Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Only Worth Ten Minutes
Simon pulled out the screenplay for "The Butterfly Effect" from his backpack and handed it to Jonathan Friedman.
However, Jonathan did not open it right away. Instead, he just glanced at the cover and set the screenplay down on the table, continuing to smile at him.
Seeing this, Simon gathered his thoughts and began to explain, "This is a soft sci-fi mystery thriller. From a very young age, people around Ivan frequently noticed the boy engaging in strange and even eerie behaviors for no apparent reason. However, Ivan always claimed afterward that he couldn't remember anything from those moments. Doctors diagnosed Ivan with intermittent amnesia and recommended he use diary writing as a therapeutic aid."
Noticing Jonathan's expression turning curious, Simon continued.
"The rough plot of 'The Butterfly Effect' revolves around a young man who can travel back in time by reading his diaries. Aiming to rectify past regrets, he repeatedly attempts to alter his life."
"However, each time he tries to change the past, upon returning to his twenties, he finds that things have not developed as he imagined and, often, have gotten even worse."
"The hallmark of 'The Butterfly Effect' is its meticulously interconnected plot, making the entire story like a tightly woven net, where all details find corresponding echoes elsewhere."
"This film is considered a classic among many fans of mystery thrillers."
"In the original timeline, 'The Butterfly Effect' was produced by New Line Cinema, and Simon heard that there were many different endings during the editing process. However, the one he chose was the darkest and most impactful: after numerous failed attempts, the protagonist, in despair, returns to his mother's womb and strangles himself with the umbilical cord."
The story abruptly ends there.
After Simon finished his brief, Jonathan Friedman, who initially had low expectations, fell silent.
Robert Zemeckis' "Back to the Future" Part One had just been released last year and won the box office title for 1985.
Thus, Simon's script, featuring a similar time-travel element, far exceeded Jonathan Friedman's expectations. He even felt that in terms of pure creativity, it surpassed "Back to the Future."
At least for now, such a novel script concept was enough to convince him to refer Simon to the literary agency department at WMA.
Knowing that Hollywood is also full of trend-following, only the long production cycles of Hollywood films prevent a noticeable clustering of similar films released in the aftermath of a hit.
So, with "Back to the Future" winning last year's box office, Simon's creative idea, if paired with a relatively polished screenplay, could definitely spark intense interest from Hollywood studios.
Moreover, such a uniquely conceived thriller was exactly the type of project Jonathan Friedman was looking for.
Now the key was the quality of the script in his hands.
Hollywood never lacks creativity, but what is often missing is a polished script that can turn that creativity into an exciting film.
Hollywood scripts often undergo years of revisions during the writing stage, mainly because a workable script and the original story idea have many details that need to be finely adjusted.
Quickly considering this, Jonathan looked down at the screenplay in his hands and asked Simon a question similar to what Catherine had asked the day before: "Simon, could you first explain what 'The Butterfly Effect' means?"
Simon nodded and explained the theory of MIT professor Edward Lorenz again.
After listening, Jonathan posed a somewhat unexpected question, "So, did you attend MIT?"
"No," Simon shook his head but quickly added, "I entered Stanford last year with a full scholarship, but I had to drop out early due to some changes."
Simon's answer clearly shifted Jonathan's expression.
Although Stanford University is not part of the Ivy League, this top-tier institution on the US West Coast surpasses most Ivy members in overall strength and holds a prominent place in global university rankings.
Simon's ability to enter Stanford on a full scholarship, even though he had dropped out, definitely lifted Jonathan Friedman's opinion of him several notches.
Simon knew that he was essentially in an interview.
Westerners do not emphasize modesty; the more outstanding one's performance during an interview, the greater the chances of success.
Therefore, Simon had no hesitation in leveraging his credentials at this moment.
After speaking, noticing Jonathan glance at his watch with a hesitant expression, Simon timely added, "Mr. Friedman, the first ten pages of the screenplay contain the detailed outline of the story, perhaps you could start with that for a more thorough understanding than my brief explanation."
Jonathan nodded without further ado and flipped open the script in front of him.
However, the first page of the script again made him pause—it was a copyright registration certificate from the Writers Guild of America.
Jonathan shook his head slightly and smiled, flipping past the certificate but his initial perception of Simon had completely changed. This young man was clearly not one of those hot-headed types who think they can make it big in Hollywood just by showing up.
Seeing the neatly copied English script, although a photoc
opy, Jonathan was not too surprised. Of course, his opinion of Simon unavoidably rose again.
Hollywood's annual copyright disputes perhaps outnumber its films, and placing a WGA copyright registration certificate on the title page was Simon's reluctant move. He wouldn't naively think that an industry giant like WMA couldn't engage in underhanded tactics with someone else's screenplay.
Now, Simon couldn't afford such setbacks, so he simply nipped some potential disputes in the bud.
Indeed, as Jonathan Friedman thought, although Simon inherited the memories of twelve others, he was certainly not one of those naively thinking they could make an immediate splash upon entering Hollywood.
From the moment he first thought of making a mark in Los Angeles, Simon had been meticulously planning.
Although he had a decent appearance, Simon had no intention of pursuing an acting career. His initial goal was to become a director, but that was unlikely in the short term without any credentials or connections.
Starting as a screenwriter was thus an excellent choice.
According to some information in Simon's memory, the two major screenwriters' guilds on the East and West coasts of Hollywood register over sixty thousand scripts each year. This might seem like a huge number, but the total of all Hollywood's feature films, TV movies, and direct-to-video low-budget independent films annually easily surpasses 600.
A 1% success rate was quite high, in Simon's view.
Moreover, among the tens of thousands of scripts produced each year, mediocrity still dominates. But as a transmigrator, the scripts Simon could present were invariably refined gems.
Moreover, in the initial selection of scripts, Simon carefully weighed various factors.
For a newcomer in Hollywood wanting to ensure their script catches a studio's attention, it must first be low-budget; if Simon were to present a "Titanic" script now, it would almost certainly be thrown directly into the trash. Next, the story must be innovative enough to be striking. Lastly, the script idea should incorporate popular elements from recent blockbuster films.
"The Butterfly Effect" perfectly met these criteria: low cost, innovative concept, and time-travel elements following last year's box office champion, "Back to the Future."
In the office, as Jonathan Friedman read, the surroundings quieted for a moment.
When a knock on the door sounded, Jonathan realized he had unwittingly started reading the main text of the script. The impeccably formatted Hollywood script was not only without any inconsistencies but made for an even more comfortable reading experience.
Interrupted by someone while immersed in reading, Jonathan looked up slightly annoyed to see his assistant Owen Wright gesturing at the door, bringing him back to reality.
Checking his schedule, Jonathan told his assistant, "If Courtney doesn't have anything else, let her wait a bit. The same goes for the rest of my appointments today; I'll be working late."
Owen Wright looked surprised at Simon, who was sitting with his back to him, nodded, and was about to leave when Jonathan called him back and ordered, "Also, bring in two cups of coffee."
Once the door closed again, Jonathan smiled at Simon without explaining anything, just returning his attention to the script in front of him.
Simon didn't mind, casually glancing at his digital watch.
It was 4:13 PM.
That meant Jonathan Friedman had originally only scheduled ten minutes for their meeting. If Simon hadn't made a good impression, he might have already been dismissed.
Simon harbored no resentment over this; he would likely have done the same.
Courtesy is a person's cultivation, but work must still follow rules. He was still a nobody in Hollywood and naturally only worth ten minutes.
Owen Wright soon brought in two cups of coffee. Simon accepted his with a thanks and patiently waited for Jonathan Friedman to continue reading the script.
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