America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz-Chapter 931 - 868 The Queens Chess Game_2
Chapter 931: Chapter 868 The Queen’s Chess Game_2
Chapter 931: Chapter 868 The Queen’s Chess Game_2
“I thank you!” Martin took a drink, “If I ever go crazy, the first thing I’ll do is blow up both your damn houses, so you can go mad with me.”
Leonardo chimed in, “Then we march on Washington together?”
Martin raised his glass, “Here’s to you both going mad sooner rather than later.”
In the following days, apart from attending post-production for “Shark Beach,” Martin spent his time visiting psychiatric therapy centers and examining cases of personality disorders provided by Dr. Laura, in preparation for his subsequent performance.
That morning, Thomas rushed to the Disney Studio with a pile of documents.
He entered Martin’s director’s office for the “Shark Beach” crew and placed a script and a novel on the desk, saying, “Finally found it.”
Martin took a look; the script and the novel had the same title, “The Queen’s Gambit.” The novelist was Walter Tevis, and the screenwriter was Allan Scott.
Thomas said, “The script and the novel, as well as the author, aren’t very famous. We’ll try not to alert our competitors. Fortunately, we got the novel’s name and contacted the author through the publisher.”
The first thing Martin looked at was the screenplay. It was different from what he remembered. It was a film script, but the content was about an orphan girl who becomes a top international chess master after defeating a Soviet world champion.
The main storyline was the same as what he remembered from the series.
He then read the original novel to make sure there was no mistake, and asked, “What about the rights? Whose hands are they in now?”
“The rights might be a bit tricky,” Thomas said directly, “A few years ago, Heath Ledger bought the film and television adaptation rights from screenwriter Allan Scott.”
Martin was quite surprised, “The rights are in Heath Ledger’s hands?”
Thomas broadly explained, “In 1992, the screenwriter Allan Scott bought the adaptation rights and started writing the screenplay, wanting to make it into a movie. But he spent years unable to find investors. In recent years he met with Heath Ledger; they were both drug buddies due to special pharmaceuticals. Discussing it, he then resold to Heath Ledger.”
Martin understood that the script had been floating around Hollywood for over twenty years without even getting made into a movie or television series, nor had it garnered any attention.
Thomas continued, “I had Ivan get in touch with Allan Scott. According to him, Heath Ledger’s acting career was pretty much over in recent years. Hollywood wouldn’t finance a production over a million to launch him in a significant role, and he gradually faded from the scene, unwilling to return to Australia to become a minor actor. He wanted to forge a new path as a director.”
Bruce, who had been involved in the whole saga of Martin’s conflict with Heath Ledger and the series of incidents during the battle over the Joker role, knew all the details, “He chose this script because he felt the struggle of the novel’s protagonist, Beth Harmon, with drug addiction was very similar to his own and believed he could produce the desired effect.”
Martin remembered the mess from years ago with Heath Ledger. Maybe it was because of these things that Heath Ledger hadn’t met with God, as he had in the previous life.
Of course, his acting career didn’t go well; he was basically ignored.
There was almost no chance of a comeback through his acting career, so was that why he wanted to make a mark in directing?
Thomas said, “We haven’t approached Heath Ledger, fearing he won’t sell.”
Considering the events of the past, Heath Ledger might refuse to sell or demand a sky-high price. Martin thought for a moment and asked, “Is Heath Ledger still using drugs?”
Thomas had specifically inquired about this, “He hasn’t stopped, otherwise he wouldn’t have ended up like this.”
Martin looked at Bruce, “Investigate Heath Ledger’s current situation.”
Thomas said, “The initial transfer of rights and the transfer agreement between Allan Scott and Heath Ledger had no restrictive clauses. We can approach Heath Ledger with a fresh face and secure the rights.”
Bruce said, “Let’s first see the specific situation with Heath Ledger.”
…
The seaside town of Venice in Los Angeles.
The afternoon sun shone on the sea, and Heath Ledger drove to the coastal road, parking his car in a secluded parking lot and patiently waited.
Usually, he could reliably acquire his supply from Michel Brian.
Although somewhat expensive, the quality was good, and it was safe.
Michel Brian had committed suicide, so he had to take the risk and come out to buy the stuff himself.
Only minutes later, a Mercedes SUV pulled up, coming to a stop right next to the driver’s side where Heath Ledger was seated.
Knocking sounds came through; Heath Ledger looked through the glass of the two car windows at the Mexican across from him. He rolled down his window and handed over some cash.
The man in the other car also lowered his window, took the cash, and at the same time, handed Heath Ledger a paper bag.
Both checked their goods.
Heath Ledger pulled out a small plastic bag, opened it, and sniffed what was in front of him – the stuff was top-notch.
The man next door, making sure the money was right, said, “Contact us anytime you need more.”
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These junkies, he loved them the most, they were a constant source of wealth to harvest.
Heath Ledger secured his goods, drove out of the parking lot, and returned to the detached house he had rented in Venice.
He parked his car on the street side and quickly entered the house.
From a distance, Ivan parked his car and dialed Bruce’s direct contact number, starting a conversation.
Not long after, a red BMW drove up and stopped behind Heath Ledger’s car.
Gemma Ward glanced at her boyfriend’s car and went straight into the house. As she turned from the entryway into the living room, she saw Heath Ledger lying on the couch, eyes lifeless, his consciousness seemingly not in his body.
She went over to the coffee table, opened the paper bag to check inside, and took out a small plastic bag. She opened it and sat next to Heath Ledger, inhaling deeply.
From an initial state of lifelessness, the two quickly became agitated.
As everyone knows, when addicts get excited, they just can’t help themselves; the two quickly entangled in a rampant frenzy.
Heath Ledger’s reputation in Hollywood had soured long ago. His new girlfriend, although a somewhat famous Australian model, stayed with him mainly due to their shared interests and hobbies.
After a long bout, the daylight began to fade, and the room darkened.
Heath Ledger ordered takeout, while Gemma Ward tidied up the house, mainly putting away the goods.
“Is this it?” Gemma Ward asked.
Heath Ledger said, “That’s all the quantity my cash could buy.”
Gemma Ward stashed the goods in a metal box and asked again, “Did you spend all the money on the stuff?”
Heath Ledger didn’t see a problem: “This won’t even last us a week with how we use it.”
Gemma Ward had a lighter addiction than her boyfriend: “That money included our rent, which we’ve delayed for some time. If we don’t pay up two months of rent to the landlord, we’re going to be kicked out.”
“Don’t worry!” Without any moral baseline, Heath Ledger said, “If he dares come here to evict us, I’ll just say I am a homosexual and psychologically perceive myself as a female, and you can do the opposite. He would be discriminating against minority groups!”
Over the past year or so, Heath Ledger hadn’t had any proper work but had thoroughly studied the shifts in Hollywood; this stratagem was quite effective in Los Angeles.
Even the LAPD would handle the matter with extreme caution.
Gemma Ward, who started professional model training in her early teens, didn’t have as keen a mind as her boyfriend, who had been mired in the entertainment industry for years. She just said, “It’s not just the rent. We also need money for daily living. You have no job income, and the money I have is just an advance payment for a fashion show. What will we do for money next week, and where will we get our goods?”
Heath Ledger seemed not to hear her, slumping on the couch in silence.
Gemma Ward tentatively asked, “A few months ago, didn’t you buy a script for a low price, wanting to make a movie? Did you manage to get any investment?”
That reminded Heath Ledger. He stood up and started rifling through his things, eventually finding the script titled “The Queen’s Gambit.”
