For a film project with a budget of at least $30 million, the executives of New Line Cinema were all focused, their eyes fixed on the documents on the conference table, not daring to show the slightest neglect.
After all, this was no small sum, and a slight misstep could affect the company's future development.
"Before the meeting, I want to ask something first."
Robert Shaye spoke.
In an instant, everyone immediately stopped what they were doing, looked up, and focused their attention on him.
As the founder and CEO of New Line Cinema, Robert Shaye was a legendary figure.
He started from scratch, and with his keen business acumen and decisive judgment, he gradually built the company to a position second only to the six major giants, enjoying extremely high prestige in the film and television industry.
In the company, no one dared to disrespect him; his words carried absolute authority.
"Kazier Gray, I've read your script."
Arnold Kopelson was very invested in this script; he deeply understood the importance of a good script for a film's success, so he not only studied it repeatedly himself but also strongly recommended it to Robert.
Robert naturally also took the time to flip through it, and as he read deeper, he found it increasingly extraordinary; the script's unique concept, brilliant plot, and profound character portrayals all impressed him.
"Are you sure you don't need someone to help you polish it?"
He asked half-jokingly, yet with a hint of seriousness in his tone.
After all, in the film and television industry, many scripts undergo multiple revisions and improvements before filming to ensure the best possible effect.
"This..." Kazir scratched his head, his mind racing, and smoothly continued, "When I wrote this script, I was indeed not in a good mood. I just divorced my ex-wife; she... cheated."
As he spoke, a trace of helplessness and bitterness appeared on his face.
"My condolences." Robert understood instantly; he knew how devastating a broken marriage could be to a person, especially when betrayed.
Moreover, many writers in the industry have written blockbusters during their low points, such as J.K. Rowling; wasn't she penniless and wrote the globally popular "Harry Potter" when her life was in distress?
Perhaps Kazir's creative inspiration was also sparked under such circumstances.
"It's fine now."
To be honest, Kazir didn't care about that marriage at all.
In his opinion, since the relationship was broken and irreparable, it was better to say goodbye cleanly.
He gave the house to his ex-wife as he said, just wanting to quickly end this unpleasant experience so he could start a new life.
'Luckily, I have such a ready-made excuse.'
He secretly rejoiced; this reason could both explain some potentially emotional expressions in the script and avoid Robert's questioning of his creative ability.
"I see that last scene, you harbor quite a bit of resentment towards your ex-wife." Robert smiled.
The ending was so chilling, full of anger and despair; he got goosebumps when he read it.
A script that could give him goosebumps at least indicated strong appeal and impact, meaning it couldn't be bad.
"Hehe, how could that be!"
Kazir neither admitted nor denied it, just smiled awkwardly.
After all, this film was a future work, and he was merely copying it, presenting the brilliant plots and scenes in his mind.
"Alright, let's start the meeting."
Seeing that Kazir didn't explain further, Robert didn't press him, directly announcing the start of the meeting.
Kazir's presence at this meeting was solely due to his status as a screenwriter, but he knew in his heart that at this moment, his voice was insignificant, and in front of so many industry bigwigs, saying more would be useless; it was better to listen and learn more.
The core of this meeting was to approve and greenlight the project.
After careful consideration, New Line Cinema decided to bear half of the budget, with the remaining portion to be raised from other investors.
After all, $33 million was no small sum, and diversified investment could reduce risk.
After an intense discussion and negotiation, it was finally decided that the actual budget for Se7en would be $33 million.
When he heard the news that the board had approved the project, Kazir breathed a long sigh of relief, a huge weight finally lifted from his heart.
This meant that his hard-written script had a chance to be realized, and his efforts were not in vain.
David Fincher, sitting next to him, also couldn't hide his excitement; his eyes sparkled with light, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a confident smile.
His agent had undergone multiple rounds of negotiations with New Line Cinema and finally settled on a salary of $1.5 million.
With his previous experience directing large productions, the company finally entrusted this film to him, which was both a challenge and an excellent opportunity to prove himself.
With the conclusion of the meeting, the film's preparatory work officially began.
After receiving the script fee from New Line Cinema, Kazir felt exceptionally cheerful; he immediately went to a famous gym in California and signed up for a membership.
He knew that in Hollywood, a place full of competition and challenges, one needed not only talent but also good physical fitness and mental state to cope with various pressures and difficulties.
"Hoo... hoo..."
After finishing the treadmill, Kazir was panting like an ox, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, soaking his clothes, and his vision blurred.
He felt as if all his strength had been drained, his legs weak, and he almost couldn't stand steadily.
He quickly sat down on a nearby bench to rest, wiping the sweat from his face with his hand and breathing heavily.
"Are you alright?"
"Ah? I'm fine, I'm fine."
Kazir heard a voice and slowly looked up, only to see a woman looking at him with concern.
Seeing his pale face, the woman walked over, her eyes full of worry.
Kazir looked up, and his eyes instantly widened—wasn't this... The woman in front of him was strikingly beautiful, in her twenties, radiating youthful vitality.
She had delicate features, fair skin, and long, smooth hair casually draped over her shoulders, like a fairy who had stepped out of a painting.
"Excuse me, are you Jennifer Connelly?"
Kazir's eyes widened, unable to believe his eyes, his voice trembling slightly.
"Someone actually recognizes me." Jennifer Connelly smiled, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly, revealing two charming dimples, so beautiful that one couldn't look away.
"How could I not recognize you? You're a big star! Oh, by the way, I especially love 'Career Opportunities' and 'The Rocketeer'; you're even more beautiful in person than on screen."
Kazir said excitedly, his eyes full of admiration and appreciation.
Especially in "Career Opportunities," Jennifer Connelly's character was lively and adorable, full of youthful energy, simply goddess-level, breathtakingly beautiful!
Young Jennifer Connelly was simply a stunner; even in the 2010s, her charm remained undiminished, and time seemed to have left few traces on her face.
"Thank you."
Jennifer Connelly smiled even sweeter; she could feel Kazir's sincerity and enthusiasm.
It was always a happy thing for someone to appreciate her work, making her feel that her efforts were recognized and rewarded.
"Then you take your time exercising, don't push yourself too hard."
Seeing that Kazir had recovered, Jennifer Connelly said gently, then turned and left.
'...Did I see that right? Jennifer Connelly actually asked me if I was alright?'
Kazir's heart bloomed with joy; he felt like he was dreaming.
He had thought that such big-name actresses were all haughty and wouldn't easily interact with ordinary people, but he didn't expect Jennifer Connelly to be so approachable, without any celebrity airs.
Perhaps he was just panting too alarmingly, and she was just being kind?
Anyway, this was not a loss.
He smiled and shook his head, then got back on the treadmill, planning to run another mile. He thought that since he came to the gym, he should exercise properly and not give up halfway.
He didn't leave the gym until he was too tired to move, dragging his weary body.
Although his body was tired, his mood was exceptionally cheerful, as if full of energy.
"Hollywood, this place, truly has surprises every day."
Kazir walked and sighed.
This city was like a huge stage, full of infinite possibilities and opportunities, always giving him reasons to feel passionate.
Returning to his rented small apartment, Kazir took a shower, allowing his tired body to relax.
He had rented this house for half a year; the location wasn't great, next to a neighborhood with poor Public Security, and at night, he often heard various noisy sounds and sirens.
But it was cheap, and for him, who had just received his script fee and didn't have much savings, it was a good choice.
After tidying up, he hailed a taxi and headed straight to New Line Cinema.
He was still thinking about the film's preparations and wanted to know the latest progress as soon as possible.
"Morning, Kazir."
"Morning, David."
As the director, David would naturally be heavily involved in refining the script.
As soon as the film was greenlit, the team quickly assembled.
Everyone was working towards the same goal, hoping to make Se7en a classic.
Including Kazir, there were four people in the screenwriting team.
Of course, his status as the original author was much higher than the other three. After all, the script's creativity and core content were his creations, and his understanding and grasp of the story were more profound.
'It's good that being a screenwriter also comes with a salary.' Kazir secretly rejoiced.
A thousand dollars a week, while not much for him now, could cover some living expenses, allowing him to more comfortably dedicate himself to film creation.
"Everyone's here, let's begin!"
After greeting everyone and confirming that all the screenwriters were present, David Fincher announced the start of work.