Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 682 Meeting with the Queen with Minahan

   "Fantastic aerial combat with modern aircraft."

   "Brilliant aerial combat, and shallow romantic love story between men and women."

   "Highly recommended, the best recent movie."

There are many more newspapers in London than in New York, and the film review sections in various major newspapers and tabloids are more open than in America. All kinds of exaggerated stories and gossip are published in the agreed section together with the film review section, which makes people feel It looks like reading a story from another world.

  Ronald flipped through the film reviews. The premiere in Britain this time received a good response. The box office was also very satisfying to publisher Paramount.

  The cinemas here are mainly traditional halls. Ronald secretly went to stay in one. The proportion of all family members who watch movies here is higher than that of America. So he has good box office expectations for Britannia.

   "Ronald, where have you been? Paula has been looking for you for a long time." Tom Cruise looked at Ronald as if he knew him on the first day.

   "What's wrong? Did something happen to Hollywood?"

   "No, the Queen wants to summon you." Paula Wagner came over, and she handed Ronald an invitation to attend the grand ball, with the words on it inviting him to attend the Queen's gathering of literary and artistic people.

  The Queen is going to meet Ronald at the banquet of people from the literary and art circles.

   "Can I not go?" Ronald felt a little sudden, he didn't know the queen himself.

   "Why don't you go? This is a good opportunity? If the crew still wants to appear in the newspaper, it's up to you." Producer Bruckheimer was unhappy and hurriedly urged Ronald to participate.

   "Well, actually, I only brought one dress." For the premiere, Ronald specially prepared a dress that he can no longer wear to attend the dinner, otherwise it would be disrespectful.

"It's fine, I asked my colleagues from CAA's London office to arrange it." Paula also hopes that Ronald will go to the dinner. Of course, it would be better if he can bring Tom Cruise, but it is a pity that Ronald is the only one on the invitation. .

In the entire "Top Gun" crew, only Ronald received the invitation, let Tom Cruise, McGillis, Paula Wagner, and the producer Brukerheimer who came together, and others, to Ronald Nader was a little taken aback.

  Although Americans and Britons speak the same language and look down on each other, most people still have a natural respect for the aristocratic royal family. The Queen's reception is a special honor, and this kind of news can also be seen in newspapers in large numbers, which is an alternative royal marketing.

   For the movie's box office, Ronald stayed and waited for the Queen's summons.

   "Why did the Queen summon you?"

"I do not know either?"

   "Did you help Princess Diana at the White House?"

   "Nothing."

   "Are you the cousin of Princess Diana who has been missing for many years?"

   "You're too humorous, but I don't know. Maybe Her Majesty is going to meet many people from the literary and art circles, and suddenly heard her son say that Top Gun was a good shot, and I just remembered that I'm here."

Not only did these crew members not believe that Ronald was summoned by the Queen for no reason, but also his agent, Nisita, who made a trans-Atlantic call from Los Angeles. Nutrition on the call.

  …

  The next day, Ronald wore a dress transferred by CAA, put on a bow tie, and came to the venue of the dinner. In fact, the men's clothes look similar, but the details have to be distinguished, so the neckline style on this casual dress has been changed to a new one.

   "Ronald!"

   "Meinahan?"

   "Why are you here?"

   "You were also received by the Queen?"

  In the hall outside the room waiting for the Queen's reception, Ronald unexpectedly met an old friend, the Israeli Minahan Golan.

   "Quack...what an accident, this is my good friend, Ronald Lee. Hey, do you know him? His 'Break Dance' was made for us at Cannonball Pictures."

  Meinahan, dressed in a tacky purple dress, introduced Ronald to the surrounding British film circles.

   Ronald stepped forward and shook hands with them. In fact, on this occasion, it is not good news to be with Menahan Golan, the chairman of Cannon Pictures.

  Ronald felt that the characters waiting to be interviewed in the film industry were a little underestimated, and they all knew what was going on with the upstart Minahan.

   No wonder they are dissatisfied. Minahan Golan acquired the famous British cinema owner, Kenneth Reeve's Carnival Cinemas, and successfully merged with the original Cannon Cinemas, becoming the top five cinema owners in Britain.

   In addition to the five-year exclusive distribution agreement he signed in the UGC cinema of the Hair Country, Instant Cannon's distribution strength in Europe and Britain has become the number one in Hollywood.

   "Quack quack", Minahan was unaware of the contempt for him by the crowd, he pulled Ronald and started chatting.

   "I said, you beat that Stallone movie. This week your 'Top Gun' surpassed us again at the box office and was back at No. 1 in America."

   "Paramount just added some copies." Ronald knew the box office results in the third week, and "Top Gun" returned to the first place again.

   Meinahan's Stallone's movie lacked stamina. After its release, the box office in a single hall declined rapidly. It didn't arrive in a week, and it gave up the first place and returned it to Ronald.

   "I'm still very convinced of you, do you have any ideas to direct Stallone?" Minahan said loudly the name of the popular Hollywood action actor, as if he was deliberately trying to tell those around him.

   "You know, I had a little holiday with him." Ronald replied in a low voice with a smile, he knew that Fatty was trying to use Stallone's name to shock the snobbish eyes around him.

   "Seriously, you happen to be the director and let him follow your command?" Minahan also whispered, and extended his finger to Ronald, making a twenty-five gesture.

"I signed a 25 million film contract with Stallone to shoot two or three plays. He is now our cannonball man. I must make a masterpiece. Stallone is not only a simple action star, but also a rich inner drama. ."

  Meinahan fully felt that Stallone has acting potential, and with a director like Ronald, who might be able to win the Oscar?

  This year's Oscar, directed by Konchalovsky's "Race Train", starred Jon Voight, although he was nominated for Best Actor, but lost to William Hurt of "Kiss of the Spider Woman".

  Under Sidney Pollack's "Out of Africa," Best Actor was one of the few films to **** away from that monster at this year's Academy Awards night.

  It’s a pity that the Oscars are not like the Golden Globes. Although Minahan has a lot of cash, he can’t buy the votes of the judges.

   "I don't have the confidence to let him make another 'Rocky'."

   Ronald smiled, not taking it seriously. Maybe Stallone has potential, and his acting skills in "Rocky" are really not bad.

   But now that he has been a star for a long time, does he still have that passion to challenge himself? Hiding in the image of Rambo and Rocky, you can get high box office and high income by acting casually, isn't it very comfortable?

   And after he became famous, Stallone began to show off his temperament. And the humble character of Rocky Balboa, but farther and farther.

   The box office of "Rocky 4" was not as good as that of the previous work. Even the director of the original "Rocky" that he was famous for, John Avelson, was so angry that he didn't want to cooperate with him anymore.

   "Okay, okay, no Stallone, what do you think of Kim Basinger of 'I Love You Nine and a Half Weeks'? Sexy Bomb, I asked her to let you direct one?"

   "No, I don't have Adrian Lane's **** wrist."

   The two are talking about the new film "Love You Nine and a Half Weeks" which was released in February this year. This is the new work of "Lightning Dance" director Adrian Lane who will be directing Hollywood a few years later.

  The male protagonist was seen by Ronald. In Diane's black and white Coppola film "Betta Fish", the second male Mickey Rourke played. The heroine is the latest Hollywood **** blonde Kim Basinger.

   Her **** image is unrivaled, and her sacrificial large-scale performance in "Love You Nine and a Half Weeks" has also gradually replaced Kathleen Turner, approaching the title of the sexiest woman in Hollywood.

   "Hey, I really want to work on a movie with you again." Minahan sighed. Now that Ronald is coming to shoot, he is also going to shoot those blockbusters with stars joining in. The days of the two people's intimate cooperation "breakdance" in the past can no longer go back.

"I'm sorry, are you Director Ronald Lee?" A thick-necked fat man with a similar temperament to Minahan came to introduce himself, "My name is Jeremy Thomas, and I'm here today for the Queen's dinner. I'm an independent producer."

   "Oh, hello." Ronald had never heard of this reputation.

   In fact, he came from a family of films, his father and uncle were both film directors. When he arrived, he became an independent producer and began to produce a series of movies in the late 1970s. Although he was not a big hit, some people in Hollywood have heard his name.

   "Hello, are you making any new films recently?" Ronald asked politely.

   "I recently got an invitation and a permit to shoot there. I can go to that ancient country, the last dynasty's palace to shoot the real scene, just like going to Buckingham Palace to shoot the history of the British dynasty."

   "Oh, you're lucky then. We haven't had a movie there in Hollywood yet. When are you going to start?"

"Just next month, I'm going there right away to meet director Bertolucci. You know, it's all because of his identity that I can be the first filmmaker to go to the Forbidden City." Jeremy Thomas said proudly.

   The two chatted about the movie for a while.

  It turns out that Bertolucci is a left-wing director in Italy, and he has always wanted to go there to shoot a live-action film.

  Because of his status, there also gave him a lot of convenience. Bertolucci submitted two shooting plans. One is "The Destiny of Man", adapted from the best-selling novel of the hair country in the 1930s, and the other is the story of the last emperor of the last dynasty who lived in the Forbidden City.

   Originally, Bertolucci and Jeremy Thomas both liked "Man's Destiny" and thought that they would choose "Man's Destiny". After all, the Forbidden City is unlikely to be open to filmmakers for filming.

   I didn't expect that there was more optimistic about the "last emperor", and it gave a lot of convenience. During the filming period, tourists were even suspended from visiting the museum transformed from the Forbidden City.

   Jeremy Thomas, who had been looking around for financing, even desperate enough to call one by one in the phone book asking for money. With the government's approval and commitment in hand, many people quickly came to ask for money.

   In half a year, he raised an investment of 25 million US dollars and started shooting this masterpiece.

   "Do you still have a financing quota? I also like this story very much." Ronald said half-jokingly, he is in Hollywood and is not well-informed about Europe. Unexpectedly, this person has already taken the lead before Spielberg and went to the old country to shoot live.

   "Hahaha, next project, I will definitely remember to find you."

   "Her Majesty is here..."

  A man dressed in costume, holding a scepter, walked into the hall and shouted.

  A little old lady, dressed in decent clothes and a hat with feathers, entered the hall. It is Her Majesty the Queen of Britain.

   "Your Majesty", Minahan Golan bent down and laughed.

   "Thank you for your contribution to the British film industry."

   "Her Majesty", Jeremy Thomas also bowed to salute.

"Thank u."

  The queen walked all the way, and everyone in the aisle wearing a dress nodded slightly in return, so that it was considered an official reception of the guests.

   "Her Majesty the Queen", it was Ronald's turn, and he followed suit, bending slightly to salute the Queen.

"Hello, Ronald. I heard you're Annette's grandson? You're very good." The Queen shook his hand deliberately, patted Ronald on the shoulder hard, and said two words in his ear. Whisper.

"Hey?"

  The Queen winked at him. Countess Spencer was her own royal friend. Her Majesty was also very happy to hear that the descendants of her relatives had been found.

   "Please come with me. Her Majesty the Queen and her husband have some orders."

  A man who looked like a housekeeper came up and invited Ronald to talk in detail.

"Oh……"

   The butler had a sharp temperament, and took out a document and handed it to Ronald.

   Ronald opened the file bag, which contained a yellowed document and a copy. It turned out to be his father's birth document.

   Ronald's grandmother was a Miss Spencer who served in the Royal Air Force during World War II and fell in love with Ronald's grandfather James. The two may have lost their marriage documents, or they may not have held the wedding, and their grandmother Annette may have been pregnant and gave birth to her father.

   After the death of his grandfather James, the child was raised for a period of time before being sent back to America. The Jerome family also did not accept the unmarried child, Ronald's father.

   "The husband's meaning, it is inconvenient to grant you a title now, because your father is an illegitimate son after all."

   "It doesn't matter, this document?" Ronald didn't care about the so-called aristocratic status, he more identified with the bloodline of his great ancestor Li Enfu who relied on his own struggle.

"You can take it away." The housekeeper nodded, and the husband's order was almost completed. "The royal family and the British government do not want you to disclose your blood relationship to the media. After all, you are with Princess Diana, and the future Duchess of Sarah. , is a cousin relationship separated by two floors."

   "I also don't want you to disclose my grandmother. After all, we Americans pay attention to individual struggles, combined with the progress of the times. I don't want Hollywood to think that I am a Briton."

   Ronald took out a copy of his father's birth certificate indifferently, and returned the original to the housekeeper.

  Hollywood really doesn't like people of British blood very much. When Chaplin was so talented, he was not driven to Switzerland.

   "As you wish", the butler smiled and took the original.

   "He is still a young man with character. The bosses of MI6 will like to hear him say that. The dignity of the royal family is important, and the husband does not want to be linked with the illegitimate descendants of the princess's family."

   (end of this chapter)