"Honey, I want to be honest with Jane about what's going on between us. I love you and I've never felt this way before, Susan."
"No, don't do that. I don't want to ruin your family, Jerry. As long as I can be with you all the time, I'll be satisfied."
"In this way, for this 'Longwei Boy', I will appoint you as the on-site coordinator of the crew. When I am not on the crew, you have to tell me everything that happens on the set."
"I will. This is like a dream to me. I never imagined that I would work for a man full of wisdom or in the film industry."
Jerry Weintraub and his secretary Susan Akins returned to Los Angeles from their weekend vacation in Palm Springs. The two sweet-talked in the office to finalize the next work arrangements for "The Dragon King"
.
"Mr. Weintraub, Ronald Lee and his agent will come to visit you in the morning. Their appointment time is coming soon." Susan's secretary position was replaced by the original front desk lady. She knocked
Knock on the door and come in to announce.
"Invite them in when they arrive."
After a while, Ronald and Niceta, who had just arrived in the office, were welcomed in by their secretary.
"Hi, Ronald," said Weintraub, who was in good spirits after a relaxing weekend, and took the initiative to hug Ronald.
"Honey, find some coffee." Weintraub turned around and asked red-haired Susan Akins to prepare the coffee, and then kissed Susan on the mouth.
Ronald noticed all this, and he and Weintraub chatted about the recent changes in the film industry. Susan brought a plate from outside with three cups of coffee on it.
"Ronald, Rick", Susan quickly served coffee to the two guests, followed by sugar cubes and milk for them to mix themselves.
"Jerry", when it came to the third cup, Susan added a cube of sugar to this cup, stirred it with a spoon, and handed it to Weintraub.
"I came today to ask Mr. Weintraub about the progress of the project. I have several young actor friends and a friend who is an expert in karate and Chinese martial arts. I would like to know if there is a chance to participate in 'Longwei'."
Kid’s project production.”
Ronald used the pretext he had discussed to make his request and inquire about the other party's progress.
"Actually, you just need to call me for this kind of thing." Weintraub was very satisfied with Ronald's respect for him. "I just appointed Susan as the on-site coordinator of the crew. For these things, you can do it next time."
Contact her directly for the first time. She will directly arrange auditions and your friend’s work.”
"Thank you, Mr. Weintraub. Thank you, Miss Akins." Ronald turned to look at Susan, an ordinary-looking secretary.
"So, how is the casting process going? When can we start filming?" Ronald looked back and continued to inquire about the news.
"We are a bit stuck on the choice of the protagonist." Weintraub also admitted to Ronald, the screenwriter, "Avelson has his own ideas about Master Miyagi, and in my opinion this casting is definitely not good."
"Oh, who is it?" Ronald heard that Avelson had made a choice for Master Miyagi, and wanted to know who it was.
"That's Arnold." Weintraub put down his coffee. "That Japanese actor who makes jokes in sitcoms. How can such a person play a karate master?"
"Which Arnold?" Ronald didn't understand. He looked at Niceta and shook his head when he saw him.
"That's the Japanese actor Pat Morita, who plays the supporting role of Arnold in the sitcom 'Happy Days'." Susan Akins knew that Weintraub was referring to the character's name and
It's not the actor's name, explained next to it.
Seeing that Ronald still didn't grasp his idea, Weintraub simply stood up, took a videotape and put it into the video recorder.
A short Japanese actor with a clean shaven chin and a mustache appeared on the TV. He spoke very articulately and introduced himself to the camera.
"My name is Pat. Pat Morita. Previously played Arnold in the sitcom "Happy Days"..."
"What do you think? Is he suitable to play Master Miyagi?"
Ronald thought for a moment, "There's nothing wrong with his appearance, and it fits the description in the script of not being amazing. But his lines are too American. Master Miyagi is a first-generation immigrant, so it's impossible for him to be like this."
His fluent English level does not fit the character's personality. I don't know if he can play..."
"That's right, that's the problem." Weintraub was very happy to hear that Ronald supported his idea.
"He is in a sitcom. Although Master Miyagi is humorous, he is not a clown? I don't know why Avelson insists on using him. But as long as I am the producer of this movie, I will never
Let him star in it."
Weintraub got chatting and talked to Ronald a lot about the crew's preparations. Avelson invited his old partners from "Rocky", the director of photography, and the assistant director to join the crew.
Several actors from the villain "Cobra" dojo who will fight against the protagonist Danny have also been confirmed, and they are all second-generation stars.
The most famous of them is the son of the late tough guy actor Steve McQueen and his first wife, Chad McQueen.
However, Master Miyagi's difficult childbirth left the two protagonists Danny and the main villain Ali's ex-boyfriend Johnny undecided because they needed to audition with Master Miyagi to determine whether there was a chemical reaction.
To be honest, Ronald didn't know why Avilson fell in love with Pat Morita. But experience told him that the director's observations are generally more reliable than those of the producer, let alone Avilson, who won the Oscar for Best Director. Maybe
What did he see that he didn't see, what qualities did Morita have?
But this cannot be said directly to Weintraub. Ronald still remembers Avelson himself saying that in order to convince producers, one must package their own ideas as if they came up with them themselves. Although Avilson handles it himself
It's not very good.
Ronald and Niceta stood up to leave after chatting for a while. Weintraub and Avelson had some conflicts over casting, but their relationship was relatively harmonious and did not reach the point where they could no longer work together.
For Jewish tycoons like Weintraub, Niceta believes that the best strategy is to make him think that you did not use any tricks to deceive him. Or simply play a bigger trick so that after deceiving him, he still thinks that what you said is true.
Logically speaking, cooperating with you is the right choice. So this time, Ronald did not mention the matter of replacing him.
The two of them returned to the CAA office a little disappointed. This matter still needs to be discussed in the long run. Depending on the stalemate over casting, there may be opportunities for improvement in the future.
"Ring ring ring ring..."
The phone rang, and Niceta grabbed the phone.
"Huh? Well... ok, he is in Los Angeles, he can..."
Niceta put down the phone and looked Ronald up and down, "When did you and Ned Tanin become good friends?"
"Who? Ned Tanin?"
Ronald was also surprised. He remembered that when he was filming "Fast-paced Richmond High School", he first embarrassed himself, and then supported himself in the struggle because of office politics. In the end, he remained neutral during the vote and had to
The former Global Vice President resigned.
"No? I haven't seen him for a long time."
"Anyway, he called and invited you to visit his new office. He said he wanted to talk to you about the new film and listen to your opinion."
"What does he want to see me for?" Ronald was puzzled. "Did there be any personnel changes in Bad Ball?"
The next day, Ronald and Niceta were invited to the Universal Studios.
After Ned Tanin left his position as Universal Vice President, he opened his own production company. His office was still a bungalow inside the Universal studio. It was when Ronald was filming "Fast Times" that
A few simple offices.
Ned Tanin was very enthusiastic about Ronald and took him around.
Ronald already knew the reason for Tanin's sudden enthusiasm for him. Yesterday, Universal announced the new president in charge of the film department, who was the original president of Columbia, Frank Price.
Although he failed in the battle with the Coca-Cola gang and was kicked out of Columbia Pictures, Frank Price's level is well known in the industry. He is the only senior executive of a production company who has personally read the script and can provide practical opinions.
.
Sidney Sheinberg, who secretly flirted with Spielberg and transferred "ET" from Colombia, has been promoted to CEO of the parent company MCA, and he knows this old rival very well.
Columbia's profits last year, including Price's 5% share of "E.T." alone, exceeded the sum of all other produced films. So after Price left his job, he was immediately poached.
Go to Universal and serve as president in charge of the film business.
As soon as Price took office, Ned Tanin immediately had to establish good relations with Universal because his production company and the distribution contracts for several upcoming films were in the hands of Universal.
From Price, Tanin heard Ronald Lee's name again. His new screenwriting project was approved in Columbia. Although he didn't know who could make a blockbuster movie, Frank Price
It's clear.
Tanin immediately called CAA and got to know Ronald first. Even if the two of them had no chance to cooperate for the time being, he was a young director that President Price was optimistic about. There was no harm in getting close to him and doing some social activities.
"This is the office of the first director I signed. Like you, he is also a screenwriter and used to work as a creative copywriter in an advertising company.
I was interested in his screenwriting skills, but he had never directed a movie independently. I didn't dare let him directly direct the movie he wanted to direct, so I asked him to practice on another exploitation film he had written that had more commercial potential.
Practice."
Tanin pushed them away, "John, are you there?"
"Please come in" a gentle voice came from the office.
Ronald followed him into the office and saw a fat screenwriter wearing a pair of big black-rimmed glasses. In his office, "Wham!'s hit song "Young" was playing.
People (young guns).
Seeing Taning come in, he quickly turned down the volume of the stereo.
"John, let me introduce to you, this is Ronald, he is also a young genius. You must have seen the movies directed by him..."
"Hello, I'm Ronald, screenwriter and director." Ronald went up and shook hands with John. This man looked about ten years older than him, but his behavior included playing music loudly in the office.
Music and mentality are as young as myself.
"Hello", John adjusted his glasses, "I am John Hughes. I am a film screenwriter and now I am a first-time director."