Chapter 317: Mr. Bean
At the Savoy Hotel, Arthur and Catherine Zeta-Jones were relaxing in their room due to the bad weather outside.
Catherine Zeta-Jones was watching a TV show on the sofa, laughing from time to time.
"What's so funny?" Arthur asked as he sat down.
Catherine Zeta-Jones nestled into Arthur's lap and kissed him. "Oh, it's the British sitcom Mr. Bean!"
"Mr. Bean," Arthur exclaimed, recognizing the highly distinctive man on the TV, the British comedy master Rowan Atkinson.
Suddenly, an idea popped into Arthur's mind.
Looking at the woman in his arms, Arthur kissed her lips gently. "Dear, it seems I can't accompany you anymore. I need to go to Buckingham..."
Buckingham, the office of Galaxy UK.
Arthur discussed the popular sitcom Mr. Bean with Richard Curtis, the producer and writer of Four Weddings and a Funeral.
"Mr. Rowan Atkinson is now hailed as another comedy master after Chaplin. The Blackadder series and Mr. Bean series have made him known worldwide," Arthur spoke with unabashed admiration.
All of this couldn't have happened without Richard Curtis's contribution; he and Rowan Atkinson were not only friends but also the writers of these two series.
Richard Curtis smiled, "Rowan's talent should not be underestimated. He had a hand in writing many of the scenarios in Mr. Bean."
Arthur had done his homework. Rowan Atkinson wasn't just a simple actor; he had graduated from Newcastle University and then pursued a master's at Oxford University. He had a strong academic background!
"Richard, does Mr. Rowan Atkinson have any plans to star in a Mr. Bean movie? Galaxy wants to adapt it into a feature film," Arthur revealed his idea.
The Mr. Bean series was produced by Studio Productions in the UK. They had previously collaborated with Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson on the comedy film Tall Guy.
Now, Studio Productions was under the PolyGram Film Company, which had collaborations with Galaxy. Wouldn't it be reasonable to co-develop a Mr. Bean movie?
Richard Curtis thought for a moment, "I've also considered it, but we still need to discuss it with Studio Productions and Rowan Atkinson."
Arthur nodded, "Of course, Galaxy UK will fully support this project."
Arthur's goal was to develop the Mr. Bean movie. PolyGram's film business in the UK couldn't compare to Galaxy's, let alone on the international stage.
As long as Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson had time, Arthur wanted to move forward with the Mr. Bean movie as soon as possible.
However, they absolutely had to secure Rowan Atkinson, the essential lead of the movie. Essentially, Mr. Bean was Rowan Atkinson, and Rowan Atkinson was Mr. Bean now.
Moreover, Rowan Atkinson had made an appearance in this year's Hollywood comedy Hot Shots! Part Deux, gaining some experience with Hollywood projects.
As for Hot Shots! Part Deux, despite being a parody film starring Charlie Sheen, it couldn't replicate the success of Hot Shots! due to a series of Charlie Sheen's scandals dragging it down.
After Richard Curtis left, Arthur had Galaxy UK cooperate with him to develop the Mr. Bean film.
Arthur himself had to leave London and head to France.
Corsica is France's largest island and the fourth largest in the Mediterranean. It has a Mediterranean climate, comfortable and pleasant, mild in winter, and cool in summer.
Corsica is divided into two parts: Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud. Arthur arrived in Ajaccio, a coastal city on the west coast of Corsica and the capital of Corse-du-Sud, to meet Sophie Marceau and Christiana Reali.
The "Black Pearl" docked at the pier was Arthur's custom-made private yacht, 82 feet long with a silver-gray exterior.
"How many days have you been in Ajaccio?" Arthur asked as the three lounged on the deck in the sun.
Sophie Marceau lay on her stomach, "I just came from America the day before yesterday. Christiana has been here for several days, helping to receive the yacht!"
"Yes, I came first," Christiane laughed. "Why did you name it Black Pearl? It doesn't seem quite right!"
Sophie Marceau sat up and took off her bikini top, lying back to continue basking in the sun. "I also had this question."
Arthur laughed, kissing Sophie Marceau on the chest, "I just like the name!"
Arthur couldn't reveal that it was because of the future Disney movie Pirates of the Caribbean and Captain Jack Sparrow's ship, could he?
"England is so cold, I didn't expect the climate here to be this comfortable!" Arthur said, looking at the azure sky while yawning.
"This is the warmest place on the island; it's cooler elsewhere," Christiane explained. After all, Ajaccio, on the island's westernmost point, has an annual average temperature above 21°C.
"I heard Ajaccio is the birthplace of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, right?" Arthur removed his sunglasses, showing interest in this fact.
"Yes, and there's Napoleon's house. She can take you there tomorrow," Sophie Marceau suggested as she got up.
"Christiana, accompany him. I want to go back to sleep. Filming in Hollywood is more tiring than filming in France!"
"Go ahead, we'll call you for dinner!" Christiane nodded.
"Okay," Sophie Marceau bent down to kiss Arthur and Christiane, then headed to the bedroom in the cabin with her bikini top in hand.
"Thanks for handling so many things with the yacht," Arthur pulled Christiane into his arms and kissed her.
Christiane smiled, "It was nothing, really. I've been involved in some work for Galaxy in Paris and learned a lot. Plus, you're supporting me in running a theater. I should be thanking you!"
"You deserve it," Arthur said as he pressed on top of the bikini-clad Christiane and began to kiss her.
"Mmm," Christiane Yeri wrapped her arms around his neck and unhooked her bikini top, "You're really something, even Sophie Marceau is captivated by you!"
"That shows how good I am," Arthur was quite pleased, "How are Galaxy's films doing in France this year?"
"The Piano did the best, with 2.66 million viewers," Christiane smiled.
"Ugh, that's not a Galaxy production. Galaxy only holds the North American distribution rights," Indeed, The Piano was warmly received in Europe!
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