A black Bentley pulled up in front of the Betty-Armitaque Hotel in West Hollywood. Dressed in formal attire, Murphy stepped out, escorting Gal Gadot, who was wearing a reddish-brown cocktail dress. As they entered the hotel, a staff member from 20th Century Fox approached them. Murphy's face served as his entry pass, and the staff didn't need to check his invitation, instead leading him and Gal Gadot directly.
"Good evening, Mr. Stanton, Ms. Gadot," the staff member said, gesturing for them to follow. "This way, please."
Accompanied by the staff, Murphy and Gal Gadot entered a private elevator. Other guests were also waiting nearby.
A woman murmured in awe, "James Murdoch booked the entire top floor. Quite the extravagance."
Murphy glanced in her direction before the elevator arrived. He led Gal Gadot into the elevator.
Though this party was organized under 20th Century Fox's name, it was essentially a private event hosted by James Murdoch, with Fox footing the bill.
Instances of executives using company resources for personal use are not uncommon in Hollywood. One infamous example was Michael Ovitz, the former founder of CAA, who, after joining Disney, spent nearly ten million dollars renovating his office only to be quickly ousted, becoming a laughingstock in the industry.
Such expenditure of public funds was nothing new to Murphy.
The private elevator ascended directly to the top floor of the Betty-Armitaque Hotel. The top floor featured a high-altitude garden filled with natural elements, including a heated seawater pool, pavilions, an outdoor sunken fireplace, and both indoor and outdoor lounging areas, offering a 360-degree panoramic view of the lush Hollywood Hills.
"Hi, Murphy..."
After Murphy left the elevator, James Murdoch, whom he had met once at Kara Faith's gathering, approached with an enthusiastic smile, extending his right hand. "Long time no see."
Returning the smile, Murphy shook his hand. "Yes, James, it's been a while."
James Murdoch greeted Gal Gadot cordially before leading them forward. "This way, please."
Murphy and Gal Gadot followed him past the swimming pool and up a flight of steps into an open-air banquet hall.
The banquet hall featured a bark brown color scheme, with the flooring, sofas, and outdoor fireplace matching the theme. Opposite the seating area, guests could catch glimpses of the lush Hollywood Hills, presenting a stunning view.
The entire top floor was brightly lit, and the banquet hall wasn't overly crowded. The invitation to James Murdoch's party clearly required a high threshold.
After exchanging pleasantries with Murphy, James Murdoch went to greet other guests. Murphy, recognizing many of the attendees, took Gal Gadot to greet them.
"I didn't know West Hollywood had such a place."
Standing by the railing of the open-air banquet hall, Murphy glanced around. "I had no idea."
"That's because you've devoted all your time and energy to making movies," Gal Gadot said affectionately, squeezing his arm. "You're at an age where you should be gaining weight, but you're thinner than ever."
Murphy chuckled. "Same goes for you."
With fewer guests and most greetings done, Murphy led Gal Gadot to a scenic spot to sit and relax, ordering drinks from a passing waiter. After constantly traveling the world to promote "Chaos City" and immediately jumping into voice work for "This Is the End," Murphy felt genuinely exhausted.
In Hollywood, networking is crucial, especially after promising James Murdoch to attend this party, which was non-negotiable.
Meanwhile, two elderly gentlemen who had just arrived were quietly observing Murphy.
"That young man is Murphy Stanton?" George Lucas stood straight, asking his friend Spielberg beside him. "He looks so young."
Spielberg glanced over. "Yes, that's him."
"I heard he invested in your 'Transformers' series?" George Lucas inquired further.
"I had no choice..." Spielberg shook his head. "I was short on liquid funds at the time, so I had to accept his investment."
George Lucas continued to watch Murphy with interest. "I've seen some of his films. He has a unique style. This is the first time I've seen him in person."
"In Hollywood's younger generation of directors, Murphy Stanton is the undisputed leader. He's made numerous outstanding films, and his use of a darker style in action and sci-fi movies is very innovative."
Spielberg, candid with his close friend, shared his genuine thoughts. "I believe he will profoundly impact Hollywood filmmaking."
Hearing Spielberg speak so highly of a young director was a first for George Lucas. He couldn't help but glance over a few more times, lamenting, "It's a shame I'm old and planning to retire. Otherwise, I would definitely go over and meet him."
Preparing to leave Hollywood's mainstream film scene, George Lucas had no interest in mingling with the younger generation, even its leading figures.
Murphy continued chatting with Gal Gadot when a plump black woman suddenly approached.
"Hello, Mr. Stanton."
Hearing the greeting, Murphy quickly stood up, recognizing the familiar face. "Hello, Ms. Winfrey."
The newcomer was none other than the famous Oprah Winfrey.
After exchanging pleasantries with Murphy, Oprah Winfrey extended her hand to Gal Gadot. "Hello, Ms. Gadot."
Gal Gadot lightly shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Winfrey."
Oprah Winfrey got straight to the point. "I recently watched 'Chaos City.' It was quite impressive."
"Thank you," Murphy replied politely. "I'm honored."
"Mr. Stanton, Ms. Gadot," Oprah Winfrey extended an invitation. "Would you be interested in appearing on my talk show?"
Gal Gadot looked at Murphy, not speaking.
Knowing Oprah's show was highly popular, Murphy also knew its audience didn't align with his style.
"I'm afraid I can't agree to that right now," he said with a smile. "Making such a commitment without my agent present would be a breach of contract."
He added, "Ms. Winfrey, you can discuss it with my agent, Bill Rossis."
Taking this as interest from Murphy, Oprah Winfrey replied, "I'll have my team contact CAA."
They exchanged a few more pleasantries before Oprah Winfrey excused herself.
Murphy had no interest in appearing on Oprah's show but knew rejecting the powerful Oprah outright would be too blunt. He pushed the matter to his agency, which was responsible for such negotiations.
While he wasn't interested in Oprah's show, Murphy acknowledged its influence and didn't underestimate Oprah Winfrey.
He didn't want to participate for several reasons, including his personal dislike for Oprah and her show's audience.
Ninety percent of Oprah's audience were over thirty-five and homemakers. This demographic wasn't interested in his dark, oppressive films.
Moreover, Murphy didn't want to expose his personal life on such a show. Media reports were one thing, but discussing it himself was another.
Oprah's show often featured her seemingly empathetic persona, extracting emotional stories from guests, sometimes even making them cry, while she played the role of a sympathizer or savior.
But why did she always manage to reveal the hidden sides of celebrities? Was it her words that had magical powers? Of course not.
Everyone knew each episode was meticulously designed. Before filming, Oprah's team conducted extensive targeted investigations. For instance, if a celebrity had a history of maternal abuse, the mother might appear on the show to reveal scars, with Oprah stepping in as a sympathetic figure.
Though seemingly a show with a conscience, the preparation process was far from it.
More importantly, Oprah's show often relied on surprise tactics without prior coordination with guests' publicists or agents, which Murphy disliked.
Watching Oprah Winfrey walk away, Murphy reminded Gal Gadot, "Remember to tell Bill if I forget."
"Okay," Gal Gadot nodded lightly.
They resumed their seats. Before they could finish half a glass of water, Kara Faith, James Murdoch, and another beautiful woman approached. The woman seemed very close to James Murdoch, likely his girlfriend or wife.
Murphy didn't know if James Murdoch was married.
After introductions, Murphy greeted the woman briefly. Gal Gadot, playing the role of Murphy's companion, chatted with her.
"Murphy," James Murdoch got straight to the point. "I heard from Kara that you know a lot about the situation across the Pacific and are fluent in their language?"
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