Chapter 220: Responding to the Situation
[Chapter 220: Responding to the Situation]
"Cut!"
For Link, the abrupt changes in Hollywood did not affect him much. He continued his work on the set of Butterfly Effect in Vancouver.
After reviewing the footage, he called Leonardo over for some pointers. He advised the young actor to be more flexible in his performance, to relax when necessary and tighten up when the moment called for it, avoiding a stiff portrayal.
Leonardo was cast as the lead in part due to his good looks and appropriate age of twenty. Earlier this year, he had received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, showcasing his reliable acting skills. Compared to the original choice, Ashton Kutcher, Leonardo's performance was proving to be more impressive.
"Leonardo, to play Evan well, you need to understand that his character is not static. Each time he travels back in time, he experiences new changes -- both in appearance and emotions, which layer upon each other. At the beginning, before the time travel, Evan is a bright, sunny young man. Keep that in mind when you perform, and gradually build on the changes throughout the shooting. That's how you'll truly nail this role."
"Got it, director," Leonardo replied, flashing a bright, sunny smile.
"Alright, let's continue filming."
...
The actors returned to their positions, and the script supervisor called for action as they resumed shooting. This scene depicted Evan, the protagonist, growing up, attending college, excelling in his studies, and living contentedly without any memory loss for seven years.
During a date in his dorm, his date found a box underneath his bed filled with his old journals. While reading, Evan suddenly time-traveled back to the past.
"Wanna beer?" Evan asked while crouching in front of his mini-fridge.
"Yes!" the girl replied.
She rummaged through his bedside drawer and then lifted the comforter to peek under the bed. "Do you have any candles or aromatherapy stuff down there?"
As she searched, she pulled out a cardboard box filled with journals.
"Oh, this won't do," Evan said as he saw her flipping through the notebooks.
"Most guys tuck their porn under here, but all you have are... comp books." she laughed, sitting on the bed.
"Yeah. I've been keeping journals since I was seven," he responded.
"Wow!" she exclaimed, picking up one of the notebooks. "Read something!"
Evan hesitated, then said with a grin, "Only if there's a trade."
She chuckled.
...
"Cut!"
Link reviewed the footage again and called over the actress playing the college girl, Jennifer Lopez, to discuss her performance.
Jennifer Lopez was 24 this year, a striking Puerto Rican beauty with a sun-kissed complexion and an appealing figure. Though she was still a newcomer and not yet the superstar she would eventually become, her audition had stood out.
"Jennifer, your character Heidi is a college student who has a crush on Evan and sees potential for a long-term relationship. Don't come off too forward; just show curiosity and admiration. Keep your performance subtle."
"Understood, director," Jennifer Lopez said, biting her lip, clearly nervous.
"Relax, I'm not scary," Link reassured her, eliciting a light laugh.
"Perfect, let's get ready for the next shot."
...
Link waved her off as they resumed filming. This time, Jennifer performed much better, getting the scene right within two takes.
During the lunch break, Link received a call in his office from Michael Leeson in Los Angeles.
Michael updated him on some rumors circulating in Hollywood -- that the major studios planned to band together to undermine Guess Pictures, a production company Link was closely associated with.
Link asked Michael if he had seen any recent actions from the major studios toward Guess Pictures. Michael replied that he hadn't detected anything yet, but it was possible that they had moved without being noticed.
Link instructed Michael to stay vigilant regarding the major studios' activities. If any company showed hostility toward Guess Pictures, they needed to respond strongly. Even if Guess Pictures wasn't a threat to the larger studios at the moment, they couldn't appear weak or easy to bully.
Michael nodded in agreement.
...
After pondering for a moment, Link called Danny DeVito, asking him to pitch projects like Hachiko, In & Out, and Ace Ventura 2 to Columbia Pictures, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Disney, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and MGM, inquiring if any of the seven studios were interested in collaboration. He wanted to gauge whether the major studios were seriously planning to band against Guess Pictures.
If that were the case, it was crucial for Guess Pictures to prepare in advance to avoid being caught off guard.
...
"Link, do you want some coffee?"
"Thanks!"
Renee Zellweger placed a cup of coffee on his desk. She was the film's female lead, chosen for her girl-next-door charm and strong work ethic. Although she had an impressive appearance and physique, she had a softer presence than the more aggressive looks of Monica or Jennifer, which fit the character's needs perfectly.
"Renee, you don't have much to shoot this week. You don't have to stay on set all the time; you can take on other work. I'll have my assistant call you when it's time for your scenes."
"I don't have anything else lined up right now. My main focus is nailing the role of Kayleigh. But if you'd prefer me to keep my distance, I can do that," Renee said with a gentle smile, her golden hair cascading down and her cheeks slightly flushed from the heat. Dressed in a white artistic tee and blue shorts, her petite waist exuded youthful charm and vitality.
"I don't mind. Without you here, who else would bring me such delicious coffee?" Link joked.
"Is coffee all I can bring you? I'd be happy to help with anything else you might need," Renee offered sincerely.
"Yes, you're quite helpful," Link said, giving her a playful pinch on the cheek.
...
He then continued his call with Jack Brennan, the head of the investment department at Glimmer Investments Company, instructing him to purchase stocks in Disney, aiming to acquire around 2% of the shares.
Internal strife at Disney had intensified recently, with Chairman Frank Wells, CEO Michael Eisner, and Chairman of Walt Disney Animation Jeffrey Katzenberg all vying for power, leading to a period of instability that had negatively impacted their box office performance.
Disney's stock price had dropped significantly from a peak of $26 billion in 1992 to around $19.5 billion today. This was a low point for the company, presenting a prime opportunity to invest. Given Disney's forecasted future valuation of $200-300 billion, acquiring shares now was a strategic move.
Link planned to buy approximately 10% of Disney shares over the next decade to become a significant shareholder, aiming to gain control over the Disney board and influence Hollywood through Disney, potentially dominating the film industry itself.
Acquiring 1% of Disney would require around $300-400 million, and he anticipated that borrowing from the bank would not be an issue, given Glimmer's substantial assets in companies like Microsoft, Cisco, and UTA, as well as Marvel, valued in the range of $1.5 to 1.6 billion.
...
While he discussed business on the phone, Renee sat across from him, her chin resting on her hand as she watched him intently, wide-eyed. Listening to him casually mention hundreds of millions of dollars in investments as if discussing coffee made her pulse quicken, and her cheeks flushed deeper.
Casting a glance toward the door, she bit her lip and started to gather her long hair back, slowly crouching down in front of her chair.
Link smirked softly, brushing a hand through her hair as he carried on with his conversation.
*****
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