King of Hollywood-Chapter 224 - 223 Distribution of the Script

Chapter 224: Chapter 223: Distribution of the Script

Chapter 224: Chapter 223: Distribution of the Script

Even so, that didn’t mean the major newspaper journalists were out of things to write. It must be noted that the scandal had been a headline for several days, and the tabloid that first broke the story saw its sales soar to over ten thousand. So how could they let it go? The major paper journalists might not use the exaggerated or suggestive language seen in the tabloids, but they could be more professional about it.

For example, they took that very vague suggestion and interpreted it ambiguously, making it seem like Adrian and Julia might be trying to date, but also that they might not be dating anymore. Unlike the tabloids, which were straightforward and as over-the-top as possible—of course, this does not exclude the possibility that they simply didn’t understand the hint.

The public’s enthusiasm for gossip and scandal was unimaginable. Whether it be the tabloid’s exaggerated reports or the major papers’ ostentatiously serious analysis, both were welcomed by people, giving them plenty to talk about over meals.

In short, from June 4th to June 7th, the scandal frequently appeared across various major entertainment media and was quite eye-catching. Most of Julia’s fans remained neutral, but there were also some extremists shouting, “That man can’t steal her away!” expressing their dissatisfaction with Adrian.

Unfortunately for them, Adrian couldn’t hear their voices. His own fans couldn’t be bothered to argue over it unless they were among those who loved “Pulp Fiction” and were fans of cult films. Of course, another reason was that Adrian’s fan base was far smaller than Julia’s. After all, a director remaining behind the scenes was nowhere near as attention-grabbing as a major front-line star.

Adrian was busy, not with the scandal—that had been handed off to Roger and Payne to manage. He only needed to come out and cooperate when necessary, and much less frequently than Julia. As a director and producer, he was supposed to stay behind the scenes. Besides, he had his own goals to achieve. If he were to go out front and show off, trying to be a public figure, there was only one word to describe it: fool!

The primary thing he was occupied with was related to screenplays. At Dennis’s party, there were many people from other movie companies in attendance. Besides wanting to invite Dennis to play certain roles, they also wanted to get one or two screenplays from Adrian.

To date, Adrian and his team of scriptwriters were renowned inside the circle. In just two years, nearly twenty screenplays had come from their hands, and none of them failed to make money! Even Hollywood’s top scriptwriters could not achieve this.

Of course, everyone knew who the core of the scriptwriters’ team was. At least one-third of those screenplays were written by Adrian’s hand, and the other two-thirds were based on his ideas, fleshed out by other scriptwriters according to his instructions.

Generally, film companies rarely signed long-term contracts with scriptwriters; most were contracted script by script unless a movie made a lot of money and sequels were certain, prompting the companies to sign for multiple films in advance. The approach taken by Bossworth Film Company was not unique, but it was rare.

Some scriptwriters sourly said in private that this killed the creative enthusiasm and inspiration of scriptwriters, and soon they would face a shortage of stories. Yet, many scriptwriters longed for such opportunities. Adrian’s contracts were lenient, the remuneration was on par with regular companies, but the benefits were quite good. Furthermore, scriptwriters didn’t need a big reputation, only ability, so this was a good opportunity for the unrecognized scriptwriters. Thus, the Screenwriters’ Guild turned a blind eye.

Producers cared even less about these issues. All they wanted were profits; whoever could write a good script would have their checks waved at them. Now, the possibility of having Adrian direct a film for another movie company seemed bleak—okay, maybe it was possible, but the chance was slim—so it was better to obtain several valuable screenplays from him.

Adrian didn’t mind selling his screenplays to them. He had entered the entertainment industry as a scriptwriter, and at first, he established relationships with major companies through his screenplays. Though the company’s development had reduced this method’s importance, screenplays themselves remained vital. Every movie started with a script, and an outstanding, valuable screenplay could attract directors and actors.

But the key was distribution. Though Adrian had many screenplay ideas, he did not have enough to squander. In the past, he could produce six screenplays at a time out of necessity, but that was no longer the case. Moreover, what made money in the past didn’t guarantee profit in the present; differences in directors and actors could cause vital changes to a story, especially in low-budget films where a director’s personal style mattered more. For example, the lowbrow comedy sold to Warner last year had already lost money.

So, deciding which screenplays to send to which companies required careful consideration. For example, the relationships with Universal and Paramount were currently the best—the former because of Spielberg’s influence and Adrian’s grasp of the future, and the latter because Claude was still efficiently playing the field, watching Diller’s and Redstone’s competition. Disney and Fox were next in line, Warner was average, and as for MGM and Columbia, they were not even worth considering.

Though tasks like these could be left to Roger and Laverne, it was still Adrian who had to determine the general course of action, such as selecting the screenplay concepts for the screenwriters to complete or deciding which one to finish first. Moreover, beyond these, there was another screenplay he aimed to complete before the summer vacation—for Liv.

The film Adrian had chosen fitted Liv’s persona quite well: an 18th-century girl, wearing classical dresses, riding a white horse, pure, kind, and a showpiece. Yet, despite having talked with Liv for quite some time that day, he still hadn’t fully figured her out. She sometimes seemed naïve and at other times sly.

“You did quite well on MTV. Can you share your feelings about that?” Adrian had once asked.

“Oh, it was a nice experience. I learned a lot, and the boys I collaborated with were all very sweet,” Liv responded with a giggly smile, her lips curving up, her blue eyes looking clear—the standard answer for television shows.

“What are your plans for the future?” When Adrian asked this question, she first answered, “I don’t know; maybe I could be an actress or maybe do modeling like my mom.”

But she quickly added, “There will always be someone to give me the right advice.”

As she said this, Liv still wore a charming and innocent smile, but something seemed to flicker in her eyes. Adrian couldn’t make a judgment and had to admit that her seemingly naive and pure pretty face concealed much, and paradoxically, this look was also designed by Adrian himself.

But no matter, there was still time, and he didn’t expect to figure things out so quickly. Liv was just a girl; she neither had a fully formed character like Monica’s or Julia’s, knowing what she wanted, nor was she like Sarah or Kirsten, ready to pay any price for what she desired. She certainly wasn’t like Charlize or Natalie, who often stayed around everything and understood each other. So… he just had to take it slow. Besides, Adrian’s intuition told him that the indifferent attitude Liv had shown him was genuine and credible.

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Well, all that was for later. For now, there were several screenplays for which he had to provide outlines and then have the screenwriters flesh them out. And the reason for the rush was that Adrian needed to return to New York. Apart from completing the filming of a new movie, there was another important matter awaiting him, and time was running short.

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Staring at the youthful yet developing self, full of enticing innocence, in the mirror, the girl couldn’t help but close her eyes, cover her cheeks, and sigh softly. This was already the third time since that day! What was even more embarrassing was that the face in the dream… the face she was entangled with was so vivid!

“Damn it, Nata, how could you have become like this? How could you have turned into this?” The girl curled up, leaning on the washstand, and whispered with her eyes closed. (To be continued. For more, please visit www.qidian.com. More chapters, support the author, support legal reading!)