King of Hollywood
Chapter 470 - 191 Who are you?

Chapter 470: Chapter 191 Who are you?

Although too many green apples can sour one’s teeth, the problem was that Adrian hadn’t had too many. Among the several Lolitas, only Natalie was a fruit half-ripe and half-green, Sarah was a fruit he watched ripen before devouring, Kirsten was already a ripe fruit early on, and even if she was a bit tart, it was negligible; as for Britney, she was artificially ripened.

As long as it’s done skillfully, even artificially ripened fruit can be as sweet and tasty as naturally ripened fruit and can be completely and utterly manipulated by oneself, as could be seen from Britney’s continuous behavior.

At least for now, she’s quite adorable. "Give yourself to me and continue to be this cute," Adrian thought, as he stroked the well-proportioned body curled up in his arms, sleeping soundly after the unfamiliar exercise.

Speaking of it, Britney’s life was quite tragic. Titles like the pop princess and Madonna’s heir were gloriously infinite, but her life was quite passive and miserable. First, she was manipulated by an unscrupulous childhood friend, followed by an inexplicable whirlwind marriage, then even more unscrupulous backup dancers and agents, and even though she eventually recovered somewhat, she was controlled by her parents—she had hardly ever successfully led her own life.

A negative emotional quotient wasn’t just talk; that had been well proven under Adrian’s tutelage. So, why couldn’t he choose to make a move first and take her for himself? At least he wouldn’t let her suffer so much.

Moreover, the women around Adrian retained their individuality; even Monica and Sarah, who were completely devoted to him, were no exception. Yukie was a force of habit, don’t forget how she came to be there. Adrian rather liked that the women had their own personalities, which showed off their individual differences, didn’t it? But having an additional pet that was entirely his own from inside out, and mixing things up once in a while, was quite nice as well.

Of course, this was a prolonged process, even if Britney had been thoroughly taken over by him—as could be seen by the way she looked at him, he was everything to her—so it was better to boost her to the fame she deserved first. It would be more interesting to train her after that.

Everything depended on the release of the new album next month, and before that, Adrian’s main job was still in the movies.

The post-production of "The Matrix," aside from the opening and closing credits, was pretty much finished, but it also officially announced it couldn’t premiere in the current schedule. As for the three major films from his company, "A Time to Kill" had already been widely released by Thanksgiving and had achieved a fairly good box office. By mid-December, it had accumulated nearly 70 million in ticket sales. Films about racism could attract attention to some extent, especially when the story was reasonably exciting, and the line "What if it had been a white girl?" had particularly struck a chord with many Black people.

"A film worth watching, with a brisk pace, dramatic fluctuations, and especially outstanding courtroom scenes, the ending also leaves one deep in thought," was how the "Hollywood Report" had reviewed it.

As for the performances, Samuel Jackson was praised, with some media claiming it was his best performance since "Pulp Fiction," and the other leading man, Matthew McConaughey, also received a lot of positive reviews. As for the supporting actress Kate, well, she just scraped by with an okay review.

"To put it frankly, this actress from the United Kingdom gave a decent performance, but it’s regrettable that she seems too pretty, almost like a vase decoration. It would have been better if she had a more professional demeanor." This was what an IMDb review on "A Time to Kill" had written, which resonated with many, including a comment that claimed this beautiful woman would be more suited for romantic movies.

As time progressed and with Adrian’s support, this website had grown larger and more influential among movie fans, just as he remembered. The reviews published there might not carry the same authority as professional critics, but the number of people who read them certainly wasn’t much fewer.

"Did you see those reviews? I can only be a vase," Kate said somewhat self-deprecatingly to Adrian after reading them, clearly concerned about her performance.

"Even if it’s a vase, it’s a very pretty vase," Adrian replied casually, then pinched the cheek of his daughter, who was sitting in his lap fiddling with a Rubik’s Cube: "Lily, do you think Mommy is a vase?"

"Mummy isn’t just a vase, she’s the best," Lily said without lifting her head, not knowing at all what Daddy meant by ’vase’ as she focused meticulously on solving the Rubik’s cube in her hands.

No wonder Kate felt somewhat indignant. Her screen debut was a role with no lines, and moreover, she spent the entire day in a marijuana-induced haze, which ended up being quite cool. The low-budget films she acted in afterward didn’t have much reputation or distinctiveness. Finally, she landed the lead female role in the high box office hit "Twisters," but alas, the film’s biggest selling point was its realistic twisters. The male and female leads ended up forgotten by the audience. Eventually, she returned to Adrian’s side and soon got pregnant. After the birth of her daughter, the little popularity she had managed to accumulate had all but vanished.

And now, having finally taken on an important role again, to be dubbed a ’vase,’ how could she not feel depressed?

Adrian didn’t have much of a solution for this. Acting was something that needed to be honed. No matter how talented one was, without enriching oneself, one would fall behind. So, as desired by those movie fans, he arranged a romantic movie for Kate. Even a commercially oriented work could be a platform for acting practice. Besides, apart from honor for a female star, commercial value or, to put it more bluntly, the ability to carry a movie’s box office on one’s own, is also crucial.

Alright, this didn’t need to be rushed. There were plenty of works suitable for Kate, more than enough for him to arrange for her. Moreover, Adrian had acquired two promising screenplays.

The first was "The Mummy" or "The Mummy." Stephen Sommers had surprised Adrian when he came to ask for help with this script. But on second thought, Adrian understood; many new directors had become famous because of him in recent years, and Adrian’s taste was also well-known. It’s not surprising that Sommers would think of him first if he wanted to make a comeback.

Unlike Jean de Bont and Michael Bay, Stephen Sommers was already a director and producer with a good reputation, known for producing family-friendly films and working pleasantly with Disney. But he did not want to be that kind of director forever; he wanted a change. Thus, he approached Touchstone Pictures under Disney and made an R-rated film this year: "Deep Rising"!

It’s not surprising, as due to Adrian, some films had been released earlier and others had been delayed—like "A Time to Kill"— so this film’s release this year wasn’t a big deal.

Honestly, this blood-soaked film was of good quality, at least in terms of thrills and gore. But the problem was Sommers had always been known for family-friendly fare and suddenly switching to such a heavy taste was too much for many to accept, especially since the release timing wasn’t great, in mid-October, one of the slow seasons. Although the box office looked decent, it was nowhere near the production costs. In the Vanity Fair of Hollywood, commercial directors rise or fall quickly, especially for an almost A-list director like him. This failure dealt a significant blow to Sommers and Touchstone, and although his relationship with Disney was good, he still came to a standstill.

However, Sommers was not the kind of person who could endure obscurity. After getting the script for "The Mummy," he saw great potential and started to move again. But having just suffered a significant defeat, most companies would naturally have reservations until the effects of this defeat faded. After much consideration, he set his sights on that ace screenwriter, the Miracle Director, the gold medal producer.

For such a lucrative offer that came knocking at his door, Adrian would have been a fool to let it go. After all, at least the first two "Mummy" films were decent, and it was a rare case of a sequel outperforming the first. Plus, Rachel would definitely like it, the role of an archaeology expert with a degree from Cambridge University.

That was a no-brainer, but as for the other one...

"To be honest, David, you’ve presented me with a problem," Adrian said with a sigh, placing the screenplay on the table and looking at the person behind the desk who was waiting for his opinion.

"Really?" David Fincher raised his eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.

"Basically, we don’t need to worry about the box office for this movie," Adrian spread his hands, "I’ve made an estimate, and the investment is probably going to be no less than 50 million, so, as you can imagine. Plus, its reception won’t be great. Of course, it may be outstanding in the eyes of indie film lovers, but it definitely won’t be welcomed by mainstream society, so it will also miss out on the mainstream awards."

"If we want to make money—at least cover the costs—and earn more praise, many things need to be changed. Like the overly Fascist scenes, the battle between the two personalities, especially the ending, it’s too anarchistic, which is bad." As he spoke, Adrian raised his hand to stop Fincher from interrupting. "But the problem is here, if we really change these things, the essence of the entire movie will be ruined; it won’t be any different from those common inspirational or thriller films, so... do you understand?"

Adrian looked earnestly at Fincher and was silent for a few minutes. Fincher nodded somewhat gloomily, "I understand."

However, Adrian laughed, "No, you don’t understand, David."

Fincher, who had planned to leave, looked puzzled, and his smile carried a hint of teasing, "I will invest in this movie, David, and as before, you will have full control over the production."

Fincher blinked in surprise, his puzzled expression deepening. Given all the problems that had been discussed earlier, and the statement that they couldn’t be corrected, how could investment be possible now?

"It’s quite simple. I believe that in your hands, this script will definitely become a uniquely styled and charming work. From a business perspective, it indeed does not merit investment, but from a filmmaker’s perspective, it is very worthwhile!" Adrian once again showed his sincere smile, "What I want to say is simple, I have great faith in you, David. You are different from Michael and the others. Your films have a strong personal style, which is one of the characteristics of auteur cinema. Yet, they also don’t lack the commercial techniques that appeal to regular audiences. So, I’ve always hoped you could strike a balance between commerce and the personal, maintaining a sharp individual style while telling stories that attract the majority of viewers.

"Seven Deadly Sins" had a bit too much personal style, making the whole theme very oppressive and dark. And "The Game" from the year before last was clearly more commercial, plenty of thrills and suspense, but the theme was significantly diluted. And now, with this script, the theme of the story is clearly too radical, and it falls into your hands, which are not yet fully formed. One can imagine what kind of chemical reaction will take place. You’re an exceptional director, David. I’ve always believed this, but being too indulged in your own style, wanting only to express what you want to express, and the blind pursuit of commercial value are both inadvisable. I hope you can step up, David. You have the potential to become a great director like Spielberg."

Another long silence ensued, Fincher closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then looked intently at Adrian and stood up, bowing slightly, "Thank you very much."

"It’s nothing," Adrian laughed and also stood up, patting Fincher’s arm forcefully, "Don’t think too much. Express everything you want to in this work completely and thoroughly, and then begin a new journey!"

Naturally, this script was one of Fincher’s signature works, "Fight Club." The movie, adapted from Chuck Palahniuk’s novel, offered a profound dissection of the daily zombie-like existence of most people at that time. However, due to its extensive portrayal of anarchy and the portrayal of organizations reminiscent of Fascism, it was not welcomed by mainstream society. Yet in the eyes of niche cinema enthusiasts, especially fans of cult movies, it was a classic among cult films.

Therefore, even if it suffered a lot of losses, Adrian would not refuse. Every film company has many movies that earn critical acclaim but no box office returns. They want both money and honor, especially for a work by David Fincher. And even without Adrian’s reminder, Fincher would understand in a year or two himself; he was already constantly exploring. So, being kind and firmly tying him more closely to the company was definitely worth it.

And so, the matter was settled. After speaking in detail with Fincher for two days, Adrian came up with a great idea for someone.

"Are you outside now?!" The voice on the phone sounded surprised, a bit strange.

"Of course, open the door quickly, or I’m leaving right now," Adrian threatened and hung up the phone, not waiting for a response. A few seconds later, the front door opened.

Adrian passed the front courtyard’s pool and parked his car outside the villa. Dennis was already waiting at the door.

"Really happy... um... to see you, Ed. Is there something you needed?" Dennis embraced him, clearly a bit insincere.

"What, I can’t come if there’s nothing wrong?" Adrian asked with a smile.

"No, of course not, I mean..." Dennis made several hand gestures, eventually giving up on explaining and asked helplessly, "Is there something you need, Ed?"

"How have you and Jenny been lately?" Adrian didn’t beat around the bush any longer and asked after sitting down in the living room.

As soon as Jennifer was mentioned, Dennis couldn’t help but give a bitter smile.

"We’re in a cold war. I did as you suggested, keeping at least one phone call a day, making an appearance in front of her once, but..." His tone was full of bitterness, "it’s been more than ten days, and she’s still very cold."

"It’s not surprising. Even if it were a coincidence, this thing is too infuriating. Keep it up. As long as she cools off, everything will be fine." Adrian gave some encouragement, then a mischievous smile flashed across his face, "I just thought of a method that might speed up the process, as long as you’re willing to cooperate."

"Really?" Dennis’ eyes lit up, but then his face fell, and he followed up with an apologetic grin, "You could have just phoned me to get me to come over; why bother coming all the way here? Or, how about we go out and find another place to talk about this?"

"Oh?" Adrian’s expression became playful, "Why find another place?"

"Well... it’s more convenient and private..." Dennis stammered, his eyes darting around as if searching for an excuse.

"Convenient and private? You might as well say it’s because Jenny might come back." Adrian’s playful smile grew wider.

"Yes, indeed, Jenny might be coming back today." Dennis immediately seized the excuse without a hint of shame, seemingly oblivious to the sarcasm in the other’s tone.

Adrian was about to say something more when the answer was revealed. A magnetic and enthusiastic voice came from upstairs, "Who are you talking to, Dan?"

Dennis, who had wanted to cover up further, held his face in defeat upon hearing this voice, and then, a moderately tall figure with exceptional proportions dashed down, "Do we have a guest?"

She was a very young girl, around 18 years old, with thick black hair, a slightly square face, and features that weren’t especially refined. Yet, there was an indescribable charm about her, especially her thick eyebrows. Generally, women’s eyebrows are supposed to be fine to look attractive, but this girl’s thick brows seemed to enhance her beauty instead. Coupled with her slightly darker skin tone, she had a bit of a Latin girl’s temperament.

"My God, are you..." Upon seeing Adrian clearly, she hesitated and then seemed to remember, letting out an exclamation.

"Yes, I am Adrian Cowell, miss. Might I ask who you are?" Adrian stood up with a smile and extended his hand.

"I never expected to see you here, Mr. Cowell, it’s such an honor," the girl took his hand without hesitation, her cheeks beaming with a radiant, energetic smile, "I’m Jordana Bluster. You can call me Jo or Dana. I’m Dan’s girlfriend." (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets at Qidian. Your support is my biggest motivation.)