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Chapter 42: Party Matters
🕑 Added 2024-09-06 17:05:50 +0000 UTCSince "Far and away" was distributed by Universal Pictures, it was inevitable that Gilbert would run into some of Universal Pictures' senior executives.
Gilbert had a brief chat with Lew Wasserman the Vice President of Universal Pictures, who was particularly interested in the "Final Destination" project.
"Gilbert, to be honest, I never thought Disney would snatch this project from me," Lou Wasser said, sounding regretful.
Gilbert replied, "Mr. Wasserman, Disney's offer was simply too good to pass up, so…"
"No need to explain, I understand," Lou Wasser interrupted Gilbert, stating his purpose: "I just hope that for your next film, you won't forget Universal Pictures. Don't forget the foundation of our first collaboration…"
The implication was that Universal Pictures gave him his first directing opportunity, so he shouldn't forget his roots. However, this didn't really affect Gilbert; he believed that the success of the film was inevitable.
Universal Pictures investing in him was due to their luck in coming across him. Besides, Spielberg was the one to thank most; without him, Gilbert would still be struggling as an assistant director.
Although Gilbert thought this, he didn't say it out loud.
Instead, he said, "In the future, we have many more opportunities to collaborate."
"Alright, for the next project, you must prioritize Universal Pictures."
"Certainly, certainly…"
Lou Wasserman's urgency stemmed from internal news at TouchStone Studios. Gilbert's new film, "Final Destination" was said to be an exceptional horror movie.
Just as Universal Pictures had spies in other companies, it too had spies planted elsewhere. Although the specifics of the film were unknown, the buzz within TouchStone Studios was overwhelmingly positive.
Having had a taste of Gilbert's success before, film companies had a lot of confidence in him. Especially Universal Pictures, which had experienced the joy of his success.
Now, that joy seemed to be going to TouchStone Studios and Disney, making Universal Pictures feel like something that belonged to them was being taken away, and they wanted it back.
For Gilbert, this change was actually a good thing. As long as the film succeeded as expected, he could demand better terms for his next project.
With competition among multiple film companies, it was likely that a company as eager for talent as TouchStone Studios would agree to Gilbert's terms.
After finishing his conversation with Lew Wasserman, Gilbert walked around the party with a drink in hand.
Parties come in many types and serve various functions. Tom Cruise's party was a private one, and those without invitations couldn't get in.
Media reporters were also kept out, though they stayed outside snapping photos.
Stars and reporters are complementary; stars need exposure while reporters follow hot celebrities.
Another type of party is organized by film companies, which is more formal, and attendees are required to dress formally.
But another kind of party, which many extravagant people might be interested in, is the group sex party. Such parties cater to humanity's most primal desires: drugs, sex, and even ambiguous genders.
There are talent agencies in Hollywood that specialize in providing beautiful girls and handsome boys for such parties.
Though Gilbert received many invitations to such parties after gaining some fame, he was not interested in them. He had no interest in men, was not intrigued by ambiguous genders, and had no desire to share a woman with others.
Since Gwenyth Paltrow's 'affair,' Gilbert had not actively reached out to her.
Cameron Diaz seemed very well-behaved; if she ever dared to attend such a party and Gilbert found out, he would kick her out without hesitation.
Although Gilbert wasn't obsessive about cleanliness and the past was the past, anyone who was with him had to be respectful. And Gilbert didn't force anyone to stay; they could leave anytime, but returning would not be so easy.
Cameron Diaz likely understood Gilbert's character. Although she had attended various messy parties arranged by her agent when she first arrived in Los Angeles, she mostly avoided them now.
In return, Gilbert took care of Cameron Diaz, bringing her to formal parties as a form of training for her. And it was fitting, as now, according to gossip columns under Disney, they were a couple.
As he was walking around, Gilbert suddenly noticed a person in the corner.
Compared to the glamorous crowd around, she looked shabby, her dress and jewelry appearing rented and somewhat ill-fitting, and not very expensive.
But this did not overshadow her beauty; her petite figure seemed to contain immense energy.
What caught Gilbert's attention was that the woman looked familiar.
In his previous life, despite not being deeply involved in Hollywood, he had only a vague impression of most actresses, except for a few well-known ones. He either knew their names but not their faces, or their names didn't match their appearances.
Curious, Gilbert approached her with his drink and greeted her, "Are you here alone?"
The girl seemed surprised to be spoken to but responded with a sweet smile, "Yes, and you are?"
Before Gilbert could introduce himself, the girl realized, "I remember now, you're Director Gilbert Landrini. I've seen your film 'The Shallows.'
Hello, I'm Naomi Watts."
"Hello, Ms. Watts," Gilbert invited Naomi Watts to sit on a couch in the corner and asked, "You're not from around here, are you? Your accent doesn't sound local."
"No, I'm British. I was developing my career in Australia before and just moved to Los Angeles this year," Naomi Watts spoke in a pleasant voice, sweet as her appearance.
"Australia? Are you friends with Ms. Kidman?"
"Yes, she's my friend. We've worked together in films."
"I see," Gilbert said, understanding, "It seems the Australian group is growing stronger."
Although she was British, Naomi Watts had developed her career in Australia, so Gilbert's description of her as part of the Australian group wasn't wrong.
The Australian group now included Mel Gibson and Nicole Kidman, and they were quite united and influential.
Naomi Watts smiled wryly, "Compared to Nicole, I'm far behind. After coming to Los Angeles for six months, I've only managed to work in bars and restaurants, looking for audition opportunities and playing some unknown small roles…"
Living beyond her means and struggling, this was Naomi Watts' recent situation.
Many come to Los Angeles each year to chase their dreams, but few succeed. Naomi Watts was nearly ready to give up and go back to Australia.
She had said goodbye to her friend Nicole Kidman a few days ago, but Nicole Kidman told her to wait a bit longer and invited her to this party.
And this party had indeed given her a surprise; now a moderately famous director like Gilbert Landrini was speaking to her.
For Naomi Watts, this was a rare opportunity.
