Chapter 264: Admiration for Link

[Chapter 264: Admiration for Link]

The Sixth Sense appeared to be a ghost story on the surface, but it deeply explored human nature and healing. Dr. Malcolm Crowe, with his warm heart, helped a troubled young boy named Cole, and in turn, Cole helped him come to terms with death.

The screenplay woven in themes of friendship, love, and family had plenty of appeal. However, Link's version delivered to the seven major studios and Miramax omitted the plot twist where Dr. Crowe discovers he's a ghost. Instead, it concluded with Malcolm returning home to win back his wife's heart after helping Cole. This removal of the final 15% diminished the story's intrigue significantly.

Link undertook this change to protect his creative ideas and prevent the seven major studios from stealing his work. Consequently, after reviewing various scripts, Robert Shaye and Harvey Weinstein chose Se7en and The Butterfly Effect over The Sixth Sense.

"How could you do this?"

The script's quality was so high that turning it into a film would surely result in great box office success. With five box office hits already under his belt, Link was looking to make it six. However, this situation made it hard for him to keep up.

Quentin frowned at Link, wishing he could tie him up to stop him from making more movies. Ignoring Quentin's frustration, Link consulted with Tom Hanks after he finished reading the script, asking if he would consider playing Dr. Crowe.

Tom Hanks immediately agreed.

...

After wrapping up Apollo 13, he was initially inclined to direct a musical comedy but was intrigued by the prospect of working with Link. Prior to seeing Se7en, he had little interest in Link's films, but after that project, his perspective changed like many others in the industry.

While some films like Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project succeeded due to luck, and others like Final Destination gained traction thanks to creativity and marketing, Se7en thrived purely on its strength. Even without the Simpson trial's publicity, the film would have performed well, as shown by its international box office figures.

Upon receiving the invitation, he temporarily set aside his work to read the new script for The Sixth Sense. Initially, the "ghost" label made him want to refuse, but out of respect for Link, he persevered and finished it. After reading it, he was profoundly touched. While it seemed like a horror film, the narrative was ultimately about humanity and family, with deeply moving themes. Tom Hanks picked up the phone immediately after finishing the script to contact Jay Moloney because he wanted to discuss it with Link in person.

After hearing Link's in-depth insights, he was even more moved and liked the script even more.

...

"Link, when are we starting production?" Tom Hanks asked.

"It's already in preparation, aiming to start shooting early next month."

"Could you postpone it? I'd like more time to dive deeper into the character, learn about psychology, and understand related cases so I could perform better."

Link nodded. The start date would remain unchanged, but they could film other character scenes first, allowing Tom Hanks a month and a half to prepare.

"Link, is it really necessary to rush? You go about filming as if you're racing against time," Quentin remarked.

Robert Rodriguez agreed, nodding along. Among the familiar directors in the industry, Link was the most impressive and the hardest working. Where others might create one film a year or one film every two to three years, Link managed two or three every year.

"The Sixth Sense takes place in the autumn and winter, so shooting toward the end of the year and into early next year would be ideal. Plus, my creative drive is strong right now, and I have plenty of energy. If I don't seize the opportunity to film more now, when I get older, my body may weaken, and I may struggle to produce good films," Link said with a smile.

Tom Hanks and Jay Moloney nodded in agreement, their admiration for Link growing. Despite being young with a net worth in the billions and significant fame, he remained dedicated to working hard and consistently creating films.

Success seemed inevitable for someone like him. For the first time, Tom Hanks found himself admiring a young person. Quentin pointed at him in irritation; he had always been laid-back when it came to work, willing to do it when required but otherwise enjoying life, preparing to make only ten films in his lifetime.

But after meeting Link, many things changed. Link was like a magnet; anyone near him felt compelled to keep up with his pace. If they didn't, they felt restless and guilty for being lazy or unproductive.

This constant internal struggle was exhausting for Quentin.

"Come on, Link, let's grab a drink!" Quentin said, shoving a bottle of alcohol toward Link, eager to celebrate their shared passion.

...

Just then, Jay Moloney's phone rang, and after glancing at it, he excused himself to take the call.

On the other end was Michael Ovitz, who mentioned that an acquaintance had seen him, Tom Hanks, and Link chatting at a bar and asked if they were discussing business.

Jay's brow furrowed unhappily; as the Vice President of CAA, albeit a lower-ranking one, he had some clout. Ovitz's direct inquiry about his whereabouts felt inappropriate.

"Yes, Link is preparing a new film, and the lead role suits Tom Hanks perfectly. After reading the script, he loved it and decided to work with Link," Jay explained.

Michael countered that the seven major studios were preparing to press down on Link's film, emphasizing that Tom Hanks was a CAA star who shouldn't collaborate with Link.

Jay insisted that Tom appreciated Link's script so much he was willing to delay other projects to participate. If the company interfered too much in Tom Hanks' affairs, it could lead to dissatisfaction and potentially costly fallout.

In CAA, the bigger the star, the better the benefits and freedom they enjoyed; Tom Hanks held a status akin to a senior partner capable of exiting the agreement at any time. Jay intended to remind Ovitz that his previous interference led to the losses of Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock as clients, which was a significant blow to the company.

If forcing undue influence on Tom Hanks led him to leave CAA, it would be a disaster for them.

Ovitz, dissatisfied with Jay's tone, reminded him that he was just the Vice President, not the President or a shareholder, and that this was not a matter for him to concern himself with. He reiterated the importance of cautioning Tom Hanks to avoid working with Link.

Jay maintained a serious expression and acquiesced.

*****

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