Chapter 324: Classic Scene

[Chapter 324: Classic Scene]

Half an hour later, in another makeup room, Diane Lane sat nervously in her chair, excitement bubbling under her surface while the makeup artist quickly touched up her eyebrows and hairstyle.

Several crew members busily moved around her, while Eric Williams occasionally pointed out directions to the makeup artist on what to do next.

This situation made Diane realize that she was genuinely in the running for the leading role in Basic Instinct. Although the film had some adult themes, which would undoubtedly impact her future screen image, it was Eric Williams's film. Even though he wasn't directing it himself, and was merely credited as a producer, Eric's name graced the screenplay. Because of this, no one would see the film as anyone else's work.

Thinking about all the leading ladies who became stars from Eric's films made Diane feel a rush of excitement.

"Mr. Williams, what do you think? Is this okay?" the stylist asked, standing back to inspect her work as she quickly brushed Diane's face with makeup.

Eric approached Diane, scrutinizing her carefully, and shook his head. "No, the eyebrows need to be a bit bolder. The lips look too sexy; I don't want sexy."

"Should I make it more masculine then?" the stylist asked tentatively.

"Not at all. The lead has to be a woman, but not the sexy kind of woman."

The stylist furrowed his brow in thought. As one of the top professionals in the industry, he had encountered various eccentric requests from different directors, so he didn't seem impatient with Eric's instructions. After a moment, the stylist got to work on Diane's face again.

Her eyebrows became more pronounced, while her alluring upper lip was toned down. Once he was finished, the stylist glanced at Eric for approval.

Eric nodded slightly. Then he looked behind him. "Has the dress I just designed been made yet?"

"Almost ready," a crew member replied. "Three minutes."

"Make it quicker," Eric called out, before turning back to Diane. "Mr. Johnson will be here shortly. I need you to perform a few more scenes with him. You should prepare yourself now."

Diane carefully stood up, trying not to mess up her newly styled hair. Nodding, she took the pages of the script handed to her and moved to a corner sofa to sit down and quietly review the lines. The previously noisy crew members intuitively lowered their voices.

"Mr. Williams, the dress is ready," an assistant brought over a white dress and showed it to Eric. "What do you think?"

"Looks good," Eric replied as he took the dress, walked over to the sofa, and handed it to Diane. "Put this on. Just come out in this dress. Try to understand Catherine Tramell's mindset. Your opportunity is significant, but if it doesn't work out, I won't hesitate to consider other options."

"Got it." Diane nodded. Even though Eric's suggestion for her to audition without anything underneath felt a bit awkward, she didn't refuse. She accepted the dress and headed to the fitting room.

...

"You just said you enjoy men's touch, didn't you?" In front of the camera, Don Johnson asked aggressively.

Diane Lane wore a subtle, confident smile as she calmly retorted, "No, I said I like Johnny's touch. I don't set rules, Nick; I prefer to let things flow."

"You killed Mr. Baz, didn't you?" an assistant prompted for her line.

Diane leaned slightly forward, a hint of sarcasm in her tone as she replied, "I'm not foolish enough to kill someone using methods from my own book and then announce myself as the murderer. I'm not an idiot."

"We know you're not that stupid. Maybe that's your way to avoid conviction?"

"Writing a book as an excuse," Don Johnson stated again.

Diane smiled brightly at Don Johnson. "Of course, that works perfectly." Just as quickly, her expression shifted to seriousness, as if her previous comment was merely a joke. She looked at the others facing her and said, "I already told you, I didn't kill him."

"Did you do drugs with Mr. Baz?"

"Of course."

"What kind?"

"Cocaine. Nick, have you ever snorted cocaine?" Diane looked back at Don Johnson with a teasing glint in her eye.

With that, the room fell silent for a brief moment. The most memorable scene from Basic Instinct unfolded in the audition room. Diane clearly got into character. She unconsciously performed a leg switch, which caused Jeffrey, who had been sipping water across from her, to spit it out upon witnessing the scene.

...

This unexpected distraction took Diane out of character as she raised her hand to cover her dress's hem. Yet, her expression showed little embarrassment, and she boldly gazed at Eric across the way, knowing he had caught a glimpse beneath her dress.

Eric cleared his throat a couple of times. Diane's ability to let go made him very pleased. He quickly said, "Very nice. Congratulations, Diane Lane. You nailed the audition."

"Thank you for your recognition, Mr. Williams. I promise I will work hard," she replied, sitting up a bit more formally to express her gratitude.

Eric nodded and then turned to Roger Spottiswoode. "Now that we have our leading lady, I'll be heading to New York tomorrow. This movie will be entirely in your hands and Jeffrey's. Normally, it would take three months to finish this film, but I hope you can compress the production timeline to under two months because it needs to be released three months from now, with a month left over for promotion."

"I'll do my best," Roger Spottiswoode replied.

"I don't want to hear words like 'doing best.' I need a 100% guarantee. We can add to the movie's budget if necessary. I need it completed on time, and the film's quality must be assured."

Roger felt the pressure building but realized that since Eric's film was on the line, he still had to finish Ghost, which would involve special effects, while Basic Instinct wouldn't need as many. Having been in Hollywood for so many years, he thought he couldn't fall behind any younger competitor.

"I guarantee I'll complete it on time," Roger finally stated without hesitation.

Eric nodded, extending his hand to shake Roger's. "It's a necessary situation, Roger. You know, I wasted a few months at the beginning of the year. I have to rush back and show some people they can't hold me back even a little. So, if you can get this film done, we'll definitely continue to collaborate in the future."

*****

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