America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 697 The Stalker

After two consecutive films directly related to Martin Davis failed at the box office, Jon Berger inevitably had some thoughts, especially when he saw Martin at the premiere, he felt uneasy.

"Is it possible that Martin Davis did all of this on purpose?" He grew increasingly uneasy. "Was it intentional that Warner Bros. got these two projects?"

But after thinking for a while, Jon Byrne felt that it didn't make sense. There are too many variables in film production. Who dares to say that these projects will definitely fail if they fall into Warner Bros.' hands?

After all, Warner has a mature operating mechanism and a highly capable management team led by him.

Jon Berg was hesitant and kept changing his mind.

He picked up the phone and called his trusted subordinate, McDonald, who was also the one who bought the rights to "Darklands," to inquire in detail about the situation at the time.

Nothing special.

However, Jon Berger kept it in mind, recalling the two books he had seen in Martin Davis's office—Jack and the Beanstalk and Jack the Giant Slayer.

The project is almost complete; over $2 million has already been invested, and there's no turning back.

Jack the Giant Slayer absolutely cannot fail again!

Therefore, change is necessary!

The failure of "Darklands," which he took Gillian Flynn's advice on, solidified Jon Berg's determination to reform Hollywood's traditional production model and use his genius production ideas.

By pooling the expertise of many and combining the best of multiple edited versions, we have created an unprecedented mega-production.

Jon Berg called his secretary in and asked, "How's the expert screening team coming along?"

The secretary replied, "Most of the people we invited responded positively."

Jon Berg breathed a slight sigh of relief; once the different edited versions were completed, they could begin their epic overhaul.

…………

Disney Studios, the crew of "Argo".

Martin has fewer scenes to film today, so he has plenty of free time.

Filming was paused, and Nicholson, who came to visit the set, put down the Hollywood Reporter he was reading and asked Martin next to him, "I remember you mentioned that you were the first to see the source material for 'Darklands,' and then Warner Bros. snatched it from you."

Martin had no reason to deny it: "Yes, Warner Bros. had spies around me. Gillian Flynn had just contacted me when they got wind of it and sent someone to buy the rights at a high price."

Nicholson knew this bastard: "You're a particularly vengeful bastard, and it's not like you that you didn't retaliate against Warner Bros.."

Martin simply gave him the middle finger: "I didn't spend as much money as Warner, so naturally I can't compete with Warner."

This sounded reasonable at first glance, but Nicholson thought for a moment and said, "No, I remember that 'Owls and Gods' was also a project Warner Bros. snatched from you, losing even more money than 'Darklands,' and you even used the film project to seduce Megan Ellison..."

"Wait a minute!" Martin, thinking of the woman who looked like Larry Ellison, quickly corrected him, "Jack, watch your words, is that seduction?"

Nicholson was convinced he was right: "You really are using this method to screw over Warner."

He spoke before Martin could, saying, "Many people develop a strange feeling about projects and roles during the career's upward phase; it's a matter of a single thought, good or bad, and that single thought can determine the success or failure of their career."

Martin asked curiously, "Like you back then?"

Nicholson shook his head: "Compared to you, I'm a damn good guy. I just reject what I don't like. But, Schwarzenegger used a similar method to trick Stallone during his peak."

He simply said, "At that time, the two action stars were fiercely competing. Schwarzenegger was on a rapid rise, while Stallone was at the end of his peak. The two bastards fought over roles a few times. Then Schwarzenegger used projects he didn't think highly of to lure Stallone in. As a result, Stallone fell from his peak, and the number one action star in Hollywood in the 1990s belonged to Schwarzenegger."

Martin had heard these stories before: "So many people are watching me. I'm interested in a project, and a bunch of people jump in to snatch it up. What can I do? Even if I eventually get it, how much will all those competitors have to pay?"

Nicholson asked curiously, "Megan Ellison's situation is because of Depp, but what about Warner Bros.?"

"Jack, you've retired and have had little contact with Warner Bros.' new executives, but I've had a lot of dealings with them," Martin said simply. "These projects might have succeeded in other companies, but with Warner Bros.' current management, the chances of failure are much higher."

Louise has numerous sources of information within Warner, and Jon Berger's shrewd maneuvers left Martin in awe.

As the crew was finishing filming in the morning and nearing the end of the day, Bruce came over and said, "Gillian's here."

Martin left the photography studio and met his old neighbor.

Seemingly under too much pressure lately and not in good spirits, Gillian said to Martin, "Let's talk for a bit."

Martin pointed to the lounge chair next to him, sat down, and said, "What brings you here today?"

Gillian's smile was tinged with bitterness: "I just received news that Warner Bros. has blacklisted me from their business partnerships."

Martin reassured him, "There are many production companies in Hollywood, don't worry about it too much."

"It's also my own fault for being too short-sighted." Gillian was filled with regret: "For the sake of some immediate gains, I abandoned my patience and instead partnered with Warner Bros. In the end, the movie was a disaster, and even the novel's sales suffered."

The film adaptation of "Darklands" was poorly received, which also led to numerous negative reviews of the original novel.

Random House, the publisher, predicts that the novel will fall off the bestseller list this week.

Martin never held a grudge against Gillian over this matter; Davis Studios simply couldn't offer Warner Bros. the same terms.

Gillian asked, "Martin, if I have a new project, can I ask you for your help again? If you approve of it, I won't work with any other companies."

Martin smiled and said, "Of course, you can contact me anytime you create a new piece."

Gillian visibly breathed a sigh of relief; as long as she could continue working with Martin, her foundation in Hollywood would remain intact.

She quickly replied, "If you need my help, just give me a call. I'll be out gathering materials to prepare for writing my new book."

Martin, not wanting to disturb her, said, "I'll wait and see your new work. Focus on preparing your new book."

Gillian Flynn then took her leave.

Martin invited Bruce to the restaurant for lunch. Just as they got their food and sat down, Saoirse Ronan came over with her tray.

"Teacher, you're back!" she said excitedly.

Martin glanced at Saoirse: "So happy because something good happened?"

Saoirse was very good at talking: "Of course I'm happy to see my teacher again." She asked, "I recently learned a song, shall I sing it for you after dinner?"

Seeing her enthusiasm, Martin didn't want to dampen her spirits, and besides, he might actually use it later: "Okay, let's find a quiet place after dinner."

Saoirse exclaimed excitedly, "Great! Great!"

This is the largest restaurant at the Disney studio, and many film crews shooting here choose to dine here.

The crew of "Noah's Ark" began to enter from outside one after another.

The handbag carrier, Alana, reminded her employer, "Emma, ​​look to your left."

Emma Watson turned around and saw her arch-rival Saoirse Ronan having dinner with her so-called teacher. The two seemed to be having a very pleasant conversation, and from her perspective, they appeared to be very intimate.

She looked away, took her plate to get her lunch, picked up a plate of vegetarian food, and found a quiet place to sit down.

When the handbag carrier came over, Emma said, "Hurry up and eat. These two look like something's about to happen. After you finish eating, secretly follow them and see if you can get some photos of their private moments."

Alana had a brief stint working on Fleet Street, and by chance became Emma Watson's handbag carrier, so she had a lot of experience in the field and said, "Leave it to me."

Emma Watson glanced at her arch-rival again; Saoirse's cheerful demeanor annoyed her.

Alana grabbed a hamburger and devoured it in a few bites. She then finished a Coke, nodded to Emma Watson, slung her bag over her shoulder, left the restaurant, crossed the main road of the studio, found a bench across the street, took out her latest phone, adjusted the camera settings, and stared at the restaurant's main entrance.

Not long after, she saw Saoirse Ronan and Martin Davis come out of the restaurant together and walk towards an office building not far away.

Alana had been here for a while and knew it was the studio for the film crew of "Argo".

The two people in front seemed to be talking about something, constantly turning their heads to look at each other as they spoke.

Alana had an idea and changed positions to take photos. Using the photography knowledge she had learned in Fleet Street, she took many photos and videos from special angles that were easy to misunderstand.

Since the Pirates of the Caribbean film crew shot here and became a box office hit, Disney Studios has been revitalized, and many film crews have shot here in recent years.

At lunchtime, the road near the restaurant was bustling with people.

Alana mingled among the pedestrians, glancing at her phone every now and then, just like many young people addicted to social media.

Martin and Saoirse entered the studio and went to the front lounge area.

Several receptionists watched them curiously, wondering what the two were up to.

Soon, a humming imitating Sarah Brightman came from Saoirse's mouth.

They were singing "Scarborough Fair".

Martin could tell that Saoirse was indeed trying hard to learn to sing.

Bruce, leaning against the door, felt his phone vibrate a few times. He took it out and opened the text message, which was from the bodyguard hanging behind him.

"It is suspected that a stalker was secretly filming Martin."

Bruce replied, "Get it straight."

With the powerful functions of mobile phones nowadays and the large number of people at Disney studios, it's common for passersby to take out their phones to film Martin Scorsese, given his current fame.

The message was sent, and a short while later, a reply came back: "It's confirmed that a woman is secretly filming Martin."

Bruce went to the window and looked outside. There were many pedestrians outside the studio.

He replied again: "Find out who it is."

(End of this chapter)