Chapter 49: Let's All Shut Down Together

Sitting in his luxurious office, Martin Bob quickly flipped through the script outline in front of him. He tilted his head in thought, then closed it and set it aside. Mel Gibson obviously wanted to break into directing, but it wasn't the right time. CAA had gone to great lengths to secure two leading roles for him; everything would have to wait until he fulfilled his acting contracts.

Martin Bob had laid out his position during a brief phone call with Mel Gibson, and the actor had hesitated only a moment before agreeing.

CAA was in control. The actors and directors under its banner were nothing more than chess pieces. The agency's enduring dominance had long since ingrained this belief deeply into Martin Bob's mind.

Even someone as untamed as Mel Gibson had to submit to the orchestration of superagents like them after joining CAA. If things kept developing at their current pace, it wouldn't be long before the agency dominated two-thirds or more of the Hollywood market.

While these thoughts sprang naturally to mind, Martin Bob maintained a strong sense of crisis. He had heard that Viacom's Sumner Redstone was constantly eyeing Paramount Pictures, and Walt Disney, led by an old friend, was transitioning into a massive media conglomerate. The era of Hollywood independent filmmaking was drawing to a close. What would CAA use to compete against those true super giants in the future?

There was only one answer: a steady stream of successful projects. As long as CAA's packaging services could generate enough profit, those media conglomerates would hold them up to the heavens.

If Interview with the Vampire became a major hit, it would definitively erase the fallout from the failure of Alien 3, strengthen CAA's partnership with Twentieth Century Fox, and show the film studios under other media conglomerates exactly what CAA was capable of!

Take Warner Brothers, for instance. They had never really bought into CAA's influence. On The Rock, they had actually rejected CAA's package deal and chosen to trust that Duke Rosenberg. They had to be struggling with regret over that decision right now. The more setbacks the project suffered, the greater the likelihood of its ultimate failure. As long as The Rock bombed, Warner Brothers would inevitably discard Duke Rosenberg and reconsider CAA's value.

News of The Rock's temporary production shutdown had already leaked. It was no secret to an industry insider like Martin Bob. CAA and Twentieth Century Fox had merely encouraged the injured stuntman a bit, then given a slight push from behind after he filed a complaint with the Screen Actors Guild. Just like that, Duke Rosenberg's production had plunged into crisis.

Of course, Martin Bob knew perfectly well that the shutdown was only temporary, but that was enough. Disrupting a crew's rhythm and shooting schedule could deal a fatal blow to a rookie director.

Perhaps a promising director would sink into obscurity just like that?

Frankly, this was more about Warner Brothers than Duke Rosenberg. Even though Duke had handed him a massive embarrassment over Speed, in Martin Bob's eyes, Duke Rosenberg remained a nobody.

Urgent knocking suddenly echoed on the door. Just as Martin Bob called out for them to enter, Lovett hurried inside.

Martin Bob frowned slightly at the faint anxiety on the man's face.

"Mr. Bob, I just got a call from the Interview with the Vampire production..." Lovett tried his best to catch his breath. "People from the Child Protection Association and the Screen Actors Guild just showed up on set."

"What are they doing there?" Martin Bob's expression didn't change, but an ominous feeling crept into his chest.

"The Child Protection Association received a complaint," Lovett said as concisely as possible. "Someone filed a joint complaint stating that Miss Dunst has been working five consecutive days a week on set for more than six hours a day. The study time arranged by the crew also falls far short of the required three hours. The association believes the production hasn't protected Dunst's legal rights."

"Is that all?" Martin Bob breathed a slight sigh of relief. This was a very easy matter to smooth over.

"There's more..." Lovett clenched his teeth. "I don't know where the Child Protection Association heard it, but word got out that Dunst has intimate scenes with adult male actors on set. They suspect the production violated child protection laws."

"What?" Martin Bob shot to his feet. "Don't they know films use camera tricks for those scenes?"

"But the people from the Child Protection Association and the Screen Actors Guild are insisting on an investigation," Lovett said helplessly. "They claim that if the production obstructs them, they will request intervention from legal authorities."

"Fuck..."

A string of curses erupted from Martin Bob's mouth. If the other side insisted on investigating, wouldn't the Interview with the Vampire production have to temporarily shut down just like The Rock?

Obstruct them? That was even more impossible. Who didn't know how difficult the Child Protection Association could be? Minors were an untouchable taboo across North America. If they truly brought in legal authorities, regardless of whether the allegations were true, the Interview with the Vampire crew would be reviled throughout the country. The North American Theater Alliance might even refuse to screen the film.

Interview with the Vampire was CAA's chance to prove the value of their packaging services to all of Hollywood again following the failure of Alien 3. If it couldn't be released...

"Let them investigate..." Martin Bob sat back down in resignation. "I'll speak with Twentieth Century Fox about it."

Kirsten Dunst's scenes used camera tricks, and Martin Bob knew this perfectly well, so he didn't fear an investigation. Although it was true that Dunst's working hours exceeded the regulations, that was the norm in Hollywood. Out of all the child stars and their parents who joined film productions, how many actually followed the relevant industry rules?

California law permitted minors to work in the entertainment industry, but they were not allowed to work more than five consecutive days or exceed six hours a day. If a student took more than five leaves of absence per school year, the school and relevant rights organizations had the authority to stop them from continuing to work. If a production violated the rights of minors, the producers and others involved would face severe punishment.

In reality, child stars working overtime was a common occurrence in Hollywood. No one even paid attention to it. Most parents who sent their children into Hollywood were driven by greed, eager to squeeze out as much money as possible. As for their children's education and futures, those had long been tossed aside.

Take the currently extremely popular Macaulay Culkin and Christina Ricci, or even Kirsten Dunst, for example; their parents were far from being responsible guardians.

CAA and Twentieth Century Fox could encourage insiders from The Rock to file a complaint with the Screen Actors Guild, and it wasn't hard for Warner Brothers to find a way to flip a few people from the Interview with the Vampire crew in return.

The Rock's production had temporarily shut down. It was bound to incur losses in money and time, which Duke couldn't avoid. But he was absolutely not the type to get slapped and stay quiet. He would definitely find a way to slap the Interview with the Vampire crew and the people behind them right back.

True, there was no evidence proving that the shutdown of The Rock was related to CAA and Twentieth Century Fox, but this kind of thing didn't require evidence. Just recognizing where his current enemies lay was enough. Duke also had the massive backing of Warner Brothers behind him, so he didn't lack the power to strike back.

'If I shut down, you shut down, and we can all suffer the losses together.' Although the anger brought on by the pressure and the shutdown would hardly dissipate, Duke could at least feel a little better about it.

Of course, Duke had maintained his silence and had never publicly expressed any opinions. Having Warner Brothers charging on the front lines was enough. He was, and would always be, a "pure" director.

"The Interview with the Vampire crew is currently undergoing a joint investigation by the Screen Actors Guild and the Child Protection Association."

Inside Rock Studio in Burbank, Sofia stared intently at Duke sitting across from her. "They've temporarily shut down."

"How unfortunate." Duke shrugged, staring right back at Sofia Coppola. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think this has something to do with me? You know me, Sofia. I've never liked fighting with people."

"I know," Sofia said, her tone intentionally heavy. "You're a focused and pure director."

After her flat, nasal words trailed off, Duke changed the subject. "You really should change your vocal delivery."

"Why should I change myself?" Sofia Coppola displayed a rather Duke-esque spirit. "Just because my vocal delivery is mocked and insulted by film critics?"

"They've mocked my lips, my teeth, my eyes, my figure..."

This topic clearly struck Sofia Coppola's most painful nerve. "And my acting, my lines, my family ties—am I supposed to change all of that?"

"Hey, hey, sweetheart." Duke hastily raised his hands. "I didn't mean any of that."

"Sorry, I just got a little worked up..." Sofia took several deep breaths in a row before calming down. "I'm not aiming this at you, Duke. You know how those professional critics insulted me back then. One day, I'm going to give it all back to them!"

"Why bother caring about them?" Duke lowered his arms and spread his hands. "Remember how they abused George and Star Wars? And now? They can't wait to revere Star Wars as the ultimate classic. So, Sofia, when you succeed one day, these guys—whose thick skins alone could dam the floods of the Mississippi River—will practically fall over themselves to offer you the sweetest praise."

"Not everyone has a mentality like yours." Sofia curled her lip.

"I feel pressure too, and I get scared," Duke admitted directly. "I also fear failure. I desire success too—a continuous, unbroken string of success."

The phone suddenly rang. Sofia picked up the receiver, spoke a few brief words, and hung up.

"The people you're waiting for are here." She stood up and told Duke, "Hans Zimmer and the people from Warner Records are already in the reception room."