At night, Andrew lay half-reclined against the headboard, his hands resting gently on Jennifer Aniston's head. The intense moment left him unable to suppress a muffled groan of satisfaction.
Jennifer, her cheeks slightly puffed, heard the sound and looked up. When she saw the genuinely pleased expression on her man's face, a mischievous thought immediately flashed through her mind.
Andrew suddenly raised his head. A strange sense of emptiness washed over him, and he looked at her with concern.
"Darling, what's wrong?"
Jennifer smiled innocently before asking, "Hmm, Andrew, do you love me?"
As she spoke, she gently caressed his abdomen.
"Of course I do."
"How much do you love me?"
Jennifer blinked her large eyes at him, deliberately putting on an adorable expression.
"To the bone," Andrew answered without hesitation.
His hand moved gently through her hair as he spoke.
Jennifer studied his expression for a moment before breaking into a satisfied smile.
"All right. I'm coming."
The two continued their intimate moment, enjoying the quiet privacy of the night.
Some time later, Jennifer emerged from the bathroom and returned to the bedroom. Andrew was lying on the bed, smoking.
She reached over, took the cigarette from his fingers, and took a small puff. Almost immediately, she frowned and handed it back.
"It's not that good, is it? It's just a choking cloud of smoke."
Andrew laughed.
"It helps me relax."
Jennifer gave him a disapproving look.
"Hmm. Anyway, I won't allow you to touch hallucinogens or drugs like marijuana."
She paused before adding teasingly, "Otherwise, I'll make sure you never enjoy yourself like that again."
Andrew shook his head.
"Don't worry. I actually hate those things."
Jennifer rested her head against his shoulder.
"But you said people around you used them?"
"When we were filming Edward Scissorhands in Florida, Johnny Depp often indulged in those things."
Jennifer nodded thoughtfully.
"Then don't get too close to him in the future. What if he leads you astray?"
She sounded half-serious and half-playful.
"Those things have no benefits. They're only harmful."
"Yeah, yeah. I know."
Andrew's response was somewhat noncommittal, but there was no need for Jennifer to worry. He had never been interested in drugs in the first place.
After a brief silence, Jennifer suddenly asked, "Are we returning to Los Angeles tomorrow?"
"It's September, so it's time to go back."
Andrew extinguished his cigarette and leaned back against the headboard.
"My agent has already returned, and the Sleepless in Seattle script definitely needs to be perfected. Nora Ephron and I still have plenty of work to do."
He paused.
"Besides, we'll definitely have to come back to New York when Sleepless in Seattle begins filming. It's only a matter of when."
Jennifer smiled.
"I'll wait for you."
The atmosphere between them quickly became affectionate again.
Andrew had to admit that leaving New York was not easy. However, no matter how comfortable his relationship with Jennifer was, his career remained his priority.
After spending several more days in New York, Andrew finally returned to Los Angeles.
---
Tracy Jacobs of ITA stared at Andrew with an incredulous expression.
"Are you really sure you want to sign that kind of contract with Castle Rock?"
She held the proposal in her hand and looked at him as though she were trying to determine whether he had lost his mind.
"You'll give them the script for free if the box office doesn't reach fifty million dollars?"
Andrew remained remarkably calm.
"Calm down, Tracy. I'm doing this to get them to invest in the project and move development forward as quickly as possible."
"But that's a considerable concession."
"I know."
Andrew leaned back in his chair.
"Believe me, Sleepless in Seattle will impress everyone. Once the movie succeeds, you can negotiate with them regarding the profits after its theatrical run."
He smiled confidently.
"Besides, I've already invested so much of my own effort into this project. Even though I'm still relatively new in Hollywood, if the movie performs well, Castle Rock Entertainment can't simply refuse to reward me."
Tracy sighed.
"Fine. I'll handle it."
She glanced through the documents again.
"At that time, between your script fee and producer's salary, if the movie performs well, I'll fight for a considerable bonus or profit-sharing arrangement for you."
Andrew nodded.
"That's all I need."
"Then there's one more thing."
Tracy pointed toward the script.
"You need to cooperate with Ms. Nora Ephron as soon as possible and finish polishing the screenplay."
"No problem."
Andrew gave her a reassuring smile.
---
After leaving ITA, Andrew stopped at a newsstand and bought several newspapers before driving home to Hollywood Hills.
Although he had a key to Winona Ryder's home in West Hollywood, he didn't intend to spend all his time there. As long as he had the opportunity, he could go over and check on her.
There were far more important things occupying his attention.
The Hollywood landscape was changing rapidly.
In September, the long-discussed acquisition of Columbia Pictures by Sony of Japan was finally settled.
Coca-Cola, the controlling shareholder of Columbia Pictures, agreed to Sony's acquisition offer. After further discussions, Columbia's board of directors approved the sale.
Following more than a year of negotiations between the various parties, along with twenty days of cash bidding, Sony officially announced that it would acquire Columbia Pictures for approximately $3.4 billion while assuming around $1.6 billion in associated debt.
The deal made Sony's acquisition one of the largest Japanese corporate acquisitions in history.
Andrew sat on his sofa, reading the newspaper carefully.
"It hasn't even been that long since Mitsubishi Estate acquired Rockefeller Center, and now Sony has arrived."
He tossed one newspaper aside.
"Panasonic's acquisition of MCA is coming soon as well."
MCA controlled Universal's film operations, making it one of the major Hollywood film groups.
The thought made Andrew sigh.
"Movies have always been one of America's greatest cultural industries."
Yet Japanese corporations were increasingly entering Hollywood.
The public reaction was enormous.
Sony had already established a relationship with CBS Records and had gradually expanded its presence in the American entertainment industry. After Sony acquired a stake in Columbia Records, the company eventually adopted the name Sony Music.
Andrew couldn't help but shake his head.
"Akio Morita and Norio Ohga really move quickly."
The Sony of this era was undeniably powerful.
Sony's acquisition of Columbia Pictures created considerable anxiety in the American media. Akio Morita, Sony's founder and president, repeatedly emphasized that the acquisition was not intended to represent an invasion of American culture.
Sony executives also emphasized their philosophy of "global localization."
Their argument was straightforward: Sony did not intend to flood Columbia Pictures with Japanese managers or impose Japanese corporate culture on an American studio. Instead, Columbia would continue operating with an American identity.
After the acquisition, Columbia Pictures became part of the newly established Sony Pictures Entertainment, with Columbia Pictures retained as a major studio brand.
But Sony wasn't finished.
It quickly announced another major acquisition.
Sony agreed to acquire Guber-Peters Entertainment for approximately $200 million.
More importantly, the two partners, Peter Guber and Jon Peters, were brought into Sony Pictures Entertainment as co-chairmen.
Andrew frowned when he read that part.
Peter Guber and Jon Peters already had contracts with Warner Bros., and the pair had been deeply involved in the development of this year's major blockbuster, *Batman*.
Warner Bros. was understandably furious.
The studio publicly announced that it intended to pursue legal action against Sony, accusing the Japanese company of unfair competition and interference.
However, Warner Bros. was simultaneously involved in negotiations concerning a possible merger with Time Inc.
Andrew tapped his fingers against the newspaper.
"That lawsuit probably won't begin immediately."
He leaned back and thought about the larger picture.
"A few years ago, Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation acquired 20th Century Fox and even brought in Barry Diller, the former Paramount chairman, to establish the Fox broadcast television network."
He continued thinking aloud.
"Now Columbia belongs to Sony."
"And soon Universal and Paramount could also change ownership."
His eyes narrowed.
"The era in which Hollywood's Big Six studios become components of much larger media conglomerates is approaching."
Andrew smiled.
"It really is a good era."
---
Several days later, Andrew met Nora Ephron again.
The adaptation work for Sleepless in Seattle had finally reached an important stage.
Smith and Nora had worked together to complete the latest version of the screenplay, incorporating the changes they believed were necessary.
Andrew looked toward Nora.
"Did Castle Rock agree to invest in the movie?"
Nora shook her head.
"I'm not entirely sure. According to what I heard from my agent, they're currently conducting risk assessments and preparing budget reports."
Andrew nodded.
"Then we just need to be patient."
He wasn't particularly worried.
"Alan Horn will push the project forward."
Nora smiled.
"That's what I think too."
When Harry Met Sally... had already become a major success, with its North American box office approaching $90 million. Castle Rock Entertainment had benefited substantially from the movie's performance.
That made the company's interest in another romantic project understandable.
Furthermore, Sleepless in Seattle had Columbia TriStar and Nelson Entertainment involved in its financing plans.
From Andrew's perspective, the project had a solid foundation.
Nora suddenly said, "By the way, Disney is preparing to shoot a low-budget romantic comedy called Pretty Woman."
Andrew raised an eyebrow.
"Pretty Woman?"
"I can introduce you to the production team as a screenwriter. Are you interested?"
Andrew smiled.
"Hasn't filming started yet? I've already seen quite a bit of news about it."
"There have been problems with the script and casting."
Nora explained, "Disney originally wanted Meg Ryan to play the female lead, but she rejected the role because she didn't want to portray a prostitute."
She paused.
"Now Garry Marshall appears to have found another actress."
Andrew immediately understood where Nora was going.
"Disney."
"Exactly."
Nora nodded.
"You know Disney. They like fairy-tale stories. Even when they're making a romantic comedy, they tend to turn the story into something hopeful and accessible."
She smiled.
"That's actually quite suitable for your current abilities."
Andrew thought about it for a moment.
"All right. Thank you."
He had no reason to refuse.
Even if he continued receiving payment for revising Sleepless in Seattle, participating in another screenplay project meant additional income and another opportunity to expand his connections within Hollywood.
Nora immediately offered to make the introduction.
"I'll call Garry Marshall. After that, you can report directly to the production team."
---
Three days later, Andrew received another payment from ITA.
The check was for $35,000 for his work revising Sleepless in Seattle.
At almost the same time, Tracy Jacobs arranged for him to participate in the screenplay adaptation of Pretty Woman.
The compensation was $3,000 per week.
The production was based in Los Angeles.
Director Garry Marshall was already a veteran of the entertainment industry, having built a reputation through television and romantic comedy.
Andrew also knew about his family connection.
Penny Marshall, Garry's sister, had directed Big. The film had earned more than $100 million at the North American box office the previous year, making her the first female director to achieve that milestone.
Andrew couldn't help but admire how deeply Hollywood was connected.
The original screenplay written by J. F. Lawton was considerably darker and had been conceived as an R-rated story.
But Disney obviously couldn't release such a movie under its brand.
Garry Marshall had therefore been brought in to transform the material into something much closer to a romantic fairy tale.
The basic premise was essentially Cinderella meeting Prince Charming.
The earlier title of the screenplay had been 3000, referring to the $3,000 paid by the male lead to the female lead for a week together.
After meeting Garry Marshall, Andrew quickly understood the director's intentions.
The story would be transformed into a lighter romantic comedy, with the darker elements toned down and the relationship between the two leads placed at the center.
Andrew was given two weeks to submit his draft.
The total compensation would be $6,000.
He nearly laughed when he heard that.
The screenplay was already mostly complete.
For someone with his experience, two weeks was excessive.
He could probably finish his assigned revisions in two days.
When Andrew met J. F. Lawton, it became even more obvious that his role was primarily to help polish certain details.
Lawton had already done most of the heavy lifting.
Garry Marshall looked at Andrew seriously.
"Nora praised your work on Sleepless in Seattle. I hope you can add some romantic-comedy elements to Pretty Woman."
Andrew smiled.
"No problem. Don't worry."
He glanced at the screenplay.
"Honestly, the script is already quite complete. I'm only participating in a relatively small portion of the revisions."
Yet internally, Andrew felt complicated.
He knew exactly what *Pretty Woman* would eventually become.
An investment of roughly $14 million would eventually produce a worldwide box office of hundreds of millions of dollars.
It would become one of the most recognizable romantic comedies of its era.
And yet none of that was his creation.
The thought made him slightly frustrated.
When Andrew left the studio, he happened to see Richard Gere and Julia Roberts nearby, apparently discussing something related to the production.
Andrew stopped for a moment.
One was an established Hollywood star.
The other was a young actress who was on the verge of becoming internationally famous.
Andrew suddenly felt a pang of regret.
"Damn it. Maybe I shouldn't have taken this job."
If Pretty Woman had been his original screenplay, things might have been very different.
But after a moment, Andrew shook his head.
"Forget it."
He didn't need to overthink it.
He would simply make the revisions requested by the director and collect his payment.
After all, there was no point being jealous of a project that was already in someone else's hands.
Andrew returned to Northridge.
That evening, he received a phone call from Winona Ryder.
Her voice sounded excited.
"Andrew, a producer is interested in my American Pie?"
"Yes."
Winona explained, "His name is Craig Perry. I've already given him your script, and he's a producer represented by CAA."
Andrew's expression immediately became serious.
"Really?"
"He's planning to take the script to several film companies to look for investment."
She sounded genuinely enthusiastic.
"He's quite optimistic about it."
Andrew understood why.
Winona was originally represented by CAA, so it wasn't surprising that the script had found its way into the hands of one of the agency's producers.
At this point, CAA was one of the most powerful talent agencies in Hollywood.
ITA, where Tracy Jacobs represented Andrew, was nowhere near its scale.
CAA had an enormous network of agents, and its partners represented some of the biggest movie stars, directors, writers, and musicians in the entertainment industry.
If Craig Perry could convince a studio to invest in American Pie, Andrew's situation would change considerably.
"Thank you, Winona."
Andrew's gratitude was sincere.
"You don't need to thank me. It's what I should do."
She paused before adding, "I'll be returning to Los Angeles in a few days. Next month, I'm going to San Francisco to film Mermaids."
Then she asked, "Will you be staying in Los Angeles throughout this month?"
"Yes."
Andrew smiled.
"I've been focusing on screenplay adaptation work recently."
"Then when I return to Los Angeles, will you pick me up at the airport?"
"Of course."
"Okay."
After they hung up, Andrew sat quietly for a while.
His thoughts returned to American Pie.
In his previous life, the movie had been released in 1999.
Its production budget had been around $10 million, while its North American box office eventually surpassed $100 million and its worldwide box office reached more than $230 million.
But this was the early 1990s.
Production costs were considerably lower.
If the project were produced now, Andrew estimated that the budget could probably be kept somewhere around $6–7 million.
The central concept was also straightforward.
It was a youthful sex comedy aimed primarily at teenagers and young adults.
Hollywood certainly wasn't short of that audience.
Andrew leaned back on the sofa and smiled.
The most important thing now was getting the project financed.
If Craig Perry could successfully convince a studio to invest in the movie, then American Pie would finally have a chance to move from the pages of Andrew's screenplay to a real Hollywood production.
Andrew looked toward the ceiling.
The Hollywood landscape was changing faster than ever.
Sony was entering Columbia.
Large media conglomerates were beginning to absorb traditional studios.
New filmmakers were appearing.
New stars were preparing to rise.
And Andrew had already positioned himself in the middle of this rapidly changing industry.
Now, all he needed was patience.
American Pie would have to wait.
Sleepless in Seattle needed to be completed.
Pretty Woman needed to be polished.
And his own career needed to keep moving forward.
Andrew smiled.
The golden age of Hollywood was approaching.
And this time, he intended to make sure that his name was written into it.