Chapter 1136: Another One

When it came to the women around him, Simon used to spend time helping them plan their careers, especially the ABCD quartet. Now, with the Westeros system growing increasingly vast and the number of women around him multiplying, Simon no longer had the time to invest in such meticulous planning.

Let it be.

Take Princess Pearl, for example. Simon casually mentioned that Jiang Anqi could try out for the role of Xia Ziwei. However, since Ren Jingxi thought Jiang was too expensive and Jiang herself didn’t seem too keen, Simon simply replaced her with the original cast.

Sorry, Er Kang.

As for how missing this role might affect Jiang Anqi, Simon didn’t care. Once the series became a hit, Jinshu, the agency, would reap the benefits of the actors’ newfound fame.

However, perhaps due to the principle of "the leader’s preferences influence the followers," while Simon didn’t pay much attention to the women around him, others took them very seriously.

Like now, Danny Morris specifically mentioned Jiang Anqi.

Simon remained noncommittal, saying, "Compile some materials on The Phantom Agents for me to review. Also, regarding the Taken sequel you mentioned in yesterday’s email, I’ve sent my thoughts back. Have someone start drafting the script. We’ll decide whether to proceed after Jet finishes Hero."

Danny Morris nodded, "I understand."

As they discussed, time quickly approached 9 AM. Danny Morris didn’t leave but instead accompanied Simon to the post-production center at the studio.

Paranormal Activity, which started filming in March, had wrapped up earlier this month. After a rough cut was completed, Simon was here to review the sample footage.

The film was produced by New World Pictures. Normally, a super-low-budget film shot on an iRec digital camera wouldn’t attract much attention from high-level executives like Danny Morris—it was just too rough. But since it was based on Simon’s own idea and he was personally invested, others naturally gave it due attention.

Simon spent the entire morning on this iRec film.

Compared to the original, which was largely an amateur project, this version had been meticulously planned by Simon and directed by Justin Lin, a top-tier Chinese-American director in Hollywood, resulting in a significantly higher quality.

Danny Morris was also watching the rough cut for the first time. Despite its 130-minute runtime, his experienced eye could easily appreciate the film’s strengths.

First, the first-person perspective. While it might not work well for other genres, it perfectly suited a horror film, creating an immersive viewing experience. Although Justin Lin was a novice director, his handling of the camera—whether it was the slow, tension-building tracking shots, the恰到好处的晃动, or the fixed camera angles in the nighttime surveillance footage—enhanced this immersive experience.

Without a doubt, Simon had discovered another talented filmmaker.

Second, the pacing.

This was what surprised Danny Morris the most after watching the rough cut.

Even though the rough cut was over 130 minutes and would eventually be trimmed to under 100 minutes, Danny could still sense the film’s excellent pacing.

To be precise, as Simon had repeatedly emphasized, the best popcorn movies should make viewers lose track of time, compelling them to watch in one sitting.

Paranormal Activity clearly had this potential.

The first 30 minutes of the rough cut served as the prologue, introducing the story’s background. A couple, Micah and Katie, who had just moved into a new suburban home, discovered their house was haunted. Strange noises occurred at night, and Katie, who had a history of encountering supernatural events since childhood, recalled her past experiences.

The prologue also explained why Micah bought a digital camera and started recording—he was a skeptic who wanted to document the strange occurrences.

The prologue included a scene where the couple invited a medium to perform an exorcism.

The 30-minute opening would be further trimmed, but it smoothly introduced the film’s background through Micah and Katie’s conversations and daily life, subtly piquing the audience’s curiosity.

Because it stayed focused on the main plot, even Danny Morris didn’t find it boring. Before he knew it, the story had moved into the main act, which lasted about 100 minutes.

The real "paranormal activity."

The latter half of the film created a rising tension through increasingly severe supernatural events, interspersed with moments of relief, such as visits from friends, the couple’s discussions on how to deal with the haunting, and their daily lives on the verge of collapse. These moments allowed the audience to catch their breath before the next wave of tension.

Finally, the story ended abruptly with a tragedy, leaving the audience’s emotions at their peak.

After watching the rough cut, Simon couldn’t be more satisfied.

He also realized once again that no success is accidental.

The original The Blair Witch Project succeeded because it was the first to use a deceptive viral marketing strategy, effectively exhausting the potential of the found-footage genre. Paranormal Activity, on the other hand, revived the genre on its own merits, without relying on deception. Everyone knew upfront that it was a movie.

Thus, it was clear that if Paranormal Activity didn’t have its own unique strengths, it couldn’t have achieved a staggering global box office of nearly $200 million on a mere $15,000 budget, nor could it have spawned a successful long-running franchise.

The root of its success lay in the film’s inherent quality.

After watching the rough cut, without Simon needing to say anything, Danny Morris proactively suggested allocating $5 million for the film’s pre-release promotion and planning to screen it at the Toronto International Film Festival later this year. The film was tentatively scheduled for release after the festival, with an opening on over 1,000 screens.

Unfortunately, this still fell short of Simon’s expectations.

Before lunch, Simon personally called C-girl, suggesting that once the film was completed, ThinkPad could send someone over to review it and hold a few internal screenings. If it was well-received, ThinkPad could sponsor some of the promotional expenses.

If the film became a hit, the brand boost for the iRec series would be immeasurable. Plus, with Simon personally providing the idea, C-girl had no objections and readily agreed.

Because he was so satisfied with Paranormal Activity, Simon invited Justin Lin to lunch.

It’s worth noting that, despite showing his appreciation, Simon wouldn’t elevate Justin Lin too quickly after Paranormal Activity.

He needed more experience.

Although Justin Lin had established himself in Hollywood with the Fast & Furious series, Simon was now thinking of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Justin Lin would be a great fit for Marvel’s talent pool.

After lunch, the afternoon began with the final production meeting before the start of Jurassic Park III.

The lead roles were still Sam Neill and Rene Russo. Director Michael Bay, having experienced the successes of Stargate and Jurassic Park II, hadn’t yet become too arrogant, so Simon was confident about this film.

As the meeting ended and everyone left, Linda Vagos, who had also attended, stopped Simon.

"Boss, about the female role needed for Call for Love in China, here’s the list of actresses interested in participating."

Simon took the folder Linda handed him and entered the elevator, glancing at the list.

His first impression was that it was star-studded.

Very much so.

Famke Janssen (Wonder Woman), Catherine Zeta-Jones (one of the Charlie’s Angels), Hollywood sweetheart Meg Ryan, Valeria Golino (Catwoman), Brooke Shields (‘Spicy Chicken Silk’), supermodel Cindy Crawford… Even Sandra Bullock, who was still filming Contact in Australia, expressed interest, as Contact would wrap up soon and her schedule was clear.

After a quick scan, Simon asked Linda, "What did you tell them?"

Linda smiled, "Exactly what you said—the role isn’t big, there’s no pay, and it’s just a trip to China."

Simon sighed.

They were all shrewd vixens.

If Simon had mentioned payment, few actresses would have been interested. But with his statement, especially coming directly from him, these women easily inferred that no pay meant a favor.

A favor from Simon Westeros.

Tsk.

The kind you couldn’t even get by sleeping with him, so of course, they’d fight for it.

Shaking his head with a smile, Simon looked at Linda, "So, who do you think I should pick?"

Linda still smiled, "I can’t say. It’s too得罪人. But since it’s a film shot in China, it’s best if the actress speaks Chinese. There’s one on the list—Mira Sorvino. She’s a Harvard graduate with a degree in Chinese literature."

Hearing this, Simon looked down at the list and quickly found the name.

Mira Sorvino was also one of Hollywood’s great beauties, with an impressive figure. Most people thought of her as ‘intimidating’ because she was indeed very ‘intimidating.’

Moreover, she was a Hollywood二代, with her father being Italian-American director and actor Paul Sorvino. Last year, she had also received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Woody Allen’s Mighty Aphrodite.

Her acting was solid.

Additionally, Mira Sorvino had starred in Mimic, a New World Pictures film released in April, directed by Guillermo del Toro in his Hollywood debut. With a $25 million budget, the film was still in theaters and expected to gross around $35 million.

While it wasn’t one of the major projects like Bridget Jones’s Diary or Taken in the first half of the year, its box office performance was still within expectations.

By the way, in the first half of the year up to May 16, the start of the summer season, the three labels under Daenerys Entertainment had released 13 films, accounting for 43% of the North American market share with a total box office of $670 million. For the entire year of 1997, the three labels would release over 40 films. Apart from the projects Simon personally focused on, it was hard to list them all.

This was a digression.

Furthermore, Mira Sorvino was also one of the jurors at the 50th Cannes Film Festival currently being held in France. Her role was that of the ‘trophy’ juror, a position that was a staple every year, and she was also a target of Daenerys Entertainment’s behind-the-scenes lobbying.

Thinking this, Simon glanced at the list again.

No actress immediately stood out.

Moreover, if Famke Janssen, Catherine Zeta-Jones, or Meg Ryan were to go, Simon’s presence would be necessary to keep them in check. But he couldn’t be there personally. These women, while they might be乖巧小猫 in front of him, could easily become demanding divas around others, potentially causing trouble.

Mira Sorvino, despite her Oscar nomination last year and her family connections, was still considered a second-tier actress. Plus, since this was a task assigned by Simon himself, she wouldn’t dare act out in China. Her Chinese language skills also made her a suitable choice.

So it was decided.

After handling this minor matter, Simon returned to his office. He had just reviewed a few documents when A-girl knocked and entered with some news.

A call from Boston.

Ulyana Meretskova’s water had broken, and she had been admitted to the delivery room.

She was the first of the six pregnant women.

Although Ulyana’s pregnancy was an accident, Simon hadn’t shirked his responsibilities. After receiving the news, he quickly called Janet and then headed to the airport, boarding a private jet to Boston.

Departing from the West Coast in the afternoon, Simon arrived in Boston late at night.

Ulyana, afraid of pain and due to the baby’s large size, had opted for a C-section, which Simon didn’t object to.

Arriving at Ulyana’s estate in the wealthy Weston suburb west of Boston, the C-section had already been completed, resulting in a 9-pound baby boy.

Another one.

Counting the five at Dume Cove, this was the sixth.

In the villa’s lavishly equipped private delivery room, Simon entered to find Ulyana propped up in bed, breastfeeding the baby. After dismissing the doctors and nurses, who were clearly suppressing their curiosity, Simon sat by the window, looking at the mother and child.

Once Simon was seated, Ulyana subtly shifted the baby toward him, her eyes betraying a mix of anxiety and试探: "The doctor said he’s 9.6 pounds. And, his nose and eyes look just like you."

The baby, interrupted from feeding, let out a few cries before settling back into nursing, leaving Ulyana momentarily flustered.

Despite having two children, Ulyana wasn’t a particularly attentive mother. Like her previous children, whom she had brought to North America thinking Simon would appreciate a devoted mother, she had sent them back to Ukraine after realizing Simon didn’t care.

Now, faced with the newborn, even though she had secretly learned some baby care tips, she was clearly out of her depth.

Knowing Simon’s plans, she hadn’t put much effort into learning.

Seeing the baby fuss, Simon leaned forward slightly but didn’t immediately reach out, instead saying, "Keep feeding him."

Ulyana quickly brought the baby back to her chest.

The room fell silent, gradually filling with an awkward tension, especially when Ulyana noticed Simon staring at the nursing baby with a distant look.

She was a very intelligent woman and immediately sensed something unusual in his gaze.

After a few minutes, Ulyana moved the baby away from her chest, not bothering to cover up, and gently wiped his mouth, explaining, "The doctor said newborns shouldn’t eat too much."

Simon nodded.

Ulyana cleaned the baby and, glancing at Simon, gently offered him, "You hold him."

Simon carefully took the baby into his arms.

Up close, like most newborns, the baby’s skin was wrinkled and a bit unattractive.

Perhaps because he was full, the baby’s eyes were already closing. He briefly opened them to look at the man holding him, but without any sense of stranger danger, he quickly closed them again.

Ulyana watched the silent interaction between father and son for a moment, then quietly pulled her shirt back up, saying, "Simon, will you name him?"

Simon asked, "Do you have any ideas?"

Ulyana shook her head.

She had thought of some, but quickly dismissed them.

The baby’s name had to come from his father, and more importantly, the surname. If he could be a Westeros, even without a first name, it would be enough.

But Ulyana didn’t push for these details.

She was well aware of Simon’s lingering discomfort over her unexpected pregnancy and was careful not to overstep.

Simon thought for a moment, then said, "Michael. Michael Westeros."

Ulyana softly acknowledged.

She was actually very pleased, both with the surname and the first name.

The surname, casually given by Simon, naturally delighted her, and the first name was equally significant. "Michael" was a classic English name, not something like "Igor," "Yuri," or "Boris"—typical Slavic names.

This subtly indicated that Simon didn’t overly fixate on the baby’s heritage.

After all, while Slavs were also white, to some Anglo-Saxons, they were considered inferior, even less than Jews.

Thinking this, Ulyana paused, then asked, "So, Simon, when should I send the baby to Maria?"

Though she knew the baby was her lifeline for the future, and despite the prior agreement, Ulyana still hoped Simon would suddenly say she could keep the baby. She regretted not putting more effort into learning baby care before the birth—he must have noticed her clumsiness earlier.

Simon, still examining the little one in his arms, didn’t give Ulyana the turnaround she hoped for, instead saying, "Wait until Maria’s baby is born before sending him over. She can’t handle it now."

Ulyana was disappointed but softly agreed.