King of Hollywood-Chapter 184 - Vanity Fair Party (Part 2)
Chapter 184: Chapter 184 Vanity Fair Party (Part 2)
“But what?” After being stared at by Adrian for about 5 or 6 minutes, Cruise finally couldn’t help but ask, his brow slightly furrowed, a flash of displeasure and dissatisfaction in his eyes. Although the movement was subtle, it failed to escape the watchful gaze of Adrian.
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Damn it, aside from the Cannes Film Festival, he seemed to have had no interaction with him, Adrian thought inexplicably. Forget it, let’s not fuss about that now, there are still two movies that need his cooperation, and…
After a quick glance at the woman next to Cruise, Adrian continued with a smile, “I think there is a role that suits you perfectly, Tommy, a contradictory yet sinister character.”
“A role that suits me?” Cruise instantly perked up, the previous displeasure instantly thrown into oblivion.
Not just him, but others also pricked up their ears, surely Adrian had his reasons for saying so. After tonight, Adrian’s credibility had just begun to be established.
“Yes, although the novel’s author might disagree, I believe you are absolutely suitable,” Adrian said earnestly as he nodded.
“May I… may I know what role it is?” Cruise’s hand on the armrest unconsciously clenched into a fist, his tone tinged with excitement, revealing his resistance but also his unwillingness to let the opportunity pass.
“Sorry, I can’t reveal specifics yet, we are still discussing and preparing, and the director won’t be me,” Adrian admitted frankly, “However, from the actors I’ve considered, none are more suitable than you.”
“Thank you,” Cruise said somewhat perfunctorily, appearing somewhat disappointed.
No wonder, since most of the Oscar nominations were for three films directed by Adrian, the allure of the film was greatly reduced if Adrian wasn’t directing.
However, Cruise added, “Maybe we can find a chance to talk about it in detail.”
“No problem, we will start preparing this film by mid-May at the latest, we have plenty of time before that,” Adrian nodded, indicating agreement, then looked interestedly at Nicole Kidman, who was sitting next to Cruise.
Cruise’s addition was prompted by a subtle hint from Nicole, unnoticed by others, but clearly observed by Adrian, who was keeping an eye on them. Moreover, when Adrian mentioned the role that suited Cruise, Nicole moved her lips as if wanting to ask something but then restrained herself. Clearly, she was smarter than Cruise.
“Any questions, Ed?” Nicole asked with a smile, speaking for the first time that evening. For most of the time, she seemed more like an accessory to Cruise, which explained why in the end…
“What a pity, recalling the scripts I’ve read, none seem suitable for such a beautiful woman like you, so it would have to be another time,” Adrian said with a tone of regret.
A flash of disappointment crossed Nicole’s eyes, but her smile remained, “No worries, there will be other opportunities, right?”
“Yes, there will be other opportunities,” Cruise chimed in at that moment.
Adrian shrugged his shoulders, exchanged a few more words with others, and then stood up to take his leave. Passing through the lively crowd, greeting Emma Thompson and Al Pacino with a nod and congratulations, and after conversing with quite a few others, he approached Laverne, who was sitting at the bar drinking alone.
“Martini, on the rocks,” he instructed the bartender before turning to Laverne, “How are you doing, Laverne?”
“Of course, why?” Laverne turned around, his face flushed, without a hint of expected disappointment.
Because of this, Adrian was stunned for several minutes, only returning to his senses when the bartender brought the martini he ordered.
“You surprise me, Laverne,” he said, chuckling.
“Because I’m neither weeping nor feeling sorry for myself?” Laverne asked with a laugh.
“Not to that extent, but I thought you would be downcast for a while at least,” Adrian didn’t hide his thoughts.
“I was, indeed, but only briefly. After leaving the music center, it was all good. There’s no use in brooding, and—you wouldn’t just let it go like that, would you?” Laverne stared unblinkingly at him.
Adrian looked at him for a while, somewhat surprised, then spread his hands, “It seems all the words I thought of before are now unnecessary, this… must be considered lucky, right?”
Laverne smiled, “I’ve made many wrong judgments in the past and been off mark quite a few times, but not this time.”
“Okay…” Adrian smacked his lips, knowing there was no need for further words, so he raised his glass to Laverne, “Here’s to the Oscars.”
“Here’s to the Oscars,” Laverne also raised his glass, and their glasses clinked together with a ding.
Since Laverne didn’t need his comfort, what should Adrian do next? Having finished his martini, Adrian was about to look for another target when Claude’s voice came from beside him, “Hey Ed, so you’re here.”
“Don’t tell me you’ve been looking for me for a long time,” Adrian immediately turned and pointed at his nose, “I’ve been sitting with old man Si the whole time, unless you suddenly went blind, you shouldn’t have missed me.”
“Okay,” Claude rolled his eyes, “I was just walking around.”
“Walking around? Then how come I didn’t see you, or did you go upstairs with someone?” Adrian asked deliberately.
“I’m not like you, enjoying such things at parties,” shrugged Claude.
“I don’t think there’s any difference between taking a woman to a hotel and doing it in a party room,” Adrian scoffed, but quickly changed the subject, “Actually, I was looking for you too. Let’s find a secluded corner to talk.”
“A secluded corner? Isn’t it fine here?”
“If you don’t mind getting interrupted every three minutes, I have no objections.”
They found a relatively quiet spot to sit down, and Claude suddenly asked, looking around, “Where’s your lover?”
“Monica knows when to be by my side,” Adrian smiled, seemingly proud, but then his expression turned serious, “How about my proposal, have you thought it over?”
“I know what you’re thinking. The overseas distribution rights are indeed important, but if this acquisition works out, we’ll have the overseas distribution rights anyway, won’t we?” Claude said with a half-smile.
The overseas distribution rights were indeed critical, one of the standards for entering the MPAA. If Hollywood were a large company, then the MPAA would be its board of directors, and the Seven Major Film Companies that held the MPAA’s rating criteria would be the board members. Although the MPAA was just a private organization, it held considerable power, and no film could be released unrated—oh, it could be released unrated, but it would only play in a handful of theaters, garnering neither box office returns nor much influence. No producer would opt for unrated unless they planned to use it as a marketing strategy.
Even with ratings, different levels could significantly impact box office revenues; R-rated and PG-13 films’ earnings were completely different, not to mention NC-17, which wasn’t far off from X-rated or unrated. So, each year, major productions would inevitably engage in covert battles during review processes, and it was always beneficial to push a competitor’s film up a rating.
If Adrian wanted to build his Empire, his film company must secure a place in the MPAA, so the overseas distribution rights were essential. However, what he wanted to discuss was not just that.
“Do I need to tell the story of the salesman and the leather shoes again, Crow?” Adrian asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Hey Ed, it’s not that I refuse,” Claude managed a wry smile and raised his hands, “I’m saying that country is still a mystery to us, and it’s been less than four years since the incident, now is not the best time.”
“Alright, Crow, don’t fob me off with political issues, you should know that the acquisition target you’re planning is already starting to explore China,” Adrian retorted bluntly, “Why do you think the overseas box office in the past two years increased by at least twenty percent? Since the Eastern European market opened up completely after ’91. If the market in China were opened, think about it, with 1 to 1.2 billion people, if each person spends one yuan on watching a movie, how much profit would that be? It’s only a matter of time before it surpasses Japan to become Hollywood’s largest box office source in East Asia!”
Paying the ‘learning fee’ for Chinese cinema was inevitable; rather than letting others manage it, why not handle it himself and recoup some returns. That was Adrian’s plan, purely a business consideration, without worrying about other aspects. He knew better than anyone how the Chinese government implemented protection, much easier and more aggressive than European countries.
If they were willing to listen, Adrian didn’t mind helping Chinese cinema avoid some detours—of course, only slightly, since he was now an American. To expect them to trust him completely? Don’t be ridiculous. In any case, as long as it brought sufficient profits, helping a little was also a way to justify himself.
“You’re right, but you’re somewhat idealistic,” Claude spread his hands and then quickly spoke before Adrian could reply, “Don’t say I’m always opposing you, Ed. Think about it, from the yen speculation till now, every proposal you bring up is so surprising, I have to consider things comprehensively. Besides, I’ve always been accommodating you, haven’t I?”
“I’ve always understood you, Crow, otherwise I would have…” Adrian made a snapping gesture with his hands, jokingly.
“Alright, I’ve already arranged for someone to do the survey, let’s discuss it more when the results come in,” Claude gestured with his hand.
“That settles it,” Adrian didn’t say much else and shrugged his shoulders before his gaze was caught by someone not far away.
“I’ve got something else, I’ll be off then.” Dropping that line, he immediately walked over.
“That guy…” Watching Adrian head towards his target, Claude shook his head and laughed. (To be continued. For more, please visit www.qidian.com; more chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)
