I am Hollywood

Chapter 6: Good News



[Chapter 6: Good News]

After securing the publication of Jurassic Park, Eric poured all his spare time into writing and revising the script for 17 Again. This film primarily explored themes of familial love, romance, friendship, and life's choices. Therefore, relocating it to this era posed no problems. However, the various geek elements and the culture that had filled the previous iteration had to be adjusted after all, the brick-sized mobile phones hadn't even hit the market yet, and personal computers were still in their early transistor days.

Eric decided to reshape Ned's character into a successful entrepreneur and a hardcore film buff who enjoyed collecting movie props. Naturally, this pertained only to films that had already been released. Dialogue from the movie The Lord of the Rings had to be altered to reference other films, which was an effortless task for Eric, whose mind was packed with countless movies.

...

Once he finished the script, Eric handed it over to Jeff, as per their agreement. After reading Eric's Jurassic Park, Jeff no longer underestimated the legacy left by his friend. He read through the script several times, and sure enough, he spotted some details that needed correcting, such as the protagonist returning to school in a Kevin Federline hippie T-shirt. Curiously, Jeff asked, "Who's Kevin Federline?" Eric searched his memory and realized that this young pop star and former husband of Britney Spears was still just a ten-year-old kid at the time.

After making the necessary changes that Jeff identified, Eric planned to swiftly pass the script on to Michael Krauss.

...

Following the completion of a novel and a script, Eric didn't rush to start on a third project; instead, he began practicing basketball. He had to focus on performing flashy basketball moves for the movie, but he had no foundation to build upon, so he had to start from scratch. There were many basketball scenes in the film. Although Zac Efron's performance in the past hadn't been remarkable, some of his basketball scenes were still notable -- especially the segment in the cafeteria where he showed off his skills to tease the bad boy Stan, which left a lasting impression.

A week later, after two hours of practicing fancy basketball moves at the community court, Eric entered his house, only to hear the urgent ringing of the phone. Over the past few days, he had received several calls from Michael, mostly updating him on the publication status of Jurassic Park and matters concerning the 17 Again script. The publication of Jurassic Park was progressing smoothly, and soon Eric would be able to see the sample book, but 17 Again wasn't so lucky.

Despite several film companies expressing interest in the script after reading it, most of them dropped out upon hearing that the screenplay's writer insisted on playing the lead role. This was pretty standard; nobody would risk investing tens of millions of dollars lightly. Eric even suggested to Michael that he could look beyond the big six film studios and try some of the independent production companies.

"Hello, this is the Williams residence." Eric picked up the phone, adjusting his slightly breathless voice from his workout.

"Hi, Eric, it's Michael."

Eric calmly replied with a chuckle, "Michael, it's almost ten at night. You must have good news calling at this hour, huh?"

Michael's frustration came through as he complained on the other end, "Don't remind me! I've been trying to get ahold of you since eight, and you never picked up!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Michael. I was out playing basketball."

"Basketball? Wow, Eric, sounds like you're determined. I remember that there are quite a few basketball scenes in the script."

"Of course! Just remember, fate favors the prepared. I'm not just working on my basketball; I also practice my acting for an hour in front of the mirror every morning."

"Eric, I have to admire you. It's rare for someone to prepare so thoroughly when nothing is set in stone. How about taking a day off tomorrow? We have a meeting lined up."

Eric's hand trembled slightly, and the basketball he had been spinning on his right finger dropped to the floor with a thud: "Is this... good news?"

"Absolutely, lucky guy! I received a call today from Mr. James Brooks at 20th Century Fox. They are very optimistic about the script and haven't outright rejected your terms, but you need to audition."

"That's... thank you so much, Michael."

"Don't mention it," Michael laughed on the other end. "Just understand, them agreeing to an audition is basically an indirect acceptance of your terms. But if you perform poorly during the audition, well, that's unfortunate."

"That won't happen; I'm fully prepared."

...

Eric felt ecstatic all night long, and the next morning, he hurriedly drove to the agreed meeting place with Michael Krauss.

"Is this the 20th Century Fox filming lot?" Eric gazed at the massive warehouse-like sound stages surrounded by high walls, filled with admiration.

Michael closed the car door and walked over, standing alongside Eric, looking up at the sound stages, "Yeah, it's impressive, isn't it? Though Warner's lot is even more magnificent. I'm sure you've seen it; you should visit it someday."

Eric nodded, picturing the iconic opening from Warner-produced films. "I will."

The two followed a staff member to the front of an office door. The guide knocked and exchanged a few words before inviting both of them inside.

Upon entering, they were greeted by two middle-aged individuals, a man and a woman, who stood up from a discussion at the table.

Michael Krauss shook hands with the two and introduced them, "James, Penny, this is Eric Williams. Eric, this is producer Mr. James Brooks and director Penny Marshall."

After introductions, Michael smiled and remarked to Penny, "You may not know this, but a week ago, Eric said you might become the first female director in Hollywood history to break the $100 million box office mark."

Eric first shook hands with James Brooks, who merely offered a light grip that lasted barely a second before pulling his hand back.

Eric quickly sensed that this well-known producer wasn't particularly fond of him, and he realized why -- self-nominating himself for the lead role might not sit well with a producer who typically wielded full control in the filmmaking process.

Maintaining composure, Eric turned to Penny Marshall. She was a plump, blonde woman in her forties, who worked as a director while also taking on acting roles, though her characters were usually minor ones that were hard to find on the credits list.

"Hi, Ms. Marshall, I really enjoyed Big."

"Thank you for the compliment, Eric." Penny's demeanor was hardly affected. With Big continuing its successful run, everyone knew it was destined to surpass the $100 million mark. In fact, in the past week, its weekly earnings hadn't just stabilized; they had seen an increase. This was noteworthy considering it was the fourth week of its release, as many films at this point often faced forced removal due to dwindling attendance.

Once the introductions wrapped up, Eric noticed that James Brooks and Penny Marshall were scrutinizing him closely. Clearly, if their collaboration went well, James Brooks and Penny Marshall would be the producer and director of 17 Again, respectively. However, Eric felt no anxiety, merely wearing a confident smile as he took a seat on the couch alongside Michael

Krauss.

A stunning female assistant came in with a few cups of coffee and then exited the office. James Brooks didn't touch his coffee, instead placing it crosswise on the table and stating, "Eric... your screenplay is indeed impressive, but I have to say, your conditions seem a bit harsh. We learned from Michael that you are just a high school student with no acting experience. So initially, we planned to turn it down. However, Mr. Barry Diller happened to see your script, and he was quite fond of the ideas it presented, so he personally approved your requests. Of course, you'll need to audition first. If you qualify, you'll also have to undergo short-term acting training."

Eric nodded in agreement, feeling surprised that his script had reached Barry Diller's attention. He certainly knew who Barry Diller was -- once a powerful figure behind Paramount and later at 20th Century Fox, along with other industry leaders.

Barry Diller had dominated Hollywood for over thirty years. From the rise of Paramount to

the glory days of 20th Century Fox, he left indelible marks on the global film industry,

television networks in America, and the rise of online media.

Lost in thought for a few moments until Michael Krauss gently nudged him, Eric abruptly

realized he was in James Brooks' office, where Brooks was showing subtle signs of

dissatisfaction.

From the start, he had resisted Eric. In Hollywood, producers usually held enormous power, controlling everything from casting to editing. Eric's insistence on wanting to play the lead role undoubtedly deprived him of some of his authority.

"Sorry, everyone, I zoned out for a moment," Eric quickly apologized.

"No problem, young man," James emphasized the word "young man" lightly, then continued, "Alright, before we discuss anything else, let's move on to the audition."

*****

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