King of Hollywood
Chapter 341 - Chapter 341 Chapter 65 Strike While the Iron is Hot

Chapter 341: Chapter 65: Strike While the Iron is Hot Chapter 341: Chapter 65: Strike While the Iron is Hot “Hey, Emma, that won’t do, no laughing, you must be solemn and serious, the lady who shares your name is a true lady. If it’s too hard, you can pretend Keira is Mr. Knightley, given that she shares his surname anyway,” Adrian said as he watched the two girls in front of him. Although he continuously gestured, his tone remained quite leisurely.

“This is too much trouble, is acting always this bothersome?” The little one complained, pouting with the script in hand and a look of gloom on her face.

“This was your request, dear,” Adrian said with a spread-open hand and an amused chuckle, “You wanted to see the script, you wanted to learn to act, and you specifically asked Keira to rehearse with you, and now you’re saying it’s troublesome.”

“But… but…” Emma felt something was amiss, but couldn’t quite put her finger on it, her lips pouting even more.

“It’s okay, Emma, let’s try again. With a few more attempts, we’ll definitely get it,” Keira comforted her from the side and cast Adrian a dismissive glance.

Adrian noticed this and raised an eyebrow before taking another look at Keira Knightley. She had cut her hair short and was wearing gender-neutral clothes; she’d look more like a boy if not for her still youthful features, which added a defiant flavor to her glance just now.

However, Adrian didn’t take it to heart; he knew it was just Keira’s subconscious action. When she visited the set of “Braveheart,” she would display the same expression when discussing certain negative opinions, as if rejecting everything around her. How could he not notice, with his observation of women, that a deep-seated insecurity lurked within Keira?

Adrian was initially surprised when he came to this conclusion. In terms of appearance, Keira indeed had some flaws, like her facial lines were becoming a bit harsh, but she was overall a very delicate girl, a far cry from tomboys. For instance, Jules, who was now the head of the editorial department at Bossworth Film, had a daughter who was a quintessential tomboy; unless she grew her hair long and put on makeup, anyone would think her a handsome boy.

Moreover, Keira’s parents loved her, and they had a good family relationship. Adrian really couldn’t fathom what she had to feel insecure about. It wasn’t until Shawen told him that Keira suffered from severe dyslexia that he began to understand.

It made sense, reading is one of the most fundamental and significant human skills. When her peers read fluently, earning praise from teachers and parents, while she couldn’t comprehend the odd characters no matter how hard she tried, the blow was indeed massive for a child whose worldview is not yet formed.

No wonder she wasn’t very articulate later on. Just looking at her interviews, one could tell they were mostly driven by her rather bold statements designed to grab attention. Add to that her awkward physique – it was expected she would feel insecure – don’t bring up her statements of satisfaction with her body, what woman wouldn’t want to have a devilish figure? Those flaws turned into her unique traits that were celebrated once she became famous; why would she foolishly deny or avoid them? Her somewhat arrogant and disdainful yet anxious character was probably shaped this way.

Having flaws is what makes a person real and alive, and I am more than willing to help correct them, Adrian thought to himself with a smile as he watched Keira chatting and laughing with Emma.

“Ed, do you need to look at it now?” Shawen, Keira’s mother, came over at this point.

“Is it already done?” Adrian said, surprised as he took the paper she handed him, “You work quite fast.”

“It’s just a few adjustments to what was already there,” Shawen answered, shrugging her shoulders after greeting her daughter.

“You’re being too modest. I thought it would take you another two days to finish the revisions.” Adrian smiled as he flipped through the papers, his subtle compliment bringing a full smile to Shawen’s face.

Minutes later, he finished reading. It wasn’t a significant change, otherwise he wouldn’t have entrusted Shawen alone with the task.

“Very good, this is exactly what I wanted. Thank you, Shawen,” Adrian nodded.

“I’m pleased that you’re satisfied, but Ed, allow me to mention that this part is quite important to the entire novel, and it plays a role in Emma’s transformation,” Shawen said again.

“I know, so this content will be showcased in the conversation between Mr. Knightley’s brother and Miss Emma,” Adrian explained, “In short, I plan to downplay this part as much as possible. After all, this is a romantic comedy film. Romance, love, and comedy are the main elements. Other aspects can be present, but they must not detract from these three key points.”

“Of course, you have your own considerations.” Shawen didn’t say much more and nodded before going to talk to her daughter.

Adrian then stretched out comfortably and continued to flip through the revised pages of the script in his hands. Although many people say that Jane Austen liked to mock the idea of ‘marrying within one’s social class’ in her works, in reality, she herself held some degree of approval for this view.

Austen’s novels rarely feature characters with a completely tragic color, but in “Emma” there is such a pair. A noble young lady, despite her family’s vehement opposition, marries an officer for great love. However, continuing the extravagant lifestyle after marriage led to overwhelming debt and mental anguish, and her child died from illness before turning three. In contrast, the other four couples in the original book match in terms of social status and identity. Mr. Knightley is an estate owner, while Emma has a dowry of 30,000 British Pounds. Even in her other novels, what brings happiness to female characters is invariably wealthy men.

Regarding that noble young lady, there was originally an extended ten-minute scene discussing the matter, interspersed with friends advising Emma (Note), but obviously, this was somewhat too long and verged on stealing the spotlight. After much contemplation, Adrian decided to cut this part. First, the movie can only be at most 120 minutes, and it’s not possible to transfer all content from the book onto the screen–sacrifices must be made. Second, as previously mentioned, the movie’s theme is a romantic comedy; other elements must not dilute this focus.

Perhaps for these reasons and other factors, the original “Emma” garnered critical acclaim but failed at the box office. Adrian had no intention of letting his version suffer the same fate. After all, he is the Miracle Director now, and he must maintain this aura. Even if the box office isn’t great in the end, at the very least he needs to recoup the costs.

Of course, merely modifying such a scene wouldn’t guarantee success, so Adrian also thought of various ways to reduce costs. For instance, shooting “Emma” after “Braveheart,” using most of the same crew and some of the props could defray expenses.

As for the possibility that the modifications might backfire, Adrian wasn’t unduly concerned. Although he wanted to preserve his reputation, he could tolerate one or two failures. Seizing the opportunity for practice wasn’t a bad thing, even if he had already planned his future, that didn’t mean he intended to plagiarize from start to finish.

“Mr. Director, everything is ready,” an assistant ran over at this moment.

“Good, then let’s hurry,” Adrian immediately jumped up, “The weather forecast said it might rain in the afternoon.”

“Emma” had many outdoor scenes. While many problems could be overcome–dark weather could be adjusted with camera lenses, lack of sun could be compensated with lights–rain was an issue without a solution. The biggest problem with the weather in the United Kingdom for film crews is its unpredictability, and Adrian had suffered enough while filming “Howards End” and “Braveheart,” so he took action as soon as he heard the preparations were ready.

“Quick, guys! Get moving! We’re on the clock!” he walked back and forth, clapping and shouting, “Keira, go get changed and make-up, even if you’re just flitting across the camera, you need to do your best!”

Two years ago, to find a way to cure her dyslexia, Shawen took Keira to perform cameo roles on various sets. Though many were fleeting backgrounds, Keira enjoyed it, and her reading disorder had somewhat improved.

Now with the rare chance to work in the Miracle Director’s crew, Shawen certainly wasn’t going to pass it up. Adrian was very straightforward, and even though “Emma” had very few roles for children, he offered her one with a line of dialogue. This is also why Keira was playing acting games with the little one.

Just as most of the crew was almost ready, Gwyneth approached Adrian, dressed splendidly in a dark green lace-edged classic English lady’s outfit, which made his eyes light up: “You look really beautiful, Gwyneth.”

“Thank you,” Gwyneth gracefully lifted the hem of her dress and curtsied slightly, demure yet with a hint of allure.

“Do you have plans tonight?” she then asked with a smile, “The paparazzi aren’t following us for once, I thought it would be nice to stroll around.”

“Tonight?” Adrian sighed, “I’m sorry, but the little one wants me to keep her company tonight.”

“Emma asked you to keep her company?” Gwyneth raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Charli in the distance, who was chatting with someone else. “Didn’t you just spend last night with her?”

“You know, I was tired after a whole day yesterday and didn’t get to tell her a story, so she insists on making it up today,” Adrian shrugged. “If you had spoken up earlier, it would’ve been better. I’ve already promised her now.”

“What a pity, I was planning to give you a–a lasting impression,” Gwyneth sighed somewhat dramatically, still occasionally glancing over at Charli in the distance, a fleeting look of unwillingness showing in her eyes.

Adrian didn’t miss this. He found it a bit strange. These days, Gwyneth and Charli didn’t interact much, and although he himself had his share of warmth with Charli, he had avoided doing so in front of Gwyneth. Even if she knew about it, she would pretend not to, but seeing her react this way was really odd.

He didn’t think too much of it, though. First things first, he’d do the most crucial job at hand.

“Alright, shooting is starting soon, hurry up and get ready. Be careful not to get a string of NGs again,” Adrian coaxed.

To be honest, when Gwyneth mentioned a “lasting impression,” it did pique his curiosity. She had said the same thing that night. However, that wasn’t going to change his mind. He had to stick to his word, and besides, it wasn’t him who was desperate. Putting on a bit of an act might just yield more benefits.

Sure enough, after hearing him say this, Gwyneth walked towards the set as instructed, but her disappointed expression was more than evident. It even caused her to need two takes to adjust to even the simplest of scenes.

“What kind of surprise will you bring, Gwyneth?” Adrian thought to himself as he looked at the monitor.

A cool breeze blew by, the leaves fluttered in the wind with a rustling sound, and afternoon sunlight shone onto the forest floor. Young women, sitting cross-legged on the ground, chatted excitedly, dressed in classic attire, every move they made exuded elegance, like a tranquil still-life painting. Even though the sunlight was artificially produced, it couldn’t take away from the lovely atmosphere.

“Very good!” Adrian called out loudly after watching the scene on the monitor, after which several assistants quickly approached with coats to drape over the ladies. Although it was already May, it was still rather chilly amongst the trees.

“Thank God, the weather’s been good these past two days, everything has gone smoothly, so let’s call it a day,” he announced then. This was already the second day, and fortunately, it hadn’t rained, proving once again that the weather forecast couldn’t be trusted.

After instructing the people around him, Adrian walked over to Shawen and her daughter. Keira had completed her scenes, and Shawen’s script had passed. Staying in the village for one more night was enough.

“Take care on your way,” he said, holding Emma, then he specifically looked at Keira. “Keep at it, Keira. I believe that if you really want to become an actor and are willing to work hard for it, you’re going to be excellent.”

“Do you really think so, Ed?” Shawen suddenly became excited. The reputation of the Miracle Director was well established.

“Yes,” Adrian nodded. “I think Keira has potential, but it mainly depends on herself.”

Having said that, he crouched down in front of the girl, looked her straight in the eyes, and said, “How about we make a promise? Keira, if you can meet my requirements in three years, I’ll offer you a role.”

“What… are your requirements?” Keira blinked, then asked after a moment’s pause.

“You’ll know when the time comes,” Adrian said with a smile. “Yes, it’s an uneven treaty. It would be easy for me to break the promise, like by setting a very difficult task or saying you haven’t met my requirements. So, do you have the courage to accept such a promise?”

“Then it’s settled!” the girl immediately puffed out her chest and looked at him with a haughty gaze, her mother didn’t even have time to interject, as reverse psychology proved to be quite effective.

“Keira…” Shawen finally sighed and stroked her daughter’s head.

“Don’t worry, Mom, I think, as a famous ‘Miracle Director’, he wouldn’t use such methods to deceive a little girl, right?” After comforting her mother with a few words, Keira raised an eyebrow and looked at Adrian.

“I have to say, your daughter is really smart, Shawen,” Adrian laughed heartily, and although Emma in his arms didn’t understand why, she laughed along.

“Emma, how about you hang out with Charli today?” After watching Shawen and her daughter leave, Adrian, looking at the crew packing up, said to the little one in his arms.

The little one tilted her head and looked at him for a long time before making a silly face: “Got it.”

The day’s work had ended, and what remained, of course, was rest time. Adrian walked around the small town with Gwyneth, keeping the promise he had made the day before. To be honest, strolling through the antique small town with an elegantly charming woman, without the paparazzi around, was quite a pleasurable experience.

“Did you know, sometimes being an actor is really thrilling because you get to do in movies things you’ve thought about but are too scared or unable to do?” Gwyneth, who usually let her hair down after filming, spoke while walking, with a slight smile on her lips, and her grey-green eyes shimmered, imbuing her with a special charm. Her recent performances seemed to have woven that British lady-like elegance into her very bones.

“That’s the allure of movies, many things that are impossible in reality can be expressed through film,” Adrian replied with a smile.

“That’s why I like playing different characters, experiencing different stories, and then…” she paused, swallowing lightly before continuing to look intently at Adrian, “receiving everyone’s cheers and praise.”

Gwyneth’s demeanor suddenly shifted, her chin tilted up defiantly, breathing a little hurriedly, appearing calm but her hands tightly clenched into fists.

Adrian raised an eyebrow amusedly; her manner was an indirect way of stating her attitude, which was interesting. What exactly had Charlize told Gwyneth to make her express herself this way? It seemed he needed to find an opportunity to talk with Charlize, and of course, to properly “reward” her.

“Everyone will cheer and praise you, Gwyneth, I promise,” Adrian stated with undeniable confidence.

After staring at each other for a while, a smile once again emerged on Gwyneth’s face, and her previous elegance returned. She took Adrian’s arm: “Let’s go back.”

The rest of their time was spent not discussing this topic; they ate, chatted, watched movies, and played little games. Gwyneth finally reverted to her American demeanor, laughing unrestrainedly in the word guessing game.

“Let your hair down, Gwyneth, it’s come loose,” Adrian said, tossing aside the list of words in his hand and pointing to Gwyneth’s hair.

“My hair has come loose?” Gwyneth, with rosy cheeks and eyes smiling like crescent moons, immediately looked worried. She felt the top of her head and finally sighed in relief, “It’s just a bit, thankfully. If it had completely come undone, that would be troublesome, I can’t manage it on my own.”

“What’s the matter?” Adrian asked, puzzled, “You’ve finished filming for the day, why keep the hairstyle?”

Gwyneth, fixing her hair, turned her head to him and gave a coquettish glance, her eyes suddenly turning watery, “I told you, I want to leave a lasting impression on you.” (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come to Qidian (NovelFire.net) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes, your support is my greatest motivation.)

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