After two consecutive films directly associated with Martin Davis failed at the box office, Jon Berg couldn't help but have so thoughts, particularly when he saw Martin at the premiere, he felt uneasy.
"Is it possible that all this was Martin Davis's doing on purpose?" he thought more and more uneasily, "Deliberately letting Warner Bros. get their hands on these two projects?"
But after pondering for a while, Jon Bern felt it didn't make sense, the variables in film production were too great, who could say with certainty that if these projects went to Warner, they would definitely fail?
After all, Warner had a mature operating chanism, led by an exceptional managent team headed by him.
Jon Berg was indecisive, fluctuating between different ideas.
He picked up the phone and called McDonald, his trusted subordinate and the one who had acquired the rights to "Dark Places," to inquire in detail about the situation back then.
Nothing special.
However, Jon Berg still kept his guard up, recalling the two books he had seen in Martin Davis's office — "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "Jack the Giant Slayer."
The project was almost completed, with over 200 million US dollars already invested, there was no turning back.
"Jack the Giant Slayer" absolutely must not fail!
So, change was imperative!
The failure of "Dark Places," which took into consideration Gillian Flynn's opinions, solidified Jon Berg's resolve to reform the traditional Hollywood production model and to use his genius creative ideas.
He aid to gather the expertise of many, extracting the essence of multiple different editing versions, to create an unprecedented super blockbuster.
Jon Berg called in his secretary and asked, "How is the formation of the expert viewing team going?"
The secretary replied, "Most of the people we've invited have given us positive responses."
Jon Berg breathed a sigh of relief; once the different editing versions were complete, they could begin the epic reform.
...
At the Disney Studio, the "Escape from Tehran" film crew.
There weren't many scenes for Martin to shoot today, so he had plenty of free ti.
During a break in filming, Nicholson, who had co to visit the set, put down his copy of "Hollywood Reporter" and asked Martin beside him, "I rember you ntioned that you first ca across the original novel of 'Dark Places,' and then Warner snatched it from you."
There was no need for Martin to deny it, "Yeah, Warner planted a mole around , as soon as Gillian Flynn approached , they got wind of it and sent soone to buy the rights at a high price."
Nicholson knew what a bastard he was dealing with, "You're a bastard with a particularly strong desire for revenge, yet you didn't retaliate against Warner, which is very out of character for you."
Martin flipped him the bird straightaway, "I didn't have as much money as Warner, naturally I couldn't compete with them."
That statent seed reasonable at first, but Nicholson thought about it and said, "No, I rember 'Pharaoh and the Gods' was also a project stolen from you by Warner, which lost even more than 'Dark Places,' and you also lured gan Ellison with a film project..."
"Hold on!" Martin, reminded of the woman who could pass for Larry Ellison's lookalike, quickly corrected, "Jack, watch your language, was that seduction?"
Nicholson was convinced he was right, "You indeed were using this thod to screw over Warner."
He cut in before Martin could speak, "Many people during their career's ascent develop a peculiar sense for projects and roles, and the difference between good and bad often hangs by a thread, a single thought that determines success or failure."
Martin was curious, "Like you back in the day?"
Nicholson shook his head, "Compared to you, I'm a goddamn saint. I just directly refused the ones I didn't fancy. However, Schwarzenegger, at the height of his fa, used a similar thod to screw over Stallone."
He briefly said, "At the ti, the two major action stars were fiercely competitive, Schwarzenegger had a powerful ascending montum, and Stallone was at the tail end of his peak. The two bastards had stolen roles from each other on several occasions, then Schwarzenegger used a project he wasn't keen on to bait Stallone. As a result, Stallone slipped from his peak, and Schwarzenegger beca Hollywood's leading action star of the nineties."
Martin had heard of these things, "With so many people eyeing , if I show interest in a project, a bunch of them jump out to compete. What can I do? Even if I finally get it, after competing with so many, at what cost."
Nicholson was curious, "The issue with gan Ellison was because of Depp, but what about Warner?"
"Jack, you're retired, you have little contact with Warner Bros.' new executives; I, on the other hand, have had many dealings with them." Martin put it simply, "These projects, in the hands of other companies, might not necessarily fail, but under the current managent of Warner, the likelihood of failure is greater."
Louise had many news sources within Warner, and Jon Berg's bizarre maneuvers were staggering to Martin.
When the crew was about to wrap up for the morning, Bruce ca over, "Gillian is here."
Martin exited the stage and t his old neighbor.
Apparently under a lot of stress lately, Gillian looked worse for wear as she said to Martin, "Let's talk."
Martin pointed to a nearby rest chair and sat down, then asked, "What brought you here today?"
Gillian forced a bittersweet smile, "I just got the news that Warner Bros. has blacklisted for collaboration."
Martin offered consolation, "Hollywood has many production companies; don't take it too much to heart."
"It's also my fault for being shortsighted," Gillian regretted deeply, "For the sake of a bit of imdiate gain, I gave up patience and turned to cooperate with Warner, only to ss up the film in the end, and even the sales of my book suffered."
The film adaptation of "Dark Places" was poorly received, which in turn affected the original novel, drawing many negative reviews.
Random House predicted that the novel would fall off the bestseller list that week.
Martin never had any objections towards Gillian about this, as Davis Studio simply couldn't offer the kind of terms that Warner Bros. could.
Gillian asked, "Martin, if I have a new work, can I still co to you for help? If you think it's good, I won't collaborate with other companies."
Martin smiled and said, "Of course, you can. Whenever you create a new work, feel free to co to ."
Gillian obviously breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she could still work with Martin, she had a foothold in Hollywood.
She hurriedly said, "If there's anything you need for, just give a call. I'm going to go out and collect materials to prepare for writing my new book."
Martin didn't plan to disturb her and said, "I'll look forward to your new work. Focus on preparing the new book."
Gillian Flynn then took her leave.
Martin called Bruce to go to the restaurant for lunch. They had just sat down with their food when Silsa Ronan ca over with her tray.
"You're back, Teacher!" She was a bit excited.
Martin gave Silsa a glance, "Ran into so good fortune, you're so happy?"
Silsa was quite the charr, "Seeing Teacher again, of course I'm happy." She asked, "I've learned a new song recently, can I sing it for you after we eat?"
Seeing her enthusiasm, Martin didn't want to dampen her spirits, and after all, he might really need her later on, "Sure, let's find a quiet place after the al."
Silsa's face lit up, "Great! Great!"
This was the largest restaurant in the Disney Studio, and many crews shooting here would choose to dine here.
The crew of "Noah's Ark" gradually entered from outside one after another.
The assistant Alanna reminded her employer, "Emma, look to your left."
Emma Watson turned her head and saw her arch rival Silsa Ronan enjoying a al with her so-called Teacher. They seed to be chatting very happily, and from her angle, it looked quite intimate.
She withdrew her gaze, took a plate to get lunch, picked up so vegetarian dishes, and sat down at a quiet spot.
When her assistant arrived, Emma said, "Eat quickly. Those two look like they're about to stir up so trouble. Once you're done, follow them secretly and see if you can capture any private monts."
Having worked briefly on Fleet Street, Alanna was quite experienced in this and said, "Leave it to ."
Emma Watson shot another glance at her rival. Seeing Silsa's cheerful deanor annoyed her.
Alanna munched down a burger, which quickly disappeared into her stomach, followed by gulping down a can of coke. She nodded at Emma Watson, picked up her bag, and left the restaurant. She crossed the main road of the studio and found a bench on the diagonal side, pulled out the latest model of smartphone, adjusted the cara settings, and kept her eyes on the restaurant's main entrance.
It wasn't long before she saw Silsa Ronan and Martin Davis exit the restaurant together, heading towards an office building not far away.
Alanna had been here so ti and knew that was the working studio of "Escape from Tehran."
The two ahead seed to be discussing sothing, constantly turning their heads to talk to each other.
A thought struck Alanna, and she shifted positions a few tis to take pictures. With the photographic skills she learned on Fleet Street and a special angle, she captured many images and videos that could easily be misinterpreted.
Ever since the crew of "Pirates of the Caribbean" fild here and the box office exploded, the Disney Studio had revived its vitality. Many crews had shot films here over the years.
During lunchti, the road near the restaurant was bustling with people.
Mixed in the crowd, Alanna occasionally looked up from her smartphone, much like many young people addicted to social dia apps.
Martin and Silsa entered the studio and ca to the lobby lounge.
A few receptionists curiously watched them, unsure what the two were up to.
Soon, a humming that mimicked Sarah Brightman's style ca from Silsa's lips.
She was singing "Scarborough Fair."
Martin could tell that Silsa was truly putting effort into learning to sing.
Bruce, leaning on the door, felt his phone vibrate several tis; he took it out and clicked open a text ssage. It was from the security guard hanging back who sent it.
"Suspected stalker taking photos of Martin."
Bruce replied, "Find out more."
With smartphones now so powerful and Disney Studio so crowded, it was quite common for onlookers to take out their phones and shoot, given Martin's current fa.
The ssage was sent, and not too long after, a reply quickly ca back: "Confird, a woman is taking pictures of Martin."
Bruce walked over to the window and looked outside. There were many people outside the studio.
He sent a ssage again, "Identify the person."
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