King of Hollywood-Chapter 64 - : Publicity Work and Schedule Arrangement
Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Publicity Work and Schedule Arrangement
“Dennis is only 21 years old, yet he has a significant amount of acting experience and has received favorable reviews from film critics, which you should be aware of, Mr. Adrian. Therefore, I can’t find a reason for you to refuse,” the middle-aged Caucasian male earnestly said from across the office desk. He looked to be in his early forties, with decent features but an unmistakable sharpness in his brow.
That man was Dennis’s agent, Roger Seder, and he had come to Adrian’s office to vie for the role of the young student in “Scent of a Woman.”
“I understand your point, Roger, but all I can say is, unfortunately,” Adrian spread his hands.
To be frank, Roger’s eloquence was indeed impressive, and he had a knack for focusing on the crux of the issue. He was well aware of Adrian’s intention to develop Dennis’s career, so he kept lobbying around this point.
“Not every actor gets to work with a great actor like Al Pacino. I believe it would be beneficial for Dennis. Why won’t you let him try?” Roger continued.
Adrian pondered for a moment. Although he had been busy lately, he had kept a close eye on Roger. The ads Roger secured for Dennis alone showed his competence, so perhaps it was time to let him in on some details.
“I don’t think the role suits Dennis,” Adrian slightly adjusted his posture, “I acknowledge Dennis’s talent; otherwise, I wouldn’t have picked him for the lead in ‘Memento’—he successfully made people overlook his age. But for that very reason, he shouldn’t opt for a role like Charlie’s.”
“You mean…” Roger quickly latched onto something in his words.
“That’s right,” Adrian nodded, “Dennis has been playing mature roles from the start, even in ‘The Shawshank Redemption’. It would be quite awkward for him to play young students again. Of course, I believe Dennis would perform well if he took the role. He’s also got the looks, but doing so would easily alter critics’ perceptions of him. Once certain labels are affixed, it’s not easy to shake them off.”
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These so-called labels simply meant being pegged as just a pretty face—which, once accepted by public opinion, would greatly impact Dennis’s career progression; examples of such cases weren’t even needed.
“Don’t worry, Dennis is an outstanding actor, and I have long-term plans for him,” Adrian bluntly stated, “I suggest you try to get him lead roles in independent films, Roger. It’s a way to hone his acting skills and build popularity.”
“I understand, then I shall take my leave for now.” With a grasp of Adrian’s intentions, Roger nodded and stood to leave, but just as he rose, Adrian called out to him again: “By the way, Roger, would you be interested in taking on more business?”
Roger lifted his eyebrows in surprise and looked at Adrian without speaking.
“You know, I have many ideas and often write scripts. While I can contact other companies directly, having an agent would make dealing with them much more convenient, wouldn’t it?” Adrian said bluntly. “Besides, my current girlfriend is an actress, and she could possibly become one of your clients.”
After considering for about two minutes, Roger nodded: “Happy to oblige, sir.”
After Dennis’s agent left, Adrian rested for a few minutes in his office before heading to the marketing department to inquire about the progress. The first trailer for “The Shawshank Redemption” had been released, and the feedback was exceptionally good, with most critics and fans expressing anticipation.
Upon reflection, it wasn’t surprising that people reacted this way. Adrian’s previous two films had done well, and “The Shawshank Redemption”, even just by its trailer, could marginally be categorized as a cut film. Therefore, it was natural for people to mark it with anticipation, especially with Stephen King’s name attached, making the film even more awaited.
“We are eager to see what kind of chemistry this genius director, Adrian, will create with Stephen King, the most famous horror novelist,” a message in the Los Angeles Times read.
Of course, some conducted serious analysis, like a report in Hollywood Report: “Clearly, Adrian is attempting to transform his style. In this movie’s trailer, we don’t see the crude language of ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’, nor the confusion of ‘Memento’. It’s a new sensation, and it remains to be seen if the audience will accept this change.”
Universal was quite happy to see this situation, having invested $10 million, so they were even more cooperative with the promotional efforts. However, due to various reasons, the release might be scheduled around Halloween.
Adrian initially wanted to argue for a shift to the Thanksgiving slot, but after careful consideration, he abandoned the idea. The Thanksgiving-Christmas period, like the summer season, is a hot season for movies; many blockbusters choose to release during that time, making the competition fierce. Especially because after the New Year, Oscar judging begins, and movies released closer to the end of the year leave a more substantial impression on the judges.
He had the idea of targeting the Thanksgiving slot precisely for this reason, as “The Shawshank Redemption” was aimed at the Oscars from the beginning. But the competition was too intense during this period, and it would be unwise to forgo box office returns for visibility, especially since the original “The Shawshank Redemption” had performed poorly at the box office. Although Adrian was confident he wouldn’t repeat the same failure, it was still better to be cautious.
After all, the period after Halloween led into November, and he didn’t have high hopes for winning any awards at the 64th Oscars. Besides, a prison-themed movie seemed quite fitting for Halloween, so it was decided to schedule it around that time.
After hanging around the marketing department for a while and chatting with the head, Adrian left the company and drove back to his villa. To his surprise, when he entered the living room, Kate was already waiting there.
“Oh, Ed, you’re finally back!” With a radiant smile, Kate dashed straight into Adrian’s arms, then tiptoed to kiss his lips.
After a kiss that was not passionate yet memorable, Adrian teased while cradling her cheeks, “What brought you here today—let me see, you seem even more beautiful.”
“Dummy, did you forget tomorrow is the weekend?” Kate pouted unhappily. “It’s a good thing I came early, otherwise who knows when I’d have to wait for you to pick me up.”
At this point, she suddenly coughed and batted her eyelashes at Adrian, “Really more beautiful?”
“Of course, why would I lie to you?” Adrian laughed heartily, knowing every woman cares about such praise, especially when it comes from a lover, even if she pretends to be indifferent.
While speaking, Adrian suddenly tugged at the collar of her T-shirt, peeking inside, “Let’s see if this has gotten any bigger—what a pity, seems like no significant change, maybe you need a little massage?”
“Ed!” Kate immediately slapped his hand away in mock annoyance and glanced sideways, “Others are here!”
Though she spoke softly, Mrs. Galen nearby still looked up.
“Don’t worry, I didn’t hear anything,” Mrs. Galen said with a shrug.
Adrian couldn’t help but laugh and then pulled the sulking Kate to sit down on the sofa, “Okay, I apologize, I’ve been quite busy with work lately, so I forgot that tomorrow is the weekend.”
Kate was about to say something but after staring into Adrian’s eyes for a long moment, she just caressed his face and sighed softly.
“New movie?” Kate asked.
“Yes, but there’s also the promotion for ‘The Shawshank Redemption’,” Adrian nodded.
“Why do you always do this, Ed? ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ has just finished, and you’re already preparing for a new movie? You’re not made of iron…” Kate’s voice carried a hint of concern.
“Don’t worry, Kate, my dear, I know my limits,” Adrian said with a smile as he stroked her cheek, “This is all temporary. Once I complete the projects I want to do next year, everything will change.”
Adrian himself didn’t want it to be like this either. Although his health was surprisingly good (perhaps a gift from being reborn?), working back-to-back on one film after another was still mentally exhausting. But other than this, he had no quicker way to accumulate enough fame.
Once next year’s goals were achieved, he could stop this pattern and start to build a steady development. In no more than two years, situations like that with Al Pacino would never happen again! Adrian thought silently to himself.
“Let’s not talk about this anymore. Kate, tell me about your college life? There must be many interesting things since you just started,” Adrian changed the subject.
“Oh, certainly. It’s my first experience of an American university, and it’s so different from the United Kingdom…” Kate immediately started talking excitedly.
As soon as the California Institute of the Arts started, Kate moved into the dormitory, claiming that the school was too far from Adrian’s villa, a 30-minute drive even with good traffic, so it was more convenient to live on campus.
However, Adrian knew that Kate was doing this because she wanted to enrich herself, not just to be a decorative flower vase attached to him. On the one hand, this was good—a girl with her own personality is beautiful and attractive; but on the other hand, it was not—girls with their own personalities can be hard to control, and while she is completely devoted to him now, the future is unpredictable, especially when his heart can be so open.
Whatever, he’d deal with it when the time came. Adrian watched Kate’s lovely face, putting the thought aside for the moment.
(Phew, if you like the story, please recommend and favorite it. I’m planning to switch to three chapters a day next week, each chapter being 2000 words)
