King of Hollywood
Chapter 434 - 156 Discussion on the Star Wars Prequels

Chapter 434: Chapter 156 Discussion on the Star Wars Prequels

"My opinion is to move this scene forward, preferably to the first installment—just hear me out, George? Great, let’s continue. The entire prequel trilogy is mainly about how Anakin Skywalker was discovered by Qui-Gon Jinn and how he fell to the dark side of The Force, right?" In George Lucas’s conference room, in front of several heads of the Star Wars Prequel and screenwriters, Adrian spoke confidently. "Considering the whole concept, Anakin witnessed his mother’s murder and, after taking revenge contrary to the Jedi Knight’s code, became fearful, worried that his wife Padme Amidala would meet the same fate. Therefore, he sought a permanent solution which led him to sink into the dark side of The Force. Then, under Palpatine’s enticement, he became Darth Vader, which is basically self-consistent. But the problem is whether the process of change is convincing to the audience?"

At this point, he glanced around the conference room, picked up a marker pen, wrote the names of Anakin and his mother on the whiteboard, and then drew an arrow with a few words: "First off, we can be certain that Anakin has a strong Oedipus complex."

A few snickers erupted in the conference room, Lucas shrugged his shoulders, but Adrian continued undisturbed: "His falling in love with Amidala, who is at least ten years his senior, is the best proof. So, do you think the shock of his mother dying in the arms of an adult him is enough? Enough for Palpatine to sway him with just a few words?"

He immediately wrote down the name of the Sith Monarch and pointed an arrow at Anakin, and drew a question mark on the way back. The screenwriters appeared thoughtful; several minutes later, one of them began to explain, "According to Mr. Lucas’s settings, Anakin is a very sensitive person, which is why he has such remarkable control over The Force. Even a very strong person wouldn’t easily recover from watching their mother, who they depended on, die before their eyes."

"Of course, I’m not questioning the rationality of this setting; I’m just asking how to show it," Adrian said with a smile, making a gesture, "I’m not doubting George’s directing ability, but if the plot is condensed too much, then inevitably some elements will be sacrificed when it’s brought to the screen. Audiences sometimes don’t understand the creator’s painstaking efforts; they’ll just think it’s unreasonable for Palpatine’s few words to convince Anakin to betray."

"Let’s hear your opinion then, Ed," Lucas interrupted another screenwriter, grinning at Adrian, "stop hiding it."

"As you wish, sir." Adrian placed his hands behind his back and gave a purposely respectful bow, his amusing demeanor immediately eliciting laughter.

"My opinion is simple, make the whole process more straightforward and intense, bring the mother’s death forward to the first part. The slavemaster or someone else, like those who lost the race, want revenge for various reasons and then attack Anakin’s group. Of course, with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan present, neither Anakin nor Amidala, disguised as a handmaiden, gets hurt, but his mother is unfortunately killed right in front of him. And because of the Sith Apprentice’s assault, Anakin can’t even tend to his mother’s body. By the second installment, Anakin, who often dreams of his mother’s murder, encounters the attackers by chance while tracking down the Clone Army, and in a fit of rage, kills them all. This way, when he is worried about Amidala’s situation and tempted by Palpatine, it will be much more convincing." Adrian said all this in one breath.

The people present couldn’t help but look thoughtful again; indeed, a child is like clay, highly malleable, and the shadows cast in their youth often accompany them for a lifetime. Such treatment would be more persuasive and coherent from a logical standpoint.

"And there’s also the possibility of having Amidala comforting young Anakin, which would make their later union more natural," Adrian added.

This was another point worth considering, and after the screenwriters whispered among themselves and consulted with other heads, they unanimously turned towards George Lucas. Clearly, they all thought Adrian’s suggestions were reasonable, but it wasn’t enough for them to think so; Lucas was the boss here.

"This suggestion is worth considering." After several more minutes of thought, Lucas gave his verdict, followed by a jolly stand-up and a strong pat on Adrian’s shoulder: "Worthy of an ace screenwriter, asking for your help was indeed the right choice."

"It’s just easier to notice issues from a bystander’s perspective," Adrian said modestly, "and finding problems is the easiest part; solving them is what truly matters. I’ve merely made a suggestion; how to execute it is up to you. If there’s the slightest error, it might end up displeasing."

"Really? How about you offer suggestions on other aspects as well? The prequel trilogy has plenty of other stories." Lucas joked half-seriously.

"I think I’ll pass, this is your work; you are the master of this world. You can set it up however you want, so long as there are no contradictions. If the settings are unclear or changed frequently, like ’laser sword’ initially being used instead of ’Light Sword’ now, it would be laughable," Adrian declined in the same tone.

"Any true Star Wars fan wouldn’t confuse ’Light Sword’ with ’laser sword’," Lucas said, pretending to be displeased.

"Of course, it was just an example. I think my involvement to this extent is sufficient." Adrian still declined his offer, knowing that those ideas were all synthesized from memory and despite having seen all six Star Wars movies in his previous life, along with some anime and games, was nevertheless one step removed.

"Alright, I won’t force you." Lucas also didn’t push it and waved the others out, "Still, thank you for your advice. It is important and gives us a lot more to consider."

"No problem, George," Adrian shrugged, "But I must remind you, the movie’s box office won’t have an issue; Star Wars fans have been waiting for too long, but the critical reception might not be so good."

"I understand, the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment," Lucas seemed quite magnanimous, "I just wanted to fulfill my own wish."

Fulfill his own wish? Probably nobody would believe that. Star Wars had become a part of American culture, and Lucas had already made enough money from it, so why wouldn’t he want to make more? Nevertheless, it didn’t stop Adrian from flattering him a bit. After most of the others had left, he pretended to suddenly remember something and asked, "By the way, what do you think of that girl?"

"Which one?" Lucas didn’t catch on at first, but after a few seconds, he understood, "Natalie Portman? Indeed, she’s an exceptional girl; I think she’s quite good."

"Really?"

"Of course. I’ve watched all of her movies. It’s hard to imagine someone her age playing such diverse roles. Where did you find her?"

Lucas spoke with an animated expression, clearly very satisfied with Natalie.

"No, she came to me on her own. Originally, she wasn’t selected at her first audition for ’The Professional,’ but then she came to me, undeterred, to volunteer," Adrian explained simply, "Honestly, I’m lucky I gave her a second chance; otherwise, I would’ve missed out on a talented actress."

He paused there, then asked with an easygoing tone, "So, can I tell her the good news?"

Lucas, who had been quite happy just moments before, furrowed his brow, but Adrian simply looked at him, waiting. After a long hesitation, Lucas’s smile returned to his face.

"No problem, she’s the one," he said.

With those words from him, it was essentially a done deal. Everyone knew how valuable the Star Wars franchise was; landing a significant role virtually guaranteed stardom—just think of Harrison Ford. And just yesterday, before accompanying Natalie to the audition, Adrian had run into an old acquaintance here.

Not really an acquaintance, more like someone he knew. He had hurt her feelings once before, but as long as a woman left an impression on him, he wouldn’t forget her, so he had greeted her early on.

"I never expected to see you here, Ed," Sofia Coppola said with a faint smile as they shook hands.

"I recommended an actress to George and was invited by him to review the script," Adrian didn’t hide it, and Sofia’s expression flickered with something out of the ordinary.

"And you?" he immediately asked, "Are you here for an audition?"

"Yes," Sofia didn’t deny it, "but it’s not an important role, just a handmaiden beside the female lead. I just wanted... to try again."

Adrian said nothing, looked at her for a moment, then let out a sigh, offered a polite smile, and prepared to leave. This action immediately angered Sofia, who blurted out, "What, am I that unworthy, Mr. Adrian?"

Fortunately, there weren’t many people in the corridor at that time, or it would have attracted unwanted attention.

"My opinion hasn’t changed from before to now," Adrian turned around with a pleasant smile, "Change your perspective, and you’ll see a wide-open world. Sofia, I’ve never misjudged anyone. Remember, you’re Old Frank’s daughter."

After his words, he bowed in a gentlemanly fashion, then left the place, while Sofia stood there for a long time.

To be blunt, if Sofia was vying for the lead role, her chances of getting it were still pretty good, despite being rated the worst female lead by the Golden Raspberry Awards, but her connections to people like Francis Coppola and Lucas were still very close. Even so, Adrian was confident too, not to mention having a decent relationship with the Hollywood Jewish community because of "Schindler’s List", Natalie also had her own advantages.

You see, she was born in Jerusalem and emigrated to the United States around the age of two, settling in New York. Although the U.S. does not legally stipulate dual citizenship, it also doesn’t prohibit it, so she is also considered Israeli. Moreover, she had a grandmother with a legendary background who passed information to the Allies during World War II, and the last name Portman she used in the entertainment industry came from her.

Plus, she was intelligent and mature, her acting wasn’t bad either, and she was good at reading the situation, so the outcome wouldn’t exceed Adrian’s expectations.

Such a charming girl. Standing outside a lounge, Adrian peered through the crack of the door. Natalie was sitting quietly on the sofa reading a book, and her mother Shelly was having a low conversation with the agent, her single-handed cheek support and her faint smile making her look exceptionally serene and beautiful.

It was because Natalie was coming to Los Angeles to audition for "Star Wars" that Adrian turned down Kirsten’s offer that day, almost letting her sense something. But by leveraging his own tactics, he not only made the little fairy forget about it, but he also took her daisy. The little fairy’s body recovered particularly fast, running around like nothing happened just three days after her birthday party, although she cried quite a bit at the time. That day too, she started off screaming in pain, but quickly adapted and became cooperative, and even seemed a bit reluctant afterward.

It’s quite interesting to think about it, although Natalie was the first Lolita he took to bed, it was Kirsten who had her daisy plucked first; it seems quite fair in the end. Of course, it was also related to Natalie being relatively conservative, not willing to change positions easily, let alone being touched. But her shy demeanor was very cute and enticing.

Realizing his thoughts were wandering too far, Adrian immediately focused his mind. After straightening his clothes, he knocked on the door and then walked in.

"Ed?" Natalie put down her book right away and stared at him without blinking.

But after greeting her mother and her agent, Adrian gave Natalie an apologetic smile, "Want to know the results?"

"No need," the girl bit her lip, "I think I already know the outcome."

"Ha, that obvious? Seems like I should’ve walked in with a stern face instead," Adrian joked.

"It’s no use, I can still tell," Natalie said haughtily, puffing out her chest, but she seemed to have something on her mind.

"What’s wrong, Nata?" Adrian asked, noticing this.

"What’s wrong?" Natalie countered.

"Is that so?" Adrian raised an eyebrow, then looked at her mother, "Shelly, if you don’t mind, could you give us a few minutes?"

"Of course, no problem," Shelly nodded, but she looked curiously at Adrian and then at her daughter.

After they closed the door of the lounge, Natalie finally glared at Adrian irritably, "You could be bolder."

"I’m just concerned about you," Adrian shrugged and then sat down beside her, "What happened?"

"Nothing, it’s just..." the girl sighed, "I just didn’t expect that the movie you spoke of would be a ’Star Wars’ prequel!"

At this, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes, "God, I’ve never even watched the original trilogy, and after receiving your call, I had to rush to rent the tapes to watch it overnight, plus gathering some information... It’s been a hectic past few days. If you had told me earlier, I wouldn’t have been in such a mess!"

"I said, it’s a trade secret..." Adrian hadn’t finished speaking when he met Natalie’s disdainful gaze.

"Really?" The girl crossed her arms and tilted her head as she asked in a languid tone.

"...Alright, I wanted to surprise you." Faced with this clever person, Adrian had no choice but to tell the truth, "Of course, if you prefer, we can use another word: seeking credit."

Seeing his honest look, Natalie burst into giggles, her uncontrollably delightful demeanor was very adorable. She then suddenly leaned in and kissed him on the corner of his mouth.

"Hey, someone just thought I was being a bit bold," Adrian feigned surprise, half serious, half joking.

"You are you, I am me. What you can’t do, I can. I can criticize you, but you can’t criticize me," the girl declared with pride.

"That’s a double standard..."

"It is a double standard!"

"Alright, alright," Adrian could only raise his hands in surrender, then patted the girl’s shoulder, "Don’t worry, Nata, you indeed haven’t had experience with such big productions, but I believe it won’t be a big problem for you. George thinks your audition was quite good, and I also believe your portrayal of Queen Amidala will be welcomed by everyone! In any case, don’t worry."

Natalie tilted her head again and sized up Adrian for a while before sighing somewhat frustratedly, "You always manage to see through other people’s thoughts so easily."

"It’s not that easy. I only made the judgment after noticing your mood changes and chatting with you for so long," Adrian replied with a smile, "Of course, more importantly, I understand you."

"You really are smug, Ed," Natalie made a face at him, then changed the subject, "So, is it settled then? Can my mom and I go?"

"Is that so?" Adrian replied noncommittally.

"Of course," the girl said with a sly smile, "since no one is holding me back."

"I knew you’d say that," Adrian pinched her little nose, "As long as you can get your mom to agree, if you’re going out alone, I promise to show you around Los Angeles properly."

"Then it’s decided!" Natalie agreed without a second thought, appearing to have everything under control.

True to her word, the next day she called Adrian to pick her up from the hotel where she was staying, and she boldly got into the car right in front of her mother. Later, he learned that Natalie had used the excuse that she knew Adrian was going to Pixar to handle daily affairs and thought it was a rare opportunity to see for herself; with Adrian by her side, nothing would go wrong, so of course Shelly agreed.

"You’re not bad at deceiving people..." Adrian gasped lightly as he held the girl tightly in his arms, thrusting rhythmically while teasing her.

"I didn’t... I just... didn’t say... everything..." Natalie moaned as she clung to him like an octopus.

On the balcony of Adrian’s luxurious mansion, the two of them intimately merged together under the sunshine. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian.com to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets; your support is my biggest motivation.)