Lena was still pondering how to broach the subject when Simon's amused voice came from behind her: "What mischief are you plotting? Your heart's racing so fast."
She turned her head, found Simon's cheek, and planted a flattering kiss on it. Then, without hesitation, she untied her swimsuit and tossed it aside, removing the barrier to Simon's touch. "Simon, I've never heard of this director. He's not famous, is he?"
"No, he's not."
"Then… do you think I could recruit him as my client?"
"You want to be Paul's assistant?"
"No, being Amy and Jessica's assistant is just temporary. I was actually an intern at WMA and will soon become a full-fledged agent."
Hearing this, Jessica Chastain, who had already privately discussed her plans with Lena and was only delayed by this unexpected weekend, didn't react much. Amy Adams, however, was surprised and couldn't help but glance over from a distance.
Simon looked down at the round-faced girl in his arms, whose figure and skin were so delightful he couldn't stop touching her, and asked, "Do you really enjoy being an agent? Or would you rather be a star?"
This time, even Jessica pricked up her ears.
Just yesterday morning, Lena had claimed she didn't want to be a star. Now, they were curious to see how she'd respond.
But Lena didn't hesitate. She shook her head. "No, I still think being an agent is better for me. Besides, this is just the beginning of my career. I don't plan to be an agent forever."
Simon seemed intrigued. "Go on."
Lena laid out her plan clearly: "I'm 23 now. I hope to spend the next 5 to 7 years building a roster of A-list clients as an agent while establishing my network and familiarizing myself with every aspect of Hollywood production. Then, by the time I'm 30, I'll aim to join a major studio as a VP-level executive overseeing film production. And by 40, I want to be a studio head like Amy Pascal or Sherry Lansing."
Simon chuckled. "What if it doesn't work out?"
Lena flipped over, resting on Simon's chest, and met his gaze. "Then I'll just have to accept that luck wasn't on my side. But it won't be because I didn't try."
"Not bad," Simon acknowledged with a nod. After a moment, he asked, "Did you go to college?"
"I graduated from USC's School of Cinematic Arts with a degree in Film and Media Studies. In four years, I only got 3 Bs and 1 C. The rest were all As."
Simon was slightly surprised. He had assumed that a girl working as an assistant to Amy and Jessica would have a background similar to theirs. If that were the case, he would have dismissed Lena's earlier statements with a laugh and maybe offered a little help. But now, he was genuinely intrigued. He didn't doubt her claims—they were too easy to verify—so he asked, "It seems you had your life planned out even before college?"
"Yes."
"Then why did you end up as Amy and Jessica's assistant?"
Lena's eyes curved into a smile as she leaned in to kiss Simon's lips. "Isn't that the answer?"
Simon understood and laughed, pulling her closer for a moment before reaching for the folder he'd tossed aside earlier. "In that case, I won't bother explaining too much. Consider this a test for you. Paul Greengrass is your challenge."
Lena flipped over again, resting against Simon's chest, and took the folder. "Simon, what do you need me to do?"
"First, read through the materials."
Lena nodded and began flipping through the documents with focus and speed.
She quickly noticed that Paul Greengrass, 42, was also highly educated, having graduated from Cambridge. He started as a journalist, even publishing a book exposing scandals within MI6. In the early 1980s, he transitioned into television, directing documentaries and TV series, and by the late 1980s, he ventured into film.
From the projects listed, Lena deduced that Greengrass specialized in fact-based, documentary-style films, which aligned with his journalistic background.
Documentary-style?
Her mind immediately jumped to The Blair Witch Project.
The Blair Witch Project was a film, but if you stripped away the fictional elements, it was essentially a very "documentary-like" story.
Looking back at Greengrass's profile, even though he wasn't a newcomer like Justin Lin, at 42 and still relatively unknown, he was in a similar position. His expertise in documentary-style filmmaking suggested a visual style that would fit perfectly with the low-budget, pseudo-documentary approach of The Blair Witch Project.
Lena also knew that a sequel to The Blair Witch Project was already in development, with Jessica set to star. Given Daenerys Entertainment's investment in Justin Lin, it was clear they didn't want him tied down with the sequel. So, did that mean Paul Greengrass was Simon's choice to direct the sequel?
If Simon knew the direction of Lena's thoughts, even if she hadn't guessed the full truth, he would have been impressed.
Because she wasn't far off.
After finishing the documents, Lena looked up at Simon. "Simon, there's one issue."
"Hmm?"
"The directors Daenerys Entertainment has cultivated in recent years—Michael Bay, Doug Liman, and now Justin Lin—they're all quite young, aren't they?"
"Yes."
"But this guy," Lena lifted the folder, "even though he graduated from Cambridge, he's been in the industry for over a decade and still hasn't made a name for himself. Don't you think he might just be… mediocre?"
"..."
"Simon?"
"You're right. I'm trying to figure out how to argue with you."
Lena chuckled, mimicking Simon's earlier gesture by tossing the folder onto Britney, who had refused to give up her spot earlier. Then, like flipping a pancake, she turned herself over to face Simon. "Simon, if you think he's worth it, you don't need to explain it to me. Just tell me what I need to do."
"Alright," Simon took one of Lena's slender hands and counted off three fingers, lifting the fourth halfway. "For the first phase, Paul has about three and a half months. Here's a test for you: why only three and a half months?"
A test?
The three pairs of girls nearby, who had been silently envious of Lena's charm, began racking their brains.
Though the situation wasn't exactly as she'd imagined, Lena quickly pieced it together. Almost as if she could hear the other girls' thoughts, she smiled at Simon. "Simon, how about giving Amy and the others a chance? If I answer too quickly, you'll lose face."
Simon: "..."
Bitch!
That was the collective thought of the surrounding girls.
Simon, ever the good sport, smiled and said to the group, "Whoever answers first gets a leading role."
The girls immediately perked up.
Britney, playing the pity card, set aside the Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone manuscript she'd been holding and snuggled up to Simon like Lena had. "Simon, what was that about three and a half months? Can you say it again?"
Britney's question prompted hopeful looks from Vanessa and Amy, who also wanted Simon to repeat himself.
But he didn't oblige.
They had to rack their brains, trying to recall the details of Simon's earlier words.
After a moment, Jessica was the first to speak up. "Simon, three and a half months from now would be around mid-January. The Sundance Film Festival, right?"
Simon slapped Lena's butt with a crisp sound. "Bingo!"
Amy, sitting next to Jessica, groaned in frustration. "Sundance! Ugh, why didn't I think of that? I should've known!"
The other girls also looked dejected.
It was such a simple deduction. Three and a half months from now—what major event in Hollywood happens around that time? How could they have missed it?
Lena glanced at Jessica, unsurprised by her quick thinking.
If it had been any other girl, Lena wouldn't have pressed the issue. But since it was Jessica, she didn't want Simon to weasel out of his promise. In a soft, pleading voice, she asked, "Simon, are you really going to reward her?"
"Of course. I don't make a habit of breaking promises."
As Simon pretended to think it over, Lena couldn't help but add, "The Blair Witch Project 2 doesn't count. And you did say 'leading role.'"
"Seems like you and Jessica are quite close," Simon teased, then gestured to the folder Britney had picked up and set aside. "It's in there. I plan to have Paul Greengrass direct two films. The lead in the second one will go to Jessica."
The other girls couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.
Lena knew she'd been a bit too eager earlier, so she didn't press further. Instead, she asked, "So, Simon, about those three and a half months—what does Paul Greengrass need to do?"
"Daenerys Entertainment's second pseudo-documentary film. It's about a group of teenagers exploring and searching for a witch. The script is still being polished. Your task is to find Paul Greengrass and convince him to join the project as director. I want the film ready for next year's Sundance Film Festival, so you've got about three and a half months."
The witch-hunting story was, of course, The Blair Witch Project.
This was an idea Simon had come up with after reviewing Paul Greengrass's profile. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense.
Greengrass had started as a journalist, then moved into television in the early 1980s, directing documentaries and TV series. After so many years, his visual style was undoubtedly well-suited not just for Enemy of the State but even more so for the pseudo-documentary approach of The Blair Witch Project.
On the other hand, Simon needed to test the waters.
As Lena had pointed out, at 42 and still relatively unknown, even if it was just due to a lack of opportunities, Simon wanted to start Greengrass off with a smaller project to see how he handled it. It would serve as both a training ground to hone his skills and a way to convince others, like Westinghouse, the investors behind Enemy of the State, and Jerry Bruckheimer.
Enemy of the State had a budget of $70 million, not $7 million.
Handing such a project to an unknown director, even if Simon had the final say, would raise concerns among seasoned professionals like Bruckheimer, potentially causing delays. By having Greengrass first deliver The Blair Witch Project, regardless of its box office performance, the quality of the film and its suitability for Hollywood's style would be evident to veterans like Bruckheimer.
Then, handing Enemy of the State to Greengrass would feel much more natural.
Lena, still lying on Simon, was also calculating.
Since Daenerys Entertainment was already polishing the script, all she needed to do was secure Paul Greengrass. Three and a half months was more than enough time. After all, The Blair Witch Project had taken two months to shoot, but that was largely due to Justin Lin and the main team's meticulous attention to detail.
In Lena's estimation, if they weren't striving for perfection, The Blair Witch Project could have been completed in under ten days.
Of course, Lena wasn't foolish enough to suggest that Greengrass rush through the project.
Breaking it down:
Today was October 5th. Securing Greengrass, finalizing the script, and assembling the crew could all be done within a month if everything went smoothly.
Filming could begin in early November. For a pseudo-documentary, even with a slightly compressed schedule, 45 days should suffice. That would leave a full month for post-production, which was more than enough. And if time really became an issue, they could even stretch the Sundance Film Festival deadline by submitting the film and scheduling its screening for the latter half of the festival, buying an extra week.
Many renowned directors had done this before—arriving at festivals with unfinished films, sometimes even screening rough cuts.
After mapping it out, Lena agreed and then asked the question she was most interested in: "Simon, what about the second project?"
"The second project," Simon smiled, pulling Lena closer and enjoying the feel of her skin against his. "I'll keep that under wraps for now. But I can tell you this: the lead will likely be Harrison Ford."
As soon as Simon said this, Christina Aguilera let out a small gasp. "Wow, Han Solo!"
Simon tapped Christina's forehead and glanced at Jessica, who had been leaning over to listen. "Happy?"
Jessica smiled shyly and nodded.
"In that case, go join Amy in the pool and give me a performance of 'Lotus Rising from the Water.'"
Jessica knew exactly what kind of performance Simon was referring to—something akin to last night's blossoming lily.
It was daytime, so she felt a bit shy, but glancing around, she saw that aside from a few maids nearby, the estate was empty.
And then she thought about what Simon had just promised her.
A leading role opposite Harrison Ford? How many actresses in Hollywood dreamed of that?
So she quickly got up.
Amy, pulled up by Jessica, was less enthusiastic.
She hadn't gotten a leading role, after all.
But she kept her complaints to herself and obediently followed Jessica to the pool.
Simon called over a maid to bring a pillow to prop himself up, then held Lena and watched the pool. He patted Christina's head and asked, "Hungry?"
Christina wasn't hungry.
But since Simon was asking, she figured she must be. So she pretended to be obedient and nodded. "Yes."
Simon pushed her down. "If you're hungry, go find something to eat."
Lena almost laughed out loud.
Such a troublemaker.
Christina obediently stood up. Though she didn't hold out much hope, she still asked in a coquettish tone, "Simon, do I get a leading role too?"
"Yes."
Christina was surprised, her eyes lighting up. She wanted to ask more but felt Simon wouldn't lie to her, so she didn't hesitate and went off to find her "food."
Simon adjusted Lena's petite frame in his arms and said to Britney, "You too."
Britney, of course, had to bargain. "Simon, I want a leading role too."
Simon tapped her forehead and smiled. "Go on. Everyone gets one."
______
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