I am Hollywood

Chapter 64: Don't Get Caught



[Chapter 64: Don't Get Caught]

Most guys loved fast cars, and Eric was no different. However, he only made an appearance on the first day of Julia and Al's training, where he tried his hand behind the wheel for a bit before getting too busy to show up again.

In a rented villa on the hills of Beverly Hills, Eric and Jeffrey directed the crew as they set up the scene, which would mark the start of Pretty Woman.

Al Pacino was a classic method actor, and judging by the rumors about how Julia always got too wrapped up in her roles, she seemed to fit the mold as well. This style of acting required actors to immerse themselves in their characters and present them authentically. If the shooting schedule went out of order, it could certainly throw off the performance. To perfectly portray the transformation of the two lead characters, Eric decided to film in chronological order.

In the original film, the first scene took place at a party at Philip Stuckey's house, where Edward mingled with various characters, introducing his identity and personality. After discussing it with Jeffrey, they ultimately decided to shoot that scene first; they could actually throw a party as a kickoff celebration for Pretty Woman. They even considered skipping hiring extras, opting instead for crew members and their families to fill in. Since this scene required only a few shots, Eric felt confident that nothing would go wrong.

"Yesterday I swung by Century City. Fox still had doubts about releasing our movie on Valentine's Day. I talked with Carlin for an hour before he finally agreed to guarantee there wouldn't be a delay, promising to ramp up the promotions two weeks before Valentine's. Eric, two weeks won't be enough for an optimal promotional impact. United Artists only dared to schedule Richard Gere's Road House for Easter in March," Jeffrey said.

Eric scribbled notes in his folder while pondering Jeffrey's words. "Don't worry, Jeffrey. Right now, all of America's media is buzzing about my movie. You could say Pretty Woman is on everyone's lips. Plus, there should be another big announcement dropping soon."

Jeffrey raised an eyebrow, curious. "What?"

With a slight grin of confidence, Eric replied, "Just think about it. Based on the box office numbers for Home Alone, how much do you think it'll reach by then?"

Jeffrey quickly calculated. Home Alone should've been out for about 12 weeks by then, likely raking in around two hundred million dollars.

Seeing Jeffrey relaxing a bit, Eric asked, "You get it now?"

Jeffrey nodded. "By then, Home Alone's box office could easily exceed two hundred million. It's been three years since a movie in North America cracked that mark. Not long ago, Variety even ran an article predicting the decline of the domestic market. If Home Alone breaks two hundred million, the media will definitely be buzzing again."

"So, as long as the quality of my film holds up, I don't need to worry about losing box office due to promotional issues. On the other hand, United Artists wisely pushed Road House a month after Pretty Woman, and they won't catch much of its momentum," Eric replied, brushing off any concern over a film he hardly remembered -- Road House.

Richard Gere had missed his chance with Pretty Woman, and it seemed unlikely he would bounce back, especially considering he had never even received an Oscar nomination by the time Eric had arrived from the future.

"Oh, and Eric, when I was at Fox's headquarters yesterday, Carlin brought up the Jurassic Park adaptation again. He mentioned your recent release, Resident Evil. Fox was really interested, but I managed to change the subject," Jeffrey said.

Thanks to Michael Krauss's efforts, Resident Evil had successfully hit the shelves a few days earlier, igniting quite a bit of controversy. Most newspapers criticized it, with some reviewers even questioning if Eric had employed a ghostwriter, since the styles of the two novels differed drastically.

Eric chose not to respond to such doubts, knowing very well that with his current fame and fortune, he wouldn't need to hire a ghostwriter for a few royalties.

Michael Krauss called him after the book's release to share that sales were strong, with readers showing interest in this unique zombie-themed sci-fi novel. A number of them even wrote in, hoping for a movie adaptation of Resident Evil.

"Jeffrey, the next time someone approaches us about adapting a novel into a film, just turn them down. I won't let either of these two novels go unless they can offer me a deal I find satisfying," Eric instructed.

Jeffrey nodded, suddenly remembering something, and said with a chuckle, "The Golden Globes really gave us a nod, didn't they? Home Alone actually scored a nomination for Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy."

Eric chuckled as well. "Whether it's the Golden Globes or the Oscars, they'll bow to box office success. Just wait and see -- no matter how reluctant the Oscar committee is, they'll have to begrudgingly give Home Alone a few nominations."

Jeffrey tentatively remarked, "You've packed the shooting schedule so tight; I'm afraid we won't have time to attend the Golden Globe dinner."

"Don't worry," Eric said as he packed up his folder, tucking a pencil behind his ear. "With the Golden Globes treating us this well, even if we have to pause filming, we'll definitely be attending. If we're in Los Angeles and skip the dinner for filming, we could end up making enemies without even realizing it."

Thinking of Leonardo DiCaprio, Eric knew he wouldn't make a mistake like that. Though many claimed he lost Best Actor because he turned every role into a reflection of himself, and that his refusal to attend the Oscars after Titanic missed a nomination wasn't a factor, once such opinions reach the public, they usually held weight. He was able to get the golden man only at the fourth nomination.

As they chatted while setting up the filming site and shared lunch nearby, Eric checked his watch and said to Jeffrey, "You handle the afternoon's arrangements; I need to step out." Jeffrey was curious what could possibly draw Eric away from movie preparations at this crucial moment.

Eric stated with a hint of exasperation, "Drew starts school this afternoon, and I have to take her. The last time she caused a ruckus at school, the principal called me personally."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Jeffrey paused for a moment, then shook his head and laughed, "You really are treating that girl like your own daughter, huh?"

Eric shrugged. "I signed that contract with Jaid, putting Drew's guardianship in my hands, and if I don't take care of her, who will? I guess I'm sort of asking for it, right?"

"I even saw someone praising you in a newspaper, saying you freed Drew from her greedy mother's grasp and sent her to boarding school as an act of love," Jeffrey added.

Eric didn't hold anything back as he donned the jacket draped over his chair. "That was a paid piece. I needed people to understand my good intentions and to deter any troublemakers from using Drew's age against me."

As Jeffrey sipped his coffee, he choked, unable to contain his laughter. "You truly are..."

...

The principal at the girls' school Drew attended was a kind-looking white woman in her fifties, with a warm and friendly demeanor. Eric sat alone across from her, listening to her

ramble.

"Mr. Williams, we don't want to give up on any child. It's just that Ms. Barrymore is incredibly mischievous. The girls here come from wealthy families and are usually very well-behaved. If their parents find out their daughters are skipping class, they'll certainly question our school's environment. We can't take forceful measures to stop Ms. Barrymore. Should another incident occur, we'd have no choice but to ask her to transfer," she said.

"Mrs. Greeley, I've had a serious talk with Drew already," Eric replied.

"Good to hear," she nodded, and after more lengthy discussion, she finally let Eric go.

Stepping out of the office, Eric saw Drew, now dressed in her beautiful uniform. He said, "Alright, I've taken the heat for you. You don't want to make me look bad again, do you?" The girl smiled brightly, linking her arm with Eric's. "Don't worry; I absolutely won't." "That sounded pretty insincere," Eric pouted, feeling rather helpless; the girl was like a sponge that soaked up trouble, and even a good smack might just make her smile wider. Opening the car door, he sighed and glanced around, ensuring no one was nearby, then whispered, "Don't get into any more trouble. I'll be pretty busy. If you want to skip class, just

don't get caught."

"Ha! I knew you cared for me the most," Drew said as she quickly tiptoed and kissed him on

the cheek.

Eric laughed as he ruffled her hair, turned, got into the car, waved, and drove away, leaving

Drew looking a bit forlorn.

*****

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