Chapter 277: This Reason Is Too Powerful

[Chapter 277: This Reason Is Too Powerful]

Eric handed the hastily written outline for Basic Instinct to Allen behind him and instructed his assistant to register it with the Writers Guild. Then he turned to David Greenwater and said, "Because I don't like that woman."

David Greenwater and Hans Whitler were momentarily speechless. That reason was too compelling. They felt a mix of helplessness and envy, wondering when they would reach the point where simply stating "I don't like" could influence another person's fate.

Eric wasn't inclined to explain himself further. He wasn't wasn't the type to boycott anything just because someone said something against certain views. If you didn't like me, then I didn't like you. It was as simple as that; we were just ordinary people, no need to overthink it. But after witnessing the tragedy that claimed the lives of countless innocent civilians, a woman who could gleefully utter the word "retribution" could only be described as cold-blooded. No amount of political reasoning could excuse that behavior.

So when Eric saw the dossier on Sharon Stone, he immediately passed on her. While the audition was taking place, he took it upon himself to outline the script that would eventually make Sharon Stone famous, which ended up being a box-office hit.

With Eric's current fame, it made no sense for him to personally produce such a controversial film, especially when it could jeopardize his public image. Even in the future, he planned to keep his real name off any credits. That script, however, was perfect for Robert Shea. After all, Robert was set to direct two major films this year and was more than willing to make any movie that could generate profit. As for the lead actress, competition for roles could attract hundreds. Would Hollywood ever run out of leading ladies?

Lost in his thoughts, Eric ignored yet another potential star that passed him by when the next woman walked in. He looked up at her, then flipped through her information. Confirming he wasn't mistaken, Eric raised his head with an odd smile and asked, "Miss Jansen, have we met before?"

Hans Whitler and David Greenwater, both ready to speak, shut their mouths at the same time.

It seemed they finally had a lead actress lined up. They wouldn't have to spend another few days sifting through auditions. Though they saw nearly a hundred beautiful faces daily, it would get dull, especially under Eric's pressure. They didn't have much decision-making power in these roles; they could only admire the pretty women from a distance.

Famke Janssen, newly seated, noticed Eric's peculiar gaze but felt a flicker of joy; being noticed was surely better than being ignored.

"Mr. Williams, perhaps you've seen some of the ads I've done in magazines. I've shot quite a few," she said.

Eric unabashedly glanced at her long legs, tightly encased in white slacks, and asked, "Miss Janssen, are you a model?"

Famke shook her head, "Not anymore; I've just retired."

Eric continued, "If you aren't selected this time, what will you do next?"

Her expression remained unchanged as she thought for a moment and replied, "I might apply to a university and study for a couple of years. Once I get a degree, I can find other jobs."

"Other jobs, like what?"

Famke hesitated, then shook her head, "I don't know; I haven't thought that far ahead."

Eric nodded and said to the two producers beside him, "I'm good to go; you two can take it from here."

A faint smirk crossed Hans Whitler's face as he mused, "Aren't you going to ask her anything else? Like if she has a boyfriend?"

Eric shot him a glance as if to say, "What does it matter? If I like her, I like her; having a boyfriend doesn't change that."

"Eric, is she the one?" David Greenwater asked in a low voice.

"Let's finish the morning auditions first," Eric coolly replied.

Truthfully, there weren't many famous actresses born in the sixties who witnessed Hollywood's rise. Only about twenty or so were well-known, and a few were trying to catch up. Among these figures, Famke Janssen stood out as a notable Hollywood woman.

What made a strong impression on Eric wasn't Famke's role as the Phoenix, in X-Men but rather her unforgettable portrayal of the fierce and beautiful Russian assassin in GoldenEye. The way she could suffocate a man with her long legs was nothing short of exceptional. Having encountered her, he was eager to find out just how strong those legs were.

While Famke sensed the three judges murmuring among themselves, she felt a twinge of anxiety, unsure of their discussions. However, her nerves calmed as they scrutinized her audition in detail. Other auditioners typically wrapped up in under ten minutes, but hers extended for a full twenty.

...

After Famke left, David Greenwater commented, "She was good, though her acting was a bit clumsy. With more practice during filming, she could shine. She definitely has a strong presence -- no doubt about her modeling background."

Hans chuckled in agreement.

Eric paid no mind to the two's mock admiration and focused on jotting down his thoughts on the forms in front of him.

The morning auditions wrapped up quickly. With the role essentially filled, there was no rush for anyone else. Eric gathered his belongings and exchanged a few words before leaving with Allen. As for Famke, he felt no hurry; there would be time to finalize that later.

...

As they approached late December, with Christmas around the corner, the North American box office had been led by Home Alone 2 since Thanksgiving weekend, generating over $110 million in just five weeks.

Besides Home Alone 2, the top five included Warner's Lethal Weapon 2 and Universal's Back to the Future 2. These three films dominated the box office while The Others and Steel Magnolias contended for fourth place, each consistently earning over ten million dollars weekly.

After seven weeks of accumulation, The Others was closing in on the $100 million mark. Its final box office could surpass its initial $150 million target since its revenue had hardly dipped by more than 20% in recent weeks, while Steel Magnolias showed even more stable earnings. Accumulating over $60 million in five weeks, that film perfectly fit the Christmas spirit. It seemed almost certain that the box office would rebound significantly during the holiday season.

On the other hand, Eddie Murphy's comedy Harlem Nights, which initially saw good numbers, suffered steep declines of over 50% each week and slipped out of the top five, reinforcing the belief that black films struggled to break into Hollywood's mainstream.

The impressive performance of Home Alone 2, The Others, and Steel Magnolias caught the media's attention. Starting in early November, Firefly, or Eric's films, had consistently held the top spot on the box office chart for seven straight weeks. Slated for a December 22 release, Sleepless in Seattle, which Eric directed, was expected to perform well, especially with Fox's aggressive marketing. Very few anticipated success for Warner's competitor, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

...

As the seventh week passed, December 22 finally arrived. After its premiere at the Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, Sleepless in Seattle opened in over 2,200 cinemas across North America.

Also hitting theaters was Al Pacino's film, Scent of a Woman, positioned as an Oscar contender. Following the conventional release strategy for awards contenders, Robert Shea limited the film's screening to 60 venues to secure its Oscar qualification.

With The X-Files lead confirmed, Eric's work for the year was mostly finished. After attending the premiere of Sleepless in Seattle, he retreated to his Malibu home to relax, reading and writing scripts at his leisure.

...

In stark contrast to Eric's ease, the media across North America anxiously monitored the first-week box office for Sleepless in Seattle. If it secured the box office crown that week, Eric's films would have achieved an unprecedented eight-week run at the top.

Although many media outlets were skeptical about Warner's National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation competing, no one dared to call it a sure thing. After all, this film, while featuring adult leads, shared a similar comedic style with Home Alone.

In the midst of this anxious wait, the first weekend's box office results came out: Sleepless in Seattle grossed $17 million, undeniably clinching that weekend's box office crown. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation pulled in just over $11 million, earning even less than Home Alone 2 during its Christmas run. The victor was clear.

One week later, Sleepless in Seattle racked up over $27 million in its opening week, surpassing Home Alone 2's earnings and claiming the top position on the box office chart. This success marked a triumphant win for Firefly -- through these three films, they had successfully locked down the holiday season's box office championship.

As the media began to highlight this achievement, comparisons were drawn to last year, when Home Alone reigned for ten weeks, a feat considered a miracle. However, for Eric's films to secure the championship through consecutive releases truly demonstrated their strength.

Though Firefly only officially released Scent of a Woman, with other movies distributed by Disney and Fox, most media outlets attributed the box office success to Firefly rather than Disney, who they derided alongside the other major studios.

...

At the same time, while Sleepless in Seattle claimed the box office title, other notable events unfolded. Despite being limited to 60 preview cinemas, Scent of a Woman earned over $900,000 in its opening week, with an average of over $15,000 per theater, far surpassing the $10,000 threshold for a hit film. The positive reception also highlighted Al Pacino's portrayal of the blind lieutenant as his most iconic role to date.

Additionally, following the release of Sleepless in Seattle and with Firefly's strategic promotion, the VHS of An Affair to Remember sold over 200,000 copies in its first week, breaking into the top ten sales charts. This was remarkable for a movie over thirty years old, and projections suggested that sales could surpass one million copies, possibly even reaching two million. Eric recalled that after Sleepless in Seattle was released from theatres, the VHS burned past that mark.

Calculating the price of each VHS at just under $10, and after deducting a $5 cut for distributors, Firefly would flip a decent profit on the $30 retail price. If sales reached two million copies, Firefly could bring in $30 million -- equivalent to the total profits typically seen from a film grossing over $100 million at the box office in North America. While many marveled at Eric's foresight, executives at Fox were left red-faced after selling An Affair to Remember's rights for just $3.2 million.

...

While Firefly was receiving ample praise, Eric sensed something amiss. According to their contract, Columbia was supposed to pay over $88 million in shares for Running Out of Time, and advertising revenue for Friends was due for settlement in December. But both companies had found endless excuses to delay, and despite Eric's efforts to meet with the heads at both Columbia and Fox, he was met with silence.

Next, Eric had Firefly's newly appointed CFO, Carolyn Elliott, approach several banks for loans against Firefly's film contracts. Within just a few days, those loan applications faced an array of rejections for various reasons.

On December 31, the last day of the year, Eric returned home after a day of fruitless business. Sat on the couch in his Malibu villa, he reflected on the unusual details he had encountered recently. He knew he had to dial Jeffrey's number, who was celebrating Christmas in New York with Chris. When the call connected, Eric spoke with a weighty tone, "Jeffrey, something big might be about to happen..."

*****

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