King of Hollywood
Chapter 426 - 148 Where Is the Similarity?

Chapter 426: Chapter 148 Where Is the Similarity?

"To be honest, I have a bad feeling about this," Gwyneth glanced at Adrian and then at Blanchett before speaking.

"Because his words are always full of traps, making us fall into them without realizing it, and yet we fall willingly," Blanchett shrugged her shoulders, joking yet with a meaningful undertone.

"How could you think that," Adrian laughed out loud and hugged them even tighter, "This is a really interesting idea that just popped into my head while I was reading about British history. At first, I wanted to write it as a story, but soon it naturally developed into two distinct threads in my mind, one closer to reality and the other more dramatic. So I decided to have someone write two scripts."

He paused, his smile grew more enigmatic, then he continued, "Of course, both stories are not yet fully formed; currently, there are only outlines, and many more details are still in my head. But just now, I suddenly realized that having each of you play the lead female roles couldn’t be more perfect. Those tangled threads also seemed to unravel instantaneously."

"I knew it, you two always bring me more inspiration, so I can’t think of a reason for you to refuse. Why not fully showcase your acting in both films and see who will be the real best actress?" Adrian said with a smile as he affectionately touched the two beautiful women.

"Sounds... fairly good," Gwyneth narrowed her eyes, seemingly enjoying Adrian’s caresses on her soft self.

"Then let’s say that’s settled," Blanchett, holding her wine glass, breathed a bit faster, occasionally making irrepressible movements to lift her behind.

"That’s great, as soon as I’m done with the new movie I’m working on, I’ll start on both films at the same time!" Adrian laughed heartily, then with a change in tone said, "But tonight..."

He suddenly withdrew his hand from Gwyneth’s chest and took the glass of red wine from Blanchett, tipping his head back to drink it. However, his throat didn’t move; he didn’t swallow it but just smiled at Gwyneth with the wine still in his mouth. Gwyneth, understanding his intention, immediately leaned in and kissed Adrian.

The rich red wine was thus passed between their entwined lips and tongues and, even after the transfer, he wasn’t willing to let her go. After some more stirring, they parted, trying to keep the wine from being fully swallowed while dealing with each other’s invasion. After they finished, Gwyneth’s cheeks were flushed a large shade of red, she coquettishly glared at Adrian and then looked at Blanchett.

Having witnessed this seductive scene, Blanchett slightly opened her mouth but instinctively shrunk back. Gwyneth immediately reached out to cup her face and firmly planted her lips on hers. The kiss of two beautiful women was always enticing, especially when a man could join at any moment.

After their lips and tongues battled, most of the red wine had been transferred to Blanchett’s mouth. When they parted, she looked a bit flustered with a drop escaping the corner of her mouth, but Adrian quickly covered her mouth again for his share. After a moment’s struggle of tongues, the remaining wine finally made it back to Adrian, who, this time, did not hesitate to swallow it.

Blanchett, released, finally caught her breath with flushed cheeks and a dazed look, evidently stoked with desire. Gwyneth, in the same state, immediately embraced her from behind, and what was to happen next went without saying. Over time, the two women had grown accustomed to a ménage à trois, and their cooperation exceeded that of Monica and Julia, which was a good thing—the power of habit is often very strong.

The 69th Oscar ceremony came to a close, with ’The English Patient’ and ’Saving Private Ryan’ sharing the headlines, somewhat equally dividing attention. Journalists also took this opportunity to criticize the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Some questioned whether the split was too well arranged in advance, while others lamented that the Academy was beginning to fall from grace—a rather amusing mix of opinions.

This was unsurprising, journalists attract readers’ attention with such tactics. They can accuse the Academy of having inside deals for its even distribution of awards, or criticize for films with many nominations winning few awards. In short, they always find something to write about. No system is perfect, and Oscar voting is not utterly just, but it’s not always as unacceptable as journalists often portray.

The Film Academy had long been accustomed to such disputes, so unless it was a particularly grave matter, they would simply ignore these debates.

Although the arguments were somewhat annoying, they did provide a bit of entertainment, and there was an added benefit—the controversy surrounding "Eyes Wide Shut" was further diminished. Even the potential hot-button issue of the film’s rating began to subside with some critics declaring, "The religious sex party is devoid of eroticism, instead evoking a chilling terror."

Upon learning of this, Adrian’s first reaction was to laugh heartily three times. If Kubrick in Heaven knew, he’d probably react the same way. There will always be people who are too clever by half, interpreting films to suit their own agendas and then going to great lengths to promote their views. If others disagree, it’s because they’re too stupid to understand. As for what the author truly intended to express, they could not care less.

Of course, even Adrian didn’t know what the film was specifically trying to say. The person who did know had already taken his leave for Heaven, and even if he were alive, he wouldn’t say much—letting the audience guess was always Kubrick’s mantra.

Similarly, the discussion of Cruise’s performance in the film was overshadowed by Cruise’s latest Oscar disappointment. Both sympathy and schadenfreude were present, but rumors of marital discord continued to circulate among the tabloids.

The subsiding debate over "Eyes Wide Shut" did not affect Adrian’s reputation. In fact, after the 69th Oscar ceremony, more and more industry insiders accepted his reputation for having a keen eye. He had provided the initial script draft for "Saving Private Ryan," found Minghella to direct "The English Patient," and had recommended both films’ lead actors. Hanks had even won Best Actor for a second time because of him, and Fiennes had previously been suggested by him for "Schindler’s List." Sophie had been nominated for Best Supporting Actress two years in a row because of him, and Rachel and Blanchett were no-brainers.

These achievements, along with his track record over the past few years, led more and more directors and actors to seek out his favor, hoping to gain his approval. After the Oscar ceremony, Adrian attended several inescapable parties, being approached for a chat or passed a note every time, resulting in his pockets being stuffed at the end of each event.

"Quite the enthusiasm," Adrian would wryly self-deprecate each time. Though among them were a few promising future stars, most belonged to the ranks of the unknown.

While he didn’t like this sort of hassle, the parties could sometimes be quite interesting, especially if he came across someone fun, like Madonna. At the Vanity Fair Oscar after-party, Adrian had bumped into her. She starred in "Evita," which won Best Original Song, and Madonna had performed a number at the ceremony.

As it happened, her involvement in "Evita" was somewhat due to Adrian. At a charity auction, he had suggested she consider playing biographical roles of famous women. As a result, at the Vanity Fair party, Adrian spoke with her at length, rather than the hi-and-bye of past encounters.

Even so, Madonna’s demeanor wasn’t very friendly; she was clearly wary of Adrian. Not many have played with her to the extent he had; Adrian had certainly left a profound impression on her.

"It’s been a long time. Maybe we can catch up over coffee sometime," Madonna managed to say nonchalantly, maintaining her strong-willed facade.

"No problem, perhaps we can further discuss what other varieties of ’gourds’ exist," Adrian replied leisurely.

Madonna was immediately at a loss for words. That evening, with the help of ropes and other props, she had given quite a demonstration about the shape and some varieties of ’gourds,’ which she surely did not want to repeat.

Of course, Adrian was just making conversation. As far as Madonna was concerned, once was enough for him. The brutal thrill of SM could indeed be stimulating but was just as likely to bring out too much of one’s animal nature. As someone who preferred to keep his wits about him, a single experience was quite enough. Adrian preferred to have a woman within his control, to move according to his will—total conquest was when she was entirely subdued.

Beyond that, he didn’t neglect his new film. With "The Matrix" wrapped up, two more were in the pipeline—the promises made to Gwyneth and Blanchett could not be broken.

"Okay, everyone, now let’s get to know each other a bit, how about starting with self-introductions from the captain?" In the studio, Adrian gathered the actors who were about to start shooting.

The actors looked at each other, and then Laurence Fishburne, who was called out, cleared his throat lightly, "Alright, I am Morpheus, both the captain of the Nebuchadnezzar and the guide for the Savior."

"I’m Sefer, zero, a nobody, also the traitor, though, of course, I would prefer to be called an undercover agent." Joe Pantoliano also followed with a grin as he introduced himself.

These somewhat humorous comments immediately enlivened the atmosphere, and then Keanu Reeves began introducing himself in the same manner, followed by Monica, and then other minor characters, such as the ship’s pilot Tank, and the first one to die due to Sefer’s betrayal, "Mouse," among whom one was quite special.

"Belinda, one of the crew members of the Nebuchadnezzar, died because that undercover agent unplugged me—oh, to be honest, I still prefer to be a slightly ditsy young girl in New York." Jennifer Aniston, dressed in a trench coat with short hair dyed blondish white, shrugged as she said this.

This again caused a bout of laughter, as several of the actors were fond of watching "Friends." Seeing the atmosphere had already become quite harmonious, Adrian then announced that filming was ready to start.

Even though there were Oscar ceremonies and various social engagements during this period, the shooting progress hadn’t fallen behind much. By April, the first big battle between Trinity and Agent Smith was completed. Then, to facilitate the adjustment of props and sets in the studio, Adrian began filming the scenes after Neo wakes up on the ship, gathering all the crew members to mingle a bit beforehand for better shooting.

"Scene 29, Take 112." Following the clapperboard’s call, the camera started rolling, the first shot being of Reeves’s Neo bouncing out of the chair unable to handle the truth, nearly vomiting, and ultimately fainting on the floor.

Generally speaking, with scenes like this where the emotional fluctuations are significant, unless there’s a rush for time or some other special circumstance, simpler parts would be filmed first to let the actors warm up and find their rhythm. However, since the atmosphere had already been lively, Adrian wanted to try starting from there. Although Reeves had a reputation for looking impassive, that was a thing of the future.

The situation was not bad, although not nailed on the first take—which Adrian had not expected—but everyone’s condition was pretty good. Apart from Pantoliano’s perennial supporting role, Monica and Aniston were the best.

Monica needs no mention, with Adrian by her side she could always immerse herself fully. When filming the scene of Trinity leaping from a rooftop into a window and tumbling down the stairs, she had personally taken several rolls. Despite the safety measures, bumps and bruises were inevitable, with several injuries to her arms after the fact. Adrian, each time, would pick her up in front of everyone without any hesitation.

This time was no different, even though there were no individual shots—if it was an NG, it would definitely not be because of her. The only regret was wearing loose clothing; it wasn’t as seductive as her tight-fitting outfit.

As for Aniston, the reason she was so invested was similar to Monica’s, because Dennis, who had come to visit the set, was in the crowd. Adrian kept in mind what he had told Dennis initially; therefore, he secured a role for Aniston as a park policewoman, and the present role was just as intentional.

However, while the park policewoman had short hair but still retained some femininity, the current character’s hair was even shorter and styled upward, hardly different from slightly longer-haired hippies. Moreover, the makeup artist had gone to great lengths to roughen her lovely appearance, making it hard to associate her with Rachel Green at first glance.

Dennis was so considerate of Aniston; it was impossible for him not to like her, and Aniston was probably aware of this, so she was very happy that he could visit the set. As to why the two seemed to have already come together, it was nothing more than Aniston’s persistent wooing, among other things. That said, she had indeed made notable sacrifices for him—not every woman would cut her hair for a man, especially when her hair was one of her most beautiful features.

"Very good, very good, let’s take a break and then continue." A few dozen minutes passed quickly, and looking at the time and satisfied with the filming situation, Adrian declared a break.

After encouraging Reeves for a bit and having a chat with Fishburne and Pantoliano, Adrian exchanged a couple of intimate words with Monica and then decided to look for Dennis. Turning around, he couldn’t find him anywhere, and after asking a few people, he headed toward the studio. Passing two trailers, he heard Dennis’s voice but when he was about to call out, he shut his mouth instead because there wasn’t just one voice ringing out.

"I love you, Dan, I really do."

"I know, Jenny, and I’m really sorry, but sometimes..."

"It’s all in the past, can you just stop thinking about her?"

"I will, I promise, but I need time, just give me a little time, okay?"

"Don’t make me wait too long, Dan, please."

Listening to these words, Adrian couldn’t help but smirk, pondering whether he should leave right away. Wouldn’t it be super awkward for him to be here if things heated up between them? Clearly, he thought everyone was as starved for love as he was.

Unfortunately, just like in many novels or movies, the moment he turned to leave he bumped into something making a loud noise.

A panicked voice came from behind the trailer, and then two heads popped out. Aniston’s cheeks were a bit red, and even with her hair cut so short and the ugly makeup on, there was still something endearingly sheepish about her.

"Ah, sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt," Adrian shrugged, "carry on, I’ll just leave."

"No, no, no, it’s alright, we’ve already said—what needed to be said—" Dennis stammered with a sheepish smile, "Are we going to continue? Jenny can head over in just a moment."

"No, I wanted to talk to you, but if it’s not a good time, I can wait," Adrian shook his head.

"It’s nothing, I had to do something anyway, you guys talk," said Aniston before she quickly walked away.

"Nicely done," Adrian commented half-jokingly after she had left.

Dennis gave a wry smile and shook his head, "What’s up?"

"Oh, I just wanted to see how you were getting on," Adrian said with a smile.

"How I’m getting on?" Dennis laughed bitterly again, "My God, Ed, why did you think I could play this part? I didn’t even finish high school. How am I anything like Shakespeare?!"

(To be continued. If you like this work, we invite you to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)