Chapter 527: Harrison Ford

[Chapter 592: Harrison Ford]

Brentwood Community Mansion.

"Arthur, I'm going to some events in a couple of days," Sophie Marceau said as she lounged on top of Arthur in the bedroom.

Arthur smiled and gently caressed her. "Don't worry, darling, I'll keep you company in the meantime. I also have to leave Los Angeles for New York soon."

At that time, Southeast Asia's foreign exchange and stock markets had drawn a lot of attention; international capital was shorting the Thai baht in the Thai foreign exchange market. It seemed Thailand had received foreign exchange support from Singapore banks to stabilize the baht's value.

"Mmm," Sophie nodded and leaned down to kiss Arthur's chest. Before long, she curled into the covers, and soft rustling sounds filled the room.

...

With the announcement of Oscar nominations, The English Patient led with twelve nominations, and United Artists' other film, Fargo, also made it into the Best Picture category!

Inside MGM's office.

Arthur leaned back in his chair. "Looks like The English Patient is really favored by the judges. United Artists could invest more effort into their PR."

Anna Walker chuckled. "They've poured nearly ten million dollars into PR; many of the judges are backing this film."

"Good to hear," Arthur actually wasn't too concerned about it.

"How about CBS? Our flagship news program, 60 Minutes, is losing viewership."

With channels like MSNBC and FNC broadcasting 24/7 news, traditional TV news programs faced significant challenges.

"Inform Nick Davis that it's time to clean house with Eric Ober's connections."

Eric Ober was currently the president of CBS News, originally from the Tisch brothers' group, which was a completely different path from Arthur's.

Anna Walker looked worried. "Sir, CBS is doing well right now; will making massive layoffs have too big of an impact?"

Arthur shook his head. "No, it's actually a perfect opportunity; ABC is in turmoil, NBC is a mess, and FOX isn't at their level. Now is the time to take advantage of the chaos. With Galaxy TV as a backup, CBS will be just fine."

He then pulled a project proposal from his drawer. "This is a TV game show called Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. It's a rough outline; take it to the CBS programming team for discussion. Get it refined and launched as soon as possible. I believe it will make a significant impact."

"Okay," Anna Walker left shortly after with the proposal.

...

In the afternoon, Kate Beckinsale brought the filming plan for MGM's big film Armageddon.

"Directed by Michael Bay, starring Bruce Willis, Liv Tyler, and Jude Law," Arthur reviewed the proposal. A $140 million budget was sufficient for Michael Bay to bring it to life.

Arthur pulled Kate Beckinsale into his lap. "What about The Sixth Sense?"

"I've spoken with Tom Hanks; he's working on Saving Private Ryan," Kate Beckinsale kissed him on the cheek. "He is not available."

"What about Tom Cruise?" Arthur asked, stroking her thigh.

"Oh, director Stanley Kubrick is gearing up to film Eyes Wide Shut, and Tom Cruise seems interested in the lead role."

Tom Cruise had always enjoyed collaborating with big directors, and obviously, Stanley Kubrick was no exception.

"Didn't Stanley Kubrick mention wanting a real married couple for the leads?" Arthur casually inquired.

Kate Beckinsale smiled. "The film is funded by Warner Bros. If Tom Cruise wants the lead role, do you think Warner Bros. will choose someone else? And besides, doesn't Tom Cruise have a fiancee named Denise Richards?"

"True," Arthur understood. With Tom Cruise's current momentum, he was practically a guarantee at the box office. Moreover, Tom took the film industry very seriously and professionally.

"However, David Fincher recommended Harrison Ford and Michael Douglas as alternatives for actors."

"Harrison Ford," Arthur thought for a moment. He was definitely a current superstar with solid box office appeal. As for Michael Douglas, he primarily had box office power in certain types of films.

"Yeah, let's go with Harrison Ford; a $20 million salary is manageable for MGM," Arthur noted, knowing that Ford had a film, Air Force One, set to release this year; another action blockbuster to rival Under Siege! Otherwise, there was no way they would consider Arnold Schwarzenegger or Stallone for The Sixth Sense, right?

Among younger stars, Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp didn't quite measure up, while Robert De Niro and Al Pacino lacked real box office draw.

...

That evening, in the Hollywood Hills, Arthur arrived at Monica Bellucci's villa. Tomorrow Never Dies was set to release in the summer; however, Monica's romance film The Apartment had received good reviews in France and was heading for a U.S. release next month.

"Arthur..." Monica turned in bed and kissed him as he lay on her back.

"Mmm," Arthur warmly responded, his hand resting on her curves.

"Phew," after a while, Arthur lay there catching his breath as Monica stroked his hair. "Sophie's arrived in the States, hasn't she?"

"Yeah, she came a few days ago," Arthur kissed her soft skin. "What's up? Have you guys met in France?"

"Yeah, last year, when I was promoting The Apartment, we met in Paris," Monica smiled. "Originally, they wanted Sophie Marceau for the lead in The Apartment. She had just finished a film in Hollywood and didn't want to work again so soon. That opened the door for me."

"Of course. For French films, the first consideration is always French actors," Arthur turned to lie on his side. "The Italian film industry is in such bad shape right now."

Despite Sophie Marceau staying in America to star in Hollywood films, she wouldn't lack for French scripts if she returned. Monica Bellucci, on the other hand, was in a tough spot; with the Italian film industry dwindling, many Italian actors lacked opportunities in Hollywood and sought work in the European film capital, France.

"The local Italian film scene has been underwhelming for ages, with the market dominated by Hollywood films," Monica noted. If she hadn't crossed paths with Arthur Smith, she likely would have had few opportunities, only continuing to showcase her alluring figure in low-budget films.

Arthur yawned. "Well, let's get some sleep."

*****

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