Rupert Murdoch. Murdoch had personally called Simon more than once these days, naturally about the ten films. Even during conversations with Janet, she mentioned Murdoch discussing the matter with her father.

Fox had collaborated with Simon on three films in the past two years: "The Butterfly Effect," "Final Destination," and "Basic Instinct," all of which were huge successes.

Furthermore, "The Butterfly Effect" and "Final Destination" had sequels developed last year, but due to the success of the original films partly being driven by the public's curiosity about Simon, the box office returns for the sequels last year were far from the originals.

"The Butterfly Effect 2" only garnered over 56 million dollars in box office, and "Final Destination 2" just over 38 million. These figures were still profitable but, due to the steep drop from the first installments, Fox became cautious about developing a third installment.

This year, without these two horror sequels, Fox Filmed Entertainment's performance took a hit.

This summer, Fox's July release "The Boss's Vacation" only managed a modest box office of over 22 million dollars, failing to make a splash. Last Friday's release, James Cameron's new work "The Abyss," was a major flop, ballooning to an astonishing budget of 69.5 million dollars due to Cameron's repeated overruns.

Hollywood films typically round their budgets to a whole number for simplicity, but Fox didn't round "The Abyss" to 70 million dollars, reflecting the studio executives' hesitance.

If burning money could produce a blockbuster like "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," then it might be worth it. However, in comparison to its high production cost, "The Abyss" was a box office bomb.

According to data released this morning, "The Abyss" only made 17.53 million dollars in its opening week. In comparison, "The Sixth Sense," in its sixth week, still made over 20.37 million dollars, securing the top spot in the weekly box office.

Given the media reviews and audience feedback, Fox only expected a North American box office of about 50 million dollars for "The Abyss," nearly guaranteeing a loss on the project. Yet, it's still Fox's best-performing film of the year out of seven releases. The highest any other film managed was last month's "The Boss's Vacation" with 22 million dollars, and the rest didn't even break the 20 million mark.

Murdoch was never particularly passionate about the film business, preferring newspapers and television. But having acquired Fox Filmed Entertainment, he couldn't let it languish, thus keenly hoping to grab a piece of Daenerys Entertainment's external collaboration project.

Since Simon had decided to back Australia financially, he had no reason to refuse Murdoch's request. Moreover, News Corporation's vast global media network could greatly benefit Simon's business expansion worldwide.

Befriending the Murdoch family was all benefit and no harm.

"Sleeping with the Enemy? Ah... I remember now, the story about a wife who can't stand her husband's abuse and fakes her death to escape," Joe Roth flipped through the script folder Simon selected, then couldn't help but say, "Simon, this story seems to lack a selling point, only fit for a low-budget thriller. I think 'Death Mark' seems better, have you seen it?"

"Sleeping with the Enemy" is actually a film from the original timeline starring Julia Roberts, telling the story of a wife trapped in an abusive marriage who fakes drowning to escape her family.

Though the story seems unremarkable, it's a film Simon remembers making over a hundred million dollars in North America.

Simon had actually seen this movie.

The success of "Sleeping with the Enemy" wasn't just due to Julia Roberts' participation; the key was its suspenseful plot that kept the audience on edge throughout the film.

With limited time for lunch, Simon wasn't in the mood to argue with Joe Roth. Setting aside his utensils, he looked up and said, "Joe, I'm not interested in 'Death Mark.' If you like it, you can focus on that project yourself. Let's talk about 'Sleeping with the Enemy.'"

Joe Roth gave an awkward smile, dropping the subject, and asked, "So, Simon, what's next?"

Simon simply stated, "I've had the project evaluated according to my specifications, and it will need a budget of about 15 million dollars. If we start preparing now and everything goes smoothly, we can start shooting in October and release it during next summer's blockbuster season. You can start looking for a suitable director and producer this afternoon, and I'll have someone contact the actors."

Joe Roth considered, then asked, "This film is carried by the female lead. Who do you plan to cast?"

"I saw a review of a screening on 'The Hollywood Reporter.' You're releasing a new film in October called 'The Fabulous Baker Boys'?"

Joe Roth, familiar with Fox's productions, immediately said, "Michelle Pfeiffer?"

"The Fabulous Baker Boys" is a music and dance film starring the Bridges brothers and Michelle Pfeiffer, also known as "One Song of Love Unfinished." From the title alone, it's clear to be a very artistic film, indeed offering a touching and memorable story reminiscent of old Hong Kong films like "In the Mood for Love."

Simon nodded, "Michelle's acting has matured significantly in recent years, and she'll definitely carry this film. Also, if possible, send a copy to me. I'd like to see her performance in advance. The review mentioned that Michelle's performance might be Oscar-nomination worthy. If true, it would greatly benefit our film."

Considering "Pretty Woman" was still being shot and wouldn't wrap before October, Simon had no intention of casting Julia Roberts in "Sleeping with the Enemy." The contrast between a romantic fairy tale and an abused wife might be too stark for audiences to accept.

At thirty years old, Michelle Pfeiffer's acting was reaching its peak. If she could earn an Oscar nomination for "The Fabulous Baker Boys" next year, her fame would rise further, making her a perfect fit for "Sleeping with the Enemy."

If anyone else had requested a copy, Joe Roth might have hesitated, but he readily agreed, "I'll have someone send the copy to Daenerys Entertainment's headquarters this afternoon."

Satisfied, Simon added, "Another thing about James Cameron. I've heard he's completed the script for 'Terminator 2.' Fox could acquire the rights to 'The Terminator' and produce the film. This could be the second project between Daenerys Entertainment and Fox."

Joe Roth's expression soured, "Simon, after 'The Abyss,' even if I wanted to continue working with James, the board wouldn't approve."

"I just said this could be considered the second project between Daenerys Entertainment and Fox," Simon explained, adding, "Besides, you only need to acquire 'The Terminator' rights and Cameron's script; we don't necessarily have to have him direct."

Joe Roth immediately understood but was still puzzled.

If Simon was interested in the project, why didn't Daenerys Entertainment take it directly?

Simon saw Joe Roth's confusion and explained with a smile, "I've had people contact the rights holders of 'The Terminator' before, without success. Approaching them now would surely lead to a hefty price."

"Terminator 2" was a box office champion in North America in the original timeline of 1991, grossing over 500 million dollars worldwide. Naturally, Simon had considered monopolizing this project.

However, since he proposed the ten-film plan, if it lacked blockbuster hits, other studios would likely not be as enthusiastic in the future.

The reason Hollywood was so excited about these ten projects was mainly in anticipation of surprises like "The Sixth Sense." Otherwise, considering the 10% distribution commission for all channels, the benefits for other studios in these projects would only be about 60%.

This means a 100 million dollar box office in North America would actually be equivalent to just 60 million dollars.

Of course, a 60 million dollar North American box office is definitely not low in this era.

Excluding last year's box office boom, in the previous years, a 60 million dollar North American box office was enough to break into the annual top ten. Even in the coming years, Hollywood would only have about 20 movies each year surpassing 60 million dollars domestically. Even spread among the seven major studios, that averages less than three per studio.

Moreover, Simon didn't plan to select all billion-dollar projects this time, making it even more necessary to have a few blockbuster films to support the plan's performance.

Giving up "Terminator 2" was mainly because the project's "cost-effectiveness" was relatively low.

The original "Terminator 2" was Hollywood's first film with a production cost over 100 million dollars. Now, even following Simon's plan to kick Cameron out and choose another director, reducing the cost without Caracol Pictures, known for its extravagant spending, the budget would still not be much lower. It was just right to offer.

After discussing business, the lunch concluded quickly.

Simon and Joe Roth had just left the restaurant when some reporters who had caught wind of the meeting surrounded them.

"Mr. Westeros, were you discussing film collaboration plans with Joe Roth?"

"Joe, can you reveal the genre?"

"Simon, can you really communicate with the dead?"

...

...

With "The Sixth Sense" about to break the 200 million dollar mark in North America, it was unstoppable.

Due to widespread interest, Daenerys Entertainment's plan for ten external collaboration films had become a focus for the media recently. Daenerys Entertainment had not made any significant moves in the two weeks since the plan's announcement, sparking intense curiosity among the media and public.

Among the chatter, Simon's bodyguards quickly stepped in to fend off the reporters, escorting him to a car parked by the roadside.

Joe Roth, though enjoying the attention from the reporters, didn't rush to reveal anything, only advising them to look out for Fox's official announcements before hurrying back to Fox Studios.

In Santa Monica, Simon had just returned to the Daenerys Entertainment headquarters office when Jennifer entered.

"Forbes magazine will release the new annual Forbes 400 list of America's richest next month. They contacted us this morning to see if we could provide some materials voluntarily. If possible, they also hope you can accept an interview."

Simon shook his head without hesitation, "We won't cooperate or obstruct them; let them figure it out."

Jennifer hummed, pulling out a check from the folder in her hand and handing it over, "This, it's not great to just leave it on the bedside table in your bedroom."

Simon took a look and realized it was the check he had signed for Linda Carter on Monday.

It must have been found by Jennifer during her routine cleaning of the villa that morning.

Simon pretended to casually place it aside.

"Uncle Buck" was releasing today. John Hughes had come from Chicago to Los Angeles to promote the film in recent days, and Simon had an appointment with him at one o'clock to discuss the second film in their contract. Of course, Simon's real goal was to confirm "Home Alone."

The time was approaching.

Looking across.

The female assistant still stood there, head down, seemingly engrossed in the document in her hands, showing no intention of leaving.

After a brief standoff, Simon had no choice but to explain, "Well, I'm a very suspicious boss, so of course, I had to test if those cleaners would steal anything. Look, the results are quite good."

Jennifer glanced over with a smirk, her expression one of a curious child eager for more stories.

Resigned, Simon stiffly put on his boss's demeanor, "John's about to come over. Go make a pot of coffee, don't just stand there waiting for me to dock your pay!"

Jennifer shot Simon a harmless glare, leaving with a familiar threat, "I'll tell Janet."

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