Fatal attraction

Joseph was taken aback. He had never expected Rick to prepare a gift for Hugo. What was going on? Even though Joseph regretted zoning out earlier when Hugo and Rick were chatting, there was nothing he could do now but follow the two of them and enter Rick's office.

After Rick entered the office, he didn't take out the gift immediately. Instead, he waited for Joseph to close the door before lowering his voice and saying, "Hugo, this topic is sensitive within the company. It's better not to talk about it outside."

Hugo awkwardly smiled and said, "I thought it was just a project, and it wouldn't matter if others knew. I didn't expect it to be confidential. My mistake."

Joseph was completely puzzled. He clearly had no idea what these two people were talking about. Hugo quickly noticed Joseph's confusion and although he didn't know the reason, he briefly explained, "I asked Rick about the major project Universal Pictures is working on, and he pulled me in."

Hugo's explanation didn't completely dispel Joseph's doubts. He still had a puzzled expression on his face. Hugo reminded him, "The project Ron and Tracey were discussing with Universal Pictures last time." Suddenly, Joseph understood.

When Hugo and Rick were casually chatting earlier, Joseph didn't think much of it. He casually mentioned the project, expressing curiosity about what project could be more eye-catching than the 60 million budgeted "The Firm". Unexpectedly, Rick's mysterious expression stopped Hugo from continuing, and then he used the gift as an excuse to bring them to his office.

"Nothing about this project has been confirmed yet, even Universal Pictures is still considering it and hasn't decided on investing. Paramount and Columbia Pictures are also considering it at the moment," Rick's network was obviously much stronger than Joseph's, and he knew a lot more about the whole situation. But even with this bit of information, Hugo was extremely surprised.

"I thought Tracey had control over this project," Hugo directly voiced his inner doubts.

In Hollywood, there are various ways to establish a film project, but the most common method is for top producers to seek out a new project and then use that project to find interested directors and actors through their agents. They then seek investment from production companies, secure funding, initiate the project, assemble the crew, and start shooting.

Of course, this order can be changed, and the starting point can be a top director, screenwriter, or actor who, with the help of their agents, gathers resources and establishes the project. However, most of the time, producers still act as initiators. In addition to this, there are also cases where film companies establish their own projects and choose their collaboration partners or low-budget productions that seek distribution after completing the film.

This filmmaking method was refined in the late 1980s by one of the three major talent agencies, CAA, which Brad Pitt was also affiliated with. It's called packaging. Specifically, the relationship between agents and producers is close, and once a project is finalized, the director, screenwriter, and actors all choose clients from their own company, and together with the script, sell the selected creative team to the studio. This way, the studio loses a lot of power, such as selecting directors or lead actors, while the influence of producers and agents grows.

In addition, it is worth mentioning that the increase in director and actor salaries, as well as the box office profit-sharing that emerged after 1986, were also strategies employed by Creative Artists Agency. This led to a continuous rise in Hollywood salaries and increased the overall production costs for film studios, leaving them helpless.

In this context, Hugo always believed that the so-called major project was in Tracey's hands. Later, Tracey joined forces with Ron and formed their own team of directors and actors, seeking investment from Universal Pictures. However, from Rick's tone, it was clearly not the case.

Rick smiled and shook his head, "If it was in Tracey's hands, it wouldn't be a secret. Tracey would definitely collaborate with Ron, and we wouldn't need to come to the office." Joseph, who was finally catching up, temporarily put aside his doubts and realized the importance of this conversation.

"This project is actually in the hands of Steven Spielberg," Rick briefly explained. "He has been planning this project for a full ten years, but it still hasn't materialized. Many people now want to be a part of this project. Tracey and Ron are just a part of it. Many people in the company have been observing. If we talk outside, I'm afraid many ears are waiting."

Steven Spielberg, one of the most influential directors in Hollywood today, if it was in his hands, it was no wonder it sparked such intense competition. It was also understandable why Tracey and Ron were so proactive. Although both of them had achieved considerable success, they were still a notch below Steven. Regardless of whether the project ultimately materialized, having the opportunity to collaborate with Steven was advantageous for Tracey and Ron.

"What about you? Do you also want to join this project?" Joseph suddenly thought that Ron might have used this project to entice Hugo. It's Steven Spielberg, and few can resist such an invitation. Even Joseph himself felt a surge of excitement. However, this excitement made Joseph even more frustrated. Therefore, when he asked Rick, his tone couldn't help but sound both eager and stiff, which prompted Rick to give Joseph a glance.

Rick wasn't sure what Joseph's attitude was, but he didn't mind. He chuckled lightly and shook his head, "No, I have no interest." This surprised both Joseph and Hugo. Rick didn't continue teasing them and continued to explain, "Although this project is under Spielberg's control, it's not an easy project. Spielberg has been planning for ten years, not because he has been brewing and preparing, but because the project is incredibly challenging. The slightest carelessness could ruin it, so he must be cautious."

This was a contradictory issue. On the one hand, Spielberg had persisted for ten years and was indeed tempting; but on the other hand, despite the long duration, the project has yet to materialize, indicating that major film studios have been hesitant about it.

"In fact, it's still the same now. The reason Tracey, Ron, and others can participate in the competition is that no part of the project has been finalized. Not to mention the director, producer, or actors, even the script hasn't been completed," Rick sighed, showing his lack of confidence in the project. "The script has been in the works for ten years. It's an adaptation of a novel, and the author of the original novel has never been able to complete the task. The script is a lengthy 220 pages."

Hugo couldn't help but be astonished. The script for "Scent of a Woman" was 160 pages long, and the film itself was exactly 160 minutes. But this script had an additional 60 pages. "Could this be another "Gone with the Wind"?" "Gone with the Wind" was a monumental masterpiece that ran for 238 minutes!

Rick smiled and didn't answer directly. Instead, he continued, "Afterward, the screenplay was taken over by Kurt Luedtke, the writer of "Out of Africa". He worked on it for four years but ultimately gave up. Now the script is in the hands of Steven Zaillian, the writer of "Awakenings". He finished the script at the beginning of the year, which caused quite a stir." It seemed that Tracey had set her sights on this project back then. "However, Spielberg rejected the script again, and it is still undergoing revisions."

Just the process of adaptation by different screenwriters lasted for a whole decade, indicating the difficulties of this project.

"The director changed from Roman Polanski to Sydney Pollack, then to Martin Scorsese and Billy Wilder, but it still hasn't been confirmed." Each of them is a renowned director, and each of Rick's words felt like a bombshell. "But the latest news is that Steven is considering the possibility of directing it himself. Previously, he was worried that he couldn't handle this film, but now it seems he doesn't have many choices left."

The script was still undercooked, the director was still uncertain, and as for the actors, let's not even mention it. This project was truly in a difficult state.

"Although it's said to be a project by Universal Pictures, they haven't made the final decision because the producer and director are not confirmed. They are not willing to take risks, and other competitors are waiting for an opportunity as well." Rick added, "This project is too sensitive, too heavy, and too difficult. Major production companies are very hesitant. I heard that Universal Pictures was only willing to offer a budget of $50 million, but obviously, it's not enough."

Such a troubled project carries high risks because it is extremely challenging to produce, and the possibility of failure upon release increases exponentially. From Rick's words, one could infer that while this project was operable and promising, its difficulty had made major production companies hesitate and falter. Setting aside the past nine years, since Tracey started her attempts in March this year, it had been nine months, but Universal Pictures still hadn't made a final decision, indicating their hesitation and struggle.

Hugo couldn't help but recall a similar project, "The Lone Ranger", released in 2013. The film faced numerous troubles from the beginning of production, and when it finally premiered, it resulted in Disney losing $200 million.

So, the current situation was that there were indeed opportunists like Tracey and Ron who were willing to take risks, but they lacked the necessary clout. The production companies still couldn't make up their minds, resulting in the project being stuck in limbo. More people, like Rick, were bystanders waiting for the right moment, hoping to gain some benefits.

Ron's grand vision was not reliable, and Rick claiming that he didn't care was also not believable because he wouldn't have such detailed knowledge if he didn't care at all.

Suddenly, Hugo became curious about this project. Initially, he didn't have much interest, but after hearing Rick's description, his curiosity was piqued. What kind of project could this be? Is it a project that left a mark in history? Is it a tragic or outstanding project?

"Does this project have a title now?" Hugo asked with a smile.

Joseph glanced at Hugo, his hopeful expression making his heart sink, but Rick didn't think much about it and nodded. "Of course. "Schindler's List"."

Uh... What?!