Chapter 737: A Brighter Future

[Chapter 737: A Brighter Future]

While lost in thought, Elizabeth Hurley pushed open the glass door to the terrace, carrying breakfast. She wore only a short white bathrobe, showcasing her enticing long legs, her brown hair flowing freely. With her lips slightly pressed and a lazy gaze, she radiated a unique allure.

"Morning, Liz," Eric openly admired her for a moment before greeting her.

"Good morning, Eric," Elizabeth Hurley smiled modestly, nodding as she sat down next to him.

Compared to the glamorous makeup from the day before, Elizabeth's current light makeup was minimal, with no lipstick at all. Eric realized, compared to his previous memories of her, she conformed even more to his taste. At least, it was clear she had undergone lip enhancement surgery later on, as fuller lips were considered beautiful, many female stars had similar cosmetic procedures.

But Eric was not a fan of full lips; in fact, none of the women around him had that look. Nicole had once considered getting lip augmentation, but Eric dissuaded her. To him, Nicole's perfectly proportioned lips looked best just as they were -- why change them to resemble overstuffed sausages? Over the years, Eric had not cast similar heroines in any of the films he had worked on.

This had resulted in a subtle shift in Hollywood's standards of beauty for women, unknowingly influenced by Eric's personal preferences. Perhaps in a few years, under the bombardment of various films and television shows, public perceptions of beauty would completely change; the prevailing aesthetic trends had always shifted with the media's inclinations.

"Eric, what are you looking at?" Elizabeth noticed Eric's gaze and asked curiously.

Eric replied, "Your lip shape is beautiful."

Elizabeth smiled and said, "Thank you, but my agent always thinks it's not sensual enough and suggested I get lip augmentation."

"I actually find fuller lips unattractive."

"Really? Everyone loves them," Elizabeth said, surprised.

Eric shrugged, "I just really don't like them."

Elizabeth made a sound of acknowledgment. She had been considering following her agent's advice to book a minor surgery, but now, she gave up the idea.

After finishing his breakfast, Eric continued reading the newspaper and casually chatted with Elizabeth. "What have you been up to lately?"

"Uh," Elizabeth looked up, her thoughts shifting before she said, "I only have one job lately -- being a guest judge for America's Next Top Model."

"And then what?"

"And then... nothing for now," she replied. She had been planning to use her appearance on America's Next Top Model to connect with Cindy Crawford to see if she could be introduced for this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, but Eric had already shot down her idea the day before.

In Hollywood, most professionals often found themselves unemployed, and the modeling world wasn't much different. Even the top supermodels couldn't count on work year-round. While the elite supermodels didn't have to worry about making ends meet, many ordinary girls entering the industry struggled to maintain the high cost of living in big cities while waiting for their next job.

Elizabeth Hurley belonged to a group that was somewhat on the fence; she had decent name recognition owing to her fame, but despite being labeled a supermodel, she had never been a professional one. In recent years, her focus had shifted towards breaking into the film industry, causing her to neglect her modeling work.

Thinking about this, Elizabeth glanced at Eric, recalling the bottle of expensive red wine he had casually poured over her last night, feeling an inexplicable sense of anticipation. But she was a smart woman. If they had not slept together, she would have boldly sought the opportunity from Eric. However, if she did so now, it would turn everything from last night into a transaction.

Thus, it was up to the man to make a move. Even if Eric didn't make any advances, she wouldn't be foolish enough to ask for it outright.

Eric responded absentmindedly, seemingly unaware of Elizabeth's gaze as he continued to read his newspaper.

...

After breakfast, the time had just passed eight o'clock.

A staff member from Firefly Group in New York happened to arrive with a bag for Eric.

"Try this. I had someone buy it," Eric said, pulling out a script from the bag and handing over the remaining contents to Elizabeth, who was still in her bathrobe.

Elizabeth took the bag, glanced inside, thanked Eric, turned back toward her bedroom, and emerged wearing a long burgundy dress.

Sitting on the couch flipping through the script, Eric turned to look at her and smiled, "That looks great. Way prettier than the outfit from last night. I told you, red really suits you."

Elizabeth's cheeks flushed a bit. Although everything from last night had been cleaned up, a faint aroma of wine still lingered in the living room. She walked over and sat gracefully next to Eric, asking, "Eric, did you pick this out? It's beautiful and fits wonderfully."

"Yeah," Eric nodded. He had directed someone to pick out clothes for her. It would be a surprise if it didn't fit. Noticing her gaze inadvertently shift toward the script in his hands, he casually passed it to her, saying, "Here, take a look."

"Uh, is it okay?" Elizabeth feigned surprise as she received the script from Eric. Glancing at the title, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, she quickly scanned the synopsis and felt a twinge of disappointment.

She had appeared in numerous films, albeit with many small roles, but she had a discerning eye. This script seemed like one of those low-budget comedies, costing about ten or twenty million. In such movies, even the leading lady often played just a decorative role. Although she knew that if she wanted to break into Hollywood, she would likely have to start as eye candy, receiving this script from Eric felt below her expectations.

Eric handed the script to Elizabeth and got up to change clothes, preparing to head to the set of Project Runway to discuss changes to the program that morning.

When he returned to the living room donned in fresh attire, he noticed Elizabeth still appeared focused on the script. He smiled knowingly; he had merely flipped through it while she was changing and, truthfully, he had no interest in it -- the film was nothing but a pure parody comedy, and he was certain Elizabeth wouldn't care for it either.

"Liz, let's go. I'll drop you off at work. You can take the script home with you and look it over. If you like it, the leading role is yours."

Elizabeth picked up her handbag and stood up, pondering for a moment before following Eric out the door. As they reached the elevator, she finally made up her mind, saying, "Eric, I'm not really fond of this character. It seems to have a lot of risque scenes."

Elizabeth was clear about her feelings; if she accepted this role, though Eric was offering it willingly, it could easily become a transaction, and they might never have any further connection. Plus, this character might not significantly help her career. If she refused, the fleeting intimacy they shared last night could lead to unexpected opportunities with this powerful man in the future.

Eric looked a bit surprised but soon understood Elizabeth's thoughts. He didn't mind; he appreciated smart women who recognized their boundaries. Moreover, he knew that the little games women played rarely affected him.

"Oh, I see. Then forget it," Eric said with a laugh, "Honestly, I don't particularly care for this script either."

Elizabeth raised the script in her hand. "Then why did you..."

"Because it makes money," Eric replied candidly. "I'm the head of the film company; I can't just dismiss projects that could generate income based solely on personal taste."

Elizabeth chuckled, aware that no one could operate purely on personal whims. Naturally, someone like Eric had far more leeway than ordinary people. Though he had just said that, if he truly disliked the project, he could easily cancel it without concern for the vast Firefly Group.

They arrived downstairs and climbed into a luxury car waiting in the parking lot. Eric asked, "By the way, do you think you could tweak your accent a bit?"

Elizabeth had an impeccable British accent, so much so that she had played the Queen of England in another timeline.

Without hesitation, she replied, "If necessary, of course I can."

"If you could learn a standard Manhattan accent and were willing to take on a TV series, there's a great opportunity next year."

"Next year?"

Eric nodded, "Yeah, next year."

Elizabeth wasn't keen on doing a sitcom, but she prudently asked, "Eric, can I ask, what's the series about?"

"It's a story about a fashionable female writer in Manhattan. I can assure you, if you land this role, your future prospects will exceed what you could achieve in Hollywood." Eric explained. He was, of course, referring to the show that would create a major buzz, Sex and the City. The production rights for the novel had already been acquired by Firefly's filmmaking unit, but Eric hadn't yet revealed the specifics to relevant parties.

The original show's lead was Sarah Jessica Parker, who became an icon of Manhattan thanks to the series, showcasing its vast influence. However, Eric felt Elizabeth matched the character's age and looks perfectly. The only hurdle was her accent. If it couldn't change, even if Sex and the City became a hit, a character with a genuine London accent could never embody the essence of Manhattan, diminishing its impact significantly.

Elizabeth wasn't going to be swayed by a single line from Eric, but she also had no reason to doubt his judgment. He had no incentive to deceive her into thinking she was more significant than she truly was. After considering, she responded, "Then, I'll take some time to sign up for a speech class."

She understood that her accent could never be her strong suit. While many Hollywood actors enjoyed learning British accents for roles in British films, she didn't possess the skillset necessary for Shakespearean dramas.

Eric nodded and dropped Elizabeth off at her destination before quickly returning to the Project Runway set.

...

On July 21, 1995, the last two summer blockbusters, GoldenEye and Heat, premiered as scheduled.

After a weekend of box office battles, GoldenEye grossed nearly $29 million in its opening weekend, raking in $29 million from over 2,800 screens. Although this result still didn't outpace the legs of Night at the Museum, it left its rival, Heat, far behind. Heat only managed to garner about $8.4 million over three days, and despite receiving respectable critical acclaim, it struggled to recoup its costs. Warner Bros. would have to pin their hopes on future merchandise and home video sales.

By comparison, Night at the Museum shone brightly, bringing in over $86 million in its debut weekend and experiencing only a 20 percent drop in its second week. In those three days, it grossed another $47.7 million, firmly securing the top spot on the box office charts.

Many were surprised by this performance, considering it already eclipsed the total box office of Jumanji, which had only managed a little over $100 million by year-end. Night at the Museum had already exceeded $130 million in ten days, establishing itself as another unexpected hit of the summer.

Though GoldenEye reached expected ticket sales, compared to Night at the Museum, it fell short of expectations. MGM had leaned slightly in favor of GoldenEye's marketing but couldn't change the disappointing trend. The 007 series was viewed as the last bargaining chip for Credit Lyonnais Bank, which had initially hoped for a massive success for this sequel to drive up its sale price. But in light of Night at the Museum's success, it lost all bargaining power.

Therefore, following the opening weekend ticket results, news from Los Angeles revealed that Credit Lyonnais Bank ultimately agreed to the acquisition deal with Flower Films.

*****

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