Hollywood Director 1992.

Chapter 430 Two Kates, New Movie Lead Actress Selection (5K)

“They’ve gone too far. How could they target you for this?”

In the palatial villa on Kensington Palace Gardens, Catherine Zeta-Jones angrily threw down her newspaper, stomped on it a few times with her bare feet, her full chest heaving, appearing even more furious than Link.

"It's okay, you can get it next time if you don't get it this time."

Link patted her back to comfort her.

In many countries, the entertainment industry and politics are intertwined. The entertainment industry exists to serve politics, using entertainment products to kill time and divert attention, and sometimes to alleviate negative emotions among people from all walks of life.

This is part of politics.

At the same time, an advanced political system, a stable security environment, and a prosperous economic situation will also promote the vigorous development of the entertainment industry.

The two complement each other.

He has offended many British people because of Diana, and if the British Academy of Film and Television Sciences does not make a statement at this time and awards all the awards to him, the British people will definitely be dissatisfied.

Given the choice between Link's dissatisfaction and public dissatisfaction, the film academy judges naturally placed more emphasis on the latter.

Link understands the reason behind the situation, so he won't be angry.

"Are you really not angry? I saw you frowning."

Catherine Zeta-Jones pointed to his brow, preparing to smooth it with her fingers.

"No, I'm thinking about something else."

Link held the girl in his arms to keep her still and continued reading the newspaper in his hands.

After returning from the University of Tokyo last week, Remy Scola, Vice President of Public Relations, reported on a situation:
After the Oscar nominations were announced, public relations departments of Miramax, Universal Pictures, Fox and other companies suddenly intensified their efforts to win awards, frequently inviting Academy judges to events to garner votes for their films.

In addition, in terms of publicity, the exposure of several films nominated for the Academy Awards at the same time increased after February, and the number of positive reviews also increased exponentially, including "Fargo", "Secrets & Lies", "Shine", and "Sex Books".

The media initially believed that "The English Patient" would sweep the awards at the March Oscars, winning at least ten Oscars. However, public opinion has now shifted, with films like "Fargo" and "Sex and the Beast" now rivaling "The English Patient" in popularity.

Even in British newspapers, there are many positive reviews of these films.

Rémy Scola suspected Miramax, Universal Pictures, and others of launching a sneak attack, and initially resigned himself to his fate, stating that he would not compete with "The English Patient" for the awards.

In the latter half of the second round of selection, several companies suddenly intensified their public relations efforts, catching Guess What Pictures off guard.

Guess what? After learning about the situation, the public relations department had no choice but to allocate more funds for public relations.

However, the second round of voting ended yesterday, and the public relations department was a bit slow in its actions, which has led to a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Oscars in March.

"Honey, are you comfortable?"

While he was reading the newspaper, the little girl in his arms was restless. At first, her hands only moved around on his chest, massaging him.

As her activities expanded, the girl's cheeks became flushed, and her eyes became more alluring.

Link chuckled softly and used the newspaper to lift her chin. "Are you sure you want to do this? You won't be able to beg for forgiveness if you cause trouble later."

Catherine paused in her movements, and her slender legs instinctively straightened, like a frightened bird.

The girl noticed the teasing in his eyes and playfully slapped his chest. "You always bully me. You bully me even more when I'm with Kate. Is it because I'm easy to bully?"

"Yes, because you have longer legs, a fuller figure, and a more attractive face."

Link pinched her cheek.

"That's pretty much it."

Catherine leaned against him, a satisfied smile playing on her lips.

After dating Link for more than two years, she has indeed changed a lot. Her originally thin figure and underweight body have gradually become fuller and rounder under Link's encouragement. Her skin has also become fair and radiant, and her facial features have become more beautiful.

Combined with her inherent British ladylike charm, she looked even more beautiful.

Many media outlets now refer to her as the 'English Rose'.

However, some media outlets have called Kate Beckinsale the "English Rose," saying that Kate possesses an intellect and elegance that Beckinsale lacks.

This also led to frequent, subtle rivalries between her and Kate.

Their battleground is Link.

From the current perspective, she is clearly the better choice.

Ding dong ~ ding dong ~
The doorbell rang twice, and a maid opened the door. Kate Beckinsale, dressed in a white dress, gracefully entered, her fair and delicate face, long chestnut brown curly hair, and carrying a classic LV handbag. She was radiant and beautiful.

She was so beautiful; her arrival seemed to brighten the living room, and a faint floral fragrance filled the air.

Behind her was a familiar face, Kate Winslet, who was also wearing a dress and red mid-heeled shoes. However, she was more voluptuous, creating a stark contrast in style to the slender Kate Beckinsale.

"Hey Link, are you surprised to see me?"

Kate Winslet greeted her with a smile.

"What a surprise! Welcome, Kate!"

Link smiled gently and gave him a polite hug.

Kate Winslet began to complain about him, saying that he had promised to visit the set of "Titanic" last year, but he never showed up after filming wrapped, which disappointed Kate.

Link explained that he was too busy with work last year to visit the set.

Kate Winslet didn't ask him for an explanation; she brought it up to tease him.

“Kate, welcome. Would you like to show us around our rooms and garden?”

Catherine Zeta-Jones, adopting the demeanor of a hostess, extended an invitation to Kate Winslet.

"Yes, I'd love to."

Winslet put down her bag and said she wanted to tour the room first, and then talk to him about the movie later.

Why is she so excited?

Kate Beckinsale pointed to Catherine's back and said.

“Few people come to our house, so Kate was very happy to come.”

"Really? I thought she won the lottery."

Kate Beckinsale shrugged and pointed to his groin, "His zipper's down."

Link looked down and, sure enough, it was all Catherine's doing.

Kate chuckled and stepped forward to help him pull it up.

Link then put his arm around the girl's waist and kissed her.

Before Kate Winslet left at noon, Diana's two children came to visit with the housekeeper. He also brought gifts for the children on Diana's behalf, and the two children politely expressed their gratitude.

Link accompanied Diana and her two children to meet him once, and even impressed them at the club with his strength and superb equestrian skills.

With the gifts he sent on several occasions, the two children had a very good impression of him.

After the children arrived, Link chatted with them and asked about their studies and lives.

The eldest brother had a serious expression and answered meticulously; the second brother was a bit more playful, and after sitting for a while, he ran off to play in the garden and even asked Link to teach him how to swim.

Because of their special status, Link couldn't just take them out for a stroll; they could only stay indoors and play board games.

After lunch, the two children left with the butler. The younger one was a little reluctant to leave. Link told him that he would take them to Hawaii for a summer vacation, and the two children were obviously happy.

"Link, you will definitely be a good father in the future."

Kate Winslet walked up behind Link as he was seeing the two children off.

"Really? I hope so."

Link wasn't very confident about being a good father.

Firstly, he is too busy with work, shooting two or three movies every year, and also managing the company, so he simply doesn't have much time to spend at home with his children.

Secondly, after Liu Xiaoli and the others had all given birth, there were too many children in the family, and even if he had fatherly love, it wouldn't be enough to go around.

"You will be."

Winslet looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. "You're so gentle and patient with children, and you give them the security they need most. They'll definitely love you." Link smiled gently and turned to walk towards the living room. "Have you been busy with work lately?"

"Not busy! Filming 'Titanic' was too tiring. I rested for half a year but it didn't get better. I plan to rest for a few more months."

Winslet stretched, revealing her curvaceous figure to him.

"It's great. I feel so relaxed now that I've finished working on my new movie. I'll take a good rest after that."

"You mean taking two days off on the weekend?"

Winslet winked and smiled, “I’ve read your reports and talked about you with Leonardo and Kate. You make three movies a year, manage several companies, and are busy from the beginning to the end of the year. You hardly have any rest time in 365 days a year. If Forbes magazine were to select the most hardworking billionaires, you would definitely be number one.”

“It’s fake. If it were real, I wouldn’t have time to stand here chatting with you,” Link said with a smile, sipping his coffee.

Winslet smiled slightly, her long eyelashes fluttering. "You don't seem as busy as the newspapers say. You're in great spirits, not at all like someone who's overworked. How do you do it? You make three movies a year, manage several large companies, and have dozens of girlfriends. If you asked someone else to do all that, they'd probably be overwhelmed. How do you maintain this kind of energy? Is there a secret?"

"Don't stay up late, maintain a regular sleep schedule, and exercise more when you have time."

"that is it?"

Winslet scoffed, her face full of disbelief. "You don't need to tell me. I can go to Kate. After Kate became your girlfriend, her skin improved a lot, and even her breasts and butt got bigger. You taught her how to do it, didn't you?"

"Yes, it's easier for Kate to tell you."

Link laughed.

Winslet pursed her lips, glanced up at the upstairs, and leaned closer to ask in a low voice, "How long have you been dating Kate?"

"It's been almost a year."

"So long? How did you manage to get Kate? I've known her for four or five years. She used to be very proud. When guys confessed to her, she wouldn't even give them a second glance. The guys secretly called her the arrogant white swan. And you, I haven't heard anything about Kate becoming your girlfriend, or even one of your girlfriends. It's unbelievable. How did you do it?"

Winslet blinked curiously.

"Of course it's because I'm charming."

Link laughed, and as he spoke, footsteps echoed down the spiral staircase. Kate Beckinsale, dressed in a casual long dress, walked down, carrying a crystal vase with three white tulips in it, which complemented her fair and delicate face. The flowers made her even more beautiful.

Winslet whispered to him that she would tell him in a moment, then sat down on the sofa opposite him, smoothing her skirt and behaving like a lady.

"Link, let's put the vase downstairs. We're going back to Los Angeles tomorrow, and it'll just wither away in the bedroom, which would be such a waste."

Kate Beckinsale said, holding a vase.

"Won't it wither if you leave it downstairs? You're so nosy."

Catherine Zeta-Jones also came downstairs.

"There are servants downstairs to take care of it, so it won't wither away so quickly."

"If you put it in the bedroom, a maid will take care of it. If you put it in the living room, it will disrupt the living room's layout."

"All right!"

Hearing the two arguing, Link stood up, put his arm around them, and told them to sit down and not to fight over a vase.

The two women gave a soft snort and sat down on either side of Link, not exchanging more than a glance.

Winslet covered her mouth and laughed gleefully.
-
After attending the awards ceremony, Link returned to Los Angeles with his girlfriends to begin working on his new movie.

He currently has five film projects in hand: Guess what? Pirates of the Caribbean and American Beauty from Guess what? MGM's James Bond, Disney's Arrest, and Paramount's The Truman Show.

MGM was in a hurry, hoping he would start filming "007" as soon as possible, preferably before June, so it could be released at the end of the year.

MGM's performance has been terrible in the past two years, with its financial deficit soaring to $35 billion, while its healthy assets are less than $30 billion. It is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, and they hope that Link's "007" can save MGM.

Link agreed and began creating a storyboard based on the script provided by MGM.

MGM originally planned to use the backdrop of Hong Kong's return to China to write the script.

Lin Ke immediately refused to direct and did not recommend that they do so. He said that the topic of Hong Kong's return to China was very sensitive, and that trying to make a fuss about this special event would only backfire.

MGM accepted his suggestion and arranged for screenwriters to rewrite the new 007 script based on the outline he provided.

The script was finalized after more than a month.

The film is tentatively titled "Tomorrow Never Dies" and tells the story of a British warship sinking in the Pacific Ocean, suspected to be attacked by an unidentified torpedo. The British military is preparing to retaliate with force, but is stopped by Mrs. M, the head of secret intelligence.

Madam M dispatches Agent 007, James Bond, to Asia to uncover the truth and prevent war.

During his investigation, James Bond discovers that it was all a conspiracy by media mogul Carver, who wanted to gain a global media monopoly by instigating a war.

Later, James Bond teamed up with female agent Lin Hui to thwart Carver's plot and successfully eliminate the shadow of war.

The new script portrays a certain Asian country in a relatively positive light, which is one of the reasons why Link was willing to direct it.

The film had a budget of $1.1 million, and MGM offered him a base salary of $1000 million and a 15% share of the global box office, making them one of the more generous studios among the seven major film companies.

"Boss, do you have any suitable candidates to recommend for the female lead, Lin Hui?"

Daniel DeVito knew that Link had many actress friends in China, so he needed to ask Link's opinion when casting.

Link picked up his pen and thought for a moment. The female lead, Lin Hui, was supposed to be a highly skilled female agent with many action scenes in the film. In addition, she should be over thirty years old to be a good match for the forty-four-year-old male lead, Pierce Brosnan.

Based on these two requirements, the women around him were not quite suitable for casting. Gong Li and Maggie Cheung are not good at action scenes, so it would be inappropriate to have them fight in the film. The other actresses were either too young or not good at action scenes, so they were also unsuitable.

Link thought for a moment and decided to ask his girlfriends, including Gong Li, if anyone wanted to take on the challenge. If no one did, he would ask someone else.

"Choose other roles first; I'll take Lin Hui's role."

"it is good!"

Daniel nodded and then reported to him on the film release schedule for January and February.

Guess what? Three films will be released in January and February: Wayne Wang's "Smoke," the French film "Little Star," and Thomas Anderson's "Boogie Nights," all of which are niche films with a strong art-house style.

After eight weeks in theaters, "Smoke" has grossed $517.5 million in North America. While its occupancy rate is below average and it hasn't generated much media buzz, it has received positive reviews and is considered a decent art-house film.

"Little Star" has grossed $126 million in its first six weeks in theaters, and has already recouped its costs.

However, the young female lead of "Little Star" Victor Kivisol received high praise after the film's release. Due to her young age, cute appearance, and talented acting skills, she and Haley Joel Osment, the young male lead of "The Sixth Sense," are known as the "twin stars" of the entertainment industry.

The third installment, "Boogie Nights," was released in early February.

This film is an R-rated movie about Big Bird Goddick, who is discovered and trained by an adult film director and becomes an adult film star in the 1970s.

However, in the 80s, the adult film industry became chaotic, and many industry professionals changed careers. Big Bird also encountered many difficulties and became addicted to drugs. Later, he and a director switched to making videotapes and regained the opportunity to develop.

The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Don Cheadle, and others.

It won the Special Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival in January and the Audience Award for Narrative at the Sundance Independent Film Festival.

It has a good reputation.

After three weeks in theaters, the film has grossed $1835 million. With a production cost of $1500 million, the company could earn millions of dollars based on the current box office figures.

The fact that a niche arthouse film could help the company recoup its costs suggests that the film is quite good.

In addition, several films released at the end of last year are still making a strong showing.

"The English Patient" has grossed $1.82 million in its first nine weeks in North America, with an estimated total of around $2.2 million. If the film wins big at the Academy Awards, the box office is expected to be even higher.

In its 15th week of release, Toy Story grossed $1.91 million in North America, with the growth rate slowing down, but the total box office is expected to be over $200 million.

More than six months after its release, The Internet has grossed $1.84 million in North America, with the increase in North American box office falling to tens of thousands of dollars. The estimated box office is around $2 million.

The remaining films, such as "Dangerous Games," "Hachi: A Dog's Tale," and "Dead Man Walking," also saw significant box office growth due to the awards season.

Guess What Films had a good start this year, without producing any films that clearly lost money like last year.

This situation made the staff very happy, as they would receive double bonuses at the end of the year.

The executives of the seven major film studios were filled with worry.

Last year, the film "Guess What" had a bad start, but several films released in the second half of the year had a box office explosion, eventually surpassing the previous year's total box office to become the number one film.

Will the film industry have a good start to the year and a better second half, or will it suffer a box office disaster and continuous losses?

Many people expected the latter, and those who knew about the 'poison pill plan,' such as Ovitz and Harvey, were even more convinced that it was the latter.

(End of this chapter)