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At children's birthday parties, there are always more adults than children. As the guardians of the kids, it's one of their responsibilities to be present. In the case of wealthy families like the Masons, there are even more adults eager to establish connections with the hosts on the occasion of Mr. Mason's daughter's birthday.
Of course, Angela would also receive more gifts because of this, but whether she liked them or not... well, that's not even up for discussion.
Angela had invited quite a few adults herself, like Al Pacino, who was currently engrossed in a conversation with her father Jared. Considering Jared's collection of《The Godfather》series videotapes, it was evident that he had a great fondness for those movies. Having a chance to chat with the Godfather himself was only natural.
Julia Roberts was another guest Angela had invited. However, Frank, who had arrived from England a couple of days earlier, managed to corner Julia for a private chat.
Clearly, the little girl had nothing to do with that. Angela couldn't say much about this situation, she wasn't sure if her Uncle Frank's intentions were genuine or just a continuation of his usual playful demeanor.
So, all she could do was pray that if things went south, it wouldn't affect her relationship with Julia.
Cameron was an unexpected guest. Angela hadn't planned on inviting him since they had only met once at a reception. But a few days ago, he somehow got hold of her home phone number and called, expressing his interest in discussing the script they had talked about at the party.
So Angela invited him over for today, though she hadn't mentioned it was her birthday. It was just a little joke, but Cameron seemed embarrassed when he arrived – he hadn't prepared a gift. Luckily, after Angela kindly apologized he decided to stay.
"Darling, you seem lost. Today is your birthday, you know," Nancy reminded her with a smiling gaze.
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"Oh? Yes, sorry, I was thinking... why would Mr. George come with you?" Angela snapped back to reality and hurriedly said.
"Why would George come? Don't you know, dear Angela?" Nancy asked, raising an eyebrow.
Angela certainly knew. She had asked Sparrow to help investigate the box office performance of《Sleepless in Seattle.》The result was around $26 million and she didn't remember the original amount, but Nancy's version was definitely higher and still on the rise. According to Sparrow's analysis, the domestic box office could conservatively reach around $180 million, making Disney incredibly profitable. After two consecutive box office hits grossing over $100 million, of course, they hope to maintain their momentum and keep up their success.
"Yes, I know," Angela sighed, "Mr. Paul Tucker probably has the same goal."
She shrugged and continued, "But I think they should approach you, Nancy. Without a director or a producer, a script is just a script."
Angela genuinely felt this way. She had already seen Nancy's version of《Sleepless in Seattle》at the cinema, and while it was slightly inferior to Nora Ephron's, overall Nancy managed to capture the details perfectly.
The same applied to《The Parent Trap.》Angela meticulously designed specific gestures for each character, and Nancy skillfully brought them to life through her editing and portrayal. As for《Sleepless in Seattle,》the four main characters were even better crafted. Angela had taken great care to address plot holes and strategically planned its release on February 14th, Valentine's Day, when the timing, circumstances, and audience were all in favor.
Therefore, it wouldn't be strange at all if《Sleepless in Seattle》exceeded $200 million, even with a young girl like Angela behind it.
"But you still need a good script, dear," Nancy smiled, then changed the subject, "To be honest, Angela, I really don't know what's inside your little head. If《The Parent Trap》was based on your life, what about《Sleepless in Seattle》? Did you write it just for Meg Ryan? And why were you so sure that Tom Hanks was perfect for the role of Sam? Now, you have《Hide and Seek》a thriller that a child couldn't have written. You turned 12 just today, but the word "genius" doesn't seem enough to describe you."
Angela looked into Nancy's eyes, knowing that Nancy was just expressing concern. She was well aware that her age was a significant factor, and doubts, similar to Paul's suspicion of someone ghostwriting her scripts, would likely persist.
"Do you remember what I told you before, Nancy?" the young girl began slowly, "When I was very young, the doctor said I had ADHD, so I chose to practice music and art to exercise myself."
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"Yes, I remember you said you practiced all day long, and it made the people from the American Child Association think your parents were abusing you, so they came to investigate," Nancy nodded.
"Yes, looking back, I really miss that time. I immersed myself in music and art all day long, and even practicing the same piece of music or the same painting repeatedly didn't feel tedious," Angela said, looking up and taking a deep breath. At that time, she had to find things to do and channel all her energy into them. Otherwise, she might have gone crazy by now. But thinking about it, maybe her current state was somewhat related to that madness of constant practice.
"After that incident, I never practiced all day long like that again. My condition improved, and then I began to love reading. After spending time practicing music and art every day, I would run to my father's study to read. I read a lot of books, like《The Red and the Black,》《War and Peace,》《Pride and Prejudice》—which would have been impossible at such a young age," Angela continued with a smile, reminiscing about her past. Nancy couldn't help but be amused by the little girl's earnest expression.
"So, what kind of books were they really?" she asked.
Angela shrugged, "Mostly novels—fantasy, science fiction, horror—I read all of Stephen King's books, and I actually read《The Count of Monte Cristo》when I was around 8."
Then she grinned, "Perhaps I couldn't fully understand the true meaning of these novels, but it didn't stop me from feeling happy, moved, or even hating certain stories. While other girls were playing with Barbie dolls, I had already read over a thousand books. Maybe that's where my genius lies. And gradually, I started trying to write my own stories. In the beginning, those scripts were all in the form of novels."
Seeing Nancy's slightly dazed expression, Angela quickly stopped herself, "Anyway, I'm going to check on my dad now. I hope you'll have more fun."
Turning around to walk towards her father, she thought she should make the story more plausible, otherwise, God knows if Nancy would think she's an alien child. She'll have to come up with a more coherent explanation when she has the time.
"Hey, two dads, how's your conversation going?" Angela skipped over to Jared and Al.
"Dear little princess, you look really beautiful today," Al said, hugging her with a smile.
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"Thank you, Al Dad," the little girl said, then turned her head to make a funny face at her father, causing Jared to exclaim in an exaggerated manner, "Hey, Al, you can't just steal my child like this!"
"Oh, Jared, if you can, go ahead and steal her back," Al retorted without backing down.
The two of them exchanged glances and burst into laughter, leaving Angela to roll her eyes, they were truly two dads.
"So, were you discussing《The Godfather》?" she asked.
"Yes, dear, but I didn't know you secretly dug out my treasured videotapes to watch," Jared raised an eyebrow, looking at his daughter.
Angela's forehead formed a thick black line as she glared at Al.
"I'm sorry, Angela, I let it slip, my apologies," Al raised his hands honestly.
"It's okay, Al. If you hadn't said anything, I wouldn't have known about it anyway, and that's not a good thing," Angela's father made it clear that he intended to settle the score with her. Of course, the little girl snorted at that, come on, today was her birthday after all.
"So, which part of《The Godfather》were you discussing?" Angela ignored her father's threat and asked Al.
Al shrugged, "Part II."
"The one with Mr. De Niro?" Angela asked excitedly.
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"Yes," Al sighed, he was used to this by now. They always get mentioned together.
"Just now, Jared mentioned if there was a chance for me and Robert to work on a movie together again," he said.
Angela's eyes lit up, and her mind almost immediately jumped to a movie idea. But before she could speak, another voice chimed in, "In fact, we are currently planning such a movie."
Coming over was Paul Tucker, who politely nodded to the three.
"Can you tell us more?" Jared asked.
"Of course, Mr. Mason. In fact, Michael Mann is working on such a film. For now, it's just in his head, and he needs time to conduct detailed research and write the script and so on. But we are all very optimistic about it, so when Mr. Mann came to us for investment, we agreed right away," Paul said with a smile.
"《Heat!》" At the moment he finished speaking, the name of the movie popped into Angela's head. Without waiting for Al and Jared to say anything, she preemptively said, "Can I share my ideas with Michael Mann? I've been hoping for a movie like this for a long time!"
The three men looked at the little girl with some surprise, not understanding why she was so excited. But how could she not be excited? 《Heat》was not only a classic crime-action film but also a masterpiece for men. It was the peak of their performances when Al and Robert acted together, and their later film collaboration, 《Righteous Kill,》 couldn't even compare.
That movie was her favorite back then. Honestly, if she hadn't known that Michael Mann had been preparing for this film since the 1980s, she might have considered using plagiarism to bring it to life. Even now, she really wanted to get involved.
Just a moment later, a thought suddenly struck her: what if she could leave her mark on all the classic works of Hollywood?!
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At children's birthday parties, there are always more adults than children. As the guardians of the kids, it's one of their responsibilities to be present. In the case of wealthy families like the Masons, there are even more adults eager to establish connections with the hosts on the occasion of Mr. Mason's daughter's birthday.
Of course, Angela would also receive more gifts because of this, but whether she liked them or not... well, that's not even up for discussion.
Angela had invited quite a few adults herself, like Al Pacino, who was currently engrossed in a conversation with her father Jared. Considering Jared's collection of《The Godfather》series videotapes, it was evident that he had a great fondness for those movies. Having a chance to chat with the Godfather himself was only natural.
Julia Roberts was another guest Angela had invited. However, Frank, who had arrived from England a couple of days earlier, managed to corner Julia for a private chat.
Clearly, the little girl had nothing to do with that. Angela couldn't say much about this situation, she wasn't sure if her Uncle Frank's intentions were genuine or just a continuation of his usual playful demeanor.
So, all she could do was pray that if things went south, it wouldn't affect her relationship with Julia.
Cameron was an unexpected guest. Angela hadn't planned on inviting him since they had only met once at a reception. But a few days ago, he somehow got hold of her home phone number and called, expressing his interest in discussing the script they had talked about at the party.
So Angela invited him over for today, though she hadn't mentioned it was her birthday. It was just a little joke, but Cameron seemed embarrassed when he arrived – he hadn't prepared a gift. Luckily, after Angela kindly apologized he decided to stay.
"Darling, you seem lost. Today is your birthday, you know," Nancy reminded her with a smiling gaze.
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"Oh? Yes, sorry, I was thinking... why would Mr. George come with you?" Angela snapped back to reality and hurriedly said.
"Why would George come? Don't you know, dear Angela?" Nancy asked, raising an eyebrow.
Angela certainly knew. She had asked Sparrow to help investigate the box office performance of《Sleepless in Seattle.》The result was around $26 million and she didn't remember the original amount, but Nancy's version was definitely higher and still on the rise. According to Sparrow's analysis, the domestic box office could conservatively reach around $180 million, making Disney incredibly profitable. After two consecutive box office hits grossing over $100 million, of course, they hope to maintain their momentum and keep up their success.
"Yes, I know," Angela sighed, "Mr. Paul Tucker probably has the same goal."
She shrugged and continued, "But I think they should approach you, Nancy. Without a director or a producer, a script is just a script."
Angela genuinely felt this way. She had already seen Nancy's version of《Sleepless in Seattle》at the cinema, and while it was slightly inferior to Nora Ephron's, overall Nancy managed to capture the details perfectly.
The same applied to《The Parent Trap.》Angela meticulously designed specific gestures for each character, and Nancy skillfully brought them to life through her editing and portrayal. As for《Sleepless in Seattle,》the four main characters were even better crafted. Angela had taken great care to address plot holes and strategically planned its release on February 14th, Valentine's Day, when the timing, circumstances, and audience were all in favor.
Therefore, it wouldn't be strange at all if《Sleepless in Seattle》exceeded $200 million, even with a young girl like Angela behind it.
"But you still need a good script, dear," Nancy smiled, then changed the subject, "To be honest, Angela, I really don't know what's inside your little head. If《The Parent Trap》was based on your life, what about《Sleepless in Seattle》? Did you write it just for Meg Ryan? And why were you so sure that Tom Hanks was perfect for the role of Sam? Now, you have《Hide and Seek》a thriller that a child couldn't have written. You turned 12 just today, but the word "genius" doesn't seem enough to describe you."
Angela looked into Nancy's eyes, knowing that Nancy was just expressing concern. She was well aware that her age was a significant factor, and doubts, similar to Paul's suspicion of someone ghostwriting her scripts, would likely persist.
"Do you remember what I told you before, Nancy?" the young girl began slowly, "When I was very young, the doctor said I had ADHD, so I chose to practice music and art to exercise myself."
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"Yes, I remember you said you practiced all day long, and it made the people from the American Child Association think your parents were abusing you, so they came to investigate," Nancy nodded.
"Yes, looking back, I really miss that time. I immersed myself in music and art all day long, and even practicing the same piece of music or the same painting repeatedly didn't feel tedious," Angela said, looking up and taking a deep breath. At that time, she had to find things to do and channel all her energy into them. Otherwise, she might have gone crazy by now. But thinking about it, maybe her current state was somewhat related to that madness of constant practice.
"After that incident, I never practiced all day long like that again. My condition improved, and then I began to love reading. After spending time practicing music and art every day, I would run to my father's study to read. I read a lot of books, like《The Red and the Black,》《War and Peace,》《Pride and Prejudice》—which would have been impossible at such a young age," Angela continued with a smile, reminiscing about her past. Nancy couldn't help but be amused by the little girl's earnest expression.
"So, what kind of books were they really?" she asked.
Angela shrugged, "Mostly novels—fantasy, science fiction, horror—I read all of Stephen King's books, and I actually read《The Count of Monte Cristo》when I was around 8."
Then she grinned, "Perhaps I couldn't fully understand the true meaning of these novels, but it didn't stop me from feeling happy, moved, or even hating certain stories. While other girls were playing with Barbie dolls, I had already read over a thousand books. Maybe that's where my genius lies. And gradually, I started trying to write my own stories. In the beginning, those scripts were all in the form of novels."
Seeing Nancy's slightly dazed expression, Angela quickly stopped herself, "Anyway, I'm going to check on my dad now. I hope you'll have more fun."
Turning around to walk towards her father, she thought she should make the story more plausible, otherwise, God knows if Nancy would think she's an alien child. She'll have to come up with a more coherent explanation when she has the time.
"Hey, two dads, how's your conversation going?" Angela skipped over to Jared and Al.
"Dear little princess, you look really beautiful today," Al said, hugging her with a smile.
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"Thank you, Al Dad," the little girl said, then turned her head to make a funny face at her father, causing Jared to exclaim in an exaggerated manner, "Hey, Al, you can't just steal my child like this!"
"Oh, Jared, if you can, go ahead and steal her back," Al retorted without backing down.
The two of them exchanged glances and burst into laughter, leaving Angela to roll her eyes, they were truly two dads.
"So, were you discussing《The Godfather》?" she asked.
"Yes, dear, but I didn't know you secretly dug out my treasured videotapes to watch," Jared raised an eyebrow, looking at his daughter.
Angela's forehead formed a thick black line as she glared at Al.
"I'm sorry, Angela, I let it slip, my apologies," Al raised his hands honestly.
"It's okay, Al. If you hadn't said anything, I wouldn't have known about it anyway, and that's not a good thing," Angela's father made it clear that he intended to settle the score with her. Of course, the little girl snorted at that, come on, today was her birthday after all.
"So, which part of《The Godfather》were you discussing?" Angela ignored her father's threat and asked Al.
Al shrugged, "Part II."
"The one with Mr. De Niro?" Angela asked excitedly.
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"Yes," Al sighed, he was used to this by now. They always get mentioned together.
"Just now, Jared mentioned if there was a chance for me and Robert to work on a movie together again," he said.
Angela's eyes lit up, and her mind almost immediately jumped to a movie idea. But before she could speak, another voice chimed in, "In fact, we are currently planning such a movie."
Coming over was Paul Tucker, who politely nodded to the three.
"Can you tell us more?" Jared asked.
"Of course, Mr. Mason. In fact, Michael Mann is working on such a film. For now, it's just in his head, and he needs time to conduct detailed research and write the script and so on. But we are all very optimistic about it, so when Mr. Mann came to us for investment, we agreed right away," Paul said with a smile.
"《Heat!》" At the moment he finished speaking, the name of the movie popped into Angela's head. Without waiting for Al and Jared to say anything, she preemptively said, "Can I share my ideas with Michael Mann? I've been hoping for a movie like this for a long time!"
The three men looked at the little girl with some surprise, not understanding why she was so excited. But how could she not be excited? 《Heat》was not only a classic crime-action film but also a masterpiece for men. It was the peak of their performances when Al and Robert acted together, and their later film collaboration, 《Righteous Kill,》 couldn't even compare.
That movie was her favorite back then. Honestly, if she hadn't known that Michael Mann had been preparing for this film since the 1980s, she might have considered using plagiarism to bring it to life. Even now, she really wanted to get involved.
Just a moment later, a thought suddenly struck her: what if she could leave her mark on all the classic works of Hollywood?!
