King of Hollywood-Chapter 554 - 275: Exclusive Interview

"Hey, dear Gwyneth, why are you sitting here all alone?" Adrian’s teasing voice rang in Gwyneth’s ear as the girl sitting alone at the bar drinking looked up at him with a light hum but didn’t answer.

Of course, she was just being a little petulant, so she soon sighed: "I’m not content, Ed."

"What’s there to be discontent about?" Adrian sat down next to her with a laugh, "There’s winning and losing; if you lose this time, just win it back next time. I should be the one who’s discontent, managing to let the award slip away despite having three nominations for the same category."

"That’s not the same, for you, getting a nomination is an easy thing," Gwyneth said softly, downing the amber liquid in her glass before looking at him with dissatisfaction, "You’re biased!"

Adrian smiled slightly: "You’re right, getting a nomination for Best Director is indeed easy for me, which is why getting you another nomination for Best Actress is also very simple."

Gwyneth didn’t speak again. She was of course aware of this, especially since she had been nominated two years in a row, and this year, even had Blanchett nominated alongside her. Adrian’s talent and ability were indisputable. Thus, even though she felt somewhat dejected and unhappy about not winning the award, she wouldn’t blame Adrian, and her "You’re biased" was more of a playful reproach and coquettish complaint.

Of course, even so, she spent quite some time feeling gloomy; she gave Adrian a look during the award ceremony to indicate she was okay, but she hadn’t initiated a conversation with him from the time they left the Oscar venue to this place. Besides, had it not been for Adrian, Blanchett, and the other women all attending Vanity Fair’s party, she might have gone back alone first.

Also, for this reason, Adrian didn’t come to console her immediately after finishing his chat with Spielberg but took a big roundabout, first expressing his congratulations to Blanchett again, flirted with Julia and others, then waiting until Gwyneth had calmed down a bit before speaking.

"Don’t worry, Gwyneth, I’ve said before, if the Film Academy keeps ignoring you, I’ll get you nominated every time until they give it to you," Adrian said, stretching out his hand to gently caress her cheek.

"Wow, if that’s the case, am I going to break the record for the most nominations?" Gwyneth spun the glass in her hand and spoke half-jokingly, half-seriously.

"If you want to," Adrian smiled faintly, "I’ve already prepared a new movie for you. Once you’re done filming ’The Lord of the Rings,’ we can start shooting."

"Really?" Gwyneth looked at him in surprise. Although she knew all about his capabilities, she still didn’t expect him to have a new script ready for her so soon. But she immediately snorted and showed a dissatisfied expression, clearly, this was prepared in advance, and he never planned to let her win at this year’s Oscars in the first place. freewebnoveℓ.com

"You know I always look far ahead." How could Adrian not know her thoughts? He immediately burst into laughter, "But it’s likely to be released next year, so you might as well rest this year and prepare well because there will still be some tough competitors then."

The script he mentioned was not the one he discussed with Spielberg. Although he believed Gwyneth could just about manage the role, acting alongside Kevin Spacey was still a bit too soon for her, so it was given to another woman. The one prepared for Gwyneth, although originally awarded to the supporting actress, did not pose a problem for a Best Actress nomination. As for whether she could win, it didn’t matter – Gwyneth could wait a couple more years.

"Hey, Gwyneth, so you are here," just as Gwyneth was about to speak, Blanchett’s voice sounded, and she sat down on the other side of her, hugging her affectionately.

"You didn’t come here all by yourself to sulk, did you?" Blanchett asked with a giggly smile, her cheeks flushed, obviously having imbibed quite a bit.

"How could that happen?" Gwyneth struggled for a bit and then puffed out her chest and leaned towards Adrian, "I was having a chat with Ed, and it was very enjoyable. I guess it’s probably because you have too many people to entertain."

As she spoke, she also turned her head towards Adrian and made a "right?" expression, while sneakily pinching his thigh with her hand. Obviously, she wanted him to help temporarily outdo Blanchett. However, Adrian just shrugged noncommittally, while Blanchett burst out laughing, leaning over the bar in a fit of amusement.

"Is it really that funny, Kate?" Gwyneth got a bit angry; she actually knew that even if Adrian agreed with her, it was just to comfort her, but Blanchett’s outright laughter was hard to take cheerfully.

"Oh my dear Gwyneth, you are so adorable." Blanchett giggled and suddenly leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek.

This gesture startled Gwyneth; after all, there were many people at the party, and getting cozy with Adrian was no big deal, since everyone in the industry knew they were close. But public affection with Blanchett was different, although they had seen each other candidly countless times at home.

But Blanchett’s next words diverted her attention: "You know, Ed was planning to celebrate with me alone tonight."

Gwyneth immediately bit her lip and, with a heaving chest, looked towards Adrian. Basically, after finishing "Shakespeare in Love" and "Elizabeth" in London, she and Blanchett had both been sleeping with Adrian. But now, he was actually going to celebrate alone with Blanchett! That was just too much.

"Of course, I didn’t agree, you know, Gwyneth, I love you, just as much as I love Ed." Blanchett whispered seductively into her ear, her smoky blue eyes softening her somewhat rugged features, making them much more enticing, especially with her rosy lips parting now and then, she looked particularly charming, obviously having had one too many.

"So, it’s the same old rule, let’s do it together, let’s drain him dry tonight!" She continued with a laugh, "I can teach you a few tricks, my very own little tricks, on how to make this bastard feel even better."

Gwyneth was momentarily distracted, her mind once again filled with the thought of the competition that had erupted that morning. In the time leading up to the awards ceremony, they had done everything to please and charm Adrian. Although she had won a few times, it was mostly Blanchett who had the upper hand, and perhaps that was why she won Best Actress today?

Although this was a biased thought, as winning an Oscar certainly depended on both PR and luck, not to mention quality - and the roles, although different, were not as far apart as one might think. Luck is harder to pin down, after all, Adrian couldn’t possibly influence all nearly 6000 members of the Film Academy, PR can only compensate for the lack of luck, not replace it completely.

However, once this thought had taken root, at least for the short term, Gwyneth wouldn’t be able to shake it off, being a woman and all. So she turned her head and glared at Adrian again, puffing with anger.

Adrian, who was already very familiar with her, could guess what was going through her mind. He almost laughed out loud and wanted to say something, but Blanchett gave him a look at that moment. On second thought, he agreed that some topics are better left for women to discuss. So, after a chuckle, he stood up and left, letting Blanchett and Gwyneth whisper to each other.

But that didn’t mean he had nothing to do; after making a round inside the club, he finally found the figure he had been looking for.

"Leaving so early?" Adrian quickly caught up with the girl who was heading out.

"It’s not early anymore, the award ceremony has been going on for hours, and I usually would be asleep by now if there wasn’t anything else going on," the girl stopped and turned around, smiling as she spoke.

"Oh?" Adrian’s face was full of disbelief.

"Come on, Ed," Natalie rolled her eyes with irritation, "I may not be a party animal, but it’s not like I’ve never been to a party. Even though this is hosted by Vanity Fair and there are a lot of big stars attending, it’s still a piece of cake for me."

"I knew it, nothing can stump you." Adrian sighed, then leaned forward slightly.

Natalie smiled and stepped back, then subtly pointed her fingers to either side.

"Alright," Adrian sighed again, "Can I at least have someone take you home? I insist."

Even though Natalie eventually agreed to his request, she firmly refused to let him escort her out, leaving Adrian feeling regretful and frustrated. Who had he promised to avoid overly intimate public behavior with her?

"Please take me to the Kerren Hotel." Once she got in the car, Natalie said to the driver, then turned to take another look at the club’s entrance, where she could still make out Adrian’s wavering figure.

The venue hosting the party wasn’t very large, so Natalie had a clear view of Adrian flirting with various women. Earlier, she had even seen him leave a newly-opened nightclub in Manhattan with a beautiful drunken girl, just days after she had stayed over at his newly purchased New York apartment.

However, Natalie’s face showed no particular emotion. There was no anger, irritation, discontent, or sense of having been deceived—none at all. She simply tapped her cheek with her finger, deep in thought.

Another Oscar season had ended, and the debates were about to begin. There were always people who couldn’t help but defend certain films every year, and this time they had particularly strong arguments.

"I can’t think of a reason to give Best Director to anyone else. Yes, Robert Zemeckis’s ’Cast Away’ is very good, and Tom Hanks’s performance is excellent, but Adrian Cowell had three whole nominations! If the Film Academy isn’t planning to give him Best Director, then why give him so many nominations?" the Los Angeles Times raised this question.

And USA Today lamented ’Shakespeare in Love,’ saying, "This is a romantic comedy that came close to Best Picture after ’Annie Hall.’ However, due to some non-cinematic factors, the Oscar for Best Picture went to ’Cast Away.’ This isn’t to say ’Cast Away’ is inferior to ’Shakespeare in Love,’ it’s just really a pity."

These remarks actually had little effect; lists like "Oscar snubs" were designed to attract attention, so there was no need to take them to heart. Adrian took the opportunity of spending another couple of days in Los Angeles to inquire about some matters, such as ’Final Destination,’ which was due to be released at the end of the month.

’Fight Club’ and ’Ju-on’ had achieved expected results, and this film should be no exception. Natalie’s performance in it was quite commendable. However, every time he thought of the original female lead serving as a flight attendant on his plane, Adrian felt very amused.

Then there were several significant films releasing next month, all of which had undergone no small changes due to his involvement. Adrian was curious to see if the box office would turn out as he hoped.

In addition, ’Dark Angel’ had finally aired its first episode on the TV network. Ironically, Spielberg’s ’Band of Brothers,’ which had finished shooting several episodes, was yet to premiere, in contrast to Cameron’s ’Dark Angel,’ which started later but had already made it to TV. Of course, this also had to do with different production methods. ’Dark Angel’ followed the traditional American TV series format, airing while shooting, while ’Band of Brothers’ would only broadcast after full completion, and not to mention, ’Band of Brothers’ had a much larger investment than ’Dark Angel.’

Based on the ratings of the first episode, although it was standard fare, there was still potential to be mined. Jessica may not have been considered beautiful and her face still had some baby fat, but she was very cute, and she had a great figure, so she became popular as soon as she appeared, just as Adrian remembered. However, the audience for science fiction dramas might not be large, and while they could become very loyal once they fell in love with the show, the plot was prone to collapsing. Those popular TV series all shared a characteristic: they were episodic, meaning you could watch any episode in isolation without confusion, and the longest cliffhangers only lasted two or three episodes.

Currently, ABC’s hot shows like "Friends", "Everybody Loves Raymond", and "CSI" were just like that. But due to the nature of their themes, science fiction dramas were fated to have a major cliffhanger and a major theme every season and then gradually unravel the mystery for viewers. If it was a daily episode, this wouldn’t be a big issue, but for a weekly episode, without enough cliffhangers, viewers would find it hard to continue following the show, leading writers to create increasingly far-fetched storylines.

Whether it was "Dark Angel" or the subsequent science fiction dramas, that was the case. So even if Adrian had averted the premature end of "Dark Angel", it was still hard to say how many seasons could be produced in the future.

But that didn’t matter, future issues could be dealt with later. The release of "Dark Angel" had at least filled a gap in genre for the television stations under AC Media. Currently, life-oriented series included "Friends" and "Everybody Loves Raymond", mystery series "CSI", gang series "The Sopranos", fantasy series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", the family women-attracting "Sex and the City", and the political "The West Wing"—a show that both flattered the government limits and had good ratings since last year’s second half. Adrian would not let go of it.

Then, add various reality shows, complete genres, and fairly good ratings, making ABC nearly on par with NBC! This made ABC extremely proud and boastful, operating more smoothly.

Next up were matters related to Blue Sky Studios and the exclusive interview with Vanity Fair. The former goes without saying, over a year ago, Adrian had promised Chris Wicki, the head of the studio, that if they won Best Animated Short at the Oscars, he would invest 50 million US dollars for them to create a feature-length animated film.

Adrian always kept his word, and he had been looking forward to this, so he readily wrote the check, especially after learning that they planned to create an animation about the prehistoric Ice Age, which pleased him greatly.

"I believe your animation won’t lose to Pixar," Adrian said to a few of the leaders after taking the time to tour Blue Sky Studios. "When I was acquiring Pixar, I told them to let their dreams fly and make the animation you want to make. Today I repeat that here, make the animation you want to make, don’t feel pressured, and then give me and everyone a surprise!"

Though it was just a few simple words, they caused many in the room to be excited. Those involved in animation work often harbored dreams. Perhaps the staff at Blue Sky Studios weren’t as pure as the pioneers of 3D animation at Pixar, but once their fighting spirit was ignited, the effect was certainly extraordinary.

How exciting. Exiting Blue Sky Studios, Adrian felt this way in his heart. Once Blue Sky Studios developed further, he would own two-thirds of the 3D animation sector. When he got the remaining third, the market would be dominated by AC Media alone!

Of course, that would take at least three or four more years, so better to handle the immediate matters first.

"That will do, it’s quite good," Adrian said to the makeup artist after glancing in the mirror. As a man, he didn’t need too much makeup, then he got up and sat in the high-backed chair in his office.

Not far away, Mary Brenner, one of Vanity Fair’s most famous female reporters, was talking with her assistant. She looked very statuesque and elegant in a grey business suit, and she was well-preserved, though a bit on the older side.

In addition, Annie Leibovitz, with her light-colored long hair, was on the other side adjusting her camera and directing the lighting technician to arrange the set. Adrian chuckled to himself, Vanity Fair had sent its strongest team to match his status.

A few years ago, he still took part in media interviews and attended TV shows, but as time went on and AC Media grew stronger, such occasions had become increasingly rare. As a media mogul, it was necessary to maintain a certain degree of mystery in front of the media; the various news generated during his movie shootings were enough.

However, many magazines and TV channels still persisted in extending invitations, even though they knew that if he agreed, he would prioritize his own group’s media outlets. This included well-known magazines like People, Fortune, Forbes, and as soon as the Oscar nominations were announced, Time had called to invite him to be on the cover. Unfortunately, Adrian had accepted an invitation from Vanity Fair—why? Because AC Media was in collaboration with the Newhouse Group. Why? Because he was a regular guest at Vanity Fair’s "Oscar Night" parties every year! (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian to vote and show your support. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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