Chapter 807: Chapter 213: Ready
“National Treasure” is a pretty good movie, featuring cryptic puzzles, action, theft, and legend, but not too intense—perfect for a family outing to the cinema. However, compared to the most talked-about films of the sa period, its box office does not match up with the Pirates of the Caribbean series, nor does it impress like The Bourne Identity series, so Adrian didn’t think of it imdiately.
By the ti he did consider preparing it, Brokheir arrived with Kopman, marking the first ti in over a decade that Adrian encountered such a situation. But there’s no need to be too surprised. Previously, when he wanted to replicate movies and TV shows—even during the early days of his career—he would have people gather materials in advance to check for any similar ideas, then use various ans to make the concept widely known. Back then, he relied on the Screenwriters’ Guild; after establishing his dia group, it beca even easier. So, over the years, whenever he planned a movie or TV series, there were never instances where the original creator had already thought it out.
But National Treasure was a spur-of-the-mont idea, naturally lacking any kind of investigation, so no need for too much surprise. After all, the world cannot entirely operate according to his wishes. Of course, the storyline must showcase the ace screenwriter’s talent, leaving nothing out.
“…Although Gates is an adventurous archaeologist, he isn’t a criminal. So when Shaw plans to steal the Declaration of Independence, Gates resolutely refuses to participate. Naturally, they fall out, and after escaping Shaw’s coercion, Gates goes with his assistant to the Departnt of Holand Security, the FIB, and the National Archives, but none of these departnts believe him, leading him to protect the Declaration of Independence from being destroyed…”
“Gates and his assistant take action before Shaw, stealing the Declaration of Independence, preferably during a party at the National Archives. Gates could also et the heroine at this party; she might be a true archaeologist or a director at the Archives—either way, she could help Gates in this aspect, right?”
“…Using the letters discovered by a kid, they finally uncover that the remaining clues point to the Independence Bell, although they are unsure of the timing, posing another challenge.”
“I rember there being a depiction of the Independence Bell on the 100 US Dollar bill, and it surely shows the ti. Since the whole story begins with a one US Dollar bill, inserting the 100 US Dollar bill as guidance makes sense. Right?”
The normal conversation concluded in such circumstances, with Kopman finding Adrian’s responses aptly tid to pick up on key points he raised, consistently aligning closely with the story Adrian had in mind. Afterward, Kopman sighed and looked at Brokheir, who burst into hearty laughter.
“How about it, Brian? I told you Ed would recognize the value of your script.” he said.
“Indeed, Mr. Cowell is undoubtedly Hollywood’s best screenwriter.” Kopman shrugged convincingly.
“Actually, I was just thinking about a story concerning treasure, and I had my sights on the Declaration of Independence; I had only an idea with a few details but lacked a specific outline. Your concept just happened to inspire , so I completed it in one go,” Adrian spoke very naturally, without any hint of embarrassnt.
“Then, can we settle the matter this way?” Brokheir followed up promptly.
“Of course, but we might need to postpone a bit, as I have so things to consider, and you also have the sequels of Pirates of the Caribbean to attend to. Maybe we can delay until next year?” Adrian said, smiling, “I already have a suitable candidate in mind to play Ben Franklin Gates.”
This took the two n aback, but they soon displayed admiration—he truly is the Miracle Director.
Since he had spoken, Brokheir indeed still had movies to handle, so it was settled. Now, it’s up to Cage.
“Brian, if you have the ti, why not think about how to arrange the plot for the sequel.” Adrian added as Kopman was leaving.
Kopman hesitated but then joyfully agreed, clearly understanding that the Miracle Director favored this movie, and those he favored seldom failed.
That’s as far as he could help; if Cage couldn’t learn from his lessons, Adrian could do nothing more.
Apart from Matchstick Man, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants also premiered at this ti. Due to its low budget and the relatively unknown status of its cast, no premiere was held. Nonetheless, its promotion was well-handled, and its box office was slightly better than the original, with the reception continuing to be quite positive.
“Honestly, you did well, Leighton. The critics are raving about your performance.” Adrian, lying in a deck chair under a parasol by the pool, remarked to Leighton ester, who had just erged from the water and was lying at the poolside.
“It’s just okay, not as good as Alexis or Amanda.” Leighton pouted, seeming sowhat unsatisfied.
Adrian broke into laughter. Among the four main female characters of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants—or rather, four-and-a-half, as there is a young girl with leukemia portrayed by Kristen Stewart—the role drew attention due to her naturally fitting temperant, making her stand out in the film.
In brief, among these four-and-a-half leads, leaving gan aside—since she would remain a flower vase for a while longer—Alexis had relatively substantial acting experience, and her role suited her, making her performance the best. Amanda lacked Alexis’s experience but was determined not to let any opportunity slip by, and Adrian too favored capable won, so she worked very hard and received praise nearly on par with Alexis.
Under these conditions, Leighton had to settle for third place. The reviews being better than those for Kristen were already promising for her. Kristen, as a young actress, had remarkable acting skills and had impressed many with her role in Panic Room. Thus, Leighton’s frustration stemd from Amanda, who had gotten involved with Adrian later than she did, yet had already starred in several films, with two hitting theaters over the past two weeks—and well-received at that. Naturally, Leighton wasn’t willing to concede.
Then, with a splash, the girl leaped out of the water. Her swimsuit—essentially a single string—covered only three points, looking almost as though nothing was worn at all, yet far more seductive than being completely naked. Previously, Leighton would wear either nothing or only a bottom when swimming in front of Adrian, but upon learning his preference, she promptly altered her style.
In this regard, Leighton was very obedient, so Adrian had no qualms about satisfying her requests, especially since…
“Give a leading role, please,” Leighton nestled her young, yet to fully mature body against Adrian’s chest, swaying slowly, “I don’t need high box office or acclaim—I just want to be the lead once.”
“No problem.” Adrian promised promptly, quick enough to surprise the girl.
“You deserve it,” he smiled, then smoothly shifted the topic, “By the way, how’s Burbank High School going? You ntioned last ti that Blake recruited more cheerleaders to her side, and she seems to be leading more of the ti?”
“That advantage is rely due to her parents’ connections,” Leighton sneered at the ntion, “In a fair contest, I wouldn’t lose to her, plus…”
She shot Adrian a deep look, shaking her lower half with greater vigor: “If you’re willing to support , beating her would be effortless.”
At this, Adrian chuckled lightly, noncommittal, prompting a hint of disappointnt in Leighton, quickly replaced by wide-eyed realization at an idea.
“Ed,” she climbed up a bit, an excited look flashing across her face, “are you interested in playing with her?”
“Oh?” Adrian raised an intrigued eyebrow.
“I know her well, after all, we’re rivals. Although she had a boyfriend in school, she broke up quickly because of dealing with . I believe she never slept with him. I’m sure you’d be interested in her.” Leighton cautiously said as she looked at him.
“What do you think about us doing the sa trick we did last ti?” Adrian stroked his chin, suddenly asking, “Maybe you could get yourself a little follower.”
Leighton was stunned for a mont, then revealed a look of great joy, “She will fall for it, I guarantee.”
Adrian nodded in satisfaction. Hadn’t the initial intent of sending Leighton to Burbank been to see a live-action version and to have so certain ideas? Now it’s ti to get ready to reap the rewards.
Of course, even thinking that, there was still so ti before that mont, so his focus remained on the movies. By late September, as the sumr box office season was coming to an end and the fall TV season was beginning, “Julie and Julia,” which had been well-promoted, finally held its premiere in New York.
Adrian did not attend; he went there the next day instead, as for the reason…
“…Natalie showcased her astonishing talent once again. As I sat watching this film, admiring how Julie Powell recreated the dishes that Julia had once introduced on TV, I didn’t realize she was just a 22-year-old young woman and a vegetarian. The mature yet innocent contradiction was perfectly embodied in her. When she appeared onscreen, she was that woman who at 30 still hadn’t found her goal, yet was full of curiosity about many things, yearning to constantly explore. Although she and Streep didn’t share scenes, her acting was in no way inferior, as if they were rivals across decades of ti and space. This is a classic piece.” Finishing reading, Adrian tossed the newspaper onto the table and smiled as he looked at Natalie standing on the balcony.
The young woman was wearing only striped pajamas and white bottoms, her legs exposed, standing on her tiptoes barefoot. Although the curve of her calves wasn’t perfect, it was still quite alluring. She leaned against the railing soaking up the morning light and enjoying the breeze, each ti brushing back the windswept hair, exuding a different flavor.
“Most of the reviews are positive; your performance was truly impressive, Nata, far beyond my expectations.” Adrian approached and embraced her from behind, “When I watched the rushes, I felt your scene recreating the French wine-braised beef was outstanding. That sense of indulgence was clearly conveyed to and now also to these critics.”
“I made it several tis myself,” Natalie said lightly.
“I know, you possess great talent and work very hard—heard your father argued with you over it?” Adrian leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on the ear.
“Such things are normal; the real surprise is if there’s ever a day without an argunt,” Natalie glanced at him, “It’s a small matter. I was rely following your instructions to eat a little at.”
“That’s a good living habit,” Adrian laughed heartily, then greedily took a deep breath at the back of her neck, “Look at you now, neither fat nor thin, perfectly alluring.”
Natalie said nothing, remaining silent for a mont before sighing, “All I can do is put my heart into acting.”
Adrian, hearing this, didn’t mind: “Yes, I know, that’s why I chose today to co over instead of attending last night’s premiere, just to tell you, I’m about to start.”
“About to start?” Natalie imdiately turned around, incredulously looking at him, even though monts ago she was quite composed.
“Of course, I’ve ntioned before that at the latest we should start shooting this month,” Adrian smiled aningfully, “Everything I’ve done up till now, including last night’s release of ‘Julie and Julia,’ is to set the stage for next year.”
Despite feeling a bit uncomfortable under his gaze, Natalie showed an expression of expectation. She understood quite well what this implied. She had lost a lot along the way, and although she resented Adrian, she knew that if she wanted to achieve what she desired, she had no choice but to rely on him.
“In a few more months, as long as ‘Julie and Julia’ brings the expected results, next year or early 2005 shouldn’t be an issue,” Adrian continued.
Of course, that’s not entirely certain. Although his influence in Hollywood is one of the top, if this year he manages to elevate Sophie to the top of the Best Actress category, that award will be his for six consecutive years. How the Film Academy might react is unpredictable, although he has a few more cards up his sleeve, Natalie’s reputation still needs to be at a certain level to have an impact. So before presenting ‘Walk the Line,’ he sought a suitable film to pave the way for her.
He wasn’t particularly optimistic about ‘Julie and Julia’ before, but there wasn’t a better choice at the ti, so he used it. However, it seems that this decision turned out well, not to ntion the praise, critics’ reviews were generally positive, even if none gave full marks. The story was a bit lackluster, with its attractive culinary details, although it was inspiring and well-crafted, it lacked much drama. However, in terms of ratings out of ten, critics mostly scored between 7.5 and 8, quite consistently, indicating so rit in the film.
The box office as well was acceptable, with first-week figures matching the number of theaters, which is already good for a dium-budget movie, possibly clawing back its North Arica revenue. As the film has both reputation and box office success, with a little maneuvering, it could beco a hot topic next year, and the rest is just about PR, getting that Best Supporting Actress nomination shouldn’t be a problem as long as it doesn’t turn into a joke.
As a result, there will be a good show next year. This card will have more value, thereby providing important promotion for his end of 2005 to early 2006 plans.
Of course, Natalie is unaware of this, though she is smart enough to deduce the situation Adrian is likely facing, but she still chooses to believe. Besides the clear-eyed analysis Adrian offered that left a strong impression on her, his indelible mark over these years was profound—not to ntion his string of victories at elevating actresses to the Best Actress at the Oscars, Natalie also witnessed him building a large dia group from a small film company within a decade.
Though she has no access to confidential information, she is able to do basic research and analysis. Adrian has rarely made mistakes and has almost single-handedly propelled the developnt of ABC and Universal. Even for soone as rational as Natalie, it’s hard not to develop a fundantal belief that “he’s unstoppable” and that “anything he sets out to do will succeed.”
“I’m ready,” Natalie finally responded.
Thus, the movie “Walk the Line,” which describes the love and inspiring story of Johnny Cash and his wife, June Carter, began shooting at the end of September. Well, before officially starting the shoot, Adrian had one more thing to handle. While inspecting the situation at the studio, he unexpectedly encountered Sophie, who had persistently refused to divulge specifics, and found out what changes she had made to her second short film.
Initially, this short film’s script was given to her by Adrian under the na “Cashback,” yes, the one once nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Film, depicting a man dealing with heartbreak who takes a night-shift job at a supermarket, passing the ti by imagining stories about the strangers he observes during his boring eight-hour night shift.
A very exquisite short film with so unspeakable nuance yet doesn’t hinder viewing. Though it was later expanded into a full-length movie, for many the short film remained more flavorful.
Due to the relatively simple setting and storytelling, with focus on pacing and image handling, Adrian assigned this to Sophie to practice. Unexpectedly, Sophie began to drastically revise it upon receiving it and wouldn’t let him know. Thus, the male lead was eventually changed to a female lead, and what surprised him even more was that Kayden Kross took on this role! (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welco to visit Qidian (qidian) to vote for recomndations or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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