King of Hollywood-Chapter 276 - 4 Many Issues

Chapter 276: Chapter 4: Many Issues

Chapter 276 -4: Many Issues

If Jim Carrey is the kind of actor who can change his facial expressions at will, then Kevin Spacey is the kind who can change his character at will. If you watch his work consecutively, you’ll find that one moment he’s a rude guy swearing his head off, and the next he’s turned into a cold-blooded killer devoid of humanity, and then a cowardly man fearful of everything. From an actor’s standpoint, he is undoubtedly outstanding.

David Fincher, on the other hand, is one of the directors Adrian greatly admires. First, he knows how to tell a story; second, while telling stories, he retains a sharpness that’s his own. Spielberg is perhaps the best at storytelling among directors, yet often he inevitably bows to commercial and entertainment demands. Fincher seldom does this, and yet he doesn’t fall into the trap, like some auteur filmmakers, of only expressing personal views without considering the audience. He combines appeal with unique thoughtfulness—a rare kind of director.

However, because of this, he always hovered at the boundary of the mainstream, and the Film Academy wasn’t too fond of him. Although Fincher had once said, “I don’t know what the Academy thinks, nor do I know what a winning film looks like,” whether this was open-mindedness or helplessness was anyone’s guess.

Of course, all that was to come later. Right now, Spacey had just begun to make a name for himself. Although he received positive reviews as the vampire-like real estate agent in “Glengarry Glen Ross” two years earlier, he was still a step away from becoming a top-tier actor. Fincher was in an even worse predicament; the year before last he had barely managed to compete for the directorial role in “Species 3,” only for Fox to be dissatisfied with his product. They deprived him of the editing rights and released a differently edited version, provoking an indignant Fincher to declare that it was not his work, so in terms of movie production he was still a freshman director.

“This character belongs to the type of religious zealot who thinks the world is filthy and needs to be cleansed by drastic means; so by the end, in pursuit of his goal, he hesitates not even to sacrifice himself on the altar,” Spacey explained eloquently, indeed a quick-witted fellow.

“Shamosai is someone who has seen the ways of the world, unlike Mills, who grew up watching TV. He likes classical music and is adept at finding answers in documents, gradually solving the case. But because he is so used to the world, he looks on many things with dispassionate eyes, lacking passion,” Freeman commented on his role. “However, I like his last line, ‘Hemingway said the world is a fine place and worth fighting for; I agree with the second part.'”

“Although life is quite satisfactory, Mills, like most young people, is spirited and easily angered, so he ended up being chosen by John Doe as the spokesperson for ‘wrath,'” Dennis stated about his role.

“Very good, your insights are all valuable,” Adrian listened to the actors’ viewpoints and smiled as he nodded, then turned to Fincher, who had been silent from beginning to end, “What about you, David?”

Fincher kept his head down, rhythmically tapping his index fingers together on his intertwined hands. Because of the baseball cap, his expression was unclear. After a few seconds, he looked up thoughtfully at Adrian, “What is the theme you want to express, Ed? Or what were you thinking when you wrote this script?”

“What was I thinking?” Adrian raised an eyebrow, “If you’re asking about my view on John Doe, David, I regret to tell you that I have no views. I’m just writing the story. As long as the story is exciting, that’s enough. As for the theme the movie wants to express, that’s the director’s responsibility. The producer needs to ensure the story’s watchability, and even the director shouldn’t reveal too much of his viewpoint in the work, say half, let the audience guess the rest.”

Listening to Adrian’s words, Fincher stroked his chin and said nothing for a long while, but his eyes sparkled unabashedly.

“Come on, David, my terms are good enough; what are you hesitating for?” Adrian suddenly burst into laughter, “I’m not one of those idiots at Fox, don’t forget the kind of films I started making.”

At this point, he looked playfully at Fisher, “Or maybe Tom didn’t tell you?”

An innocent Fisher immediately shrugged, and Fincher couldn’t help but laugh, taking off his cap and scratching his head, “Alright, obviously, I have no reason to refuse.”

Indeed, aside from the final editing rights, Adrian had handed all the power of the set to Fincher, and even in post-production editing, he promised to fully respect Fincher’s opinions and ensure no repeat of the “Species 3” scenario. For a rookie director, these were very generous conditions.

Thus, the preparation for “Seven Deadly Sins” was set, essentially with the original team, except Dennis replacing Pitt as Mills. This career path for Dennis was designed by Adrian to fully utilize his malleability, akin to Spacey’s trait of shifting characters. However, while Spacey had formal acting school training, lending his performance a touch of stage drama, Dennis relied entirely on his own exploration and experience, which might allow for even more thorough transformations, though this required continuous accumulation. If Dennis could stick to this path, Adrian was eager to see him one day sharing the stage with Spacey at his peak.

As for Pitt, that was no longer Adrian’s concern; perhaps he would take over from Cruise as the next generation’s idol—although, it seemed he was already on that track?

The reasons for deciding to produce “Seven Deadly Sins” also included two more factors, yes, Kevin Spacey and David Fincher. Holding more talent was always better, like Michael Bay, who was awaiting the debut of his first work. Interestingly, both Michael Bay and David Fincher had gained experience through shooting MTV, yet the two had taken completely different paths in film production, highlighting the differences between people.

Alright, the topic has strayed again. In any case, Adrian had noticed Kevin Spacey and David Fincher two years ago because their agents were part of the talent agency acquired by AC Media, and they had already been under that agency even before the acquisition. In fact, the agency’s agents also served several other actors and directors familiar to Adrian who had yet to make a name. This was precisely why they were targeted for acquisition.

In short, the idea to produce “Seven Deadly Sins” had been there since then, as it was Fincher’s breakout work, and the script had already been written by screenwriters long ago. Now, it was merely put on the schedule.

“Alright, that’s it,” after chatting for another half hour, Adrian stood up and shook hands with a few people again, “I look forward to your performances, gentlemen. Especially you, Kevin, if you can give me a completely different image from the real estate dealer in Glengarry Glen Ross, one that people can’t possibly connect with, I have a brilliant script for you.”

“Really?” Spacey raised his eyebrows, seemingly flattered.

“Of course,” Adrian’s smile was enigmatic, “in a sense, this is a one-man show, requiring extremely skillful acting. Do you want to take this bet, Kevin?”

“Let’s wait and see then.” Spacey nodded his head, though he was good at hiding his emotions, the excitement in his eyes did not escape Adrian’s notice.

After Freeman and Dennis offered their congratulations and patted Spacey on the back, Fincher, stroking his chin, asked, “By the way, do you have any suggestions for the female lead, Ed?”

“Oh, I had planned to hold a small round of auditions, but just the day before I returned from Alabama, I suddenly thought of a good candidate, although I haven’t contacted her yet,” Adrian said, “I’ll finalize it soon, don’t worry, I assure you she’ll fit the role.”

“Alright then, I’ll take my leave now.” Fincher, not minding much, acknowledged and prepared to leave.

The other three did the same, saying their goodbyes and leaving.

“Wait a moment, Dan, I have some matters to discuss with you,” Adrian called out to Dennis.

After everyone else had left the meeting room, Adrian immediately smiled and playfully punched Dennis, “How have you been lately? You don’t seem very spirited today.”

“Is it that obvious?” Dennis asked, somewhat surprised.

“Not really, but don’t forget I know you well,” Adrian said with a smile.

Dennis sighed and spread his hands without saying a word, seeing that he didn’t want to talk about it, Adrian quickly changed the subject, “How do you feel? This role is different from your previous ones.”

“It’s okay,” Dennis pinched his nose, his expression suddenly changing, “If it’s just about getting into that mood, it’s no problem, as everyone has their impulsive and irritable moments. But mastering that degree, to deeply explore the character, will probably need more practice. Moreover, I know nothing about David’s directing style, nor do I have a clue about how he envisions the character, so…”

He gestured, then sighed again, “Why aren’t you directing this, Ed?”

“What, do you think you could better understand my requirements for the character?” Adrian joked.

“Of course not,” Dennis waved his hand, “You know, those directors and producers always say your directing style is unpredictable. Even in two very similar movies like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Pulp Fiction, there are many surprisingly different aspects, so how could I possibly know what you want from the character.”

“Ha, that’s a compliment, right?” Adrian exaggeratedly raised and waved his hand.

“I guess,” Dennis shrugged, “What I actually mean is, if it were you directing, our communication would obviously be smoother, and it would be easier to understand the effect you want.”

“Another compliment, almost flattery,” Adrian said with a laugh, then patted Dennis on the arm, “Let’s leave it at that. You’ve never disappointed me, Dan, so don’t start now.”

After a pause, he added, “Also, I have a suggestion, try to establish a good relationship with David.”

Adrian looked at Dennis seriously and said, “Do you remember what I told you before? You’re not suitable for all the movies I want to make, but he is a good director.”

It took Dennis a few seconds to digest the words, then he nodded in realization, “I understand, thanks.”

Adrian smiled, patted him on the arm again, but Dennis exhibited a hesitant look, as if recalling something.

“What’s wrong?” Adrian, noticing this, immediately asked.

“Um…” Dennis hesitated for a few minutes before speaking up, “I remember we talked about the issue with TV actors before. You said that after gaining extreme popularity in a hit series like Jenny did, transitioning could be very difficult.”

“Yes, I did tell you that ‘Friends’ would have at least ten seasons, and their images are already fixed in the viewers’ minds; any change would be hard for people to accept,” Adrian nodded.

“Is there no other way?” Dennis asked, frowning.

“Unless…” Adrian pondered, “Unless, from now on, you consciously start to change, like playing roles that are completely opposite to the characters in the TV show. Maybe that could dilute the established image that hasn’t fully formed yet.”

“So, which role do you think Jenny suits?” Dennis asked immediately.

Adrian stroked his chin, thinking, a somewhat mischievous idea came to mind, “Jenny’s image in ‘Friends’ belongs to the sweet type, a bit dimwitted heiress. If she wants to change, she could play more robust women with lots of action scenes.”

“Action scenes? You mean, making Jenny take on aliens or terrorists like Ripley or McClain?” Dennis looked incredulous, obviously finding it hard, or rather difficult, to picture such scenes in his mind.

“Why not?” Adrian asked with a smile, “You know, just an hour ago, I was discussing with a screenwriter and director about how to showcase women’s strength in film and TV, and decided to produce a TV drama about a girl saving the world. Why can’t Jenny try playing such roles in movies?”

By the end of this, Adrian’s tone clearly carried some teasing, but Dennis pondered momentarily then immediately asked, “So, do you have a suitable role, Ed?”

“Suitable role? Well…” Adrian was about to answer when he suddenly grinned mockingly at Dennis, “What’s with you today, Dan? Why are you so keen on Jenny’s affairs?”

Dennis visibly shivered, looking innocent, “Am I?”

“Of course, you went from transitioning to suitable roles, to whether there’s one now.”

“That’s because… we’re friends, close friends.”

“Oh, right, close friends, come on, Dan, tell me, have you slept with her?”

Opening his mouth, Dennis chuckled wryly, finally covering his forehead, “Yes.”

His response was listless, as if he had committed a grave mistake, Adrian couldn’t help but shake his head, “Come on, Dan, it’s just sex, do you need to go to a confessional?”

“But we’ve always been friends.”

“How come you didn’t think of that when you were in bed with her?”

“Because it was an accident! At a party at her house, then we both drank a lot, Noni wasn’t around, we argued, and so it just… happened.”

“No, no, no, dear Dan, there are no accidents in this case. I bet, the next morning after waking up, you guys definitely did it again, right?”

Dennis’s adam’s apple bobbed as he glared at Adrian, seemingly wanting to retort, but eventually he bowed his head, “Okay, Ed, can we not talk about this anymore?”

“You think if we don’t talk about it, it doesn’t exist, buddy?” Adrian wasn’t letting him off, “I bet Jenny definitely has feelings for you.”

“She already confessed,” Dennis sighed, “That morning after the passion, she declared she wanted to pursue me.”

“So you think by finding her a role, you can compensate Jenny and then draw a line,” Adrian shook his head greatly, “What can I say to you, Dan? You’re such a fool, you’re done if you dare say that to Jenny.”

“But it’s much better than being now, I love Noni, although we often argue, I don’t want to hurt her,” Dennis said, noticing Adrian was about to speak, he quickly added, “Don’t take yourself as an example, I’m not like you, I can’t just have multiple women madly in love with circling around me.”

“You, guy,” Adrian chuckled, shaking his head, seeing Dennis this way he didn’t press further, “Alright, I’ll keep an eye out for a suitable action role for Jenny, the rest you should handle on your own.”

Pausing here, he then flashed a mischievous smile, “Here, I’ll help you with one more thing, I’m back also to discuss other movies needing attention, one of which I’m planning to invite your girlfriend to act in.”

“You mean Noni?” Dennis looked surprised.

“Yes, so, you can come along with her, understand?” Adrian hinted.

“You wouldn’t?” Dennis gestured.

“Do you think I’m that kind of person?” Adrian raised his eyebrows instantly.

“Of course not,” Dennis raised his hand immediately, “Thanks, really appreciate it.”

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

Such a fool, such a good opportunity. Leaving the conference room, Adrian kept muttering this to himself. But when he returned to his office, he pushed it to the back of his mind because Charlize walked in carrying tomorrow’s schedule.

“I’ve already contacted her agent, the appointment is set for tomorrow afternoon, also, a woman called you just now,” Charlize said in a cold tone, “If possible, please tell me how many women you have so I can arrange better for you.”

“You know me, Charli,” Adrian looked at her with a somewhat meaningful smile, “I never hide.”

Charlize snorted coldly and left the room.

A bit jealous, huh? Adrian thought with a smile, then flipped through the documents she had left behind, a hint of surprise showing in his eyes. I thought you had given up, but in the end, you still came. (To be continued, for further details, please log onto www.qidian.com, more chapters available, support the author, support original content reading!)