Chapter 385: Scenery by the Pool

[Chapter 385: Scenery by the Pool]

In the third week of the summer blockbusters, Tom Cruise's new movie Mission: Impossible was released.

Produced by Paramount Pictures, the film took two years from preparation to release, with a production cost of $80 million.

In its opening week, it grossed $50.42 million across 3,312 theaters, securing the top spot at the box office.

Batman Forever earned $41.91 million this week, taking second place, with a cumulative gross of $165 million in North America.

Disney's comedy movie The Nutty Professor came in third, earning $10.44 million in its first week.

Guess Pictures' Dangerous Minds earned $4.51 million this week, ranking sixth.

...

"Link, both Batman Forever and Mission: Impossible are doing quite well. One has a chance to break $300 million, while the other may surpass $200 million. For Guess Pictures to take the top box office spot this year is going to be tough," Michelle Pfeiffer remarked by the villa's pool.

Dressed in a black swimsuit, she lounged on a lounge chair, flipping through a copy of the Los Angeles Times. The bright sun cast shadows over her fair, long legs.

"The competition in the film market is indeed fierce this year, but we still have a chance," Link replied with a smile while flipping through a magazine.

Nicole Kidman, lying on the adjacent chair and asking Liv Tyler to help apply sunscreen, lifted her head and joked, "Regardless of which company's film ultimately takes the top, it's bound to be yours. That would mean your films have won the box office crown for three years straight. That's amazing!"

"Isn't there too much pressure winning the box office every day?" Monica asked, overhearing the conversation while practicing yoga by the pool with Jodie Foster and Brooke Shields.

Link chuckled, "Not really. My goal in filmmaking isn't to chase rankings but to achieve breakthroughs in cinematic techniques. As long as I feel I've gained something with each film, that's enough for me."

"Even with your level of success, you're still aiming for breakthroughs? What are the rest of us directors supposed to do?" Jodie Foster playfully shot him a look.

Link smiled back, "You can keep trying to make more great movies, maybe you'll catch up one day."

"Exactly, Jodie. Link's filmmaking skills are incredible; you should learn from him. After all, you sleep in the same bed -- plenty of time to discuss movies!" Nicole teased.

Jodie rolled her eyes at her. "Liv, stop putting sunblock on her! Let her tan a bit and see if she stays as confident."

Nicole laughed, "Well then, you shouldn't do yoga either. While yoga improves physical health and flexibility, you're too slender. Your waist is slimmer than my thigh; no amount of practice will ever make you Link's match!"

"We're doing yoga for fitness, not for anything else. Can't you have healthier thoughts?" Jodie retorted, slightly annoyed.

"Am I not stating a fact?"

"Yes, your waist really is thick."

"Alright, let's not argue, practicing yoga requires silence," Monica advised.

Nicole and Jodie quickly settled down, refocusing on their activities.

...

Link chuckled softly, feeling somewhat helpless. Though he enjoyed the lively atmosphere at home with all the women around during meals and sleep, it could get quite noisy when they were idle. Behind the scenes, there was some competition, rivalry, and jealousy as they vied for more of his attention -- sometimes leading to arguments.

Fortunately, Monica, Lily, and Jennifer Connelly held significant sway in the household, preventing any major fallout.

But to prevent any escalating conflicts, Link often had to set aside some time to accompany them, putting out fires, which made his schedule even tighter. Some days he found himself busy through the day and then again at night.

...

"Link, what are you looking at?" Sandra Bullock asked as she emerged from the pool, wrapped in a towel, and sat on his lounge chair.

"The Cannes Film Festival news. The biggest winner this year is Mike Leigh's Secrets & Lies. The Fifth Element didn't win any awards," he explained as he wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her shoulder.

"That's too bad. Milla prepared so much for that film and got hurt during shooting," Michelle noted.

"She's just lacking a bit of luck, but she's young, so there will be plenty of opportunities for her to win awards in the future," Sandra said with a smile.

Link nodded in agreement.

...

"Haha!" Suddenly, Nicole burst out laughing as she held her phone and teased Link, "Tom Cruise just sent me a message boasting about Mission: Impossible's box office results, saying it topped Batman Forever this week, claiming he's better than you and mocking my choice."

"Isn't it true? If you hadn't divorced Tom, you would be with him right now at the Paramount celebration party instead of here bored," Jodie added.

Nicole shot her a look. "What's the point of a party? I'm done with that. This life is what I want; I never regret my choices."

"Mission: Impossible is pretty good, an espionage action film, just like James Bond. It's perfect for a series," Link said quickly, trying to steer the conversation away.

"Link, when are you starting the collaboration with MGM for the next James Bond film?" Sandra inquired.

"We're shooting Primal Fear and Saving Private Ryan this year; I won't have time for anything else until next year," he replied.

"You have such a full schedule. It seems you don't get any downtime throughout the year," Sandra gently squeezed his arm.

"Being here with you all is the best rest I could ask for," Link said with a light smile, embracing Sandra for a kiss while his hand slid down to massage her.

"Help me out with advice; how should I respond to Tom Cruise?" Nicole asked.

"If you don't mind, just graciously congratulate him on his film's success. If you remain indifferent, he might get even angrier," Michelle laughed.

"Good idea!" Nicole replied, shooting off a response before quickly receiving another text. She frowned and said, "Tom Cruise isn't mad; he sent a ton of messages, continuing to flaunt Mission: Impossible's success. He even asked if I regret our divorce and gave me a week to consider -- it sounds like he's open to remarrying!"

"Do you want to remarry?" Jodie asked with growing interest.

"Of course not," Nicole said as she lifted her leg and playfully kicked her. She began hastily typing again, and soon her phone buzzed again.

"Haha, Tom Cruise is going to be livid! I told him I have never been satisfied during our marriage, but since being with Link, I've been thoroughly satisfied every time. He only knows me on a surface level, while Link understands me more than anyone -- deep down to my soul. Haha, when Tom reads this, he'll blow up and curse like crazy!" Nicole laughed, covering her mouth.

"You're quite the provocateur!" Jodie said with a smirk.

"I'm owning it," Nicole grinned as she noticed Link getting cozy with Sandra and sat on him while he was distracted.

Jodie rolled her eyes at the sight of Nicole's brazen antics and muttered under her breath.

Monica reminded her to focus on yoga and not let other distractions interfere.

Jodie shot a glance at Nicole, who was flipping her hair and being overly animated, and closed her eyes to focus again.

Yet Nicole and Sandra were too shameless, completely ignoring the others around them, making the noises louder.

Jodie, in the middle of a challenging yoga pose, lost her balance and fell to the ground, feeling quite overheated.

---

After a delightful weekend, Link returned to work at the studio.

In May, after three weeks of negotiations, Guess Pictures officially acquired Carolco Pictures for $380 million. This included the Carolco production and distribution company, the home video distribution company, and the rights to over 500 films, among others.

...

Guess Pictures made another major acquisition of a film company, and this time it was Carolco, formerly ranked tenth in Hollywood, which sparked much controversy within the industry.

Guess Pictures was already a strong player in production, and after acquiring Carolco, their capabilities undoubtedly would increase, potentially surpassing mid-ranking studios like Fox and Paramount.

It was evident that the competition in the film industry would intensify over the next few years, making life even tougher for independent film companies.

Former Castle Rock president Rob Reiner publicly claimed that Guess Pictures was monopolizing the industry and called on the Justice Department's antitrust division to investigate and punish Guess Pictures for its alleged bullying tactics.

Rob Reiner's comments were completely unfounded; Guess Pictures had always been and would forever be an independent film company. Since its inception, it had sought development despite pressure from larger studios. If anyone were to speak of monopolization, it would be the big studios; Guess Pictures would never engage in such practices.

After the successful acquisition of Carolco, Guess Pictures began gradually integrating the company, implementing mergers and upgrades to enhance its production and distribution capabilities.

*****

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