King of Hollywood-Chapter 66 - Premiere
Chapter 66: Chapter 66 Premiere
“Clearly, Adrian was pleased with his new work,” the reporter wrote in the newspaper the day after interviewing Adrian, “Otherwise, he wouldn’t claim it to be a nearly perfect film. I remain skeptical, even if Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman both agree with that statement. I’ve read Stephen King’s original novel, which, unlike his horror stories, is a tale of hope and redemption. Given Adrian’s previous works, he tends to excel more in fringe themes, so it’s hard to say if he can truly handle this story. However, we have reason to look forward to his new movie, since ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ and ‘Memento’ both surprised us.”
This was a somewhat fair article, stating both the reasons for skepticism and why Adrian was so confident. Even though it was rather superficial, it was much better than some other articles. After Adrian publicly made his claim, many reporters criticized him for being too arrogant, but many also supported him, believing he had the right to make such claims. The clash of these opinions, each backed by its own reasons, attracted many eyeballs.
Adrian, as the person involved, did not make any further comments. After finishing the outdoor shoots in New York, he took time to visit his aunt and uncle before he and the crew returned to Los Angeles and settled into Studio 28.
He knew well that all these debates were merely publicity stunts, driven by the marketing department and Universal, and the phrase “nearly perfect film” was indeed part of the planned promotion—only now it had come from him. This was similar to how, after filming a movie, actors often say it’s their best work yet, just a marketing ploy.
Although Adrian knew that ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ was sought after by so many in his past life because its Oscar failure added a tragic appeal, if it could win the title of the most perfect film, it meant there were commendable aspects—indeed, this was true.
Of course, while the title of “the most perfect film” can be bestowed by others, one should not claim it oneself, which is why he used “nearly perfect” in the promotions. As for whether such publicity would help the box office, that would be known soon, as he had been busy for two days after returning from New York, with Halloween just around the corner.
With the click-click of cameras, Adrian stepped off his trailer, his six-foot frame beautifully suited in a handmade black suit, wearing a gentle smile that gave him an extraordinary presence.
Approaching the promotional banners, he struck a pose for a few photos and then answered some questions before walking into the theater. This was the premiere of ‘The Shawshank Redemption.’ Since Universal had been involved and it was a mid-budget film of $20 million, not having a premiere would have been unimaginable.
Thinking about his previous two films, which had just gone from promotion to theater releases without even a celebratory banquet, merely distributing several red packets—now not only was there a premiere, but many celebrities were also invited, a delightful change. Adrian walked into the theater lobby reflecting on this. He wasn’t marveling; he merely thought it was natural, just the beginning.
“There you are, Ed,” Elaine from Universal called out from afar.
“It’s great to see you at the premiere, Elaine,” Adrian walked over smiling and greeted her.
“Me too,” Elaine laughed, then began introducing people around her to Adrian.
Actually, a premiere was a social event too, but compared to other cocktail parties and so forth, it was much smaller, primarily involving those from the entertainment circle. After exchanging some pleasantries with Universal’s people, Adrian freely wandered around the lobby; the movie would start in a while.
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He soon spotted a familiar figure—Spielberg was also among the guests. Adrian was surprised, knowing ‘Jurassic Park’ was in preparation, and decided to greet him. But before he could take few steps, two middle-aged Caucasian men appeared before him.
“Ah, Ed,” the first man extended his hand, “it’s not easy to find you in a crowd.”
“I didn’t expect to see you here, Barney,” Adrian expressed his surprise, facing the man who was an assistant editor at Disney, Barney Jacklin. Although Disney hadn’t managed to get the scripts for ‘Scream’ and ‘American Pie’, Barney had maintained contact with Adrian, and Adrian had kept a good relationship with Disney for a long time.
Barney smiled and started to introduce the person beside him, “This is…”
“Eric Cahill, manager of the planning department at Disney. You introduced him last time, Barney,” Adrian said with a smile, extending his hand to the somewhat surprised man.
“Has anyone ever told you, you have an excellent memory, Mr. Cowell?” Eric shook his hand.
“My staff say that every day,” Adrian laughed.
“I remember after Barney introduced me, we had to leave because of something else. I didn’t expect you to remember,” Eric remarked somewhat emotionally.
“Every boss should remember all their employees’ names,” Adrian shrugged, then changing the subject: “If I guess correctly, you are here for ‘Casper’? How is that going?”
“Your conditions are acceptable, but—are you really not planning to direct it yourself?” Eric asked.
“I’ve brought Stephen King’s works to the screen, and I’ve been criticized for that—let alone directing a Family Affair type of movie.” Adrian chuckled, then put on a serious face, “Please believe me, Eric, Brad Silberling is absolutely the right choice for the director. If you still have concerns, I can serve as the producer.”
“In that case, I think there shouldn’t be any issues.” Eric considered before giving his response.
Essentially, the live-action version of “Casper” was thus agreed upon, and after chatting for a few more moments, Eric and Barney left. Adrian knew that Disney actually had no objections to Brad Silberling being the director; though Silberling’s directing credits were few, he had been making movies since the mid-1980s. However, they were unaware of Adrian’s plans, and even if he had taken up the directing role himself, there would have been no issue—Adrian’s performance over the last year was evident to all.
With this in mind, Adrian had decided to also take on the role of producer, to assure Disney and to ensure the film wouldn’t deviate from expectations. Although he remembered Silberling directing this movie previously, that didn’t guarantee the movie would be a blockbuster this time too. After all, a movie typically has several producers, and the role he took on was naturally one that came with significant authority; overseeing the progress and the shooting from time to time, leaving the rest to others, would suffice.
Now, he could take a moment for himself. After such a conversation, finding Spielberg again seemed impossible. Slightly disheartened, he glanced around and began to wander aimlessly—it wasn’t urgent, and he might encounter Spielberg the next second.
As he walked head down along the corner of a wall, he suddenly collided with someone. Both of them yelped and instinctively grabbed each other. Adrian looked up only to meet a pair of brown eyes, so close that their noses were almost touching, and a pleasant scent filled his nose.
His nostrils quivered slightly: “Lilies, sunflowers, peach blossoms, lemons—though there are some others I can’t discern, I can confirm this is Lancôme’s Love Collection.”
“How did you—know that?!” the woman asked, surprised. Realizing her grip, she quickly let go of Adrian and stepped back.
Finally, Adrian could see the woman clearly—a thick head of wavy brown hair, a high nose bridge, deep-set eyes, but most distinctively, a broad mouth. It was none other than Julia Roberts, who had won over the public with “Pretty Woman” just the year before!
“I truly didn’t expect you to be one of the guests, Miss Julia Roberts,” Adrian extended his hand, smiling as if the previous awkward moment had never happened, “I am Adrian Cowell. You can call me Adrian.”
“Um… Hello, Adrian. Please, call me Julia.” Julia finally regaining her composure, “You said your name is Adrian Cowell—don’t tell me you’re…”
“Yes, the genius director. The movie premiering tonight is my work,” Adrian nodded.
“Wow, you really are that genius director,” Julia scrutinized him, surprised, “I heard you were young, but—aren’t you a little too young?”
“If I’m not mistaken, our ages aren’t that different,” Adrian replied with a smile, finding her slightly surprised expression amusing. Julia Roberts wasn’t a conventionally beautiful woman—beauty and prettiness are two different things, with prettiness being a subset of beauty. Beauty encompasses more than just looks—it includes demeanor, poise, taste, and figure as well.
The young Julia Roberts, although without the mature allure she would possess in years to come, had her own present-day charm. Her V-neck, black evening gown outlined her figure gracefully, drawing many admiring glances. No matter how she looked 20 years later, she was certainly captivating for now.
“Is that so? How can you be sure?” Julia’s face adopted a slightly strange expression.
Adrian couldn’t help but chuckle—it really wasn’t wise to discuss a woman’s age in her presence. He quickly changed the subject: “Your performance in ‘Pretty Woman’ was impressive, and even though in reality, a woman like Vivian is almost non-existent, a film should at least provide a beautiful dream.”
Unexpectedly, Julia’s smile faded to a sullen expression.
“Thank you,” she said somewhat reluctantly.
(Tomorrow onwards, I’ll switch to three updates a day, each update being 2000 words. Continue to look for recommendations and follow, and I also shamelessly ask everyone to help promote this, thank you very much)
