Chapter 911: Sky Bridge

[Chapter 911: Sky Bridge]

After the weekend, Eric returned to Los Angeles from Ventura and instructed Kelly to assemble a team from the assistant's office to focus on the construction of private airports on both coasts and the purchase of two Boeing 747-400s and two Gulfstream V jets. Eric himself shifted his attention to casting for several films and the expansion of Firefly Studios.

With the intensive casting initiations for Iron Man, Spider-Man, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and The Fast and the Furious all taking place at once, the casting demands for these heavyweight films practically covered all age ranges in Hollywood. Additionally, Firefly's recent accolades propelled many once-unknown actors to Hollywood superstardom.

So, despite the recent Pierce Brosnan incident, which left many Hollywood big names grumbling about Firefly's supposed 'stinginess', things still appeared quite bustling in Hollywood. Actors were going to great lengths to snag roles in these franchises.

"So, with The X-Files wrapped up, do you still keep in touch with Brad Pitt?" Eric playfully asked over breakfast with Famke Janssen at his estate, upon hearing her mention Brad's interest in playing Tony Stark.

Since The X-Files concluded just over six months ago, Famke hadn't picked up any new projects but had been traveling while doing charity work. She had just returned to Los Angeles and had been staying at the estate.

"It was Sheryl that called me," Famke explained, noticing Eric's confusion. She laughed, "Sheryl Cody -- Brad's agent. You must have met her. We've gotten along pretty well over the years, so she asked me to relay a message to you."

Eric vaguely recalled Sheryl Cody -- a capable agent from ICM whom he hadn't seen in years. As time had passed, both he and Brad Pitt had risen to different standings in Hollywood. Eric no longer held any preconceived notions about Brad; in fact, he felt virtually indifferent.

Bringing a selection of breakfast items to the table, Eric calmly analyzed, "Brad's acting is decent, but his image doesn't quite fit for Tony Stark." He thought for a moment, a hint of a smile appearing on his lips. "However, I could see him trying out for another role -- Thor. But if he wants that role, he'll need to be patient; the Thor movie won't start until after Spider-Man and Iron Man are released."

Historically, Marvel had once hoped Brad Pitt would portray Thor, but at that time, he was already transitioning into directing and producing, which rendered a comic-book character less appealing for him, leading to their lack of collaboration.

However, due to Eric's involvement now, although Brad Pitt had gained significant fame for his role in The X-Files, he would essentially be starting fresh again after the series wrapped.

Also, having been typecast by The X-Files, developing his career in films would not come as easy as it once had. However, Brad was indeed a fitting choice for Thor, with the movie set to launch about two years later when the shadow of The X-Files would begin to fade.

Famke nodded, saying, "I'll pass that message along to Sheryl then."

"By the way, how far along are you with the X-Men comics I gave you?" Eric inquired.

"I find them really interesting! I really like the character Jean Grey," Famke replied. "When are you planning to shoot X-Men? I haven't heard anything."

"This will also have to wait another two or three years," Eric explained. "My plan is to kickstart the Marvel Cinematic Universe first with Spider-Man and Iron Man. That way, advancing other projects will be much simpler. You can take your time this year to film a few projects to get a feel for it; filming for TV and movies are quite different."

"To that end, I'm heading back to the Netherlands soon; my sister is preparing a film and wants me to play a role," Famke said.

It was notable that Famke had two sisters; one was a director and the other, also an actress. Both were pursuing their careers in Europe. Upon hearing her, Eric couldn't help but encourage, "You just got back, and now you're already heading off again? You should let your sister come to Hollywood instead!"

Famke countered, "My sister is much stronger-willed than I am. She knows about my relationship with you; she wouldn't dream of coming here."

Eric chuckled, "Looks like I'm lucky, having snagged the most easygoing one among you sisters."

Famke shot him an annoyed glance and replied playfully, "That's just because you're a jerk."

Eric smiled smugly, quickly finishing breakfast before attempting to pull Famke in for a display of his 'jerkiness.' Feeling her leg going up to shield his action, he gently grabbed the long leg peeking out from her workout shorts, laughing, "Alright, I have to get to work now; come here, give me a kiss."

With an affectionate but somewhat exasperated look, Famke turned her cheek to allow Eric to kiss it, smiling slightly while teasing, "I'm buying a ticket back to the Netherlands today."

After planting a kiss on Famke's lips and stealing a quick kiss on her alluring leg -- delighting in her laughter -- Eric remarked, "You don't have to; I recently rented a Boeing 767. Whenever you're ready to go, I'll have someone send you."

...

After a busy couple of weeks, the selection for the lead in Iron Man had moved to its second round, with the audition list narrowed from the initial hundreds to just fifty. Eric planned to participate personally in the upcoming rounds of auditions.

Once at Firefly Studios, he found Jeffrey Katzenberg had arrived along with several theme park designers.

The design team in charge of developing Firefly's theme park project had come up with a plan for the western plot on Lincoln Avenue. Due to the residents in the eastern area asking for exorbitant sums, the studio couldn't proceed with expansion there, so the focus would primarily shift to the Lincoln Avenue western plot.

"Mr. Williams, look, we could build a sky bridge on Lincoln Avenue to connect the two theme park areas," one designer proposed. "Additionally, to link the Titanic-themed exhibition area with the western park without disrupting the studio facilities' operations, we could create a private passage on the eastern edge of the park with film-themed elements to keep it engaging for visitors."

Eric listened to the designer's presentation of the design slides, shaking his head. "That won't work. No one is going to want to walk a kilometer through a corridor. Moreover, the eastern area is supposed to be part of the theme park experience."

"Then we can add a few entrances in the accessible tour areas," the designer suggested.

"I'm not just talking about entrances. I think the concept of a private passage is fundamentally flawed. It would create a claustrophobic feel. If you've ever experienced that, you know exactly how terrible it can be," Eric responded. He stood up to approach the projector and had the secretary change a few images before stopping at a blueprint of a sky bridge crossing Lincoln Avenue.

He pondered for a moment before drawing a long line in the air. "How about we raise and extend this sky bridge to create an aerial walkway connecting the Titanic exhibition and the western park? What do you think?"

Jeffrey's eyes lit up, and he nodded as he approached Eric. "I think that's a fantastic idea. Much of the eastern park is unsuitable for visitors, but with a sky bridge, they could get a bird's-eye view of the entire park. This is significantly better than the ground-level passage idea."

Several designers joined in, one commenting, "However, such an aerial walkway must be expensive to construct, right?"

Eric shook his head at Gary, the designer. "Let's not talk costs for now. Consider this: the Los Angeles International Airport, not far to our south, has an annual passenger throughput of 60 million. Although most airport visitors take the western 405 freeway, even if one-fifth passed through Lincoln Avenue, that would still amount to 12 million people. If this sky bridge becomes a landmark structure on Lincoln Avenue, it essentially serves as a free advertisement for Firefly Studios to 12 million travelers from all around the globe each year. That kind of visibility certainly surpasses that of a bridge merely constructed for safety."

Gary nodded, visualizing a line that spanned the east and west park areas. "Mr. Williams, if we disregard the construction costs, then we could make this walkway stretch across the entire east and west parks. This would create symmetry, enhance aesthetics, and the four kilometers of aerial walkway would certainly provide visual shock value."

After Gary's suggestion, others chimed in with their thoughts.

Eric recalled numerous striking elevated walkways, having walked on several high sky paths previously. The designs had left a lasting impression on him. Now, with this opportunity and having the financial muscle, he naturally envisioned designing an aerial walkway akin to the one at his Malibu estate.

After lively discussions for over half an hour, the concept was essentially finalized.

That said, while brainstorming could be limitless, achieving a workable plan required the designers to delve into intricate details, such as the form of the walkway, materials to be used, height, etc.

...

After sending the designers off, Eric then walked with Jeffrey to another office building in the studio where the audition for Iron Man was taking place.

Since there had been prior notice not to wait for him, the creative team behind Iron Man had already started the auditions.

Eric and Jeffrey exchanged nods with the group of waiting actors in the hallway before entering the audition room, where a thirty-something white male was performing a scene with the help of staff. Upon noticing Eric and Jeffrey entering, he paused, unsure whether to continue.

"Go ahead, um, Mr. Rockwell, continue," Eric said with a smile, nodding at him.

Sam Rockwell was surprised Eric recognized him and quickly responded with a smile as he readied himself again, signaling back to the female assistant reading lines.

Eric casually nodded to the director Joss Whedon and seated himself beside Jeffrey, pulling out a stack of actor profiles from an assistant, watching Sam Rockwell's performance.

Sam Rockwell was one of the candidates who Eric personally selected among the final fifty.

Previously, Sam had auditioned for the lead role in Iron Man but didn't land the part; he later played the villain Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2. While the primary antagonist in Iron Man 2 was Whiplash, Sam's portrayal of Justin Hammer did possess some subtle parallels to Robert Downey Jr. Luckily, Eric remembered these and decided to include him in this round of auditions.

However, during the audition, despite giving a few pointers, Eric found it hard to feel satisfied with Sam Rockwell's performance. It felt like he was missing something.

Then, in a flash of inspiration, Eric instructed the crew to provide a pair of black-rimmed glasses for Sam. Instantly, his presence shifted from that of a street punk to a charming yet cynical CEO with a hint of mischievousness.

Unfortunately, Tony Stark wouldn't be wearing glasses.

Once Sam exited, realizing Eric's particular attention to him, the team openly looked on, clearly inquiring for Eric's opinion.

Regretfully, Eric shook his head. "His acting is solid, but if he's not wearing glasses, he simply can't embody the essence of Tony Stark. And with them on...well, it won't work. Next!"

Joss and the others breathed sighs of relief; their sentiments mirrored Eric's. However, they also understood Eric often made unexpected decisions, so there was some concern amongst them. If Eric leaned toward Sam Rockwell, that wouldn't bode well.

*****

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