I am Hollywood

Chapter 461: Chapter 462: Regrets?



[Chapter 462: Regrets?]

"Brad Pitt definitely wasn't going to work out. Even though it barely fit his schedule, if I agreed, Fox would surely do everything in their power to stop it. The X-Files was one of Fox's flagship shows," Eric said, laughing again. He added, "I suddenly understand why Liz and the others didn't push for your Oscar nomination."

Famke Janssen appeared puzzled and remarked, "I understand now."

Aside from the little thoughts between women, it was clear that Fox, responsible for distributing Thelma & Louise, also worked behind the scenes to minimize the impact Famke's involvement in the film would have, ensuring there were no surprises regarding the lead actress for The X-Files. A sudden change in leads for a show that had already garnered a strong following would have a massive effect on ratings. In the original timeline, The X-Files ended because of actor David Duchovny's departure.

Eric noticed that Famke looked somewhat down and asked, "Are you regretting taking this TV series?"

Regret?

Famke indeed felt that emotion rear its head. Just like Brad Pitt, she had signed on for five seasons of The X-Files, meaning to regain her freedom, she would be tied up for at least three more years. But what would happen three years down the line if Fox thought The X-Files was still worth continuing?

For many TV actors who had been pigeonholed, it was particularly hard to decide to start over and transition to the big screen when they already had a hit series maintaining their popularity. Furthermore, attempting to juggle both a show and a film career was almost impossible since television producers often wouldn't grant such opportunities unless the actor had substantial backing.

Thinking of this, Famke glanced at Eric, suddenly feeling a sense of relief and smiling. Without this man, she might still be a struggling bit player in Hollywood, with no hope of ever making it big. He had done so much for her; what more could she possibly ask?

Eric had been attentive to Famke's changing expressions, and seeing her smile, he said, "You've thought it through."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Yeah," Famke replied, glancing down at Eric as she kicked off her shoes, swinging her legs lightly.

Eric reached out to hold her restless legs, looking up at her; Famke's long legs appeared even longer: "Are you trying to tempt me?"

"Yes, so what are you waiting for?" Famke said, leaning back on the table with her hands supporting her.

Just as Eric was about to make a move and watching Famke, a lightbulb went off in his head: "I got it!"

Famke instinctively looked at Eric. "What?"

Eric wore an excited expression and stated, "I figured out who would be perfect for the leading role in Mr. & Mrs. Smith! How did I not think of this sooner? This person is the best choice."

"You're thinking of someone else at a time like this, and it's a guy. Don't you think that's a bit hurtful?" Famke kicked Eric lightly on the calf in annoyance.

"Oh, my bad, babe. I'm sorry." Eric quickly chuckled and gave her a kiss, temporarily avoiding the topic.

...

In the meeting room, Jon Peters, waved a stack of documents, nearly hysterical as he said, "Pierce Brosnan? Eric, are you kidding? This guy was just a TV actor and starred in a few low- budget films. What box office appeal does he have? Don't forget, we're talking about a $60 million production here, $60 million!"

"Mr. Peters, could you calm down a bit?" Eric looked at the irritable middle-aged man across the table with some disdain. If possible, he would've liked to adopt the same approach as Spielberg years ago and add a clause to the contract barring Jon Peters from meetings. However, the situation was quite different now, and Eric couldn't interfere in Columbia's internal affairs.

Sitting next to Jon, Peter Guber subtly pulled the man back, prompting Peters to calm down. Although he recognized his outburst, Peters showed no intention of apologizing, slouching in his chair with arms crossed, clearly unwilling to cooperate.

Eric intended to explain why he was considering Pierce Brosnan when he saw Peters's demeanor and completely lost his patience, coldly stating, "Mr. Peters, if you lack confidence in the Mr. & Mrs. Smith project, you can withdraw at any time. If this movie flops, I assure you, you won't bear any responsibility."

Since becoming Columbia's president, very few people spoke to him in such a tone. Even Sony's executives were polite to him. Hearing Eric nearly reprimanding him, Peters almost blew up. Thankfully, he retained some rationality. Not to mention Eric's standing in Hollywood was hardly inferior to his own, if he distanced himself from Mr. & Mrs. Smith, as Eric pointed out, if the film failed, he would bear no responsibility. But if it succeeded, he wouldn't receive any credit, and those things were always intertwined.

After a moment of silence, Peters finally lowered his voice, reluctantly yielding: "Mr. Williams, I just hope you all know what you're doing."

"Thank you for your input," Eric replied indifferently, turning to someone beside him, who took out a tape and stood up to walk toward the projector at the front of the meeting room.

"This is Mr. Pierce Brosnan's audition tape. Please take a look."

As Eric spoke, the staff member inserted the tape into the projector.

In a simple audition room set up with a table, Nicole held up a champagne glass, looking somewhat forlorn as she sat alone. A tear leaked from her eye, which she quickly wiped away, taking a deep breath as if attempting to dispel the sadness within her.

At that moment, a hand reached out gently to grasp the tall champagne glass Nicole held, pouring more champagne into it.

Realizing something, Nicole looked down, offered a soft smile that carried a hint of

suppressed emotion.

Everyone in attendance was captivated by Nicole's performance and charm, while also

exhibiting a bit of curiosity about the male lead.

"Ma'am, I prepared something for this moment," the man pouring the wine finally appeared on camera, dressed smartly in a suit, with a captivating square face and a roguish smile. "I think I should just show up and say, 'Baby, thanks for the gift.""

If all the men in the meeting room had already been enchanted by Nicole's performance, Pierce Brosnan's suave entrance captured the attention of all the women present within

moments.

"Great, so what's your decision?" Nicole lifted her head, smiling at the man beside her.

"I want a divorce," Pierce Brosnan replied, moving to the other side of the table, pulling out a chair, and politely asking, "May I sit?"

"No," Nicole responded.

Pierce Brosnan acted as if he hadn't heard her, sitting down uninvited. He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a gun, discreetly covering it with a napkin on his lap. In response, Nicole also took a defensive posture.

The camera returned to their faces, and in that moment, everyone in the meeting room could almost feel the electric tension between the two, separated only by a dining table.

...

The audition concluded as Pierce Brosnan led Nicole toward the dance floor. The video ended, plunging the meeting room into a brief silence.

Although unspoken, Disney's Katzenberg, who attended this project discussion, shared thoughts similar to those of Columbia's two leaders, feeling that Eric's choice of a relatively unknown male lead seemed somewhat hasty.

However, Katzenberg wasn't like Columbia's top brass, blindly enamored with the box office draw of A-list stars, ignoring other factors. Having just seen the audition, he recognized that aside from his limited fame, Pierce Brosnan was nearly impeccable. Acknowledging the awkward silence in the meeting room, Katzenberg knew it was best to take some action, so he started clapping gently. Once the silence broke, others in the meeting room joined in,

clapping along.

Eric smiled and nodded at Katzenberg. While he could have arbitrarily made decisions, gaining others' support made the movie production process much smoother. With Katzenberg initiating applause, even if some initially disagreed, the bandwagon effect meant their previous aversion would lessen significantly. The decision on Pierce Brosnan as the male

lead was virtually set in stone.

Speaking of Pierce Brosnan, Eric couldn't help but recall that night a few days prior, a smile creeping onto his lips. If it hadn't been for Famke's incidental gesture, he might have forgotten that the original timeline's fifth James Bond actor was someone he was considering.

In Brosnan's first film in the 007 franchise, Famke played a villainous Bond girl, with her character's main skill involving wrapping her long legs around men, suffocating them to

death.

Even though Pierce Brosnan hadn't made a name for himself yet, Eric remained optimistic about Mr. & Mrs. Smith's prospects. In the original timeline, Brosnan's first 007 film, while similarly unknown, had outperformed the previous installment at the box office, doubling its earnings, due to the remarkably similar character of John Smith in Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

When the applause faded, Eric said, "Since everyone has no objections, we'll confirm Pierce Brosnan as the male lead. Now, let's discuss other matters."

...

With the lead established, all three principal creators for Mr. & Mrs. Smith were quickly settled, and the project began to pick up speed. A few days before the Oscars, Disney and Columbia held a lively press conference specifically for Mr. & Mrs. Smith. While the event was crowded, aside from introducing the film's main creators, the production team revealed little. The only hint at speculation was the movie poster shared during the press conference.

In the poster, Nicole and Pierce Brosnan stood back to back. Nicole showed off her leg exposed from her long dress, holstering a delicate little handgun, while Pierce Brosnan held a

famously hefty Desert Eagle.

The next day, newspapers overflowed with diverse speculations regarding Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Most leaned toward it being a romantic film, which Eric excelled at producing. Although guns appeared on the poster, people still leaned toward the belief, considering Eric's previous successes with Pretty Woman and Ghost, both romantic films. The title Mr. & Mrs. Smith also

hinted at this.

However, not everyone shared that sentiment. Some media quickly focused on the unfamiliar Hong Kong director, John Woo, conducting investigations and discovering that Woo was best known for directing action films. With firearms prominently featured in the movie poster, the film's subject matter seemed quite apparent.

Regarding the media speculations and debates, neither Disney nor Columbia offered any clarifications because many high-ranking studio executives knew the success of a film, especially a commercial one, heavily depended not only on its quality but also on the amount of buzz it generated among media and audiences.

Many films do not have higher box office returns simply because they receive great reviews; instead, significant box office results generally follow higher levels of audience engagement, whether the chatter is positive or negative. Thus, allowing the media to speculate freely while remaining silent kept the conversation going, heating up excitement around the project, which was the optimal approach.

With no information coming from the studios, both lead actors became targets for the paparazzi, who certainly didn't spare a thought about stalking John Woo either.

Amidst all this buzz, Nicole and Pierce Brosnan soon moved into the "Spy School," specially

set up for Hollywood actors to learn various weapon-handling techniques required for Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The production team for Mr. & Mrs. Smith was also swiftly assembled.

*****

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