Chapter 217: The Election

Simon briefed Robert Rem about the promotion meeting for "Steel Magnolia" and then went to a small conference room to wait for the discussion to end so he could talk with a few executives.

Just as he sat down at the conference table and started looking through a media feedback document for "Steel Magnolia," the door was knocked on. A tall woman peeked in; it was Julia Roberts.

Feeling a bit bored in the reception room, Julia went to the restroom to touch up her makeup. After coming out, she noticed Simon and Rem talking in the hallway. After the two men parted ways, she quietly followed Simon to the room.

Simon didn't question how Julia knew to find him there. He just smiled at her, noting her still long hair, and commented, "Your hair grows fast, doesn't it?"

In "Steel Magnolia," Julia's character, Shelby, cuts her hair short due to kidney disease. Simon always thought Julia looked better with short hair than long.

Julia immediately understood what Simon was referring to and explained, "That was a wig. It would be too much trouble if I actually cut it. It would take a long time to grow back."

Saying this, Julia pushed the door open and came in.

However, once she closed the door and turned to face the man by the conference table, Julia felt somewhat restrained, not knowing what to do next.

This was Simon Westeros, after all.

Noticing the woman's hesitation, Simon smiled again and gestured to the seat beside him, "Come, sit here."

Julia then approached and sat down beside Simon, glancing at the documents in his hands, "What are you looking at, Simon?"

"The media feedback for 'Steel Magnolia.' Many critics have said you did well."

Simon responded casually. The two were sitting close, and he took the opportunity to appraise the peak beauty sitting next to him. Julia was wearing a black turtleneck sweater and white casual pants today, sitting sideways with a natural charm and her long legs stretched out, which was quite enticing.

Feeling Simon's gaze, Julia slightly adjusted her posture and asked, "Do you think this movie could make a hundred million at the box office?"

Simon said, "I'm not sure. It depends on whether the audience buys it."

In the original timeline, "Steel Magnolia" was a sleeper hit with little initial expectation, but it somehow exploded in popularity. Although it didn't break a hundred million, its domestic box office of over eighty million was impressive for its time.

Now, with Daenerys Entertainment investing far more effort into the film than the original TriStar Pictures did, and with the film's reputation already confirmed by yesterday's screening, Simon was very confident in its box office potential, especially in a season lacking strong competitors.

"'When Harry Met Sally,' 'Pulp Fiction,' 'Basic Instinct,' and recently 'Scream,'" Julia counted on her fingers, "This would be the fourth in a row. It would be a pity to break the streak with 'Steel Magnolia.'"

"There's nothing to pity. We have to leave some room for others," Simon said, remembering Julia's purpose today, "Aren't you going to that meeting?"

"My agent is handling it. I'll just go with whatever Daenerys Entertainment plans for me."

Simon chuckled, "You sure know how to talk."

Julia, noticing Simon's gesture of slightly lifting his left hand along with his gaze, realized he might have wanted to reach out and gently lift her chin or something similar. Such a frivolous gesture, if from someone else, would have annoyed Julia, but she felt a faint regret that he hadn't acted on it.

Leaning slightly towards Simon, Julia continued, "Simon, I have four more film contracts with Daenerys Entertainment. Could you personally write a script for me for the next one?"

Simon replied, "Your next movie is already decided, but the script is still being revised. It's scheduled to start preparation early next year, aiming for a Valentine's Day release the year after."

Curious, Julia asked, "What's the story? Can I see the script?"

"A love story similar to 'Camille,'" Simon explained briefly, "You'll get the script once it's finished. No rush."

Julia nodded, then realized something.

If preparation starts in the first half of next year, with filming likely beginning mid-year and the release scheduled for Valentine's Day the following year, does that mean she won't have any films releasing next year?

Looking at the man seemingly unconcerned about this, Julia gestured in the air and asked, "Simon, can I take on another film before that one starts production?"

Simon's attention returned to the documents in his hands, "If something suitable comes up, I'll arrange it."

Julia probed further, "What if, Simon, if nothing suitable comes up, can I take a script from another film company?"

Simon shook his head, "No."

Due to past experiences, Simon decided not to allow his actors to take on projects outside the company.

Feeling Simon's firm tone, Julia instinctively shrank back but didn't give up. She boldly reached out, tracing her finger along Simon's arm, "Maybe we could discuss this privately sometime. How about tonight?"

Simon shook his head with a smile, "Tonight won't work. How about now?"

"Ah?"

Julia was surprised, looking around and then at the door, realizing she hadn't locked it.

Simon seemed not to care about her hesitation, even as if he had forgotten his own suggestion, focusing again on the documents in his hands.

Julia, after a moment of hesitation, decided to lock the door and return. Then, standing beside Simon, her gaze wandered over the table, chairs, and floor before finally settling on the man.

The detestable man.

With a mental complaint, Julia was about to take off her sweater when there was a knock on the door.

Simon remained unmoved, but Julia was startled, her courage deflating.

The door knocked again, and Simon gestured for Julia to open it. She did, revealing Simon's ponytailed female assistant outside.

Jennifer's gaze was evasive as she greeted, "Hello, Ms. Roberts. Is the boss in?"

Julia, still recovering from her shock, stepped aside to let the assistant in, then excused herself, "Well, Simon, I'll head to the meeting. You can call me anytime."

After Julia left, Jennifer, ignoring her, spread out some documents on the table without facing Simon, acting sullenly as if to avoid confronting him.

Then, Simon's voice came from behind her, "Were you eavesdropping outside?"

Jennifer paused, realizing something was off. Why did she feel guilty every time Simon was up to no good?

Having come to deliver documents as Simon requested and seeing Julia sneak into the meeting room, Jennifer had intended to leave but couldn't resist knocking to disrupt Simon's plans.

Without responding to Simon's question, feeling unjustly accused, she decided to leave in silence, her heart sour.

She wondered if Simon would let her go just like that. As she took a step, a hand reached from behind, and though she struggled briefly, she stopped resisting, still facing away, contemplating her next move—whether to be cold, angry, or to scold him first.

Following the Saturday meeting, under Simon's supervision, Daenerys Entertainment

 began rapid adjustments.

Simon had always wanted to be a hands-off manager, but he understood that the company needed to develop a specific corporate culture before he could step back. Eventually, Daenerys Entertainment would operate smoothly even without him at the helm.

The most attention-grabbing event of the new week was undoubtedly the presidential election on Tuesday. After a six-month-long fierce campaign, George Bush and Michael Dukakis were set for their final showdown.

Most events hadn't changed much with Simon's presence, so he was fairly certain of the election's outcome.

Although the election captivated many, Hollywood was still focused on the weekend box office results.

From November 4th to 6th, "Scream" held onto the top spot in its second week, with a weekend box office of over 12.6 million, bringing its ten-day total to over 33.3 million.

In contrast, Universal Pictures' new release "Extreme Measures" ranked second with an opening weekend of 4.63 million, far behind "Scream," making other films seem insignificant by comparison.

However, "Steel Magnolia" stood out. With only 22 screens for its limited release, the film achieved 1.13 million in its opening weekend, ranking eleventh but impressing with an average of over 51,000 per screen.

Hollywood studios scrambled to understand the appeal of "Steel Magnolia," a female-centric film, attributing its success to Daenerys Entertainment's aggressive marketing rather than its content.

Initially skeptical of marketing a woman's film for broad appeal, Daenerys Entertainment chose to promote "Steel Magnolia" as a family-friendly movie for the holiday season, a strategy proven correct by its opening weekend performance.

On November 8th, the 41st U.S. presidential election began. Simon, finding voting a novel experience, chose not to participate, spending the day working as usual.

Media outlets, curious about Simon Westeros's political leanings, were disappointed when he didn't appear to vote. CNN speculated that Simon was apolitical.

Despite ongoing vote counts, major networks declared George Bush the winner by the afternoon, securing over half of the 538 electoral votes, confirming his victory as the next president.

With Bush's win, Simon prepared for future events, recalling many things destined to happen.

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