King of Hollywood-Chapter 67 - Negotiations
Chapter 67: Chapter 67 Negotiations
Adrian was taken aback, not knowing where he had misspoken, but he understood the issue within a few seconds. Last year’s “Pretty Woman,” although had made Julia Roberts a household name across America and even earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, and the other two movies she starred in that year also achieved decent box office returns, the film directed by Jo Schumacher early this year, “Dying Young,” had been a catastrophic failure.
The film had mediocre reviews and abysmal box office performance, although “Dying Young” had a touching story that was somewhat similar to “Pretty Woman,” for some reason, people just didn’t like it—this highlighted the similarities between making movies and gambling.
In any case, the movie put Julia in an awkward position, even having some mean critics calling her “box office poison.” While discussing “Jurassic Park” with Spielberg, he had heard some of the post-production staff for “Hook” secretly making cold remarks about Julia.
“Don’t overthink it, Julia, life always has its low points,” Adrian comforted, “think about what Vivian would do in this situation? That optimistic girl with her own principles and dreams, what would she do?”
Julia couldn’t help but show a surprised expression, her mouth twitching as if she wanted to smile, seemingly finding it amusing to be comforted by a young director she had just met. But she didn’t end up laughing, just staring blankly somewhat puzzled at him.
“I believe a woman who could perfectly portray such a role will not be easily knocked down. You are so young, and after this low point, your future will definitely be brighter, I believe.” Adrian said as he casually swept Julia’s hair from her forehead, very naturally, just like an old friend who had known her for a long time.
“Has anyone told you… you’re quite the smooth talker, Adrian?” Julia blinked and asked.
“Oh, everyone says so,” Adrian gestured with an exaggerated tone.
Julia burst into laughter at that, but after laughing, she reverted to her former depressed demeanor and sighed heavily, looking elsewhere. After a while, she turned her head back and looked at Adrian with grateful eyes, “Thank you.”
She had been struggling in the entertainment industry for several years, but currently, at only 23 or 24 years old, coupled with those critical remarks, Adrian’s heartfelt comfort naturally produced a lot of goodwill in her.
“I’m just telling the truth,” Adrian shrugged, “A smile is always the most charming feature of a beautiful woman, and although sadness and trouble might invoke pity, they shouldn’t be the norm.”
Despite covering her mouth, Julia’s giggling still reached Adrian’s ears. Clearly, the compliment was well-appreciated.
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“Thank you, Adrian, I truly appreciate it,” Julia coughed lightly, her expression already considerably relaxed, “You’re truly a gentleman, though others have told me the same, no one has ever been as sincere as you.”
“It’s my honor to relieve you of your troubles.” Adrian smiled softly.
“Hey, speaking of which, you haven’t told me how you knew I was using Lancôme’s L’Amour perfume?” Julia suddenly asked.
“My nose is quite sensitive to perfumes, I can mostly smell them out,” Adrian replied with a raised eyebrow, this was a skill of the former Adrian, who had invested so much effort into such matters, and for the current Adrian, it was a significant asset in conquering certain tasks.
“However, while this scent carries an aura of gentleness and confidence, it is better suited for a mature, steady woman. I suggest you might try Lancôme’s Miracle series, which would make you appear fresher and more vibrant. If you opt for another brand, Chanel No. 19 would achieve a similar effect,” Adrian spoke confidently.
Julia stared at him, her mouth slightly agape as if she had no intention of closing it again.
“I really… I really… don’t know what to say,” Julia gestured, her smile tinged with surprise, “I didn’t expect you to know about this stuff.”
Adrian smiled and shrugged but said no more.
“Okay, I’ll give yours a try, but if it doesn’t work, I’m going to hold you accountable,” Julia teased, then suddenly her eyebrows raised, “Wait a minute! The ‘Cherish’ series was recently launched by Lancôme, how are you so familiar with it?”
“Because I have a girlfriend, I bought it for her when it was just released,” Adrian explained.
“You have a girlfriend?” Julia was slightly surprised, a hint of disappointment flashing unconsciously in her eyes, then she subconsciously looked around.
“She’s in college, and today isn’t the weekend, so she didn’t come with me to the premiere,” Adrian continued.
In fact, it wasn’t difficult for Kate to come if she wanted; she merely needed to request leave from school. However, she declined the invitation citing the importance of her studies, and Adrian, who understood Kate’s mentality, felt a bit wistful about her adorable naivety and came to the premiere alone. Now, it seemed like a good thing that she hadn’t come.
“I bet she’s very beautiful,” Julia said, her words sounding somewhat insincere.
“Yes, she just turned 18 recently, is very interested in acting, and is currently studying in the acting program at the California Institute of the Arts,” Adrian introduced his girlfriend, “She’s quite talented; she’s acted in roles in the last two movies I did.”
“Wow, the California Institute of the Arts, I’ve heard it’s really good. I applied there after finishing high school, but unfortunately, I was rejected,” Julia’s gaze drifted, her mind seemingly elsewhere.
“That’s really too bad,” Adrian said, looking towards the entrance of the theater, “The movie is about to start, let’s go to the theater. I hope you can give my film a fair review.”
“Okay, I’ll try,” Julia turned towards him, giving a slight smile.
Although “The Shawshank Redemption” had started its premiere, Adrian didn’t watch it in the theater because an assistant found him, saying that Spielberg wanted to talk.
“I’m sorry for interrupting your viewing,” Spielberg, who had been waiting in the lounge for a while, stood up when Adrian arrived.
“It’s okay, I’ve seen it countless times in the editing room, and I’m confident in my work,” Adrian smiled and shook hands with him. Glancing at the other people in the lounge, Spielberg’s assistant and several executives from Universal, and others like Laverne, he understood the reason he had been invited over.
Taking some documents and files Laverne handed him, Adrian sat down on the sofa and flipped through them, then looked at Spielberg, “So, let’s get started.”
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