Chapter 25: Rowan Atkinson

Rowan Atkinson was still performing in a play in London, and he never expected that a little-known actor like him would receive an offer from Hollywood.

"What? I'm not the leading role?"

"What are you thinking? You're not even the lead in your play."

"Okay, the pay isn't very high, but relatively speaking, $200,000 isn't a small amount."

"Besides, they would share 5% of the North American box office -- though that would be divided among the entire crew -- that's a very promising offer. You can't earn that much in a year of theater."

In those days, Eddie Murphy and Rowan Atkinson were the undisputed kings of comedy. They had a natural funny quality; even when they were serious, they brought a smile.

No time to waste; Rowan Atkinson flew to Los Angeles the very next day. If he waited too long, the role might be gone.

...

Gathering a group of struggling actors, William White began fulfilling his roles as director and producer.

Upon seeing such a detailed script, the struggling actors felt overwhelmed. Aside from Eddie Murphy and Rowan Atkinson, the others were all struggling to make it in Hollywood -- some were performing in theater, while others worked as waiters.

Hollywood wasn't easy to navigate. Without gigs, they still had to eat. Fortunately, it was easy to find odd jobs. As long as you were willing to work hard, you could keep your stomach full.

They had never encountered a script before; having a couple of lines was a bonus. They didn't even qualify to read the script. The assistant director would say something, and they would have to follow orders. If anyone dared to improvise, they would be immediately dismissed.

Film stock was expensive. Who would waste time on extras? What looked good on set might not make the cut in editing anyway; after all, they were just background actors -- who cared about their feelings?

William White's production company was different. They didn't just have an outline; everyone had a copy of the shot-by-shot script. Though the place was bustling, nearly everyone had a chance to perform.

By the end of May, to meet the summer release schedule, William White sped up production.

Paramount's film lot was still costly. William found himself helpless. Filming in Canada could work, but he couldn't complete shooting there -- that would be even more expensive.

Some may say it was nonsense, asking how it was possible to prepare a crew and buy equipment in just a few days.

That wasn't an issue at all. Hollywood's props companies were abundant, and as long as you had the cash, you could get the best equipment without a hitch.

Costumes and weapons were no problem either. They even offered large weapons and police cars; just a phone call would do -- truly a handy service.

Lighting and camera equipment worked the same way. They could arrange it all in a day. There were photographers of all kinds, and prices varied according to their skills. Sometimes they would try to pull a fast one, but generally, the service was good.

They relied on service to make a living. Don't be fooled by White Films being a new company; they didn't dare mess around. Their legal team was no joke -- better not interfere with their shooting.

Paramount looked down on a crew assembled from temp workers. They thought these country bumpkins actually believed the film industry was easy to break into.

William White preferred to keep a low profile. This wasn't the time for him to make his move. All of Hollywood was in a deep slumber, and 1979 would be even more so.

That year, the box office champion was Kramer vs. Kramer, an Oscar-winning masterpiece starring Meryl Streep.

What was the box office revenue?

Around $50 million, boosted by the Oscar nominations. That was the standard for champions; the rest barely made a dent.

Historically, Police Academy had no heavy promotion but easily broke $80 million.

When this film was released, it had only a measly 300 screens. No need to elaborate on how tough things were.

A bunch of struggling actors and college students almost drove William White to madness. Aside from Eddie Murphy and Rowan Atkinson, most of the others seemed lost, making William reluctant to start shooting.

"Jason, don't look at the camera! I've told you a thousand times -- only a fool looks at the camera."

"Luna, you're not a damsel right now; you need to be assertive. Don't know what assertive means? Look at me."

Despite the chaos, shooting progress didn't slow down. The benefit of using struggling actors was their obedience; they didn't care about overtime, while other crew members were paid by the hour -- these guys earned double overtime.

After the initial week, everyone started hitting their stride; the signs of acting became almost invisible.

The set was quite accommodating. Since they were in the zone, reshooting a few scenes was no big deal.

I must say, Mr. Bean really stood out; acting alongside him could easily leave others in the dust. Eddie Murphy had talent, and if he put in just half the effort Mr. Bean did, his achievements would be even greater.

William White believed that once this film was released, Mr. Bean would become famous; his serious face made everyone want to laugh. The actors sharing scenes with him almost always broke into giggles. If it weren't for editing, William White would have certainly lost his mind.

This film aimed to satirize the American policies toward minority groups. Just by looking at the cast, you could see; African American, Asian American, Latino -- this was a real United Nations.

Very few minorities got into the police profession, and the film illustrated this through humorous dialogue, ensuring audiences wouldn't feel uncomfortable.

Of course, there was still a main theme; it could never go wrong with that. The film scrutiny wasn't strict, but that didn't mean you could do as you pleased. Topics involving religion and race were best approached cautiously.

In Hollywood, while making money was crucial, promotion was even more important for some.

As for how others felt, the crew was very optimistic about this film; it was simply too funny. When it released, it would surely create a buzz.

Was there a chance it might not get released?

Eddie Murphy had posed this strange question; he was desperate for fame and didn't want his efforts to go to waste.

William White told him this wasn't an issue he had considered. If necessary, they could rent a theater chain, and if that didn't work, he would think about buying a theater or two. Was it really that expensive to acquire a few hundred screens?

In response to such bravado, Eddie had no words; he thought about how casually William spoke. Was acquiring a theater chain really that easy?

It was indeed quite costly; forget purchasing -- renting would be astronomical. But it depended on who you asked. For Eddie Murphy, that was expensive; for William White, it might not be so bad.

The theater business in America was struggling that year. With half the year gone, not to mention the chance of hitting the $100 million mark, very few even reached $50 million. The big Hollywood players were failing, and the theater owners relied on them for a living.For this market backdrop, acquiring two theaters was quite feasible.

*****

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