King of Hollywood
Chapter 336 - Chapter 336 60 chapters Coming and Going

Chapter 336: 60 chapters Coming and Going Chapter 336: 60 chapters Coming and Going In April 1995, several major entertainment magazines had recently used the new Oscar-winning director Adrian as their cover, but each focused on different aspects. For example, Vanity Fair had more entertainment elements, although Adrian was in formal attire. The cover photo, due to the angle and lighting, made him look somewhat ostentatious; whereas Time appeared more serious and sincere, featuring a frontal half-body image of Adrian with a slightly furrowed brow and hands crossed over a chair, exuding a stable and confident demeanor.

Similarly, the content of the published interviews also varied accordingly.

“I initially didn’t aim for much, just wanted to make a film that could resonate with people, and Forrest Gump was just that character–simple-minded, innocent, and somewhat indecisive. He is an atypical epitome of the ordinary American citizen. As people watch him run across the screen experiencing so many historical events, they feel a strong sense of immersion because these are the events happening to them…” The Variety report focused mainly on “Forrest Gump,” surely because the Oscars had just ended and “Forrest Gump” remained a hot topic.

Vanity Fair did the same, but they focused more on Adrian’s filmmaking talent: “…Although Hollywood has seen many talented individuals who take on roles as screenwriters, directors, and producers crafting astonishing works, figures like Adrian are few and far between. If we count all the movies related to him, the global box office has definitely exceeded 5 billion, he always achieves in unexpected ways, and the controversy that erupted two years ago is still vividly remembered…”

Relatively speaking, Time was the most fair, objective, and comprehensive among all magazines, covering not only Adrian’s film career but other aspects as well.

“…When I asked him how he manages his company, he paused for about two seconds and then burst into laughter, with a hint of self-mockery. ‘I hardly manage things, Allen,’ he said, ‘Although I have a keen eye for movies, I’m quite terrible at business, so I’ve always entrusted the company to my best friend to handle.’

Although I was aware of this, I was still curious about his attitude towards the development of his company to this stage, and his answer was both expected and unexpected. ‘Claude is doing great, and I have no complaints. Since I am not good at it, why meddle? After all, selling Bossworth Film initially was for better movie production.’ He responded in a broad, confident, and vibrant manner, that’s how Adrian impressed me…”

However, the magazines’ coverage being biased was partly because of their different focuses, and partly because Adrian allowed them to each ask a private question off the record. Though it was a joint interview, maintaining good relations with each of them, and providing slightly different information from other magazines certainly helped to boost sales.

This idea, though somewhat excessive, indeed won the favor of these magazines. Vanity Fair, already quite close to him, reflected this particularly. Following the release of these magazines, sales generally saw a significant increase, with Time being especially noticeable. Although Adrian’s exposure in recent years had been appropriate, due to previous notable achievements like the youngest Palme d’Or winner, and the controversy across the Atlantic in 1992, people knew quite a bit about him. So, even now with his Oscar win for Best Director, having something new to report would attract more attention.

The magazines understood this as well, hence their reporting involved numerous strategies, but Time was relatively more balanced. This was indeed Adrian’s first official acknowledgment of himself as the Chairman of AC Media.

In essence, upon the release of these magazines, the youngest Best Director in Oscar history once again became a topic of enthusiastic discussion. His achievements, character, and works were all brought up for discussion, but his personal life was discussed the most. After all, the initial scandal with Julia Roberts was highly publicized, and later, Monica Bellucci was also involved, although the situation eventually calmed down due to the cold responses from the parties involved. Yet, the speculations continued.

Importantly, in this round of joint interviews, all magazine reports, to varying degrees, briefly mentioned that Adrian initially stated that he would not answer questions about his personal life, thereby sparking numerous speculations about whom he might be involved with–Julia or Monica, or perhaps someone else? Especially since tabloids often minutely detail where the Miracle Director was spotted on a date with whom. Consequently, Julia and Monica’s level of attention also increased notably.

Adrian was unaware of these speculations. After the joint interviews, he went to London. The shooting of “Braveheart” was nearing its end, and there was urgency to finish it, not to mention he had another movie to produce. Even if he knew about these gossips, he wouldn’t concern himself with them, as the truth was more astonishing than their guesses.

The final major scenes of “Braveheart” consisted only of two parts: one where Wallace shouts “Freedom” during his execution, and the other concerning the reaction of the British Royal Family–Edward Longshanks, Crown Prince, and Isabella. Adrian had specifically saved these scenes for the last day of shooting, reasoning that they wouldn’t take much effort and would serve as a rather perfect conclusion to the filming.

However, there was a slight difference from the original version here. Isabella did not whisper to the dying Edward Longshanks that she was carrying Wallace’s child; instead, she merely cursed him for being unable to obtain God’s forgiveness. In Adrian’s memory, one major criticism of “Braveheart” was that Wallace didn’t seem as faithful to his wife as he claimed, noting a resemblance between her and Isabella during their second meeting.

This line of dialogue, foreshadowing the relationship to come, was disliked by many, as they believed it spoiled the whole image of Wallace created by the film. Thinking carefully, one could guess Mel Gibson’s intention, but unfortunately, with his somewhat arrogant and rough character, it was mere wishful thinking.

Now with Adrian in charge, why should he bother with such thankless tasks? Moreover, as Princess Isabella might well have loved Wallace, the idea of them having a relationship and her getting pregnant was rather far-fetched, even for a historically inspired drama, and there had to be limits.

So, he rewrote that part of the script. Isabella did indeed develop feelings for Wallace, but it was limited to a platonic kind of love, which made the story seem more logical.

Although Adrian had won the Oscar for Best Director and broke two records, which attracted the British media to the set again, he successfully completed the final shooting within a week. Moreover, two days after the shooting ended, the magazine featuring a joint interview was published, leaving the British media empty-handed when they tried to dig deeper.

As they loitered around the nearly empty studio in dismay, Adrian was leisurely walking the streets of Luxembourg, holding freshly squeezed juice, and, needless to say, the person shopping with him was none other than Sophie Marceau.

“I love walking slowly on these ancient streets, the buildings marked by time are a classic example of art,” Adrian said to Sophie when they reached a Gothic building in the old town.

“So you admit that only with historical accumulation can there be art?” Sophie blinked as if she had discovered something new, her hair cascading down with bangs covering her forehead, her brown eyes sparkling, wearing a light coat, lacked her usual melancholy, instead possessing a playfully cute demeanor that seemed too youthful for her age.

“What I’m trying to say is that art requires the accumulation of time, and though the word ‘time’ is largely synonymous with history, it also differs in some aspects,” Adrian said, wagging his finger to correct her.

“But isn’t it the historical accumulation that gives these beautiful buildings their artistic value?” Sophie said with a gleeful smile, her expression perfectly described by the phrase graceful and charming, yet with a slight smugness as catching Adrian in a rhetorical error seemed like an interesting thing to do.

“You can’t say that, Sophie,” Adrian sighed, half in resignation and half in frustration, as he looked at her.

Sophie laughed lightly, seeming remarkably carefree, then waved her hand, “Alright, I can pretty much confirm now, you really dislike European directors, Adrian.”

“That’s a bit arbitrary, Sophie, I was just emphasizing that they don’t know how to tell a story, and storytelling is the most important part of filmmaking,” Adrian defensively spread his hands.

“Emphasizing their lack of storytelling, stressing the importance of the story,” Sophie quipped, pinching her chin and clearly not planning to pass up this golden opportunity to frustrate Adrian.

Adrian stopped, folded his arms, and after a long look at Sophie, suddenly said, “Try directing, Sophie.”

“Directing?” Sophie looked at him, puzzled.

“Yes, you’ve acted in so many films, you should understand a director’s work to some extent, why not try directing a film?” Adrian pinched his own chin and continued, “Making a film yourself will give you a more direct and deeper understanding of the director’s role. I can finance it, as long as you agree, but remember not to act in your own film – it’ll divide your focus and neither role will be well-served–what do you think?”

“This is really…” Sophie gestured, not knowing what to say. Her expression seemed somewhat adrift, and Adrian’s suggestion had evidently touched something inside her.

“Let’s not talk about this now, let’s find a place to have lunch,” Adrian said understandingly, patting her shoulder.

The two spent their afternoon touring the Alzette Valley and strolled through many unique streets until almost ten o’clock at night when they returned to their hotel.

“It’s been a wonderful day, thank you, Ed.” Standing at her room door, Sophie said with a smile.

“I should be thanking you, Sophie, for spending these days with me,” Adrian said with sincere tone.

“There’s nothing else pressing anyway, just taking it as a time to clear my mind.” Sophie shrugged, her gaze drifting slightly.

The two didn’t speak further. Sophie fiddled nervously with her hands, occasionally glancing at Adrian, who had his eyelids lowered, staring at the floor, lost in thought. The atmosphere in the hallway had grown subtly tense. After a long time, Sophie finally sighed lightly. “You are going back to Los Angeles tomorrow, aren’t you?”

“Yes, the new movie has finished filming, everyone needs a break, and it’s a good opportunity to go back and take care of some other matters,” Adrian nodded.

“Then, have a safe journey.” Sophie smiled faintly, but it seemed a bit awkward.

“Is that okay?” Adrian suddenly asked in a low voice, to which Sophie did not respond.

Then Adrian leaned closer until he was in front of her and hesitated before gently kissing her on the lips. Though it was a brief touch like last time in Paris, Sophie could still feel a lingering fondness from the contact.

“Good night, Sophie, have sweet dreams,” Adrian said with a gentle smile, then turned and entered his own room.

Sophie stood at the door for a long while, dazed, as if savoring something, until a passing waiter came up to ask if she needed help, which snapped her back to reality. She shook her head and then entered her own room.

“God, what is wrong with me, why have I become so strange?” The beautiful woman, upon returning to her room, immediately began pacing back and forth restlessly, murmuring to herself. After a long while, she collapsed onto the sofa, gazing blankly at the ceiling.

Sophie had grown accustomed to scenes like this from some time ago–Adrian seeking her out for a chat or inviting her for a stroll after a shoot. They would discuss various topics, and although they sometimes argued over differing views, such as the one about art and European directors from the morning, they had never really fought.

Adrian was a true gentleman with proper demeanor. He could always detect shifts in the atmosphere and smoothly change the subject to shelve any disputes. For years, Sophie had rarely enjoyed such liberated conversations with anyone else. Andre’s child-like demeanor when angry, although endearing enough to often be indulged by her maternal side, had become tiresome over the years, which was likely why she had completely ended things with him before.

“Alright, Sophie, stop overthinking it. You’ll adjust soon enough,” Sophie murmured with her eyes closed, but her tangled thoughts were not so easily straightened out.

After Adrian had invited her to play the lead actress in his new film, Sophie had also asked a friend to do some background checks on him. Everything was mostly satisfactory, except for some unclear scandals that somewhat tarnished the impression he had made on her in Paris. So, upon meeting him again, Sophie maintained her distance.

Subsequently, many women visited the set looking for him, a fact Sophie was somewhat aware of. Moreover, she could tell that his beautiful secretary was definitely more than just a colleague. Later, a pregnant girlfriend showed up, which should have further lowered Adrian’s image in Sophie’s eyes. Yet, somehow, his views on marriage and responsibility moved her, and from then on, they had been talking. Not to mention, during her conversations with Adrian, Sophie had not thought about Andre even once.

“There, just like that. Don’t think about it anymore; rest,” said Sophie suddenly, sitting up and shaking her head as if trying to throw off the clutter. It was only after a long time tossing and turning in bed that she eventually drifted into a confused sleep.

“Did you not sleep well last night?” Adrian asked with concern at the foot of the private jet’s stairs, pointing at the slightly dark circles under Sophie’s eyes.

“Yes, I was thinking about some things and went to bed late,” Sophie didn’t deny but was reserved about the specifics, her complex expression unchanged.

“Take care,” Adrian added and embraced Sophie before moving to climb the stairs. He then turned back after a few steps, “By the way, I’ll be back in London soon for a new film project. Can I come and see you then?”

Sophie opened her mouth, paused for several seconds, and eventually smiled with a nod, “You’re very welcome.”

“Well then, remember my promise–if you really want to try directing, I can offer you an opportunity,” Adrian continued, then laughed heartily at Sophie’s resigned expression and entered the cabin.

You dislike marriage; you resist and fear it, isn’t that just perfect for me? You want to direct; you crave recognition, I can provide opportunities for that too. Adrian thought to himself while sitting beside the plane window, watching Sophie leave. You see, once you know someone well enough through interaction and memory, all that’s left to do is spot-treat.

Adrian turned his gaze away, about to call someone, then realized since he and Sophie had traveled to Luxembourg, Charlize had already returned to Los Angeles beforehand.

Had it really come to the point where he couldn’t stand to be without her for even a moment? Adrian chuckled, shaking his head, his heart warmed by the thought of how unintentionally they had made a significant step forward. It seemed he might soon enjoy the full version of office passion.

Look at this–typical male nature. Sophie had only been gone for a few minutes, and he was already thinking about Charlize.

A week and a half later, Adrian returned again to Los Angeles from London. While some of the “Braveheart” crew had returned, others stayed in London as a new movie was about to be filmed there soon. Adrian would have to rush back in a few days, so the post-production of “Braveheart” was being done in London, like “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”.

If it weren’t for needing to deal with some issues, he wouldn’t want to be running back and forth. Just the jet lag was enough to kill a man. It wasn’t that Adrian didn’t want to wrap up all affairs in one go, but some things, like comforting an increasingly pregnant Kate, monitoring an acquisition deal, and deciding the lead for “Titanic”, just couldn’t be settled immediately. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote and donate on NovelFire.net. Your support is my greatest motivation.)