Chapter 279: Kate Beckinsale

"You know what? This is my first time attending a film festival event, and I didn't prepare any outfit. I ended up buying a red carpet dress at a shop inside Nice Airport!"

20-year-old Kate Beckinsale chatted away with Arthur about the past few days, coming across as very talkative.

"When I walked the red carpet, I felt my clothes didn't fit well..."

The lights twinkled across the Cannes Bay, resembling the stars falling into the beautiful harbor, as if the entire bay was illuminated;

The Mediterranean night breeze blew gently, bringing a touch of coolness and a salty flavor.

As the breeze played with her hair, Kate Beckinsale smiled, and Arthur smiled back, reaching out to stroke her face. "Kate, are you planning to study and act at the same time?"

Kate Beckinsale was silent for a moment before responding with some reluctance, "I haven't decided yet. I really love acting, but if I do both, my studies will definitely suffer!"

Arthur heard this and immediately understood that Kate Beckinsale, like Jennifer Connelly, was considering dropping out of school to fully enter the entertainment industry; one was from Oxford University, and the other from Yale and Stanford University.

"Kate, listen to me," Arthur said, hugging Kate Beckinsale from behind. "Are you thinking of retiring from school to go straight into the entertainment industry?"

Arthur knew more than one top student who entered the showbiz world. Besides Stanford drop-out Jennifer Connelly, Hugh Grant also graduated from Oxford University's literature department.

Kate Beckinsale nodded, "I do have that idea. Right now, if I study and act at the same time, it makes me unhappy in both areas!"

"Really?" Arthur said, planting a few kisses on her face. "But it's Oxford University?"

"I haven't decided yet, it's just an idea," Kate Beckinsale smiled. "Plus, I still have to stay in Paris for another two or three months to study, and I'm worried I can't handle it."

"What do you mean you can't handle it?" Arthur said, sealing the conversation with a kiss on her red lips.

"Mm," Kate Beckinsale responded, wrapping her arms around Arthur.

That night, Arthur naturally took the lady back to the hotel...

The next morning, Kate Beckinsale was lying softly on Arthur's chest and suddenly remembered something from the night before. "Arthur, do you know Harvey Weinstein from Miramax?"

"Yeah, I know of him, but not very well," Arthur said, enjoying the feel of her soft, sensual body.

"Why? Did he offer you a role? This guy is notorious with new actresses; you need to be cautious around him!"

"Really?" Kate Beckinsale lifted her head to look at Arthur. "Last night, while I was waiting for you in the booth area of the JW Marriott Hotel, his assistant asked me to go to his room to meet him. Said I could discuss some movie roles for their company!"

Arthur chuckled, "Do you believe that? You're new in the industry with little experience, only having done university stage plays.

He doesn't know you at all, probably just saw that you're pretty and wanted to hit on you, throwing you a minor role. Are you willing to trade your body for that?"

Kate Beckinsale shook her head, "That's a no-go!"

"Alright, you have me now, right? Finish your studies well. You can gain experience with film crews when you have time. After you graduate, I'll help you get roles," Arthur patted the lady on top of him.

"You're still so young; there's no rush. Hone your basic skills first. If you start now, you'll only get low-budget, poorly-made productions. I don't want my woman to strip down in films just to show her body."

Kate Beckinsale nodded. She was still a student and would have to discuss it with her family if she wanted to drop out.

She couldn't think she could become famous just because of a supporting role in Much Ado About Nothing, especially since the film's reception wasn't that significant.

"Arthur, will you come to visit me?" Kate Beckinsale asked uncertainly.

"Of course, silly," Arthur said, flipping over once more and pressuring Kate Beckinsale underneath him!

Since Kate Beckinsale needed to attend the promotional activities for her first film and prepare for studying in France, she left France on the day of the Cannes Film Festival's closing ceremony to return to England.

As the closing ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival was held in the Palais des Festivals, The Piano, and Farewell My Concubine both won the 46th Palme d'Or!

That evening, following the award ceremony, Galaxy rented a yacht in Cannes Bay to host a party for both film crews.

...

As the Cannes Film Festival concluded, Arthur didn't leave immediately, but Yufei Hong wanted to return home for a while.

"What's up? Weren't you going to intern with Rumble in the Bronx?" Arthur asked as he lay in bed with Yufei Hong in his arms.

"It's still early, school doesn't start until September. I want to go back home first, then report to the Rumble in the Bronx crew in Vancouver next month. This time, I can learn from the producer throughout the entire production process," Yufei Hong valued this opportunity highly.

"Alright, just treat it as a game and enjoy your college life," Arthur said with a yawn. "It's getting late, let's get some rest."

The next day, Yufei Hong left Cannes, while Arthur went to Paris with the people from Gaumont Film Company.

Luc Besson handed Gaumont a high-budget sci-fi film script, which exceeded their expectations. They needed Hollywood's participation to recoup the investment since the domestic market alone wouldn't suffice.

Since Luc Besson hadn't directed Hollywood-style films before, he was preparing another script to adapt to Hollywood.

Leon: The Professional? Arthur, sitting on a sofa by the Seine in Neuilly, looked dazed while flipping through the script. He realized this film was made because Luc Besson wanted to produce his sci-fi epic The Fifth Element.

Christiana Reali came over and sat next to Arthur. "Leon: The Professional is going to be made in the Hollywood style, and the filming location is in New York."

"Luc Besson wants to make a French film in the Hollywood style!" She added.

"There are still French elements in it. This kind of Lolita romance doesn't have a large market in America," Arthur laughed. "But it should be well-received in Europe."

Arthur remembered that although Leon: The Professional didn't have a huge box office success, it still made money. It was highly controversial in the U.S. market, but internationally, it received high praise.

"Gaumont's people mentioned The Fifth Element at Cannes. Luc Besson's budget exceeds a billion francs."

"Ha, with such a high budget, they have to target the Hollywood market to recoup the costs. Even Orion wouldn't dare to develop such an expensive film right now. Gaumont must be scared too," Arthur said, shaking his head. Based on current exchange rates, the production cost was not less than 80 million dollars.

This level of investment required serious consideration, focusing on the North American market.

"That's why Gaumont is helping Luc Besson develop Leon: The Professional to gain experience with Hollywood commercial style. Hollywood is dominating globally now, and Luc Besson proposed to beat Hollywood in its own way!" Christiana continued explaining to Arthur.

Arthur smiled, "Actually, Orion wouldn't mind distributing Leon: The Professional in the U.S. in the future. And even with the sci-fi script The Fifth Element, I thought the director's ideas were quite imaginative when I read it at Cannes. We could participate to some extent!"

As for Luc Besson's slogan "Beat Hollywood in the Hollywood Way," Arthur thought it should be "Compete with Hollywood in the Hollywood Way."

"Director Luc Besson should soon be heading to Hollywood to film Leon: The Professional," Christiana said as she sat in Arthur's lap. "However, Luc Besson is currently in Munich, Germany, preparing to watch the Champions League final between Marseille and AC Milan!"

"Is that so? I think it's tomorrow," Arthur said, not too concerned. This 1992-1993 season's UEFA Champions League final was the first after the rebranding from the European Cup.

Looks like Luc Besson is quite the soccer fan!

"Arthur, Fanfan will premiere in France next month. Sophie Marceau will return to promote the film. How long will you be in Paris?" Christiana said, kissing Arthur's face.

"Not too long," Arthur replied before kissing her. His hands slipped under her clothes, caressing her curves.

"Mm," she responded to his kisses.

Soon, Arthur had Christiana stripped and pressed onto the sofa.

"Arthur, won't you stay? Are you going back?" Christiana asked breathlessly, holding onto Arthur.

"No, I need to go to Asia," Arthur said as he leaned back on the sofa, pulling Christiana to sit on him, pressing his face against her chest.

"I see," Christiana said, hugging Arthur's head. "Three Colors: White, the second film of the trilogy, has also begun filming. As for the first, Three Colors: Blue, it will premiere at this year's Venice Film Festival."

The North American distributor of the Three Colors Trilogy was Orion Pictures, a subsidiary of Galaxy Film. Now, Orion was Arthur's label for releasing foreign or independent art films in North America.

Previously, The Crying Game, and the soon-to-be-released The Piano, Farewell My Concubine, and Fanfan were all distributed under the Orion label.

Galaxy's main label focused on distributing commercial films.

"Don't talk, kiss me," Arthur said, raising his head to block Christiana's mouth with his lips...

*****

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