Chapter 268: Prop Gun Accident

After the perfect conclusion of the Oscars, it was no surprise that Schindler's List won awards. There were no unexpected outcomes. Galaxy Orion winning the Best Picture Oscar for three consecutive years became a media sensation!

However, Arthur left for a vacation in Florida with Winona Ryder the day after the award ceremony ended. They went to Naples, a small seaside town on the west coast of Florida, known for its rich Italian Mediterranean style and paradise-like charm.

In Naples, they stayed at the Ritz-Carlton Beach Resort. As a small town, Naples was low-key and quiet, but its luxurious style and beautiful exotic environment were excellent!

On the balcony, Arthur was sitting on a lounge chair by the pool, reading a newspaper. Suddenly, a piece of news caught his eye.

The headline in the Miami Herald read, "Bruce Lee's Son, Brandon Lee, Killed on Set by Prop Gun!"

Arthur immediately read the article carefully. "A real bullet accidentally fired from a prop gun!" Arthur muttered. Bruce Lee was quite famous, and his son Brandon Lee was only 28 years old. The Crow was a gothic American fantasy action-revenge film with a dark style.

"Arthur," Winona Ryder came from behind and kissed Arthur, "What are you reading?"

Arthur handed her the Miami Herald. "Last night, a Hollywood movie set saw a prop gun incident. Bruce Lee's son was killed."

Winona Ryder read it. "Bruce Lee's son, Brandon Lee, passed away? How could a prop gun fire a real bullet? Was it an accident?"

Arthur shook his head. "I don't know. The police are still investigating."

Winona frowned. "The Crow is a low-budget independent film. The props probably weren't handled seriously."

"Arthur, will this incident impact Hollywood?" Winona Ryder asked, concerned about an actor being killed by a prop gun.

"It will have some impact, but not much," Arthur replied, holding Winona Ryder in his arms. "If it were a big name, it would draw more media attention."

Soon enough, the police would likely declare Brandon Lee's death an accident.

"Mm," Winona Ryder kissed Arthur passionately.

As Arthur responded to the kiss, he began undressing Winona Ryder and then carried her back to the bedroom.

"Arthur," Winona Ryder said as she lay on the bed, feeling his kisses, "I recently received a script about a group of Generation X college graduates facing life's challenges in the big city. The writer and director are both newcomers. I'd like to hear your thoughts!"

"A story about Generation X college students?" Arthur, resting on Winona's chest, lifted his head. "Stories about Generation X aren't very popular."

Generation X refers to those born from the mid-1960s to the 1970s in the US and Canada, following the Baby Boomers. Broadly, it's Arthur and Winona Ryder's generation. More narrowly, it describes those obsessed with rock and punk, often considered the wasted generation.

Generation X became a popular term in North American lifestyle discourse after the 1991 publication of Douglas Coupland's novel Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture.

"Yes, it's called Reality Bites. It's mainly about four graduates dealing with love and work in society, focusing on a love triangle, a romantic comedy," Winona Ryder explained. "The script has been in the works for many years.

The director, Ben Stiller, is a comedy star. The producer showed the script to almost every film company, and all rejected it. Recently, a producer from Universal showed me the script. If I agree to star in it, Universal is willing to fund the project with 10 million dollars."

Ben Stiller was a marginal figure in Hollywood. The Ben Stiller Show had been canceled by MTV due to low ratings, though FOX seemed to support a reboot of the show. His parents, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, were well-known comedy actors from the '70s.

At 28, Ben Stiller was primarily a TV star.

"You just finished The Pelican Brief and still have to prepare for Little Women. Do you have time to help a bunch of newcomers shoot Reality Bites?"

Winona Ryder starring in such a low-budget film wouldn't be unprofitable, but it wouldn't make much either.

Just like Emma, which grossed around 35 million dollars worldwide with an 8 million dollar budget. It received good reviews but didn't have a significant impact, only garnering Oscar nominations for Best Costume Design and Best Original Score.

"You're right, I won't take it," Winona Ryder said, realizing she didn't lack scripts and didn't need to choose an unappealing story.

*****

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