Chapter 550: The Departed

[Chapter 638: Full of Substance]

Getting slapped hard in the face and not only having to suppress his anger but also offering up the other side of his face -- this was Henry's predicament at the moment.

When he learned that the White System was merely initiating this so-called information dissemination company and wouldn't hold much stake in it, he felt conflicted.

Well, truthfully, he wanted to let out a string of curses. Seriously, can't you speak properly? We're not even opposed to cooperating! And now look, a whole bunch of organizations are planning to step in. How much of a share will there even be left for us?

He didn't understand what William White was unclear about. The cable television line was only a supplement. If it were a domestic site, that might not be too much of a problem. International lines? Forget it; you'd still need to rely on telecommunications channels in the end.

Right now, it's great. The moment he moves, the telecom companies will speed up their equipment updates. The faster the action, the more users -- this was obvious.

...

By November, Jurassic Park had already spread to third-tier cities. At this time, The Departed was hitting theaters. One blockbuster after another, and let me tell you, the Hollywood giants were really struggling this year.

In this era, crime films could be called the most popular genre. Disaster films weren't really trending yet, and superhero flicks? Current computing technology just couldn't handle them.

"William, if this movie were to go to the Oscars at a different time, it would have a huge chance."

William White shook his head with a bitter smile. He certainly knew the problem. He had heard George Lucas mention this more than once today.

"George, honestly, I don't have to have that Oscar."

"Look, Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio really aren't the types that the Academy favors. As for Best Original Screenplay, I think I can snag that anytime."

Lucas didn't think this guy was being arrogant. If he were to pull out Forrest Gump right now, there wouldn't be anyone left to compete with him.

"True, the Academy loves older guys. But if you swapped in Brando for your current cast..."

"I'm just not making a prequel to The Godfather. Why would I do that? You think that's why I'm using all new faces?"

"Ha! More than one person has said this movie could rival The Godfather."

William White was quite annoyed; he didn't want people to have that idea at all. Even if The Departed flopped, he didn't want to be seen as some second-rate Godfather.

"The Godfather is a legend. Okay, I'm not there yet, but I'll work hard."

Lucas found it a bit amusing; this guy was really quite the contrarian. If it were any other director, they might have relished such praise.

Of course, Lucas was no different. The reason he hadn't been making movies recently was that he felt he had run out of steam. If he didn't have the right script, he might as well focus on making Star Wars just right.

Today's celebration party was lively. With a close to fifty million opening weekend gross, while it couldn't compare to Jurassic Park, it was still an impressive result.

"Darling, that beautiful woman you're so excited about -- her movie will be in the running too. This is getting interesting!"

"The Silence of the Lambs? Wait, that company went bankrupt, didn't it? They've started selling VHS tapes, are you sure?"

"Yeah, and Judy Foster's here too. She's been watching you!"

William White raised his glass in a smile but had no intention of going over to greet her. After all, his status was what it was; just raising a glass was already a sign of respect. Generally speaking, a smile would suffice.

"What? Not interested?"

Nastassja Kinski looked at him teasingly, her expression rather cheeky.

William White was speechless. He wasn't quite sure. Was this girl, well, you know, still normal?

Well, even if she was normal, he wasn't planning to take a chance. For him right now, anything too complex or brain-taxing was a hard pass.

"Nastassja, I'm a gentleman. Well, okay, I actually don't like horror movies. You understand, it could be quite dangerous to relax with one."

"Pff, you really are something. That scene in Basic Instinct is just your dark side showing, isn't it?"

"Guess? I am warning you, don't even think about trying it."

"Humph, it's definitely that way. Regardless, I'm being the knight today."

William White felt kind of at a loss; honestly, he was simply not comfortable being below. This was making him feel very insecure.

...

Oliver Stone was also watching the movie, believing that knowing his competition was half the battle.

"Kevin, this William White is really progressing quickly."

Kevin Costner was speechless. You may not care, but I can't say that casually. "Oliver, William White has always been improving. If you think Evita is his limit, you are sorely mistaken."

"Ha! At this juncture, however, the lead roles in this movie don't have much chance. For Best Picture, we might cross paths."

"That's no secret. White Films doesn't have to have the best lead actors. They're both too young. Even Best Director is just a lark."

"The issue now is the numbers. Even if he only takes home three or four awards, he'll carry off a dozen little gold statuettes. Those tech awards, Best Visual Effects, etc. won't have any competition at all."

Kevin Costner's comments, while harsh, were the truth. Jurassic Park would undoubtedly take home many awards; even if it didn't win Best Picture, it would still leave with its arms full.

Thinking about his own awkward situation made Oliver Stone a bit frustrated. Those damned jerks were just too hard to communicate with.

The box office revenue might not directly concern him, but who wants to make a movie that's destined to flop?

Art?

Give me a break. If that's what you want, you'd be better off moving to Europe. Hollywood? This is the home of commercial films. If you're here talking art rather than profits, people will treat you like a fool.

No, he definitely needed to negotiate again. It was tolerable if he recouped his investment, but if things flopped too badly, his days wouldn't be much better.

Isn't the director of Heaven's Gate a great example?

It's okay to lose a little; you're an Oscar-level director. If I only get a few million in box office, my God, do I need to start shooting 'action' films now?

...

Oliver Stone didn't realize that his every move wasn't escaping others' watchful eyes.

A director not only decides on leading actors but also has final cut rights. Most importantly, that mysterious investor didn't seem worried at all about the return rate.

Well, you can bet there's a story behind this. William White definitely didn't buy into the idea that it was all above board.

If they don't show their faces, then I won't feel guilty. If things go badly, don't come crying to me.

"Sir, they split up. Which one are we following?"

"Call for backup. That director isn't important; keep your eyes on that short, stout guy."

"Sir, it's easy to spot. This area is fine, but another fifteen minutes, and we'll hit the expressway. If we keep following, we'll be very noticeable."

"I understand. Tanner has a way."

Tanner certainly had his ways. Even if you're clever, can you really evade a satellite? He knew that the master cared a lot about this matter, and there could be no mistakes.

*****

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