Chapter 14: Many Familiar Faces
[Chapter 14: Many Familiar Faces]
There wasn't much information about the two of them. Compared to Matt Damon, Ben Affleck had actually been doing pretty well.
After graduating from high school, he went to New York to pursue an acting career. Later, he attended Occidental College in Los Angeles and landed several roles. He was also close to a young independent filmmaker, Kevin Smith. So Affleck didn't lack opportunities.
Matt Damon entered the business a bit later. He didn't have the looks or natural appeal but was eager to find his big break. Both hoped to create their own film projects to boost themselves. Generally, the actors who could initiate their own projects and promote themselves were very rare. Hollywood was full of talented people, but most of them couldn't come up with good ideas, and even fewer could secure investments.
Charlie Corleone was exactly like that. Aside from his looks, he was lacking in other areas. If it weren't for his cunning and good luck, he would have struggled for years in the industry. The kind of lucky break where studios like Warner Bros. or Disney fought eager to invest just because he had a script was simply unrealistic. Even if the script was great and he found a benefactor, becoming famous required time and accumulation -- just like with J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter.
Thinking about this, Charlie's eyes suddenly lit up. He shook his head lightly, putting those thoughts aside for now, and continued reviewing the script for Good Will Hunting, written by Matt and Ben.
The screenplay was very well formatted. Though Charlie didn't fully understand the technicalities, he could tell it was written seriously. The story itself was excellent.
[T/N: Original script was very differnt, a thriller with spies, with Will Hunting being recruited by goverment, etc. William Goldman, Terence Malick and Rob Reiner were the actual script doctors who made the script shot for the movie.]
It was hard to imagine this came from two young guys around 25 or 26. Normally, an indie film required life experience and maturity. Good Will Hunting was an inspirational youth story, but adults reflecting on their youth usually didn't happen until they were at least 30. Before that, attempts were often just forced and unnatural.
Hollywood was fiercely competitive. Those who managed to stand out were truly remarkable.
...
"How's it going, Charlie?" Spike whispered.
Charlie controlled the interview's final decision. Spike was the only one capable of offering some advice because the others hadn't dealt with these matters.
Charlie nodded, acknowledging the strong screenwriting foundation. Adapting a drama like Fifty Shades of Gray wouldn't be a problem -- it didn't involve comedy, action, or other genres.
He set down the script. "The story's good and meets my basic requirements."
"Thank you, Godfather!" a very shy Matt Damon said awkwardly with a smile.
Affleck quickly echoed the sentiment.
The interviewers chuckled good-naturedly. It seemed like Charlie was the older one here.
"Don't be nervous," Charlie smiled, "I'm a film producer, not a mob boss. Unless you're planning to take me out?"
"Of course not!" Matt gave an embarrassed grin.
Charlie tapped his fingers on the table. "Okay, I have a few questions. Do you have any fantasies about women? In all sorts of ways -- be specific."
The two hesitated briefly but tried to answer.
Affleck gave a better response, but with some guidance, Matt expressed his feelings more directly.
Charlie then asked, "What about from a woman's point of view?"
This time, both were stumped. Young guys just couldn't clearly express a woman's inner fantasies.
Charlie frowned and tried to guide them, but didn't get satisfactory answers.
Rachel, who'd been silently observing, leaned over and whispered, "Ha, I wish I'd known sooner how well you understand women."
Charlie chuckled and shared a little joke with Rachel.
Soon, he got serious again. "Alright, despite some flaws, I've decided to hire you. I'll find a woman for the screenwriting team. Do you have agents? Besides providing some roles, any other demands?"
"We don't have screenwriting agents," Matt said.
Affleck added, gathering courage, "Godfather, we'd like to know the specific roles. Also, after this film, could you help promote Good Will Hunting?"
"No problem!" Charlie smiled. "Don't worry, we're a serious film crew. I actually have high hopes for you. If you have concerns, I can handle producing Good Will Hunting myself with a contract."
"Great, thank you, Godfather," Affleck said happily.
Matt tried to up the ante, "Godfather, actually we have friends who recommended Good Will Hunting to Miramax Films, and they're interested. We..."
Charlie saw through this right away and laughed. "Rest assured, I'll guarantee you the lead roles in Good Will Hunting, as well as good pay and promotional efforts. All of this will be in the contract."
With such a promising project delivered on a silver platter, Charlie had no reason to refuse. Although he didn't recall the box office results, winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay meant the film wouldn't lose money.
He was getting two great actors, great screenwriters, and a great project.
But thinking of Miramax, Charlie frowned slightly. That original film was probably distributed by them. Otherwise, why would Matt Damon, already a top star back then, step in to help during Harvey Weinstein's scandal? Charlie had heard about that.
To avoid troubles, he quickly discussed the contract specifics with the two.
It was clear Matt and Ben were equally ambitious and weren't fixated on immediate money. After Charlie promised to write in the contract the lead roles and marketing scale, they happily signed it straight away, even signing actor contracts without calling their agents.
"Thank you very much, Godfather!" they sincerely expressed.
Charlie responded briefly, then prepared for the next round of interviews. Before they left, he curiously asked, "Why did you come to me? You know I have no track record or production company backing."
They hesitated, then Affleck said, "Besides the fact that you impressed Fox to invest, we believe in your abilities. Also... we heard you once beat up a producer from the Scream crew."
Charlie wore a strange expression. He wanted to ask if they'd had similar experiences and psychological scars. And a bit gossipingly, he wondered what they would have done if he had refused.
In the end, he waved them off and let them leave.
...
Waiting for the next interviewee, Spike couldn't help but ask, "Charlie, you really fought someone before?"
Rachel asked too.
Reluctantly, Charlie calmly recounted the story. Rachel, already smitten, rewarded him with a kiss. "Darling, you're a tough guy who doesn't bow down to authority or life!"
"You didn't see me negotiating with Fox looking like a scared kid," Charlie winked, brushing it off.
...
More writers were interviewed next, and Charlie finally kept a young graduate, Nina Charles, from Loyola Marymount University, majoring in Modern Languages and Literature. She was a beginner screenwriter. Charlie hired her for her strong writing skills, not her looks.
The plan was to have her join the ghostwriting team and provide a female perspective for the Fifty Shades of Gray screenwriting team.
...
The interview continued at noon.
Charlie had someone deliver lunch to those attending, which changed his image as seemingly violent boss.
He interviewed nonstop, hiring a young assistant director named Gore Verbinski to balance Spike's influence and enforce his own will.
During producer team interviews, Charlie encountered a familiar name -- Kevin Feige, who would go on to lead Marvel Studios and be one of the pioneers of the Marvel Universe. He was just starting out and very young.
Charlie intended not only to add Feige to the Fifty Shades of Gray producing team but also to make him one of his permanent crew members.
...
Recruitment continued until 2 p.m., finally wrapping up.
Besides new hires, Etto Romano and Lamont Vincent received specific roles. Being an indie film, Charlie casually appointed them as production assistants, coordinators, and supervisors.
The accounting department was set up by Melche with two people; she brought in her protege. Legal matters were handled by Gert Byrne.
The good news was that Corleone Films had obtained all permits, established a company bank account, and processed tax documents.
All contracts and financial accounts were ready for signing and allocation.
...
In just a few days, the $1 million budget had already spent $300,000. Aside from a $100,000 bonus, most costs went to renting an office, buying supplies, purchasing a car, and renting filming equipment.
At that time, digital cinema was still in its infancy. Filmmaking had a high barrier to entry. Outsiders without any connections couldn't dream of shooting a movie with tens of thousands of dollars.
Fortunately, the team was basically assembled.
To capitalize on the buzz, Charlie moved fast and organized various complicated meetings to start production and creative work.
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.