hunt hollywood

As the latest long-range business jet of Gulfstream, the Gulfstream IV has a cruising range of 7800 kilometers and can easily complete a transatlantic flight of about 6000 kilometers.

However, the Gulfstream IV, which carries 20 people, actually has only 12 seats for passengers in the cabin.

Simon, Janet and Jennifer accounted for three, and Orion Films President Mike Meadova also went this time, as well as Robert De Niro, John Travolta, Nicole Kidman , Samuel L. Jackson, Madonna, Sean Penn and other main supporting roles, they filled the entire cabin immediately after boarding the plane. When serving as the driver, the entourage of other people can only take another commercial flight.

法国时间比美国西海岸早9个小时，众人洛杉矶时间上午10点钟出发，经历了总计11个小时的飞行，抵达戛纳时已经是5月10日早上6点多钟。

Cannes Airport.

Everyone got off the plane, and the distinct coffee positions immediately appeared. De Niro and Travolta, two long-established first-line superstars, have confirmed that they will stay in their friends' local luxury houses in Cannes. Madonna and his wife also After renting the apartment in advance, the rest of the people can only follow Mike Meadova to the hotel prepared by Orion.

Naturally, Simon didn't fall to the point of staying in a hotel with everyone.

Everyone agreed on a meeting time in the evening, and Simon and the others took a car to the Le Cannet district in the northeast of Cannes. After more than half an hour, the car drove several times among the narrow tree-lined mountain roads in the Le Cannes district, and then drove into Inside an iron gate on the top of the mountain.

After getting off the car, Simon went to the southern edge of the courtyard, looking at the unobstructed view of the city of Cannes and the bay beyond, he couldn't help saying: "I like this place."

Janet also came over and said, "It's very similar to the house in our Palisades, but it's bigger here, with a total area of ​​1.5 hectares, more than three times the property in Palisades."

The two were chatting when a brown-haired woman in a light gray professional suit came over holding a stack of documents, smiled and introduced herself in fluent English: "Mr. Westeros, Miss Johnston, hello, I am It's Sofia Fish, do you want me to show you around?"

Sophia Fisher is Simon's real estate agent in Cannes.

The house purchase procedures were completed before Simon and Janet came to Cannes, and Simon knew the details of the property very well. Hearing this, he still nodded and said, "Okay."

"Come with me," Sofia Feisi made a gesture of invitation, and walked slightly sideways beside Simon towards the mansion, while gesturing to the villa at the entrance: "This is the annex building, which is used to house security and servants." Man, the former owner, Mr. Brent, is a boss who treats employees very favorably, so the design of the annex building is also very exquisite. Let's go directly to the main villa, which covers an area of ​​18000 square feet and has 69 rooms on three floors , including 16 bedrooms, 22 bathrooms, 3 kitchens, other libraries, gyms, screening rooms, oh, and a very spacious basement that was originally used as a wine cellar..."

After 11 hours of continuous flight, Simon and Janet were already very tired. After simply listening to Sophia's introduction, Simon sent each other away.

Thousands of miles away, although this hilltop manor can be bought, it is impossible to arrange it as you like in Los Angeles. Simon just asked Sofia Fishy, ​​the agent, to replace all the sheets, bedding and sofa covers in the villa in advance. Others are temporarily unmoved.

From the information left by Sofia Fishy, ​​they found the ordering number of a nearby restaurant. After breakfast, they sent Neil and Jennifer to help themselves. Simon and Janet went to the main bedroom on the third floor.

After taking a bath, he came out of the bathroom in his nightgown, and looked at the increasingly bright sunshine on the terrace outside the bedroom, but Simon suddenly lost his sleepiness and walked straight to the terrace.

Looking down from the balcony railing, the buildings in the manor are in a typical Spanish style, with red roofs, white walls, colonnades, and fountains.Although he was completely unimpressed with this architectural style, Simon decided to buy it immediately after seeing the information about this mansion in Los Angeles.

The location here is so good, if not forced, the original owner will never easily sell this property that is destined to increase in value.

Moreover, the asking price of 3500 million francs, based on the exchange rates of European currencies that have continued to depreciate in the past two years, only needs more than 500 million US dollars in conversion.After Simon agreed to pay in cash, the odds were wiped out, and the two parties finally confirmed the deal at a price of $500 million.

Although the real estate value in Cannes at this time is still far from being comparable to that of Los Angeles, the three times the area, the castle-like villa, the excellent mountain scenery, and the 500 million US dollars are completely worth the money in Simon's opinion.

Janet also came out of the bedroom, holding Simon's arm and following his gaze, asking, "What's the matter?"

Simon put his arms around Janet's slender waist and rubbed it: "It suddenly occurred to me that if there were some bodyguards wearing sunglasses and submachine guns standing in the yard, it would completely restore the scenes in many movies. My character must be a big drug lord."

"Drug trafficking is so tiring, and it doesn't make as much money as my man." Janet rubbed her cheeks and said with a smile: "However, the scene you mentioned definitely needs one or two beautiful vases to accompany it, how about I put Kidman shouted, you must have coveted her for a long time when you chose her as the heroine?"

Simon shook his head: "No."

How could Janet believe it, she wrinkled her little nose and hummed twice.

Simon smiled and reached out to pick up Janet and walked towards the bedroom, saying, "Okay, even if there were some before, there are none now."

Janet wondered: "Why?"

Simon gently threw Janet on the big bed, turned to draw the curtains, and explained: "I did a math problem for Ron McMillan last time, and then I found that I suddenly didn't have much interest in women."

Janet turned around and lay on the big bed coquettishly, raising her legs like a poster in "Pulp Fiction", dangling her two beautiful feet, and asked, "What math problem?"

Simon came over and sat down on the bed, shook his head and said, "It's nothing, I still don't tell you, otherwise you will definitely think that I objectify women."

Janet blinked, turned around and rubbed against Simon: "You mean feminism? I'm not a feminist."

Simon hugged the woman and said, "Are you still a male chauvinist?"

"Why not? I'm a masculinist."

Simon reached into Janet's flimsy pajamas with his big hands and groped for a while. After the woman squinted her eyes like a kitten, she smiled and said, "I'm sure, you can't be a patriarch."

Janet held Simon's hand that was about to be withdrawn, and whispered, "Whoever said patriarchs must be men."

Simon remembered that many men also claimed to be feminists, and nodded in agreement: "It seems that this is indeed the case."

Janet suddenly opened her eyes again, looking at Simon: "You're going to bypass it, what math problem?"

"Still don't want to tell you."

"Okay," Janet obediently stopped asking, but continued, "However, you have made Nicole Kidman famous. If you don't want it yourself, it will be cheaper for others."

Simon smiled and pinched Janet's nose: "Are you sure you don't want to find an excuse to bite me?"

Janet directly opened her small white teeth and bit Simon's shoulder, saying, "I need to find an excuse for biting you."

Simon actually understood why Janet bit herself the night after the Oscars last month. Perhaps it was a sixth sense unique to women. She felt that Sandra might be a threat to her, so she had the attack.

It was obvious that Janet didn't think Catherine and Jennifer were a threat to her.

Thinking about it, it does seem to be the case.

Because of age, it was difficult for Catherine and Simon to get together.As for Jennifer, the female assistant has absolutely no lethality in Janet's eyes.

With these thoughts in his mind, Simon just patted Janet on the waist: "Go to sleep, there are still things to do tonight."

Janet hummed, put her arms around Simon to find a more comfortable position, and quickly closed her eyes.

After sleeping until evening, Simon and Janet woke up when Jennifer knocked on the door.

The opening ceremony will be held tomorrow, Simon will be busy today, and there will be a gathering of Hollywood filmmakers in the evening.After getting up and washing up briefly, Simon and Janet set off to a hotel in Cannes.

The party was about to start, and the two had just walked into the banquet hall when Robert Redford, who happened to be chatting with someone nearby, walked over.

Robert Redford can only be regarded as a cameo in "Pulp Fiction". According to his status, he does not need to attend this film festival at all.It is true that Redford came to Cannes this time not for "Pulp Fiction", but because of his own directorial work "The Battle of the Bean Fields".

The Battle of the Bean Fields is Redford's second film.

Compared to his critically acclaimed "Normal People," his first film eight years ago, "The Battle of the Bean Fields," based on a novel about a farmer in New Mexico who fights real estate developers to protect water supplies, has received less critical reviews after its release. very average.

The producer, Universal Pictures, scheduled the film to be released in mid-March, and it has been nearly two months since then, with a box office of just over $3 million.Compared to the $800 million production cost of the film, "The Battle of the Bean Fields" is only destined to lose money at the North American box office.

In order to make up for the loss, Universal Pictures sent the film to the Cannes Film Festival to participate in the screening in order to promote the European distribution. Naturally, Robert Redford led the crew to promote the film.

Having been in Hollywood for so many years, Robert Redford is used to the ups and downs of films, and he was not too affected by the box office failure of "The Battle of the Bean Fields". He greeted him warmly and said, "Simon, you came just in time. Let me introduce you to you."

Having said that, Redford brought Simon and Janet to the person he had just chatted with, and said, "William, this is Simon. Simon, this is William Goldman."

Simon smiled and shook hands with the other party, saying, "Hello, Mr. Goldman."

William Goldman is in his 60s, with silver hair and wearing a light gray plaid shirt. Although his expression looks a little serious, he is very enthusiastic and talkative: "Hello, Simon, Bob has more than once Mention you in front of us, back in L.A., maybe we can get together sometime."

"Of course no problem," Simon agreed, and introduced himself: "This is my girlfriend, Jenny."

William Goldman and Janet shook hands, and they casually chatted about some Hollywood trivia, but the Cannes Film Festival was not mentioned in the topic.

but.

However, Simon knew that he owed Redford another favor unknowingly.

William Goldman is a Hollywood screenwriter, and his famous work happened to be "The Tiger and Leopard Cub", which made Robert Redford popular that year.Over the years, William Goldman has also been a front-line screenwriter in Hollywood.

If that's all, Radford's referral may not be a big deal.

However, William Goldman has another identity. He is one of the ten judges of this Cannes Film Festival.Compared with the Oscars, the results of the Cannes Film Festival awards with obvious personal tendencies are actually more variable.

Regardless of whether it is before or in the years to come, the evaluation results of the Cannes Film Festival are often quite different from the evaluations of the outside media. There are often films that the media critics applaud and eventually fail, and some films that are poorly evaluated by the media will occasionally be upset.

If it is said that there are no factors that are completely divorced from the movie, no one will believe it.

In the original time and space, "Pulp Fiction" defeated Kielovsky's red, blue and white trilogy "Red" and "To Live" and other highly anticipated films, and finally won the Palme d'Or. In addition to its own quality, there is a big reason Also, the chairman of the jury that year was Clint Eastwood.

Therefore, even if he knows that "Pulp Fiction" is absolutely capable of winning awards based on quality alone, Simon would not expect to do nothing and wait for the end of the film festival to accept the award. That would be naive.

Simon has already learned about 21 films in this session in advance.

Relatively speaking, the films nominated this year can only be described as mediocre. Except for "Pulp Fiction", Simon did not find any other films with a more impressive memory.Therefore, "Pulp Fiction" actually has a greater advantage over the 1994 era when the strong films gathered.

However, PR is certainly still essential.

After patiently chatting with William Goldman for a while, Simon soon found another target at the party scene.

George Miller.

Simon also caught up with the "Mad Max" director who rose to fame at last month's Oscars after-party.Unexpectedly, the Cannes Film Festival then announced the list of judges, and George Miller was among them.

Simon and George Miller did not have much personal friendship.

but.

George Miller is an Australian.

Because of Janet, Simon naturally has an attribute that is easy to mingle with the Australian gang.

Chapter 164 Opening Ceremony (Revised)

Simon brought Janet up to George Miller, the Australian director who happened to be chatting with Nicole Kidman.

After saying hello, Simon took the initiative to provoke the topic and asked, "What were you talking about just now?"

Nicole Kidman, tall in a moon-white evening gown, said: "George thinks I did a great job in Pulp Fiction and wants me to be in a movie he's working on."

Nicole Kidman said, looking at Simon with a smile on her lips, as if she wanted to see how he would react.

According to the common practice in Hollywood, production companies usually require newcomers who participate in their films to sign multiple film contracts, so that actors can continue to enjoy the dividends after they become famous.

In the "When Harry Met Sally" project, Meg Ryan also signed another option contract with Daenerys Pictures on the basis of the role of "Sally".Now that "When Harry Met Sally" is a big hit at the box office, Meg Ryan's next movie contract, unless Daenerys Pictures takes the initiative to let go, otherwise has the right to choose first.

"Pulp Fiction" is naturally the case. Although this project belongs to Orion, the two newcomers in the film, Samuel L. Jackson and Nicole Kidman, have signed three film contracts with Daenerys Films respectively.

The same is true for Daenerys Films' recent five-film contract for the leading actor of "Batman", except that this contract requires more film contracts and a longer period.After the era of big studios, Hollywood has rarely seen such contracts that are close to prostitution contracts, so they were ridiculed by the media as 'slavery contracts'.

Noticing the smile on the corner of Nicole Kidman's mouth, Simon just glanced at her and asked Miller, "George, can you tell me about your next movie? I really like "The Witches of East Town" Yes, but I am more looking forward to your filming the fourth part of "Mad Max"."

"Simon, you got it wrong. I don't have any plans for the next movie, I just want to invite Nicole to be in a thriller that my production company is going to shoot, and I'm just a producer." George Miller explained After a while, he continued: "This is a movie adapted from a novel called "Voyage to the Horizon". It tells the story of a couple who accidentally rescued a stranger in the process of drifting at sea to heal their psychological trauma after the accidental loss of their son. .”

After George Miller finished speaking, Simon immediately thought of this movie. In the original time and space, "Crossing the Horizon" happened to be Nicole Kidman's famous work in Hollywood.

Simon just didn't expect that the producer of this movie would be George Miller.However, this did not surprise him in the slightest. The two protagonists of "Crossing the Horizon", Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman, are both Australian.

In the final analysis, it is still the Australian gang.

Although Simon did not feel that Nicole Kidman, who is only 20 years old and has too strong aura, can play the role of a traumatized young mother, he did not point this out to George Miller in person. Friendship does not reach this level.

Moreover, if George Miller really decides to do this, Simon will also do a favor and let Nicole make this movie first.

Nicole Kidman can't be regarded as a box office star. Anyway, the three-part contract is there. It will not hurt Daenerys Pictures to let her hone in some films.

Everyone chatted casually for a while, and Simon was about to leave. George Miller, who had never mentioned the Cannes Film Festival in his words just now, suddenly said: "Simon, I have to say that your "Pulp Fiction" this time is really excellent. , I discovered for the first time that movies can be made so unconstrained.”

Listening to George Miller's candid statement, Simon was a little stunned for a moment, noticing the shrewdness flashing in the eyes of this simple-faced middle-aged man, he quickly nodded with a nonchalant smile and said, "George, I'm very happy." Glad you enjoyed the movie."

Although Simon was only interested in the Palme d'Or, he was no longer worried that "Pulp Fiction" would come away empty-handed after the two judges were settled.

After all, Orion will certainly not remain indifferent, and the connections in the circle of Mike Medova and others are definitely not comparable to Simon.Moreover, the Cannes awards are much easier to operate than the Oscars, which have a large number of judges.

Simon doesn't feel guilty about his public relations behavior at all. If there is a chance, if you don't fight for it, the award can only belong to others.

Just like "Pulp Fiction" in the original time and space, who dares to say that it was not won.

Just like in the subsequent session when Quentin served as the chairman of the jury, Michael Moore's documentary "Fahrenheit 911/[-]" won the Palme d'Or. The general trend of the media is that the French want to add obstacles to the Bush administration. What is the reality?

The selection of awards is in the hands of a group of judges. The organizer of the film festival dares to intervene indiscriminately and say, "Let's make some trouble for Bush Jr.." You meddle in scandal.

What is the reason for that?

Very simple.

"Fahrenheit 911/911" was invested and produced by Miramax. As we all know, Weinstein and Quentin are really good buddies who can't be more iron.Then, "Fahrenheit 600/2" won the Palme d'Or. This documentary with an investment of [-] million has sold more than [-] million U.S. dollars worldwide at the box office alone, and the Weinstein brothers have made a lot of money.

This is the inside story.

At the end of the day, Cannes is a commercial celebration of cinema, less sacred than some might think.

Through this grand event, millions of tourists from all over the world flock to this French seaside town every year. This is the basis for the continuation of the Cannes Film Festival. As for the results of the awards, it is not that important to the organizers. .Even, the more controversial the selection results, the more the popularity of the Cannes Film Festival can be enhanced from a certain angle.

Separated from George Miller, Simon was about to say hello to some acquaintances at the party, when Jennifer leaned over and said, "Boss, Natasha Kinski is here too, do you want to go over and have a chat with her?" ?”

Natasha Kinski, the European actress who has been dating Roman Polanski since she was 14 years old and was promoted by her, is also one of the judges of this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Among the ten judges this time, the only ones Simon could contact were William Goldman and George Miller just now. Although the others knew each other, they had never met face to face, and the surrounding contacts could not contact each other. .

Simon led Janet to a couple under the guidance of Jennifer, and the female assistant leaned into his ear and whispered: "That man is Kinski's husband, Ibrahim Musa."

Simon nodded, and after the couple had greeted another guest, they stepped forward and reached out to Natasha Kinski: "Hello, Ms. Kinski."