King of Hollywood

Chapter 197: Chapter 197: The Remaining Matters

“The Professional” casting event finally drew to a close, and although the production team kept a low profile, it inevitably attracted quite a few reporters by the end—after all, Adrian’s reputation as the Miracle Director was well known.

However, Adrian didn’t engage much with these journalists who caught wind of the news. He left most of such matters to other responsible team members—he had more pressing tasks and couldn’t afford to spend time with reporters. Besides, this was just a casting for a new movie, not a collaboration with any big-name stars, so the news value wasn’t very high. Although the headlines in the newspapers were eye-catching with titles like “Miracle Director Targets Assassin in New Film,” you’d find that these articles were typically relegated to the fifth or sixth pages at least.

The first item on the agenda after casting was paying Natalie a visit at her home. After all, she was just a little girl under twelve, and even though she had been chosen, the consent of her guardians was necessary. To avoid any complications, Adrian visited the very next day and even had dinner at Natalie’s home. It was after an evening of interaction that he understood why Natalie emphasized not to tell her father about her reading “Lolita” and why her agent, Sandy, advised him it was best to gain the trust of Natalie’s parents.

Natalie’s father, Evan Harg, was in his thirties, a doctor studying reproductive organs—Adrian’s first impression was that he seemed like a stern and stubborn uncle standing before him. Though Evan greeted him with a smile and a handshake, Adrian’s intuition led him to such a judgment.

Upon further thought and observation, Adrian quickly grasped why he felt this way. Having been involved in the production of “Schindler’s List,” he was somewhat familiar with Jewish customs. From the home decorations—like the Hanukkah menorah and the mezuzah on the doorframe—it was apparent what kind of Jewish household it was. The blessings of the patriarch before and after meals further confirmed Evan’s position as head of the household.

Those who preserve such ethnic traditions usually appear conservative. They all have beliefs they adhere to—Adrian’s uncle was one such person, and so was Natalie’s father. However, Evan was evidently better at socializing than Anderson. He had a sense of humor, enjoyed joking around, and rarely exerted parental authority in front of his wife and daughter, showing palpable love for them. At the same time, he never swayed from certain views, no matter how justifiable the reasons, such as—

“Why would you want to create a plot like this, Adrian? A middle-aged man and a young, even little girl’s… story of affection?” Evan had asked him.

Since Natalie was cast, the complete script naturally had to be reviewed by her and her guardians. Evan expressed dissatisfaction with certain scenes that suggested intimacy between Léon and Matilda from the text. However, he did not adopt a tone of interrogation or use harsh words, even replacing the word “romance” with “affection.”

“You’re right, Evan, a story of affection,” Adrian shrugged with an unchanged smile, “This is a fairy tale about an assassin. Both protagonists are actually still children, having closed off their hearts due to the significant events they’ve faced. But it is because of this trait that when they meet, an astonishing spark ignites. It’s a spark of affection, and affection comes in many forms—it’s laced with kinship, friendship, and a touch of hazy romance. You’re a doctor, Evan, and although you haven’t studied psychology, you should understand the reasons behind this.”

Evan nodded and then shook his head, while Adrian chuckled silently and casually continued, “Rest assured, Evan, I know how to control the camera and handle certain scenes, and if you wish, you can frequently visit the set. Besides, don’t you think we should encourage children to bravely pursue their interests?”

As he spoke, he looked at Natalie, who was conversing with her mother at the dining table. At that moment, the girl turned her head towards them, and upon making eye contact, she offered Adrian a grateful smile—clearly, she had been listening to the conversation between Adrian and her father.

As a conservative Jew, Evan was disinclined to have his daughter act in movies. However, Shelly, an artist herself, supported her daughter, and Natalie had a strong desire of her own. Evan wasn’t the kind of father who insisted on having his child act exactly as he desired, hence the preceding discussion with Adrian.

“Then, that’s settled. I’ll have Shelly stay with the production team; I hope you don’t mind,” Evan concluded.

“How could I?” Adrian answered with a smile and a wave of his hand, then glanced again at Natalie, who had excitedly balled her little fists and started tapping them together. The visit had been worthwhile; he had garnered a great deal of valuable information, and combined with his recollections, his confidence grew. Nevertheless, for some reason, as he left Natalie’s home, that initial sense of unease bubbled up inside him again.

After settling the role with Natalie’s family, Adrian should have proceeded to Liv’s house as planned, but due to Kirsten’s circumstances, he had to delay once more, given that Kirsten currently resided in Los Angeles and couldn’t stay in New York for an extended period.

Just as Adrian had anticipated, after receiving two scripts delivered by a courier company, Kirsten ultimately chose the movie “Interview with the Vampire.” On one hand, the role of the daughter in “The Piano Lesson” was still that of an ordinary little girl, with the setting changed only to the Victorian Era; on the other hand, the character of Claudia in “Interview with the Vampire” was a girl with the psyche of a 35-year-old but the appearance of an eleven or twelve-year-old, fitting the type of unique role she wished to portray. Additionally, the novel “Interview with the Vampire” had always been popular, so her choice of this movie was quite expected.

The outcome somewhat relieved Adrian—he would have faced trouble if Kirsten had chosen the daughter’s role in “The Piano Lesson.” Although Bossworth Film Company was financing the movie, it was still largely an independent film, and getting Kirsten through Campion’s audition would likely require some strategizing.

Anyway, “Interview with the Vampire” was a good match for Claudia and her image, and besides, some things are not unchangeable. Moreover, there are still quite a few decent novel adaptation rights in hand, such as—”Little Women”! Thanks to Adrian’s foresight, he had secured the rights to many future blockbusters based on novels. And let’s not forget what his publishing company does with yet-to-be-published bestsellers.

Aside from certain special bestsellers, like the “Harry Potter” series (which is rather long with seven books) or “Da Vinci Code” (which would be hard to replicate without Dan Brown’s expertise), some novels with less stringent conditions could be outlined for signed authors to write. If a signed author is capable enough, some excellent novels suitable for film adaptations could even be written and published in advance.

“I’m glad you chose ‘Interview with the Vampire’,” Adrian said to Kirsten, who was accompanied by her mother, Inez, in the café they had been called to. Taking advantage of Inez stepping away for a moment and having sent Charlize away, he continued, “I believe you will perform wonderfully. However, we are still in preparation, and we may not be able to start shooting until the end of May. So before that, perhaps you could consider appearing in another film.”

“What is it?” Kirsten, who had been enjoying her cake, paused and looked up at Adrian with sparkling eyes.

“A film about gastronomy and attitudes towards life, the role of a girl with anorexia, a commercially driven film. We just need to cast the girl, and I think you could give it a try,” Adrian said succinctly.

“Really?” The little girl’s brows furrowed slightly in apparent reluctance, then pouted and shook her head at Adrian, giving him a pitiable look.

“You have to understand, Qiqi,” Adrian said with a smile, using her nickname and undisturbed by her refusal. “To showcase your value, it’s not just about playing memorable roles, but also about box office success. An actress can gain fame by only appearing in art films, but to reach the next level, she must have blockbusters to her name, even if she is just a supporting character—I think you should understand this principle.”

The pretty doll-like little girl blinked her eyes, and a smile spread across her lips as pure as a little angel’s, while only Adrian could see what flashed in those bright blue eyes.

“Okay, I agree,” Kirsten said, gracefully wiping her mouth with a napkin, her beautiful smile unchanging. “You wouldn’t deceive a little girl like me, right?”

“Of course not,” Adrian responded with raised eyebrows, his admiration for her hidden inside.

With that settled, when Inez returned, she had no objections to Adrian’s invitation except a hope to see the script as soon as possible. In fact, she preferred her daughter to play roles like the one offered rather than Claudia in “Interview with the Vampire.” But with Adrian’s persuasion and Kirsten’s performance, she eventually agreed.

“I’ll have them send the script over as soon as possible, but you might have to stay in New York for a few more days,” Adrian said as they left the café.

“No problem, Adrian, we have a place in Point Pleasant Town, New Jersey,” Inez nodded.

“May I express my gratitude, Adrian?” Kirsten, leaning against her mother, suddenly said in a childish tone, her head slightly lowered in a shy manner.

“Oh, certainly,” Adrian maintained his smile.

“Then could you please bend down?” Kirsten asked, looking up at him.

Although unsure what she intended, Adrian complied and bent down. Following a tight embrace around his neck by the small girl standing on tiptoes, he felt a gentle kiss on his cheek.

(To be continued. For the continuation of the story, please visit . The site offers more chapters, support for the author, and support for genuine reading!)