Simon hadn't expected Nicole to say that so suddenly. A slight smile appeared on his lips as he asked, "Really obedient?"
Nicole Kidman sensed something unusual in the man's smile, but since the words were out, she nodded and said, "Really".
"Then..." Simon noticed the bottled water Nicole had just placed on the round table, pointed to it casually, and said, "Drink this bottle of water".
Nicole was puzzled: "Hmm?"
"I said", Simon gestured again, "Drink this bottle of water".
Nicole understood.
This must be a test, right?
It's just a bottle of water, easy.
Nicole didn't think much of it. She picked it up, brought it to her lips, and as she drank, she slyly glanced at the man beside her with a captivating look.
Simon watched with interest as Nicole finished the bottle of water. Then he handed her the bottle in front of him: "And this one".
Nicole looked at the bottled water in front of her, which the man beside her had already taken a few sips from. Though she didn't feel any disgust, she still hesitated and asked, "Why do I have to drink so much water?"
"Nothing", Simon shook his head and said, "You said you'd be obedient, so I'm testing it out".
"I", Nicole cast a sideways glance at Simon, her eyes twinkling, "Even if there are so many things to do, I don't need to drink water, do I?"
Simon nodded, but his expression turned cold. Leaning back on the sofa, he said, "Go back to the lobby. I want to be alone for a while".
Nicole pursed her lips, looking a little wronged. Seeing Simon unmoved, she had no choice but to pick up the bottle of water and bring it to her lips again.
After all, he had drunk from it. As she sipped, a strange feeling inexplicably arose, and she couldn't help but touch the rim of the bottle with her small tongue.
Naturally, she felt nothing.
After finishing another 500ml bottle of mineral water, Nicole put down the empty bottle, wiped her mouth, and looked at the man beside her, cautiously asking in a low voice, "So, do I have the role of Wonder Woman now?"
Simon shook his head: "No."
She really wanted to jump over and scratch that annoying, handsome face.
Of course.
She could only think about it.
Nicole forced herself to continue her aggrieved offensive, her eyes brimming as she looked at Simon, looking as if she was about to cry.
Simon, however, checked his watch and said, "There are probably still 100 minutes until the movie finishes playing. Go back to your seat in the lobby now. You're not allowed to leave until the movie ends".
Nicole blinked.
She had just drunk 1000ml of water in one go!
"Simon, you're really too mean".
Simon shrugged and said, "You yourself said you'd be obedient".
"I meant, if you're willing to give me the role of Wonder Woman..."
"I said no. However, if you can prove that you're truly obedient, I will definitely prioritize you for suitable roles in the future".
Nicole bit her lip, still glaring at him softly, and said, "You promise?"
"I don't make promises", Simon sat up straight again, ignoring the glances of some staff members around them. He extended a finger and lightly tapped Nicole's chin, saying, "Actually, a promise of 'obedience' holds no appeal for me whatsoever, Ms. Kidman. In Hollywood right now, if I wanted to, I could find a hundred girls more obedient than you at any time. So, you're not in a position to bargain with me".
Simon's finger touched and quickly retracted, but Nicole's chin lifted with that light tap, like a swan trying hard to maintain its pride.
Feeling very indignant, she wanted to meet his gaze for a moment, but he didn't respond at all, simply picking up a copy of 'Variety' magazine from the round table and flipping through it.
A moment later, Nicole finally conceded, pointing to the direction of the restroom with a wronged expression: "Can I go there first?"
Simon smiled and nodded, speaking amiably, "Of course, you can go anytime. The last thing I like to do is force people".
I'd be crazy to believe your lies!
While she was still hesitating, Terry Semel, CEO of Warner Bros. Pictures, appeared backstage. Seeing Simon, he walked directly over.
Knowing that Terry Semel had something to discuss with Simon, Nicole tactfully stood up, greeted Semel, and after a moment of hesitation, obediently returned directly to the lobby.
She had already drunk two bottles of water; she couldn't let it be for nothing.
As long as she did as he said, that scoundrel probably wouldn't completely deny her some benefits.
Many people in the industry knew why an unknown actress appeared in Martin Scorsese's 'Goodfellas,' and also why Demi Moore, an actress of no significant standing, suddenly landed the lead role in Daenerys Entertainment's major production, 'Ghost'.
Compared to those who pull up their pants and refuse to acknowledge anyone, he was still somewhat reputable.
Simon noticed Nicole heading directly towards the lobby, and the smile on his lips deepened.
After all, she was just a 22-year-old naive young lady. Most girls her age had just graduated from college. Nicole clearly couldn't fathom Simon's wicked intentions.
People's minds are very fragile in certain states.
When pushed to their limit, those who are subjected to it will definitely form a very, very deep impression of the person who issued the command.
Terry Semel had seen 'Batman Begins' many times since the initial dailies. Therefore, just now in the lobby, most of his attention was focused on observing the audience's reactions.
Movies are the most uncertain business.
Even films highly praised by all professionals during internal screenings may not achieve great box office success upon release. Conversely, some films that were not noticed beforehand often become dark horses.
As the first large-scale premiere for a general audience, in just over thirty minutes, Terry Semel determined from the feedback of over 1200 audience members that Simon Westeros's new film would definitely win over audiences and gain market recognition.
Warner Bros. Pictures is having a hot year.
'Lethal Weapon 2' in the summer and 'Look Who's Talking' during Thanksgiving have both surpassed $100 million, which has broken Warner's previous several years of not having any domestic films gross over $100 million.
Now, it's a foregone conclusion that 'Batman Begins' will also surpass $100 million.
Although both films at the end of the year will share profits with Daenerys Entertainment, just 'Look Who's Talking', with an estimated domestic box office of over $170 million, will bring Warner profits equivalent to a domestic box office hit exceeding $100 million, simply because Warner is the distributor and can collect distribution commissions. Even if they can't participate in the sequel's production, Warner really has little to complain about.
Of course, the current focus is still on 'Batman Begins', or the DC Cinematic Universe plan.
If the cinematic universe plan Simon described earlier can truly be realized, Terry Semel believes Warner's film business will not be bad for the next decade.
Although Daenerys Entertainment holds the rights to the DC Trio, according to this young man's description, Warner still has Green Lantern, The Flash, and other superhero characters whose fame is not much less than the Trinity, which can be developed independently and also intersect with the cinematic universe planned by Simon.
Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern... multiple superhero characters working together to fight villains and save the world. Even without being a comic book fan, Terry Semel could imagine the thrilling and grand scenes when heroes assemble.
Therefore, after only about thirty minutes of the movie playing in the lobby, Terry Semel, finding Simon not in his seat, eagerly sought him out, wanting to decisively finalize this matter.
Having secured the DC Trio, Simon no longer hoped to obtain more superhero copyrights from Warner.
However, Simon also didn't mind Warner independently developing superheroes like The Flash while simultaneously integrating them into the jointly-operated DC Cinematic Universe.
Since becoming the richest person in the country in September this year, Simon's attention has gradually shifted towards expanding his influence, rather than just rapidly accumulating more wealth. Of course, making money still couldn't be neglected, but in this process, gaining greater power and influence in Hollywood and all the various fields involving Westeros Company was also what Simon pursued.
If there's only a huge pile of cash without corresponding influence, the more money one makes, the more one becomes a fat sheep in the eyes of some people.
By joining forces for a win-win, seemingly giving up a portion of the profits, Simon could actually gain more.
If the DC Cinematic Universe could be built up and Warner became heavily reliant on it, then Simon's influence over this media giant would be no less than Terry Semel's, who was right in front of him.
By then, inserting one or two people into Warner's film projects would be the least noteworthy thing. Simon could completely obtain resources and channel support in print media, music, cable television, and other aspects from the already merging Time Warner Brothers.
Simon and Semel were discussing the subsequent planning of the DC Cinematic Universe backstage. After a while, applause suddenly erupted from the direction of the lobby.
It wasn't enthusiastic, but both of them stopped their conversation and listened intently.
A film that can earn applause during its screening is undoubtedly the greatest affirmation of the movie.
Having seen the finished film multiple times beforehand, both of them could roughly deduce the current plot without needing to hear the sound from the lobby speakers.
Black Mask Roman Sionis seizes control of Sal Maroni's gang and begins plotting to kill Batman.
The past fifteen minutes were precisely Batman's first confrontation with Black Mask.
Sal Maroni's body is marked with Batman's insignia and displayed in a public place, sparking a media debate about whether Batman has the right to use vigilantism. Gotham City Police Commissioner James Gordon is forced to publicly state that Batman will be apprehended.
At the same time, Black Mask sets a trap to lure Batman in. After an intense battle, both sides are injured, and Batman is surrounded by a large number of police officers as he tries to leave.
At a critical moment, Batman summons a large number of bats using an ultrasonic emitter, using them as cover to ultimately escape.
The applause in the lobby was probably for Batman's successful escape.
After all, the audience in front of the big screen aren't the clueless citizens of Gotham; they are well aware of what Batman has done, and thus consistently treat him as a hero. Seeing their hero escape naturally evokes an emotional response.
Simon had no intention of returning to the lobby before the movie finished, continued to discuss the DC Cinematic Universe plan with Terry Semel.
On the screen in the lobby.
Although Batman escaped, he was severely wounded and had to temporarily go into hiding.
The now-insane Black Mask was now free to act and, to maintain control of the Janus Group, begins targeting those who know the inside story of the 'Angel' cream's safety hazards.
The two engineers responsible for product testing within the Janus Group are eliminated first. Subsequently, the target shifts to several reporters from 'The Gotham Times'.
The reporter who tipped off Roman Sionis is the first to suffer. Black Mask also conveniently collects Selina Kyle's fingerprints from the original stolen room and leaves them at the scene of the reporter's murder, thereby implicating Catwoman.
Based on the fingerprints and other 'evidence' left by Roman Sionis, the police issue an arrest warrant for Selina Kyle.
In the comics, Catwoman is a morally ambiguous character and doesn't adhere to a no-kill rule. However, in the film, Simon still portrays her as a character leaning towards a vigilante thief. Therefore, after being framed, Catwoman begins to investigate the matter to prove her innocence.
Multiple murders occur consecutively in the city, and Batman abandons his recovery to investigate.
Following some clues, Batman quickly finds Vicki Vale. At the same time, the female reporter happens to be attacked by Killer Croc.
After several struggles, Batman subdues Killer Croc at an abandoned dock, and the police arrive simultaneously.
Despite their previous conflict, Batman harbours no resentment towards the police. He also knows that Commissioner Gordon is a very upright man.
Prior to this, Commissioner Gordon had also clarified that Sal Maroni's death was unrelated to Batman. This justice-minded police officer, however, was not a pedantic man and understood that sometimes violence must be met with violence.
Thus, the two partners from the comics began their first tentative collaboration in the film.
Based on Killer Croc's confession provided by Commissioner Gordon, Batman learns that the entire affair was orchestrated by Black Mask, the new leader who replaced Sal Maroni.
However, Killer Croc did not know Black Mask's true identity, and although the police had discovered the turmoil within Sal Maroni's gang, they had no leads. Commissioner Gordon then entrusted the task of investigating the truth to Batman.
Batman goes to investigate Black Mask's identity and unexpectedly encounters Catwoman, who has just returned defeated after a confrontation with Black Mask.
Before falling into a coma from her injuries, Catwoman reveals some insider information to Batman. After considering it, Batman does not hand Catwoman over to the police himself, but instead locks her in the Batcave, beginning a period of… oh, no, that's not right, he begins to educate the misguided young woman to turn over a new leaf.
At the same time, knowing the full truth, Batman reveals the details to Commissioner Gordon, attempting to have the police resolve the matter through legal means.
However, after being exposed, Black Mask completely loses his mind, leading Deadshot and his other subordinates to inflict heavy casualties on the police who came to apprehend them, while also planning to escape Gotham City.
Batman is forced to intervene again.
In the Batcave, through remote monitoring equipment, Catwoman discovers Batman being ambushed by Black Mask and Deadshot. Knowing the terrifying skills of these two, she persuades Alfred to let her leave to help Batman. Alfred agrees and sends Catwoman to the battlefield in the Batwing.
Finally, there's the ultimate battle, lasting fifteen minutes.