King of Hollywood
Chapter 662 - 70 - s Role Arrangement

Chapter 662: 70 Chapters Role Arrangement

"The premiere was packed with people in the theater, every single seat was filled! They all loved the movie, loved it very very much, especially when I appeared on screen, they laughed out loud. Auntie said I acted brilliantly, and she mentioned the media said the same," Little Emma animatedly recounted while waving her spoon around in the restaurant of the five-star hotel at Deer Valley Ski Resort in Park City.

"Okay, Emma, be careful not to toss your salad onto Liv’s dress," Adrian said with a chuckle.

"I won’t, don’t treat me like a child, Ed, otherwise I’ll get really mad!" Little Emma pouted unhappily as her conversation was interrupted.

"Emma is just a bit excited. Even though she’s been in some movies, I remember feeling thrilled after ’Armageddon’ came out, but I didn’t do anything that affected others," Liv, sitting beside her, came to Little Emma’s defense.

"Let me remind you, Liv, you didn’t like ’Armageddon’ at all, remember how you reacted the first time you read the script? You were like, could there be anything more ridiculous than a story about oil drillers saving the world?" Adrian teased as he gazed into Liv’s blue eyes, "Not to mention, you were much older than Emma back then. If you had done something to affect others, oh God, poor Liv must have been really drunk."

Liv rolled her eyes at him, then leaned toward Little Emma and whispered, "You know what, Emma, I hate it when Ed is all serious. Every time he does that, I really feel like punching him in the nose."

"That’s boring. My friend Charlotte told me a better way," Little Emma giggled mischievously at Adrian, "while Ed is asleep, suddenly pour a big bucket of ice into his bed—that would be super thrilling!"

"I love this idea! Brilliant, let’s try it tonight!" Liv chirped excitedly, and together with Little Emma, they schemed with sinister glances towards Adrian, suggesting she wasn’t really in the mood to grow up just yet.

"Alright, alright, you two keep plotting here, I’ll excuse myself for a bit." Adrian shook his head and stood up with a sigh. What on earth had Emma been teaching Little Emma? And she hadn’t been teaching Lily, had she?

But now was not the time to analyze that, as Adrian had other troubles to handle, like the two seemingly friendly women sitting across from him.

"Why don’t you spend more time with Emma? Oh, and... Liv," Julia’s tone was casual, but the pause before saying Liv’s name was telling enough.

That was exactly why Adrian had arranged for Sofia to dine with her; although he had slept with Sofia a couple of times, it was nothing as intimate as with Liv, or rather, Sofia didn’t want to appear too close to him.

"They are discussing how to give me a hard time. In order for them to have a more delightful conversation and to craft a more detailed plan, I came here," Adrian shrugged, "I’m not interrupting you, am I?"

"It’s amusing, Ed," Sofia chuckled, picking up the conversation, "I think there are many women who would want to join their little discussion."

"As a matter of fact, I would," Julia chimed in immediately, perfectly in sync. Hmm, placing herself at a table and a bit away from Liv was indeed the right move.

"Stop beating me down already. How about we change the topic, like movies, for instance? You’ve been here longer than I have, so you must have seen and learned more—right, Sofia, I’ve met a few critics who think ’Little Miss Sunshine’ is somewhat superior to ’Innocence.’ What do you think?" Adrian didn’t dwell on the matter and easily shifted the conversation elsewhere.

It was a good topic, just as Adrian had mentioned. They had been in Park City for several days now and each had their own films to support, which inevitably led to debates. If the women were on good terms, they usually wouldn’t argue to a conclusion, so they needed a mediator. Adrian had always been great at playing that role.

He wouldn’t muddy the waters when it wasn’t necessary. Take ’Innocence’ and ’Little Miss Sunshine,’ for example; although Sofia made ’Innocence’ visually stunning and conveyed the emotions well, it firstly repeated themes from her last work, and secondly, the film still seemed uneventful compared to ’Little Miss Sunshine.’

’Little Miss Sunshine’ is characterized by the constant suppression of its major characters throughout the first 80% of the film, continuously facing failure. Even when the father’s kneeling earns his daughter a chance to perform, they end up banned from all future beauty contests in California. However, when they are pushing the van, trying to start it, and then boarding it in laughter while running, the emotions released and the resulting catharsis can deeply resonate with the audience.

If ’Innocence’ is like a cup of light green tea, gently wafting a delicate fragrance from beginning to end, then ’Little Miss Sunshine’ is like a rich whiskey, initially intense and discomforting, but leaving an intense and lingering aftertaste that’s hard to let go of. It goes without saying which kind of pacing the general audience prefers.

"I thought you’d just sing both their praises without pointing out any flaws," Julia said as she stood in the doorway after being escorted back to her room.

"Sofia may not be a good actress, but she’s definitely a good director. She has a clear and accurate self-awareness about this, so she won’t be discouraged by these shortcomings, not to mention that there are still plenty of people who like the film," Adrian said with a smile, guessing Julia’s thoughts all too easily.

"It seems you know Sofia pretty well," Julia huffed lightly.

"Indeed, but..." Adrian leaned in closer, gently grasping Julia’s chin, peering at her narrowed eyes, "I know you and Liv even better. If you want, why not join me in Liv’s room for a proper chat? I guarantee you both will discover something entirely new about each other!"

He said this and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close to gaze down at her. Julia was momentarily speechless. Having finally processed his words and just as she was about to speak, Adrian silenced her with a kiss.

After a series of kissing sounds, Julia finally reacted, pushing Adrian away forcefully and giving him an irritated glare. She then sighed and entered her room with a resigned look.

How impulsive. After the door shut in front of him, Adrian ran a hand over his chin, thinking to himself. Half of Julia’s behavior was because of Liv, and the other half... well, at that moment, he indeed entertained the thought of bursting in to give her a proper lesson. Unfortunately, Adrian was still Adrian. Since he had already promised to accompany Liv, how could he go back on his word?

The closing ceremony of the Sundance Film Festival was on the 28th, also the day of the awards. Adrian didn’t plan to stay until then. After roaming the crowded streets of Park City, showing his face to the media, networking with many industry insiders, watching several movies in theaters and taking photos with some fans, and enjoying the best of the Deer Valley Ski Resort, it was enough.

The impact of the independent film festival might be fine, but there’s no need to treat Sundance the way Cannes is treated. If nothing unexpected happened, if Sundance was as Robert Redford claimed, ’Little Miss Sunshine’ should have no difficulty taking the Best Feature Film award. Adrian briefly reviewed all the entries, and none seemed to pose a threat to the film.

However, before leaving, Harvey Weinstein came looking for him again.

"Don’t tell me, Ed, that you’re planning to give us a pirate-themed movie to produce!" Weinstein bellowed as soon as he walked in, his fleshy face quivering along with the intentionally kept stubble.

"Calm down, Harvey," Adrian, who had already asked someone to start packing up, said with a smile as he poured a glass of whiskey for him. "What’s wrong with that?"

"What’s wrong? God, it hasn’t been long since the disaster of ’Cutthroat Island’!" Weinstein lamented. "Pirates, treasure maps, treasures, these things would have been very popular two or three decades ago, but now, they only bring disaster! People have grown tired of the pirate genre, even musicals are better than pirates."

"That’s why I had the screenwriter add fantasy elements and enrich the characters’ personalities, cursed gold coins, skeletons on a full moon night, and a capricious, selfish captain who somehow always manages to turn the tables at the crucial moment, a young blacksmith deeply in love with the governor’s daughter, and a governor’s daughter eager for adventure," Adrian raised his hands.

"But..." Weinstein gestured, still wanting to say something.

"Come on, Harvey, if you still believe I can give you a trilogy series that grosses over a billion dollars worldwide, why can’t you believe this could be it?" Adrian pressed a hand in the air. "You’ve already read through the script, and as one of Hollywood’s most outstanding producers, I trust you can see its potential."

"I admit, the fantasy elements are very appealing, but the pirate theme is a bit of a risk," Weinstein did not hide his thoughts.

"Yes, after ’95, pirate-themed movies have basically disappeared from Hollywood, but there are no permanently unpopular themes. If they’re gone long enough, audiences will start to miss them, and once they do, if you can produce something new, it will inevitably lead to a brief revival," Adrian spoke with a smile, "like with musicals, which I’m planning to make one this year."

"Don’t compare regular people with you, Ed." Weinstein shook his head.

"Thanks for the compliment, Harvey, don’t worry, I’ve prepared a luxurious facelift for you. You have a good relationship with Johnny Depp, right? He’d be perfect for the crazy Captain Jack, and Captain Barbosa could be played by Geoffrey Rush. Jerry Bruckheimer would be very willing to come on as an executive producer, and we could choose Gore Verbinski as director. The only roles left to fill are the young blacksmith and the leading lady, who still needs to grow. For everyone else, we basically have choices lined up," Adrian said, raising his hand.

"You’re so considerate, Ed. Surely the leading lady isn’t Miss Liv Tyler?" Weinstein still harbored doubts about that issue.

"Of course not, I wouldn’t cast an American actress to play a British character," Adrian couldn’t help but chuckle.

"But you’ve already done that in ’The Lord of the Rings,’" Weinstein continued to argue.

"’The Lord of the Rings,’ while British literature, doesn’t take place in Britain—come on, Harvey, instead of dwelling on this, why not start the pre-production work? Just transforming the studio into the right environment will take months, we’ll need to prepare ships, teach swordplay to a few main characters, delve into the customs, dress details, daily life, navigation, and military conditions of the time, and if necessary, even go to a small island in the Caribbean for on-site filming. All this will keep you busy for most of the year," Adrian sighed. "Anyway, get ready, Harvey, when I say it’s okay, I’ll hand the leading lady over to the crew. Remember to arrange the proper teachers for her, and we can start shooting by the end of the year at the latest."

"Alright, it seems you’re already prepared to get back to things, so I’ll follow your arrangement," Weinstein said, standing up after a moment of contemplation.

It has to be said that having the title of an ace screenwriter and a discerning talent scout in Hollywood is really quite significant. Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio had collaborated on many screenplays, and as early as the beginning of the 90s, they had contemplated creating a pirate story. However, at that time, not many producers were interested in their idea, and after the box office disaster of "Cutthroat Island" in 1995, pirate-themed films virtually disappeared. They had no choice but to shelve the idea temporarily.

By the early 2000s, Elliott brought the idea up again, and Rossio agreed. So, they sought a way to connect with Universal Pictures, hoping that the Miracle Director would support the idea. Initially, Adrian didn’t care, for it was a very common pirate story, very realistic, without any additional elements.

Thankfully, he soon had an epiphany. Although the story was different from what he remembered, at least the character development, such as the flamboyant captain who is crazed and betrayed by his first mate and crew, or the governor’s daughter yearning for adventure and the smitten young blacksmith, was there. So he quickly arranged to meet with Elliott and Rossio, discussed their ideas, and inquired if they could add some fantasy elements. After receiving an affirmative answer, he promptly detailed his own thoughts. Naturally, the two screenwriters agreed enthusiastically, and thus the screenplay for "Pirates of the Caribbean" was born, and Adrian used it to entice Weinstein thereafter.

The only slight trouble was that, in the year 2000, Keira was clearly not yet capable of taking on the role of Elizabeth, so Adrian delayed for a year and used two movies to hone her acting skills. Although Keira’s age was still somewhat problematic when filming started in 2001, the preparation and production of "Pirates of the Caribbean" couldn’t be completed in less than a year anyway, so by that time, the issue would be irrelevant.

As for Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride? There was no need to worry, for the name "Pirates of the Caribbean" wasn’t exclusive to Disney. What’s more, Adrian had already registered trademarks for the film, games, toys, and a series of other categories. If it weren’t for considering Eisner’s feelings, he might have even registered the trademarks for large entertainment facilities, but Disney hadn’t done that themselves, had they?

The final results of the Sundance Film Festival were exactly as Adrian had anticipated. "Little Miss Sunshine" ultimately bagged the Drama Award, despite including a small segment about homosexuality — its impact was not significant, which indirectly demonstrated that the LGBT community was growing and becoming more active. Sofia’s "Innocence" won the Special Jury Prize for Drama, which was somewhat unfortunate. Reliable sources indicated she missed the Directing Award by just one vote.

Nevertheless, "Innocence" took this opportunity to enter the public eye. Despite overlapping themes with "Suicide," it was more praised than criticized by film critics, and Liv’s performance garnered recognition from the majority for the first time. Clearly, the role of a cultured, decorative vase suited her, and what naturally followed was the release schedule — the number of cinemas might not be large, but such films weren’t made for profit in the first place.

Therefore, "Innocence" couldn’t outperform "Little Miss Sunshine." As previously mentioned, compared to the audience appeal of "Little Miss Sunshine," its story was a bit more attractive and had a more positive atmosphere, hence it was favored by film critics. Emma Roberts also garnered more attention and accolades than Liv, for she had an aunt who was unbeatable by other actresses and shining bright in Hollywood.

Faced with the media’s attention, Small Emma was quite pleased and even called Little Emma to brag. What an idiot; it’s too early to boast now. If she waited until next month... Who knows what her biological parents would think, as they hadn’t seen her much in recent years, and Julia hadn’t fully forgiven her own brother.

However, that was Small Emma’s family issue, something Adrian had no place intervening in at the moment. So, his focus remained on the upcoming and about-to-be-prepared films, such as "The Fast And The Furious."

The movie, after going through several rounds, was still postponed to 2001. After Penelope was sent back to Spain, although Michelle Rodriguez was quickly found to replace her, the movie had already been shot, and completely re-filming the female lead’s role would take quite some time. Then, due to some issues, the release was delayed to the latter half of the year, and eventually, Adrian calculated the situation for 2001 and decided to schedule it for a January release.

Though it was off-season, the media speculation about Penelope’s departure from the set back to Spain would not be too difficult to stir up.

Apart from this, Adrian had initially intended to schedule "Rush Hour 2" for January as well because the script for "Shanghai Noon" had been in his hands for a while without being filmed, leading to early production of "Rush Hour 2." But after careful consideration, he moved it to the August summer slot, since there weren’t many roles that suited Yukie — yes, in the original, that important female lead was played by Yukie. As for the script, it just needed minor modifications, and Jackie Chan had no objections.

The same went for "Shanghai Noon," which was only just beginning its preparations now because Adrian had reserved the role for Lin Zhiling. With the critically acclaimed "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" paving the way for her, even a decorative role was enough to elevate her status — and once again, Jackie Chan had no objections.

However, what Adrian was most focused on at the moment wasn’t the preparations for "Shanghai Noon" but the casting for "The Princess Diaries." (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote and support it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)