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Chapter 28: Celebration Party
🕑 Added 2024-09-03 11:31:02 +0000 UTCThe celebration party for *The Shallows* was held at a mansion in Santa Monica.
The guests were mostly prominent figures in Hollywood, many of whom Gilbert had previously had to flatter. It was rare for them to attend a celebration party like this.
Of course, they were only attending out of courtesy. After all, Gilbert had only one successful film, and who knew if it was just a flash in the pan…
So, having connections was fine, but there would be more opportunities for cooperation if Gilbert proved himself again in the future.
Gilbert held his drink, his face frozen in a forced smile, trying to stay upbeat and mingle.
"If you're feeling uncomfortable, you could go to the bathroom and throw up; it would make you feel a lot better," Seena Boone appeared beside Gilbert and said.
"Hey, Miss Boone, it's you! Long time no see," Gilbert patted his chest, feeling a bit unwell.
"Go throw up for a bit!" Seena Boone advised.
Gilbert followed the advice, went to the bathroom to throw up, and then washed his face, feeling much better.
As he exited the bathroom, he accidentally bumped into a girl.
"Sorry…" Gilbert apologized.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see you. Are you okay?" The girl looked up, concerned.
"Uh, I'm fine…" Gilbert was taken aback when he saw the girl's face.
"I'm really sorry. How about you give me your contact information, and I'll take you out for a meal another day to make up for it?" The girl spoke sincerely.
With her large, sparkling eyes, it was hard to refuse.
"Okay…" Gilbert agreed, and they exchanged contact information.
Gilbert saw the girl's name was Cameron Diaz.
After the girl left, Seena Boone came over again and said to Gilbert, "A rather childish tactic, isn't it?"
"But very effective. At least, with a face like that, no one would have the heart to refuse," Gilbert commented.
"Are you not worried about Gwyneth Paltrow getting jealous? There are still rumors about you two being romantically involved," Seena Boone asked.
"That won't be an issue," Gilbert said, looking at Gwyneth Paltrow talking with a handsome white man. "Our relationship was never real, just a mutual benefit."
At that moment, another person walked over: "Congratulations, Gilbert. Your film did exceptionally well."
Seena Boone quietly informed Gilbert, "This is Robert Iger from Touchstone Pictures. He likes to be called Bob."
Hearing Seena Boone's reminder, Gilbert put on a warm, enthusiastic smile and shook hands with Robert Iger: "Hi, Bob, thank you for your congratulations."
Robert Iger's smile was warm and friendly: "Gilbert, would you be interested in collaborating with Touchstone Pictures? I've just taken over, and we're in need of a talented director like you."
Touchstone Pictures, a subsidiary of Walt Disney, was not as strong in live-action films compared to Disney's dominance in animation. To address this, Disney Chairman Michael Eisner had assigned his right-hand man, Robert Iger, to lead Touchstone Pictures' live-action division.
Starting anything new is challenging. Universal had Spielberg, 20th Century Fox had George Lucas and James Cameron, Paramount and Warner Bros had close collaborations with several top Hollywood directors.
MGM had the James Bond series and rights to many classic films, Sony Columbia Pictures… they had the money.
Only Walt Disney was almost inept in live-action films, even lagging behind some second-tier production companies.
At this point, Robert Iger had noticed Gilbert and judged that he was on the rise.
So unlike others who just wanted to get to know Gilbert, Iger was genuinely interested in collaborating.
Since this was a celebration event for Universal Pictures, it wasn't the right time to discuss collaboration.
So, Gilbert declined politely: "Sorry, Bob. I'm still working with Universal. If there's a next project, I'll definitely consider Touchstone Pictures."
"That's fine," Robert Iger left his contact information: "Feel free to reach out when you have an idea. Touchstone Pictures is always open to you."
After Robert Iger left, Gilbert turned to Seena Boone and asked, "Miss Boone, are you interested in managing my career?"
Seena Boone, who had long been building a relationship with Gilbert, was ready for this opportunity: "Sure, let's find a time to discuss the details."
"Great," Gilbert agreed and curiously asked, "Last time I introduced you to Matt Damon, did you sign him?"
"I've signed him. I secured a few opportunities for him, and he's doing well in supporting roles," Seena Boone said, handing Gilbert her business card.
"Superstar Artists Management Company. That's quite an impressive name. How many people are currently at the company?" Gilbert asked, intrigued.
"The company is located in Burbank, not far from downtown Los Angeles. Right now, there's just one person answering phones and cleaning, and another assistant," Seena Boone was quite honest.
Although Superstar Artists Management was newly established and couldn't compare to major agencies like CAA or ICM, Gilbert appreciated Seena Boone as a person.
Large agencies often had many requirements, and Gilbert didn't like being controlled, so signing with Seena Boone was a very good choice.
A few days after the celebration party, Gilbert visited Seena Boone's office in Burbank. After the lawyer reviewed the contract, he promptly signed his name on the management agreement.
Seena Boone officially became Gilbert's full-time manager, responsible for promoting his film projects to studios and negotiating fees.
