King of Hollywood
Chapter 358 - Chapter 358: Chapter 82 Facing Desires

Chapter 358: Chapter 82 Facing Desires

The film that was being prepared for Rachel was naturally “The English Patient,” which turned the scriptwriter Anthony Minghella into a top-tier director through its success. Though the box office was not great, the film’s reception was extremely good in both the United States and Europe, no doubt partly due to the heavy promotion from the production company Miramax. The quality of the film itself was also excellent.

In fact, after “The English Patient,” Anthony Minghella never produced anything quite as outstanding. It seemed he had poured all his inspiration into that one film.

Now that Miramax was a subsidiary of AC Media, and as a work that had shined brightly at the Oscars, Adrian remembered it clearly, and naturally wouldn’t let the opportunity pass. Rachel’s scholarly demeanor was a perfect fit for the female lead, and with Ralph Fiennes’ acquaintance with the novelist, they had secured the adaptation rights early on.

At this time, Anthony Minghella had only just shifted from scriptwriting to directing and had just wrapped up his second movie. Because it was a relative failure, he had no new projects lined up, so inviting him to join didn’t take much effort.

The discussions in the meeting room were quite relaxed and pleasant, which had almost become Adrian’s personal hallmark. He’d invite the actors and director he deemed suitable to the company for a thorough talk, and then they would confirm the preparations. It was the same for “Seven Deadly Sins,” “The English Patient,” and no one had any complaints or differing opinions.

After all, who wouldn’t recognize him as the Miracle Director? His discerning eye for talent was known to all, and countless actors had expressed a desire to work with him. Fiennes had agreed to appear in “Schindler’s List” because of him, so he would certainly not refuse this invitation. And Rachel certainly wouldn’t, either; Minghella wouldn’t be considered a top-tier director until after this film, so he had no say in casting or anything of the sort.

Besides, there were plenty of precedents from both actors and directors. Only a fool wouldn’t want to collaborate with Adrian, so it didn’t take much time to finalize. Only Sophie, although very proper throughout the process, couldn’t help but have a slight look of dissatisfaction when she glanced at Adrian.

“I need an explanation, Ed,” Sophie said to Adrian with a questioning tone after everything was concluded.

“What’s wrong?” Adrian spread his hands innocently.

“I came here,” she pointed at the floor and then crossed her arms, tilting her head with an air of displeasure, “to complete the final voice work, not to discuss appearing in a film role.”

She paused there before adding, “Especially not without my agent present.”

“I remember we talked about this, Sophie,” Adrian began with a smile, “You think–”

“Did we?” Sophie recalled, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

“Of course, the afternoon before last at 3 PM, you had just finished your first voiceover for Isabelle and joked that it should be played in French. I asked how you would feel about being invited to play a nurse’s role in World War II, and you said no problem,” Adrian’s smile remained the same, but there was a teasing look in his eyes.

Sophie blinked in bewilderment for a moment before the memory came back to her, and she began to feel embarrassed.

“I thought you were joking,” she averted her gaze, coughing uncomfortably.

“I made it clear at the time that it wasn’t a joke,” Adrian’s tone grew playful.

After taking a few deep breaths, Sophie finally calmed down, but before she could speak again, Adrian continued, “Remember, Sophie, when I left London, I made a special trip to Paris.”

“Of course, you brought your new film’s lead actress, Ms. Gwyneth Paltrow,” Sophie snorted lightly, her voice tinged with a hint of sarcasm that she didn’t realize was a bit off-key.

“I mentioned this novel to you then, remember?” Adrian smiled slightly, “From that moment, I thought the role was meant for you; don’t question my judgment, Sophie.”

He raised his hands, “I admit, inviting you over to talk about this without explaining was a bit abrupt, but you didn’t object before, right? Trust me, Sophie, it’s going to be an outstanding film.”

“And did you tell Miss Rachel Weisz the same thing?” Sophie asked immediately, and as soon as she spoke, her expression subtly changed, finally realizing her own peculiarity.

“I think I need to leave,” she decisively walked towards the office door.

“So, are we agreed?” Adrian called out after her.

“This should be discussed with my agent,” Sophie answered without turning back, wearing her sunglasses all the way to the elevator before letting out a long sigh, then feeling a surge of irritation.

“Bring your new film star? And you told her the same thing?” she berated herself, covering her forehead. Wasn’t she his new film lead just before Gwyneth?

I need a good rest, Sophie told herself, just at the moment she had uttered that sentence, feeling an unexpected pang of jealousy! Good heavens, had she really fallen for that playboy?

Yes, playboy–if during the shooting of “Braveheart” she couldn’t be completely sure of what kind of person he was–even though he brought his pregnant live-in girlfriend to set, even though he often wasn’t at set on weekends–then with the media barrage of gossip about him afterward, she thought she could make a judgment now.

But even so, whenever she faced him, she always unwittingly put those thoughts out of her mind. Was it because of his conversation? Or because of his good demeanor? Or… the way he looked at her? Admiration, fondness, and possession, he never hid them. This elegant man seemed to hold something in his deep heart–sharp, wild, mysterious. Indescribable, yet extraordinarily attractive.

Alright, it’s just a role, don’t overthink it. Sophie consoled herself, but even back at the hotel, this emotion still troubled her, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

Sophie Marceau was not the only one troubled by this emotion.

“Don’t… Ed…” Before Rachel could finish her sentence, she was pulled into the room and pressed onto the bed just like before, followed by Adrian’s somewhat rough, whirlwind-like violation, which left her with nothing to do but emit painful yet excited moans of compliance.

Rachel didn’t understand why she had become like this, didn’t understand why she was willing and even…somewhat infatuated with being possessed by this man in such a way, considering she hadn’t spent much time with him and he had plenty of women around him.

Yet some things just happened, like the first time they met when he ended up in her bed; it all seemed so strange but somehow it made perfect sense. Rachel was not the kind of woman who lacked character or intelligence; as evidenced by the fact that after receiving praise for her performance in a movie at the age of thirteen or fourteen, she had given up acting opportunities to continue her studies and eventually got into Cambridge University with excellent results. Not to mention that during university, she self-produced and acted in many experimental plays, toured many places in England, and won the Edinburgh Festival’s student drama award.

Now, she found herself being played by such a man at his will, and even though she had tried to avoid or resist in detail, she could not escape his grasp–okay, these evasions and resistances were in some ways more like affectation.

Just like before when she kept saying “don’t do this,” but if she really wanted to refuse Adrian, she shouldn’t have returned to the villa with him. Yet not only had Rachel not done so, but she continued to engage in deep conversations with him, and even though she knew Charlize’s looks were meaningful, her struggles against Adrian’s frivolity seemed more like coquettish refusals, so she was always unceremoniously pulled into his arms.

What did I actually want to get from him? Sitting in her pajamas at the long table, Rachel watched Adrian, who was drinking coffee and reading the newspaper–smiling faintly when he felt her gaze, the morning sun streaming in from outside.

Was it that charming and unfathomable aura? Or the violent invasion on the bed that brought shivering pleasure to the peak? Or perhaps it was simply for a better future? Rachel sighed in her heart and decided not to think about these things, as thinking too much sometimes only led to more confusion… Oh, damn it, that’s what he had said too.

Whether it was Sophie or Rachel, most of their reactions were within Adrian’s expectations. From the very first time Rachel came to Los Angeles, he had planned it all, though Sophie was a last minute addition–remembering the nurse in that movie was played by Juliet Binoche, but of course, such opportunities should be given to one’s own people, and after directing Braveheart, replacing her with Sophie was no problem at all.

From this perspective, Adrian seemed somewhat greedy, like someone who was eating but still looking at what is in the pot. But what of it?

“Only by facing your desires can you better control them; if you dare not even confront your own desires, and need all sorts of excuses to cover for yourself, how can such a person ever succeed?” After a slight tease from Charlize, Adrian had said this. Of course, in front of the public or in a crowd, a mask is necessary. Since humans put on clothes and built houses, privacy has become a cornerstone of society and hypocrisy is inevitable. But if in private, alone at night, one doesn’t dare to admit their desires and dark side, such a person can only be worthless.

Of course, Adrian also admitted he was perhaps too greedy, so it was time for an adjustment. The situation with Rachel seemed not bad either, something more than a sex buddy but less than a collectible.

Okay, back to the summer blockbuster topic. Even though Seven Deadly Sins was rated R by the MPAA and had a dark tone from beginning to end, its box office performance proved substantial. A $30 million box office in two weeks might not compare to those with heavy production, but for an R-rated movie, it was certainly among the top.

This movie not only made David Fincher be seen in a new light–heard that Warner intends to re-edit Alien 3 according to his vision and release it on video tape, though Fincher probably still wouldn’t admit it was his work–but it also brought Kevin Spacey more attention. With Seven Deadly Sins being a long-run movie and another of his movies releasing later that year, this was definitely good news.

As for Freeman and Dennis, while the former was already an old hand in Hollywood and just lacked a trophy, the latter, amidst scandals, still maintained a large fan base with his outstanding performance and accountable statements.

At the same time, Bossworth Film and Adrian, or more precisely Adrian, attracted attention. Bossworth Film had only this passable movie in this summer’s lineup, Mission: Impossible could only count as half since it wasn’t their production, which was much less compared to last year, so the focus was on Adrian.

Everyone knew his eye for talent was sharp and outstanding. From the moment he stepped into the entertainment industry, he had never misjudged an actor, and now it seemed he had to add directors to the list. He had set his sights on Michael Bay, whose “Bad Boys” was a huge hit and simultaneously catapulted two black actors to fame; he fancied David Fincher, whose “Seven Deadly Sins” received rave reviews and was sure to rake in a hefty box office.

Even if the media’s coverage of behind-the-scenes was far less than that of the front stage, they couldn’t help but cast more attention on him, curiosity being one of human nature’s driving forces as well as that of the media. How did the Miracle Director unearth their talents? Why did he favor them? Could he truly discern the quality of actors, directors, and screenplays at a glance, among other things?

Even though Adrian had discussed such matters on numerous programs, audiences still didn’t mind him repeating the stories several times. At the same time, questions expanded to his new film–what exactly did it depict? Rumors were he had produced two films, both in the style of England: one a historical war piece, the other adapted from a British novel. The latter was confirmed to be an adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Emma”–not many could be kept in the dark about that–but the former remained a mystery.

“Perhaps we should always keep an eye on his movements, and once he shows any interest in adapting certain novels, we could strike first,” suggested executives at movie studios, even though they all knew such advice was futile.

This influence even extended beyond film. During negotiations with ABC, Claude jokingly asked if they were willing to become another testament to Adrian’s keen eye. After all, while the success of Pixar’s investment and acquisition was unprecedented, a single example didn’t constitute a solid case.

Even Michael Eisner, while trying to consolidate internal hopes to regain the upper hand, used this as a point to convince the board: Look, the Miracle Director is optimistic about ABC, so we definitely shouldn’t give up.

Admittedly, this excuse did have some impact. It was unfortunate that just after July, CEO Claude of AC Media announced to the world that they had secured 5 billion US Dollars from Wall Street for financing; together with current funds–if no one interfered–it should be enough to take ABC under their wing. And Claude hinted that if this still wasn’t sufficient, raising another 5 billion wouldn’t be an issue. As a result, all media in the brokerage category got excited–clearly, the acquisition battle was entering its final moments.

However, these matters were of no concern to Adrian. He was kept informed of the progress only through the various reports Charlize organized daily. Apart from post-production work on the two films, most of his time was spent accompanying different women. He’d be organizing the nursery repeatedly with a heavily pregnant Kate, or shopping with Monica and arranging dinner with Julia, and then occasionally bringing one to another’s house. Of course, things such as continuing to mentor Sarah on her behavior, or listening to Liv share secretive matters from the rock scene, need not be detailed.

Moreover, there were matters akin to importance, such as the preparation of various films. “The English Patient” was planned to still be produced and distributed by Miramax–after all, they had their unique strengths in promotion and public relations that must not go unused, right? Besides, it would serve as an example for New Line to see that performance could bring opportunities. Although Sophie initially asked him to talk to her agent, in the end, she agreed–the invitation from Adrian was something she couldn’t genuinely refuse.

Then there was “The Mask of Zorro.” Hopkins didn’t hesitate to accept, and neither would Bandaras refuse. Upon learning that Adrian had really secured an Oscar-winning actor to perform alongside her, Zetajones was so excited that her eyes shone, naturally striving to please him to her utmost ability in bed.

“I must admit… you are truly irresistible…” Adrian said breathlessly, while Zetajones in bed raised her long legs high, resting them on her chest, her body seemingly bent over.

“Oh, as long as you wish, Ed… I could do anything for you…” Zetajones replied, immersed in extreme excitement, ready to accommodate any move the other wished to try.

Yet Adrian didn’t get too rough; he hadn’t explored on top, the chest, or the backside, even though his arrangement with Zetajones was purely transactional, and she would have to agree even if unwilling. Adrian didn’t just want a fleeting fling. Although she wasn’t of high caliber, he did have a desire to keep her, so better to capitalize on these sweet deals for now.

Additionally, another movie was ready to be scheduled. Silver had performed satisfactorily in “Jumanji” and thus seemed suitable for the role of the boy in “The Sixth Sense.” While Dennis was already proof of his good judgment, having more such talents could never hurt. As the younger brother of River Phoenix and Joaquin Phoenix, the little guy had spirit and might just soar to great heights.

As for history’s most disastrous male lead who dies within the first ten minutes, Adrian still considered Bruce Willis. However, given his slightly declining trajectory that wasn’t yet obvious, he might not accept a role that appeared diametrically opposed to his image.

But no matter, even if Willis declined, a suitable candidate would be found, so Adrian wasn’t overly concerned. By August, a few more days had passed, and on the first weekend, he took Gwyneth on his private jet to Mexico and, after several layovers, arrived at Rosarito by the Pacific, where a grand cinematic project had already commenced filming. (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to come to Qidian (NovelFire.net) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)