King of Hollywood-Chapter 263 - 261 Always So Greedy
Chapter 263: Chapter 261 Always So Greedy
Chapter 263: Chapter 261 Always So Greedy
My Little Charlie seemed to be showing signs of jealousy, which was great; I had always said that everything would be different once my Little Kate returned. Adrian walked down the corridor with a light step, his face wearing a faint smile. Again, he was reminded of the past few days at Kate’s place. Some things, indeed, only lead to regret after one has hit a wall. Of course, Roger had done a great job too, but if she had never left…
Adrian shrugged his shoulders; after all, he still had feelings for Kate—she was his first woman.
As the writers’ room was now just a stone’s throw away, Adrian gathered his thoughts and pushed the door open.
“Hey, guys, how’s it going?” he asked cheerfully, only to be met with a cacophony of noise.
“Oh, damn, I just thought of a plot point; can’t it be quiet for a moment?”
“Here he comes again, here he comes. I really don’t understand if he’s a director or a nagging publisher.”
“He’s neither; he’s a vampire that won’t rest until he has sucked us dry.”
Adrian shook his head with a wry smile as he watched the teasing and bantering screenwriters. Inspired by Pixar, he had adjusted the writers’ room to be like this, though not entirely copying it since the degrees of adjustment were different and this place was, after all, a company that made live-action movies—an atmosphere that suited Pixar alone in all of Hollywood.
While this had indeed sparked the screenwriters’ creative enthusiasm, it also made them a bit uncontrollable. However, Adrian had ways to deal with it. Just like now, he cleared his throat and then loudly called out, “Alright, you guys, quiet down, or else I’ll bring Jules back here!”
Among the screenwriters, Jules had always been the most outstanding and quite capable, which is why she had been helping out with the management work for a long time. Laverne had originally wanted to promote her to the head of the writers’ room, but Jules declined, preferring to venture into producing instead. So, Adrian arranged for her to join the crew of “No Reservations” as one of the executive producers.
These guys had all witnessed Jules’ capabilities and had been put in line by her, and although most times it was because Mr. Norber, the head of the writers’ room, had her back, they still didn’t want her to come back.
“Okay, boss, we didn’t say anything,” one of the screenwriters, Durant, quickly raised his hand and said.
“Really? Because I don’t have amnesia,” Adrian said as he stretched his hand to pick at his ear with his pinky finger.
“Hey, boss, can I kill you?” another screenwriter, Yaitanes, said with a grin, changing the subject.
“Of course not; if you killed me, not only would no one pay your salaries anymore, but you’d also spend a lifetime in jail,” Adrian said with a serious expression, instantly drawing laughter.
“Alright, guys, let’s get to the point. How’s the progress?” he clapped his hands together.
“One is nearing the end; we just need to follow through with it. The other is only halfway done, and we all agree that John’s storyline won’t pass with you,” Yaitanes reported.
“Is that so?” Adrian said as he took the nearly completed script from him and flipped through it, “What do you guys think?”
“An excellent story, with ups and downs, twists and turns. It can set the blood racing and bring tears to one’s eyes. That last scene, if well shot, would be utterly iconic,” Durant spoke up.
“No issues at all?” Adrian continued.
“If we’re just talking from a storytelling perspective, aside from some details, it’s already quite good. But when you link it to reality,” the third screenwriter Koenig shrugged, “whether William Wallace truly existed in British history is questionable, given his early life is completely undocumented, and legends might be a blend of several figures’ deeds. Moreover, painting Isabella, known as the ‘She-Wolf of France,’ to be so poignant and sentimental… If any medieval scholars saw it, they would surely laugh. Besides, the British, or rather the English, probably won’t like this movie.”
“This is no problem, as long as the story is good,” Adrian waved his hand dismissively, “At worst, we’ll just issue a disclaimer before or after the movie is released, stating that the film is a work of fiction based on reality. As for what the English think, do we need to care?”
The last sentence immediately made several screenwriters laugh. Indeed, who cares about those Englishmen’s thoughts? After chatting a bit more and analyzing another script, Adrian, having gotten what he wanted, subsequently left.
“Braveheart,” that was the script he’d just inquired about. Because of this film, the name William Wallace became known worldwide, with his final utterance of “freedom” turning him into a symbol of resistance against tyranny. Even though many scholars pointed out the discrepancies between the movie’s content and historical facts after its release, it couldn’t prevent people from idolizing and symbolizing it, and Mel Gibson won Best Director because of it.
Too bad he wouldn’t have anything to do with this film now. Adrian had no plans to ask him to act in or direct it. The reason was simple: the guy had a ton of scandals, with his anti-Semitism alone being enough for the current him to consider someone else, not to mention Gibson was one of the few Republicans in Hollywood. Okay, that’s not the point; the point is he doesn’t like him, that’s all.
But finding a suitable lead actor and director was not easy, especially since the image of Gibson in the film had left a deep impression on him; good memories sometimes bring their own troubles. No matter, there was plenty of time. If all else fails, start building momentum for the script first. The original novel is supposed to be published next year, as long as… first, decide on the leading actress.
Sophie Marceau. Adrian silently repeated the name in his mind. He had wanted to go to France for a long time, but unfortunately either had no time or no excuse. Now that he had both, what was he hesitating for? Since Monica Bellucci was already his, how could he let go of this “French darling”?
Wait a second, he seemed a bit too greedy. Adrian suddenly frowned slightly, mentally running through his upcoming tasks and had to admit there was indeed a hint of that—clearly, achieving the title of “Miracle Director” had been quite a move.
So what? Adrian shrugged. Greed is good, as long as you know how to control it.
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“Ladies and gentlemen: The plane has landed at Los Angeles International Airport, with an outside temperature of 59.23 degrees. The aircraft is taxiing, and for your and others’ safety, please do not stand up or open the overhead compartments at this time. Once the airplane has come to a complete halt, you may then unbuckle your seatbelt, collect your belongings, and prepare to disembark…”
With the plane’s announcement, Kate Blanchett, seated by the window, couldn’t help but yawn, looking out through the glass at the sunny airport and softly sighing in her heart: Finally arrived here.
Ever since receiving Adrian’s invitation, Blanchett had been indecisive. She knew that stage plays were certainly not her ultimate destination, but was it too soon to go into movies? Besides, she didn’t know much about Adrian, yet he seemed to know her very well.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.
After a lot of pondering and unable to decide, she naturally sought advice from her parents and friends, and also inquired about Adrian from some acquaintances. Apart from knowing that he was an outstanding “Miracle Director,” she didn’t know much else about him.
Her parents naturally hoped their daughter would stay in Australia for a couple more years, so their words carried a hint of opposition, but in the end, the final decision was handed back to their daughter. This was the opposite of her friends’ opinions, especially one who had just returned from Hollywood, who looked envious upon hearing that Adrian had invited Blanchett to audition.
“My God, I can’t believe you’re still hesitating. Do you know who the most attention-grabbing director in Hollywood has been these last two years? Do you know who the director is that can produce three films a year, all winning awards, and had the leads in two of the movies win Oscars?!” The friend’s exasperated tone suggested, “If it were me, I would have accepted long ago.”
Luckily, Blanchett had already gathered some information beforehand; otherwise, she might have been overwhelmed by the friend’s aggressiveness. Nonetheless, after saying, “I’m considering it,” she quickly left the coffee shop where they met, while her friend shouted behind her, “You have to say yes, Kate, trust me, you have to agree!”
The shout drew glances from passersby on the street, leaving Blanchett feeling rather embarrassed.
Honestly, she hadn’t expected Adrian’s accomplishments to be so astonishing; he began directing and producing films only in ’90, without ever touching it before. The movies he directed had never lost money, including arthouse films like “Howards End.” Most of the scripts he worked on were profitable, and he was the youngest winner of the Palme d’Or. Moreover, everyone acknowledged that without him, Pacino and Thompson wouldn’t have easily won the Oscars for Best Actor and Actress.
This information was enough to dazzle Blanchett. Beyond this, she learned some things not known to the general public through her photographer friend from Campion—like owning his own film company and serving as a director of a media corporation. It would have been strange not to be intrigued.
On top of that, Adrian called again with a sincere invitation and faxed over the script. Blanchett was very interested in the role and after a detailed discussion over the phone, she finally agreed. So, after spending Christmas and New Year’s, Blanchett boarded a plane to Los Angeles in mid-January.
“Ladies and gentlemen: The aircraft has docked with the jet bridge, please deplane from the rear exit. Thank you!”
The voice from the announcement came again, and Blanchett, looking away, unbuckled her seatbelt, retrieved her hand luggage, and followed the crowd off the plane. When she reached the baggage carousel to pick up her large luggage, and as she came to the exit, she was surprised to see the person picking her up: “Ed?!” (To be continued, for further reading, please visit www.qidian.com, where chapters are updated more frequently, support the author, support genuine reading!)
