King of Hollywood
Chapter 478 - 198: Naturally More Classic in My Hands

Chapter 478: Chapter 198: Naturally More Classic in My Hands

Characters make the actor, not the other way around; anyone entering Hollywood should understand this. Thus, for a chance—perhaps just a possible chance—they would try every means to compete. Of course, some held firm to their own principles, admirable yet scarce, and unless exceptionally lucky, they were eventually eliminated and faded into obscurity.

Therefore, those powerful film company executives, successful producers, and talented independent directors were the targets favorites of actors aspiring to rise. But what if someone combined all three traits, such as the media mogul, gold medal producer, Miracle Director Adrian Cowell?

Seven years ago, he was a nobody, but seven years later, he had become a nouveau riche in media, with a voice in Hollywood that rivaled any director, producer, or company head who had struggled for over a decade. He was associated with at least dozens of bestselling movies, and countless actors and directors had emerged because of him. Not to mention, Cameron was discovered by him, Drew was able to claim his desired Golden Globe award and reclaim his status, and Kelly Hu, needless to say, had risen further in fame with the current "Charlie’s Angels," playing 4P wasn’t even a big deal.

Besides, many others had also earned Oscars honors thanks to him, like Steven Spielberg, Al Pacino, Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, and many more. Think about it; a man with power, talent, and the ability to bestow highest honors, how could he not be irresistible to women? Moreover, he was quite skilled at pampering women and was patient with everyone.

Indeed, this was why he could manage high-spirited women like Julia, Blanchett, and Nicole, and of course, only he could go to such lengths; others simply couldn’t.

Okay, these were all outdated topics; in any case, Adrian had thoroughly enjoyed his night. It proved that he had no problems handling three at a time, whether it was their sequential oral pleasuring or consecutive intense encounters, or even lined up side by side on the bed; he left them disheveled and deliriously satisfied. Even so, when he woke up the next day, he was still energetic, whereas Drew, Cameron, and Kelly Hu were too exhausted to leave the bed.

Perhaps he could handle one or two more? Staring at the intertwined bodies on the bed, Adrian couldn’t help but think so. However, he dismissed the thought after a few rotations, deciding it was better to focus on how to include another into the mix among Gwyneth, Blanchett, and even Kate and Charlize.

After all, unlike Drew and the others, they were not just friendly matches; they were his carefully curated collection. Friendly matches ended when the game was over, but his collection needed emotions, especially with the earliest acquaintances like Kate, Sarah, Charlize, and Natalie.

Charlize had accompanied him all the way, so their resonance was unspeakable; her hard words sounded more like flirting. Although Sarah always claimed she had sold herself to him, her attachment was clear and certain. Natalie too, was an interesting and distinct subject among many women, always feeling somewhat off. As for Kate, she was the first woman he met after his rebirth, simpler times, plus she was the mother of his first child.

The bigger the career became, the less proportionate the emotions, but not entirely void. Monica, Julia, Gwyneth, Blanchett, Liv, and even the little fairy or Rachel had their share; Zetajones and Nicole as well, albeit differently weighed. So having these women accept or join was not an easy task.

This was a worthwhile subject to delve into, unable to resolve in the short term, so it was better to take it slow and focus on more pressing matters now, like the upcoming 70th Academy Awards nominations.

Chosen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on February 21, everyone heaved a sigh upon receiving the list—a new record was born. That world-renowned giant ship clinched 15 nominations! Yes, 15, the Academy made no mistake, and people read it right: "Titanic" had surpassed "All About Eve" to earn the most nominations in Oscar history, at 15!

"It’s indeed a historic moment. On Oscars’s 70th anniversary, Cameron’s giant ship has delivered a special gift. Despite lacking nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, the quantity of nominations speaks volumes, and it might be hard for other films to achieve this level in the future," penned the New York Times.

Yes, almost similar to what Adrian remembered, from Best Film, Best Director to Best Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Song—it was nominated in almost every category. Gwyneth had finally clinched her first-ever Best Actress Oscar nomination, though DiCaprio still missed out on Best Actor. Not surprising, this was an invisible discrimination; Tom Cruise took a long time to get his nomination, DiCaprio, even younger when he first was nominated. So, better wait till older.

Best Supporting Actor was omitted because the film didn’t really have a significant male supporting character. Both the fiance Karl and First Officer Victor had equally shining moments, so the absence of nominations made sense. Which one was the extra nomination? Best Original Screenplay!

To secure one more nomination, Adrian had spared no effort or expense in PR, and with both Laverne and Weinstein in charge, the goal was simple: to secure another nomination. He remembered "Titanic" tied with "All About Eve" at 14 nominations each, but now that it was his project, it had to stand out.

That was why he insisted on keeping the film in as many theaters as possible, even going so far as to increase the theaters’ revenue share—profit from the box office was already abundant. After the announcement of the nominations, the number of theaters showing the film promptly jumped back into the hundreds, and by the end of the month, "Titanic" officially declared over 2 billion US Dollars in global box office revenue!

Thus, Hollywood’s movie companies began anew their beating of breasts and stomping of feet. Breaking box office records was fine, but did it have to be so high? Nearly everyone was craning their necks, wasn’t there a chance for us to catch up? And just as it was about to leave theaters, the Oscar nominations spurred another round of massive promotions. It had been playing since last June, were they planning to show it for a year? How much more of the conversation did they want to dominate!

"This is truly a sad affair, a movie built on technical effects being so highly celebrated, while truly exceptional films go unnoticed," wrote one critic in his column. However, this was a rare sentiment. Other than a few European critics who chimed in, no one agreed, and many more critics still maintained positive views.

"There are various factors that contribute to the box office miracle of ’Titanic,’ but the film’s themes of love and humanity are no less significant than the displayed cinematic technology. The Academy made the right choice; Cameron is an outstanding director, and Adrian has once again proven his keen eye," stated USA Today’s review.

As Adrian had said before, coming from him, it had to be distinct—like being more classic and awe-inspiring, for instance, securing 15 Oscar nominations or breaking through 2 billion US Dollars at the global box office.

"Truth be told, I suddenly feel a bit regretful," Adrian said to Cameron, brandishing the final check at the subsequent celebration party.

"Regret? Regret giving me so much?" Cameron unabashedly snatched the 5 million US Dollar check, which was the thirtieth of its kind. In total, Adrian had given him 150 million US Dollars in dividends.

"Of course not, I just think I should have chosen checks of a million or even a hundred thousand each, so I could truly drown you in them," Adrian said seriously.

Cameron burst into laughter and then raised his beer bottle, "Thank you, Adrian. Thank you very much."

"Don’t mention it. Without me, you would have been successful anyway—I have no doubt about that," Adrian also raised his beer.

Cameron smiled without replying, tilted his head back, and finished his beer in one go, his face flush with excitement. With "Titanic" climbing higher and higher over the past six months, he had been increasingly recognized and respected by Hollywood; it was impossible not to feel elated.

But he was equally aware that without Adrian’s unconditional support, none of this would have happened. Even if he was told what might have happened without Adrian, he wouldn’t believe it. So, he took Adrian’s words as mere politeness, ready to agree to anything Adrian might need.

Adrian understood this as well, but he didn’t discuss potential new projects with Cameron. It wasn’t the time yet—the race for votes had just begun. With a 2 billion global box office as a backing, no PR effort should be spared, especially not now. Having already broken the nomination record, why not push to break the winning record too? The more critical the moment, the more cautious they had to be not to capsize in shallow waters.

Moreover, resource allocation was an issue. Aside from "Titanic," which garnered 15 nominations, "L.A. Confidential" had also secured 10 nominations, fulfilling the promised Best Supporting Actress nomination for Zetajones.

"Look at their reviews, both beauty and acting skills are remarkable, making them hard to ignore. Maybe not perfect yet, but the traits displayed are enough to captivate those who yearn for that era," Adrian read from the newspaper as he walked up behind Zetajones, then wrapped his arms around the sexy lady clad in a white dress standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

"Not bad," Zetajones turned around, a faint smile on her face.

"You sound a bit perfunctory, my Best Supporting Actress," Adrian said as he kissed her earlobe.

"Not yet, you said I wouldn’t get it this time, just building up my credits, my Hollywood credentials," Zetajones turned completely towards him.

"Yes, but it’s only a matter of time, as long as I’m here," Adrian replied with a slight smile.

Zetajones looked at him somewhat distractedly, forgetting to speak for a moment, her expression complex and a bit bewildered, making her even more stunningly beautiful.

"Hey, what’s wrong?" Adrian asked softly at that moment.

"Um... just a bit upset," she snapped back to reality, concealing the frustration in her expression.

"Why upset, can you tell me?" Adrian pressed, "If you don’t want to talk about it, there’s no need to force yourself."

"It’s nothing, I had a cold earlier, and you didn’t come to see me, that’s all," Zetajones said with a casual tone.

"Okay, I apologize, that was my mistake, although I was very busy those days, forgetting about it was indeed a big error," Adrian immediately responded.

Zetajones raised her eyebrows in surprise, sighing after a long look at him, "I thought you would defend yourself, like ’I called you’ or something."

"There’s nothing to defend, my dear, it was a mistake, and when it’s a mistake, one must admit it. How can you expect someone who doesn’t even admit his mistakes to accomplish anything significant?" Adrian gestured dismissively.

Seeing him adopt an as-expected attitude, Zetajones sighed again in her heart, then continued in a light tone, "So, there should be some compensation, right?"

"There’s a party tonight for ’Titanic,’ but I declined it to come here," Adrian immediately said.

Zetajones burst into laughter, looking at him with enticing eyes, "I thought you would still be so straightforward."

"Really?" Adrian shrugged, "Well, if you think me being here isn’t enough compensation, then tell me what should I do to accept my apology?"

"I was just joking, Ed," Zetajones laughed off, then walked back to the living room and sat on the couch, "What are the plans for this afternoon? I’m all ears."

"Nothing planned, let’s just chat here," Adrian sat down beside her and lifted her legs onto his lap, "Tell me about your childhood, you never finished last time."

"Do you really want to know?" Zetajones put away her smile, becoming serene.

"Of course." Adrian patted her thigh reassuringly.

When one delves into a conversation, time always flies by, and before the sun had completely set, the afternoon had passed. Adrian stood up to leave.

"Are you sure you don’t want to stay the night, Ed?" Zetajones said in a slightly plaintive tone.

"I’d love to, baby, but I’ve been really busy lately, and I have an important meeting tomorrow morning I need to prepare for. I’m really sorry," Adrian said apologetically, then kissed her lips, "I’ll come see you in a few days, and then we can go for a drive, maybe to the Nevada desert, how about that?"

As he said this, he winked playfully. Zetajones snorted heavily, as if to say dream on. She didn’t detain him further, returned his kiss, watched him get into his car, and saw him disappear around the street corner before she went back inside and shut the door. Then, frustrated, she sighed, grabbed a canned beer from the fridge, took a few gulps, and went back to the living room to sit on the sofa and massage her temples.

Had he realized it already? Too late, though—if it had been before the nomination list was announced, it might still have required some effort. But now... what would you choose, Catherine Zetajones? Would you be able to let go? On the drive back, Adrian thought with a smile.

He hadn’t lied. Not staying the night was indeed because he was busy. ’Titanic’ had received an unprecedented 15 Oscar nominations while ’L.A. Confidential’ got 10 nominations—besides what he remembered, River Phoenix had surprisingly secured a Best Actor nomination, something nobody expected. The studio had entered him for Best Actor as a long shot, but he actually got a nomination! Reporters were proclaiming the return of the youngest Venice Best Actor.

"Five years after the scandal of nearly being hospitalized for marijuana, River Phoenix is back in the public eye. Though he had acted in several films since, including playing Pvt. Ryan in ’Saving Private Ryan,’ the shadows of his past lingered. Nonetheless, River’s remarkable performance in ’L.A. Confidential’ secured him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, undeniable proof that Phoenix is still Phoenix," wrote the Los Angeles Times.

Clearly, River still had considerable popularity, and his outstanding early career had provided him with a foundation for a comeback. His own remarkable talents were also a reason, making his rescue a rather good deal indeed.

With both films having nominations, publicity resources naturally needed careful allocation. Best Film and Best Director were undoubtedly aimed for ’Titanic,’ with its $2 billion box office giving it ample advantages. But other aspects needed discussion. Adrian wanted the ship to win at least 12 awards, ambitious yet challenging, similar to the nominations tally. Weaker areas needed adjustment so ’L.A. Confidential’ could potentially claim some. All this required discussion.

Then, Adrian thought of something, suddenly turned the steering wheel, and headed to a nearby superstore. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)