Chapter 262 — Snatching a Flagship Franchise
In the master bedroom of a suite at the Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Aaron rolled off Kate Beckinsale and lay back with a relaxed smile.
"Dawnlight is planning to develop a youth-oriented horror franchise—set on a high school campus, with a touch of dark comedy," he said.
"You should take the lead role. It suits you perfectly."
Kate, still young and radiant, fit the image effortlessly.
"Sounds great," she replied without hesitation. "I'm just starting out anyway—being in a horror film like that is a good opportunity."
In Legends of the Fall, her screen time had been limited. Even if she returned to the UK, most of the roles available to her right now would be in low-budget, poorly produced projects.
If she wanted leading roles, she would have to take risks—and make bold choices.
"By the way, what's the story about?" she asked.
"It's called Scream," Aaron explained. "Set in a small-town high school, where a masked killer starts targeting students. After one of her classmates is murdered, the heroine herself becomes the next target."
"In the end, she discovers that the killer is someone close to her—and manages to survive."
---
The premise of Scream was simple, but effective. It relied on deliberately obscured clues and misdirection, constantly keeping the audience guessing the identity of the masked killer, while delivering unexpected twists.
At its core, it followed the familiar structure of a psychopathic serial killer case—but layered with suspense, meta-commentary on classic horror tropes, and even a touch of humor, giving it a unique and engaging tone.
Kate leaned over him, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "Sounds really good. When does filming start?"
Aaron shook his head with a faint smile. "We're still looking for a director."
After all, Scream was ultimately a commercial horror film. Even if it would become a major success in the future, it wasn't something Aaron needed to micromanage.
What truly mattered was this—without Scream, Miramax Films's genre label Dimension Films would lose its flagship franchise, significantly weakening its future growth.
---
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles—inside the bar of the Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood—Aaron met with Sophie Marceau, who had just returned from Europe.
"You were gone quite a while this time," Aaron remarked with a smile. "Wasn't it just a British film awards ceremony?"
Sophie shook her head. "It's been over half a month. I went to London first, then back to Paris, then to New York… I only flew back to Los Angeles last night."
Aaron shrugged. "That does sound exhausting."
He casually rested a hand on her thigh. "So, how does it feel? You must really be experiencing your rising popularity now."
"There are definitely more reporters around me," she said. "Though it's a bit better in the U.S."
Films like Four Weddings and a Funeral and Fanfan had been more popular in Europe than in America—meaning Sophie's fame was still far greater on the European side.
Aaron leaned in and kissed her, savoring the softness of her lips.
After the kiss, Sophie nestled into his arms. "While I was in New York, I watched a film by Woody Allen—Bullets Over Broadway. It was really good."
"It's a comedic take on Broadway and the mafia—funny, energetic, but also thought-provoking."
"Woody Allen's art really comes from life."
Aaron let out a faint scoff. "Woody Allen, huh… He does have talent—he's made quite a few artistically strong films."
"Bullets Over Broadway was distributed by Miramax, by the way."
Hearing the admiration in Sophie's voice, Aaron leaned closer to her ear and murmured:
"Talent is one thing—but the man completely ignores basic ethics."
"Just look at it—he's openly in a relationship with his adopted daughter now. It's honestly disgusting."
Sophie Marceau smiled faintly. "Don't worry—I'm not really suited for his kind of films anyway. Someone who disregards basic human ethics and moral boundaries… I wouldn't want to work with him."
"Though, when I was in the UK, there was a script I was interested in. Unfortunately, the director chose someone else."
Aaron's interest was piqued. "What film?"
"A crime film directed by Gus Van Sant—To Die For. It's a dark comedy."
"It tells the story of an ambitious small-town TV weather presenter who manipulates her admirer into murdering her husband…"
---
"Gus Van Sant's To Die For?"
After hearing her explanation, Aaron paused in surprise. He had just been discussing Gus Van Sant with Tom Rothman not long ago.
The plan was for Van Sant to begin preparing Dawnlight's Good Will Hunting after finishing To Die For.
Aaron looked at Sophie. "That doesn't sound right. Gus Van Sant would pass on you?"
There was no question about Sophie's beauty, and with the success of Fanfan and Four Weddings and a Funeral, her popularity had surged significantly.
From what Aaron knew, To Die For was a low-budget independent film.
Sophie shrugged. "When I approached him, the production had just signed Julia Roberts."
"I heard he had already invited Julia Roberts last year—so they must have finalized the deal."
Aaron nodded in understanding. "Ah… Julia Roberts. That explains it."
Given Sophie's current standing, competing with Julia Roberts was no easy task.
---
"Forget it," Aaron said with a casual smile, pulling her into his arms. "It's just a dark comedy, not some heavyweight drama. At most, it might make a splash at the Golden Globes in the Musical/Comedy category."
"You've already done plenty of art-house films anyway."
Sophie nodded. "I'm not really disappointed… just a bit of a pity."
"After all, I haven't worked on this kind of role before."
As she spoke, she tilted her head up and kissed him again.
Aaron returned the kiss, his tone turning conversational again as he spoke between breaths:
"Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox are collaborating on Braveheart—with Mel Gibson directing and starring."
"I heard it's set to begin filming this summer?"
Sophie's breathing was slightly uneven as she nodded. "That's right… I'll be heading to Scotland with the crew soon."
Suddenly, she stood up and took Aaron's hand. "Come with me."
She led him toward the bathroom…