King of Hollywood
Chapter 437 - 159 Soon to Set Sail

Chapter 437: Chapter 159 Soon to Set Sail

As the latter half of June arrived, schools across America began their summer break one after another, and a new round of competition for the hot movie season started. Kicking off this time was "Men in Black," jointly invested in by Columbia, Bossworth, and DreamWorks.

This fairly mediocre novel, upon being adapted into a film, received enthusiastic acclaim. The hidden theme of presenting humanity as insignificant, the comically humorous presentation, and the idea that aliens are right beside us all drew considerable attention. The two leads, Tommy Lee Jones with his feigned seriousness, and Will Smith’s rich body language, were quite the highlights. Monica, although her performance was by the book, had moments that caught the eye – like the scene where she killed the big bug that tried to sneak up on them, and her sharp suit look when she joined the Men in Black was very cool.

So, the movie had a pretty good start, with a PG-13 rating, an interesting story, decent performances, and the marketing efforts of the three companies. Although it wasn’t released on a weekend, with the support of 3000 theaters, it still grossed 80 million US dollars in North America in five days. Will Smith became more and more (redacted), and Monica’s position in Hollywood grew increasingly solid.

Furthermore, the film was very well-received by critics, with many considering it one of the most interesting science fiction movies of the year. Of course, this is all relative; the mediocrity of the original novel made the film’s strengths particularly stand out, leading critics to also call it one of the best sci-fi adaptations of the year.

However, the most anticipated film was still "Titanic," which frequently appeared in the media and was heavily advertised to whet the appetite. Ordinary people wanted to know what was so special about this film that was touted as the most expensive to date, those who were optimistic wanted to know if it lived up to their praise, and those who were skeptical were equally eager to find what flaws it had in order to criticize it more vehemently.

As they wished, on the last weekend of June, "Titanic" was finally released.

As night fell, the area outside the Hollywood Chinese Theater was packed with throngs of people. A grand premiere was to be held here, with countless reporters and movie fans who had been waiting for a long time, hoping to catch some newsworthy gossip, or to see the stars they admired and maybe get an autograph or something.

They weren’t disappointed as Hollywood’s big names arrived one after another. Just counting the big-shot directors, there were several, like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, of course, and Francis Coppola even showed up, bringing his daughter along. If Martin Scorsese also came, then almost all the great directors from back then would have been gathered. Besides them, there were numerous up-and-coming directors, especially those promoted by Adrian, like Jean de Bont, David Fincher, Michael Bay among others, who didn’t miss out.

The actors weren’t lacking either. Almost all the Oscar-winning actors from the past four or five years showed up. Anthony Hopkins was said to have flown in from the United Kingdom just to support the event, Nicholas Cage came separately from his uncle, but they arrived just minutes apart, Al Pacino, Tom Hanks, and his wife were all there without fail. There were many others, like the cohabiting couple Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, the three brothers River Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix, Silver Phoenix, Kevin Spacey, or Russell Crowe.

Regrettably, Dennis Knight came alone, which disappointed many reporters. They had heard a rumor that after his split with Winona, he had officially gotten together with that sweetheart from "Friends."

Many famous couples also made appearances on the premiere’s red carpet, like Bruce Willis and his wife – though they were rumored to be at odds, they still showed affection in front of the cameras – as well as Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, and Tom Cruise and his wife, among others.

Even more numerous were the executives from various movie companies. However, the reporters’ attention didn’t linger on them for long because compared to a certain individual, they were nothing. That was Rupert Murdoch. When he appeared on the red carpet with his wife, a relentless burst of camera flashes followed.

"I can’t believe Murdoch actually showed up to support this," a reporter commented quietly. Even though News Corporation had just come out of a rough patch and hadn’t completely shaken off the bad times, it was still a behemoth that inspired awe. Reporters could disdain the stars, but deep down, they still held a tinge of reverence for these media moguls.

"It’s not surprising, the film is distributed by Fox," a colleague shrugged his shoulders. "If you were willing to spend 300 million US dollars on a movie and owned a sizable media company, Murdoch would show up for you too."

"I heard Cowell is obsessed with film production and rarely bothers with the company’s affairs, nearly being overshadowed by his friend," another colleague interjected.

"Don’t joke, if that was true, how would he be sitting in the AC Media CEO’s chair?" the first reporter retorted dismissively.

"Whether he’s overshadowed or not, I don’t know. But what I do know is that the energy he spends on women surely isn’t much less than on making films," the second reporter said teasingly.

All three of them laughed quietly together. The gossip about Adrian was never-ending, mostly circulating in tabloids. Mainstream media wouldn’t publish such news without solid evidence, and even if they wanted to follow the trend, they would only mention it lightly and tuck it away in some inconspicuous corner. As for the reason...

"Guess how many of the women walking the red carpet today have slept with him?" the first reporter asked at that moment.

"I don’t know how many, but Julia Roberts is definite, there’s photo evidence, only a fool would believe he went into her house and came out quickly."

"Monica Bellucci can also be confirmed, again with photos, although they’re only from a meal a few years ago."

"Hey, do you guys think Nicole Kidman could be a possibility? Don’t forget, there have been rumors of her and Tom Cruise having a cold war lately."

"Give it up, if that’s the case, it’d be more likely for Demi Moore—her separation from Bruce Willis has already been confirmed."

"No, no, no, just think about it. Nicole was so explicit in ’Eyes Wide Shut,’ and in front of the director, too. Cowell really wasn’t tempted? Oh, and maybe with that guy too..."

"Alright, alright, instead of guessing about that, how about we talk about this one?"

As the third reporter spoke, all three looked outside the theater, and on getting a clear view, they all showed a disappointed look: "Oh, it’s obvious, it can be confirmed, too."

On the red carpet, Adrian wrapped his arm around Gwyneth, who was wearing a pink strapless gown, hair up to reveal a graceful swanlike neck, smiling affectionately as she walked and nodded to the people around her.

"Investments are bound to get bigger, that’s for sure, especially after the success of this movie," Adrian said with a smile to the old man in front of him, "Even big companies will choose to co-produce more and more, just like the recently released ’Men in Black.’ Including marketing expenses, the costs basically exceeded 100 million. While the profits were not that high with the joint venture, it significantly reduced the risk."

"You always seem so confident, Ed." Murdoch said with a smile, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

"Being overly superstitious about intuition can make a person blind," Anna added, supporting her husband.

At the moment, Murdoch was accompanied by his second wife, Anna. As for that smart Chinese woman, she hadn’t appeared by his side yet, but it was probably only a matter of time.

"I won’t deny it, I do trust my intuition a lot, but every decision I make is made after synthesizing a great deal of information, just like with ’Titanic.’ I believe once the majority has seen the movie, they will agree with me," Adrian shrugged.

"Maybe so, then I’ll just wait for the movie to start," Murdoch said, then shifted the topic abruptly, "What’s your view on the current media industry, Ed?"

"The topic seems too big, Rupert," Adrian didn’t directly answer.

"Oh, I meant the relationship between traditional media and the emerging Internet," Murdoch wasn’t planning to let him off.

"It’s still a bit broad, in my view. The Internet has a lot of potentials, the ability of people to gather information has greatly increased, but to replace traditional media, there is still a considerable way to go," Adrian said vaguely, then patted Claude on the shoulder, "I think this question is better left to Claude. After all, he is responsible for the main affairs of the company, he understands these matters better than me."

"Why drag me into this?" Claude pretended to show displeasure, "Rupert wasn’t asking me."

"Come on, you know I only have a general understanding of these things, and I’ve already said enough," Adrian spread his hands. "What’s wrong with giving you a chance to showcase yourself?"

"It doesn’t matter who says it," Murdoch, seeing what Adrian intended, didn’t insist.

"Alright then... regarding this matter, Ed and my view is..." Claude cleared his throat and began to speak. Although Adrian appeared to be listening attentively, most of his attention was on the surrounding crowd.

A gathering of stars was the best description for a premiere. Since so much money had already been spent, and some things were already set in stone, how could they justify not making the premiere a grand event worthy of this classic work?

Even though any of these individuals would cause a public outcry if they walked alone on the street, at this moment they were all there to support him. Even Tom Cruise—who had barely kept in touch after "Jerry Maguire" and "Eyes Wide Shut," and reportedly had complained a great deal after the Oscars that Adrian hadn’t helped him—attended after being invited on the street. Unknowingly, Adrian had established such significant influence in Hollywood.

Of course, there were also regrets, such as Martin Scorsese with whom Adrian had no real friendship, only having met a few times. Although Fox had sent him an invitation, the old man had declined. Thus, the hoped-for spectacle of all four major directors appearing was aborted, and several others had also politely declined.

However, Adrian didn’t take it to heart because... this was just the beginning.

"Rupert doesn’t seem too pleased with my answer," Claude said to Adrian after Murdoch bid farewell.

"Of course not, after all, I have a reputation," Adrian shrugged. Although he made every effort to give the impression that he was hands-off with the company, to someone like Murdoch, this was no secret.

News Corporation and AC Media, despite their partnership, were more often in competition. If Murdoch could extract some information from him for analysis, that would be the real trouble. So, even if the other party knew his little ploy, Adrian still tirelessly used Claude as a shield; it’s your problem if you see it, and it’s my decision to do it anyway.

"Speaking of which, have you ever thought..." Claude suddenly opened his mouth as if he remembered something and made a few gestures without completing his sentence.

"No, I’m not interested," Adrian shook his head.

"Oh? Why?" Claude asked, looking at him with interest. "You do know that the News Corporation has several significant print outlets, and that’s where we’re weak. Besides, they have 20th Century Fox and the FOX network. Now is a good time; we can step in during this year’s opportunity before they become completely solidified in a few more years and untouchable."

"Yes, I know," Adrian nodded. "But I’ve also said..."

"I know as well," Claude interrupted him. "Although the development of the internet is gradually proving your vision, I still have reservations, as you know, I must consider the big picture."

"I understand, but News Corporation isn’t the right fit for us, or rather, family enterprises like theirs aren’t suitable for us. There’s no problem when Murdoch is in charge, but once he falls, his media empire is likely to fracture," Adrian said with deep implication.

He had been wondering if his wings would knock that sharp woman off her game, but now it seemed best to maintain the status quo: family businesses are destined to weaken from generation to generation, especially a family business prone to infighting. Even families as powerful as the Rockefellers and Morgans have chosen to disperse and operate behind the scenes.

Although Claude couldn’t see the future of News Corporation as Adrian could, he was equally aware of the problems with family businesses. This was also why Old Ronris had supported his venture with Adrian.

"Fine, but we have to address our weaknesses. The newspapers and magazines we’ve acquired are performing well in sales, but they don’t compare to those well-known print media. Moreover, at least four of America’s top ten magazines are under Warner’s umbrella," Claude knew these data by heart.

"Cooperation," Adrian smiled, "seek those who have what we need and who need us, such as—"

The two exchanged a glance and in unison said, "Newhouse Group."

"Indeed, you must have thought of this when you first made the suggestion, right?" Claude said with a smile.

"No, I wasn’t thinking that far ahead at the time, just giving a suggestion, setting the stage," Adrian shrugged.

Newhouse Newspapers is considered a fairly powerful media group. They own a series of famous magazines like Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, Architectural Digest, and many newspapers and a few television channels, especially Vanity Fair, which ranks first in influence within Hollywood or the entertainment industry as a whole. However, although they have an edge in the print industry, their development in television, movies, and other media is somewhat lackluster, not to mention the emerging internet. And they are a family business. Unlike News Corporation, they have been developed over three generations. Despite still holding significant control over the company and a decent growth momentum, their decline seems inevitable.

AC Media, on the contrary, has strengths in television and movies, but is less impressive in traditional print media, which provides a good foundation for cooperation. Moreover, since Adrian’s initial proposal, Vanity Fair’s influence has more than doubled, and the relationship between the two parties has always been good. Of course, one shouldn’t put all eggs in one basket, so...

"Hearst Newspapers is also a good choice," Claude was aware of this.

"Indeed," Adrian recalled and nodded in agreement, "but they are giants in the publishing industry, and we are about to have a big development in this area soon, so we have to handle it cautiously."

Hearst Newspapers is an established media group just like Newhouse Newspapers, quite powerful in publishing, and has a decent relationship with AC Media. However, they only rank behind Newhouse Newspapers.

"I’ll be mindful of that," Claude assured.

"All right, let’s not talk about this now. The movie is about to start, perhaps you’d like to come with me to that side?" Adrian changed the subject.

"As you... Actually, you go ahead, I’d rather not accompany," Claude was about to agree when he quickly changed his mind upon seeing the direction Adrian was heading.

"Hey, Crow, it’s just..."

"I have my own date to attend to."

Claude swiftly vanished into the crowd, and Adrian shrugged and muttered to himself before heading in the earlier direction.

"Hi, ladies, you seem to have a wonderful chat." He started greeting from a two-step distance.

Five pairs of eyes suddenly shot toward him; some were calm, some dissatisfied, some smug, some indignant, and some frazzled.

"However, I am sorry, but the movie is about to start, so I must take the leading lady inside," Adrian said with a smile, offering his arm, which was promptly taken by the owner of the smug eyes. Then, with a smile, she glanced at the others, "It was a pleasure chatting with you, but I must leave now. We can talk later."

Without giving Monica, Julia, Blanchett, and Nicole a chance to speak—okay, Adrian was actually quite curious to know what Nicole would say, but obviously, now wasn’t the time—he began escorting Gwyneth into the auditorium that had begun to admit the audience. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly passes at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)