King of Hollywood

Chapter 152: Chapter 152: Discussion and Others

In the CEO’s office of Bossworth Film Company, a small celebration was taking place. It was termed small because there were only two people in the room at the moment.

“Congratulations, Ed, you’ve left the British speechless,” Laverne said as she raised her glass in a toast to Adrian.

Every outstanding CEO has some privileges in their office, like Laverne’s liquor cabinet. As long as they know their limits, the bosses generally don’t interfere.

“How can they be speechless? The reviews for ‘Howards End’ have not stopped appearing in the British newspapers during this time,” Adrian said with a teasing tone as he swirled the drink in his glass.

The British media, of course, couldn’t stay silent forever, so after a brief hush, they all gave their reports, which were basically comments on the actors and comparisons between the film and the novel. For instance, one critic thought the romance between Henry and Margaret developed too quickly, falling in love and getting married suddenly without capturing the essence of the novel. However, he immediately added that this was, in fact, quite normal since films don’t have the luxury of time like novels do.

Such practices, like picking out minor faults only to smooth them over, were common in the British media. And they hardly ever mentioned the director, only giving vague compliments like, “Adrian is an outstanding director” or “He truly translated what the novel intended to express through his film,” when they couldn’t avoid it. They didn’t even dare mention Adrian’s British grandmother—who had they considered when they were first so critical?

“Beating around the bush like a woman, not straightforward at all,” was how one American journalist described the behavior of their British counterparts.

Even if the British media’s concession was somewhat grudging, the fact that they had conceded was clear, so the victorious American media were also magnanimous in letting the matter rest. Of course, the tabloids paid no heed to such things—the concept of saving face was non-existent for them.

“No matter what, this is an achievement that cannot be ignored,” Laverne said earnestly.

“Thank you,” Adrian said with a slight smile, raising his glass to Laverne, his expression meaningful, “I’ve now done what I promised at the beginning, and now it’s your turn.”

Laverne’s expression became serious: “I know, and I will give it my all.”

“Don’t rush, let’s secure the nomination first,” Adrian said, sipping the amber liquid in his glass, “If there’s anything you need, just ask. I’ll do my best to provide the necessary resources.”

After a pause, he then asked, “So, how about the front-runner, or should I say, the weather vane?”

“The nomination list will be announced in a few days. All is going well,” Laverne’s expression relaxed into a smile, “If you’ve made your decision, I can start the PR parties immediately after the nominations are announced.”

“I’ve already decided, no changes needed,” Adrian waved his hand dismissively, “Monica getting a nomination is enough. If she wins it now, there will be a lot of talk of foul play, and neither we nor they would want to see that happen, even if everyone knows what they’re like. Better to do a favor, and… just leave it as it is.”

“Understood,” Laverne nodded, not saying anything further.

“That is all, then. I’ll be leaving. You’ve done a fantastic job, Laverne,” Adrian put down his glass and patted Laverne on the shoulder in a gesture of encouragement before leaving the office and walking out.

Adrian had revealed his intentions to his CEO last year when he began planning and preparing the three films, also declaring his complete assurance of quality, thus Laverne’s capabilities became the key.

Now, both had given each other a pleasant surprise. Adrian had indeed ensured the quality, as all three films reaped both critical acclaim and box office success. “Pulp Fiction” not only secured the Palme d’Or but also became his first North American production to earn over one hundred million at the box office. “Scent of a Woman” and “Howards End” managed to shatter many people’s expectations, with Pacino’s and Thompson’s performances garnering overwhelming praise. Not to mention “Howards End”, as a niche art film, was already approaching thirty million at the box office — although this was a result of overspending, it wasn’t much of an issue for Adrian.

Before all this, Laverne had already secured an Oscar nomination for Best Director for him, setting the record for the youngest nominee in that category, so Adrian could fully expect his plans to become reality in three months.

One Best Actor, one Best Actress, and… another Best Director nomination, that was already enough; whether he won Best Director was not important, Adrian thought as he drove. Although he was highly visible this year, it didn’t mean the Film Academy would deem him worthy of the award.

Firstly, “Pulp Fiction” had impressive directorial techniques, but its content was excessively gory and violent, clashing with mainstream views. One should not assume that the Film Academy doesn’t consider such things when selecting Best Director — they are simply more lenient than for Best Picture, but “Pulp Fiction” certainly crossed the line.

Secondly, there was the issue of experience. Adrian’s directing career had only exceeded a little over two years. If he were to win Best Director so soon, how would others feel? True, there were Oscar directors who had won on their first nomination, but before that, these individuals had directed many times in other fields, such as stage and television — that’s how networks are built.

Besides, there was a veteran with an extraordinary reputation competing at this year’s Oscars, so even though the chances of winning weren’t zero, there was no need to exert too much effort. Instead of focusing all resources there, it was better to ensure the Best Actor and Best Actress chances. Moreover, Laverne had given him a great idea. If successful, the impact would be no less than winning Best Director, so for the time being, it wasn’t necessary to concern himself with that. After all, it was bound to be his eventually.

Well, these matters were still some months away, and the nominations hadn’t even been announced. Adrian shook his head and then remembered another list of nominations about to be announced — the 50th Golden Globe Awards.

Despite the Golden Globes being tainted with controversy, they carried weight in the United States, at least more so than various association awards. Anyway, the Golden Globes had their standing, and while the less than one hundred jurors could be influenced and controlled, there was still a fundamental baseline. The awarded works could be controversial, but they couldn’t be outright terrible, or else it would be the Golden Globes themselves that would sour.

So Adrian had Laverne submit for the Golden Globe Awards as well, mainly for Monica. Her appearance and performance in “Pulp Fiction” were on par with Uma Thurman’s, if not more glamorous and sexy in certain aspects. However, her acting skills were admittedly lacking by at least a tier. As previously said, due to her long modeling career, her face often appeared somewhat stiff, and fixing this would require a lot of time. So, an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress was out of the question.

Now that Monica was his woman, he certainly couldn’t let her down. To keep her in hand, both affection and interest were indispensable, so if she couldn’t get an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, getting a Golden Globe nomination for the same category was entirely possible. Yet, due to the acting issue, the chances of winning wouldn’t be high. Moreover, Drew Barrymore was also in the running for Best Supporting Actress. Since he had made a deal with Drew, and “Guncrazy” had earned her much acclaim, why not help her climb another rung on the ladder? Consider it a favor bought.

After all, awards would come eventually; there was no rush, and everything was just beginning. Steering the wheel, Adrian turned onto another street. The thought of Monica stirred him.

Although he had spent most of the past few weeks with Kate, he didn’t fail to have secretive rendezvous with Monica. Whether Kate’s youthful vigor or Monica’s fiery passion, both were utterly enchanting, and he wondered when he might indulge in both sensations simultaneously. Oh, and there was Julia too; those five days of mad passion were also unforgettable. It was going to take some effort to fully win her over.

Adrian parked his car not far from his destination, stretched lazily, and sighed. However, it wouldn’t be too difficult because his goal for the year was nearly two-thirds complete. In a few months, if everything went smoothly, then…

He had been strategizing since the start, investing not only a great deal of time but also enormous energy. People only saw his tremendous success with three films, winning the Palme d’Or with “Pulp Fiction,” reversing his cult-director image with “Scent of a Woman,” and shaming the British who doubted him through “Howards End.” Yet, they were unaware of the hard work and pressure behind it all.

Success was the only option, failure was not allowed — a pressure Adrian placed on himself because he believed he would never fail. It was this pressure and belief that allowed him to complete three masterpieces in record time and nearly replicate them perfectly, thus realizing his plan. Besides, sex was indeed a good way to relieve stress.

In any case, once his goals were achieved, next year could be less strenuous, less tense, giving him much more time for other things. Adrian tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. Though said many times before, it still had to be said, everything was just beginning.

At that moment, there was a knocking sound on the passenger’s side window. Adrian collected his thoughts, smiled, and opened the door for the person outside. (To be continued, for more information visit www.qidian.com. More chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)