Chapter 382: Deeply Immersed in the Role

[Chapter 382: Deeply Immersed in the Role]

Since August, Robert Shea had sensed a looming crisis. The fact that Eric did not involve him in any matters concerning the Playa Vista filming base had made Robert aware of the situation.

This reminded him of Barry Diller's experience six years prior. Barry had taken Paramount to new heights but had nearly been ousted due to conflicts with major shareholder Martin Davis. Over the years, Paramount's declining performance juxtaposed with Fox's rise had shown the magnitude of Martin Davis's mistakes back then.

Robert was also somewhat self-aware. He knew he couldn't match Barry Diller's capabilities; however, he had one advantage Barry did not -- his 25% stake in Firefly and the fact that most of Firefly's employees had been his subordinates during his time at New Line.

Robert confidently believed that if Eric forced him out, the damage to Firefly would far exceed the loss Paramount faced from Barry Diller's departure. So, even as he felt the crisis approaching, he didn't think Eric would dare go too far.

In truth, he understood that Eric hoped he would let go of production roles and only participate in distribution. Yet, in any film company, the authority over production was a hotly contested prize. If he were only to oversee film distribution without involvement in other company affairs, he might as well be a distribution department manager.

As another workday ended, Robert Shea stood up to stretch, glanced at his watch, and saw it was nearly five. He issued a few commands to his assistant, then habitually gathered his things, put on his coat, and left the office for home.

Robert's office was adjacent to Eric's. As he passed by Eric's office door, he noticed the locked door and, feeling somewhat displeased, pondered if Eric had left the office early yet again.

Walking down the long corridor toward the elevator, he instinctively paused when he heard Eric's voice.

...

At first, it was just some idle chatter -- Robert quickly lost interest and was about to walk past when he perked up his ears to catch Eric saying, "...this time we can't let it go wrong like with Ghost. You need to take charge of this, contact an agency to reach Bruce Evans, and make sure we secure that script smoothly."

"Don't worry, Eric, I've got this covered. This time, it's going to be foolproof," came the voice of Eric's assistant, Allen Fisman.

Eric replied, "Still, be careful. Don't let the price get too high; that might raise suspicion."

The two exchanged a few more words, and then Robert heard a light ping. After faint footsteps, the elevator area fell silent. A moment later, Robert walked over and watched as the elevator on the left slowly descended, a contemplative expression on his face. He also made a mental note of Bruce Evans's name, deciding to find someone to inquire about this screenwriter.

...

As the elevator began its descent, Eric shared a smile with Allen. The wall around the corner of the elevator could catch glimpses of people's shadows, albeit unclear. As Robert stepped out of his office, Eric and Allen had already noticed him. Just revealing the name Bruce Evans was enough. Bruce wasn't a nobody; this screenwriter already had several films produced. Yet, the game still had to be played to secure the rights to the script for Cutthroat Island.

"Let him walk away with a little hope; that can save the company a lot of trouble," Eric suddenly remarked as the elevator approached the bottom floor.

"Eric, why do I feel like this script is pretty good?"

"A good script doesn't always lead to a good film. Even if a good film is made, it doesn't guarantee audience approval."

Allen nodded thoughtfully as they headed to the parking lot. Just as Eric opened the car door, his mobile phone rang.

"I'll head back first," Allen said, offering his farewell.

...

Eric nodded, answered the call, and a feminine voice came through. "Eric, now my reputation is completely ruined."

"Don't worry," Eric laughed a few times and added, "The little princess of Fox, I think that title is quite classy. You've been quite the sensation lately."

It had to be said that Elisabeth had really gotten into her role recently, perfectly embodying an arrogant heiress desperately seeking an Oscar. The young lady even attended a party hosted by Martin Scorsese for Goodfellas, personally 'lobbying' him not to submit the film for Best Picture, suggesting only the Best Director would suffice. If Martin agreed to that condition, she could leverage Fox's resources for awards campaigning.

Elisabeth placed more value on the Best Picture award; if The Silence of the Lambs won, she, as a producer, would be receiving the little golden man.

Hollywood knew that Martin Scorsese was not exactly favored by the Academy, making his films much less likely to win Best Director compared to Best Picture. Thus, Elisabeth's suggestion probed a sensitive spot for Martin. He nearly exploded with anger upon hearing it, and word got out, earning Elisabeth the nickname "Fox's Little Princess."

"Ugh, you jerk! This is all your fault! Who doesn't know that 'Fox's Little Princess' is a jab?" Elisabeth raised her voice in complaint, then continued, "I signed the contract with the producers of Dances with Wolves this afternoon. We didn't negotiate the price, but I spent $27.5 million, plus $2 million to buy out their distribution contract. You should have seen their expressions; it was like they wanted to write 'big spender' on their faces. I worked hard for just a $500,000 bonus, and that's unacceptable. You need to compensate me."

"Would a little bodily compensation do? I happen to be free tonight," Eric quipped.

"Get lost!"

Eric stopped joking and said, "Alright, where are you now? I'd like to see the rough cut; I haven't seen that film yet."

"I'm of course at home," Elisabeth started, before quickly adding, "But it's already late. Let's talk tomorrow. The original copy is stored in Fox's vault, and Century City is definitely closed by now."

*****

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