Arthur Smith's Hollywood Odyssey

In North Hollywood, Winona Ryder's agent, Jessica James, arranged to meet Arthur at a cafe.

"Regarding The Godfather Part III crew dropping Winona and choosing Coppola's daughter, the news is already out there," she said.

"The San Francisco Evening Post, Miami Herald, and Empire magazine, among others, have reported on it. However, in interviews we clearly stated it was due to her being unwell!"

Alright, the "unwell" Winona Ryder had gone straight to Ohio to shoot another film.

Arthur smiled, "Very well, but The Godfather Part III crew is in Italy, so it's not really big news!"

"Arthur, do you have any plans for your future?" Jessica James asked, her gaze burning intensely as she looked at Arthur Smith.

Now, she had no doubt Arthur's goal was to become a producer, and he was already fully involved in production work. Compared to his identity as an actor, Arthur Smith's role as a screenwriter and producer was much more prominent!

Moreover, with this connection to Winona Ryder, Jessica James wanted to grab Arthur. With CAA's capacity, they could make Arthur's production work much easier. ITA's scale only allowed them to handle minor issues for Arthur.

"I just registered a film company and declined offers from Castle Rock Entertainment and Columbia TriStar," Arthur said calmly, "What do you think my future holds?"

Jessica James naturally understood Arthur's thoughts, but that takes time. She wanted Arthur's youth for the next few years, so she asked straightforwardly, "Have you considered joining CAA? ITA's resources are nothing like CAA's!"

Arthur shrugged, "My contract with ITA expires in the middle of next year. It's too early to discuss this now. Besides, who knows, by then Tracey Jacobs might have been poached by you guys. After Edward Scissorhands releases, Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder will become very famous."

"Johnny Depp trusts Tracey Jacobs a lot, and he will definitely follow her if she leaves."

Most artists follow their agents when transferring, and even CAA's artist-sharing system can't stop artists from following their primary agents.

In the evening, Arthur met with director Jonathan Demme and Oscar-winner Jodie Foster at the Hilton Garden Inn on North Highland Avenue in Hollywood.

Especially Jodie Foster, as a Yale graduate and a talented woman in Hollywood, she had a great development arc, from a child star to an Oscar-winner.

However, a few years ago, she received some backlash because a fan, obsessed with her portrayal of a child prostitute in Taxi Driver, attempted to assassinate President Reagan to get her attention.

In the room, after Arthur Smith, Jonathan Demme, and Jodie Foster greeted each other, Arthur began, "The Silence of the Lambs will definitely start development this year, but it will be in the second half of the year. Orion only gave me $5 million, which is completely insufficient. I need to raise more money, and before that, I have to help Orion complete Sleeping with the Enemy."

Jonathan Demme nodded, "Can we really start filming this year, Arthur?"

Before coming here, Jodie Foster had proactively approached Jonathan Demme. Meg Ryan had explicitly declined long ago, and Michelle Pfeiffer also declined by demanding an unreasonable $2 million fee.

With Arthur's support and proven acting skills, Jonathan Demme had no reason to object to Jodie Foster.

Moreover, Jodie Foster wasn't an unknown actress. She's already an Oscar-winner willing to lower her fee for the role, which was something to be grateful for.

Arthur smiled, "I can, and I am confident about getting investment. Once Sleepless in Seattle is released, I believe it will attract attention from distributors and investors."

And having Jodie Foster on the crew adds even more attraction.

Jodie Foster asked, "Arthur, why did you call me here? Although I know some people, I can't pull in tens of millions of dollars in funding."

Jodie Foster was bright and knew Arthur Smith's intentions clearly.

Arthur shook his head, "I will handle the funding. However, I hope you two can help with some of the preliminary preparations. Like, choosing actors, especially for key roles like Hannibal and Buffalo Bill."

Jodie Foster smiled, "Previously, Jonathan's chosen actors were Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer, but both declined. Then, he approached Dustin Hoffman..."

After Jodie Foster finished, Jonathan Demme awkwardly smiled. It seemed lowering her fee for the lead role had completely convinced him.

"Jonathan, I have a candidate in mind. His acting career hasn't been very successful, but his skills fit your requirements. His name is Anthony Hopkins. He played a doctor in the 1980 drama The Elephant Man, which was impressive."

"He's British and hasn't had many opportunities in Hollywood recently, so he returned to London to perform in theater. You can talk to him," Arthur said, taking a sip of his wine.

"Gather the required actors within the next few months. I have started a film company, so we can directly allocate the budget. There's $1 million in the account, not enough for building sets, but enough for casting."

"Anthony Hopkins?" Jonathan Demme knew the name and smiled, "Orion didn't even want to list him as a candidate."

Arthur laughed, "Being a producer, I understand their concerns. They worry Anthony Hopkins doesn't have enough influence. But now, that's not a worry. We have Jodie Foster, and with her, everything will be simpler."

Jonathan Demme nodded, "My first choice was Michelle Pfeiffer because we worked together before, and I know her well. I also worried Jodie's fame was too big for the ambitious and savvy FBI agent Clarice Starling. It turns out I was wrong. After talking with Jodie, even screenwriter Ted Tally wanted her for the role."

Jodie Foster laughed, "I actually noticed The Silence of the Lambs a long time ago. When producer Dino De Laurentiis gave up on it, I was ready to buy the novel rights. But Gene Hackman bought them. I heard he wanted to direct and star, partnering with Orion. But before the script was done, he left the project.

Then, I heard Orion approached Jonathan Demme, so last year, I proactively recommended myself for the lead role. Orion told me Jonathan Demme's first choice was Michelle Pfeiffer, and Orion's was Meg Ryan."

Later, Meg Ryan directly refused the role, and Michelle Pfeiffer subtly declined.

Thus, The Silence of the Lambs fell into Arthur Smith's hands.

"Jodie, would you like to be one of the producers of The Silence of the Lambs, and help Jonathan Demme choose the cast?" Arthur invited. This was Arthur's purpose for calling Jodie Foster here tonight.

In terms of resources and connections, Jodie Foster's network was unmatched by Arthur!

Jodie Foster looked at Arthur, "So that's your goal. I agree, but you need to raise the filming funds quickly!"

Jonathan Demme was a small director, and Arthur Smith was a new producer. Adding Jodie Foster's name was more influential than both of them combined.

Whether for recruiting actors or other crew members, in the absence of sufficient funds, Jodie Foster's name was a guarantee!

"I will," Arthur said, standing up to shake Jodie's hand. Jodie Foster, although only 28 this year, had over 20 years of Hollywood experience.

She had won another Oscar last year, and she only charged $1.2 million to star in The Silence of the Lambs.

Even if she didn't have widespread public appeal, she was unquestionably a top-tier actress. Her normal fee would be $2.5 to $3 million.

However, she liked The Silence of the Lambs story, knew it was tough to attract investment, and agreed to join at a lower fee, which was a good thing.

Arthur decided to pay Jodie Foster a bit more as a producer, combining her acting fee and producer salary to $1.5 million!

For a new producer, earning $300,000 for first project was not bad. Arthur had earned $250,000 for producing and acting in Sleepless in Seattle.

Although his script for Sleepless in Seattle fetched a high $500,000, it had conditions attached. If not met, the fee wouldn't be paid.

*****

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