At JFK Airport in New York, as soon as Diane Lane came out of the boarding gate, she saw Ronald waiting for him at the door.
"Ronald!" When Diane saw Ronald, she immediately ran over, her eyes shining, and she quickly pulled his arm.
"Are you tired? I've booked a room at the Peninsula Hotel for you. You can stay there or in my new apartment if you want."
"I made an agreement with Donna to stay at her place and leave it alone."
"Haha, that's fine, she lives in the old apartment above the leg warmer store in Midtown now."
After putting the luggage in Ronald's car, Diane got in happily, "Why did you let me come to the premiere with you? What is the story of this movie? Is it good?"
"A story about the last emperor of China. He became emperor at the age of three. He was restored to power several times, then abdicated, and finally became an ordinary citizen."
Ronald talked about the story of "The Last Emperor" with Diane. For this premiere, Ronald had to find a female companion to go with him to show that he valued her. After all, there was a deputy minister attending.
Helen Slater, who was originally in New York, was busy raising funds for her new film. Ronald was late for the appointment and she had already gone to New Jersey to find a potential investor.
It happened that Diane was very free recently, so Ronald called her back from Los Angeles with a phone call and asked her to stay with him for a few days.
Diane has been in bad luck recently. The new film "The Running Man" starring her and Schwarzenegger, after more than half a year of reshoots and editing by the director, was finally cut into a movie.
The complete film was released to the audience last week.
This action film was criticized by film critics as a big-budget commercial film using the camera and lighting of a live TV talk show.
Director Paul Michael Glaser is generally regarded as a poor choice. He can only make TV series, not movies. He made the now popular action star Schwarzenegger into a silly TV guest.
Diane Lane, the former young beauty, became the background audience of the TV station.
The distributor, TriStar Pictures, gave up completely after seeing the finished film. The $27 million big production didn't even have a decent premiere. It was screened in more than 1,600 theaters during the first weekend, and in the end it only took in $8 million.
The average box office of the theater is not as good as "Fatal Attraction" which has been in theaters for ten weeks, and only just surpasses Disney's re-release of the 1950 animated film "Cinderella".
Diane had been depressed at home for a long time. She didn't know what was going on. It seemed that after starring in three of Coppola's movies, she had exhausted all her good luck. Every movie she made was a hit at the box office.
She was very happy to receive Ronald's phone invitation. She immediately packed her clothes, bought a plane ticket and flew over.
When they arrived at Donna's apartment, Ronald still had the key. When he entered, he found that Donna was there.
"Hey, Diane, why are you here?" Donna happily hugged Diane and left Ronald aside.
"I'm here to attend the premiere of a foreign movie with Ronnie."
"Okay, okay, what good clothes have you prepared?" Donna took her best friend's box and opened it.
Bang..., a bunch of clothes fell out of it, and they were already wrinkled. Diane was busy catching a flight, so she didn't arrange the clothes, so she just put them in, closed the box and came back.
"You are too anxious. I have actually prepared a flight ticket for the evening. You can come here with my agent Richard." Ronald smiled and helped her close the messy box.
"I have prepared two sets of dresses, one from Yves Saint Laurent and one from Armani. You can try them on later."
"Okay, I'll go with you." Donna was happy for her best friends. Regardless of the research she was doing on the computer, she put on her coat and went to Fifth Avenue with them.
Giving up the back seat to his sister and Diane, Ronald sat in the passenger seat, picked up the car phone, and started to contact the specialty store and dinner.
When we arrived at the building where the apartment on Fifth Avenue was located, in the boutique on the ground floor, Diane picked out a YSL Yves Saint Laurent outfit, which made her look a bit dashing.
The three of them went to the Japanese restaurant next to them and ate tuna specially flown in by air, as well as tempura made by a Japanese master chef flown in as well.
"Help Diane, she can't get good scripts now." During the middle of the meal, Diane went to the bathroom, and Donna said quietly to Ronald.
"It's strange. Diane is very beautiful, photogenic, and has acting skills. But in recent years, she seems to have been unlucky. No matter what she shoots, she doesn't sell well. She has fallen into a vicious circle. The less popular she is, the worse she is.
If you don’t receive good scripts, and the less good scripts you have, it will become box office poison.”
Ronald didn't know what was going on. Maybe stars, especially actresses, are a bit lucky. He also helped Diane find several opportunities, but the result was also a strange combination of circumstances. There was always no one that made her happy.
Successful works.
"Ask your agent, they are the professionals. I think your agent's client development is very good. Tom Cruise is considered a big star now, and Diane's acting skills are better than his.
You should have been strong when you first debuted..."
"That's right..." Ronald patted Donna's shoulder gently to express his gratitude. He really didn't think about it from this aspect. Diane's agent didn't seem to be very good. Now that he is very busy, he sometimes forgets
To take care of Diane.
Instead of using your own connections to find a good role for Diane, it would be better to find a good agent for her.
"What are you talking about?" Diane came back.
"We're talking about your new clothes," Donna smiled happily.
…
"Richard, why don't you think Diane can get good roles?" In the evening, her agent Richard also arrived in New York, and Ronald chatted with him in detail in the bar below the apartment.
"She had bad luck. At the most critical moment, she went with the wrong director, and three consecutive films failed at the box office, so she was put in another book." Richard was very familiar with the situation of these stars and immediately gave the answer.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! On the one hand, roles for young beauties in Hollywood are very scarce, and the competition for female stars of this age is too fierce. Good movies with such young female characters may be released every year
There are more than 20 movies, but the actresses have been focusing on these roles from the age of 16 to 35.
On the other hand, Diane's agent did not have a good long-term plan for her. Diane Lane was a child star, and she did not have a breakthrough female role after that. Therefore, her salary was very low. When she was most popular,
, one movie can only earn less than 300,000 yuan.
Therefore, the agent cannot regard Diane as a key client, but recommends roles to her in movies that pay more. Diane is also more pursuing acting skills, and she will take some obvious bad movies.
Don't take over.
After going back and forth, in the end, the agent at William Morris seemed to have lost hope in Diane and was not very interested in her career. And because he felt that the agent was not good enough, he changed jobs within William Morris, and again
It is a very taboo behavior, so the opportunities that Diane got were not ideal in terms of quality and quantity.
"That's it, can you take over her agency contract?"
Ronald looked at Richard. Anyway, he didn't have any suitable actor clients now, so it wouldn't be troublesome to help look after Diane.
"Are you sure you want me to take over? I thought you wouldn't let me represent the woman around you." Richard said bluntly to Ronald.
"Why?" Ronald didn't understand.
"I am your principal agent, what if Diane's interests conflict with yours?" Richard asked.
"How could there be a conflict?" Ronald was even more confused.
"Let me give you an analogy, if you have a movie and you need an actress to be the protagonist. Let's say it's Diane. She wants to play. As her agent, I need to fight for her. But she may not be qualified for this role.
It’s not the most suitable...do you remember what happened with Paula back then?"
Ronald listened carefully for a while and understood what Richard meant.
In fact, it's very simple. As Ronald's agent, Richard has a certain influence on him. If he only serves Ronald as a client, then in the end he must be working hard for the greatest success of the movie.
If there are other actor clients, then for the actor's greatest success, even if they are not the most suitable person for the movie, they will try their best to recommend them.
Taking into account the interests of both Diane and Ronald may lead to an outcome in which no one achieves the best outcome in the end.
Ronald nodded, just like Paula Wagner, another agent of his back then, she must prioritize the best interests of both Tom Cruise and herself.
For the same reason, his other agent, Rick Niceta, is actually not suitable to be Diane's main agent.
"Does CAA have a suitable person who can take over her contract? I am willing to endorse Diane, she definitely has potential."
"Why do you choose the distant place over the near?" Richard smiled, "Isn't there a very suitable candidate for you?"
"Who?"
"We were talking about her just now."
"Paula?" Ronald touched his chin. This answer was unexpected but also reasonable.
At that time, she had a conflict of interest between herself and Tom Cruise, but now she is no longer her agent, and after so many years, Paula can be said to have been very dedicated to Cruise's career and helped him develop his career.
Take care of things properly and move forward step by step.
"Paula Wagner is best at planning a star's long-term career. It's not that the current movie has the highest salary or she can get the highest commission, but that she finds the option that's most beneficial to the actor's long-term development.
If you are worried that she spends too much time on Tom Cruise, then just find an assistant agent for Diane who is usually busy with her affairs. In fact, Paula only needs to grasp the overall direction. CAA has signed multiple agents anyway
system.”
Richard finished the wine in his glass and slowly analyzed it.
Ronald appreciates it very much. This is tantamount to pushing the ready-made commissions to the outside world. Richard, the agent, has abilities and connections. Secondly, Ronald’s interests are put first in everything. In this industry,
Here, Ronald felt very rare.
"Thank you, Richard. Our contract will be renewed soon. I think everything will remain unchanged." Ronald released his promise to renew the contract.
"May we keep going..." Richard ordered another martini and toasted to Ronald.
…
The next day, through Niceta, Ronald found Paula Wagner on the set of "Cocktail" in Jamaica and expressed his hopes to Paula.
Paula Wagner was very happy. She lost Ronald, a big client. After focusing on Cruise, although her career and income increased rapidly, she lost a client of a big director, although she was still a client of her husband Niceta.
, but for her who is so strong, she is always a little disappointed.
Now Ronald has contacted her again and asked her to help represent his girlfriend Diane. This is a dream arrangement for her.
"I've actually wanted to say it for a long time. Diane's agent really doesn't know how to market Diane. She is the most 'ordinary' star in America. Anyone who sees her will think that Diane is their friend.
.”
"Then how do you plan to arrange her career?" Ronald asked.
"The competition for blockbusters is very fierce now. Even with your face, it will be difficult for Diane to rise to the top in one step. If you are willing to tailor-make a movie for her, let's talk about it."
"You have to find a suitable script. I can watch it slowly."
"The best way is to let her start with independent productions that are very popular now. Or TV station miniseries or TV movies. Those are different from ordinary TV series. They are shot in a movie way, which is very important for Diane's acting skills.
It’s a bonus.”
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Since Ronald's "Dirty Dancing" produced a box office success, many small and medium-sized studios, as well as Wall Street capital, have also begun to try this kind of production.
Way.
"Okay, it's you. I'll ask Diane to come to you." Ronald understood what Paula meant. TV movies, TV miniseries, and TV series are all well-made compared to TV series. Diane's acting skills can be used.
You can also build a wave of familiarity among the TV audience.
"I think it's best for me to come to her. This is better." Paula Wagner had already made up her mind to package Diane well. Ronald recommended her, and she took the initiative to approach her to represent her and deal with Diane.
Ann Lane's perception is very different.
When Diane was at a low ebb, a well-known agent took the initiative to come forward and it was a good repair to her confidence.
…
"Diane, this is the court." Outside Hall 1 of the Twin Theater, Ronald and Diane, wearing a new Saint Laurent dress, appeared together at the New York premiere of "The Last Emperor."
"Aha, hello, Diane, long time no see." Chao Li and Diane acted together in "Monsters in Chinatown". Although the movie did not do well at the box office, the relationship between the two was good.
"Let me introduce to you, this is John Long, who plays the adult last emperor. This is Joan Chen, who plays the queen. She is from China. She has acted in Director Xie's movies before." Chaoli is very fond of Chinese actors.
familiar.
"Hello, hello, hello." Ronald shook hands with several Chinese actors.
The two protagonists came to the premiere and were very excited. John Long was wearing a black suit. He is a very exquisite actor who has the best of both the East and the West. Joan Chen's English is a bit waxy like Xujiahui's Xiao Long Bao. She
He is a very typical Chinese person.
The two leading actors were both excited and a little worried. They knew that Ronald was the director of several blockbuster films. They were a little surprised that such a big shot came to the premiere of this foreign film, and their confidence in the film increased.
a lot of.
The worry is that except for Ronald and his beautiful female companion, no other insiders will attend the premiere.
There were only a few celebrities from New York in the audience to join in the fun. They were all the so-called "celebrities" who would go wherever there were reporters and come when they had the chance to appear.
"Hi, Ronald, I love your movie." For example, this black model who was posted to insert herself into a few people's circles, Grace Jones is a typical celebrity.
Her skin is very dark, unlike black people in America. Her skin color is not that dark anymore and is more shiny. She is a black from Jamaica and immigrated to New York when she was a teenager. She is different from all native blacks.
Grace Jones has a very square face, her skin is like black coal, and she wears weird clothes. But now the fashion industry recognizes her and says she is a real black African. In order to correct racial equality, she has been given many opportunities.
Ronald was really overwhelmed by what he saw. This black charcoal star was very different from his own aesthetic. After a few perfunctory words, he and Diane walked inside.
"Hey, I want to say a few more words to Director Ronald," Joan Chen looked helpless.
"What do you want to do? Don't forget that we are already married. If you have any ideas, let me arrange it for you. I am your agent." A man, standing behind Joan Chen, was very excited when he saw this scene.
Worried look.
"I'll go in first." John Long also rolled his eyes. Joan's husband and agent was very annoying. It seemed like everyone wanted to seduce his wife. He would follow behind him in everything to keep an eye on his wife.
"Jimmy, what are you talking about? I'm here to expand social relationships. How can I find suitable opportunities like this?" Joan Chen was so angry that after so many years in America, it was hard for a movie to reach mainstream theaters.
Although her husband, Jimmy Lau, was a great help to her when she first came here, it is now becoming more and more difficult for her to breathe.
"If you want a better opportunity, I can help you. I'm your agent." The husband and agent named Jimmy was still arguing.
"Okay, okay, I'm going to Hong Kong..." Joan Chen waved his hands angrily. She couldn't find any agent or role, so she could only hold herself back.
"Let me introduce to you, this is the British Minister of the Ministry of Culture." Chaoli continued to lead Ronald and Diane to the No. 1 screening room.
"Hello, nice to meet you, Mr. Minister." Ronald took the initiative to reach out and shake hands with a tall man with an elegant face.
"Hello, I have admired you for a long time. Director Xie from Xujiahui spoke very highly of you." Minister Ying spoke with a standard London accent and was very fluent in English. He was talking to the people Ronald met in China.
English with a Chinese accent is very different.
"Director Xie told me that he likes your movies very much. I also want to get to know you. I heard that you also know our Tang poetry?"
"Hahaha, I learned a bit when I was in college. There are close friends in the sea, and there are neighbors in the world..." Ronald dropped a sentence.
"Ah... that's right, that's right. The actors and directors from China and the United States also admire each other. We are neighbors even though we are worlds apart..."
Minister Ying admired Ronald's Chinese studies very much and pulled him to sit next to him.
"I came here not only for the premiere of this important co-production film after the reform and opening up, but also for exchanges..."
Ronald listened for a while and felt sleepy.
"Please enjoy the movie first, and we will talk about your views on the movie later."
"He's an actor in The Last Emperor?" Ronald Wenchaoli.
"Yes, he plays the prison administrator of the last emperor, which is a very important role." Chaoli replied, "Now that I am an official, sometimes I can't help myself." After finishing speaking, Chaoli turned to the back of a man wearing glasses.
The Chinese who looked a little reserved pursed his lips and winked secretly at Ronald.
This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading! Ronald took a look and realized that this person who did not look like an actor might be from the delegation? He smiled at the delegation member.
Chaoli smiled. He knew that Ronald didn’t understand and didn’t know the role of this person. So he talked to him about Minister Ying’s strength, “Old Ying is a real sibling of the last emperor, and he is of Manchu origin. His English is very good.
Well, I can act in Shakespeare plays, and I once filmed the role of Kublai Khan in the TV series 'Marco Polo' produced by Italian TV2."
"Really?" Ronald looked at this tall and thin man, and somehow he connected it with Kublai Khan, the Great Khan in history.
"Really, he is very versatile. He also translated America's play 'Death of a Salesman', which was released in China. His father is a translator as famous as Qian Zhongshu."
"Oh, you really can't tell."
While Ronald and Chao Li were chatting, the lights in the cinema began to dim. A red oriental seal appeared on the screen.
A burst of nice music sounded, as if the early sunshine had playfully entered the room, and the rhythm of the drums had an oriental charm.
The opening scene is that the last emperor was arrested and began to recall his life in the interrogation room. When the Queen Mother, who had ruled China for decades, was about to die, at the age of three, he was found in the Forbidden City and determined to be the next one.
emperor.
"Is this the format of an epic film?" Ronald looked at the texture of the image at the beginning and had an understanding of the film. Director Bertolucci seemed very ambitious.
Ronald had a good impression of this movie that could compete with "Lawrence of Arabia". This kind of epic film is not easy to make, and it is a great test for the director and actors.
"Duang! Duang..." Several monks in red cassocks beat gongs and performed rituals when the Queen Mother passed away in the Forbidden City.
"Pfft..." Ronald almost laughed. Italians have many strange interpretations of China. From Ronald's understanding, China would not hold funerals like this. Although in terms of art,
, this treatment may make American audiences buy it.
The whole movie involves the life of the last emperor. In the end, when he was already very old, he returned to the palace where he ascended the throne as a child. From under the dragon throne, he took out the crickets he had hidden there when he was a child and showed them to the children next to him. Outside
People are already tourists who come to visit the Forbidden City under the guidance of tour guides holding small flags.
"Wow, wow, wow..." Ronald began to applaud. The standard of this movie is very high, and it was shot smoothly. Although there are many places that are not in line with the facts and Chinese customs, this is how commercial movies are handled for the sake of box office. Ronald
That's understandable too.
In particular, the actors in it are all very good. The old beggar who is a bannerman is particularly outstanding. He only has a short scene, but it is impressive. There is also a soldier watching the city gate, which is also very interesting.
It smelled like a general.
"What does Director Luo think of this movie? Our support for co-productions is very strong. Spielberg's co-production in Xujiahui will be released next month. Director Luo can also come to China if he has the opportunity.
Filming in China." Minister Ying came to chat with Ronald again.
"Of course, I will definitely go if I have the chance." Ronald feels that China also has certain requirements for co-productions. It must be an epic blockbuster, and his chances of being approved for a purely commercial film may not be very great.
"What do you think of the performance of our Chinese actors? Director Bertolucci is very satisfied with the Chinese actors. He said that at this cost, it is beyond imagination that such actors can participate."
"That's it, that's it. I think that old beggar is a very good actor. He should be a big star in China, right?" Ronald asked.
"Ah, he is from the Actor Troupe of Xujiahui Studio and has acted in many good movies." Minister Ying was a little embarrassed. The person who played the role of the Eight Banners old man was called Li Wei. He used to be... a star. But in the future, he can only play supporting roles.
Recently, Bertolucci watched Li Wei's movie and specifically asked about it, so he was seconded to play this small role.
These directors have very sharp eyesight, and they can spot good actors with just one shot.
Minister Ying had a new understanding of Ronald's artistic ability, "We recently held the Chinese Culture and Arts Festival in the New York City Metropolitan Area, and our traditional Chinese paintings, calligraphy and gardens have all received very good responses here."
"Aha, I like your gardens very much, and I also like your calligraphy. It's very similar to the modern art we have here."
"Director Luo loves Chinese art so much, can you condescend to serve as our Chinese Art Festival Foundation? This foundation is to promote Chinese art here in America, hold some art exhibitions, and find some..."
"Hahaha, I am very willing. To tell you the truth, I am also planning to build a mini version of Jiangnan style garden in my new home."
"That's great. I'll report to the superiors when I get back and give you a formal letter of appointment."
Ronald and Minister Ying chatted and laughed. They both felt that the other party had a deep understanding of their country and they could continue to contact him in the future.
After the premiere, Ronald and Diane were about to go back to have dinner with Donna. Joan Chen seized the opportunity and wanted to come up and continue chatting with Ronald.
"Director Ronald, do you like this movie?"
"I like it very much. Your performance in it is impressive."
"I also like your directorial work. I have watched Dirty Dancing several times. Do you have any advice for my development in Hollywood?" Joan Chen is at home every day, watched by her husband Jimmy, and refuses to let me go.
She goes out to socialize, so her thinking still has a strong domestic imprint.
"Advice? I can't give you any advice, but have you ever considered returning to China to act?" Ronald replied with a smile.
"Go back? Why? I finally got the opportunity to go abroad and came here."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "How many Chinese roles are there every year?" Ronald asked. The roles for young women are so scarce that there are not even white actors like Diane.
Chance, let alone you as a Chinese. Apart from movies that specifically tell Chinese stories, what other movies would you invite a Chinese to star in?
"Is that so..." Joan Chen seemed to have caught something.
"Joan, why did you come here without saying hello?" Her husband Jimmy Lau quickly came over, "Director Ronald, I am Joan's agent and husband. If you have any business matters, you can contact me through me.
." As he spoke, Jimmy also took out a business card.
"No, I'll take my leave first." Ronald smiled and walked out of the theater with Diane on his arm.
"What's wrong with him? This director is really arrogant, Arrogant." Jimmy put the business card back, "Joan, I...hey why are you leaving...hey, hey...I'm talking to you."
After sending Diane back to where Donna lived, the three of them had dinner, and Diane proposed to sleep with Donna.
"I'll make it up to you tomorrow. Donna and I haven't seen each other for a long time, and I have something to say to him." Diane kissed Ronald on the mouth.
"No problem, Diane. I'll pick you up tomorrow and let's go somewhere together."
"I am a New Yorker, have you forgotten? I won't go there tomorrow, just to make it up to you..."
"Well..." Ronald kissed Diane and went back to the house on Fifth Avenue alone.
…
"Ding dong, ding dong"... The next morning, Ronald heard the doorbell ringing.
"You're here so early?" Ronald saw Diane outside the door.
"I have good news for you, a new agent wants to sign me."
Diane was all smiles. This time she came to New York, her luck seemed to have improved.
"Oh, who is it? Which agent wants to sign you? Where is your old agent?" Ronald pretended not to know.
"It's the most popular agent of Tom Cruise, Paula Wagner. She heard that my economic contract was about to expire and wanted to sign me..."
"That's a good thing. She's very good at creating stars. It seems like your good luck is coming."
"I'm leaving soon, so I'm going to make it up to you now. Later I'm going to fly to Jamaica as quickly as possible, where she is filming a new movie with Cruise. I'll go early in case she changes her mind."
"No way, she won't change her mind." When Ronald heard that Diane wanted to sign the contract as soon as possible, he thought that his and her short vacation had been ruined again, so he hurried back to look for it.
"You don't know, Ronnie. Maybe it's like this for a great director like you, but for a hopeless actor like me, with an agent like me offering him an olive branch, I don't want to have long nights and dreams."
"Okay, but can you stay with me for one more day?" Ronald felt that he had done something stupid. He could just wait two days and let Paula contact Diane.
"You're the best, Ronnie." Diane kissed him expressively, "But this opportunity is very important to me. If I miss it, maybe I will really say goodbye to Hollywood."
Diane began to flatter Ronald in every possible way. After all, she had promised him to come and accompany him.
"Well, at least leave later, I will arrange the flight."
Seizing the time before parting, Ronald picked up Diane and held her tightly in his arms. Although Diane recently took up yoga and seemed to have lost some weight, her figure seemed to be better.
"Well..." Diane made a muffled sound and responded enthusiastically.