The café's glass door opened, and Amber Heard stepped out. As the door closed behind her, she instinctively glanced back but couldn't see the plain, indifferent face of the man she had just met with.
"Has the conflict between Harvey Weinstein and Matthew Horner really escalated to this level?" Amber wondered, walking toward the parking lot. Although she had agreed to the offer, lured by the potential reward, her thoughts were still racing.
After all, Matthew Horner was just as powerful as Harvey Weinstein, if not more so.
But considering what she had to do, Amber felt a bit of relief. All she needed to do was get close to Matthew Horner, joining him in seeking thrills. In the entertainment industry, this was pretty normal behavior.
If it were about directly harming Matthew Horner, she wouldn't have agreed to it under any circumstances.
From what she could guess about Hollywood, there was a good chance that Matthew Horner had already engaged in such activities privately, and all she needed to do was be there, watching and accompanying him.
After all, how many Hollywood stars weren't involved in drugs?
This kind of thing was practically standard in Hollywood. There were always rumors circulating—Tom Cruise reportedly had a house full of illegal substances, James Franco was a well-known addict, Johnny Depp and Keanu Reeves had never managed to quit, and Demi Moore supposedly dragged her husband Ashton Kutcher into threesomes, foursomes, and even group parties whenever she was high.
Some even speculated that the reason Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet had gained weight in recent years was because they had kicked their drug habits, and it was common for people to gain weight after quitting.
If Matthew Horner was involved in drugs, it wouldn't surprise her at all.
In that case, she would only need to indulge in some wild fun with him—no need to do anything drastic, maybe just fuel his addiction a little more.
And if Matthew wasn't using, it wouldn't be hard to lure him in. In the industry, sharing drugs was so common that no one would even blink an eye.
As for herself, getting involved in that stuff was no big deal.
She had tried more than just marijuana before, including cocaine.
Amber Heard wasn't a brainless beauty. She knew that the risks were minimal, and with hardly any personal danger involved, she had dared to accept the task.
Those who got hooked on drugs were scary, and while some managed to break free from their addiction, countless Hollywood stars had been ruined by it.
Clearly, Harvey Weinstein planned to use drugs to take down Matthew Horner.
Amber thought it over again and again, ultimately concluding that the risks were low. It was worth a shot.
What if Matthew Horner found out?
She had considered this possibility long before accepting the deal in the café.
If she failed, it would mean offending Harvey Weinstein, and from what she knew, small-time actors and celebrities who crossed him didn't fare well.
If that was the case, she might as well go all in, completely selling Weinstein out to Matthew Horner and aligning herself with him.
Amber Heard might be young, but her time in Hollywood and the pressures of Scientology had sharpened her instincts.
Faced with Weinstein's agent, she had calculated how to maximize her own benefit.
First, she would quietly push forward Weinstein's plan, as it didn't require her to do much. If everything went smoothly, it seemed like it would be easy to pull off. After all, a playboy like Matthew Horner was bound to be involved in drugs, right?
In that case, she could secure the role and project Weinstein had promised, gaining the maximum benefit.
If things didn't go as planned, she could always switch sides to Matthew Horner, ensuring at least some return.
It was a bit of a gamble, but one worth taking.
Opportunities for ordinary actors in Hollywood were few and far between, and she didn't have any other quick paths to stardom.
When she reached the parking lot, Amber saw her agent waiting by the car. She waved him over, and he quickly asked, "How did it go?"
Amber opened the passenger door and said, "Let's talk in the car."
Her agent got into the driver's seat but didn't start the car. "What did you discuss?" he asked.
"A movie based on the romance novel Step Aside, Let Me Embrace Happiness," Amber said, hiding her real thoughts deep inside. She wasn't about to reveal everything to her agent, so she skirted around the truth. "And I'll be the lead actress."
"An independent art film from Weinstein Company?" the agent asked.
Amber nodded slightly. "Yes. It's aiming for the 2012 or 2013 Oscars."
The agent clenched his fist. "That's a great opportunity!" He quickly shifted his tone. "What does Harvey Weinstein want in return?"
Amber shrugged but said nothing.
The agent's gaze swept over Amber's pretty face, and he seemed to understand. "I see."
Seeing her agent's misunderstanding, Amber didn't bother correcting him.
"Amber!" The agent suddenly spoke more sternly. "This is a rare chance! It's even better than what Matthew Horner promised you! Whatever Weinstein wants, you'd better give it to him. Miss this, and you might not get another shot for years."
Hearing this, Amber felt uncomfortable. These entertainment agents really were scumbags, willing to push their clients into anything for a profit.
It was one thing for her to willingly strike a deal, but for her agent to pressure her like this—what a lowlife.
When she made it big, she'd make sure to fire him.
The car started, and her agent drove Amber away from Century City.
Meanwhile, in a nearby building, Matthew was in his office discussing future plans for Insidious with James Wan.
"No need to rush Insidious 2," Matthew told James. "Let's give it a year or two so the film can attract more attention in the DVD and rental markets, and then we can make the sequel."
James Wan smiled. "That's what I was thinking too." He opened his briefcase and handed Matthew a proposal for a new project. "This is the new horror film I was talking about. Right after finishing Insidious, I got this script. As soon as I read it, I thought, 'Wow, this is such a cool script—it's really rare to find one like this.' Of course, after making so many horror films, I wasn't too keen on doing another supernatural, haunted, or exorcism story. But the idea of directing a film based on a true story—that's what really excited me. Real events, real people, real occurrences—that's what makes The Conjuring so fascinating!"
Matthew had already read the script and began flipping through the proposal while James briefly explained the script's background.
The story was based on real events, adapted from a book by Andrea Perron.
The events took place at the Warren family's farm, which sounded rather cliché, but once you added the phrase "based on a true story," everything changed.
A small producer named Tony DeRosa-Grund had gotten hold of an interview tape where Andrea Perron had recorded her conversations with the Warren family.
At the time, the Warrens had purchased a house without knowing it was haunted.
Tony DeRosa-Grund had copied the tapes provided by Andrea Perron and had long wanted to turn the story into a film, even adapting the script himself.
But in Hollywood, a great story or even a great script often went unnoticed, and Tony's project was repeatedly delayed.
For nearly two decades, Tony had been searching for an opportunity to bring the movie to the big screen, with no success.
At one point, the script had ended up at New Line Cinema, but it sat there collecting dust until earlier this year. At a horror film convention, Tony met James Wan, who then recommended the script to Matthew, swearing it would be a masterpiece.
After some discussions, James and Tony had made some modifications to the script, so it no longer directly followed the original Warren family's experiences.
It had taken 20 years to get this script in front of the right people!
Matthew could tell that James Wan had a special appreciation for this story.
Although he himself had limited experience with horror films, he trusted James Wan's abilities. After all, James had just delivered the hugely successful Insidious.
The movie had a production budget of just $1.5 million, but its North American box office was approaching $40 million, and in just one week of overseas release, it had grossed over $37 million, mainly in Europe and Australia.
A director with a successful track record was much easier to trust.
James Wan continued, "I plan to shoot this movie using a very traditional horror style, making it look like a film from the 1970s. I want to create a classic, old-school horror film."
Matthew skimmed the proposal and said, "That sounds good. I have no issues with that."
"The budget might be much higher than Insidious, though," James added. "It's expected to exceed $10 million."
Matthew nodded and thought for a moment before saying, "James, I have a suggestion for this film."
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]