King of Hollywood
Chapter 297 - Chapter 297 Chapter 24 Premiere continue the premiere

Chapter 297: Chapter 24 Premiere, continue the premiere Chapter 297: Chapter 24 Premiere, continue the premiere To solve this problem, the simplest method would have been to directly ask Adrian, although Cameron had already tried to broach the subject indirectly before, but to no avail as the other party had always answered with a laugh. However, today was the premiere of “True Lies,” and even if he avoided the question like he used to, wouldn’t he still reveal something?

Nevertheless, Cameron had searched the entire theater hall but failed to spot Adrian among the crowd. He was certain Adrian was here; not long ago, he had chatted with him. So where could Adrian have gone? Cameron pondered for a moment and then decided to give up; based on Adrian’s previous behavior, his whereabouts at this moment were self-evident.

“Sorry.” Sarah suddenly said this, lifting her head and looking at him with apologetic eyes.

“Sorry?” Adrian was somewhat surprised.

“I haven’t seen you for several weeks, and I got a bit anxious, so…” She bit her lip as she spoke.

Adrian then understood. The premiere today was where he had picked up Sarah from her house. Unable to contain herself, the impatient girl had started to passionately kiss him as soon as she got into his car, while her mother hadn’t completely gone back inside the house.

“It’s okay, if you want, you can tell your mom that we are dating,” Adrian generously said.

“Then she would kill you,” Sarah replied with an extremely serious expression, but she couldn’t hold back a chuckle after less than half a minute, her eyes crescenting with amusement, which was quite adorable.

Then she sighed, “Mom has already asked me if I have a boyfriend. I didn’t confirm or deny it. I’m not planning to tell her, Ed, even if she asks me when I get home today.”

“You do whatever you like, as long as you’re happy,” Adrian said, caressing her smooth cheek.

“Yes, we still have time,” the girl’s voice turned sticky and a bit whiny.

“I regret to inform you, Sarah, that the movie is about to start in no more than five minutes,” Adrian reminded her, “many important people are here today.”

“Okay, I got it,” Sarah responded with a hint of disappointment that she didn’t bother hiding.

Adrian, having seen her expression, smiled faintly and whispered in her ear, “So, how about we go to my place after the movie? You could call your mom and say you won’t be coming home tonight.”

The girl’s eyes lit up and her expression turned even more enticing, “Let’s go to my house instead, my mom won’t be home tonight.”

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“True Lies” undeniably achieved success. Three days after releasing in 2,300 movie theaters, it had garnered roughly 27 million in box office sales, placing it directly at the top of the North American box office charts.

Schwarzenegger once again exhibited his tough-guy persona on screen, whether it was the explosive action scenes at the start, the fierce look throughout the island mansion showdown, or the grand scene where he flies a plane to rescue his daughter, all of which were talked about with great enthusiasm by action movie fans. Especially the scene where he calmly presses a remote, and half of the villa explodes just as the guard stops him to check the invitation, which was perceived as very cool.

Of course, action alone is not enough, no matter how spectacular it gets, it can become tedious after a while, so various humorous sequences were interspersed throughout. From a third-rate used car manager impersonating an agent to pick up women, to Schwarzenegger’s horseback chase, to the moments on the island where Curtis exclaims “I married Rambo” due to Schwarzenegger’s rampage–all hilariously entertaining.

Cameron’s mastery of the film’s pace is undoubtedly expert level, with action and life scenes smoothly and perfectly transitioned by humor, captivating the audience every minute and not allowing a moment of dullness.

Schwarzenegger thus showed rare acting prowess, like the barely perceptible cold smile when his character hears his wife’s explanation for not being in the office. Curtis, too, astonished viewers with her performance. In the first half of the film, she was utterly ordinary, like any working-class housewife, but when forced to play the role of a spy, her transformation in the hotel corridor exuded a lot more sex appeal. Remember, this scream queen is almost 40. This demonstrates Cameron’s skill, as the same concept made little impact in the hands of a French person, but under his direction became a widely adored, explosive commercial blockbuster.

The media nearly unanimously praised the film, with the “Chicago Sun Times” saying, “On top of the stunts, the special effects and action scenes in the film are satisfying,” and “USA Today” described it as “tight plot, intense atmosphere, an unsurprising commercial production”–labeling it just a commercial production, so film critics won’t probe into its deeper meanings. The story and plot speak for themselves.

Besides the two leads, the supporting cast also received high praise, like Bill Paxton’s role as the sleazy car salesman, whose comedic appearance alone evoked laughter from the audience the moment he appeared on screen. Moreover, Sarah’s performance as the daughter, especially in the scene where she threatens the terror group leader on the rooftop with throwing keys, was praised for perfectly capturing the fright and frailty expected of a young girl. Coupled with her memorable performance in “Casper” last year, she received much commendation.

That said, there were still numerous protests from Arab-Americans. The Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee held a small-scale demonstration outside a Washington movie theater, claiming Cameron’s portrayal of Arabs as religious fanatics and killers to be utterly immoral.

Cameron, however, didn’t take it to heart; it was just a movie after all. Hollywood had several movies each year protested by various anti-discrimination committees – it was entirely unnecessary to make a fuss. As long as the film made money, the theaters weren’t going to pull it because of some protests.

Adrian felt the same way, even though he was aware of what would happen in a few years. He had no interest in playing the role of a savior. Besides, wanting a share of the profits without facing the consequences – where did such a good deal exist? Alright, those were beside the point. As long as the film made money and helped him to woo Cameron, that was all that mattered. He couldn’t care less about anything else that wasn’t a direct attack on him.

“True Lies” kicked off the intense summer season, and before other film companies could react, the second film produced by Bossworth Film Company in collaboration with Warner was released.

At the premiere of “Twisters,” the star power couldn’t match “True Lies.” Jean de Bont, though not lacking in experience, was taking the helm for the first time, and the actors were mostly second-tier – including Kate – they naturally couldn’t hold a candle to the others. However, with Warner’s investment, the premiere wasn’t lacking in excitement. Plus, there was a benefit – Adrian could openly walk around the lobby with Kate on his arm.

Even after he had totally devoured Sarah, and even though some were aware of their secret, for various reasons, Adrian did not want too many people to know – of course, if Sarah decided to go public, he wouldn’t deny it – so their affectionate moments were a bit sneaky.

For instance, the night of the “True Lies” premiere, when he went to her house, Roselan, for some reason, came back an hour earlier than expected. By that time, Adrian had already rekindled the fire in Sarah’s bedroom and was instructing her on how to make better use of her mouth. Suddenly, the knocking and talking started without any warning. Adrian, startled, lost control, and left Sarah’s face, hair, and that soft pair absolutely covered.

In the end, it took Sarah, behind the closed door, quite some time of coaxing and deceiving to get her mother to leave, while Adrian, hurriedly dressed, escaped through the window like many characters in American films do, under the reproachful gaze of the young girl. A beautiful beginning doesn’t guarantee a similarly beautiful ending, and Adrian couldn’t have been more frustrated. The only consolation was that things could have been worse – if Roselan had decided to open the door with her keys, that would have been a real disaster…

Well, that was all in the past, and he was currently at the premiere of “Twisters” with Kate. Remember the rule? When you’re alone with a woman, make sure not to think about another woman.

“Twisters” was also a success. Even though it opened in 300 fewer theaters than “True Lies,” it brought in $10 million more in its first weekend, knocking “True Lies” off the top spot on the North American box office charts.

To be honest, this version of “Twisters” was slightly inferior to the one in Adrian’s memory. Jean de Bont was not without skill, but it was his first time directing, and without the polish from a few films, some shortcomings were inevitable. Kate, although very dedicated and having prepared well in advance, with a performance that was also quite outstanding, still fell short of Helen Hunt’s; so such small differences were to be expected.

Still, “Twisters” was well-received by audiences. Jean de Bont had captured the core of the entire movie, and he shot those scenes quite remarkably. The oppressive feeling of an F5 tornado was completely conveyed on the screen. The story’s pace was also well-managed, and even if some plot points were not entirely logical, like the implausible escape method of the male and female lead at the end, the film’s merits overshadowed its flaws. Given that, compared to other disaster films, “Twisters” was undoubtedly more relatable to the American way of life and represented a positive attitude – to struggle against disaster – its box office success was expected.

“Look, Kate, they’re practically lifting you up to the heavens,” Adrian said with a chuckle, flipping through the newspaper in his hand. Kate, eating breakfast next to him, glanced at him but said little. Charlize, on the other hand, reached over to take a look: “Let me see… Miss Kate Beckinsale’s performance is very impressive. I give her four stars for her acting. She completely fits the image of a slightly fanatical meteorologist. For a girl of just 21 years old, getting the role just right is not easy and is worthy of recognition and praise. Although there are occasionally some rigid moments, she seems to struggle with emotional scenes, which is a pity…”

She stopped reading there, shrugged her shoulders, and tossed the newspaper aside: “Four stars, that’s pretty good. If it were me… maybe I wouldn’t even get a callback from the audition.”

“That’s not necessarily true,” Adrian said with a smile, looking at Charlize. “Why not give it a try, Charli? I can arrange a role for you that fits your temperament, and it doesn’t even matter if you have no acting skills.”

“You mean to say, now in addition to managing life and work matters for you, I have to act in movies as a supporting character whenever you need me?” Charlize snorted coldly. “Maybe I should lodge a complaint with the union.”

“Ed’s right. Sometimes you can be in movies without any acting skills,” Kate couldn’t hold her temper and sarcastically commented, but then her tone changed. “The key is whether you can merge your own emotions into it. Just like the article said, I seemed a bit stiff in the emotional scenes. That’s not surprising, during filming, I was in an unprecedented state of confusion, very resistant to that kind… of passionate feelings, didn’t believe in them, so…”

By the end, her eyes were looking at Adrian, and though she didn’t finish her sentence, the meaning was crystal clear.

“Alright, Kate,” Adrian replied with a chuckle, “let’s just finish breakfast quickly. I promised to be your chauffeur for the next couple of days, but remember, I’m not waiting once it’s expired.”

Then he winked at Charlize: “Are you really not considering it, Charli? Acting in movies can be pretty fun sometimes.”

Too bad Charlize just rolled her eyes at him and then stood up to leave the room.

This was just one of countless little interludes, but Adrian quite enjoyed it. The subtle atmosphere between Charlize and Kate was interesting. It was one of the reasons why he would always try to bring her back to his villa after each date with Kate.

Well, putting that aside, after “True Lies” and “Twisters” consistently topped the North American box office charts, the executives of various companies during the summer season all exclaimed in astonishment. Even though other major film companies had invested in these two movies, and even though James Cameron was the producer of “True Lies,” with Adrian only really having a nominal connection, they couldn’t help but admire his insight once again. Thinking about it, since he entered the industry, there hadn’t been a single film investment of his that had failed. Not to mention the movies Adrian had produced himself, even “Schindler’s List” had made money. How on earth did he do it?

While the major companies were musing over this, Bossworth Film Company’s third movie was released. Unlike the previous two, it was a small production and entirely invested by Bossworth, with newcomers filling the roles of director, actors, and producer. Naturally, the premiere was a much smaller affair, but still, many guests showed up, such as–

“In these explosive scenes, using practical effects truly is much better than CGI, as CGI technology still needs further improvement before it can fully mature. Of course, when using practical effects, you must consider safety issues. Every year more people die in America due to technical malfunctions than from obesity-related issues. Actually, you could consider combining the two; actors could perform in front of a monochrome backdrop, and then you can integrate them into the explosion scenes in post-production. To do it well needs time and money, but I think if you want to produce a spectacular movie, all these are essential.” Standing amidst the crowd, James Cameron was going on and on.

Michael Bay stood to his left, listening attentively like a student heeding a teacher’s lesson. Seeing him like this, probably no one would have guessed that years later he too would stand in front of a group of people giving lectures.

In fact, it was very normal. No matter how much confidence Michael Bay had in his own talent, facing a challenge, he would still inevitably feel a bit anxious, especially with James Cameron, who had just achieved a huge success in commercial cinema, standing in front of him. Although he was very confident about his own “Bad Boys,” he was not yet at the point where he could surpass the other.

(To be continued, if you want to know what happens next, please visit www.NovelFire.net. More chapters are available, support the author, support genuine reading!)

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