Chapter 301: Three Oscar-Winning Actresses

Hearing what Murphy had to say, David Ellison did not respond immediately but propped his chin and fell into thought.

He had a significant amount of funds at his disposal, which indeed came relatively easily, but that didn't mean he could afford to waste it indefinitely. His father provided this funding with the hope that he would carve out a successful career. If he invested recklessly, especially falling into ridiculous investment traps, he might lose not just the money but also his father's trust, possibly even affecting his plans to make a mark in Hollywood.

The first step in any endeavor is always the hardest, and David Ellison was acutely aware of this. He also knew he had to make this first step count.

Investing in a film that could potentially be profitable and make a mark during the awards season would undoubtedly silence many of his critics and earn his father's respect.

Of all the projects he had access to, Bill Rossis, Murphy Stanton, and "Gone Girl" seemed the most reliable and likely to succeed.

Especially Murphy Stanton. David had done some homework before coming. From his entry into Hollywood to now, every film Murphy directed, including "Hard Candy," "Saw," "Planet Terror," "Sin City," and "Deadpool," not only succeeded greatly but also achieved a high return on investment and critical acclaim.

This was undoubtedly a perfect choice for the first step.

"Murphy, Bill," after some deliberation, David spoke, "I need some time to think about it."

"We hope to hear good news from you," Murphy understood that a decision couldn't be made immediately and said, "But you need to hurry. My project is progressing smoothly, and we've confirmed AIG as the completion guarantor. It will be officially greenlit soon, and I can't wait too long."

"Three days," David quickly said, "I'll give you a definite answer within three days."

"Alright, that's settled then," Murphy decided.

David Ellison stood up, shook hands with Murphy and Bill Rossis one by one, and took his leave. Murphy and Bill escorted him out of the reception room.

Watching David disappear into the elevator, Murphy turned back to the reception room. David was clearly considering his offer and hadn't outright refused, indicating a significant possibility he might agree.

Securing a loan that didn't involve a share in the movie's profits, only the calculation of loan interest, was worth the wait.

Murphy even considered if it might be possible to add a few scenes with planes in the movie.

"I heard from a friend," Bill Rossis closed the door and followed, "David Ellison got a huge sum of money from his father, Larry Ellison, after dropping out of USC to carve out a career in Hollywood. I think he might agree."

"Securing his funding would be ideal," Murphy took a sip of his cooled coffee, "But don't stop contacting others. We can't put all our hopes on one person."

Bill nodded, "I'll continue to reach out."

"The project's various aspects are progressing smoothly, and the team will soon sign their contracts," Murphy put down his empty coffee cup, "I plan to officially start pre-production in October and begin filming around the New Year of 2005."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Bill thought for a moment before asking, "What about the actors? To make a splash during the awards season, we need assured acting skills, especially since the female lead is complex. Jessica Alba isn't suitable."

"I never considered her for Amy," Murphy would think himself mad to consider Jessica Alba, "I'm thinking of having James Franco as the male lead. His schedule fits, but it's not entirely confirmed yet. Jim is looking at the script, and I also need him to do a makeup test."

He stood up and paced, "I need a female lead with a strong presence, ideally a renowned actress with assured acting skills, preferably not a newcomer unless the audition is exceptionally outstanding."

"Do you have specific requirements?" Bill asked.

He needed to ponder over the choices before reaching out to them. Without specific requirements, the task would be challenging.

"Outstanding acting skills," that was a given for Murphy, who also had requirements for appearance, "She must be taller than five foot seven, with a refined, noble appearance and a unique, ethereal voice."

Hearing this, Bill frowned slightly. Hollywood's actresses known for their acting skills didn't typically have outstanding appearances, and those who did were often relegated to the "pretty face" category by the Academy's old guard.

Murphy walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and paced back and forth before saying, "After the project is greenlit, you represent me in sending out audition invitations."

After some thought, he said, "Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway... and Jessica Chastain."

Apart from Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway, the others were all well-known actresses in the industry.

"Three Oscar-winning actresses..." Bill shook his head unconsciously.

"That's all I can think of for now," Murphy turned around, saying, "If you have suitable candidates, you can also send out audition invitations."

He had discussed with Kara Faith before and agreed to try and secure a top-tier actress capable of carrying the role.

Murphy was somewhat worried about James Franco. If it were ten years later, with James Franco's quirky strength, he wouldn't necessarily be overshadowed by any actress, but the current Franco was still a bit young.

However, Murphy chose to believe in him. In the future movie, the male lead was supposed to appear weaker than the female lead anyway, fitting the character's setting and the narrative's needs.

After discussing some other matters, Murphy left the Death Star-like building of CAA and headed to 20th Century Fox in Century City to meet with Kara Faith.

"Everything seems to be going smoothly."

Ignoring Kara Faith's comment from behind her desk, Murphy poured himself a cup of water and sat down, saying, "So far, so good. Just waiting for news from 20th Century Fox now."

"Any progress with the funding?" Kara Faith peeked from behind her computer, curious.

"I met with a rich second-generation today eager to make a mark in Hollywood," Murphy explained the investment conditions and continued, "He wants to succeed quickly and gain approval from his family elders. I think I've persuaded him."

"Who is it?" Kara Faith was curious.

"David Ellison." Seeing Kara Faith's puzzled look, Murphy explained, "The son of Oracle's founder, Larry Ellison."

"A true super-rich second-generation," Kara Faith nodded, "For him, $15 million should be nothing. Using such a sum plus a bit of interest in exchange for a highly likely successful investment reputation isn't a problem for them."

"Have you dealt with such people before?" Murphy asked.

David Ellison was among the world's top echelons of rich second-generations.

"I was classmates with Rupert Murdoch's younger son," Kara Faith shrugged, "I've seen them willing to spend unimaginable amounts of money for a successful first step."

"Hopefully, David Ellison will do the same."

No one could guarantee this, and Murphy changed the topic, "I heard from Bill that 20th Century Fox can get film stock at a relatively low price?"

Kara Faith nodded, "Fox is one of Kodak's biggest customers."

"Help me buy some,"

 Murphy considered, "No less than 1000 rolls. I plan to shoot this movie on film."

"Why switch to film?" Kara Faith didn't quite understand, "Digital technology is the future trend."

"Don't forget, we're not just targeting the market," Murphy reminded Kara Faith, "but also the awards season. Film movies have an inherent advantage in the awards, where the judges aren't very fond of digital technology."

"Ah..." Kara Faith understood, "That seems to be the case."

Controlling the awards season, aside from the self-proclaimed Oscar weather vane like the Golden Globes and Critics' Choice Awards, the most influential are the various guild awards and the Oscars. The real power to decide awards lies with a group of increasingly elderly men.

People tend to become conservative and nostalgic with age, a universal rule. The judges, who have always shot and watched movies on film, have a deep affection for film movies. With digital technology rapidly advancing, seemingly ready to kick film technology into the dustbin of history at any moment, they would naturally not be very receptive to the new century's digital technology and prefer film, an open secret.

Not just now, but even many years into the future, the most significant awards nominations, with few exceptions, belong to film movies, dominating over 90% of the scene.

If Murphy wanted to make an impact during the awards season and at least secure several high-profile nominations, he couldn't afford to have the movie inherently flawed from the start.

Like opting to shoot on film, Murphy's preparations were smoothly completed one by one. David Ellison responded in two days, with his Skydance Media investing $15 million in "Gone Girl."

More precisely, it provided a $15 million loan at a slightly higher interest rate than the banks to "Gone Girl."

In return, as part of the agreement, Murphy also agreed to let David Ellison serve as one of the producers, though compared to Kara Faith, he didn't have much actual power.

With everything ready, "Gone Girl" was officially greenlit in October.

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