King of Hollywood
Chapter 300 - Chapter 300 Chapter 25 Various Arrangements

Chapter 300: Chapter 25 Various Arrangements Chapter 300: Chapter 25 Various Arrangements Having New Line handle the production of “The Rock” was not a whimsical decision. After the successive releases and great successes of “True Lies,” “Twisters,” and “Bad Boys,” AC Media’s other two film companies could not help but be green with envy. Especially after getting the same boss, the flow of information between companies improved, and everyone knew that two more films were slated for release just before the end of the summer, both bearing Adrian’s name as producer. Naturally, it went without saying what the result would be; after this summer, no one would question the Miracle Director’s vision anymore.

As a result, both New Line and Miramax inevitably felt a sense of favoritism. Although they understood the reasons, they were all part of the same group and deserved a share of the pie. After all, you are the renowned Miracle Director and a renowned screenwriter too–coming up with ideas and stories for new films to invest in and shoot shouldn’t be difficult, right?

Of course, neither New Line nor Miramax made any explicit demands, but they constantly hinted at Adrian in various contexts. Adrian could easily see through these hints; they were fairly obvious after all. It seemed the right moment to support New Line and Miramax. Even though he still had plans to dilute Robert Shaye’s shares in New Line and to fully integrate Miramax into the group, they were, after all, already his companies.

Moreover, the number of profitable films to be produced in the future would only increase; it wouldn’t be feasible to have Bossworth Film Company handle them all, would it? Bossworth had received plenty of attention over the past few years. Had it not been for investments from other major companies in the previous two films and DreamWorks drawing attention, who knows how many more gazes would have been drawn. Even so, after the release of the two films at the end of the summer season, pointing fingers would be unavoidable. Therefore, it was necessary to distribute some work to New Line and Miramax, allowing them to develop as well.

So the screenplay for “The Rock” landed in Robert Shaye’s hands. Since “Seven Deadly Sins,” which should have belonged to New Line, was now being produced by Bossworth, Adrian wanted New Line to regain its status from his memory of the same period, and a big moneymaking production was indispensable.

Robert Shaye was shocked when he received the screenplay and the budget proposed by Adrian. A $70 million budget in ’94 was no small sum. For a time, he suspected that Adrian deliberately sought to bankrupt New Line and then fully merge it into AC Media. However, after seeing the cast list provided, he quickly dismissed the idea.

No need to mention Michael Bay, whose directorial debut “Bad Boys” was currently a hit in theaters, with producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson on board. As for actors, Nicholas Cage and Ed Harris might be overlooked, but Sean Connery was definitely heavyweight; these concerns were entirely unnecessary.

“We do indeed intend to take full control of New Line, but we will do so openly and honestly, not with these trivial tricks,” Adrian said, having read his thoughts.

Claude, however, expressed dissatisfaction after hearing this, “While you seem forthright, it doesn’t necessarily put him at ease but might make him even more cautious. Such matters clearly call for an ambiguous answer–you did well with this before, how could you forget now?”

“Because we have the power,” Adrian replied. “Do you understand what an ‘open strategy’ is, Claude? It means that even if I plainly tell the opposition what I plan to do, they still can’t come up with an effective response.”

After all, New Line was now part of AC Media. Even if Robert Shaye still held some shares in New Line, they would be unstoppable if they decided to make a move. Of course, unless absolutely necessary, forcibly pushing him out wasn’t advisable. Adrian’s warning was equivalent to a caution to Shaye: be careful, don’t make mistakes, or we’ll be ready to take over at any time.

Then again, even if Shaye were extra cautious, people inevitably make mistakes, and when that time comes, Adrian and his team would not hesitate to act. However, with Adrian’s prior hints, the likelihood of keeping Shaye on board had certainly increased.

This was New Line’s arrangement, and for Miramax, they were given the film “Small Time Crooks,” planned to star Rachel. Even Adrian himself was unsure about the film’s prospects, given its significant departure from the original. Therefore, besides this, he also planned for Rachel to play the White House spokeswoman in “Independence Day.”

Miramax’s strengths lie in promotion and public relations, making them the right fit for this uncertain film. Of course, in addition to this, they were also given a profitable production to handle–confirmed to be directed by Wu Bage, “Broken Arrow”!

At the beginning of the year, Dennis had hoped to secure a role for Jennifer Aniston in order to end the relationship that had occurred due to an inadvertent mistake. After Adrian agreed, he immediately thought of a suitable role–yes, it was the female park ranger in “Broken Arrow.” He had people scout around the industry and, after confirming there were no similar concepts, he bought an idea about nuclear weapons from a minor screenwriter just to be safe. He then had screenwriters rework it into the script he remembered for “Broken Arrow” and promptly contacted Wu Bage.

Wu Bage, who had always been ambitious about breaking into Hollywood, had gained some fame from “Hard Target” at this time. Now that he was being approached to direct a new movie with a massive investment of $50 million, he would definitely agree, even though he was already aware of the many differences between Hollywood and Hong Kong production styles.

Travolta and Cage were already in his hands, so “Face/Off” naturally wouldn’t escape Adrian’s control either. To be fair, Wu Bage’s two films indeed met the Hollywood first-rate standard.

However, after confirming the two leads, Adrian, after much contemplation, decided to cast Dennis as the other male lead.

“I… I’m in?!” Dennis, back in Los Angeles and upon hearing the news, stared at Adrian, speechless.

“Of course, you should try every type of movie, just as we agreed,” Adrian said with a beaming smile, spreading his hands wide.

Dennis certainly knew how Adrian had planned his career and was grateful, but the problem was…

“Let me speak frankly, Ed. You know that Jenny and I have crossed a line, and I haven’t figured out yet how to handle it. But now you’re asking me to play her lover, this…” Dennis gestured, exasperated.

“A lover? It’s clearly just a partnership, and there’s only a slight romantic undertone at the end. You wouldn’t be making this association if it wasn’t for feeling guilty, right, Dan?” Adrian teased, shrugging his shoulders after seeing a deeper look of distress on the other’s face, “Remember what I told you before? If you really want to use this method to set boundaries with Jenny, then you’re doomed.”

“What else can I do?” Dennis sighed and then raised his hand before Adrian could speak, “Please, don’t bring yourself into this, okay, Ed?”

“What I’m saying is, you should have a proper talk with her,” Adrian suggested with a smile.

“I talked to her already, but Jenny says she absolutely wouldn’t give up. Her liking me is her business, whether I accept it or not is mine. God, I really don’t understand what’s gotten into her,” Dennis lamented, “I’m now too scared to attend parties hosted by David or Matthew, I even avoid the ‘Friends’ set. And despite all this, Jenny still frequently calls me, and she often talks to Noni too.”

“So use this opportunity to deepen your communication with her,” Adrian said meaningfully.

Dennis ultimately agreed to take the role. He couldn’t refuse Adrian, and the chance to talk things over with Aniston didn’t seem like a bad idea–clearly, Dennis, troubled by the situation, had not picked up on Adrian’s implicit message.

Adrian’s assessment of Dennis didn’t quite match his expectations, but it seemed there might be a trend towards another direction. He could never have expected Jennifer Aniston to be so clingy over Dennis, which was truly surprising. If things really took a turn in another direction… that would be very interesting.

This was the situation at work, and as for his personal life, it remained vibrant. Despite still being tasked with supervising the post-production of “Forrest Gump,” Adrian still had ample time to spend with his woman. In fact, he took an entire week off to go to Australia, giving Blanchett a huge surprise.

The saying “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” held some truth. Although Adrian wasn’t married to Blanchett, their connection was still very strong. The surprise visit ignited an incredible passion, and they spent nearly every night of those seven days in tender embrace. Even though the Southern Hemisphere was already in the grip of winter, Adrian still took her on a tour near Queenstown, New Zealand.

“Why come here?” Blanchett asked during an affectionate moment in a Queenstown hotel after a passionate encounter. She was a little puzzled; there were many places to travel to within Australia itself,

“Because you’ve given me so much inspiration, Kate,” Adrian consoled her body and spoke in a mysterious tone, “I promise, you’ll understand in a few years.”

Sometimes, such sweet nothings can excite a woman more than anything else, leading to them coming together heatedly once again.

Adrian had intended to bring Blanchett back to Los Angeles with him, but she had several stage plays to perform, so he had to let go of the idea. If there was any regret about the trip to Australia, it was that he couldn’t make use of Blanchett’s mouth. Adrian had lightly prodded, but he was gently yet firmly refused. It was odd, usually as intimacy deepened, things progressed from one stage to the next in a different order. Despite having been there before with Blanchett, and not having avoided it this time–in fact, finding it particularly exciting–why then did she refuse?

The question circled in Adrian’s mind before vanishing. Regret indeed, but some things were just a matter of time.

If Blanchett was like this from afar in Australia, let alone other women. Like Julia, who didn’t mention a thing about that day’s threesome in Orange County, but her demeanor became much softer, enhancing her allure.

“I love the way you laugh, Julia, it’s very charming,” Adrian said while Julia held herself up in the doorway, one leg on the floor and the other resting between his arms, panting heavily.

She didn’t reply, instead moving her hips and leaning back to exchange saliva with Adrian. If there was any difference, it was that during lovemaking, Julia was clearly trying to please him.

As for why, how could Adrian not guess, but he didn’t plan to delve further. It was best to give and take. Although Julia didn’t mention that incident, it didn’t mean that another person wouldn’t.

“Whenever you want, Ed, I’m ready,” Monica said, her sultry eyes conveying a particularly coquettish charm, having grown increasingly enchanting with Adrian’s nourishment over the years.

“Don’t rush, baby, some things don’t need to be hurried,” Adrian said, holding her while signaling the manager to pack up all the shoes Monica had tried on.

Monica was the most stable of all Adrian’s women, their relationship was both emotional and transactional. She knew what she wanted and understood what kind of man Adrian was in this regard. She was infatuated with this man, who was quite younger than her, and also knew how to strive for what she desired.

And the second most stable was Sarah, who, at least for now, had given herself to Adrian without reservation. Thinking of all that had transpired between them, it seemed an inevitable outcome. As for the future, that was a matter for another time.

Kate unfortunately fell to third place, although strictly speaking, she was only slightly behind Sarah, as she was the first woman Adrian had taken in his arms after his rebirth. Aside from having other lovers, he generally took great care of her. However, Kate, who had returned to Adrian’s side, was constantly troubled, partly by his philandering, and partly by the anxiety over the future brought on by the experiences of the past year. Yet it was only when nestled in his arms that she truly relaxed, body and soul. Thus, Kate’s resistance to Adrian was growing weaker by the day.

As for Charlize, she remained a particularly special existence. Adrian didn’t treat her like his other women but always opened up most of his world to her. Charlize, in turn, would occasionally–well–seek him out for sexual relief. And now, his sexual harassment had become something she simply ignored, such as–

“Tell them I’ll attend, but I won’t have time these next few days, so let’s schedule it for next Wednesday. Make sure to put it in the calendar,” Adrian said, sitting in his chair. Charlize sat on his lap, jotting down what he said, while his hand rested on her chest, occasionally kneading through the fabric, under the pretense of helping with breast development.

What frustrated Adrian was that his hope for “if there’s work, do the secretary; if there’s none, do the secretary” never quite came to fruition. Charlize’s office lady attire was pleasing to the eyes and tempting but she never allowed him to be so bold in the office. Although Adrian would occasionally venture under her skirt during “sexual harassment,” any attempt to go too deep would be swiftly stopped by the lady.

No matter, what should be had would eventually come. Adrian was frustrated but not discouraged. And he had added another to his collection.

After their first time on the beach at Malibu with Liv Tyler, they quickly proceeded to the second and third times. Like Sarah, the lovestruck girl, having tasted the joys of sex, was always eager for more.

Adrian knew well that Liv’s forwardness was largely due to wanting to create a beautiful memory of her first time and to see if it could fill the emptiness in her heart. Compared to love or affection, he was just the least disliked male among those around her. But physically speaking, there are only two types of men who can leave a deep impression on a woman: one is the man who takes a woman’s virginity, and the other is the man who gives a woman the most wonderful pleasure in sex.

The former is by chance, not by choice, while the latter’s superiority could be surpassed. However, when the two are combined, the resulting chemical effect seemed to grow exponentially. Virgin sex is quite troublesome, but for an immensely experienced man like Adrian, it wasn’t too challenging. If Kate and Sarah could reach the peak with him their first time, why would Liv be an exception?

Furthermore, with his usual sweet talk and understanding of a young girl’s mind, Liv quickly became wrapped around his finger. She not only liked making love with Adrian on that same beach but also liked taking the lead–even if she was soon pinned beneath him.

Clearly, she was playful and carefree, having grown up in the rock circle. This also set her apart from the other women; her entanglements were few. Adrian believed in emotions but trusted in interests more. Marriage, to a large extent, was also a union of interests.

But he wasn’t overly worried. Maybe it was because he had opened his heart. After several encounters, he had finally figured out what she was thinking. In some ways, Liv was mature, having understood much from an early age due to her upbringing. But she was also innocent, indifferent to everything because of that understanding, respecting her mother yet not wanting to hear too much from her.

She was exposed to many things, but her mother didn’t want her to take those people as role models. So even though Liv felt empty and lonely inside, she hid it away, often wearing an indifferent expression on her face.

Thus, after comparing these insights with what he knew of Liv, Adrian concluded that whoever could occupy that lonely place in her heart could possess her. Was there anyone easier for him to approach now?

So, after dealing with the last trouble, Liv would become just another one of his collections.

“Ms. Bibi, it’s a pleasure to meet you here,” said Adrian, smartly dressed as he sat down at the cafe’s square table, greeting the woman opposite him with a proper smile. Bibi Bill, Liv’s mother. (To be continued. For the continuation of the story, please visit www.NovelFire.net. More chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)