[Chapter 135: The Three Women's Estate Getaway, The Shallows Final Cut]
Thinking about the separation tomorrow, Jennifer and Catherine's passion was running high, making their night of intimacy especially intense and lasting, with sweet and joyful melodies echoing nonstop...
With the nourishing power of Linton's Starlight Spark, the two of them together were a good match against Linton himself.
...
Of the three films, The Shallows had finished shooting over two weeks ago, and Zack was now anxiously editing in the company's post-production studio.
Thanks to the Australian government's strong support and tax rebate policies, the crew saved over $800,000 in expenses, and Linton generously gave $100,000 as a bonus to the key creative team members.
The preliminary release date for The Shallows was set for April 16, just before the summer season. Therefore, Zack had to deliver the final cut by March 1.
Linton fully trusted Zack, granting him editing authority and having the company's editors cooperate with him, but the overall tone and length could not be exceeded, and the final version required Linton's approval.
The filming of Step Up 2 was also going smoothly; the Los Angeles scenes had ten days left, after which they would move to Baltimore for a 15-day shoot.
Speed's release was still far off, so Linton was in no rush. The company's post-production studio was primarily occupied by Zack.
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After storing the film reels in the company's vault, Linton returned to his estate for two full days of relaxation.
He also knew that Winona, Naomi, and Cameron were already waiting for him at the estate today.
Winona's film The Age of Innocence had wrapped at the end of last month. Like Cameron, she was on vacation, spending time with family before returning to Los Angeles just yesterday.
Naomi had skyrocketed in fame after Step Up's huge success, landing numerous appearances and endorsements, and smoothly securing the lead role in Sleepless in Seattle, which also wrapped filming in January. She had just returned from Australia after visiting family.
Linton was very pleased with these three women's strong family and kinship values, a rare and admirable trait.
Since all three women were free, Linton happily spent the days with them at the estate, enjoying swimming, fitness, golf, tennis, and movie watching, among other activities.
Evenings were reserved for lively games. Though Linton was up against three women, he was fearless and unbeatable. The three teamed up, but it was a well-matched game. Sweet and joyful melodies continued throughout the night...
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The renovations on the estate's auxiliary buildings and training grounds were complete. The newly hired 30 bodyguards had finished pre-duty training and had all moved into the estate.
The two new buildings offered relatively better living conditions. With Linton's approval, Amy, along with his assistant Meena, head chef Michael Donovan, and 35 bodyguards, moved into the new buildings, each with their own apartment. The remaining 23 servants and craftsmen still lived in the original quarters.
...
Taking advantage of the three women being present, Linton let each pick a personal female bodyguard from the 20 available. Of course, he covered the expenses.
They knew accepting Linton's assigned female bodyguards meant their private lives would be fully exposed to him, effectively dating only him from then on.
But considering the free personal security greatly enhanced their safety, and Linton's undeniable power had completely captivated them, they happily accepted.
...
During a break, Naomi mentioned she had earned a lot from recent appearances and endorsements and wanted to buy a house in a community below Beverly Hills. She asked Linton for his opinion.
Linton agreed, saying it was not realistic for all the women to openly live at the estate. Since they were stars with families and social circles, buying small villas near the estate was a better option.
Moreover, over the next 15 years, real estate would be rapidly appreciating, making it a good investment.
There were many upscale communities below Beverly Hills with excellent conditions, many single-family villas. These communities had homeowner committees that would review and vote on potential buyers before they could purchase.
Of course, white actresses from Hollywood were very welcome, so approval wouldn't be a problem.
Noticing Winona and Cameron were still renting, Linton suggested they consider buying in the Beverly Hills area too.
However, he emphasized that the most important factors in buying a house were safety and environment. Ideally, it should be a gated community.
As for expenses, Linton offered $500,000 per person, which was enough. Villas in these upscale Beverly Hills communities rarely exceeded $1 million.
Of course, hillside mansions, mountaintop estates, and standalone properties were far more expensive.
The three women were delighted by Linton's attentions -- arranging bodyguards and offering housing funds -- making their evenings even more spectacular...
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After enjoying two carefree and joyful days at the estate with the three women, Linton returned to the company to review Zack's final cut of The Shallows.
In the company screening room, Linton, Robert, Blake, Zack, editor Oleck, and producer Carter gathered to watch the edited version.
Zack had captured the film's main tone and selling points well. Industrial Light & Magic's special effects were excellent, perfectly showcasing Nancy's beauty and allure, the terror of shark attacks, nail-biting escapes, and the film's suspenseful, suffocating atmosphere.
During viewing, Linton noticed Robert and the others never took their eyes off the screen, occasionally gasping aloud.
...
Afterward, everyone praised it as a stunning thriller, especially Linton's cameo scene -- it was a highlight that would surely boost box office.
But Linton thought the film still dragged a bit, weakening the tension and failing to fully grip the audience's attention throughout.
The runtime was 92 minutes; including credits, 96 minutes. He clearly remembered instructing Zack that the final cut shouldn't exceed 90 minutes.
He recalled the original length was 87 minutes. Even with his two-minute cameo, it shouldn't have surpassed 90. It seemed the new director couldn't bear to cut anything, treating every shot as precious.
Linton concluded, "Zack has good overall skills, and the film is excellent, but in my eyes, it's a bit slow. Remember, a thriller's most important feature is to hold the audience's attention throughout, letting them feel the tension and fear without distractions.
From that perspective, some shots are excessive and the pacing too slow. Zack, cut about 5-6 minutes more. It will be much better."
He didn't plan to intervene himself yet. Zack's fundamentals were solid; this was just the common flaw of a new director. Linton had clearly pointed out the issues, and if Zack couldn't fix them, Linton would take over, and Zack should look elsewhere to grow.
...
Linton returned to the estate to continue the delightful vacation with the three women. Meanwhile, Zack took Oleck and dove back into editing. After two days and nights of overtime, they produced a new cut.
The new version ran only 86 minutes. Including credits, it stayed within 90.
Linton organized another screening, inviting Levitt, his screening experts, Daniel, and the film's soundtrack distributor.
This version received unanimous approval, with experts grading it an A-, confidently predicting good box office.
With the release date set for April 16 and a tight schedule, Levitt proposed four requirements and work plans:
1. Complete the final version within three days to submit to Universal Pictures for MPAA rating.
2. Produce two trailers within five days -- one of 1 minute, the other 2 minutes -- for Universal to start marketing.
3. Organize test screenings in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago to gather audience feedback.
4. Universal would hold a screening with theater representatives in mid-March to secure more theater showings.
Universal would finalize the marketing plan based on test screenings and theater feedback.
Daniel also confirmed the movie soundtrack would be released simultaneously, with Universal Records handling preparations.
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