Chapter 131: Some Things You Can't Miss

"Good evening, Mr. Coppola!" Arthur ran into Francis Ford Coppola. "Is the preparation for Bram Stoker's Dracula going smoothly?"

Francis Ford Coppola nodded. "It's going very well, thank you, Arthur."

"Glad to hear it. I am curious to see if big vampire productions have a market. I had my team reach out to Anne Rice. We are trying to acquire the adaptation rights to her first novel, Interview with the Vampire," Arthur explained with a smile.

"Interview with the Vampire?" Francis Ford Coppola was taken aback and said, "A few years ago, Paramount bought the rights from Anne Rice, but they didn't develop it. Now, the rights have been transferred to Lorimar, an independent film company!"

"I see," Arthur sighed. He had merely instructed his team to make contact and not to invest too much energy in development at this time.

Later, Arthur ran into the highly popular Arnold Schwarzenegger!

"Good evening, Arthur," Arnold Schwarzenegger gave Arthur a hug. "This must be Sophie Marceau, the French Kiss, she's stunning!"

"Good evening," Sophie Marceau greeted with a smile.

"You two make quite the pair," Arnold Schwarzenegger joked.

Arthur wrinkled his nose playfully and teased, "I've heard Stallone has struck a deal with Universal for Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. What do you think about that?"

Arnold Schwarzenegger chuckled. "You're the golden producer now, Arthur. What do you think of the script for Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot?"

"I think, after its release next year, Stallone might hate you even more," Arthur said. When it comes to wit, Stallone really falls short.

His head is filled with muscles, it's true. He became a laughingstock before by taking over Schwarzenegger's ex, and now he's been tricked by Schwarzenegger into taking on a lousy script!

"No, no, no," Arnold Schwarzenegger patted Arthur's shoulder with a wide grin. "This time, Stallone snatched the script right out of my hands! I'll go say hi to the others, see you later!"

After Arnold Schwarzenegger left, Arthur saw directors Ron Howard and Robert Zemeckis at the party.

Both Ron Howard and Robert Zemeckis were working with Universal at the time. Ron Howard's Far and Away was set to release next year.

Robert Zemeckis's American satirical black comedy-fantasy film Death Becomes Her was also set for release next year, featuring an ensemble cast of Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, and Goldie Hawn!

Arthur valued Robert Zemeckis highly. The Back to the Future trilogy and the animated feature Who Framed Roger Rabbit were excellent works.

More importantly, three years from now, he would direct the hugely impactful Forrest Gump.

Arthur couldn't afford to miss an opportunity like Forrest Gump!

...

"Was that just Francis Ford Coppola, the director of The Godfather series?" Sophie Marceau asked in surprise.

Arthur nodded. "That's right. He is currently planning a new vampire project about Dracula. Columbia Pictures is backing the project, and they even want me to play a role!"

"You've acted in films before. Why aren't you pursuing acting now?" Sophie Marceau asked.

"Why would I stop being a movie company owner to become an actor?" Arthur shook his head. "Maybe if my company has a suitable project in the future, but helping other companies shoot movies isn't happening right now!"

"By the way, which hotel are you staying at? I'll take you back," Arthur offered as they left the plaza hotel.

"The Hilton on Sixth Avenue, it's not far from here," Sophie Marceau replied.

"Not far at all, just six blocks up Sixth Avenue," Arthur said, looking at Sophie Marceau.

"Anything else?"

Sophie Marceau shook her head, looking at Central Park with a smile. "Nope. Do you want to take a walk? Central Park in New York is so famous!"

"Right now?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, but if you're busy, you can head off," Sophie Marceau replied.

Arthur shook his head. "A stroll around the perimeter should be fine; it's crowded inside," he said, taking off his coat and placing it over Sophie Marceau's shoulders.

"It's chilly at night, and you're dressed so beautifully!"

Sophie Marceau smiled and took Arthur's arm. "Let's go, I just wanted to clear my head since I'm back in America."

Arthur nodded and remembered, "Last year, you had a movie, The Girl from Paris, shot in America, right?"

"Yes, a small French film. I'm surprised you know about it," Sophie Marceau replied.

Arthur sighed. "A Few Good Men is currently the biggest investment from Galaxy, and I chose you as the lead actress. The company thoroughly checked your background. Otherwise, if you couldn't speak English, there wouldn't be much time for you to learn."

"Don't worry, I speak English," Sophie Marceau whispered, leaning close to Arthur. "But I am grateful for the opportunity. After coming to America, I realized how competitive it is for lead roles here.

The European entertainment industry isn't as glamorous as Hollywood. I thought I needed to be a pretty face for a few years before landing a main role."

Could Arthur say that it was mainly because European top actresses were affordable? Sophie Marceau's fee was only 3 million francs, which was just over 500,000 dollars!

"Europe's market is good too," Arthur said, putting his arm around Sophie Marceau's waist. "At Cannes, I made initial cooperation agreements with your French Gaumont Film Company. In the future, if you have projects, Galaxy can provide funding and North American distribution channels!"

Fanfan hadn't been released yet, the film that made Sophie Marceau a star. Arthur planned to make her a representative French actress.

Sophie Marceau smiled. "I signed a three-movie deal with Galaxy. I'm waiting for you to arrange roles for me!"

Signing actors and directors to multi-film agreements upfront is common practice for film companies.

For instance, Orion Studios had previously signed a three-film deal with director Jonathan Demme and actor Anthony Hopkins, though there was significant time flexibility.

"Don't worry. Your Hollywood debut, A Few Good Men, will be a hit," Arthur assured her. He also aimed to strengthen cooperation with the European entertainment industry, especially with Germany's recent unification and its enticing film funding programs.

*****

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