"Ivanka, have you noticed a book called Twilight while visiting bookstores recently?" Gilbert asked.
"I haven't seen it. Why?"
Gilbert explained, "This book has been getting a lot of attention lately. I want to see if it has potential to be adapted into a film."
"Wait a minute," Ivanka said, setting aside her work. She picked up her laptop, logged into Amazon, and began searching.
"Found it," Ivanka read aloud from the description. "Isabella Swan is a seventeen-year-old girl who falls in love with her classmate Edward Cullen, a popular boy.
"Edward Cullen is a vampire who can read other people's thoughts—but he can't read Isabella's, which deeply attracts him.
"When Bella is attacked by another vampire, Edward and his family rescue her, and the two fall in love."
"What do you think?" Gilbert asked.
Ivanka thought for a moment before replying, "Judging from the summary, it sounds like a boring teenage romance novel mixed with some vampire legend stuff—nothing particularly special.
"But it seems quite popular on the website. It's ranked among the top three in sales."
"That's exactly it," Gilbert snapped his fingers. "A novel like this is clearly third-rate, but sometimes those are the ones that succeed when adapted into movies."
Strong sales didn't change the fact that Twilight was a third-rate novel but as long as it made money, a third-rate story could easily become first-rate.
"Are you planning to direct it yourself?" Ivanka asked.
Gilbert shook his head. "How could I direct something like this? It's beneath my status. But I do see great profit potential in the adaptation. Let's secure the rights and hire someone to write the screenplay."
Ivanka understood immediately. "Alright, I'll get someone to make contact."
Snow had just fallen in New York. Sanitation workers were busy clearing it from the streets, and thanks to donations from wealthy residents, the snow in Manhattan's upscale districts was cleared first.
At that same moment, inside a shopping mall in Manhattan, many readers stood in line holding copies of Twilight.
Twilight had only been on sale for a few weeks, yet it had already reached fourth place on The New York Times Bestseller List and third place on Amazon.
The success of the book turned Stephenie Meyer—a stay-at-home mother of three—into an overnight bestselling author.
As the book's popularity grew, the publisher arranged a series of book signings. Since New York was the hub of American book sales, it naturally hosted several of these events.
Stephenie Meyer smiled as she greeted fans, her hand never stopping as she signed copy after copy—five hundred books in total—before the signing finally ended.
Catching her breath, she sat down for a short break when her literary agent, Lanny Walker, came running over, clutching his phone with excitement.
"Stephenie, great news! You'll never guess what it is!"
Stephenie took a sip of coffee and looked at him curiously. "You won the Powerball lottery?"
"How did you know? I actually did—won a thousand dollars. But that's not the important part." Lanny's tone was secretive, though he could hardly contain his excitement. "Stephenie, a big name in Hollywood has taken an interest in your book."
"They've decided to purchase the rights and adapt it into a film."
Stephenie's eyes widened with excitement. "Really?"
"Would I lie to you? I just got the call," Lanny said, shaking his phone. "They'll be coming to New York personally to negotiate. This is a huge opportunity."
Stephenie couldn't hide her excitement. "Can you tell me which big name it is?"
"Who else could it be?" Lanny replied. "It's the one you're always talking about."
"You mean Director Gilbert," Stephenie said, her eyes lighting up. "He's going to direct my work?"
"Don't dream too big," Lanny said. "Someone of his status only directs projects like The Lord of the Rings. Even for Harry Potter, he only served as a producer."
"But that just proves he sees potential in your novel and believes it can perform well in the film market. Should we leak this news to the press?"
"No," Stephenie said firmly. "Only Director Gilbert can guarantee the film adaptation's success. I don't trust anyone else.
"Lanny, go meet with them. If the terms are fair, accept the offer."
"Alright," Lanny agreed. "I'll make sure we get the best possible deal."
"Good." Stephenie nodded, then added, "And try to negotiate for Director Gilbert to personally direct the movie."
"That might be difficult," Lanny admitted, "but I'll give it a try."
Gilbert didn't expect that Stephenie Meyer was actually one of his fans or rather, her entire family were fans of his work. Stephenie Meyer and her husband, Christian, had first met because they went to see one of Gilbert's films in the cinema.
With that kind of connection, it was only natural that Stephenie Meyer leaned toward him.
It was impossible to hide from the keen eyes of Hollywood insiders that Melon Studio was trying to secure the film rights to Twilight. When David Ellison heard about it, he personally flew to New York to meet with Stephenie Meyer.
"Ms. Meyer, please think about it," David Ellison said earnestly. "Our Sky Studios' offer is extremely generous—definitely better than what Melon Studio is offering."
But Stephenie Meyer remained unmoved. "What achievements does Sky Studios have to show for itself? I don't recall you having many successful films in recent years.
"Melon Studio, on the other hand, has Director Gilbert. With him overseeing the project, the film is guaranteed to succeed."
David Ellison was speechless. Stephenie Meyer's words implied that he wasn't on the same level as Gilbert and she was right. There weren't many people in Hollywood who could honestly claim to be better filmmakers than Gilbert.
Stephenie Meyer continued, "Besides, Melon Studio's offer isn't bad at all, and they've been respectful throughout the negotiation. I really have no reason to refuse them.
"And also…"
"What else?" David asked.
Stephenie Meyer's face showed a trace of pride. "I'm a fan of Director Gilbert. He promised to invite me to the premiere of The Last of Us.
"If I'm lucky, I might even get a cameo role in one of his films. That's been a dream of mine."
David Ellison was completely defeated. So that's it—you're Gilbert's fan. You could've said so earlier and saved me all this trouble.
And just like that, with Stephenie already leaning toward Gilbert, Melon Studio easily secured the film rights to Twilight—including the rights to adapt its future sequels.
From far away in Australia, Gilbert personally called Stephenie, which excited the newly famous author so much that she almost jumped with joy.
"Ms. Meyer, don't worry," Gilbert said. "Our Melon Studio has always guaranteed quality productions. Your work will be no exception. We'll find the right director and screenwriter to handle the adaptation."
Even though she knew it was unlikely, Stephenie still asked hopefully, "Director Gilbert, could you personally direct this film?"
Gilbert chuckled and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Ms. Meyer. My schedule for the next few years is already full.
"But don't worry. I'll personally supervise the project to ensure its quality is top-notch."
"Well, alright then."
Stephenie accepted that answer. She began to dream that one day, she might write a masterpiece like The Lord of the Rings and when that time came, she could ask Gilbert to direct it himself.
But a novel like The Lord of the Rings wasn't something just anyone could write.
Still, having a dream was never a bad thing.
..
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