Arthur Smith's Hollywood Odyssey

Amid the chaotic international situation, the United States deployed troops to Panama, overthrowing the regime and further securing the absolute interests of the canal.

Now, with the dramatic changes in Eastern European regimes, there are events like German reunification, the Gulf War, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the US-Soviet power struggle leading to American global dominance.

Arthur, of course, did not concern himself with these matters. However, he did have some interest in German reunification.

Even though Europe currently has film support policies and tax rebate guarantees, after German reunification, Germany would increase the support funds for cultural entertainment, especially with tax-free investments in film.

Independent filmmakers like Arthur had long looked forward to this!

In Beverly Hills, Arthur deliberately stopped when passing by the Wilshire Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard.

Pretty Woman resumed filming after replacing the injured lead actor, Richard Gere!

Arthur pondered, "Richard Gere was incapacitated by me and made the news back then. Should I pretend to be a fan and visit him at the hospital?"

He then shook his head and headed straight to the nearby Beverly Hilton Hotel, the venue for the Golden Globe Awards!

"Arthur, you're here?" Tracy Jacobs led Arthur to the hotel's cafe.

"You mentioned that someone from Miramax wanted to meet me?"

It was definitely about the Scream script. After all, Arthur had previously refused to sell this script.

Tracy Jacobs nodded, "The Weinstein brothers are very interested in your Scream script and want to talk to you in person!"

"Harvey Weinstein and Bob Weinstein, right?" Arthur was not surprised and rather curious, "This is where the Golden Globe Awards ceremony is being held tonight, isn't it?"

"Yes, several of Miramax's films released last year received good reviews," Tracy Jacobs said, standing up as a plump man walked over energetically.

"Mr. Weinstein," Tracy Jacobs stood up to greet, "this is Arthur Smith!"

"Good evening, Mr. Weinstein," Arthur shook his hand, "Congratulations, Miramax's My Left Foot, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, and Cinema Paradiso were successful both at the box office and artistically last year!"

Miramax, which had been around for ten years, had a breakthrough year after surviving on low-grade erotic films. Last year, they acquired two high-art-value films from abroad, Cinema Paradiso and My Left Foot, both earning over ten million dollars at the North American box office. Furthermore, the B-grade film Sex, Lies, and Videotape, produced for $1.2 million, grossed over $24 million!

These three films received numerous Golden Globe nominations; similarly, the Oscars in late March might yield significant results for them. Miramax was on the rise!

Upon hearing Arthur's praise, Harvey Weinstein simply smiled, "Arthur, I invited you over for a simple reason: to support you in developing the Scream project. You'll be the producer, and Miramax will handle the investment and distribution!"

It was indeed about Scream, but this was a project Arthur reserved for his own Galaxy Films, as it was a horror-comedy with low investment requirements.

"Sorry, Mr. Weinstein, I'm really busy right now and don't have time to prepare for the Scream project," Arthur shook his head.

"No rush, the price for the script will definitely satisfy you. Think about it," Harvey Weinstein stood up, giving a special look at Tracy Jacobs, signaling her to persuade Arthur.

Harvey Weinstein came and went quickly, not taking Arthur, a small figure, to heart.

Watching Harvey Weinstein leave, Arthur smiled, took a sip of coffee, and said, "Indeed, Miramax made a name for itself with last year's achievements!"

Harvey Weinstein seemed to be moving towards earning the title "King of Independent Films"; however, with Arthur around, it was destined that Miramax wouldn't achieve its past life's glory. The Scream series was originally Dimension Films' flagship product!

"Arthur, you should have agreed. Do you know how successful Sex, Lies, and Videotape was last year?" Tracy Jacobs anxiously explained,

"It was directed by 26-year-old newcomer Steven Soderbergh. The script was adapted in two weeks, shot in one week, and edited in one month. The entire film, from creation to completion, took less than two months and only cost $1.2 million. It made a splash at the Sundance Film Festival early last year and won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. In the latter half of the year, it earned a $24.5 million box office in North America!"

Arthur looked at Tracy Jacobs, "What are you trying to say?"

Tracy shrugged, "I'm saying that Miramax has some creative marketing ideas, especially for low-budget films!"

Steven Soderbergh's debut winning the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival certainly testified to his ability, but Harvey Weinstein's PR skills undoubtedly played a role as well.

"You're trying to say Harvey Weinstein has good taste, and his interest in Scream might mean it has potential, right?" Arthur said as he stood up, "Don't worry. American Pie, being filmed by Universal, will be released in late April. Just wait for the box office results. That American Pie is a teen sex comedy, while Scream is a teen horror comedy, which is somewhat similar!"

They are similar, but one is focused on sex while the other is focused on horror.

"Since Galaxy Films is established, help me rent an office in North Hollywood as soon as possible. I plan to develop Scream myself. As long as the film Sleeping with the Enemy, which I am producing for Orion, satisfies them, Orion will definitely regard me differently, and negotiating film distribution with them will be easier!"

Tracy Jacobs had already registered Galaxy Film Productions for Arthur, located in tax-exempt Delaware.

Galaxy Films was currently just an empty shell. However, Arthur planned to set it up quickly. He had now earned a $250,000 paycheck for Sleepless in Seattle, bringing his net worth to $600,000.

When Sleepless in Seattle released in the summer, there would be another $500,000 from the script and bonus royalties from high box office earnings, bringing in at least a million dollars!

"When do you need the office?" Tracy Jacobs knew she couldn't persuade Arthur and chose to cooperate.

Arthur thought for a bit and replied, "Get it done within two months. Sleeping with the Enemy will definitely start shooting by then..."

*****

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