Knock knock knock
The door was knocked on, and Eric woke up from his sleep.
He looked around, Gadot was already gone.
He checked the time; it was already eight-thirty. Today was Monday, so she must have gone to the set of 'happy death day.'
"What the hell? Who's knocking!"
The doorknob turned, and Judy stood there with her hands on her hips: "Eric, why aren't you up yet? It's time for work!"
"Work? What work? I own the company; I go when I want to, and I don't when I don't!"
"Now scram, I haven't had enough sleep yet."
Judy glared at him unhappily: "Does being the boss mean you don't have to work? Does being the boss mean you can sleep in?"
"Nonsense, otherwise why would I be the boss?"
"Wait a minute, you used to often say you were dealing with things, which is why you'd be a few hours late. You weren't sleeping in then too, were you?"
"Bullshit, I really had work to deal with. Close the door and scram."
Whoosh!
Suddenly, he felt a cool breeze as Judy yanked the blanket off him.
"Wow, it's even bigger than yesterday!"
Eric looked at her speechlessly: "Judy Newhouse, you're a woman, for crying out loud. Could you please act like one?"
"Based on what you just did, I could directly sue you for sexual harassment, understand?"
"And it's morning now, of course it'll be bigger!"
Judy stroked her chin: "But didn't you just finish last night? It recovered so quickly?"
"Can't I be naturally strong and exceptionally gifted? Quick, bring me back the blanket, it wouldn't be good if Refaeli saw!"
"What are you afraid of! Refaeli has already left. Now it's just the two of us in the room. It's not like I haven't seen it before. Which part of your body haven't I seen in our four years of college?"
As she spoke, she suddenly leaned closer, grabbed Eric's handle, and stroked it.
"So this is what it feels like. It's really hard."
Eric slapped her hand away. Judy, this little girl, was just like that; she was one way at work and another in life, clearly separating her roles as boss and friend.
After this interlude, Eric was finally dragged out of bed.
Judy also got her wish and hitched a ride with Lincoln to the company.
In the office, Bordeaux handed over a report.
"Boss, these are the launch plans for three projects. After the producer's estimation, the total cost is expected to be around 40 million US dollars."
Eric looked at it. The report listed 'a quiet place,' 'don't breathe,' and 'the hangover.'
Among them, 'the hangover' had the highest production cost, estimated at 20 million US dollars; followed by 'a quiet place,' estimated at 15 million US dollars; 'don't breathe' was a low-budget film, with an estimated cost of 6 million US dollars.
After thinking for a while, Eric changed the cost of 'don't breathe' to 5 million US dollars, and the cost of 'the hangover' to 30 million US dollars. 'a quiet place' remained unchanged.
"The film 'don't breathe' actually has very small scenes, mainly just a villa. The most demanding and important role is the blind veteran. Except for this role, all other actors should be newcomers, or actors with good acting skills but little fame. You can deliberate on the specifics."
"Oh, and for the young people in this film, you can let Tom Hardy, Fassbender, and James McAvoy audition. If they're suitable, cast them."
"Also, ask if they are willing to sign film contracts with MGM. If they can, sign as many films as possible, then give me a list."
Bordeaux jotted things down: "Boss, you think highly of them?"
"Good acting, solid fundamentals, and very spirited. They are good talents worth cultivating."
Eric said, pointing to 'the hangover': "The production cost for 'the hangover' cannot be cut. We'll shoot on location in Las Vegas. Also, the key to this film, besides the performances of the trio, lies in the big-name cameos."
"For example, I hope to invite Tyson himself, no tricky shooting methods like not showing his face. Other surprise roles with limited appearances can also be filled by big names. Don't be stingy with costs in this regard."
"The role of Phil Wenneck inside is reserved for Ryan Reynolds; I promised it to him a long time ago. Other roles will go through regular auditions."
"Also, for the role of the daughter in 'a quiet place,' I want to give it to Elizabeth Olsen. What do you think?"
Bordeaux shrugged: "I think it's very suitable. You're the boss, and your decisions have never been wrong."
Eric smiled at him: "When did you learn to flatter?"
Bordeaux also smiled: "When I decided to become mature."
"Alright, it seems you've achieved that. Call Billy, Warren, and Judy over tonight. Everyone come to my place for dinner. You haven't been over since Christmas, and Emily often talks about you."
Bordeaux nodded: "I'll make sure to remember this clearly. Also, news just came this morning that Stephen Chow's 'Kung Fu' crew from Starry Sky Company in Hong Kong has started filming."
Recalling the contract, Eric said, "Oh, it should be starting in early May. Then transfer the funds to Starry Sky. Send the first installment to Stephen Chow. Who did you choose as the producer?"
"Baggins, an old hand from the production department. He flew over last week."
"Alright, I understand. You can go now."
Bordeaux turned to leave, but at the door, he heard Eric call him back.
"Wait, I suddenly remembered, how is the 'monster' project progressing? Since 'transformers' wrapped up, Patty Jenkins has vanished into thin air. I haven't heard from her in a while."
"Haha, boss, she just hasn't come to see you, but we just met last week. She came to the company to discuss the budget, but it hasn't been finalized yet."
"It hasn't been finalized after all this time? Is there a problem?"
Bordeaux said helplessly: "Actually, it's the issue of the female lead. Patty Jenkins is currently in talks with Charlize Theron. Whether she can secure Theron is key to this film's budget."
"But I think her choice is problematic, or to be precise, everyone in the production department thinks her choice is problematic. That's Charlize Theron, a sexy goddess who started as a model, completely mismatched with the female lead of this film. Shouldn't she be looking for a big, ugly woman?"
"Eric, if you hadn't given Patty Jenkins complete authority, we would definitely have stopped her from this perplexing approach."
Eric's mind couldn't help but recall scenes from 'monster.' Indeed, before the finished film, who could have imagined that Charlize Theron would transform into such a ghastly appearance?
However, awards ceremonies worldwide seem to favor actors who uglify themselves, and coupled with Theron's truly superb acting, she ultimately managed to clinch the Oscar Winner award.
"According to the plot development, Patty Jenkins is very likely to bring Charlize Theron in. I can visit the set then, your Theron," Eric thought to himself.
In the evening, Beverly Hills, Cooper Family.
Everyone's stomachs were full, and the young nanny brought out dessert.
Warren rubbed his growing belly: "Oh God, although my stomach is protesting, my tongue keeps saying more, more."
Judy frowned: "Just shut up, Warren. I think you've gained at least 20 pounds since we last met."
"You used to be like a rugby ball, now you're developing towards a basketball."
"Look at your chest, it's much bigger than mine. I'm a D, you must be at least an F."
Warren looked down at his chest, cupped it with both hands, a cringe-worthy action that made everyone gag.
Eric slapped his forehead: "Warren, good men don't keep mistresses. You really need to lose weight. I'm worried you'll get sick if you keep this up."
Billy said, "It's not a worry; if you go to the hospital for a check-up now, you've likely already got obesity."
"You must lose weight, otherwise if you fall ill one day, your parents and siblings will blame Eric to death."
Persuaded by everyone, Warren could only put the dessert back.
The pain of dieting is well-known; the difficulty of curbing one's appetite is comparable to curbing physiological desires. Trying to lose weight solely through willpower is an extremely difficult task.
"Warren, do you have a girl you like? In your situation, finding a woman to supervise you is the only way you might succeed in losing weight."
Warren shook his head.
"What about someone who likes you? Not even one? You're a senior executive at AK Films now, surely no young actress has expressed interest in you?"
"Of course there have been, but I know what their intentions are. It's certainly not love," Warren said somewhat awkwardly.
Bordeaux slapped the fatty on the back: "Are you crazy? This is Hollywood, the entertainment industry. Do you really expect to find true love here? 'titanic' is fake, wake up. Enjoy what you have, don't dream."
"I still want to look for it, to be honest, I already have someone I like in my heart."
"Who?" the four asked in unison.
"Bema."
"Who?"
"Bema Hardy."
The other three weren't familiar, but Eric naturally knew who she was.
He looked at the fatty with some surprise: "Warren, do you know Bema Hardy is 35 years old?"
"35 years old! Do you have a mother complex?!" Judy exclaimed.
"What's wrong with 35? Does love have anything to do with age? I've been with Bema for half a year, and she's genuinely a very charming woman."
"But Bema Hardy is a very ambitious career woman. Are you sure you can handle her?" Eric asked a soul-searching question.
"If I can't handle her, then she can handle me, right?" Warren mumbled softly.
As soon as these words came out, he instantly became the brightest boy in the Cooper Family. The four of them all gave him a thumbs up, expressing their admiration.
After chatting for a while, Eric called Billy aside.
Clink!
Their beers clinked together.
"Billy, weren't you in the UK for a while acquiring the rights to 'house of cards'? How's your relationship with Michael Dobbs?"
"It's alright. We've met a few times. I'm more familiar with his wife, Evelyn, because Michael Dobbs is often not home; it's always his wife who's there."
"When I first wanted to contact him, I could only approach Evelyn. Their relationship is quite good, decades of affection. Michael Dobbs ultimately agreed to license 'house of cards' to us out of respect for Evelyn."
"Why are you suddenly asking about that old man? Is something wrong?"
"I remember you once said he was a politician, right? And he seemed to be a politician with some power," Eric continued to ask.
Billy nodded: "Not just some power, Michael Dobbs is a Conservative Party member, formerly Chief of Staff to the Thatcher government, and now serves as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party. He holds significant power."
"Eric, what exactly happened? Why are you suddenly asking about this person?"
Taking a deep breath, Eric looked at Billy: "It's good that you can contact Michael Dobbs. You might need to make another trip to the UK soon."
"What for?" Billy asked.
"I haven't decided yet. I'll tell you then."
Looking at a bewildered Billy, Eric patted his shoulder: "Come on, let's go back and drink."
Eric was, of course, still thinking about Michael. The journalist who framed Michael, Martin Bashir, belonged to the BBC, and the BBC is a British media outlet.
Dealing with a journalist, even a somewhat famous one, would be a matter of a few words for a political heavyweight like Michael Dobbs.
Through his conversations with Michael, Eric judged that there was a high probability of improper dealings between Michael and Sony.
Whether the BBC would be involved, Eric believed not, because the BBC and Michael did not have a conflict of interest.
Even if they wanted to create a hot topic, they didn't necessarily have to choose Jackson. Filming some material in the Middle East, Asia, or Africa would definitely attract more attention than an entertainment star.
If it truly only involved one journalist, it wouldn't be impossible to ask Michael Dobbs for some evidence, provided Eric was willing to pay a fee.
And once crucial evidence was indeed obtained, if the situation developed to an uncontrollable point, it would be a trump card.
"Damn it, it seems I'm going to have to be a Liu Xiaoli too!"
Besides Martin Bashir, there was also Jordi Chandler, the accuser in the 1993 molestation case.
In the original timeline, Michael Jackson was completely cleared only after his death in 2009, because Jordi Chandler finally told the truth.
He stated that the 1993 accusation was entirely false, a story fabricated by his father, Evan Chandler, to extort money from MJ, a complete and utter false accusation.
Only then did the public truly believe MJ was innocent, but unfortunately, he had already passed away, never truly clearing his name before his death.
Shortly after Jordi Chandler released his clarification, on November 5, 2009, Evan Chandler committed suicide by gunshot.
This scoundrel left the world without facing the judgment of the public and fans, which was quite a bargain for him.
And according to later investigations, recordings of Evan Chandler conspiring with a psychologist that year were also exposed.
In other words, evidence indeed existed. As long as it could be found, the false accusations against MJ could be completely cleared.