Echoes of Hollywood

"Our paper has obtained reliable information that the eldest son of former Oscar Best Actor and Hollywood superstar Michael Douglas, Cameron Douglas, was recently arrested by the police for possession and trafficking of drugs. It is reported that he may face more than ten years of imprisonment, causing Michael Douglas to weep bitterly."

In a booth at a café, Kara Faith was intently reading the newspaper in front of her. She knew that the news was intricately related to Murphy, who was sitting across from her.

"What is even more heartbreaking for Michael Douglas is that on the first day of Cameron Douglas's arrest, he was involved in a gang conflict in a temporary cell, resulting in fractures of his arm and femur..."

Kara Faith shook her head. Compared to the troubles faced by the Douglas family, these seemed insignificant.

"According to insiders, most prisoners knew that Cameron Douglas was attacked on a gang bounty, leading to his fingers and femur being broken, with the femur even needing a steel pin. However, he told the police and medical staff that he was injured accidentally by a fall. Therefore, no one has been punished for Cameron Douglas's injuries."

Taking her eyes off the newspaper, Kara Faith took a sip of her drink and looked at Murphy. "You are still the same Murphy Stanton, ruthless to the bone."

"What?" Murphy seemed not to understand her words. "What hasn't changed?"

"Ruthlessness!" Kara Faith said bluntly, not needing to hold back in front of Murphy. "You will stop at nothing."

Murphy took a sip of coffee and shrugged. "None of this has anything to do with me. I just found someone to give him a bit of a scare. The rest is the result of long-standing conflicts within the Douglas family coming to a head."

Kara Faith pursed her lips and asked, "How many years will Cameron Douglas be sentenced to?"

"I don't know." Murphy shook his head. "It should be more than five years. No one cares about him now."

Cameron Douglas was just a catalyst and a fuse. Murphy and Robert Downey Jr.'s targets were never him.

"I know," Kara Faith said with some emotion. "Those two people you care about are both in a terrible state now."

Everyone in Hollywood knew that the Douglas family seemed to be cursed by the goddess of misfortune and was facing a huge crisis. Although it had not completely collapsed, it could no longer compare to its former glory.

First was Kirk Douglas, who suffered a stroke and was rushed to the University of California Medical School. Although he escaped life-threatening danger, the prolonged lack of oxygen to his brain left him with disoriented consciousness and hemiplegia. He would spend the rest of his days bedridden and in a daze, a far cry from the once powerful Hollywood figure, now living worse than death.

Next was Michael Douglas, who was luckier than his father in that he hadn't suffered any physical blows, but the mental pressure had aged him ten years overnight.

Catherine Zeta-Jones was determined to divorce him, holding evidence of domestic violence. Once the divorce lawsuit was settled, it was highly likely that she would take half of Michael Douglas's assets.

Such a divorce case would inevitably drag on for a long time. Paparazzi and entertainment reporters were swarming around Michael Douglas every day, creating all sorts of sensational news. Combined with the situation of his father Kirk Douglas and son Cameron Douglas, it was said that the former Oscar winner had had several emotional breakdowns.

What was even more disheartening was that several film crews that had contracts with Michael Douglas ended their cooperation with him due to the domestic violence scandal exposed by Catherine Zeta-Jones.

This super star's career was plummeting, no longer matching his previous glory. Some media bluntly stated that by the time Michael Douglas dealt with all these scandals and turned his attention back to his career, he might not even qualify as a second-tier Hollywood star, faring no better than Mel Gibson, who had been collectively boycotted by Hollywood.

Kara Faith knew very well that the once-thriving Douglas family in Hollywood was essentially finished.

"Was it worth it for Robert Downey Jr.?" she suddenly asked.

"This can't be measured by worth or not," Murphy said calmly. "Kirk Douglas was rallying people in Hollywood's Jewish circles, spreading messages that were very unfavorable to me."

The two chatted a bit more on this topic before Kara Faith changed the subject. "Twentieth Century Fox canceled their trip to the Toronto Film Festival, have they informed you?"

"Yes." Murphy nodded, but he was puzzled. "Canceled last minute? What's going on?"

After all, although canceling participation in a film festival last minute was not unheard of, it was quite rare.

Kara Faith didn't hide anything and said directly, "Twentieth Century Fox had some disagreements with the Toronto Film Festival committee and decided to boycott this year's festival."

She suddenly smiled. "Twentieth Century Fox intends to have 'Inglourious Basterds' premiere in East Asia."

Murphy was a bit confused. "In East Asia?"

"The East Asian market share is becoming increasingly important," Kara Faith explained briefly. "But Twentieth Century Fox hasn't done well in that market in recent years. They hope to use your film to boost enthusiasm among East Asian moviegoers."

"Surely not China?" Murphy frowned slightly. "My market appeal in China is not high... quite poor, actually."

"Not China. Except for 'Man of Steel,' none of your films have been released in Chinese cinemas." Kara Faith laughed. "Twentieth Century Fox would never choose China."

She took a sip of water and said, "A South Korean film company invited Twentieth Century Fox to bring a famous director and a blockbuster to Seoul for a global premiere. Twentieth Century Fox is currently considering 'Inglourious Basterds' among other films, but no final decision has been made."

Murphy frowned even more tightly. "You mean you also want this film to premiere in South Korea?"

Kara Faith shook her head. "I'm against it. How can a film with such a theme be suitable for a global premiere in East Asia?"

"I think so too," Murphy said after a brief thought. "Let's have the global premiere in North America as usual."

Although he had enough power in this project and was now an A-list director, he had no say in distribution matters, which were the exclusive rights of the distribution company.

"Well..." Kara Faith leaned back to make herself more comfortable. "'Inglourious Basterds' is just one of the considerations. The company's top brass aren't idiots. They shouldn't make a stupid decision."

Since Kara Faith said so, Murphy no longer worried about it and asked about the distribution situation. "How are the talks with the theaters going?"

"Almost done." Although not in charge of distribution, Kara Faith had some understanding. "The distribution department has reached an agreement with the North American theater alliance. The premiere will be in about 3,500 theaters. The company adopted your suggestion and won't hold limited screenings but will release it widely."

"We're not just aiming for awards," Murphy said, also considering his own profit. "We need commercial success too. 'Inglourious Basterds' is ultimately a commercial film."

And the theaters, 3,500 compared to 'Man of Steel' was quite a difference, but for an R-rated black comedy with such a large scale, it was already quite good.

In this regard, R-rated films with the same investment scale couldn't compare to PG or PG-13 rated films.

The MPAA's movie rating system could be said to be a key factor in Hollywood movies' success.

Initially, Hollywood's rating and regulatory system emerged and developed to help parents choose suitable programs for children or teenagers. It also provided content creation guidelines for producers, instructing on the use of sex, violence, and other scenes.

But with the information age, the rating system brought more benefits: production and distribution companies could identify the target audience age group and make targeted arrangements, satisfying viewing needs for higher commercial returns, and facilitating offline marketing for more peripheral income.

However, rating a film was indeed a complicated task, far less convenient than a blanket approach.

Kara Faith checked the time and got up to leave, reminding Murphy as she did, "You're almost done with your work. Cooperate more with the company's promotion for 'Inglourious Basterds.' There are some rumors within Twentieth Century Fox that I'm giving you special treatment."

"Do you care about that?"

Murphy said, but Kara Faith didn't care either. She replied, "Don't worry. I'm a very professional director."

The two were old friends, so there was no need for formalities. Kara Faith waved her hand. "I'm going back to Fox Tower. You pay the bill."

Murphy waved back, finished his coffee, put a dollar bill on the table, and prepared to leave for Stanton Studios in Century City.

"Are you Director Stanton?"

A tentative voice suddenly came from the side. Murphy turned to see a young man about twenty-five years old approaching. "You really are Director Stanton!"

Murphy, thinking he had met a fan, nodded and gave a warm smile. "Hello, I'm Murphy Stanton."

He extended his hand, and the young man quickly shifted his briefcase to his left hand and shook Murphy's hand enthusiastically. "Hello, Director Stanton."

The young man looked as if he had won the lottery, saying excitedly, "I'm a screenwriter and director. I've written a script myself. Can you spare some time to read it?"

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