Chapter 115 Hollywood Has No Secrets

The party was quite grand this time, and Dior clearly valued the newly launched True Me perfume. In front of the Four Seasons Hotel, not only was a long red carpet laid out, but also a multitude of celebrities from Los Angeles were invited, including both the stars and the big shots behind the scenes in Hollywood, too numerous to count.

Walking down the long red carpet and not stopping at the hotel entrance where media reporters gathered, Ronald went straight into the banquet hall.

Come to think of it, not many reporters recognized him.

However, there were familiar faces in the banquet hall, and Ronald saw Navas from Lionsgate and Chris from Sony Entertainment.

Of course, there were many people he could name, such as the couple Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, the couple Tom Hanks and Cindy Crowfoot, Julia Roberts, and so on.

Unfortunately, Ronald knew them, but they didn't know him.

Ronald didn't bother to go up and introduce himself, as Hollywood stars, when facing ordinary fans, were warm and friendly, but when it came to pride, they were like peacocks.

He gathered with a few acquaintances and started chatting about movies.

Navas looked at Ronald with a bit of admiration and jealousy, saying, "I heard Paul Enrique talking about this year's Saint Denis Film Festival. He also saw 'Blair Witch' then but didn't have the slightest thought of buying the rights. Ronald, you have a great eye!"

Chris from Sony Entertainment said, "Two small-budget productions in a row and high box office returns. Ronald, can you share some insights?" He deliberately lowered his voice. "Ronald, can you share some insights?"

What could Ronald say? He modestly replied, "It's really just a bit of luck, nothing else."

"What are you all talking about?" A hearty voice came from the side, followed by a man who wasn't very tall and a woman who was noticeably taller than him, looking at Ronald with confusion. "And you are...?"

Ronald politely greeted first, "Hello, Mr. Cruise." Then introduced himself, "I'm Ronald Anderson from Relativity Entertainment."

Tom Cruise shook hands with him, not as aloof and arrogant as imagined, and said politely, "Nice to meet you."

Ronald shook hands with Tom Cruise and then with Nicole Kidman. "Hello, Miss Kidman."

Nicole Kidman reached out and shook his hand lightly, with a polite smile on her face. "Hello."

The past entanglements between this couple were enough material for a trilogy. Ronald saw them in person for the first time. Tom Cruise looked even more handsome than in the movies, with a sunny disposition all over him. The only downside might be that he was a bit shorter in height.

Nicole Kidman's temperament was quite the opposite of Tom Cruise's. Perhaps she wasn't in a good mood lately, or perhaps she didn't bother to pretend with such a small figure like Ronald; she looked exceptionally cold.

And her skin was especially fair, as if it could glow under the chandelier.

Chris took the initiative to introduce Tom Cruise, "This is Ronald's work, 'Blair Witch', which broke through the $150 million mark at the North American box office a few days ago."

With this statement, the previously indifferent Nicole Kidman couldn't help but be moved. Was this person really in his early twenties, and he had already produced such a successful film?

Tom Cruise's attitude was very good, saying with a smile, "This is a promotional plan that could be included in textbooks. Very impressive."

Tom Cruise was at the peak of his life now, and he didn't seem to have much emotional fluctuation after his second divorce.

With others praising him, Ronald also returned compliments, "Mr. Cruise is truly impressive. I grew up watching 'Top Gun'."

As they spoke, he deliberately made one of Tom Cruise's iconic gestures.

Everyone laughed, and Tom Cruise had a good impression of Ronald, thinking he was very good at socializing.

Tom Cruise was very talkative and chatted with this small circle for a while before pulling Nicole Kidman away.

Ronald watched the intimate gesture between the two of them and didn't know if the media hype was true or false.

Starting from before the release of "Lust, Caution," many newspapers had been hyping up news of their separation or even divorce, but given Tom Cruise's status, he probably wouldn't resort to such self-destructive measures to attract attention.

Ronald remembered that the two of them were still going to divorce in a little over a year.

Suddenly, Ronald thought of something. Earlier this year, Nicole Kidman had mentioned in an interview that she now believed in Catholicism!

Perhaps this statement had offended the forces behind Tom Cruise. From the perspective of the past world, that was truly a cult, and destroying marriages was nothing.

Ronald took another look at the center of the banquet hall. Carmen's side was crowded with people, and she was busy socializing with her agent and Dior executives.

For Ronald, this was a social gathering, but for Carmen, it was part of her work for Dior.

Ronald didn't go over to disturb Carmen for the time being and continued chatting with these people.

Both Navas and Chris were senior practitioners in the industry, mainly engaged in film selection and distribution work that Ronald was currently lacking. From their casual conversation, Ronald also gained some insights.

After chatting for a while, the topic returned to "Blair Witch."

"You haven't established overseas distribution channels for your distribution company yet, right?"

Lionsgate also didn't have the ability to distribute overseas. Chris from Sony Entertainment spoke without reservation, "Sony distributed 'The Purge.' We have a basis for cooperation."

He looked at Ronald. "How about letting Sony handle the overseas distribution of 'Blair Witch'?"

Ronald smiled and said, "I also want to cooperate with Sony Entertainment, but the specifics are not my responsibility." He needed to choose the best option and could only postpone it for now. "Chris, you should go to Embassy Pictures to talk to Garcia Rodriguez."

Chris didn't respond to Ronald's words, but instead said, "The overseas box office of 'The Purge' was only $30 million, and Sony Entertainment didn't make any money. Ronald, you should compensate us a bit, shouldn't you?"

The other party was spouting nonsense, and Ronald didn't mince words either. "The overseas box office was $30 million, but what about other revenue? As far as I know, Sony Entertainment's profit from this project is close to tens of millions of dollars. The overseas rights for the film for the next few years are in your hands, and the profits will only increase."

They were all sly foxes, and this matter couldn't be resolved for the time being.

To put it bluntly, as long as Sony Entertainment offered $100 million to buy the overseas rights to "Blair Witch," Ronald could immediately sign a contract with them.

Chris soon went elsewhere.

Navas, on the other hand, didn't leave. He asked Ronald in a low voice, "I heard you want to sell the sequel filming rights for 'Blair Witch'?"

Ronald was surprised. "How did you know?"

"Hollywood has no secrets," Navas replied casually. "The news has spread throughout the industry."

Ronald wore a very helpless expression. "I haven't made up my mind yet, and the news leaked out."

Navas became interested. "Are you really planning to sell?"

Ronald nodded lightly. "I have this idea."

"Why?" Navas didn't understand.

Ronald hesitated for a moment before saying, "I have several film projects lined up, and I need to raise funds. The company is also expanding, and the current office space is too cramped. I plan to solve it all at once by buying a small low-rise office building in Burbank. There's also a large bank loan that needs to be repaid, and it's not easy to borrow at the moment, so I can only find ways to raise funds."

Navas knew that many small companies faced funding shortages, even Lionsgate at times was constrained by financial issues. Ronald's words didn't come as a surprise to him.

Ronald continued, "There's another crucial point: I had a falling out with the director of 'The Blair Witch', Daniel Malek."

"I heard about that," Navas naturally took the standpoint of the film company, "He's too greedy, a bit too much."

"Who says he isn't?" Ronald spread his hands, "From the concept to the shooting and even the initial promotional ideas of 'The Blair Witch', they all came from Daniel Malek. Even the movie website, which served as the source of 'viral marketing' for Embassy Films, was established by him. So, he believes he can break the contract."

Navas understood. This Daniel Malek was a key figure in "The Blair Witch". Without him, Ronald lacked confidence.

"That's what I'm saying," Ronald continued to be honest, "Without Daniel Malek, the project carries too much risk. Rather than investing and bearing enormous risks, it's better to sell the sequel rights, which not only ensures stable income but also transfers the risk."

Upon hearing this, Navas suddenly said, "Why not transfer the risk to Lionsgate?"

Lionsgate wasn't Ronald's first choice, but if the first option didn't work out, he could sell it to Lionsgate. After some thought, he said, "Several film companies have expressed interest in buying the sequel filming rights. Can we discuss this another time?"

Navas also knew this wasn't the best place to discuss business matters, "Of course. Let's stay in touch."

After sending Navas away, Ronald glanced at the center of the banquet hall. It seemed that one round of socializing had ended, as there were noticeably fewer people around Carmen-Kate, who was talking to another tall woman.

Ronald walked over, encountering Tom Cruise on the way, and the two nodded in greeting.

"Good evening, Carmen," Ronald found Carmen-Kate.

Carmen-Kate looked visibly happy to see him. "I haven't seen you for a while. I thought you weren't coming."

Ronald smiled and said, "I ran into a few friends and chatted with them for a while." He deliberately admired Carmen-Kate for a moment and said, "You look beautiful tonight."

Carmen-Kate, with her long hair down, wore a light gold backless evening gown, with a high slit that revealed her slender, straight legs.

The woman who had been talking to Carmen-Kate suddenly interrupted, "Carmen, who's this?"

"Oh, I forgot to introduce you." Carmen-Kate introduced, "Ronald, this is Giselle, Giselle Bonchin."