I am Hollywood

[Chapter 857: Can You Imagine?]

Eric was genuinely curious and asked the girl, "How did you manage to convince her?"

Drew giggled, "Rachel was already pretty wild; it wasn't me who needed to convince her. Up until early this year, we were still looking for someone to play that character. After the blockbuster success of Titanic, I called Rachel, and she was interested right away, so it just fell into place."

Eric recalled that Caroline had once shared some amusing stories about Rachel Weisz. A girl who loved driving a big engine Jaguar would never actually fit the demure image she'd been labeled with.

Suddenly recalling something, Eric added, "Rachel agreed, but her agent must have been furious, right?"

Rachel had just risen to A-list status thanks to Titanic and before she could further solidify her position, she suddenly decided to guest star in a horror film. Aside from the financial implications, any significant image shift could unintentionally affect her popularity.

"Yeah, they were all really upset. Even Kepler called me to tell me not to go off the rails like this."

"And you still went through with it?"

"Yep. Rachel was pretty mad; she said she didn't want to be a puppet controlled by her agent. So she did it."

Eric laughed, not overly concerned.

It was just a whimsical guest appearance. The crew of Scream 2 definitely wouldn't overshadow Rachel's image too much. Besides, the potential for substantial negative impact was minimal, aside from generating some buzz.

After chatting a bit about amusing anecdotes, Eric turned to Madonna, who was sitting nearby. She was still a guest, and he didn't want to appear too dismissive. "Maggie, what about you? What have you been up to lately?"

Madonna lounged lazily on the single sofa, cradling her coffee cup and seemingly engaged in Eric and Drew's conversation. She answered, "Oh, I'm quite free. So, Eric, do you think Firefly has a movie that would be right for me?"

Madonna was undoubtedly one of the singers who frequently gravitated toward Hollywood. She not only persistently appeared in various films (some of which never even made it to theaters) but also often flirted with Hollywood filmmakers.

Last year's Evita was arguably Madonna's most celebrated film. The project almost fell into the hands of Firefly, but due to concerns about the quality of Madonna's previous works, the production team rejected the creative team's $55 million budget, and cooperation fell through.

In hindsight, that decision proved correct. While Evita garnered some recognition at the Golden Globes and Oscars, it only managed to pull in just over $50 million in North America, and Warner Bros, who eventually took on the project, still sustained a slight loss.

Recalling Madonna's string of Golden Raspberries, Eric immediately shook his head, feeling a bit intimidated. "I think you're better off focusing on your singing."

"Eric, that's quite hurtful," Madonna shot Eric a sideways glance, her tone lacking any real anger. Though she appeared arrogant and perhaps even narcissistic to outsiders, she was certainly not completely lacking in self-awareness.

After chatting for a while, Madonna indeed brought up songwriting.

Eric stood up, saying, "Actually, I already wrote something while I was in New York. Come with me."

Madonna's expression instantly brightened as she stood up excitedly, but the girl remained lounging, waving Eric off as she lazily sprawled on the couch and turned on the wall-mounted TV with a remote.

...

Eric led Madonna to the door of the downstairs study. He hesitated for a moment and then recalled that there wasn't much confidential information on the whiteboard, so he opened the door.

Following Eric down the stairs into the study, Madonna, just like many first-time visitors, was taken aback by the giant whiteboard that covered an entire wall.

On the board were several Iron Man armor blueprints held up by magnets, along with some handwritten notes from Eric.

Unable to resist, Madonna walked over to the whiteboard, scanning the realistically colored renderings of the Iron Man designs. She exclaimed, "Wow, these are all Iron Man? This is so cool!"

The comic depiction of Iron Man usually appeared quite crude, so even comic book fans would be stunned by these realistic drawings.

Eric joined Madonna at the board, observing the sketches too. He nodded, saying, "Yeah, when the movie is produced, it's going to look even cooler."

"I can't wait to see these in the movie. Eric, will you be directing it personally?"

"No, but I'll take on the producing role."

Madonna eagerly flipped through the more than ten blueprints, asking various questions, before she and Eric finally reached the corner where the piano sat.

Eric sat on the chair, handing over the sheet music and lyrics. "Here, take a look."

Madonna didn't sit beside him but instead took the folder from Eric, leaning against the piano, practically tearing it open.

"When we're alive? The title has a bit of a rock vibe to it," she instantly remarked after glancing at the song's name.

[T/N: I didn't find the original song with the author provided details.]

This was originally an electronic rock piece. Eric had thought of it after hearing the demo of Madonna's own track, Ray of Light, which had a strong rock flavor. He made slight modifications and brought it out. Once it underwent post-production arrangement, the song would fit into Madonna's new album style perfectly; that was something Eric didn't need to worry about -- Madonna had a professional team that handled that stuff.

Nodding, Eric replied, "Right. When linked with your track, Ray of Light, it goes like...."

When we are alive, we shine brightly,

Chasing the stars, moving lightly.

Through the dark, we blaze, ignite,

A radiant flame, a guiding light.

[T/N: Lyrics are not provided by the author, generated with ChatGPT help.]

Madonna eagerly picked up the thread, her excitement palpable. "That's quite ambitious, but I like it."

However, after going through the whole song and humming through it a bit, Madonna straightforwardly looked up at Eric and said, "Eric, even though this song is great, it doesn't seem as stunning as some of your previous works, right?"

Eric didn't take offense at Madonna's directness. Shrugging, he explained, "Maggie, that's a limitation of your album's style. I can't expect to make round cookies from a square mold."

The album Madonna was working on was a total departure from her usual pop music style. It boasted strong electronic music elements along with a blend of classical, rock, and bass influences. To put it plainly, it was an experimental mix album. When Eric listened to the demo tracks Madonna sent, he didn't feel a strong connection, making it hard to recall similarly stunning works from his memory.

Honestly, Eric thought the entire album felt pretty mediocre.

Still, he distinctly remembered that the album Ray of Light had once been hailed as one of Madonna's best in his original timeline. Perhaps it was because it felt fresh and exciting.

For both actors and singers, suddenly changing styles after a long period of sameness often yielded positive reviews.

Due to her sudden departure from her usual style, Madonna harbored little expectation for this album, but she had reached a dead end with her previous path, forcing her to adapt.

Upon hearing Eric's comments, Madonna assumed he shared her skepticism regarding the album.

Nevertheless, with a flicker of hope, she asked, "Eric, what do you think of this album?"

Eric smiled, "Do you want the honest truth?"

Madonna shot him a look. "Forget it. Just say something nice to make me happy."

"Okay, no jokes," Eric replied earnestly. "Although this album isn't exactly to my taste, it has a strong potential for success. In fact, it could become another peak in your music career."

Madonna raised her brows excitedly. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely," Eric nodded. "First, your popularity built up over the years is quite formidable. That's the biggest foundation for the album's success. Second, people are always fascinated by changes, and this album happens to align with that public preference. Lastly, with my song for you, I'm sure you won't pass up the promotional opportunities, right? So, I'd bet this album will sell at least 15 million copies. As for whether it can hit 20 million, that may just be a matter of luck."

Fifteen million, twenty million -- these sounded like distant figures for Madonna.

Her last album to cross the 10 million sales mark had been seven years ago, and her recent albums had only sold a few hundred thousand copies. While such numbers still appeared aspirational for lesser-known singers, they represented failure for her.

Had someone else made that claim, Madonna might have brushed it off as empty flattery. But coming from Eric, she instantly found it credible, leading to her excitement. As an ambitious woman, she had never been one to settle for silence.

In her excitement, Madonna's true self emerged as she leaned in closer, resting her hands on Eric's shoulders, starting to teasingly flirt: "So, Eric, since we're betting, what do you want to wager?"

Eric pushed back slightly in his chair to evade her attempt to straddle him, shaking his head. "Hold on, Maggie, I really don't want to bet on anything."

"I'll just concede then," Madonna said, leaning in closer with her hands slipping from Eric's shoulders to his chest, as if attempting to undo the buttons of his shirt.

Seeing he couldn't calm the temptress with words, Eric gripped her wrists, leaning back further. With her hands restrained, Madonna lost her balance and collapsed in front of Eric.

Releasing her hands, Eric restrained the struggling woman, pinching her well-maintained cheek and coldly muttered, "If that's the case, just use your mouth. I can reluctantly accept that."

Madonna looked up to meet Eric's elevated gaze, feeling the solid grip of his hand on her cheek. The humiliation carried in his words kindled no anger but instead made her feel weak all over, and she trembled while whispering, "Oh, Eric Williams, you're such a scoundrel."

...

After over a month of busyness, the Titanic model that was originally located in Rosarito, Mexico was fully transported and assembled in the Firefly studio.

Since Cameron had spared no expense reproducing much of the Titanic's interior furniture, carpets, curtains, and even tableware, the redecoration proceeded smoothly. At this point, the first-class dining hall of the Titanic model had been completely renovated. The celebration party for Titanic surpassing $1.8 billion in global box office revenue was held in the ship's grand dining hall.

Evening had settled in, and guests for the celebration were arriving one after another.

Eric stood alongside Cameron and Katzenberg on the lookout deck outside the ship's bridge, where the Titanic's captain once stood.

The ship was perfectly aligned in an east-west direction, facing the nearby Marinadel Bay, occupying a substantial area in the studio's northeastern corner. This was a result of Cameron's insistence; otherwise, the ship would have had to slant northeast, in line with the studio's rectangular layout.

However, it was this insistence that allowed for a breathtaking view during sunset, where the expanse of fiery clouds blanketed the sky. Looking out from the railing, the view was remarkably striking, with the studio's three-meter-high walls and the low buildings outside failing to obstruct the vision from the deck. One could easily spot the clustered yachts in Marinadel Bay and the glistening sea beyond.

"Eric, see? I told you that this position provides the best view," Cameron said, quite proudly, while leaning against the railing and surveying the guests on deck, imitating Jack and Rose's iconic pose for photos. He continued, "I also plan to create a boiler room exhibit inside, hopefully even replicating the massive drive shaft. It would only cost about $2 million. You know, we still have the original props. But Jeffery wants the ship's interior to be converted into storage. Can you imagine that? The Titanic turned into a warehouse."

Eric chuckled, glancing at a frustrated Katzenberg. "Jeffery wants the model to be as functional as possible. Jim, you have to understand, if it has no practicality, in a few years, we might have to dismantle it. It occupies a lot of space, after all."

Cameron saw Eric not siding with him this time and retorted, "A restaurant, a banquet hall, and a gift shop -- are those not enough?"

"Those are certainly enough, but the boiler room can be dropped. People won't be interested in that."

Cameron remained dissatisfied. "Before this movie was released, many thought people wouldn't be interested in seeing it either."

"..."

After some back-and-forth, Eric ultimately agreed to Cameron's suggestion of creating a small exhibit, but most of the bottom area would still be utilized as storage for the studio.

After all, a 270-meter-long ship occupied nearly the same area as four large studio soundstages; if it wasn't put to use, as Eric pointed out, it would likely have to be taken down in the future.

*****

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