King of Hollywood
Chapter 427 - 149: New Ideas and Internal Screenings

Chapter 427: Chapter 149: New Ideas and Internal Screenings

At the Oscars red carpet, Adrian had "threatened" to cancel the predetermined lead role for Dennis due to "dissatisfaction," but it was just a joke. After all, Dennis had been with him through those early times—a seniority unmatched by others, not to mention being a true unknown that Adrian had personally promoted, and Dennis had always remained loyal. Adrian wouldn’t let go of him to save anyone else.

But at the time, Adrian truly was joking. Although he intended to let Dennis take on some different projects, his roles had been too monotonous lately. Nonetheless, he hadn’t completely thought it through during the award ceremony, so it was more of an offhand remark, essentially a "threat" directed at Dennis. However, after scratching around at Miramax and stumbling upon a certain script, then considering the subtle competition between Gwyneth and Blanchett, an interesting idea occurred to him. He found a role perfectly suited for Dennis, filled with British flair.

"Suited? God, I’ve only seen some of his work, but I know it’s tough to exhibit that sort of... artistic temperament," Dennis continued gloomily, "I don’t even know what kind of research would be appropriate. A lot of historians still question whether Shakespeare even existed, while plenty of Americans actually believe Shakespeare to be the greatest playwright from the United States."

"Really? If Hemingway knew, he’d definitely cry in Heaven," Adrian clucked his tongue and shook his head. However, Dennis’s next words almost made him burst out, "Who is Hemingway?"

"Okay, I was joking," Dennis quickly raised his hands as he saw Adrian’s expression sour.

"Alright, Dan, the character isn’t complicated," Adrian shook his head, bringing the conversation back, "Remember what I told you? The story takes place during Shakespeare’s youth, when his major work was still comedy, without the vast experience he later acquired. He was lively and innocent. In a way, he was still a rake, quite similar to you now, isn’t he?"

"Young, talented, and a charming rake," Dennis repeated a few times, then looked at him with interest, "Honestly, I think you’re better suited for the role, Ed."

"Ah?" Adrian raised an eyebrow, momentarily taken aback.

"Isn’t it? Compared to me, you fit the bill more. Plus, you’ve had cameos in some movies and have some experience. Why not consider directing and starring in it yourself?" Dennis deliberately put on a serious face.

"Come on, Dan, stop joking," Adrian laughed and shook his head.

"Alright, no jokes, but I really don’t think I’m right," Dennis said earnestly, then sighed, "If I could, I’d still like to do some action movies. Of course, it’d be great if Bruce, Arnold, or Seagal could co-star."

"Why don’t you just gather them all in one movie," Adrian rolled his eyes.

"That’s a good idea since you can invest 200 million in a movie," Dennis kept chuckling, trying to muddy the waters.

"You think I am really..." Adrian was about to retort when something suddenly crossed his mind, and he froze.

"What’s wrong?" Detecting something unusual, Dennis quickly asked.

"Nothing, don’t worry. Let me think, let me really think about this," Adrian tapped his forehead lightly and started pacing on the spot.

Dennis’s words reminded him of a movie where Siegler Stallone, unwilling to fade into obscurity, had gathered a group of old-timers to make "The Expendables" more than a decade later. Of course, Adrian wasn’t too interested in a film that relied on nostalgia to make money, even though nostalgia was a surefire way to earn it. Stallone had made a sequel right after the first movie earned a decent box-office haul, but Adrian had plenty of money-making films in his hands and didn’t care about these small fry. Besides, he wouldn’t have the chance until decades later when they were all old.

But Dennis reminded him, what if he gathered a bunch of big-name action stars to act in the same movie while they were still in demand? Cost wasn’t a big deal. Generally speaking, if several big names starred in the same movie and one agreed to reduce their fee, the others would likely follow suit, as everyone had a sense of competition. Moreover, they could shift the salary to a share of the profits.

Of course, this was based on two conditions: first, the difference in their worth couldn’t be too vast; second, the prospects for the film had to look very good. The first wasn’t an issue, as long as he could negotiate with their agents. As for the second, with the "Miracle Director" behind the project, who would doubt its prospects? This could also affect the first point, as being personally invited by the Miracle Director, why not accept a lower fee? Especially since Bruce Willis’s agent had already switched to his agency—it was just too easy.

"This is a brand with huge potential." Adrian stopped in his tracks, clutching his chin and murmuring excitedly.

He wasn’t interested in "The Expendables" box office figures; he wanted to turn "The Expendables" into a movie brand. Just like Real Madrid collecting soccer superstars, the saying "Only true superstars play for Real Madrid" was something real fans always scoffed at. But it worked very well for the fake fans, and that was how many non-soccer watchers knew about Real Madrid.

So it was not just Willis, Stallone, and Schwarzenegger that Adrian planned to rope in. He also considered bringing in Nicholas Cage, John Travolta, Russell Crowe, and future stars like The Rock Johnson, Van Diesel, and other big and small actors who were even remotely linked to action.

Imagine if Hollywood one day used the line, "You say you’re a famous Hollywood action star? Have you played a role in ’The Expendables’? No? Then what kind of famous action star are you?" How interesting that would be.

That didn’t need to happen all at once. He could raise the stakes gradually, using the tale of a Mercenary Group to film one installment after another. As for the storyline, such movies didn’t focus on the plot but on the gathering of stars and the exhilarating fights and destruction. Yuan Heping could be involved in action choreography, to strike a balance between boxing and kung fu, showcasing various combat styles. It would be even better if Jet Li could join—but Jackie Chan might be out, as his comedic fighting style didn’t fit such a film.

Thus, as long as the story was logical, it wouldn’t be too difficult for the scriptwriters that Adrian had rigorously trained. If done well, they could even release a comic book version, given that Marvel was in his hands, and they could use the actors’ likenesses with their permission.

Of course, achieving this was no easy task. There were myriads of things to consider—just creating a detailed plan would be time-consuming, not to mention market research, scriptwriting, negotiating with top actors, and more. Even so, Adrian really wanted to try. Although the best way to build his empire was to maintain the status quo and profit from it, living two lives meant seeking out different pursuits for excitement. Like Dennis, Adrian hadn’t expected him to excel as he had initially. Moreover, he could afford the cost of a failed experiment, so why not take the chance?

"What’s up?" Adrian realized Dennis had been calling him a few times after coming back from his reverie.

"Uh... so, does that mean you’re agreeing?" Dennis asked cautiously, a spark in his eyes.

"Heh, well..." Adrian chuckled lightly, his expression all the more meaningful, thinking he would slip the matter past while he pondered? Impossible!

"I have to admit, you’re my lucky star, Dan. Your suggestion inspired a very interesting idea." Adrian clapped his shoulder enthusiastically. "Speaking of which, your performance in ’Broken Arrow’ also qualifies you as an action star, so I’ll give you a role. But—"

As Dennis’s face relaxed, Adrian’s words took a sharp turn, and his smile grew more sly: "But not right now, so you better stick to deciphering Shakespeare for now."

"Continue?" Dennis grimaced, covering his forehead with his hand.

"I remember you have British roots, don’t you? You did a good London accent in ’Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’. Believe in yourself," Adrian said with a teasing tone.

"Having British heritage and playing a famous British writer are two different things," Dennis sighed.

"Give it a try, Dan, don’t doubt my judgment," Adrian persisted, unoffended by his reluctance. "I suppose you wouldn’t like to be pigeonholed as an action star forever, right? Apart from fame and money, you can’t miss out on honor."

Dennis paused, struck by the comment and hesitated to respond.

"I’ll arrange for someone to coach you. After all, making a historical film, you can’t do without consulting many scholars, and the script needs further revision. I’ll make sure the screenwriter hands you the complete script as soon as possible. That’s it then, don’t let me down, Dan. I have to get back to the studio; work must go on," Adrian said, patting his shoulder once more before striding off towards the set.

Casting Dennis in "Shakespeare in Love" as William Shakespeare wasn’t a whim; Adrian had high hopes for him, and he wasn’t the type to favor someone at the expense of reality.

Thanks to his keen observation skills and his work experience, Dennis had a very changeable temperament. Indeed, as Adrian had said, the Shakespeare in "Shakespeare in Love" was still young, not yet the literary giant he would become, not much different from an ordinary talented youth. Having been through several years of tempering, and having been involved in a sensational love triangle with Winona and Aniston, Dennis was no longer the naive talent he once was. As long as he was willing to study the role diligently, he would surely grasp the essence of the character once the complete script was ready.

With that thought, another mischievous idea popped into Adrian’s head: why not have Dennis play a role in another film as well. The other film was, of course, the one for Cate Blanchett, "Elizabeth," where she earned the nickname "Queen" from movie fans for her exquisite portrayal of Elizabeth I, along with her performance in another film.

Interestingly, Joseph Fiennes, who played the lead in "Shakespeare in Love" and was Ralph Fiennes’s brother, also played an important role in "Elizabeth." If so, why not get Dennis involved too, which would allow Adrian to better control the situation.

Well, enough about that. Even if these two were to start shooting, it would have to wait until after the first installment of "The Matrix" was finished. So, for now, it should be put aside.

The shooting situation of "The Matrix" didn’t require too much worry at the moment. It wasn’t until the scenes on the hovercraft were nearly complete that the intense fight scenes would begin, so Adrian chose this moment to hold the long-anticipated internal screening.

As the ethereal and enchanting singing came to an end, applause broke out even before the credits were fully over. While somewhat monotonous, one could discern the enthusiasm of the clapper. Following his lead, the others also started clapping, but due to the small number of participants, the sporadic applause wasn’t as impactful as that of a single person.

"I’m very satisfied, James, I’m speaking the truth, don’t think I’m just comforting you," Adrian said to Cameron as the lights in the theater came on. Then turning to a lady nearby, "Your singing was truly moving, Ms. Celine, like the sound of heaven."

As the main theme singer, Celine Dion was the only non-production member attending, and she had actively requested to be there because she loved the song and was eager to see how it matched with the film. Adrian had no reason to refuse, as her voice had undoubtedly enriched the movie.

"Thank you for your compliments, Mr. Adrian," Celine Dion replied with a smile, nodding and then taking the hand of her partner, who was nearly fifty, "If not for René’s insistence, perhaps I might have missed this moving song."

"At least now you have no regrets, right?" Adrian smiled, and turned back to continue talking with Cameron.

At first, Adrian had thought about trying out this not too bad-looking woman, whose soprano voice suggested she would be equally great at deep-throat. However, the thought vanished as quickly as it came. In his previous life, his fondness for "Titanic" and its theme song led him to understand many things, and Celine Dion, well, she was already well taken care of by her man.

René Angelil, Dion’s manager, was now 57 years old. Nineteen years ago, at the age of 38, he had met a 12-year-old Dion and then became her manager, propelling her to fame and providing her with various suggestions. Although their romance wasn’t made public until 1993, everyone knew they had been together for a long time.

It must be said that Mr. Angelil really had skills and patience, keeping Dion firmly in his grasp, and even when his health was no longer robust, he could still use in vitro fertilization to have Dion willing to become pregnant. Some of Adrian’s methods could also be said to have been learned from him, only Adrian controlled more resources, so he naturally had bigger ambitions.

"I used brand new CG technology, so many scenes look much more realistic..." Cameron was going on and on about some technical aspects.

Admittedly, with nearly 20 million more invested, the entire movie did seem much more refined. For instance, the near shots of the captain and first mate standing outside the cabin during the launch, the sky scenes were all created using CG, and the version now was clearer and more detailed compared to the one in Adrian’s memory. Such improvements were common, so it was indeed worthwhile.

However, Cameron, the madman, still couldn’t help but complain a bit: "There are still some places that aren’t perfect, nearly thirty of them. If I had more time, I could have made them even more meticulous."

"What do you think, Mr. Clayden Cox?" Adrian laughed and shook his head secretly, then turned to one of the executives of 20th Century Fox.

"Personally, I think it’s... not bad," Clayden Cox shrugged, seemingly somewhat underwhelmed by this disaster romance film, but he didn’t make it too obvious and quickly changed the subject: "I have no objections, Mr. Adrian. Leave the distribution to us."

He decided to let Fox handle the distribution rather than choosing his own movie company for a couple of reasons: firstly, out of respect for Cameron, knowing that before Adrian’s involvement, Cameron and Fox had a pleasant cooperation, and the original "Titanic" was also an investment by Fox. Now that Adrian had, in a way, poached the talent, it was only right to offer some kind of compensation; secondly, it was for the MPAA rating. When the original movie swept the box office in North America and globally, besides the story, special effects, and other factors, being rated PG-13 was one of the elements. If it were to be rated R now, losing half the revenue was a possibility, something Adrian would never allow. Hence, he brought Fox aboard. The efforts Warner had to put into the rating for "Eyes Wide Shut" were still fresh in his memory.

Because of this, Adrian felt even more strongly about how important it was to have a position within the MPAA. But luckily, if the plans went smoothly, this issue would soon be no problem.

"This is the movie you invested 240 million in." While Adrian was pondering his plans, Claude’s voice suddenly rang in his ear.

"How does it feel?" Adrian shrugged as he looked at Claude’s slightly mocking smile.

"Not too bad, but if you want to cover the costs with box office revenue, you’d need at least 500 million globally, and that’s in an ideal scenario, not even counting the cost of marketing." Claude smacked his lips, "Five billion, huh."

"You’ll see a miracle, Claude, I guarantee it." Adrian couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. If he had felt a bit uncertain before, having seen the sample reel had completely eased his mind.

"I think what you want to say isn’t just that, right?" He shifted the conversation.

"Something that could be said in one sentence, yet you insist on dragging me to a screening first..." Claude grumbled, "Well, you can’t turn it down this year, right?"

"What?"

"The White House dinner." (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to support me by voting for recommendations and monthly tickets on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)