Chapter 348: Taking an Interest
Chapter 348: Taking an Interest
Beside Australia’s approaching astronomical tide, Johnny let Bodhi go. When he heard his colleague swear that they would arrest Bodhi once he came back, Johnny murmured to himself, “He won’t come back.”
By finding Bodhi, Johnny also completed the first and last mission of his FBI career, fulfilled the dead Angelo’s wish, then casually threw away his FBI badge and began pursuing himself, or perhaps walked toward confusion.
Unlike Johnny, Bodhi understood his goal from the very beginning. He took his companions across the world, searching for higher, greater, and more dangerous waves, burning with his own passion and pursuing the wildest form of nature.
They lived without restraint. They did not submit to systems of power and did not follow ordinary moral logic. In this world that strangled the spirit, they created a system that belonged to them. But that system was doomed not to be tolerated by the real world. From the moment Johnny Utah, who represented the rules of reality, entered their lives, their destruction was already inevitable.
The moment Eric finished reading the script, he understood why he had never watched this film in his previous life. The free and rebellious ideas expressed in Point Break were completely incompatible with most Easterners’ conservative views on life, which meant this film was destined not to gain broad recognition. Without recognition, it was hard to spread, and it could only be revered as a classic within a small circle.
Seeing Eric put down the script, Kathryn Bigelow immediately gathered her focus, preparing to answer whatever questions Eric might have about the script. But Eric did not do that. Instead, he picked up the budget sheet and continued reading.
“Twenty million dollars isn’t enough,” Eric said to Kathryn Bigelow after finishing the budget. “If we shoot entirely according to the plot in the script, the large number of skydiving shots and surfing stunts will definitely push the cost up to thirty million dollars. Add in later publicity and distribution costs, and this film will need to make eighty million just to recover its cost.”
Eighty million?
Kathryn Bigelow froze for a moment. Her previous film, Blue Steel, had only grossed a little over eight million in total. Although compared to Blue Steel’s cost of less than three million, that film did make money for the investors, now that she had heard this film would need eighty million dollars at the box office just to fully recover costs, Kathryn Bigelow’s heart became uneasy.
In the end, she was only a woman. She did not have Cameron’s madness, the kind that allowed him to disregard everything. Moreover, even Cameron had moments when he came close to collapse. For a film to begin production while already carrying an eighty-million-dollar box office burden, that kind of pressure was not something just anyone could bear. It was only 1990. Hollywood produced hundreds of films every year in this era, but there were often fewer than ten films a year that exceeded one hundred million dollars at the box office, and there were no more than twenty films that exceeded eighty million.
More importantly, Kathryn Bigelow knew very well that Point Break was not exactly a Hollywood commercial film. This made her subconsciously glance toward Cameron. Originally, she only wanted to shoot an art film that satirized the federal system and exposed human nature. There had not been many surfing shots or skydiving shots in it, and in that case, the cost might not even have exceeded ten million dollars.
But the script before them had been made after discussing it with Cameron. Without a doubt, those big scenes had been added under Cameron’s instigation.
Eric took in Kathryn Bigelow’s small glance toward Cameron, and at the same time, he confirmed his own guess even more.
He had specially watched Kathryn Bigelow’s previous films, Near Dark and Blue Steel, and he understood Kathryn Bigelow’s style very clearly. Therefore, while reading the script just now, he could basically guess which scenes Cameron had inserted.
“Eric, the script can still be adjusted. We can cut some unnecessary scenes. In that case, twenty million dollars will be enough,” Kathryn Bigelow said, lowering her head slightly as she picked up the script in front of Eric and flipped through it a few times before putting it down again.
Eric did not know whether it was his imagination, but when Kathryn Bigelow spoke, her face seemed to redden slightly. Thinking of the small movement she had just made when flipping through the script, Eric confirmed that he had not seen wrongly. Kathryn Bigelow had blushed just now.
Clearly, the woman was using Cameron’s old trick: first settle the film, and once filming began, if the money ran out, the investor could deal with it. However, Kathryn Bigelow obviously did not have Cameron’s thick skin, which was why that unnatural expression appeared on her face.
“But I think this script is very good. It doesn’t need any changes,” Eric said as he picked the script back up and imitated Kathryn Bigelow’s movement, flipping through it a few times.
“Ah, then…” Kathryn Bigelow raised her head with joy, but when she saw Eric imitating the way she had just flipped through the script, her face immediately flushed noticeably. She realized Eric had done it on purpose. This little guy had clearly seen through the intention behind her words just now.
Eric originally wanted to tease her a little more, but seeing Kathryn Bigelow’s slightly embarrassed appearance, he swallowed back what he was about to say. In any case, he already had the initiative. Moreover, Kathryn Bigelow did not seem as forceful as James Cameron.
“All right, Kate. As for the budget, we can make appropriate adjustments once filming begins. Now, let’s talk about the script first. I want to know, what is your positioning for Point Break? Or rather, what do you want to express?”
If she had been someone skilled in worldly dealings, she should have understood that Eric’s remarks about the budget just now were only meant to seize the initiative in the negotiation. But Kathryn Bigelow, who was usually very bad at socializing, did not realize this. Hearing Eric’s question, she quickly gathered herself and said, “I lean toward seeing it as a sports film, a story about pursuing freedom. In the end, every character in the story finds their own place. Tyler forgives Johnny. Angelo dies beneath the robbers’ guns. Johnny leaves the FBI. Bodhi loses all his companions and charges into the sea without hesitation.”
Eric nodded slightly. “Then what about the plot where they wear the presidents’ masks to rob banks?”
“Eric, first of all, I have to state that depicting this behavior doesn’t mean I approve of it.”
“Of course. I can understand that. Otherwise, directors who make movies about psychopathic killers should all be thrown into prison.”
“No, that’s different. Directors who shoot those kinds of subjects are using bloody scenes to satisfy the perverse desires deep within human beings. But I only want to convey my own views to people.”
All right. So she was still a literary young woman, a beautiful, reserved, unsociable literary young woman. Too lovely.
Hearing the woman’s seriousness, this thought could not help appearing in Eric’s mind. Then he said, “Kate, from some of the lines, it’s obvious that what you want to convey should be a kind of satire of the federal system. But have you thought about this? What audiences hate most is preaching. So we only need to express these implications through the plot. Saying them directly instead makes it inferior. Look here…”
After saying this, Eric flipped open the script and quickly found a certain page, laying the script flat on the coffee table between them.
Kathryn Bigelow leaned forward slightly. In the end, she simply half-knelt on the floor, tilting her head as she listened to Eric’s views. Famke Janssen, who had been sitting quietly nearby, gradually noticed the two people leaning together, but subconsciously looked toward Cameron instead. Cameron was sitting in the executive chair Eric often used, his back to them as he read the script in front of him.
Although they had not spent much time together, Famke Janssen believed she understood Eric to some extent. Seeing Eric now seemingly unconsciously leaning close to Kathryn Bigelow, she keenly sensed that this little bastard had definitely taken an interest in the woman opposite him. Famke knew that the more solemn and serious Eric appeared, the more likely he was brewing some wicked idea inside.
He really was bold enough. Her husband was sitting right there in the room. Not to mention this woman’s age. Tsk, tsk.
Famke Janssen watched with interest for a while, then raised her wrist and pretended to check the time. “Eric, it’s already eleven. Should I prepare lunch?”
Eric, who was suddenly interrupted, showed no displeasure. Instead, he said to Kathryn Bigelow, “Kate, what do you and Jim like to eat? I’ll have Famke prepare it.”
Sure enough.
Famke Janssen confirmed it in her heart. If Eric had truly been discussing the script with Kathryn Bigelow without any distractions, then with Eric’s temperament, he would definitely have been very unhappy about being suddenly interrupted. But where was there any displeasure on the little bastard’s face right now?
On the contrary, Kathryn Bigelow, who had been discussing the script with Eric, was the one who looked somewhat unnatural after being interrupted. However, she did not show any displeasure either. Hearing Eric’s question, Kathryn Bigelow said, “Anything is fine. Jim and I aren’t particular about these things.”
Only then did Eric say to Famke Janssen, “Then call and order a few servings of takeout. Use the menu we usually order from. Oh, and first bring us two pens.”
Famke Janssen stood up, walked to the desk, and pulled two ballpoint pens from the pen holder. At the same time, she glanced at Cameron. Cameron was frowning slightly at the script, deep in thought, seemingly considering how to realize a certain shot. He clearly did not sense the woman appearing beside him at all.
Famke really wanted to remind Cameron of something, but she was not completely ignorant about Cameron either. This famous director was said to have been married three times already, so he was obviously a playboy too. Since that was the case, the thought that had just arisen in Famke’s mind immediately disappeared.
She handed the ballpoint pens to Eric and Kathryn, and the two took them, quickly writing and drawing on the script.
Famke watched for a short while, then shrugged slightly and walked out of the study.
James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow stayed in Eric’s villa for an entire day. Eric and Kathryn Bigelow discussed the shooting details of Point Break in detail. At the same time, Cameron also read through Eric’s disaster film scripts. In the end, Cameron developed a strong interest in the script for Independence Day, though nothing was finalized. The script for Independence Day was indeed very suitable for Cameron. Its multi-threaded narrative style was very similar to the Terminator series. Eric believed Cameron could definitely shoot this film even more spectacularly than Roland Emmerich.
However, Eric was not without concerns. As a large-scale effects blockbuster, Independence Day already had a shocking budget even without Cameron. If Cameron took over, Eric dared to say that the film’s budget would at least double, and might even approach two hundred million.
In his memory, the North American box office of Terminator 2 had only been two hundred million dollars. Like Terminator 2, Independence Day did not have much substance. It was purely a popcorn film, clearly lacking the potential of a miraculous box office explosion like Titanic. Without absolute certainty, Eric would not rashly hand Independence Day over to Cameron, because Firefly’s position in Hollywood had only just been established. If a two-hundred-million-dollar investment failed at the box office, it would definitely injure the company’s foundation. After all, Cameron was not omnipotent either. Just like The Abyss, which cost eighty million and also only grossed eighty million. Although later overseas and DVD distribution could recover the cost, it was doomed not to earn much.
Over the next few days, Eric discussed more matters regarding Point Break with Kathryn Bigelow. Preparations for Terminator 2 also proceeded in an orderly fashion.
However, some problems also arose when inviting Schwarzenegger to appear. Although Schwarzenegger was also an ICM artist, he clearly did not have much friendship with Eric. For the Terminator 2 offer, his agent quoted the sky-high price of fifteen million dollars.
It truly was a sky-high price. One had to know that in this era, the usual salary for Hollywood’s top male stars was only around five million dollars. Schwarzenegger had raised the average rate threefold in one breath. Eric, of course, could not agree.
The two sides fell into a stalemate. Although Schwarzenegger himself softened slightly under Cameron’s mediation, he still did not give much ground. Moreover, Schwarzenegger did not seem very interested in appearing in Terminator 2 either.
Eric had people investigate in detail and only then understood the truth. As it turned out, the root cause was actually the Germans.
The Germans, yes.
However, this could not be explained in just a few words. It involved many things and even had to start from the reunification of East and West Germany.
It turned out that after the Berlin Wall fell and East and West Germany reunited, in order to integrate the economies of the two countries as quickly as possible, the German government inevitably issued a large amount of currency, causing a certain degree of inflation. The Deutsche Mark appreciated. Just like the appreciation of the yen, this would certainly cause domestic capital to flow into the international market.
Of course, that was only the root cause. What followed was tax reform. Germany’s personal income tax for high-income groups reached as high as 51%. The rich paid taxes every year until their flesh hurt. To promote the development of Germany’s film industry, the German government encouraged Germans to invest in film production. As long as Germans invested their income in films, that year’s income not only did not need to be subject to personal income tax, but would even receive a certain percentage of tax rebates. Moreover, unlike other countries, which required films to shoot within the country and hire local film workers, Germany’s policy stated that the film did not even need to be shot in Germany.
Under the incentive of this policy, large sums of German capital quickly flowed into Hollywood. These investors also thought they were no fools. They were completely uninterested in independent films and only targeted films with large investments, large productions, and big stars.
With some powerful Hollywood producers acting as go-betweens, the Germans soon set their sights on stars like Stallone and Schwarzenegger. The salaries of Schwarzenegger and the others rose accordingly, and they all quoted the German investors the sky-high price of fifteen million dollars. Terminator 2 happened to collide with this wave of rising prices.