Hollywood Hunter

"Hi, Simon, how are you doing?"

"Busy, Brian, how about you?"

"I just came back from New York, Bob and I went to see the performance at the Metropolitan Opera. It was so beautiful, Martin said he planned to add it to his work in the future."

"Speaking of Martin, hasn't he been trying to shoot New York gangsters all these years? I'm about to talk to him."

"Oh, this is really good news. Martin has been waiting for more than ten years. Simon, if you are not kidding, I will call him after this meeting?"

"Of course it's not a joke."

In another meeting room with several sets of sofas and a projector on the wall, which looked more like a lounge, Simon and Brian DePalma exchanged greetings, and then talked to the president of Highgate Pictures, Elado Ichman, and followed Linda Vargas, who has been in charge of casting for many years, greeted briefly, and everyone sat down on the sofa.

Go straight to the topic.

The project discussed today is called Los Angeles Confidential. This is the third part of the Los Angeles quartet of the famous American criminal James Allory. The first part of the quartet is based on the Los Angeles Black A black dahlia of the same name adapted from the murder of dahlia.

After the first piece became famous in one fell swoop, Airori wrote three other similar themes with the same era background.

As for the copyright of the Los Angeles Tetralogy, the earliest black dahlia was bought by Universal and refrigerated after producing an unsuccessful miniseries. Daenerys Entertainment took over the MCA merger and the Los Angeles Confidential was in 1990. Completed in the year, bought by Daenerys Entertainment.Qiqi novel first published on the whole network

Simon was not very interested in the other two Infinite Wasteland and White Jazz, and let other studios snatch them.

Due to the inability to arrange, it was not until the end of last year that the Los Angeles Confidential was put on the agenda.

If Simon wants to be stable, he can pull up the original team, but he did not do so, but intends to let Brian de Palma serve as the director.

This is actually a risky decision.

Because the 2007 version of the black dahlia was directed by Brian De Palma, it was abusive after it was released, and the box office was bleak.With an investment of 50 million US dollars, the global box office is only close to 50 million US dollars.

However, Simon has seen Parma's version of black dahlia. Whether it is from the perspective of a filmmaker or an ordinary audience, this film is definitely not as bad as external criticism. For example, a plot of the black dahlia's body is found. The filming case is amazing, and the performances of Elizabeth Short played by Mia Kirshina in the film are amazing video records, and many film critics believe that they have reached the level of Oscar nominations.

It can be said that Brian De Palma's directorial standards are completely fine.

where is the problem?

script!

This is the most direct reason for the failure of the black dahlia.

As long as they have seen the Los Angeles Secret, and then look at the black dahlias, the blind can feel the producer’s ambition to create a second Los Angeles Secret. Whether it is the role matching or the story structure, the traces of imitating the Los Angeles Secret are too much. weight.

So self-defeating.

The audience wanted to see Elizabeth Short, the murder of black dahlia. As a result, the black dahlia case in the film was almost reduced to the background of the story. Instead, the narrative focus was repeated on the trivialities of the two male and Damn it.

As for why this is the situation, we can get into it. The director of the black dahlia was originally determined by David Fincher. The script has been finalized. As a result, Fincher wanted to make a three-hour black-and-white film. The producer was finished as soon as he heard it. Qi withdrew and went round and round to Palma, who failed to get out of the trough for several years because of the failure of the Mars mission in 2000.

Parma, who has been free for several years, wants to take up this job, so she can only follow the producer's mind.

The results can be imagined.

Let's talk about Los Angeles secrets.

How about the original Los Angeles Secret, of course it’s excellent, it’s just a script that perfectly blends the structure of the three heroes.

It's just that the film as a whole is quite satisfactory after all.

It's like a well-balanced dish, the overall standard is not low, it just lacks something that makes people eye-catching.

Therefore, Simon gave up the original director Curtis Hansen and chose Brian De Palma. In addition to the friendship that Palma helped him accumulate from the time of Lola’s running fast, he also hopes that this film can take another step. On the basis of the original version, more bright colors of Parma style.

Thinking about this, after Simon sat down, he took a folder handed by girl A who had settled the Johnson sisters who rushed over quickly, and while watching the female assistant distribute the documents to the others, he asked Palma: " So, Brian, what do you think of the L.A. secret script?"

"Very exciting, Frankly speaking, Simon, I am a bit worried about whether I can control this project. I have roughly counted the whole script, there are more than 80 characters just with lines, and excluding indoors, there are more than 60 outdoor scenes. It’s a big test for shooting and editing. I tried to streamline it, but I found that there is nothing superfluous. Simon, this is definitely not the screenwriter signed by Brian Helgeland. I think it’s only you. You can write to this level, right?"

Simon smiled and shook his head: "I don't have so much time to complete a script by myself. The main reason is Airori's good enough. However, the outline is indeed provided by me. In addition, Heilgrande has repeatedly rewritten and revised it several times. To reach the current level."

"I've already seen it," Brian De Palma said. After a pause, he didn't continue. The talent of the young man beside him had already been taught ten years ago. There is no need to sigh and move on. The topic: "Simon, in my opinion, this script is a wonderful ukiyo-e in the 1940s and 50s of Los Angeles. Because of the many characters in the scene, the choice of the protagonist is very important. If their acting skills and temperament cannot support this story In the end, the film will be very mediocre. However, if you choose the best actor, Simon, you know, the cost will be very high."

"Since you agreed to be the director, this is what we are discussing today," Simon said, and gestured to Linda Vargas: "I have asked Linda to start preparations some time in advance."

Linda Vargas, who had just sat down for a while, saw the boss beckoning to herself, got up and walked over to turn on the projector, and did not go back, but sat next to the console where a laptop was placed.

A picture soon appeared on the projection screen.

Nicole Kidman.

Nicole in the photo is wearing a close-fitting silver silk low-cut long skirt, with a fur waistcoat over her shoulders, golden wavy curly hair, and flaming red lips, giving a glorious and dazzling feeling of a Hollywood golden age actress at a glance.

Simon saw the people around him looking at the screen and said: "According to my personal understanding, the greed, sin, decay, and corruption of the city of angels depicted in the book... In the final analysis, it is all because of desire. And the desire of men and women is undoubtedly the most A desire that is easy to feel. The heroine Lynn Brecken, as a senior call girl, does not seem to have many roles, but she is not only a key to the development of the storyline, but also one of the angels in the movie. A symbol of the desire of all the people in the city. This is the reason why this role is shown first. Therefore, setting aside the setting in the book, I think she should be around 30 years old and possess the temperament of a Hollywood golden age actress At the same time, a man's desire to conquer and protect is aroused, and Nicole is the one that satisfies me the most in all aspects."

Simon is really indifferent to the original Kim Basinger.

Moreover, Kim Basinger won the Oscar for Best Female Supporting Actress for his role in the Los Angeles Confidential. Obviously, most of the elements of public relations, not to mention other, the performance of Julian Moore on the Boogie Night of the same year was enough to get rid of Basinger several streets. It's a pity that the producer of Boogie Nights is a new line of film industry that basically has no public relations skills. Julian Moore does not have the strong connections and qualifications of Basinger in Hollywood, and regrets losing.

Linda Vargas kept switching the poses that Nicole specially made for this film, Brian De Palma seriously appreciated the taste, and Elado Ichman whispered to Simon: "Boss, Kidman Miss's pay should be too high?"

Now that Gaomen Pictures is going to be responsible, Elado Ichman knew in advance that his boss plans to spend Wan to finish the film.

This is really nervous.

First of all, Brian De Palma’s director’s remuneration needs 5 million US dollars. Now, the heroine uses Nicole Kidman. The actress started from vulgarity to the later Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series vase heroine and then to the Batman series. Poison Ivy reached its peak, and now commercial films are also starting at $5 million.

Even if Gaomen Pictures is in charge, L.A. Confidential cannot be regarded as a literary film. This is a commercial crime drama. It is impossible to require actors to get low salaries for literary films.

Simon heard Docman’s question and shook his head slightly: "Linda has talked to Nicole for $3 million, plus an Oscar supporting actress."

Lynn Brecken must be the heroine in the Los Angeles Confidential. However, because there are not many scenes, it is okay to say that it is a female partner. The former Kim Basinger was the female lead and the female partner to get the little golden man, otherwise, sign up As for the heroine, it must be nothing.

Three million US dollars is acceptable.

However, before the filming started, he promised to give someone an Oscar for best actress, which is inevitably a little bit lighter.

What if you can't cash it out?

Elado Ichman thought so, and worried more about the back.

If it is Nicole Kidman's level of casting, let alone a budget of 30 or 40 million, 50 million US dollars may not be able to complete the shooting.

Such a black crime drama film, which is definitely not short in length and non-popular, costs 50 million US dollars. In addition to the announcement of 20 million US dollars, the global box office will have to reach 150 million to 200 million US dollars to pay back.

Frankly speaking, Elado Ichman has no confidence at all.

Maybe it's better to shoot black dahlias. After all, the copyright is in Daenerys's hands, and the reputation is much higher than the Los Angeles Secret, which makes it easier to succeed.

Simon ignored Docman’s concerns. He had a secret budget for Los Angeles, 35 million, which was comparable to the original. The main reason was that Nicole was actually the biggest brand in the movie, and the 3 million film pay was also the highest.

After discussing a few sentences, Parma also agreed with Nicole's casting, and Linda turned to the next one.

Simon went on to explain in person: "Jack Vincens seems to be a bad policeman on the surface, slick and sophisticated, seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages, and even mingled in the Los Angeles Police Department with a playful attitude, but he did not completely abandon himself as a police officer. Conscience, finally took the initiative to help two young people to find the truth, so they were killed. This is a very complicated person. I tend to play this role as Kevin Spacey. He had a very good performance in the Seven Deadly Sins. One very suspect won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor."

The former L.A. secrets, compared to the later black dahlias, the most successful is the role selection. The three male protagonists, two of which are at the Oscar level, successfully supported the movie.

For the role of the original Kevin Spacey, Simon is the same this time.

As for the incidents of Spacey in his memory, Simon can't manage so much. If you care about these, there are really not many people who can use Hollywood up and down. Kevin Spacey has just been picked out.Simon occasionally even thought that it would be better to find the Weinstein brothers who didn't know where they were at this time. After all, these were also a pair of talents, but thinking about the two brothers is too difficult to suppress, he gave up.

Except for Nicole, who was directly finalized by Simon, Simon did not make a decision on Kevin Spacey, but asked Palma and Docman to contact Spacey in person. If they are not satisfied, they will change it, and they can get It's okay to have an actor that satisfies Simon even more.

Next, Ed Exley, who once starred in Cappierre, and Russell Crowe, who was actually the first actor, starred in Budwright. Simon did not insist. Based on the original two actors, he also recommended several other alternatives. , The standard is that the pay is cheap and the acting is good enough. Novels|w~w~

Among them, Bud, who is struggling and irritable, has a cruel side. Simon mainly recommends Hugh Jackman this time.

The photo shoot will start next week. Last year, I struggled with one of the original priests starring Matthew McConaughey for a long time. Simon didn't think Matthew McConaughey was like a priest at all. Finally, I found one in Australia that satisfied Simon. The candidate is Hugh Jackman.

The gentleman Uncle Wolf got up and played a handsome and handsome priest, more than enough.

However, Uncle Wolf became violent. He was 1.9 meters tall and full of muscles. It was more than enough to play a Bud who happened to be like this in the original book.

Now Wolverine certainly has no shadow. Linda showed posters and footage of a TV series Blindfold, starring Hugh Jackman in Australia two years ago. In this series, Hugh Jackman starred as a prisoner with short hair, stubble and thorns. With tattoos, his eyes are gloomy and cold, and his shape can almost be used directly as Budwright.Compared to Russell Crowe, the temperament of being young and temperamental with childhood trauma is even more evident.

In addition, Matthew McConaughey has entered Ed Exley's candidate this time.

Elado Ichman began to think that Nicole Kidman was too expensive, and later, he felt that a group of candidate actors were too low. When Linda finished the introduction, he said again: "Simon, the role of Bud, I I think I can let Pete try, he is the first male protagonist after all," said Parma, and Docman added, "It's Brad Pitt."

Simon immediately shook his head: "Actually, I also considered that Pete's superman image is too deep. To change the audience's potential impression, a certain contrast must be formed, so I let him have an evolutionary face. If it is this movie, he is not suitable After all, Bud, who is positive, can try the role of Ed. The problem is that Ed is actually the third male protagonist, and he is not as important as Lynn, so Pete's position and salary are too high."

Deutschman said: "Pitt took the initiative to contact me several times. He has always hoped to be able to open up his own play outside of Superman. Remuneration is not a problem. Simon, it is better to let him try, Bud and Ed, take a look. effect."

Simon thought about it slightly, and said: "Spiegel's pay is 1.5 million US dollars. If Pete wants to play, whether it is Bud or Ed, the pay cannot exceed this number, otherwise it will be ignored."

Deutschman considered it a little, nodded and said, "It should be fine."

Simon smiled and said, "Then you'd better sign the contract before changing your face. I am very optimistic about changing your face."

If the new version of the face change performed by Brad Pitt in the summer file is successful, the actor would have broken through the shackles of Superman to a certain extent, and it would not be so easy to talk about the project.

Deutschman expressed his understanding.

Afterwards, several people discussed the details of the script and the preliminary preparations. Time again seemed to be insufficient, and it was noon in the blink of an eye.The key points that should be said have already been pointed out, and the rest are given to Deutschman and Parma. Simon only needs to finalize some key points.

Because the discussion was too involved, I left the meeting room and it was already 12 o'clock.

Simon casually invited Doitchman and Palma to lunch together, but only after going out did he realize that there was a pair of little sisters who were almost forgotten by himself and could only call them together.However, in order to avoid some topics from being heard by the two little girls, Simon still sent a girl to accompany them to another table, and sat with Parma and himself.

So until after lunch, while continuing to work in the afternoon, Simon asked Linda Vargas to arrange a small audition for Scarlett's sister Vanessa.

The results were terrible.

Compared to her sister, Vanessa is only better in appearance. In terms of performance, according to Linda's original words, it is similar to wood.

However, this is not a problem for Simon.

Acting is something that most people learn from the day after tomorrow. Hollywood stars, who dare to say that they have never attended an acting class at all, are very few.

Asked Linda to arrange an acting class for Vanessa, Simon also gave a small incentive, if the acting skills reach the standard by then, you can get Daenerys's comet to collide with a large area of ​​the earth and hit a female high school student. The role is that of the original Lily Soboski.

Ok.

Speaking of it, Lily Sobosky is more in line with Simon's aesthetic than Vanessa.

It is not hard to guess by the name.

I simply asked my casting director to look for it. The little girl was 14 years old this year and she was also a child star, but she was easy to find. So she arranged it and received it in the bowl in advance to avoid being picked up by others.

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