I am Hollywood

[Chapter 803: My Heart Will Go On]

Cameron saw Eric suddenly shift his gaze back to the screen and, with a mix of curiosity and apprehension, asked, "Eric, what do you think?"

Eric, pulling his mind back, nodded and replied, "A perfect piece of work, Jim, but I feel there's a small flaw in the film's ending."

Eric didn't raise the issue of the length of the film right away, which eased Cameron a bit. Cameron said, "Are you referring to the scene where Rose dreams of Titanic? If I remember correctly, you suggested adding that part, and I think it worked quite well."

"No, no, not that," Eric shook his head. "I'm talking about the ending theme. This instrumental piece is nice, but it feels a bit monotonous. Maybe substituting it with a song could improve it. When James was composing the score, did you discuss this possibility?"

The James Eric referenced was James Horner, the composer for Titanic.

He recalled that My Heart Will Go On was a collaborative piece by James Horner and another composer. Eric was unaware of how Cameron had collaborated with James Horner previously, but he had learned that during the making of Aliens in 1986, Cameron and Horner had a falling out over creative differences and their relationship had been strained ever since.

To keep Titanic's essence intact, Eric had personally invited James Horner to compose the film's score and had mediated between the two. Before the filming of Casino Royale began, the three of them had even had dinner together at Playa Vista.

Cameron shook his head at Eric's question, saying, "James did write a song inspired by the final scene called In My Dreams, but I felt the lyrics did not align well with the film's theme, so we decided to use the instrumental version, which is what we just heard as the ending theme."

Eric instructed the projectionist to replay the previous ending, probing Cameron for the lyrics. In the end, he could only shake his head in disappointment; the song simply did not hold a candle to My Heart Will Go On.

In truth, writing songs requires inspiration just like writing poetry or painting. Eric should have realized early on that although Titanic's core narrative could remain consistent under his influence, when it came to the ending theme, there was no way James Horner could recreate the exact inspiration he had from the original timeline under the flutter of Eric's butterfly effect.

The success of Titanic in the original timeline was attributed to the film's overall quality. However, while My Heart Will Go On hadn't reached the pinnacle of a perfect touch, it undeniably elevated Titanic. Eric was not going to let this opportunity slip away.

After a moment's thought, he said, "James shouldn't be too busy lately, right? I had some inspiration while watching the film earlier. If he could come to Italy, perhaps before the Venice Film Festival, we could collaborate on a great ending song."

Cameron loved the song Eric had previously put forward, New Divide, and had even watched the entire first Victoria's Secret Fashion Show tape. Hence, he had no doubt about Eric's ability to come up with an ending song for Titanic. However, he remarked, "Eric, if he were in Los Angeles that might be feasible, but it's unlikely James can come to Italy. He is currently working on the score for Edward Zwick's Legends of the Fall. Speaking of which, if you have some inspiration, why don't you create something yourself?"

Eric shrugged and replied, "You know what I've been up to lately. I might be able to come up with lyrics and melodies, but I can't spare time for the arrangement and recording."

Cameron said, "Eric, while James might not be able to come right away, as long as you can provide the lyrics and melody, Europe is vast, and we can surely find excellent musicians to help with the arrangements. Even if the result isn't perfect, the film isn't scheduled to release until the end of the year, so we have plenty of time to make adjustments, right?"

"In that case, the Venice Film Festival screening would probably be too rushed, wouldn't it?"

"Think of it as a surprise for the audience," Cameron said. "Of course, this only works if you write something truly excellent. Otherwise, I won't use it; I don't want a lousy song ruining the entire film."

By the end, Cameron's tone had turned critical as was his habit.

Eric narrowed his eyes and nodded slowly before stating, "Alright, let's talk about the film's length."

Cameron could easily tell that Eric was countering his previous remark, but he nearly jumped up, saying, "Hey, Eric, you're not that petty."

"Of course not, so..." Eric patted Cameron on the shoulder. Seeing him perk up with wide eyes, he stopped for a moment before taking a breath, saying, "I don't think we need to change a minute. Let's just release this version."

"Ha! I knew it!" Cameron instantly transformed his worry into joy, a tinge of smugness rising up as he nearly blurted something out, but he quickly refrained.

He had intended to say that since you approved this version, if it underperformed at the box office, it shouldn't all fall on him. But he quickly realized that saying such a thing would be quite irresponsible. Suppressing those thoughts, he raised his fist and gave Eric a light punch on the shoulder, saying, "Eric, I've been catching up on some Spider-Man comics recently and have some interesting ideas. If... you still want me to direct it, just let me know."

"Whatever happens, this project is yours; we agreed on that," Eric replied. "Or, I can have Los Angeles send over the contract tomorrow."

Cameron was always an open person. Reflecting on Eric's unwavering support since last year, he couldn't help but feel a strong sense of camaraderie. "Eric, I can only promise you I'll do my best."

Eric, not good at having deep conversations with a guy like him, tried to lighten the mood, saying, "It's still early; how about we head to the bar downstairs for a drink?"

Cameron quickly brushed aside his emotions, nodding casually, "Sure, but first, I need to personally deliver the copy to the bank vault. The copy we have is worth two hundred fifteen million dollars. If something goes wrong, we might end up wasting the last two years."

As they chatted, they both stood up and left the screening room.

...

Christina Aguilera had been on the set for a week. She arrived in Italy on August 1st, and the entire crew comprised over 200 fixed staff and actors, spreading across several different hotels. Since she joined the crew last minute, she wasn't placed in the same hotel as Eric but was a street away.

Christina had very few scenes in Venice. Her character, Angela Lynd, was kidnapped by a ghost gang, who threatened her sister Vesper Lynd to hand over a huge sum of money. Since she only had a brief moment tied to a chair to prove her sister was still alive to Vesper, she would be sent back to England shortly after, which meant she didn't even have lines, and nobody really had time to focus on her.

However, with her crew member badge, even though it was only a week, Eric had only had time to quickly say hello, and yet Christina could enter the film set every day to watch Eric direct from the sidelines.

After seeing Eric orchestrate the massive crew like a king, Christina felt more and more small, inevitably fostering a sense of admiration towards him.

Another day of shooting came to an end. In the evening, Christina and her assistant, Miliya, left the set early to find a restaurant, where they enjoyed dinner while discussing the recent gossip. Although Miliya was ten years older, she was quite the chatterbox, going on and on about, "I heard Pierce Brosnan got scolded by Mr. Williams again. Seems like he can't keep up with your sister's pace, and many media outlets in North America are still saying your sister isn't pretty enough. But I think when the film is released, many will be surprised. I wonder how Mr. Williams found such an actress; she hasn't even starred in a single Hollywood film."

Right before filming began, the announcement that Cate Blanchett was cast as the new Bond girl sent many media outlets into a frenzy. Most comments claimed that Cate Blanchett wasn't stunning enough to fill such a glamorous role. While Cate eventually garnered support due to her powerful professional photographs as a Bond girl, the tide of opinion largely suggested she was unsuitable.

However, during recent shoots, Cate's performance as Vesper Lynd was stealing the spotlight, often overshadowing Pierce Brosnan.

Surely, if this Bond girl were just another pretty face, Pierce Brosnan's charisma would remain unchallenged. But Vesper Lynd was a character with a striking personality, providing Cate an excellent platform to showcase her amazing skills.

This was still a James Bond film. Even though Eric hoped for Cate to shine, he couldn't allow her to completely overshadow Pierce Brosnan. So while he adjusted Pierce's performance, he, regrettably, had to reign in Cate's brilliance.

While the fact of the lead actor being upstaged was kept tightly under wraps, many knew it within the crew. As for the news reaching the media, most considered it part of the crew's promotional strategy, so it didn't receive much attention.

Christina absentmindedly fiddled with her spoon while eating ice cream. Listening to Miliya, she replied, "Miliya, could you stop saying 'my sister' like that? It sounds odd; I've only spoken a few words with Ms. Blanchett."

"Hey, I'm just trying to help you get into character," Miliya replied. "Just think about it; even Pierce Brosnan got scolded. If you don't perform well in the future, Mr. Williams probably won't go easy on you either."

Christina had memorized her thin script thoroughly and had gone over the lines with Miliya countless times. At this point, she could recite them effortlessly. With her years of experience from the Mickey Mouse Club, although she was worried about her performance, she didn't feel too anxious.

"Eric is a really nice person. I don't think he would scold me," Christina said somewhat uncertainly, indulging in the fantasies of a little girl.

Miliya, appearing a bit carefree, certainly wouldn't touch on certain sensitive subjects, like her employer's relationship with Eric Williams.

So when Christina mentioned Eric, Miliya kept quiet, but with her greater experience, she knew that most directors in Hollywood exhibited two different personas -- one on set and another in private.

No matter how gentlemanly they were away from the camera, once in directorial mode, these individuals often become strict and volatile. The more talented the director, the more intense they tended to be.

Eric might have been gentle with Christina in private, but if she performed poorly during filming, disrupting the crew's progress, receiving scolding would be a near certainty. According to Hollywood rumors, several years ago while filming Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts had been reprimanded multiple times by Eric Williams. There were even whispers that it had impacted her.

After a moment, Miliya changed the subject, saying, "Let's drop that; tomorrow, wake up early. I heard there's an explosion scene in the morning. That should be quite thrilling; I've never seen one."

As Christina was about to respond, a man in his thirties walked through the restaurant door. Both girls glanced over, vaguely remembering him as one of Eric's assistants.

Before they could react, he approached them. "Miss Aguilera, there you are. I've been looking for you."

Christina quickly stood up and asked, "Oh, is Eric looking for me?"

"Yes. Oh, let me introduce myself; I'm Peter Rich," he said, giving a brief introduction and greeting Miliya before adding, "Come with me; Mr. Williams is waiting for you."

"I, oh, okay," Christina wanted to ask what Eric needed her for, but seeing Peter already turning to leave, she dropped the thought and hurried after him.

Miliya quickly paid the bill, grabbed Christina's bag, which she had left on the seat, and followed.

*****

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