Although Rosarito's beach was not as beautiful as some of the world's most famous beaches, it was still a good tourist destination. Hence, many tourists came to visit every year. Most of them were Americans, while a small number were Mexicans and citizens of other countries.
However, since a few months ago, tourists who came here would unconsciously explore the beach near the town. Those who came from the United States rented a large piece of beach and built houses. However, these houses were so simple that they could not be lived in at all. They looked more like set pieces. They even dug a big hole in the shallow water and began to build a big ship! That's right, a huge cruise ship. It was really strange.
The locals were especially surprised. They had seen it turn from a skeleton into a big ship. Although they could tell later that it was not a ship that could go out to sea, they were still shocked when they looked up at it. Those who were recruited to work as temporary workers especially liked to brag. After all, it was always something to brag about when such a huge ship was born, even if it was just to knock nails or move things.
Many people wanted to know what these Americans were going to do, but the relevant people in charge always avoided the topic. The local government did not care, either. They only said that they had completed all the necessary procedures and would not hinder the local tourism industry. Indeed, it did not hinder the tourism industry. In fact, it even attracted a lot of tourists. After the news spread, many tourists came to see the strange big ship docked on the coast.
With so many people coming, some things could not be kept secret. It did not take long for James Cameron's figure to be recognized by several American tourists. When the news spread back to the United States, entertainment reporters immediately flocked to the place. They all knew that the director, who was famous for burning money, must be shooting his new movie. Although Cameron liked to burn money and did not produce a lot of it, each of his works had a high commercial value. Naturally, there was no shortage of news about him.
However, Cameron did not cooperate with them. Although he did not chase them out, he did not say anything no matter how they asked. He only said that they would find out when the time came. So how long would it take? No one knew. The gloomy reporters had no choice but to leave some people behind to try their best to find out more information.
There were always some people in the world who were not so secretive, and the reporters who stayed behind to inquire about the news were all smart people. They were always able to extract some useful information from the mouths of the employees. After spending a long time, they finally pieced together the truth: Cameron's new work should be a movie about a shipwreck in the early 20th century.
"Indeed, from the photos, the model of the ship is the style of the early 20th century. We all know that at the beginning of the 20th century, there was a beach disaster that shocked the world. The consequences of that disaster still affect us today, such as the distress signal and the number of lifeboats on the ship. But if James Cameron really wants to remake that shipwreck, I'm afraid it'll be a disaster for the investors. There are already too many movies about the Titanic, and in terms of his personal style, he's not suitable to make such a movie. I wonder who's willing to fund him to build such a big model, "a commentator wrote.
After the reporters spread the photos of the scene in the United States, many people guessed that it might be the Titanic. After all, the style of the model was very similar, and the Titanic was also the most famous shipwreck of the early 20th century. With Cameron's temper, how could he not be picky to attract attention? But although there were many such guesses, not many people agreed with them. First, the 1: 1 model was not completely built, but from the photos, it was not certain that it was the Titanic. Second, as the commentator said, there were too many movies about the Titanic, and it was not consistent with Cameron's style.
Therefore, most people's eyes were focused on the 1: 1 model. How much money would such a big model cost? Such a model alone was probably the budget of two or three independent movies. They did not know where Cameron got the investment.
However, some things often went beyond people's expectations. Just two days before Cameron announced the start of filming, he finally got the workers to place the letters of the Titanic on the bow of the model ship. Of course, the reporters sent the news back to China immediately, and then there was an uproar among the critics. He really planned to remake that shipwreck.
"God, he must be crazy. Those movies in the past may not be as good as now in terms of technology, but almost everything that can be filmed has been filmed. How can James be sure that he can make something new?"
"Maybe we can see a bigger picture, which has always been his strength."
"A movie can't just have pictures. If James can't make use of the story, it's hard to say what the final result of the movie will be. And can he really perfectly restore the scene of the Titanic at that time?"
On "The Tonight Show," the host and guests debated for a long time, which was a microcosm of the current public opinion. Some people thought that Cameron was playing with fire, choosing an unfamiliar subject and still not changing his habit of spending money. Some people thought that it was worth looking forward to. Cameron always surprised people. For a while, there was a lot of noise, which made the media very happy.
"I used the interior decoration of the Olympic as a reference, and specially went to the White Swan Hotel to observe it. At the same time, there are also photos of the time, these, these, and these, including some of the original documents when it was built …" James Cameron walked as he introduced Adriaan to the luxurious cabin that had been decorated perfectly.
The decoration was gorgeous and exquisite, with Turkish carpets, velvet curtains, all kinds of handmade furniture, and even the lines on the fireplace were carved very carefully. If one did not look at the outside, it would look no different from a real retro luxury cruise cabin.
"Frankly speaking, it's great." Adriaan nodded. Before coming here, they had also gone to the luxurious first-class restaurant, which was also very beautiful. The degree of restoration could not be said to be 100%, but it was about 80%. It was a breathtaking feeling.
He did not ask how much money Cameron had spent. Although this guy burned a lot of money, he knew to use it where it was needed most, and not waste it. Not to mention other things, this 1: 1 scale model ship only had one-third of the completed cabin, and most of it was just a frame, because it was not very helpful for the filming.
The key to Cameron's spending was that he was too strict with the details. As far as Adriaan knew, because some of the women's clothes had some small flaws on the cuffs, as long as people paid a little attention during the filming, it would not be noticed. However, he actually asked them to redo it, and there was no room for negotiation.
"This is not a movie, sir. This is a crime," the person in charge of financial supervision once complained to him.
Although Adriaan smiled and comforted the person, he also took the opportunity to knock Cameron, "Since the filming has started, shouldn't you pay attention to some problems that you have neglected before, James? I've looked at the accounts, and I'm afraid it's a little tight. "
Although in his memory, Cameron had spent 240 million in the end, if it could be completed with 200 million, why not? Even if the possibility was very small.
"I know." Cameron suddenly coughed. "I have been paying attention, don't worry."
Then he hurriedly changed the topic. "By the way, many people have seen you coming to the set today. Are you going to continue to hide it, or announce that you are the investor and the amount of investment?"
"Well …" Adriaan thought about the reporters he had met around the set before, and how eager they were when they saw him get out of the car. Although he entered the set as soon as possible and did not give them a chance to ask questions, many photos were taken. Even if he did not say anything, the media would still think that he was the investor.
"It's better to announce it publicly and surprise them." He shrugged and then laughed. "I bet a lot of people will criticize and even attack me after they are stunned. So, James, don't let me down. I hope to see their sad expressions after the movie is released."
"I promise, you will see it. I have never forgotten what you said." Cameron laughed.
The two then walked down from the model ship. There were already many extras, supporting roles, and the male and female leads gathered on the pier. Leonardo DiCaprio was indeed very handsome, but unfortunately, his handsome appearance was destined to make his future a bumpy one, not to mention that he was the male lead in such a big commercial production.
Adriaan became more and more certain that it was the right thing to do not insist on Rui Fan being the male lead, so he got along well with DiCaprio and even patted him on the shoulder to show that he thought highly of him. DiCaprio, on the other hand, was a little overwhelmed by the favor. He listened obediently and respectfully. He was quite perceptive. As for the female lead …
"What do you think?" Gwyneth raised her hands and turned in a circle in front of Adriaan with a smile. She did not care that there were many people around. She was wearing a white dress with blue stripes, a tie, a long skirt, white gloves, and a purple wide-brimmed hat. She looked noble and heroic.
"It's perfect." Adriaan said admiringly. Gwyneth's delicate and elegant temperament matched very well with the dress. Because of him, her figure was maintained quite well, unlike Fei Wen, who looked good at first glance, but the more he looked at him, the more bloated he became.
"I told you, this role is very suitable for you." Adriaan put his hand on her shoulder, looking very intimate.
He knew that was what she wanted. In fact, if he had not let Gwyneth go to the set first, he might have walked in with her in his arms in front of the reporters outside. So what if he let them take pictures? There were already several scandals, and Gwyneth was involved. Now that it was so public, whether it was true or false, it would only make the situation more complicated.
But let it go for now. He had already expressed his attitude just now, so he could not go too far. Moderation was the most important thing.
Very soon, the boarding scene began, and Cameron's arbitrary style was immediately revealed. The first scene was an antique car being hoisted onto the deck of the Titanic. It should have been a very simple scene, but it was repeated more than ten times. It was not that there was something wrong here or there. Obviously, it was quite perfect once, but Cameron insisted on redoing it because one of the extras was in a daze. Although most of the audience would probably not notice this, since Cameron had noticed it, he would not allow any flaws to exist.
The next scene was the same for Ruth's first appearance. Cameron always thought that Gwyneth did not reflect Ruth's indifference. She wanted to resist but had no choice. However, he did not like to talk too much, and he wanted the actors to experience it themselves. So, over and over again, it made the exhausted Gwyneth very angry.
Of course, she was, after all, a professional actress. So, although she was angry, she still tried to adjust her state to cooperate with Cameron. After repeating it countless times, she finally passed.
"I told you long ago, this guy is a tyrant! Working with him was a mistake! " The angry Gwyneth had just entered the hotel room, and after lifting her leg to kick off her high heels, she walked back and forth in the room angrily. Although she had tolerated it on the set, it did not mean that she would continue to do so.
"Okay, calm down, dear." Adriaan, who had followed her in, smiled and pulled her into his arms.
"It's all your fault, why can't you arrange other movies? Why must you work with this guy? " Still angry, Gwyneth said, "And you know that several NGs were because he was too critical. Why didn't you say anything?! Other people don't dare to say anything, but don't you?! "
"Do I?" Adriaan pretended to be puzzled. "And as an actress, do you think you know the situation on the set better than the director? Do you think you can tell the difference between being critical and really needing to reshoot?"
Gwyneth's face suddenly turned red, and her chest rose and fell. She was so angry that she seemed to want to bite him. But the next second, her mouth was blocked, and Adriaan's hands grabbed her soft and sensitive parts and began to knead them.
The girl made a muffled sound and wriggled her body, trying to break free, but gave up after a few tries. In the end, Adriaan carried her to the sofa and let her go after he had a good time with his hands and feet.
"How do you feel now?" Adriaan asked with a smile. He knew all too well how to deal with her.
Gwyneth, who looked shy, glared at him and turned her head away without saying anything.
"Okay, Gwyneth, you know, other than me, he is the only one who can control this theme. He even did a better job than me in many details and post-production techniques." Adriaan hugged her and explained, "As for why I didn't direct it, it's because the production time of this movie will be very long. Even I, who is known for my efficiency, and even though I know this movie very well, it's still very difficult to reduce the time, so I had to hand it over to James."
Gwyneth still didn't say anything, but she turned her head and looked at him with a sigh.
"Listen to me, okay?" Adriaan kissed her again. "Stick to it, no matter how bad James is. I've never been wrong. You'll know when the movie is released. With the influence of this movie, a lot of things will be easier in the future. So, you don't have to like him, but don't get into a fight with him. "
"Okay, you can always make me do what you say." Gwyneth sighed helplessly, then put her arms around his neck and blinked. "So what reward should I give?"
"Don't worry, you'll get your reward tonight, and you'll have the whole night to savor it," Adriaan said with a smile.
Although there was still a lot of work to be done in Los Angeles, Adriaan still stayed in Rosarito for four days before leaving. Anyway, the post-production of Braveheart would be completed by the end of the month, and the basic editing of Emma would be completed by then, so they could continue. As for the preparation of the other movies, whether it was The English Patient or Zorro's Mask, they both took a lot of time. Although it didn't take half a year like Braveheart, it still took a few months.
Especially for The English Patient, if they wanted to film the scenery of the Sahara, they had to go to Morocco. The desert in Nevada was not enough. Most movies about North Africa and the Sahara were shot on location in Morocco. Although Zorro's Mask did not need to be shot on location in Mexico, it had to be shot in Texas or Southern California.
To his surprise, just as he was about to go back, there was good news from Los Angeles. Bruce Willis agreed to the invitation without hesitation.
"That's your invitation. How could I refuse the invitation of the miracle director?" Willis said with a laugh on the phone.
Faced with such an answer, Adriaan could not help but laugh and shrug. He had forgotten that his influence was growing every day. His investment in Titanic was proof. With his appearance on the set, it was obvious who was investing in the movie. Although there were tabloids that used Gwyneth's arrival on the set that day to hype up their relationship, it was soon drowned out by the shocking news of Cameron's new movie, Titanic, which was worth 200 million US dollars.
Although inflation had been going on, the US dollar in the mid-90s was still very strong. A movie company investing 100 million US dollars in a movie was already a super production, let alone 200 million! He had even built a 1: 1 model ship, and it was funded by one person! This was enough to make many people vomit blood. Even the richest tycoon could not just take out 200 million US dollars to invest in a movie! Did Adriaan have nowhere to spend his money?!
What made people vomit blood even more was that, according to the standards of the 70s and 80s, this was a 100% independent movie. There was no movie company involved, and it was completely produced by the director, producer, and staff. An independent movie with a 200 million US dollar investment … Just thinking about it made people go crazy. Fortunately, after entering the 90s, the concept of independent movies was more explained. Otherwise, many people would really go crazy. Even so, people could not help but vomit blood.
"This is really a big investment. You will never guess what the miracle director is thinking." David Letterman sighed in his show.
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