Sitting back on the sofa, Eric's gaze swept back and forth between the Olsen Sisters.
"Ashley, Mary, what movies have you two made over the years?"
The two sisters eagerly started recounting their experiences over the years.
"Our Lips Are Sealed"
"Switching Goals"
"When in Rome"
"Holiday in the Sun"
"What genres are these movies?"
"Family comedy, teen campus. This is the positioning our agent gave us, which is beneficial for the company's development."
"How are your merchandise sales?"
Mary Olsen shook her head slightly: "They were good a few years ago, but not so much recently. It feels like the times are leaving us behind, so we want to transition."
Eric nodded: "But your transition failed, which means you went in the wrong direction. In my experience, these campus light comedies don't have much of a market. The only one that's successful is American Pie."
"Now I have a question for you two, and you must answer seriously: do you want your future to be primarily as businesswomen or as actresses?"
Ashley Olsen, the elder sister, immediately replied: "Of course, actresses. The business empire needs to be supported by the acting career. Only with enough fame can commercial success be sustained."
"A smart answer. Well, if you truly want to have a long career as actresses, even evolving from child stars to acclaimed performers, I have a script here. It's a dual female lead setup. I wonder if you dare to take it?"
"We'll take it!"
The two sisters spoke in unison, without the slightest hesitation. No one wants to be a child star forever.
However, as an elder, Elena was clearly more experienced and decided to ask first.
"Eric, can you reveal the movie plot first?"
"Yes, but it must be kept confidential. The movie is called blue is the warmest color, a work reflecting the theme of female love. The two female leads are high school students about to graduate, which fits your age."
"Female love? Is it lesbian?" Ashley Olsen asked, frowning.
"Correct understanding. This movie has a very large scale; it's considered an art film, completely different from the slapstick comedies you've appeared in before, and it requires a certain level of acting skill."
"Wait, you don't mean the two female leads are going to be played by Ashley and me as a couple, do you?" Mary Olsen asked tentatively.
"If you want to win a Golden Globe or an Oscar Winner, you must do this!"
"What!"
Hearing Golden Globe and Oscar, the two sisters' brains instantly froze. After seventeen years in the industry, even the most boastful directors and producers wouldn't dare tell them that they could win an Oscar by playing this role!
Although they were actresses, the Olsen Sisters had this much self-awareness. An MTV Award might be something to look forward to, but as for the Golden Globe and Oscar, they were just elusive dreams. It was better to be realistic.
"Are you saying... are you implying that we could win an Oscar with this movie?" Ashley asked, stammering a little.
Eric, however, was very calm: "Winning the Oscar Winner is a bit difficult, but getting a nomination shouldn't be hard, with a bit of campaigning. After all, such sensitive topics are always a favorite of the judges. However, the prerequisite is that your acting skills must be up to par."
"Stepping back, even if you don't win an Oscar, a Golden Globe, Cannes, Venice, Berlin—you'll surely win one of them. And as long as you win one of them, you can completely shed the child star label. This is the real transformation!"
Since Eric dared to make such a statement, he naturally had confidence.
In the original timeline, blue is the warmest color was a French film that won the Palme d'Or after participating in Cannes, and also received an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
On IMDb, most people gave it an 8, but due to the influence of anti-gay groups, the rating later dropped.
"Eric, will there be explicit scenes in the movie?"
"Of course, and there must be. An art film with a sensitive theme—if there are no explicit scenes, do you still expect to win awards?"
"The judges will only say, 'As an actress, she's so inhibited, how can she be called professional?'"
The two sisters looked at each other awkwardly: "But we are sisters after all, filming such scenes might not be good, and wouldn't the fans object? After all, after all..."
"After all, you still need to sell merchandise, right? Worried it will affect your business?"
The two sisters nodded. This was precisely why they had always starred in campus urban light comedies.
"Haha, there's a saying, 'no destruction, no construction.' For over a decade, your image has been fixed. Only with a major breakthrough in scale will the audience realize you've grown up, and directors will realize you're no longer child stars, understand?"
"Moreover, this film is at least NC17 rated. How old is your commercial audience? Just children under ten, and they won't care."
"But what about the parents of these children? Everyone knows children's consumption comes from their parents." The Olsen Sisters were still very worried.
"Ashley, Mary, this isn't 1903, nor 1803. Our society is incredibly open-minded. While there are still a few people who are anti-gay, public acceptance is still very high."
"The Netherlands, France, and Belgium all allow same-sex partners to marry. I hear even Massachusetts is about to pass relevant legislation. If the film is released and the legislation passes, do you know how much influence that will have?"
"You will become new representatives of public opinion; your status will even be more than just two female stars. At that time, I guarantee your merchandise will sell out!"
Eric's persuasive talk not only swayed the Olsen Sisters but even Elena was a bit dazed.
"Can all these things you mentioned really come true?" Mary Olsen asked, somewhat incredulously.
Eric pointed to himself: "For the two of you, it might be very difficult because you have too few resources, but for me, it's much simpler."
"Think of Gwyneth Paltrow, think of shakespeare in love. Do you really think it could defeat saving private ryan? It relied, of course, on Miramax's behind-the-scenes operations."
"And compared to Miramax, MGM has more methods. With my operation, many impossible things can become possible."
Swallowing their saliva, they were almost overwhelmed by the grand vision Eric painted, especially the Oscar Winner nomination, which is every actress's dream. The Olsen Sisters' resolve was severely shaken.
Seeing his nieces' defenses about to be breached, Elena quickly asked: "Wait, there's still a crucial question."
"What?"
The senior manager took a deep breath and asked: "What is the price? There's no such thing as a free lunch in the world."
"Eric, you're offering too much. I'm worried these two children can't afford the price!"
A woman in her 30s thinks more deeply.
Eric smiled slightly: "I don't ask for much, just shares in Dual Star Entertainment!"