When I saw John G. Ivelson again, he put on a white Polo shirt, light gray trousers, and patterned soft-soled shoes. He was dressed like he was going to the golf course, which made him look more elegant.
.
"I heard you want to see me?" Avelson was leaning on the sofa in the cafe, looking very relaxed.
"A cup of coffee," Avelson turned to the beautiful waiter and said, "Hey, today is my lucky day to meet such a beautiful girl, Laura, right?"
Avilson was still the same as before. When he saw the name on the nameplate on the waiter's chest, he started teasing the beauty.
"Weintraub wants me to take over 'The Kid'. I want to know if you have already made a decision, John. I don't want to be the kind of substitute who watches the crew and is ready to come on at any time." Ronald also
He took a sip of coffee and nodded to the handsome old guy Avelson.
Avelson and the beauty smiled, then turned back to Ronald and said, "I am indeed ready to give up this project. Weintraub dislikes Pat Morita very much, and I can't convince him, so I have to leave this project.
I actually like the story you wrote. It is a warm story, full of humanistic care for the people at the bottom, the weak defeats the strong, the lonely old man educates the fake son, and he himself is comforted.
pity……"
"Besides, are there any other reasons why you gave up directing?" Ronald was relieved. He could direct the script he wrote. It was another medium-sized production with a budget of "up to" 8 million, and he said
It was impossible not to be moved. But his curiosity still made him ask one more question.
"I made a fatal mistake. I flirted with Weintraub's secretary, Susan. I didn't expect that Weintraub would come for real this time. It wasn't just a casual play with Susan. She might want to start a family with him."
"Hey? Isn't his wife the singer Jane Morgan?"
"I don't know about that," Avelson shrugged, "You are a good screenwriter, and Ronald... is also a handsome guy. You have to learn from my lesson. This is not the first time that I have lost a good project because of my talk.
Already."
"Huh?" Ronald was surprised.
"In show business, a lot of times, people are complicated. The people you meet who come into the project, probably everyone has a different background. In 1977, I was originally the star of Travolta's 'Saturday Night Fever'
''s director.
But one day I asked one of my assistants on the set out on a date, and you know I was single at the time.
Who knew she was actually the producer, the owner of RKO Records, and the girlfriend of Robert Sternwood’s boyfriend.
Boom! All the casting, sets, and rehearsals I had done were gone. The only legacy I left behind from that movie was the colorfully lit floor in the disco where Travolta danced."
"Just a date?" Ronald knew Sternwood and had written for him the sequels to "Grease" and "Saturday Night Fever."
"Just a date." Avelson nodded.
"Fuxk", Ronald cursed secretly, "This is all a mess. The boss's boyfriend's girlfriend lost his job after just one date. And he didn't know what Avelson meant when they went on the date.
There are many such ignorant people in the film industry, but they have achieved great success.
"But your choice this time...Master Miyagi..." Ronald was half-convinced by Avelson's judgment about the reason for his dismissal. Weintraub did have an abnormal relationship with Susan, but he said it was because of his teasing.
Fire the director in just two sentences... Moreover, Weintraub also gave a solution, as long as Avelson agrees to replace Master Miyagi with someone else.
"Of course, I also have other choices. But Pat Morita is indeed the best candidate to play this role. After you take over the director's job, I suggest you meet Morita first to know that what I am telling you is not a lie."
Avelson was very free and easy, and even recommended actors he saw to Ronald.
"Oh, can you tell me why?" Ronald's curiosity arose again.
"Morita was recommended to me by a friend of mine. I had a conversation with him and he told me some of his childhood experiences. After listening to it, I felt that the role of Master Miyagi must be his."
Avelson changed into a comfortable position and continued to explain to Ronald.
"Morita has a sense of humor, explosive acting skills, and can perform in daytime sitcoms. As for the character you portray as Master Miyagi, you need an actor who understands both American culture and Japanese culture and history.
And... Pat Morita himself was imprisoned in a concentration camp as a child. When World War II broke out, he happened to be in middle school and grew up in a concentration camp. He had first-hand experience with this period of history, so that he could play the lonely old man.
The pain of Japanese veterans.
Valley mystery
And he has no resentment towards that period of history, because he was still a child at the time, so he would not film that memory as hatred, but as guilt.
So he was able to express Master Miyagi's love for Danny very well, and it felt real without having to act. Then he could project this feeling onto Danny, who is in a single-parent family and lacks fatherly love, so that he can act out the father-son relationship between the two.
.
And your script is actually about family relationships and the relationship between father and son. It is not about fighting or martial arts, nor is it a game for children to pick up girls."
"Really? I seem to have just written a composition." Ronald thought for a moment.
Avelson actually makes a lot of sense. Ronald did not write this script directly in the style of an exploitation film. The love between Danny and Ally only accounts for a very small part.
As for the story of Danny learning karate, Ronald tried to make it as popular and philosophical as possible, and did not put too much emphasis on the fight itself.
As for the relationship between father and son...
Ronald was silent. Maybe it was because he didn't have a father figure in his memory in this life, so maybe... maybe... he subconsciously projected his regrets onto Danny, right?
"So, which new project will you go to?"
Avelson smiled and said, "I may return to the 'Rocky' series and work with Stallone again."
"Oh, who will Rocky fight this time?" Ronald asked. In each episode of Rocky, the contestants are different. This is also a topic that the people of America talk about.
"This time it's against the Suville Alliance boxing champion." Avelson had a smile on his face.
After Avelson directed the first "Rocky" and won the Oscar for Best Director, he was unwilling to direct the sequel due to some ridiculous vanity.
Stallone repeatedly requested and even wrote an affectionate handwritten letter asking him to come out, but he still refused to direct his favorite niche art film.
After that, Avilson had no Oscar-nominated achievements, and when he thought about rejecting Stallone afterwards, he regretted it. There is a sequel to "Rocky" that can be made, and he should definitely make it. After the filming is completed, he can make the art movie he wants to make.
Maybe we can even get Stallone to invest.
Fortunately, the two films directed by Stallone, "Rocky 3" and "Father of the Dragon", were both rated very low by critics. Two Chicago film critics, Albert and Sisko, gave both films "very low marks".
Got the lowest score.
Stallone suddenly felt that his ability as a director was being questioned, and he also began to doubt himself. Through CAA's agent, he re-invited Avelson for an interview.
The two put aside their past grievances and began to work together to prepare for "Rocky 4". They also talked about the sequel to "First Blood".
However, it seems that Stallone has no favorable opinion of this young writer-director Ronald. His first drafts of the scripts of "Dragon Dance" and "Rambo 2" were criticized a lot by Stallone.
In short, this time Stallone wants to take advantage of the tense relations between the United States and the Soviet Union, and the general will launch an offensive against the Soviet Union. At the juncture when the people of the country begin to regain confidence in the victory of the Cold War, he is preparing to write the sequel to Rocky and the Soviet Union Heavyweight Boxing Champion.
of war.
When Rocky wears American flag shorts and fights Suwei soldiers, it will be exciting just thinking about it.
"Mr. Avelson, you also said that Pat Morita is the best candidate to play Master Miyagi. So how did you originally plan to convince Weintraub?"
"I haven't figured out a way yet. These producers are very stubborn about their own ideas. You have to find ways to make them think it's their own idea before they can change their minds." Avelson actually admires Ronald.
The story he wrote about a small character's counterattack is very much to his taste.
"I have no clue at all." Ronald frowned. Now the obstacle to becoming a director has been removed, but he encountered such a big problem from the beginning.
"Hahaha, now that problem is your trouble." Avelson laughed and took a sip of coffee.
"Haha, that's right." Ronald thought well. Now that he has taken over the director's position, Avelson no longer has the obligation to help him with ideas.
"To give you a hint, you should know Coppola. He also encountered similar troubles when he was filming 'The Godfather'. You should ask him."
"The Godfather? Coppola?" Ronald silently remembered it in his mind.