Читать книгу With Child - Andy Martin - Страница 22

We are in a car going downtown. 10 September 2015, around 6 p.m. (EST). Heading to Union Square, Barnes & Noble. The official New York launch. Lee’s phone buzzes. He looks to see who is calling. Turns to me. Raises eyebrows. Whispers, ‘Hollywood.’ Presses Accept.

HOLLYWOOD: …

LEE: Yeah, you can say that again.

HOLLYWOOD: …

LEE: Is that hardcore enough for you?

HOLLYWOOD: …

LEE: Has Tom seen it?

HOLLYWOOD: …

LEE: Seriously?

HOLLYWOOD: …

LEE: Sounds good to me.

HOLLYWOOD: …

LEE: [sarcastic] I have a dream that one day it will be made into a movie.

HOLLYWOOD: …

LEE: [checking his email] OK, yeah, I’m getting it now.

HOLLYWOOD: …

LEE: You’ll be the first to know.

He presses the off button.

‘You want to know how that conversation started?’

‘What do you think?’

‘He said, “I’ve just finished Make Me and you are one sick bastard.”’

‘Good call, Hollywood.’

‘They said if this one takes off then we get another three. A series. A franchise. Cool or what?’

The producer had just emailed him the script for Never Go Back. That was what was coming through. He promised to have a look at it. They needn’t have sent it. The contract gave him no editorial rights. Nor did he want any. Still, they respected him too much not to at least show him the current draft.

Maybe it served him right that the very first question (I kid you not) at the Q & A was, ‘What do you think about Tom Cruise playing Reacher?’

What I remember of his answer struck the right note: ‘I am the least worried guy on the planet.’ The great thing for him was that he had absolutely no responsibility. ‘If you don’t like the movie, stick to the book.’