[Chapter 466: Spider-Man Project]
"Who's that guy next to Harvey? He looks so grim, not someone you'd want to trust," Monica said, clutching his arm at the party.
Link smiled faintly. "You're sharp at reading people. That man is Jeffrey Epstein, a political and business fixer, and he's definitely not a good person. If he tries to engage you in conversation, it's best to steer clear. Getting involved with him could damage your reputation."
"Then why were you talking to him for so long?" Monica asked, resting her hand on his shoulder, a playful smile on her beautiful face.
"Out of courtesy, mostly. Also, I wanted to see how he would try to win me over and what he hoped to gain. After listening to him, I roughly understood his mindset and why so many billionaires want to befriend him."
"What's his tactic?"
"He tailors his pitch to his audience. To people concerned about their weight, he'll boast about a fat-burning drug that's highly effective with few side effects. For the elderly or the ill, he sells health supplements. For women, beauty products. For wealthy individuals, investment opportunities."
"So he was trying to sell you beauties?" Monica laughed.
Link smiled. "That was his plan, but when I pointed at you and said, 'Hey, Jeffrey, look at that woman -- can you find anyone more perfect?' He looked at your elegant, sexy figure and was left speechless."
"Haha, that's a great line -- I love it," Monica giggled, stepping onto tiptoe to plant a kiss on his cheek.
Link smiled, embracing her before turning back to mingle.
...
At the party, James Cameron called Link about his new project. He wanted to adapt Spider-Man and inquired if Guess Pictures had any plans related to it.
Cameron had initially planned the Spider-Man project back when he was with Carlock Pictures. But due to copyright issues, the project stalled, and he ended up directing Titanic first.
Now that Carlock Pictures and Marvel Entertainment both came under Link's control, those copyright hurdles were cleared, making the project viable again.
Link said they could discuss it. Adapting Marvel films was next on Guess Pictures' agenda, and he even planned to direct some himself. Cameron expressed enthusiasm about collaborating again if conditions were right.
Additionally, Cameron was known for his creativity, both in story and special effects. Link looked forward to Cameron's take on Spider-Man.
"James, when you have time, come by Guess Pictures and we'll talk about the adaptation," Link invited.
"Sounds good, it's a plan," Cameron agreed, raising his glass in a toast.
---
After the premiere of the latest 007 film, Link returned to the office to focus on movie business.
With the merger of Guess Pictures and MGM, a lot was on his plate -- merging production and distribution teams, renovating the cinema chain, producing content for TV channels, developing intellectual property from the film library, and more.
He had been tied up on-set and hadn't had time to manage all this, but now he needed to work overtime to catch up.
Taking care of these tasks sooner would speed up integrating the two companies' resources.
...
"Is this the script selection you put together?" Link asked in his office, reviewing documents with Daniel DeVito and James Schamus, heads of the commercial and indie production departments respectively.
"Yes," Daniel said, adjusting his glasses. "We've sifted through MGM's script library and found some promising projects, but we're a bit unsure, so we wanted your take."
"You're both seasoned producers; what advice do you really need from me? I figure you want me to pick up some directing work."
"Haha, partly," James laughed. "Besides your opinion, here are some scripts we think you might want to direct."
"Good excuse," Link smiled softly as he flipped through the folder.
The folder had two parts: potential investment projects from the MGM library and eight films they thought suited Link as director. First folder included next in the 007 series, sequel to The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, sequel to Terminator 2, What Women Want, What Lies Beneath, Windtalkers, Meet the Parents, Legally Blonde, Gladiator, Notting Hill, How to Get Away with Murder, adapted script for The Hobbit, adapted script of the TV series Charlie's Angels, and 43 other film projects, as well as the synopsis of the scripts.
The other folder is eight films that Daniel and James think are suitable for him to direct, including Hannibal, What Lies Beneath, Red. The folder contained detailed information on those eight scripts.
Looking over the scripts, Link wasn't particularly interested in most. What drew him were three titles: How to Get Away with Murder, Gladiator, and Notting Hill.
He carefully read their synopses and remembered these films had performed well both critically and commercially.
If he had the time, he'd be open to directing them himself.
...
"Send me the scripts for those three, and you handle the rest," Link told Daniel, ticking off the titles.
He left the other scripts for Daniel, James, and their team to decide on.
After acquiring MGM, merging production departments meant they expected to produce over 25 films annually.
Handling all projects personally would be overwhelming.
From now on, Link would only oversee films with budgets over $30 million. Smaller and mid-range projects would be managed by the production department, which would receive bonuses for successes and penalties for failures.
This system freed Link to focus on directing his own films and trained Daniel and James to become better at selecting projects.
Over the past year, they had done well. If they kept it up, the production department might start churning out surprise hits without his hands-on involvement.
"Alright, boss!"
"Link, not interested in Hannibal?" Daniel asked.
"Hannibal's story is compelling, but Jonathan Demme, who directed Silence of the Lambs, did such a great job it makes sense for him to helm the sequel."
"We reached out to Demme, but he wasn't happy with the sequel script and isn't interested," Daniel replied regretfully.
"Really? Send me the script; I'll take a look. If I have time, I might direct it."
"Great!" Daniel and James left satisfied.
...
"Link, you've been at it for four hours straight. Want to take a break?" Aishwarya, the lovely assistant, brought coffee and massaged his shoulders from behind.
"I'm fine, not tired."
"Alright then!" Aishwarya stayed nearby, helping him while blushing and occasionally brushing him with her curves.
Link knew exactly what she was hinting at.
He'd spent the week on the island and at the villa with no time for dating. She was assertive but reserved, embarrassed to bring it up, so she used subtle touches to remind him.
Yet work came first. Link wasn't a playboy and wouldn't let distractions interfere.
After wrapping up, he requested a dance performance. Blushing, Aishwarya slipped off her coat and heels, dancing barefoot around him.
Her soft, supple abdomen moved with delicate swings and twists, perfectly accentuated by her curves. Her delicate features and bright eyes made her dancing captivating.
When she finished, Link began to make his move.
*****
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