Chapter 82: Amy Pascal

Sandra Bullock's acting was impressive and she had a good sense of humor. Her future breakout action film, Speed, had not been released yet. However, she was definitely a promising actress worth developing. Arthur planned to make Scream a film series, and both the female lead and Sandra Bullock's roles were crucial, requiring a three-film contract.

Given Sandra Bullock's current fame, her fee for this Scream was the highest among the cast at $150,000. Now, Arthur just needed a suitable female lead, but with his upcoming trip to Venice, there was still plenty of time to find one.

Early in the morning, in the bedroom of Arthur's house in Northridge, San Fernando Valley, Arthur was dreaming sweetly while holding Jennifer Aniston in his arms. Suddenly, the phone beside the bed rang.

"Who's calling this early?" Jennifer Aniston opened her eyes. Arthur shook his head, as there was no caller ID.

After kissing the person in his arms, Arthur picked up the phone. "Hello, Arthur Smith here."

At that moment, in Sydney, Australia, Nicole Kidman was lying in her bathtub making the call. "It's Nicole. I'm back in Sydney and would like you to come over to discuss the script for To Die For."

"It's you. But there's almost an 18-hour time difference between Sydney and Los Angeles. It's early morning here in L.A.," Arthur said, holding Jennifer Aniston. "It should be late night over there. Aren't you sleeping?" he asked.

"Oh, it's midnight here. Sorry to wake you. Early risers stay healthy, you know. Better than lying around on a woman's belly," Nicole Kidman teased, splashing water playfully.

"I'm heading to Italy next week. Didn't we say we'd talk about it in Los Angeles?" Arthur thought Nicole Kidman might have forgotten, so he hadn't paid much attention to it.

Lying on top of Arthur, Jennifer Aniston began to tease him.

"Shh," Arthur gestured, placing his finger on his lips and stroking Jennifer Aniston.

"Arthur, you could come to Australia first and then fly to Italy. I know you're working on Scream and can discuss the Australian release with Village Roadshow," Nicole suggested. "Does that sound good? I'll make sure you're well taken care of..."

Nicole emphasized the word "care," and Arthur understood. Glancing at Jennifer Aniston kissing his chest, he couldn't help but caress her softly.

Jennifer Aniston smiled and disappeared under the covers.

"Why did you suddenly go to Australia?" Arthur asked, hearing rustling noises under the covers. He wondered why Nicole wasn't with Tom Cruise in Hollywood.

"I had an Australian film contract to fulfill, and Days of Thunder is releasing in Australia. I'm here for promotions," Nicole explained.

"Oh, I see," Arthur breathed out.

"Arthur, come over. You can secure investment, trust me!"

"Alright, I'll come to Sydney soon and talk to Village Roadshow."

"Great! I'll meet you at the airport," Nicole said.

After hanging up, Arthur looked at the ceiling happily. Few minutes later, Jennifer Aniston emerged from under the covers, breathing deeply, and sat at the edge of the bed, wiping her mouth with tissues before leaning into Arthur's arms.

"From that call, you're going to Australia?" she asked.

Arthur nodded. "Yes, I'll go there before heading to Venice to join the crew."

"Another new film project?"

"A low-budget drama. With investment, it'll be easy to develop!" Arthur was quite interested in Village Roadshow, seeing it as a potential source of funding. Having Nicole Kidman as a connection saved him a lot of time.

Arthur quickly informed Amy Pascal at Columbia TriStar about this.

"No problem. The Venice Film Festival lasts ten days. We don't need to attend the closing ceremony, just promote the film midway," Amy Pascal said, looking at Arthur. "I'm interested in the script for that drama you mentioned. Can I see it?"

"Of course," Arthur handed the script to Amy Pascal.

By noon, Amy Pascal sought Arthur out. "Are you planning to collaborate with Village Roadshow on To Die For?"

Arthur nodded. "Such scripts are hard to secure funding for in Hollywood."

"Is Village Roadshow willing to invest?"

"I need to discuss it first," Arthur smiled. "Is Columbia TriStar interested?"

"If Village Roadshow invests, Columbia would be willing to handle North American distribution," Amy Pascal said, waving the script. "It's a strong female lead role. Has the actress been decided?"

"Yes, Nicole Kidman from Days of Thunder," Arthur replied.

"Right, if Village Roadshow invests, they'd prefer using an Australian actress," Amy Pascal understood. "But she's a newcomer, so the budget will be lower, which is good."

"Alright, you secure the investment from Village Roadshow in Australia, and I'll propose the project to Columbia for participation."

Arthur nodded. "Sounds good."

In that case, Village Roadshow would be the investor, Galaxy Films the producer, and Columbia TriStar the distributor.

"Amy, I'd like you to be directly involved in the production of To Die For from start to finish. What do you think?" Amy Pascal had been assisting as a producer and wanted to be fully involved in a film's production.

"I think it's a great idea. You know I have several projects on my plate, and although I just oversee the big picture, I'm happy to delegate to you," Arthur recognized Amy Pascal's capabilities.

Besides, Arthur estimated To Die For's investment to be around $10 million at most. It depended on how much influence Nicole Kidman, now a lead in a Tom Cruise film, had in Village Roadshow's eyes.

*****

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