Chapter 36: Orion Pictures

Early in the morning, in the bedroom, Arthur climbed down from Winona Ryder, looking at her flushed, sweat-drenched, alluring body. "Dear, are you still not getting up?"

Winona Ryder smiled, a few strands of hair stuck to her forehead by sweat, looking a bit playful. She reached out and touched Arthur's belly, "Hungry? We should get up and have something to eat!"

"If we wait any longer, we'll probably be having lunch directly," Arthur looked at his watch; it was almost ten o'clock.

"When are you going to New York?" Winona Ryder hugged Arthur tightly. "Christmas is just a week away!"

"Yeah, Christmas is almost here, but unfortunately, I still have to be with the crew of Sleepless in Seattle, so I shouldn't have much time."

After Christmas, the crew would be heading to the Baltimore set.

Winona Ryder nodded. "I also have to attend some business events. It's not easy for you to be a part of making a movie, so you shouldn't leave the crew for too long. When we have time later, let's go on a vacation to Europe!"

"Okay," Arthur sat up. "Are you going to CAA today?"

"Yeah, to discuss the filming schedule for that coming-of-age film, Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael. Anyway, I don't need to go to Italy to film The Godfather Part III now," Winona Ryder wrapped herself in the blanket and sat up too.

Arthur chuckled, reaching out to ruffle Winona Ryder's hair. "Alright, by next year when it's released, you'll know it's a flop!"

Not long after, after breakfast, Arthur first dropped off Winona Ryder at CAA, then drove to his own agency, ITA.

"How's the filming of Sleepless in Seattle going? Is it smooth?" Tracy Jacobs poured a cup of coffee for Arthur.

Arthur nodded. "We can wrap up in January, everything is going well!"

Tracy Jacobs handed Arthur a few scripts. "There's a small role in a crime film. You should head to Orion Pictures to audition in the next couple of days."

Arthur took a look. Indeed, there weren't many lines, just a small role in a movie called The Hot Spot.

A drifter arrives in a small desert town in Texas, bringing a storm of desire and sin to the locals. It's mainly a story about a middle-aged man and two sexy young women.

"Tracy, this plot..." Arthur didn't need to look closely to know it was a bit on the edge.

"You're just a supporting character; the plot doesn't concern you much," Tracy sighed.

"You don't want to act in coming-of-age films like American Pie, and now there aren't any good roles. Of course, you can keep writing scripts if you like!"

"Alright, I'll give it a try then," Arthur figured his work on Sleepless in Seattle was nearly done; he couldn't go without work, and acting in supporting roles paid better than waiting tables.

"Orion Pictures, I heard their financial situation isn't great?"

"Yeah, they supported Kevin Costner's self-directed and self-starred western epic Dances with Wolves, and the budget overran significantly," Tracy Jacobs, being well-versed in Hollywood matters, explained.

"Kevin Costner raised funds himself, selling many overseas distribution rights to get shooting capital!"

Arthur nodded. Kevin Costner was a big star now. Dances with Wolves was likely to be the Best Picture at next year's Academy Awards.

And Dances with Wolves did well at the box office, but it had a long run in theaters, and the overseas revenue was divided among different film companies. Orion Pictures still couldn't avoid bankruptcy!

However, Arthur recalled that Orion had another masterpiece, The Silence of the Lambs, which won them the Best Picture Oscar for two consecutive years, but by then, Orion Pictures had already gone bankrupt and was taken over by the bank.

I wonder if The Silence of the Lambs has started production yet?

"By the way, Tracy, I heard some news about CAA when I returned to Los Angeles. Wasn't Michael Ovitz, the chairman of CAA, a lobbyist when Sony acquired Columbia Pictures?" Arthur asked suddenly.

Tracy Jacobs found it amusing. "You're quite interested in this big news, huh? Yes, CAA played a part in the Sony acquisition of Columbia Pictures."

"CAA earned over 10 million dollars in commissions from this deal!"

"So it's true what the newspapers say - that Japan's Panasonic wants to acquire MCA Music and has also enlisted CAA's help for lobbying!" Arthur leaned back in his chair, contemplating.

MCA Music was the parent company of Universal Pictures. The ambitions of Japanese companies were considerable!

"CAA has extensive resources and many connections. If Panasonic's acquisition of MCA goes through, CAA could earn an estimated fifty million dollars in commissions," Tracy Jacobs didn't see a need to hide this information from Arthur. After all, both of them were just spectators.

Last year, CAA's net profit was only 65 million dollars.

Arthur looked at Tracy Jacobs again; he estimated that once Edward Scissorhands was released and Johnny Depp became famous, she would naturally join CAA.

Big fish eat small fish; CAA poaching agents and clients from other small and medium-sized agencies was perfectly normal.

Last year, both CAA and ICM, which had spun off from WMA, poached a few talents from WMA. Poaching among the big three Hollywood agencies was common, let alone from other small and medium-sized agencies.

After leaving ITA, Arthur specifically went to a bookstore to buy Thomas Harris's already published novels Red Dragon and The Silence of the Lambs.

Red Dragon was published in 1982, and The Silence of the Lambs was published last year, both with very good sales.

Red Dragon was adapted into Manhunter in 1986, but the film's box office and reviews were mediocre, not successful.

The producer of Manhunter, Dino De Laurentiis, also saw the potential in The Silence of the Lambs to become a hit film. He purchased the novel's rights before it was even published.

However, due to the previous failure of the Red Dragon adaptation, he held a negative attitude towards The Silence of the Lambs. Now, the adaptation rights for The Silence of the Lambs had fallen into the hands of Orion Pictures!

Back home, Arthur spent an entire afternoon reading The Silence of the Lambs until Winona Ryder came to get him.

"What novel are you so engrossed in?"

Winona Ryder came directly to Arthur's side and sat on his lap. "Thomas Harris's The Silence of the Lambs, a very classic thriller and suspense novel!"

"Oh, you've read it?" Arthur held Winona Ryder and kissed her neck.

"Yes, I've read it," Winona Ryder leaned into Arthur's embrace. "Why are you suddenly reading this novel?"

"Because if this novel is adapted into a film, it will create a big sensation," Arthur smiled.

"But a novel with such good sales must have had its adaptation rights bought long ago," Winona Ryder hugged Arthur's neck. "Arthur, developing a movie is very challenging!"

"I know, let's go eat first," Arthur said, giving Winona Ryder a quick kiss on the lips.

Anyway, Arthur was going to audition for Boiling Point at Orion Pictures tomorrow. He planned to use his script for Sleeping with the Enemy as a calling card to find out how the production of The Silence of the Lambs was progressing.

*****

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