Chapter 88: All's Well That Ends Well

Paula Wagner, 44 years old, signed Tom Cruise when he came to Los Angeles from New York at the age of 19.

In nine years, Tom Cruise had become a Hollywood superstar, and as his agent, Paula Wagner played an indispensable role.

"Arthur, you shouldn't be using Nicole to generate buzz. While everyone wants to associate with Tom Cruise, you've crossed the line. Now, we demand that Nicole not discuss her past interactions with Tom Cruise. She signed a confidentiality agreement. If any rumors damaging Tom Cruise's image surface, the consequences won't be something she can bear!"

Paula Wagner hardly paid attention to others, but Arthur Smith was an exception.

Arthur sat on the sofa, listening to Paula Wagner's commanding tone while idly tapping his arm with his fingers.

He sighed internally. This issue was an unwarranted disaster, stirred up by Orion and Columbia TriStar, with tabloids sensationalizing for traffic. 

It had nothing to do with him. Arthur was focusing on quietly developing his projects.

"Hollywood is indeed a survival of the fittest," Arthur smiled, knowing that Galaxy was currently the weakest.

Paula Wagner shrugged. "That's just the rule of Hollywood!"

"Don't worry. Nicole isn't foolish. She only worked on one movie with Tom Cruise. There's nothing between them," Arthur said, pointing to himself. "As for me, do you think I need to leverage Tom Cruise for publicity?"

Paula Wagner looked at Arthur. "That's good to hear, because many people want to associate with Tom Cruise."

Paula Wagner's concern was that Nicole Kidman, a newcomer, might exploit her connection with Tom Cruise.

"Arthur, some things are best left unspoken. If something happens in the future, the consequences could be unpredictable!"

"Consequences?" Arthur smiled at Paula Wagner. "Ms. Wagner, Tom Cruise is a good actor, very popular indeed. But he's just an actor. How many films can he make in a year?"

Arthur spoke calmly. "Since entering Hollywood last year, I've already released three successful scripts in a year and a half."

"I've been involved in the production of films. One is already released, two more are about to be, and two are in production.

Ms. Wagner, I may have an acting career, but don't forget, acting is a profession I can abandon anytime. Compared to a film company, whoever makes more money for them gets their support, so don't try to pressure me with such talk!

Days of Thunder had a $60 million budget with global box office earnings of millions. With at least $20 million in marketing costs, it will take Paramount two years to break even.

Sleepless in Seattle was practically my project from start to finish, with very high returns. And next month, Sleeping with the Enemy will be released. With a $15 million budget and marketing costs not exceeding $5 million, I estimate the box office for Sleeping with the Enemy will surpass Days of Thunder, especially in the North American market, also hitting over $100 million."

Arthur stared at Paula Wagner. "Are you sure you want to have a conflict with Galaxy Films over such a trivial matter? Actually, I've always thought Tom Cruise was great, with strong professional skills and the ability to handle various styles. We'll definitely collaborate more in the future."

Paula Wagner took a deep breath. "Young people today sure talk big, don't they?"

Arthur shook his head, smiling. "It's not big talk, but absolute confidence. Actors, at best, are middle-tier in my view. Have you and Tom Cruise ever thought about starting a film company and investing in movies yourselves?"

"Starting a film company?" Paula Wagner's eyes betrayed her ambition, and Arthur noticed.

Calming herself, Paula Wagner adjusted her mindset. "Arthur, since you put it that way, we'll trust you. This is indeed a small matter. However, working with Tom Cruise isn't easy!"

Arthur knew Tom Cruise preferred working with experienced directors and stars like Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone, Paul Newman, and Dustin Hoffman.

"I'm a businessman. My projects are all about cost-effectiveness," Arthur said, standing up. "For me, nurturing newcomers isn't difficult. But commercially, the star power of established celebrities is also necessary. Soon, Galaxy Films will send a script for Tom Cruise to consider. I'm sure he'll be interested."

Arthur called for three drinks, handing one each to Paula Wagner and Tracy Jacobs.

"Let's toast to not worrying about such small issues in the future. Tom Cruise is a big Hollywood star and won't have any connection with a newcomer like Nicole Kidman. Why overthink it? Nicole wouldn't be foolish enough to offend a Hollywood giant."

Paula Wagner and Tracy Jacobs clinked glasses with Arthur.

Arthur then said, "I'm very busy these days, so I'll leave now. If there are any issues, discuss them with Tracy."

After Arthur left, Paula Wagner asked Tracy, "Is Arthur always this self-assured?"

"Well, he's very busy now with two films about to start, one set to release, and one in post-production," Tracy Jacobs defended Arthur. "Ms. Wagner, you should know, one of the upcoming films is invested by Galaxy Films itself!"

"Impressive," Paula Wagner now understood why Arthur asked why Tom Cruise didn't start his own film company. This guy was already investing in films himself, very confident indeed!

"A small $5 million investment," Tracy reminded.

"Still impressive. He left school last year, and this year he's investing in films. He has the right to be cocky!" Paula Wagner, who came with a confrontational attitude, was pacified by Arthur's reasoning.

However, Paula Wagner would wait until next month's release of Sleeping with the Enemy. If they wanted to collaborate with Tom Cruise, they needed to have the credentials. She would seriously consider the script Galaxy Films would send.

*****

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