King of Hollywood-Chapter 244 - 242 Agreed

Chapter 244: Chapter 242 Agreed

Chapter 244 -242 Agreed

Tim Burton, another genius director from Hollywood, was born in Burbank, very close to several major Hollywood studios, so he was deeply influenced by film during his childhood. He went on to attend the California Institute of the Arts and during his school years received a Disney scholarship, eventually becoming a Disney animator. As a result, the use of color in his films is exceptionally vibrant.

However, due to a reclusive childhood and a series of reasons, Burton’s films have always been known for their darkness and black tones. No matter the subject matter, it seems to remain within this framework. Interestingly though, no matter how dark and black the story is, it always ends up warm and cozy, which has allowed him to maintain a balance between mainstream and alternative, thus being recognized by the mainstream audience while retaining his individuality.

This time, Adrian was looking for him to direct a film specifically tailored for Liv Tyler, “Sleepy Hollow.” After searching his mind, Adrian found this film to be a suitable project for Liv. After all, there are many memorable films, but no matching search engines.

Riding a white horse, dressed in classic attire, a purely innocent girl — there was no one more suitable for Liv than this. But there was a serious problem: “Sleepy Hollow” was a 1999 work of Tim Burton, whose personal style was too distinctive. If someone else were to take over, it would be difficult to achieve the same effect.

So, after much consideration, Burton was still the best choice. The style shown in “Edward Scissorhands” fully qualified him to direct this film. However, this brought another issue to the fore — with Burton directing, the male lead would be none other than Johnny Depp. Though their bromance wasn’t apparent now, with the memories of his past life, Adrian was very clear about it.

Well, he didn’t mind Depp playing the male lead; after all, that was his role. As long as Liv’s position as the female lead was secured, it would be fine. The problem was that Depp wasn’t interested in him, and the reason for that…

If Dennis was arguably the lead in “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” that would mean, including “Memento,” he had taken on lead roles in two films directed by Adrian. Along with standout supporting roles in “The Shawshank Redemption” and “Pulp Fiction,” the media dubbing him Adrian’s go-to actor wasn’t a problem.

Unfortunately, this title wouldn’t last forever. Although Adrian didn’t mind letting Dennis keep it, his film plans were too numerous and varied, and many roles had already been firmly decided; not every role was a fit for Dennis. But that was fine — Adrian had already prepared a good partner for him, and soon they would start to mesh. Before that, the title of the Miracle Director’s go-to actor would continue for a while.

Alright, back to the original topic. Since he was known as the go-to actor, the closeness of his relationship with the director was self-evident. Depp was now also called Burton’s go-to actor. Okay, now a director, who happens to be closely related to a guy who ‘robbed’ you, oh, should I say who is dating your ex-girlfriend and has achieved considerable success at a young age, recently making a splash in a romantic film, comes running to offer you a role. Would you give him a warm welcome?

Of course, people’s reactions aren’t all the same, but although Depp was already thirty years old, even older than Adrian, his mentality was far more immature. Hence, he had been rather indifferent from the start.

“The entire tone is set according to your style, though, of course, I can’t confirm that all of it aligns with your views.”

“No, no, no, these are all very creative; I think they are quite good.”

“Perhaps you could take a look at these few chapters of the storyboard; if there are any issues, feel free to point them out.”

“The setting for the Headless Knight could perhaps be a bit creepier; however, I still need to think about it. Your screenwriters have done a good job; I hardly know what to choose from.”

Inside the private room, Adrian and Burton discussed back and forth, with Charlize and Depp completely sidelined. Oh no, Charlize was still sorting through materials for Adrian, ready to hand over what was needed at any moment, while Depp was completely bored, yawning so much he almost made noise, taking his marijuana out and putting it back several times.

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But he never showed any impatience, always sitting quietly by the side, because Burton was still discussing. This was also Adrian’s strategy; once Burton was on board, convincing Depp wouldn’t be too hard, especially as there was no direct conflict between them.

“So, what do you think, Tim?” After a long discussion, Adrian paused to ask this question while looking at Depp beside him, “I can grant you enough authority, Tim, and I believe Johnny playing the male lead will shine, as long as you’re the one directing the film.”

“To be honest, the proposal is tempting,” Burton sighed, clasped his hands together, and thought for a few more minutes, then turned to look at Johnny Depp beside him.

“Enough authority?” Depp was silent for a few seconds, then looked at Adrian and asked.

“Yes, all rights except for the final editing rights,” Adrian nodded seriously, then, before Depp could raise an eyebrow and probe further, he preempted and continued, “This is a commercial movie with a potential investment of around fifty million, so making money is the primary purpose. Although I appreciate Tim, I don’t think he should have the final editing rights to such a commercial film.”

Depp frowned, seemingly displeased with the way Adrian spoke, but he did not argue any further. Having been around the industry for nearly ten years, although still carrying a bit of his reckless style, he understood the gravity of the situation, so he gave Burton a look and then returned to his indifferent demure.

“It looks like there are no more issues,” Burton said with a smile, understanding Depp well; he knew what that look meant, “Next time, we can negotiate formally.”

“Good, then I’ll take my leave; looking at the time, I can still make it to my own Halloween.” Adrian said as he stood up with Charlize, heading towards the exit while exchanging an imperceptible glance with Burton.

Yes, today’s entire sequence was orchestrated by both of them. Weeks ago, Adrian had contacted Burton and, using the invitation to join the celebration party for “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” had a lengthy discussion.

Next, the two men discussed over the phone, with Adrian quoting the price early and not hiding the fact that he wanted Liv to play the lead actress.

“I assure you she’s right for the role; I believe my judgment is trustworthy. In fact, the script was initially conceived with her in mind, and then after discussions with the screenwriters, it unwittingly began to lean towards your style, so in the end we decided to combine the two,” this is what Adrian had said to Burton.

Burton, much more pragmatic and stable than Depp, and having seen the materials Adrian sent over about Liv, was very interested in the script. Many parts were to his liking—not to mention that Adrian rewrote some ideas that originally belonged to him—and he also had the on-site rights promised by Adrian, so after much thought, he agreed to it.

However, when Burton later made a suggestive inquiry to Depp, he encountered a soft snag. Of course, Burton didn’t explicitly say that Adrian had a new movie he hoped for him to direct, merely jokingly inquired whether the Miracle Director seemed to want to invite him for a role, only for Depp to declare he wouldn’t accept even if Adrian offered him a fifteen million salary.

Burton naturally did not push further, he was all too clear about the situation between Depp, Winona, and Dennis, having been a bystander at the time; he had even consoled Depp numerous times. Ultimately, seizing the opportunity of Depp hosting a Halloween party at his club, he invited Adrian for a face-to-face discussion, figuring it best to address any problems or discrepancies directly, which seemed the quickest solution.

As for the outcome, it goes without saying.

“You certainly have taken quite an interest in her, going to all this trouble,” Charlize suddenly remarked after they left the club.

“I take an equal interest in you, Charli,” Adrian responded with a chuckle, although Charlize hadn’t mentioned a name, he knew well what she meant. Almost 90% of business matters passed through Charlize’s hands now; she was privy to many of his dealings, so in that respect, Adrian was quite frank with her.

Charlize hummed softly and closed her mouth again, but her cheeks flushed when she heard Adrian’s chuckle. Even she could hear the jealousy in her words, so how could Adrian not pick up on it?

“Alright, let’s go,” Adrian said, getting into the car and starting the engine.

Truth be told, if possible, he would love to delay “Sleepy Hollow” for a few more years. He had chosen the film not only because the female lead was a great fit for Liv but also to draw Burton closer and to mellow the relationship with Depp—not that Adrian didn’t think little of Depp in some respects. It was just a woman; if resentful, why not win her back? Holding onto anger towards others after breaking up, what kind of man does that? Not very straightforward, in his view.

Although that’s what he thought, Adrian would never show the slightest bit of it, as there was no direct conflict with Depp, who still had value to be courted. As long as he controlled that value, Adrian couldn’t care less to fuss over these things.

This was the difference between them: Depp was essentially a drifter, able to act heedlessly at times; whereas Adrian was more often a businessman, prioritizing profit maximization, therefore, not easily revealing his innermost thoughts.

Burton’s value could not be underestimated either—Adrian admired such directors who had a distinct personal style yet managed to have their work accepted by the mainstream; such directors knew how to tell a story. This film was meant to be Burton’s turnaround after several failures and to solidify his position in Hollywood. If delayed until after another setback, the impact upon release could be even greater.

However, the problem was…(To be continued, for what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com. More chapters available, support the author, support genuine reading!)