The days of waiting were tense and boring. Ronald called back to the university, canceled all his summer elective courses, and concentrated on staying in Los Angeles, waiting for the verdict of his fate.

Soon Niceta found him again. For the past two days, he concentrated on searching for information around the world, but found nothing. Except for Tom Mount, no one seemed to have heard anything about what would happen in two weeks.

But today Niceta brought another good news.

"Remember Patricia Burch, the choreographer of the original Grease musical and movie? Paramount and Starwood decided that she would take over the directing duties of Grease 2, and she was the first one who thought of you and wanted you to go.

Doing revision work on the script.”

Why?

Ronald's mind recalled this little woman who was nearly 50 years old. When "Grease 2" was still called "Son of Grease", he visited her in order to learn how to write scripts for musicals, and got a job.

Thanks to the other party's selfless help, I learned how to organically embed singing and dancing with other plots.

"Okay, I'm willing to meet her." Although Ronald had made up his mind to become a director this time and was not interested in screenwriting work, Birch returned the favor and spared an hour or two to spend an hour or two with her.

It's appropriate to meet and discuss the script.

"Hi, Ronald. It's nice to see you again. Let's work together. You will be responsible for revising the script and writing lyrics for the songs. I will choreograph the dance and select the music. Let's have a great time."

Patricia Birch was very energetic and no longer suffocated like she had been at home.

With the success of "Unprecedented and Unparalleled", the Zach brothers decided to take a break and shied away from directing Grease 2. Paramount looked for many directors, and finally hired Burch, the original choreographer who had a deep understanding of musicals.

Speaking of which, like herself, she also became a director for the first time.

Patricia Birch's voice was still as strong as ever. She told Ronald that she had read all versions of the script and decided that it would be better to abandon the version that had been revised during the Hutton period and use the original Ronald script.

After the script was rejected by Hutton, Ronald signed a supplementary agreement that did not allow Hutton's crew to use his script. But since Birch liked it, he had no problem letting her use it.

"If Paramount buys the script back, then it will be paying for all the revisions of the script, including the two versions I revised. You can completely delete and revise it based on my script."

"But you signed a supplementary agreement, and latecomers cannot use your plots and dialogues. If possible, I want you to sign away this power." Birch said.

Ronald glanced at Niceta.

"Paramount will pay for the development of your script," Niceta added.

"I have no problem. Just ask them to give the documents to Rick and I will sign them."

"Great", Burch was very happy, "Mr. Sternwood and I both liked your two versions of the script. He even planned to film Grease 2 first and then revise it, and then turn your earlier version of 'Grease' into

It is set further back in time, telling the anti-war version in the 1960s, as a script reserve for Grease 3.

Come on, Ronald, let's do it."

"I can sell the script to Paramount, but I have my own directing project..." Ronald explained.

"Are you really not considering it? Paramount and Mr. Streetwood will invest a total budget of 12 million US dollars. And your project is only 3 million US dollars. I have participated in the shooting of many movies, and insufficient budget means that in many places

A compromise must be made.

The costumes must be used second-hand goods used by others, the sets must be selected from other crews that have not been dismantled after filming, and there are various wages and benefits.

The last time I communicated with you, I felt that you knew how to write scripts. After reading your scripts, I found that you also have a good command of musical scripts.

You come and help me polish the script, I'll give you the treatment of an assistant director, and then when Grease 3 or Grease 4 comes around, you can be the director independently.

That’s a big production with a cost of more than 10 million. How about it, Ronald?”

Ronald was very happy that Birch could give him this opportunity, but he was determined to become a director. "Thank you very much for the invitation, Patricia, but please understand a young man's persistence."

Moreover, the script of Grease 2 neither has the male and female protagonists from the first part to join, nor does it have the original musical to polish the script and accumulate reputation. It is difficult to say whether it will be successful at the box office. It is not like "fast-paced Richmond High"

, a commemorative video tape was released 15 years after its release.

Ronald insisted on his choice and said sorry to Birch.

"Okay, Ronald. I know it's hard for you to refuse this kind of directing opportunity. I originally wanted you to help me.

Now that John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John have declined to star in the sequel, I have to start from scratch to find the right actors.

By the way, how about your ex-girlfriend? My name is Antonia. She danced very well in Grease 1. Let her try out the heroine Stephanie? I watched her performance in Famous, she can do it.

The performance is very suitable for this role.”

"She went to the New York City Ballet to realize her ballet dream. She may be touring somewhere now." Ronald said with a smile, but Antonia was born in a poor family in Little Italy, and her background was somewhat similar to Stephanie's.

The script also arranged for her to work at a gas station.

"I'll try to contact her." Birch refused to give up.

"The difficulty in musicals is to find the right actors. Many people think that dance in musicals comes first. In fact, that is completely wrong. Being able to perform for the camera is the real criterion for casting in musicals.

You did a great job writing the character of Stephanie. Her character is contradictory. She is known as the Pink Lady's gang leader, and she has status in the school social circle, but in reality she is just a poor kid working at a gas station.

She likes the motorcyclist who came to save her on a motorcycle wearing a helmet, and also likes Michael who helps her complete her Shakespeare homework, but she doesn't know that they are actually the same person.

It is difficult to play such entangled and wandering emotions well. I need an actress who can look beautiful in the camera even when she is embarrassed."

She is also beautiful even when she is embarrassed. Ronald was reminded of Michelle Pfeiffer. When he wrote the script, he and she had just broken up. Did he subconsciously include some of Pfeiffer's ideas when he wrote the role of Stephanie?

What looks, and personality did you add to the character of Stephanie?

"Do you have any suitable candidate in mind?" Birch keenly noticed a smile on Ronald's lips, as if he was thinking of someone.

"No, no, casting cannot be completed in one go. I can recommend casting studios in New York to you. They are very professional."

"Come on, don't lie to me Ronald, your expression just now was exactly the same as when you talked about Antonia. Is she also your ex-girlfriend?"

Birch took Ronald's hand and said, "The success of Grease 2 depends largely on the casting of the male and female protagonists. Are you willing to let your script fail? Tell me who she is..."

Ronald was dumbfounded by Birch, so he had to take out his notebook, find the phone number of his agent Ed Limato, copy it on a piece of paper and hand it to Patricia Birch.

"Do you know William Morris' agent Limato? He has a client named Michelle Pfeiffer, who acted in a Lux soap commercial..."

"Her dancing is not as good as Antonia's. She was originally rejected for the role of the famous ballet student because of this, but her acting skills are not as good... Forget it, you can see for yourself, I shouldn't talk too much." Ronald shook his head,

This is actually none of my business.

"Also, it's best not to tell Limato that he got the information from me. I don't want to have anything to do with his clients."

"Hi, Ronald, it's me, Ed. Ed Limato." Unexpectedly, that night, Limato found the hotel room number where Ronald stayed and called.

"Hi, Ed, long time no see." Ronald thought to himself. Is this Birch's mouth so careless?

"I am very grateful for your recommendation to Pfeiffer. In fact, she has not had many movie opportunities recently. Grease 2 is already the best audition opportunity she has participated in in the past six months."

"You are probably mistaken, Ed. It has nothing to do with me." Ronald replied casually while sitting on the sofa drinking black tea.

"Don't take me for a fool, Ronald. I've been in this business for over 20 years.

Grease 2 is being rebooted, with Patricia Burch as the director. I submitted an application for Pfeiffer to audition. I called several times but got no response. Today Burch personally called Pfeiffer to audition and told him about the new version of the script.

Stephanie's character is similar to her.

I asked around and found out that the new version of the script was written by you..."

"Okay, I told Burch Pfeiffer. But whether she can be selected depends on her." These agents are really pervasive, and they can restore the situation to almost everything in just a few clicks.

"Ronald. We are friends, and Pfeiffer is like my child. I...I am grateful for your care of her, but I...I can't..."

"What on earth do you want to say?" Ronald heard him hesitate.

"Although you were lovers once, I will not encourage her to do immoral things for the sake of casting. You know, she just got married to her boyfriend and is on her honeymoon."

"Oh, that's great. Congratulations to her." Ronald wondered, was Pfeiffer in such a hurry to get married so soon? It seemed that she really wanted to have someone by her side.

"Wait a minute, what is immoral?" Ronald said to Limato, "Why is it immoral if I recommend her to audition?"

"When you just said, 'It depends on her whether she can be chosen?', were you implying something...?" Limato asked cautiously on the other end of the phone.

Limato is a rare old-school agent. Although he will not stop his actresses from exchanging roles for roles, he will not actively seek such opportunities for his clients. He treats every client as a family member and hopes that they will

Satisfied in both career and life.

"fxck you, why do you think so?" Ronald laughed. He is not a producer or director who has the power to cast.

Oh... maybe Limato misunderstood and thought that since he was also the screenwriter and had a good relationship with director Birch, he really had some influence on the casting.

"Look, I'm not on the cast of Grease 2, Burch just purchased the rights to use my script. She did invite me to join the cast, but I didn't say yes because I had a chance to direct another movie.

The fact that Pfeiffer auditioned for Stephanie was just something I said casually, and I don’t want to have anything to do with it from now on. The results of your audition have nothing to do with me.”

"Which film is the director working on?" Limato ignored the rest and only heard this key piece of information, so he immediately asked on the phone.

Ronald said nothing.

"Ronald, we are friends, right? Although Pfeiffer did not go out with you, I did not exert any bad influence on her." Limato heard that Ronald had the opportunity to direct so soon, and he was heartbroken.

I am also very anxious to win opportunities for customers.

"You are a genius, Ronald. I admit that I did not discover your genius before. This may be the biggest mistake of my career. But the success of a movie requires more than just one genius. It requires the joint efforts of different geniuses.

?"

Now that the film market is sluggish, many of Limato's clients are out of business. Many people in the industry are discussing whether movies will slump, and some clients are considering switching to television. There are also people in the industry who want to re-launch 3D movies from the 1950s.

Save the tired box office.

"I can only say that it is a small production, I'm afraid it is not suitable for your customers."

"Small production, which company does it belong to? Warner Brothers? Fox? Paramount? Universal?"
To be continued...