King of Hollywood-Chapter 599 - 7 Look to the Long-Term

"In a way, you and David Fincher are quite alike, Steven, both of you enjoy moving between art and commerce. The difference is that David seeks a middle path that neither favours art over commerce nor commerce over art, while you keep them distinct, seeing commercial films merely as a diversion, with your true intentions always returning to art.

There’s no better way to put it—everyone has their own state, everyone has their own traits, and without these characteristics, any outstanding director would start to lose direction.

Fox Searchlight’s decision to abandon the script over a $50 million investment and a series of issues was definitely a mistake. With its documentary-like storyboards and multiple, interrelated storylines, I can see its value, and I believe the film would be outstanding if directed by you. This isn’t flattery, Steven; some say I have an incredibly sharp eye, and while that might be an exaggeration, I do have a fair amount of confidence in my own vision."

That was Adrian’s argument. Although he was always leaning back lazily in his high-backed chair, his words were quite sincere. Therefore, Soderbergh had no reason to refuse, especially since he had taken a liking to the script when Fox Searchlight first got it.

"I’ve always looked forward to working with you, Mr. Adrian, and I will prove your opinion correct," said Soderbergh without a hint of affectation.

How fortunate to have discovered the script for ’Traffic.’ Once the other party had left, Adrian sighed in his heart. Considering the countless scripts received by several film companies every day, even he could not feasibly read them all promptly. It was a good thing that someone had created a simple search software to help him find those hot movie scripts in his memory.

Even so, he almost missed ’Traffic.’ If he hadn’t happened to open the script folder starting with "T" and taken a few extra glances to recall the contents.

Now pondering over Zetajones’ film, which had a decent box office performance fulfilling the initial promises, the role was quite suitable for her. Although not substantial in screen time, the part had significant potential for performance, and might even snag a Best Supporting Actress nomination to further bolster her. Adrian thought with his eyes closed. Of course, the role of the chief justice would need recasting—Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Kevin Costner, among others, were all possible choices.

And this was killing two birds with one stone: solving Zetajones’ role issue while also drawing in Steven Soderbergh, whom Adrian had promised further collaboration with after completing this film. Naturally, he would have to swiftly acquire the remake rights to that movie from forty years ago.

"Maybe you should get me a different role," she suddenly said.

"What, did something happen on ’The Fast And The Furious’ set?" Adrian raised an eyebrow.

"No, but it’s essentially a male movie, and women are completely reduced to ornaments, whether it’s me or Jordana," Penelope sighed.

"Yes, but as I told you before, Pene, what you need now is commercial value," Adrian said, pinching her cheek, "and in commercial movies, most female roles are ornaments—don’t worry, I’ll find you a more suitable role in the latter half of the year. Right now I have a lot of things to take care of, with an important acquisition case starting next Wednesday."

Penelope’s eyebrows raised imperceptibly, then she smiled: "Alright, then I’ll leave for now, remember to call me."

With that, she turned around, sashaying out of Adrian’s office.

The door closing sound echoed behind her, and Penelope’s smile faded considerably as she glanced at the secretary’s office, where the blonde beauty was buried in her work, not even bothering to lift her head, clearly aware of what had occurred. With a light huff, Penelope stepped forward, her mind involuntarily going back to the meeting a few days ago.

A few days earlier, in a hotel in Pasadena where a party was being held.

"This is Mr. Thomas Mottola, CEO of Sony Records, Miss Penelope," a Japanese-American named Sam Tanaka introduced.

"Hello, Mr. Mottola," the Spanish lady politely extended her hand.

"Please, call me Thomas or Tommy, beautiful lady, you shine as brightly as the stars in the sky," Mottola said with perfect etiquette, bending over to kiss the back of her hand in a very gentlemanly fashion.

Tanaka soon walked away, and Penelope started to chat with Mottola. She had to admit, this man was interesting and articulate. They talked about a range of topics, from music to literature to movies, and Mottola’s views were very much to her liking. But Penelope was no fool; she quickly sensed that the other party seemed to be guiding the conversation. Glancing around, she noticed that people at the party were quite distant from them, as if the space had been intentionally left for them.

"I think there’s more you want to say than just this, isn’t there, Thomas?" She suddenly asked, still maintaining her reserved smile.

"Of course," Mottola didn’t hesitate to admit, obviously doing it deliberately, "Actually, I wanted to ask you for a favor."

"I’ve only been in Hollywood for a short time and am not very familiar with everything here; a lot of things are managed by my agent. If it’s something big, I’m afraid I might not be able to help you," Penelope said.

"You have great discernment, Penelope," Mottola smiled and suddenly changed the subject, "Hollywood is the most dazzling film factory in the world. Success here brings countless benefits and honors. But it’s not easy. Many European actors with potential have come here, but only a handful have stayed. They lack opportunities; they need more chances than native American actors, an unfortunate but unavoidable fact. So, learning how to seize opportunities is the first lesson for them after arriving in Hollywood."

"That’s true, but I believe I will get my chance; perhaps I already have," Penelope maintained her composure, but a hint of disagreement – or perhaps intentional demonstration – emerged.

"Yes, of course, the Miracle Director has indeed created many miracles and is bound to continue doing so, an acknowledged fact in Hollywood," Mottola looked at her and said directly, "But on average, how much can each woman really get? There are more than just a few Miracle Girls around Mr. Adrian, and each woman holds a different weight in his heart."

Penelope’s expression changed subtly, but Mottola did not stop: "Perhaps you could reap many benefits from him, but it’s also possible that after exhausting your time, energy, and the most beautiful years of a woman’s life, he might, as if bestowing a gift, throw you some scraps. In my eyes, the latter scenario seems all too probable, Miss Penelope. You’ve already missed your best chance."

"Suddenly, I feel that talking to you was a mistake, Mr. Mottola," Penelope said with a cold laugh, noticeably changing how she addressed him, "Sadly, this manner of speaking only makes you distasteful."

"No, no, no, Penelope, you’ve misunderstood," Mottola laughed heartily, "Yes, I do enjoy the pursuit of beautiful women, there’s no doubt about that, it’s in a man’s nature. But I now have an official girlfriend, and I absolutely do not maintain relationships with several women at the same time. That’s a principle of mine. As I said at the beginning, Penelope, I simply wanted to ask you for a favor."

Penelope raised her eyebrows but said nothing.

"In the past decade, the media industry has seen rapid development, with various acquisitions and mergers happening every day. Now, Sony Records has prepared a big plan, but unfortunately, AC Media also has its eye on our target. Therefore, I think Miss Penelope may be able to provide something we’re interested in," Mottola said with a smile.

"Me?" Penelope gave a scornful laugh, "You must be joking, Mr. Mottola. I’m just an actress, not some..."

"No, I am not joking. I indeed would like Miss Penelope to help us with this favor," Mottola’s face became serious, "If you agree, you will gain the friendship of the entire Sony Group."

The entire Sony Group’s friendship? That was indeed a tempting offer, and Penelope could not help but be moved, but she quickly scoffed again, "Is that so?"

"Of course, if you’re willing, I can arrange for Ms. Amy Pascal (CEO of Sony-Columbia Pictures), and even Mr. Howard Stringer (CEO of Sony America) to meet with you right away," Mottola raised his hands, and without waiting for her to answer, he continued, "This is just a small favor. You don’t need to sneak a peek at Adrian’s files or deliberately listen in on anything. You only need to subtly steer the conversation when you’re with Adrian, and tell us about his work-related issues and schedule."

He laughed, "Playboys can be quite loose-lipped at times. I believe with Miss Penelope’s beauty and intelligence, it should be easy for you to do this. Later on, you’ll just need to contact us using an unfamiliar email that only we know about. The risk is very low, and there’s nothing to worry about, especially since we have other channels as well."

Mottola was not at all polite, and this displeased Penelope. She looked at him emotionlessly, "What do you think I am, Mr. Mottola? Even though I don’t have much affection for Adrian, I wouldn’t do such a thing!"

The CEO of Sony Records was not angry, but merely looked at her with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, "Is that so? Then, what do you think Adrian would think if I leaked our conversation today to him?"

Penelope suddenly took a sharp breath and glared at him, while Mottola spread his hands, "If you really thought that way, you should have left immediately upon hearing this proposal. I’m not trying to threaten you, Miss Penelope, I just want to tell you that this is a profitable deal for you, the best way to achieve your goals! Even if you could please the Miracle Director, how many benefits could you gain? The best opportunities have already passed, and now the women who are closest to him, weren’t they all entangled with him before he made it big? One even had his child. Is it better to vie with many women for the favor of the Playboy, or to have our full support? It’s not a difficult choice, right?"

Indeed, it was not a difficult choice. Penelope, coming out of the building and sitting in her car, closed her eyes and sighed deeply. If there was any hesitation in the past few days, the previous test was enough for her to make a decision.

"He looks at me as if I’m just a pet," Penelope said to the rearview mirror, "saying that commercial films are my choice, but they’re all just excuses, what you said yourself, it was... God’s arrangement!"

She repeated this several times to the rearview mirror as if convincing and justifying herself, then rubbed her cheeks, took a deep breath, clenched her fists, and her eyes burned with fierce ambition.

"That’s right! God’s arrangement!"

Adrian was still busy with all sorts of things. Although there was still over half a month before the filming of "Winter’s Bone" was scheduled to start, there were always things that needed to be settled.

"I have to admit, this is a really attractive screenplay, almost... tailor-made for me. I really don’t know how to thank you, Ed," a woman’s pleased voice came from the other end of the phone.

"How about thanking me in my favorite way, Sofia?" Adrian said with a hearty laugh while holding his phone in the back seat.

"Don’t even think about it, Ed," Sofia huffed.

"Hey, I’m serious, I could have the driver turn around and head to your place right now," Adrian joked. "I can’t wait to pin you down on the bed, the table, the sofa."

"If you keep talking like that, Ed, I’m hanging up right now."

"Alright then, as long as you like the script. Remember to give me a call when you start planning the production, I’ve already decided on the lead actress."

"Really? That girl has fallen into your hands again."

"You must’ve met her, Liv Tyler. This script is tailor-made for her—of course, it’s also designed with you in mind."

"You sure have a way with words, Ed."

"So, find some time to meet with me and her together, maybe I can get us all into bed."

"Ed!"

Before Sofia’s roar could reach him, Adrian had already hung up the phone and burst into laughter again.

After finishing the filming of "The Lord of the Rings," Liv hadn’t taken on any new movies, despite the many invitations, there weren’t many roles suitable for her. She was too tall and too beautiful; she’d be a vase no matter what, a decorative piece in art films according to the career path Adrian had laid out for her.

The script now prepared for her, called "Innocence," was from a Belgian movie Adrian had seen in his past life. Like most European films, it had a loose structure and lacked a clear theme, most of the imagery filled with ambiguous symbolism. However, the cinematography was pretty, and the whole story should be about a young girl’s coming of age, which should suit Sofia Coppola quite well.

There was no need to say more; Sofia liked it, and that naturally led to planning for production. It was perfect timing since she hadn’t directed many films, and this could help her gain some more experience and pedigree in directing.

It seemed like a good idea to get Sofia and Liv into bed together, taking care of both the director and the actor in one go. That’s what Adrian thought as he got out of the car. However, lately, Liv had been getting along famously with Blanchett and Gwyneth. Just a week ago, "Sense and Sensibility" started filming in London, and she went there to have some fun. It was hard to know what to say about that. Fortunately, Sarah spent most of her time mingling with Kate and Charlize, so it wasn’t a big deal to keep the two of them apart.

After walking into the building from the parking lot, he collected his thoughts. He was here at Marvel Comics’ movie production headquarters in Los Angeles today to discuss better allocation and utilization of Marvel’s superhero franchise resources.

"Gentlemen, frankly, I think you’re being a bit conservative. ’Spider-Man’s’ success has shown everyone Marvel’s potential, so why can’t ’X-Men’ be done on a grander scale?" Adrian said to a group of Marvel executives from New York in the meeting room, "Reboot the whole series to fit the movies, deepen the characters’ relationships, and so on, like producing a movie series. Even, you could think longer-term, like—’The Avengers’!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote for it on Qidian.com with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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