Hollywood's various studios each had their own relatively fixed talent reserves.
In recent years, Daenerys Entertainment had cultivated a large group of top filmmakers for long-term collaboration through the DC Cinematic Universe plan and a series of other hit films.
However, Simon was naturally not satisfied with this.
This time, Michael Bay and David Fincher were the two new rising directors Simon planned to cultivate.
Compared to Fincher, Simon actually valued Michael Bay a bit more.
In the original timeline, although Michael Bay was often mocked by film critics for liking to show off technique and lacking depth, and had even been given the nickname Explosion Bay, he was always able to complete projects within the studio's budget. Moreover, the films he directed basically achieved very outstanding box office results with very few misses. Therefore, he was one of the directors that Hollywood studios competed to work with.
Looking at David Fincher, although this director was equally outstanding, the genres he excelled in, suspense and thriller, usually had lower box office potential. He also liked to spend money too freely, and his films' box office was very unstable. As a result, studios always had some reservations when cooperating with him.
Since it was their first meeting, Simon and David Fincher roughly discussed some matters about Seven. He soon sent the other man away.
Michael Bay saw the way Madonna was looking at Simon and felt a bit envious, but he was also very tactful and left on his own to continue his work.
With the irrelevant people gone, Madonna immediately moved closer to Simon. She did not care about the many gazes around them in the soundstage and said, "Simon, I heard this show is looking for performance guests. Do you think I'm suitable?"
Simon gestured toward a tall model not far away and teased, "Maggie, do you think you fit in the middle of them?"
"I'm just a bit shorter than them," Madonna obviously did not mind and said, "Besides, since they are all taller than me, standing in the middle makes me the most eye-catching one."
Simon realized he had once again overlooked Madonna's naturally strong confidence and smiled. "Alright, but originally there was a plan to invite performance guests. In the end, we decided against it."
He had initially considered inviting a few performance guests like in his memories. However, after careful consideration, Simon felt that for the first Victoria's Secret show, it was best to keep the audience's attention entirely on the Victoria's Secret Angels. This was also the best way to establish the Victoria's Secret Angels brand.
Madonna was not disappointed and continued, "Then I can definitely come watch it, right?"
"Of course," Simon nodded and said, "I'll have someone send you a few tickets."
"I'm already starting to look forward to it."
As Madonna said this, one of her small hands unconsciously reached over. Simon saw the hand about to touch the back of his and felt somewhat helpless. He lightly flicked it with his index finger. The queen immediately pulled back in pain and looked at Simon with an innocent, accusatory expression.
Simon reached over and pinched Madonna's chin. "No more seducing me, or I'll deal with you."
With her chin lifted by Simon, Madonna still did not back down and batted her eyes seductively. "In bed, you can do whatever you want."
"Bitch."
"Jerk."
"..."
"See, aren't we a perfect match?"
"..."
"WAHAHAHA."
Simon withdrew his hand with a helpless expression and simply pretended not to know the woman beside him who was laughing wildly. He turned toward the runway area. The staff members who had been curiously looking over noticed Simon's gaze and quickly resumed their work.
After a while, Madonna finally stopped laughing but still said with some resentment, "Hey, Simon, why aren't you interested in me?"
Simon said, "I'm not the type who wants to taste every dish he sees. Unfortunately, you're not my type."
Madonna became interested. "What kind of 'dish' do you like exactly? I originally thought... but last time I saw you with a young girl."
Simon simply ignored her.
Madonna persisted. "Hey, do you think I'm too loose, so you don't want to sleep with me? You called me a bitch earlier."
Simon nodded. "Yes."
Madonna looked Simon up and down and shook her head. "Doesn't seem like it. You're not that concerned about such things, or you wouldn't even talk to me. But you men are really despicable. Why can you men find many women, but we women can't find many men?"
"Have you ever seen a cup paired with many teapots?"
"Why are you men the teapots and we women can't be teapots?"
"How is the preparation for your Body of Evidence going?"
Madonna saw Simon change the subject and did not pursue it. She had completely given up on certain ideas in her heart and planned to treat the man beside her only as a friend from now on. Having a male friend like Simon Westeros was actually quite prestigious.
"Columbia Pictures has agreed to invest. The budget is 30 million dollars. The director and male lead are already confirmed. Filming should start around the end of the year," Madonna said, then asked, "Simon, how much box office do you think this movie can make?"
Simon answered honestly, "Probably ten to twenty million."
Madonna widened her eyes. "I performed so hard, and it's only ten to twenty million?"
Simon spread his hands. "Actually, you might be overestimating everyone's interest in watching Madonna in a passionate scene."
"How is that possible," the queen remained full of confidence and said, "How about we make a bet?"
Simon shook his head. "No bet. You have nothing to lose to me."
"I really want to punch you."
Simon thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps you should revise the script again. Ignore the passionate scenes and focus on shaping the female lead's venomous attributes."
Madonna seized the opportunity. "How about you help me revise the script?"
"I'm very expensive."
"No matter how much, I'll pay you," the queen said generously, then added, "Sony is footing the bill anyway."
Simon felt that Sony was definitely going to be the sucker again this time and said helplessly, "If I revise it, it might turn into a completely different story. Besides, your acting skills... well, you should know, right?"
"Wasn't my performance in Pulp Fiction very outstanding?"
"That's because I was the director."
"As long as you say the word, the director of this movie is yours too," Madonna immediately added. "Sony is footing the bill."
Simon started to feel a bit sorry for Sony. He raised his hand and knocked on Madonna's forehead as she unconsciously leaned closer again and said, "Just play by yourself. I really don't understand why you insist on squeezing into Hollywood. Isn't it good to just be your own pop queen?"
"Then why do you do so many things?"
"I'm different from you. Geniuses like me are hard for you Earthlings to understand."
Madonna seemed to have discovered some big secret. "Hey, which planet are you from?"
"Alpha Centauri."
"You're here to invade Earth?!"
"Yes."
"That's great. I can help."
"You being so proactive makes me embarrassed."
Madonna burst into laughter again and soon asked curiously, "Hey, do you think there will really be aliens invading Earth?"
Simon did not answer but said, "Would you specially go to Africa to invade an ant nest?"
Madonna said very seriously, "If the ants in that nest are special enough, I think I would go take a look."
Simon shrugged. "Then we can only leave it to fate."
As the two chatted, on the other side Michael Bay had gradually adjusted all the equipment on the runway site. Some officially signed Victoria's Secret Angels had also arrived one after another.
Today they would conduct a simple rehearsal, mainly to test some photography and lighting effects.
The Victoria's Secret show was scheduled for early November. However, the main rehearsal time was concentrated in August. Because the four major fashion weeks would be held successively in September and October, this was the busiest season of the year for models. Simon did not plan to prevent these Victoria's Secret Angels from participating in some runway shows that were very important to them.
Of course, the Victoria's Secret show was still the most important.
Three of the five signed Victoria's Secret Angel spokesmodels had come: Helena Christensen, Tyra Banks, and Stephanie Seymour. Cindy Crawford was very busy and could not attend every rehearsal. The waist spirit Yasmene Gare's schedule was also very tight, so she had not come today either.
The other several supermodels who would participate in this show naturally had not appeared either.
Simply put, those who came this time were a group of relatively idle models with lower status in the fashion circle. For example, the three Angel spokesmodels who had arrived basically treated this show as the most important thing for them this year. As long as there were no particularly important jobs, they would stay in Los Angeles as much as possible from now on.
Noticing Simon over here, during the gap before the rehearsal started, a group of tall, exquisite-faced women came over to greet him one after another. They naturally chatted with Madonna for a few words as well.
Although Madonna had acted as if she did not care earlier, now that she was really surrounded by a group of vixens, she clearly felt some small pressure.
Michael Bay personally finished adjusting the camera slider beside the runway and stood up to begin. He noticed that the models had all gathered around Simon. He tactfully waited a moment before signaling a staff member beside him to call them over. In his heart, he once again felt envious of that guy who was blessed with so much beauty.
Even in this circle, even if he was just a music video director, there were still many young actresses who wanted to get close to him in the morning. Michael Bay had naturally taken advantage of that as well.
However, toward this group of top-tier vixens who were about to participate in the Victoria's Secret show, Michael Bay had no intention of making any moves.
No matter what the young man actually thought in his heart, many people naturally regarded this show as Simon's private territory. If someone was tactless enough to hunt in this territory, the outcome would definitely not be good.
As long as he could smoothly step into Hollywood relying on this opportunity, he would lack nothing in the future. Michael Bay did not want to lose big over something small.
The staff member came to remind them. Simon then sent the group of chirping women around him off to work. Stephanie Seymour, who had managed to snag the seat beside him, saw the other women gradually leave and leaned close to the man's ear to ask, "Simon, do you have time recently?"
Simon nodded and smiled. "Yes. I'll call you when the time comes."
If it were anyone else, Stephanie Seymour would be certain that this call would definitely come, and she might not even want to respond. But the man in front of her spoke with absolutely no sincerity.
Simon saw the resentment in Stephanie Seymour's eyes and simply urged, "Go work. Your boss is very strict. If you don't do well, you might get fired."
Knowing the man was not joking, Stephanie Seymour obediently stood up and walked toward the runway.
Once all the women had left, Madonna said, "So many. Can you handle them all?"
Simon looked at the pleasing sight not far away and smiled. "Many things in this world can be eaten, but they don't necessarily have to be eaten."
Such a refined group of top-tier vases was actually more suitable for careful appreciation and savoring. There was no need to necessarily pin them down on a big bed and play with them.
Although Simon never shortchanged himself when it came to women, he also never excessively pursued carnal desires.
On the runway side, after some rearrangement, the angels gradually got into the zone. They did not need to change clothes and began waiting at the end of the runway under the staff's guidance.
Madonna and Simon looked over together. The rehearsal soon began. At first she did not feel anything, but soon Madonna noticed the accompaniment playing in the soundstage.
It was a pure instrumental piece accompanied by finger snaps, with no one singing. However, Madonna was very certain that this was a song, a new song she had never heard before.
She also quickly understood that the lack of lyrics was obviously for confidentiality reasons.
Then she looked at the man beside her. "Simon, is this a new song you wrote?"
Simon did not deny it and nodded. "Yes."
"It sounds very suitable for a woman to sing," the queen immediately perked up and said, "What do you think of me performing it?"
"Are you willing to terminate your contract with Warner?"
"Hmm?"
Simon smiled. "Don't forget, I now own Universal Records. Good things should naturally be left for the singers under my own record company."
Madonna said discontentedly, "Universal Records doesn't seem to have any famous singers. Don't you think it's a waste?"
"I don't think so."
"..."
Madonna was instantly speechless.
Terminating the contract with Warner, even if she was willing, Warner would not be.
Moreover, with her current status, after her contract with Warner expired, she was more inclined to operate her own record company independently and would only cooperate with the major record giants.
"So, what's the name of this song?"
"Since it's for the Victoria's Secret Angels on the runway, this song is naturally called Paradise."
Fearing the vast blue sky, yet still desiring to roam above it
Longing to become a bright lamp, to guide your way
Can you hear the distant whistles sounding through the night
Seeking the world's shock and magnificence, casting aside worldly troubles and loneliness
Dreaming of treading through shock and magnificence, wishing for a worldly companion to rely on
Let us together overturn the order of the world
Nothing in the world compares to my wild thoughts
No matter where we shall dwell
Nothing can stop us from yearning for paradise
[Adv. 30 Chapters on my patreon .com/EdgyReader]