Chapter 8 I disagree

  "Can you talk about your initial intention or inspiration for creating this script?"

  Although he believed Paige Jennings wouldn't deceive him on this sort of thing, and the woman and boy across from them didn't seem to be acting, Harvey Weinstein still had to verify it for himself before he could relax.

  "What's the original intention? The inspiration?" Ryan showed a knowing smile, he was very clear that age is a big problem, but if used well it can be an advantage, after all some things are completely different when said from an adult's mouth and from a child's mouth.

  "Let's put it this way, Mr. Weinstein, although I wrote this script as a thriller, at its core, it should be categorized under family ethics. I don't know if Pete has mentioned to you or not, but I'm an orphan, and before being adopted by Nicole, I lived in an orphanage, where from the time I was aware of things, everyone except for the old director called me a freak, nobody wanted to be friends with me, and nobody wanted to play with me."

  Ryan revealed a self-deprecating smile, "Of course, this has something to do with my introverted personality and erratic behavior, but it can't be denied that I've been living in an icy and indifferent environment since childhood. Especially when I see peers being adopted one by one, while I remain unattended, sometimes I would fantasize, will someone help me escape this predicament?"

  "The head of the welfare institution, Katie, is a kind-hearted lady. If it wasn't for her consolation and help, I really don't know how I would have survived those cold years. In some sense, Dr. Malcolm in the script is the embodiment of Headmistress Katie."

  "After the old director retired, I encountered even more terrible things. The sky at that time was not only cold to me, but also full of darkness. This situation continued until I accidentally met Nicole, who took me in and spent all her family's money on a lawsuit to fight for custody of me. Without her, I can hardly imagine what I would be like."

  Here is the translation:

  "Up to this point, Ryan seemed to have touched a chord in his emotions and revealed a grateful smile to Nicole. 'Although my personality has become more cheerful under Nicole's care than before, I still have some introverted and eccentric tendencies, and often get into trouble. Every time that happens, Nicole would talk with me seriously, not in a didactic tone of reprimand, but rather in an equal position of exchange and communication. As we spent more time together, our understanding of each other deepened, and so did our emotions. The script's problems about communication also originated from this - isn't it true that communication reduces the fear of the unknown between people, and deepens the affection between loved ones?"

  "Except for the supernatural elements, most of this script is based on my own life experiences." Ryan added, "The single mother who deeply loves her son is actually Nicole in real life. Without her, there would be no story and no 'Sixth Sense' script. I poured my heart into writing this script to commemorate the special bond between us."

  "May I be so bold as to ask which orphanage it is?" Harvey Weinstein's eyes sparkled with ingenuity.

  "Right here in Los Angeles, at the Norton Sanitarium in North Hollywood."

  Ryan wasn't worried about the other party investigating and the like, after all, what he said was almost entirely true, it's just that he had forcibly stuffed them into this script, and his words were also full of unintentional hints and guidance.

  Of course, with Wayne's experience, he would naturally notice these things, but don't forget that Ryan is now just a child under the age of ten. Adults will suspect that children are lying, but they won't think about whether some words are intentionally dug out to wait for people to step on them.

  In fact, after Ryan finished speaking, Harvey Weinstein had already believed 90% of it. A child under the age of ten could express himself so clearly and logically, which was enough to illustrate his intelligence. Moreover, he had always been confident in his own judgment.

  Besides, Northston Welfare Institute is just next to Hollywood, and the truth of these words can be understood by asking casually.

  "Ryan..." The words he said made Nicole feel even more deeply moved, although she knew that the two of them had a deep affection for each other, but she hadn't expected him to still remember her kindness towards him. At this moment, a thousand words couldn't compare to a warm and emotional hug.

  Got it, but before he could even persuade the chubby guy opposite him, he had already moved Nikki to tears. In Nikki's soft and fragrant embrace, Ryan felt a mix of emotions, both touched and helpless.

  Harvey Weinstein has read this script more than once, there are not a few small problems inside, especially in the aspect of lens division, but this is exactly what a newcomer wrote. He and his brother Bob Weinstein have discussed that the excellence of this story is beyond doubt, especially the ending part, which will definitely surprise everyone.

  Moreover, this type of film investment is not considered large, as long as there are no disastrous problems, profitability is entirely expected, and even the director and male lead have several options.

  But the little boy Cole was the most headache, wanting to perform such a unique boy vividly is not a simple thing. Having made movies for so many years, Harvey Weinstein knew that animals and children are the two most uncontrollable things in movie shooting. You can hardly tell them what content needs to be expressed, especially children. When they perform poorly, they can directly ruin a movie, and when they perform well, they can save a movie.

  However, after hearing Ryan's words, a thought kept popping up in his mind. Since most of the script was adapted from his own experiences, why not let him play this role? He didn't even need to act or pretend, just being himself would be enough.

  Most importantly, he is a complete newcomer, which can save a lot of money in terms of remuneration. Besides, even if a large-scale audition were held for this role, who could guarantee that the selected boy would be more suitable for this role based on himself than him?

  There's also that Australian woman who is a somewhat famous actress, I saw her starring in "Crossing the Horizon" recently, apart from being overly beautiful, her acting skills are quite good, she can totally play the role of a single mother. This way, they can move their real-life emotions and experiences onto the big screen in a different way, isn't that an extremely suitable publicity stunt?

  This kind of one-for-two deal is simply too cost-effective, and as for the woman's age and appearance issues, under makeup and post-production, it's just a small trouble.

  In an instant, Harvey Weinstein's mind flashed through these thoughts, weighing the pros and cons, and it had to be said that he was indeed a pragmatic businessman.

  "Ryan, Nicole, this script is excellent. Miramax has already decided to greenlight the movie, so we'd like to option it as soon as possible. However, since Ryan isn't a professional screenwriter and is new, the price will be lower. The most I can offer is $50,000."

  Seeing the confusion and puzzlement on Ryan's face, Harvey Weinstein explained again, "This is a Hollywood convention, $50,000 is actually not a small amount for a newcomer."

  Although he knew Harvey Weinstein was telling the truth, and understood the humiliating position of Hollywood screenwriters in this era, Ryan still found it hard to accept. After all, compared to the profits from the movie, this amount of money was a bit pitiful, and even less than what he would get for writing a medium-length story.

  Nikki was more familiar with Hollywood, knew the other party's opening offer and didn't deliberately lower the price, but she never made decisions for Ryan, so she said, "Ryan, you decide for yourself."

  Sighing, Ryan could only look at his agent, Ms. Jin Silie, who nodded, "The price is very fair."

  "Mr. Weinstein, I agree to hand over this script to Miramax, and specific things can be discussed with Pete."

  Now, Ryan can't even be sure if the other party will jump into the pit he dug, but some things have completely different effects when said by him and when brought up by the other party, unless absolutely necessary.

  Harvey Weinstein didn't let him down, after saying a few words to Patti LaBelle, he directly looked at Nicole Kidman, "Nicole, if possible, I'd like to invite you to play the single mother in the script."

  "Me?" Nicole obviously hadn't expected it to involve her.

  "Of course, from Ryan's words, it can be heard that the prototype of this role is you. No one is more suitable for this role than you!" Before Nicole had any reaction, Harvey Weinstein continued, "Age is not a problem, what matters is the emotions between you two. I believe Ryan also wants to see you appear on the big screen in this way."

  "Right, Ryan," Harvey Weinstein said, flashing a foxy smile.

  "Yes. Nicole is one of a kind in my heart." Ryan stared at the bright-eyed Aussie girl, Nicole Kidman, who nodded after thinking for only a second, "Okay, looks like I don't have a choice."

  "Now that Nicole is playing the mother, what about you Ryan?" Harvey Weinstein had a sly sense of satisfaction.

  "Me?" Ryan feigned surprise, as if he really didn't understand what the other person meant. "What does this have to do with me?"

  "Let's put it this way, Ryan, have you had any acting experience before?"

  "Not really, unless playing the violin and guitar on stage at school counts." Ryan shook his head, but in his heart, he was thinking of another kind of performance - did every minute, every second count?

  Ryan's response exceeded Harvey Weinstein's expectations, and he jumped in before a stunned Nicole could respond, "I think I'd like to offer you the role of Cole."

  "I disagree!" The person refusing is Nicole Kidman.