Chapter 310: This Is a Misunderstanding
Chapter 310: This Is a Misunderstanding
After Robert Shaye said those words, silence briefly fell between the two men.
Their eyes locked onto each other, neither willing to yield.
After a while, Eric was the first to look away from Robert Shaye’s gaze. A victorious smile appeared on Robert Shaye’s face.
“Fine, Robert, if you insist,” Eric said. His voice had become slightly hoarse, and his tone had lowered somewhat.
Hearing Eric say that, Robert Shaye let out what he considered a hearty laugh and slightly stretched out his hand as though intending to pat Eric on the shoulder. But with the conference table between them, the gesture naturally failed.
“Eric, don’t be like this. You have to trust me. In Hollywood, money is the most important thing. Without money, everything else is empty talk. Distribution channels can’t be built overnight either. Just look at the other film companies around today. Which one of them doesn’t have decades of history?”
After Robert Shaye finished speaking, Eric lightly nodded, though it was impossible to tell whether it signified agreement or something else.
“By the way, Robert, Jeffrey told me you weren’t very optimistic about the Basic Instinct project before?”
Robert Shaye froze for a moment, then nodded. “That’s right, Eric. I think—”
Eric had no interest in hearing Robert Shaye’s reasoning. The moment Robert Shaye admitted it, Eric directly interrupted:
“In that case, let’s cancel the project.”
Robert Shaye opened his mouth. “What? Ca-Cancel it? But hasn’t Jeffrey already started casting?”
“I mean remove it from the company’s production slate for this year,” Eric raised his head and said.
“This film will indeed run into major trouble with ratings if it’s produced. So, in order to avoid risk, I’m planning to bring in investment from one of the Seven Majors. I’ll also personally invest part of the funds and establish a separate shell company to operate the project independently.”
Having survived in Hollywood for twenty years, Robert Shaye immediately understood what Eric meant.
It was true that he was not particularly optimistic about Basic Instinct, but he had not strongly opposed it either.
Now that Eric was doing this, it effectively meant separating the film entirely from Firefly.
If the movie succeeded in the future, neither the rights nor the profits would have anything to do with Firefly anymore.
Which also meant they would have nothing to do with him.
How could Robert Shaye fail to realize that this was Eric’s retaliation for his earlier actions?
He had just acted “willfully” once, but as the major shareholder, Eric clearly possessed even greater qualifications to be willful.
After wavering internally for a while, Robert Shaye finally said:
“Eric, although I’m not particularly optimistic about it, I’m not actually against it either…”
“According to the current plan,” Eric continued, “during the summer season, we’ll release Sleeping with the Enemy, which you’re handling, TG Pictures’ The Silence of the Lambs, and part of Ghost. We’re also jointly distributing with Disney.
“I don’t think Firefly has enough resources left to distribute Basic Instinct as well. So separating the project out independently is also a good choice. It can help avoid risks too.”
After thinking it over for a while, Robert Shaye gritted his teeth.
He refused to believe Eric would keep succeeding forever.
Soon enough, Robert Shaye nodded.
“Fine, Eric. We’ll do it your way.”
In truth, even if Robert Shaye had disagreed, Eric still intended to proceed with it.
In his previous life, Basic Instinct had only earned a little over one hundred million dollars at the box office. Whether in reputation or ticket sales, it could not compare with Ghost or The Silence of the Lambs. It might not even outperform Sleeping with the Enemy.
However, with Robert Shaye stubbornly insisting on handing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles over to Disney, Eric had to make some kind of response.
He needed Robert Shaye to feel some restraint.
Otherwise, Eric was certain Robert Shaye would continue pushing his luck further and further.
“Then I’ll go get busy,” Eric nodded after hearing Robert Shaye’s response, stood up, and left the conference room.
After Eric departed, Robert Shaye smugly curled his lips upward, finished the coffee in front of him, then leisurely rose and left as well.
…
In a wooded area within the Santa Monica Mountains north of Malibu, a crew of several dozen people busily moved about amid all kinds of filming equipment.
This was the filming set for The X-Files.
Although the stories in The X-Files took place all across the United States, it was naturally impossible for the production crew to constantly travel everywhere during filming. Instead, they mostly shot around Los Angeles or constructed sets in studios. Only when absolutely unavoidable would they travel to the relevant state to capture exterior footage before combining it through editing later.
Mulder and Scully were driving a black Ford sedan along a small road winding through the forest.
Mulder was leisurely chatting with Scully when the car radio and other electronic equipment suddenly descended into chaotic static.
Mulder quickly stopped the car.
“Cut! That shot’s done. Raymond, hurry and remove the camera from the car. Brad, Famke, you two can rest for a bit,” director Kim Manners shouted through a loudspeaker as the crew members immediately became busy again.
Brad Pitt and Famke Janssen also heard the director’s call and got out of the car while chatting and laughing together.
Brad Pitt grabbed a bottle of water from the logistics staff and attentively handed it to Famke Janssen.
The woman smiled and thanked him before accepting it.
“Hey, Famke, there are only about two hours left before we wrap for the day. Want to go bar-hopping tonight?” Brad Pitt seized the opportunity to invite her while she was clearly in a good mood.
Famke Janssen hesitated slightly.
After spending time together these past days, she did have a favorable impression of Brad Pitt. The two had even been photographed by paparazzi while walking together and had made the newspapers.
But another figure would always flash through her mind.
She knew perfectly well how she had obtained this female lead role.
Back then, that young man had selected her—a complete newcomer with no acting experience—from among a large number of strong competitors. The meaning behind that decision had already been obvious enough.
Famke Janssen understood that by signing that acting contract, she had effectively acquiesced to certain things.
Originally, she had assumed Eric Williams would quickly make a move toward her.
But shortly after she got the role, Eric Williams became embroiled in controversy, and nothing further ever happened.
Meanwhile, Brad Pitt had tirelessly courted her.
Famke Janssen felt getting along with this man was fairly pleasant.
Brad Pitt was gentle, considerate, and skilled at pleasing women. Gradually, Famke Janssen began to feel attracted to him.
“Maybe… he’s already forgotten about me.”
That was what the woman thought to herself.
Several months had passed without any action whatsoever from Eric.
Combined with the fact that he was clearly a playboy, how could a playboy possibly lack women around him?
Perhaps she was merely an insignificant passerby in his life.
Beautiful women were inevitably proud.
Those thoughts naturally made her feel somewhat dejected—even more upset than when she had signed the contract for this role in the first place.
“I think… maybe… alright,” Famke Janssen thought for a moment before finally nodding lightly.
Brad Pitt’s smile instantly brightened.
“By the way, do you have a regular bar you go to?”
Famke Janssen shook her head. “Sorry. I used to live in New York. Just pick any place you like.”
“No problem,” Brad Pitt nodded.
Just as the two were about to continue chatting, a car drove directly into the set.
One of The X-Files’ producers, Hans Whittle, stepped out of the vehicle and looked around. When he spotted the two gathered together, he slightly frowned and walked over.
“Hey, Hans, what brings you here?” Kim Manners approached before Hans Whittle even reached them.
Hans Whittle smiled and shook hands with Kim Manners, then pointed toward Brad Pitt and Famke Janssen.
“I’m here for them.”
“What’s going on?” Kim Manners asked.
Hans Whittle helplessly shrugged. “Mr. Williams wants to see them.”
“Mr. Williams…” Kim Manners froze briefly before quickly realizing who he meant. The only person Hans Whittle would address that way was Eric Williams. “What’s this about?”
Hans Whittle stuffed a newspaper into Kim Manners’ hands.
“See for yourself.”
At that moment, Brad Pitt and Famke Janssen also walked over.
The moment they saw the newspaper Hans Whittle handed over, both froze.
The page clearly featured a photo of the two of them together.
Brad Pitt knew very well that Hans Whittle was a producer under Firefly.
An ominous feeling immediately rose in his heart.
Could he really be this unlucky again?
He still vividly remembered being miserably kicked out of a television production in New York after trying to flirt with one of the female leads.
Although he had deeply resented Eric back then, as time passed and Eric became increasingly dazzling, Brad Pitt himself appeared more and more insignificant.
People tended to envy and hate those only one or two steps ahead of them.
But toward those far beyond their reach, they usually no longer felt that kind of emotion.
Even though Eric was much younger than him, Brad Pitt could no longer muster much negativity toward Eric.
Instead, what he felt was more akin to awe.
When the production had first started, he had worried that Famke Janssen might be Eric’s woman, so he initially restrained himself.
But as time passed, Brad Pitt noticed there seemed to be no contact whatsoever between Famke Janssen and Eric. Only then did he finally feel comfortable openly pursuing her.
Yet now, he realized he had miscalculated again.
Glancing at the woman beside him, Brad Pitt genuinely wanted to slap himself.
This woman had possessed absolutely no acting experience before, yet she had been selected from among so many auditioning actresses.
Only a fool would believe it was pure luck.
And if it wasn’t luck, then there had to be another reason.
Since Eric Williams had personally finalized both leads of The X-Files, then that “other reason” was painfully obvious.
Kim Manners looked at the newspaper photo showing Brad Pitt and Famke Janssen walking side by side, as well as the article discussing “sparks flying between the male and female leads of The X-Files,” before asking curiously:
“Hans, what’s the meaning of this?”
Hans Whittle leaned close to Kim Manners’ ear and whispered a few sentences.
Kim Manners immediately looked toward the pair and said:
“Hans, I think there’s definitely some misunderstanding here. I thought this article was meant to promote the show.”
At this point, Brad Pitt could no longer hold himself back.
“Hans, this really is just a misunderstanding. Miss Famke Janssen and I absolutely have no relationship whatsoever.”
Famke Janssen stared wide-eyed at the man beside her in shock.
Brad Pitt guiltily glanced at her, but quickly continued:
“Fa… Miss Janssen, yesterday we just happened to run into each other. We chatted for a few minutes and then separated. Nothing happened between us, right?”
Only now did Famke Janssen finally react.
She did not know about Brad Pitt’s earlier experience in New York.
Thus, seeing him instantly turn hostile and deny everything so decisively—as though all the attention and courtship he had shown her previously had merely been an illusion—the slight fondness she had felt for him immediately vanished without a trace.
“Yes, Mr. Hans,” Famke Janssen said coldly. “Mr. Pitt and I have absolutely no relationship. The scandal in the newspapers was entirely fabricated by the paparazzi.”
Brad Pitt felt both relieved and somewhat disappointed at the same time.
Still, he quickly adjusted his mindset.
As long as he could keep his male lead position, once he became famous in the future, what kind of women wouldn’t he be able to get?
From what his agent had told him, Fox Broadcasting Company valued The X-Files no less than Friends.
Whenever he imagined himself enjoying the same glory as the six leads of Friends in the future, Brad Pitt felt all those years struggling in Hollywood had not been in vain.
Everything he had endured would be worth it.
Hans Whittle expressionlessly swept his gaze over the two before fixing it meaningfully on Famke Janssen.
“Mr. Williams wants to see you. You can explain all of this to him personally.”
Director Kim Manners saw how things stood and asked:
“Hans, right now? But we’ve already prepared the next shot.”
Hans Whittle patted Kim Manners on the shoulder.
“Sorry, Kim. We’ll probably have to stop here for today. It’s over an hour’s drive from here to Firefly headquarters. Mr. Williams instructed me to bring them there before the end of the workday.”
“Hans, it’ll only take about ten minutes. This scene isn’t long. Just a few simple lines of dialogue.”
Hans Whittle merely shrugged again.
“Fine then. I’ll have the crew shoot other scenes first,” Kim Manners said helplessly, knowing there was no room for negotiation. After saying goodbye to the group, he headed back toward the set.