King of Hollywood
Chapter 449 - 171: Time to Resolve

Chapter 449: Chapter 171: Time to Resolve

After Diana’s tragic accident had stirred noise for nearly a week, the Royal Family finally bowed to public pressure by holding a grand funeral at Westminster Cathedral. Given that Diana had divorced Charles by then, retaining only her title as the Princess of Wales, only some members of the Royal Family attended, such as Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip. Charles, along with the two young princes, also attended. Female representatives from various countries were present, such as Hilary, Clinton’s wife, and Bernadette, Chirac’s wife from France.

Moreover, many notable figures from charity organizations, sports, and the entertainment industry were there. The British ones need no mention; Elton John sang a revised version of "Candle in the Wind," and Pavarotti came all the way from Italy. From the United States, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and his wife, as well as Tom Cruise and his wife also made the journey. Adrian, being the most famous "Miracle Director" of recent years and the chairman of an emerging media group, was also invited, even though he had never interacted with Diana personally.

The funeral was solemn and dignified, except for a slight misstep in word choice during a speech by Diana’s brother, which pointedly targeted the Royal Family. Diana’s coffin was then escorted by the Royal Guard and the Welsh Guards to her former residence at Kensington Palace for burial, observed by people who had traveled from all over the United Kingdom. Charles and the two young princes, along with hundreds of charity workers, followed the coffin all the way.

"It’s such a pity, an angel has left us," Spielberg sighed in the Louis Hall of the Connaught Hotel.

With so many celebrities in London, a social gathering like this was inevitable. Adrian, having visited Spielberg and the Hanks couple, received an invitation with them, and he had no intention of declining. The room was filled with attendees, and not just Americans; at least Pavarotti could be seen conversing with others not far away, and Luc Besson was laughing on the other side.

"Yes, life is so unpredictable, may God bless her soul," Hanks immediately nodded and said.

"May God bless her soul," Adrian echoed before changing the subject, "Well, as tragic as the death of Princess Diana is, can we talk about something else?"

"Of course, but what do you want to talk about? British directors?" Spielberg joked.

"Oh, heck, Steven, since when did you start reading tabloids?" Adrian rolled his eyes, causing Spielberg and Hanks to burst into laughter.

Ever since The Sun had boldly claimed he was a British director, he had been frequently asked this question, whether by Charlize, Gwyneth, Blanchett, or even Natalie across the Atlantic, who all laughed over the phone about how it felt to be a British director. Not to mention Claude and others. While it was fine to joke, some people actually believed it to be true. Just the previous day, a hotel server excitedly told him that it was great for Britain to have a director and producer like him.

Adrian was both amused and frustrated. If not for the server’s earnestness, he might have been sarcastic. Was this a result of British vanity, media power, or both? He didn’t care to find out. He thought about giving Murdoch a call.

Of course, he quickly dismissed that thought. These were trivial matters, and anyone with a brain would know that a chairman of a major company in the United States could not possibly be British. The paparazzi had not yet crossed his line, and it was not worth owing Murdoch a favor over such a minor issue.

"It’s indeed a story from the time of Elizabeth I and it does involve Shakespeare, but that’s just one of the stories. The other directly deals with Elizabeth I and has nothing to do with Shakespeare," Adrian mentioned when discussing his new film project.

"Wait, are you saying you’ve started shooting two films at once?" Luc Besson couldn’t help but interrupt and ask.

"Absolutely right," Adrian snapped his fingers.

"My God, that’s..." Besson exclaimed in awe, Spielberg and Hanks also widened their eyes in surprise.

"What’s the issue? They’re both set in the Elizabethan era, and the main sets and costumes can be shared. Why shouldn’t I utilize that?" Adrian spread his hands with a smile.

"Probably no one but you would dare to do that. You really are a workaholic," Besson finally commented after opening and closing his mouth several times.

"Not just that," Spielberg chimed in, "As far as I know, he’s got another film that’s completed shooting and is in post-production. Counting this one, he’s directed three films this year. You’re right and also wrong, Luc. Ed is a workaholic, but also an unprecedentedly extreme one."

He adjusted his glasses, looking curiously at Adrian.

"And he’s always managing time. When we collaborated, he almost stood behind the actors cracking a whip and shouting ’Faster!’" Hanks joined in, deliberately using an indignant tone as if complaining.

"It looks like I should get checked to see if I’ve been turned into a robot by aliens and sent to steal various secrets from humans," Adrian shrugged, his resigned expression causing all three to burst into laughter again.

After some more relaxed conversation, Adrian finally found an opportunity to excuse himself and leave. What he didn’t expect was to receive a surprise from Hanks and Spielberg.

"There’s an interesting movie script, I don’t know if you would be interested, Ed," Hanks said to him.

"Really? Let’s hear it." Adrian had heard this from others before, but he usually declined, although he knew his memory was strong, good scripts could still slip his mind. After hearing too many unremarkable ideas, he could become weary. However, since the Fairy had been suggested by Hanks and Spielberg had also given a nod, listening wouldn’t hurt.

"You know, the year before last, besides ’Forrest Gump,’ I had another good movie, ’Apollo 13.’ The screenwriter, William, and I are friends. During a conversation, we discussed what it would be like for someone to live on a deserted island for several years. We discussed many scenarios passionately. Though I later forgot about this discussion, he didn’t. Recently, he wrote a screenplay after researching a lot of material. It’s very powerful and novel. Maybe you could take a look?" Hanks explained as concisely as possible.

"Really?" Adrian raised an eyebrow. A man surviving on a deserted island connected to Hanks and Spielberg, the essence of the movie was clear already.

"How about this, if possible, could you send me the script to see what I think?" Adrian said, then looking at Spielberg, "I trust Steven’s judgment."

"Hey, I haven’t said anything," Spielberg quickly clarified.

"You indeed haven’t said anything, but you’ve written it all over your face," Adrian laughed.

After arranging a time with Hanks, he went straight to the other side. They probably hoped he would direct the film? There were certainly good aspects to this film, both commercially and artistically, and having him direct wasn’t a big issue. However, his schedule was almost fully booked, and he feared he might not have much time to spare. He decided to look at the script first and let someone else direct if he couldn’t manage, and DreamWorks would undoubtedly entertain his investment.

Approaching the balcony, Adrian set these thoughts aside. Noticing a graceful figure standing by the semi-circular balustrade, he smiled slightly and took a few steps forward to wrap his arms around the slender waist of the figure.

"You..." the lady began to struggle, but softened immediately upon recognizing who it was.

"What’s wrong, Nicole?" Adrian asked softly, slightly lifting his chin and gazing down at her.

"It’s... it’s nothing." Nicole Kidman turned her head away, not wanting to look at him, and tried to remove his hand from her waist, "Please be mindful, this is a public place."

"Don’t worry, I saw dear Tommy walk out, and I’m sure he won’t be back for at least half an hour," Adrian raised an eyebrow.

"You..." Nicole sharply lifted her head to glare at him but again capitulated under his gaze, simply repeating, "This is a public place..."

Consequently, paparazzi around the set and outside the hotels increased, seizing every opportunity to extract news from Adrian, and there were even rumors of attempts to bribe hotel staff to sneak into rooms to take photos. Of course, these were all nonsense, as any such news from Brown Hotel, where Adrian stayed, would damage its reputation.

One couldn’t blame the reporters for their enthusiasm. With Diana’s affair having concluded and ’Titanic,’ despite a slight decline in intensity, still maintaining its standing and remaining a topic of public interest, coupled with Adrian, who always had a story, especially while shooting a new movie in London—who else should they pursue if not him?

Adrian maintained a non-cooperative stance, and even though increased paparazzi presence made concealing his movements less seamless than before, he didn’t respond to any questions or invitations, leaving it to the crew’s spokesperson to periodically release bland statements. Facing reporters, he always wore a faint smile, making it difficult for them to write about him losing his temper.

However, that didn’t mean they had no recourse. Although the false premise that the Miracle Director was a British director had been debated for days with many still believing it, interest waned, prompting the media to swiftly shift focus. Major outlets like The Times tried to compile what story he might be shooting based on current clues—an approach better grounded than prior wild speculations. Despite their minimal utility, statements from the crew’s spokesperson still revealed some information, especially to skilled journalists.

They also linked Adrian’s production to works like ’Braveheart,’ and still-hot ’Titanic,’ attracting considerable attention. Although newspaper sales dipped following the funeral, they remained within acceptable limits. However, in these matters, major papers couldn’t compete with the tabloids. The Sun, retaining the "British director" topic, naturally gravitated toward scandal, especially since two Miracle Girls were present, one being the lead actress of ’Titanic.’ Although no photos of them being affectionate had been taken—perhaps none dared—the paper did not hesitate to speculate, thus mitigating their sales decline almost to a negligible level.

Regardless of their reports, Adrian smoothly continued filming, accustomed to such situations, the UK merely a heightened version. Now, compared to his earlier self, he responded to unchanging conditions with unyielding adaptability.

Still, he slightly adjusted his behavior, reducing the instances of discreet flirtations with Gwyneth and Blanchett on set; who knew whether paparazzi might risk sneaking in. Even with his current status, causing minimal impact, it was ultimately undesirable, particularly as matters in France also needed resolution. (To be continued. If you like this work, please support by voting and subscribing at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)