King of Hollywood
Chapter 504 - 225: Prospects Planning and Premiere

Chapter 504: Chapter 225: Prospects Planning and Premiere

"This is indeed a beautiful city, with one of the top beaches in the world, perfectly suited for a vacation. The French really know how to enjoy life, hosting the film festival here," Adrian said as he stood at the balcony entrance, swaying the wine glass in his hand and observing the scenery outside, the red liquid gently swaying in the glass as leisurely as his current mood.

"Yes, it is beautiful. This is my first time in Cannes—I mean, as an actor." Naomi sat not far from him, also holding a wine glass, while Nicole, sitting further away, remained silent, her legs crossed as she attentively sipped her red wine, seemingly indifferent to everything around her.

"From now on, it’ll be a frequent occurrence, dear Naomi," Adrian turned his head and smiled slightly, "soon you’ll find that being here as an actor isn’t much different from being here as a tourist, in fact, coming here as an actor might even be less free than as a tourist."

At that moment, he glanced unintentionally at Nicole, but unfortunately, she was still savoring her wine, and even his warmer address to Naomi could not change that.

"I fully believe that. In the last few days, as soon as I leave the hotel, I get swarmed by reporters, only managing to hastily stroll around nearby," Naomi sighed, looking into the distance through the balcony, gently tapping her cheek with her fingers.

"Don’t worry, the film festival opened yesterday, and ’Mulholland Drive’ premieres tonight. In a few days, it’ll get busier here, and even if there are still reporters following, it won’t be as many as now," Adrian said soothingly, then moved to sit beside Naomi. "By the way, Naomi, have you analyzed yourself? What roles are you good at, what are you not good at, and how can you leverage your strengths and avoid weaknesses?"

Naomi thought for a moment, then shrugged helplessly, "You know, from when I started acting until now, my roles have almost always been insignificant supporting characters; how could I possibly do such an analysis."

"Okay, then let me give you two ideas for your consideration now," Adrian immediately said, "The first is similar to most actresses, the romantic comedy route. You are so beautiful and charming, so gentle and appealing, and you have quite impressive acting skills. I believe you can forge different paths using the same method, and I have just such a role for you here."

As he spoke, he reached out and lifted Naomi’s chin, caressingly touching her pretty face. Though his gesture was cheeky, his expression was serious, and Naomi involuntarily lowered her head, not daring to look at him.

"And the other," Adrian continued, "is the thriller route. You know, ’Mulholland Drive’ is categorized as a crime, mystery, thriller. Since you’ve shown impressive acting in this genre, continuing to build on your strengths is also a good choice, and I have just such a role for you here as well."

At this point, Nicole finally raised her head, but after only glancing this way quickly turned away again, although the almost imperceptible action of biting her lip did not escape Adrian’s notice.

"It’s a difficult choice," Naomi mused after thinking for a moment and sighed, though her eyes seemed to have already made a decision, "I don’t have the experience after all."

"That’s okay, you have plenty of time to think and analyze," Adrian laughed, a hint of pride suddenly appearing on his face, "even if you choose the wrong path, I can let you start over."

Naomi smiled softly, her head lowered again, and after a while, she raised it again: "What about Nicole? What have you planned for her?"

Despite having participated in a threesome only once thus far, and just for the shooting of "Mulholland Drive," Nicole’s situation was almost fully guessed by Naomi, so she didn’t feel any need for reservations when asking. After all, her own affairs were equally clear to the other party, and there was no shame in it, besides...

A clever woman. Adrian praised silently within his heart. No wonder she had already made a choice but still said those words. He immediately seized upon the topic as he looked towards Nicole, "You must have read the script, Nicole, what do you think?"

"A single mother lives in a manor with her two children, hires a few peculiar servants, and the house continuously encounters bizarre, terrifying events, as if haunted by spirits. But in the end, it turns out that the ones who had died were herself and her children." Nicole turned around, summarizing the plot of the script coldly before shrugging, "Really don’t know whose ’brilliant’ idea that was."

The word "brilliant" was spoken sharply, clearly meant sarcastically, but Adrian replied without hesitation, "Thank you, that was my idea."

"This is also a thriller movie, right?" Naomi, who had clearly listened to the content, then asked.

"Yes, although Nicole has acted in some decent films before, in those films, she only had one label—that is, a ’vase’!" Adrian spoke as he stood up and walked behind Nicole, placing his hands on her shoulders. Nicole put down her wine glass and made no other movement, her expression very calm.

"Just like you, Nami, guest-starring in many TV shows and movies but always being an overlooked ’vase’. It’s just due to some reasons, Nicole started off from a higher point," Adrian continued, "Because you are both too beautiful, beautiful to the point where people want to possess you, beautiful to the point where people overlook everything else. Add to that nobody willing to engage your minds, so you end up in this awkward situation."

A slight tremble came from his hands, and Naomi listened, slightly spellbound, as Adrian’s blunt words touched on what they genuinely desired in their hearts.

"So I arranged this movie for Nicole. Generally speaking, thriller movies can easily highlight an actor’s skills. The look of fear and terror can starkly contrast with their usual demeanor, as long as this fear and terror appear credible, it will earn quite a positive reputation. Of course, similarly, if overdone, it can also cause one’s performance to collapse. This depends on the actor’s control. And to help the actor grasp this balance as much as possible, besides the director’s explanation, the actor’s own extrapolation, and state during shooting, the fit between the actor and the role is also very important. The role I have prepared fits very well with Nicole." Adrian said as he sat down next to Nicole and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Nami, my initial impression of you was of someone fragile needing protection, which is why you got that role in ’Mulholland Drive.’ Nicole, on the other hand, gave me the impression of being coldly beautiful, with a pale complexion and a slightly neurotic nature, a kind of morbid beauty, which is why she got this role now," Adrian said with a smile.

At this point, he finally stopped speaking, and the room suddenly became quiet. Naomi and Nicole both started to appear somewhat dazed. After a long while, Nicole’s voice rang out again, "Is that all you think of me?"

Although she tried hard to maintain a indifferent tone, the turmoil was evident.

Nicole turned her head and looked at Adrian with deep blue eyes, her expression complex and slightly bewildered, then vanished in an instant as she stood up, "I would like to go get ready for tonight’s premiere."

Saying this, she strode out of the suite. Adrian gave Naomi an apologetic look, and after receiving a reassuring glance in return, immediately stood up and followed Nicole out. Watching the two leave the suite, Naomi gently exhaled, sat silently in the chair for a moment, then stood up and poured herself another glass of red wine.

After swirling the drink twice and taking a small sip, she stared at the red liquid in the cup for a while and then shook her head, smiling. She then shifted her focus to the evening’s premiere, the first international screening of a movie in which she starred.

"You seem a bit upset?" Adrian asked as he followed Nicole to her suite.

Although three suites had been booked, Naomi mostly stayed with Adrian, only stepping away when someone needed him. Nicole, on the other hand, generally stayed in her own room and didn’t meet with them unless Adrian invited her.

"No, I just... feel that the script you gave me is hard to evaluate," Nicole shook her head, having initially wanted to refuse his entry. The previous night, Adrian had wanted to come over to have a "heart-to-heart," but she had rejected him and he had left. Yet she never uttered her refusal, especially considering the image of Naomi greeting Adrian with such excitement earlier that day.

"Actually, the technique in this script is quite similar to that of a movie from a few years ago," Adrian chuckled lightly, pulling her into his arms and onto the sofa. It was just the two of them now, so he was naturally more audacious.

Nicole struggled lightly but eventually relented and fell into his arms. "Is that so?"

"Of course, you should remember—a story about a psychologist and a little boy," Adrian hinted. Just as Nicole was about to name it, he jumped in, "Yes, that’s right. Bruce Willis and Silver Phoenix in ’The Sixth Sense’—it was my idea. Don’t you trust my judgment yet? Plus, that story had many logical flaws, but the shocking reveal at the end made people overlook them. This script, with that story as a reference, will be produced much more perfectly."

Saying this, he gently kissed her cheek and then smiled again, "In fact, you really shouldn’t be upset. As I said, this is the impression you’ve always given me, and impressions are always changing."

"Is that so?" Nicole, who had just shown some anticipation, immediately sneered slightly and sat up, "But first impressions are also important, aren’t they?"

She flicked her hair near her ear with a proud tone, implying something beyond words. Adrian smiled good-naturedly and sat closer, staring intently into her beautiful eyes. "Yes, I still remember. Here, years ago, when you handed the Palme d’Or to me—the way you were dressed in a black evening gown, tall and graceful, with a vibrant, beautiful face, and when you nearly tripped descending the stage and I caught your arm, that touch has also lingered in my mind. Since then, I’ve harbored the idea of making you mine."

Nicole looked stunned at Adrian for the first time in days, not knowing what to say, completely overwhelmed by his presence.

-----------------------------

As night fell and the street lights came on, the entrance to the Paros Theater, decked with a red carpet, was crowded with quite a number of reporters. They whispered continuously and looked towards the end of the street, evidently waiting for someone.

Soon, many distinguished guests who came to watch the movie began to enter from the red carpet. Although many reporters asked questions and took pictures, from their slightly distracted expressions, it was clear they were not the people they were waiting for. That changed when two cars appeared in sight. Two silver Rolls-Royces, rumored to have been flown in by private planes, indicated the magnitude of the guests they awaited.

"Mr. Adrian, why did you choose to submit ’Mulholland Drive’ to the film festival instead of the other films you produced last year?" Adrian had just gotten out of the car when he was surrounded by these questions. Having only attended the opening ceremony in the past few days and not having left the hotel, he naturally attracted considerable attention. Meanwhile, Nicole and Naomi Watts, who also arrived in another car, did not receive such treatment. Although they had not gone out much in those days, they had still answered numerous questions.

"It’s simple," Adrian responded promptly, taking the opportunity to clarify some matters without showing any traces. "This movie was made on a whim, with a modest investment of only 15 million. Given its short production cycle and experimental nature, we brought it to the Cannes Film Festival."

For instance, there had been rumors that the investment was only a few hundred thousand, which was laughable. Though Nicole’s current market value wasn’t high, she had played a supporting role in ’Batman Forever,’ and a salary of three to four million was still plausible. Naomi Watts, although almost a newcomer, had still received a paycheck of 500,000 US Dollars from Adrian—after which she had repaid the "borrowed" rent and the costs to appease the landlord’s wife to Adrian.

With various other expenses considered, how could the investment be as low as a few hundred thousand, like ’Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’?

"There are rumors that this movie is esoteric and difficult to understand. How would you respond to that?" a reporter asked ambiguously.

"Go see it, and you’ll know," Adrian replied smoothly.

"It’s said that Ms. Naomi Watts inspired this film. Is that true, Mr. Adrian?" one question after another.

"That’s both true and false," Adrian began explaining, waiting for Nicole and Naomi Watts to catch up and stand beside him. He then wrapped his arms around the waists of both beautiful ladies. "The concept for this film existed long ago, but I always felt it was lacking something, so I never proceeded with it—until I met Naomi. She inspired me greatly, enriching the script, and then through her, we invited Nicole. Their performances are both extraordinary, and without them, the movie wouldn’t be complete."

This embrace immediately triggered a frenzy of flashing cameras. A director holding both the female lead and supporting actress for a photo was not uncommon, but it depended on who the director was! The reporters, aware of Adrian’s prominent reputation, knew they could not afford to miss this opportunity—or they might be better off running into a loaf of bread to end their misery.

After about ten seconds, Adrian released the ladies and headed toward the theater—taking a photo was one thing, but walking all the way in while embracing them was quite another. The snapping of cameras continued for a while before it stopped, and the reporters realized it was already impossible to ask any more questions. Even if they couldn’t get answers, capturing the earlier moment in a photograph was well worth it, especially since Adrian would definitely stay in Cannes until the closing ceremony.

Moreover, there seemed to be something else worth capturing. Nicole and Naomi Watts held hands as they walked into the theater, their closeness seemingly exceeding the bounds of mere friendship.

Finally inside the theater, Adrian sighed with relief and quickly began mingling with both acquaintances and strangers. Luc Besson and Jean Reno were in attendance for the premiere and naturally required greeting. There were also producers, distributors, directors, and actors from various countries, along with people from his own company. There were many guests to attend to, and critics and the general audience were present as well. If the premiere hadn’t been arranged at the Paros Theater, it might not have accommodated everyone.

This premiere was much simpler compared to those for commercial films. Soon, people began entering and taking their seats, and Adrian’s seat was arranged at the very back. He had requested this because "only by sitting here could he best observe the audience’s reactions." Whether the others believed him was their concern. Moreover, the entire last row was reserved for the cast, with Nicole and Naomi Watts seated beside him.

The show was about to start. As the lights in the auditorium dimmed, Adrian thought to himself. How would people react to this film? He was truly curious and eager to know.

He glanced at Nicole and Naomi Watts, noticed both were intently focused on the screen, and Adrian momentarily set his thoughts aside. Soon, the lights hit the screen, and the Miracle Director’s version of ’Mulholland Drive’ was about to begin. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, we welcome you to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote, recommend, and support your favorite works. Your support is my greatest motivation.)