Chapter 138 -138: Probing
“Actually, from what I can see, whether a movie will be a box office hit largely depends on the director’s storytelling abilities,” one of the young men in the group of three or four said, taking the lead. “People come to the cinema primarily to relax, not to dig for some deep life philosophy. Otherwise, they would go to those small art-house theaters.”
“It sounds like you don’t exactly favor arthouse movies?” asked a man in his fifties standing to his left.
“I wouldn’t say I dislike them, it’s just that I prefer storytelling. Storytelling is at the core of film,” the young man shrugged.
“That is true. You can tell just from ‘Pulp Fiction,'” nodded the man on his right, who appeared a few years older. “A completely new way of telling a story. No wonder it’s been the talk of the town lately. This movie will probably leave a significant mark in film history.”
By now, ‘Pulp Fiction’ had been out for almost 8 weeks. Although it was bumped from the top spot by ‘Batman Returns’ in its second week, and the box office growth had not been spectacular, its stability surpassed that of any other movie released at the same time. Even though there were only 800 theaters showing it this week, professionals estimated that the weekend box office would still hit 10 or even 15 million!
Keep in mind that including marketing costs, ‘Pulp Fiction’ was produced for only around 10 million, and the current total box office in North America had already exceeded 50 million. It was pure profit now, and considering it was signed for a long-term release, it might even surpass 100 million.
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The leading actors had also received a lot of praise, especially Travolta, who not only shed his washed-up image but also made a significant sum due to the profit-sharing contract.
Of course, this also had something to do with the U.S. media having nothing else to talk about when Adrian was being criticized in the United Kingdom, but the quality of the film itself always remained the key focus, no wonder Brad Seaborn—the director of ‘Casper’—said such envious words.
“So why is your next project a movie full of British arthouse atmosphere?” asked another middle-aged man standing next to Seaborn, curious. He was Nate Torrence, the producer of ‘Casper’.
“You forgot what I just said, Nate,” Adrian said with a smile. “I like to tell stories. As long as I think a story is worth my efforts to tell, I’ll find a way to make it happen, regardless of the film’s style.”
“Sorry, I forgot,” his counterpart immediately apologized.
“It’s okay,” Adrian shrugged, with a self-deprecating tone, “I’ve already gotten that question a lot at today’s premiere—got used to it.”
The others around burst into hearty laughter.
“I bet ‘Casper’ will be a wonderful family movie,” Adrian quickly changed the subject. “Sometimes I watch programming on the Disney Channel, like the Mickey Mouse Club, that’s the name, right, Eric?”
The last question was directed at Eric Cahill, a manager at Disney, who stood to his left. It was Eric who had originally come to discuss the production of ‘Casper’ with him.
“You’ve got a good memory, Ed,” Eric nodded.
“It’s quite nice watching those adorable kids sing and dance,” Adrian shrugged, then asked as something else came to mind, “But I heard you guys are planning to cancel the show?”
“Yes, you know, aside from a few outstanding programs, declining viewership is a problem that all shows can’t avoid. In the end, it’s time to conclude, although we’re still trying,” Eric sighed, his last words sounding rather weak.
“That’s really a shame,” Adrian let out a sigh and didn’t continue, thinking it wouldn’t be great if the Mickey Mouse Club really came back to life because of his comment.
“Excuse me, gentlemen, I must take my leave,” he quickly excused himself after scanning the room and spotting his target.
Adrian first went to the wall and looked around before making his way to the corner, then stood in front of a young girl in a white dress: “Hey, Sarah, why are you sitting here by yourself?”
The girl, who had been deep in thought, looked up with a surprised expression, relaxed after seeing who it was, and a slight smile appeared on her face, now developing the shape of an oval: “Hello, Adrian, sir… Ed.”
“At least you remember,” Adrian said with a laugh, “Of course, it would have been better without that pause earlier.”
Sarah scratched her face, seemingly at a loss for words.
“By the way, didn’t your mom come with you?” Adrian changed the subject upon seeing her reaction.
“The Disney company arranged for a car to pick me up, I can handle it myself,” Sarah shrugged with a serious look that was somewhat adult-like, “I’m not a little kid anymore, I can take care of myself.”
“Well, you’re not a child anymore, you can take care of yourself,” Adrian said with a chuckle, shaking his head before he continued at Sarah’s displeased gaze, “Well, I believe your mother… would be very happy.”
“She would.” Sarah was slightly lost in thought, a smile unconsciously appearing on her lips, but she quickly realized the occasion and gave Adrian an apologetic smile, “Sorry, Ed.”
“It’s okay,” Adrian said graciously, waving his hand, “as long as you don’t do that during a performance.”
“Of course not,” Sarah immediately puffed out her chest, as if seeking commendation, “I’ve always tried my hardest when acting, never messed up because I was distracted!”
“It’s clear you take this seriously. Although I’ve only seen the trailer, I believe your performance in it must be very eye-catching.” Adrian extended his hand as if he wanted to pat her head like he used to, but he stopped midway, realizing something, and somewhat awkwardly brought it back to his own head.
Sarah noticed his gesture but stood still without moving. When Adrian withdrew his hand, a hint of disappointment that even she didn’t recognize flickered through her eyes.
Because of this gesture, they both fell into silence, the atmosphere turning a bit awkward, but thankfully, Kate came over from the crowd at that moment, “Hey, Ed, here you are. Oh, hello, Sarah, so glad to see you again.”
“Did you find anything interesting walking around?” Adrian asked Kate after they exchanged greetings. He couldn’t help feeling a twinge of regret; he had also invited Monica to the premiere, but whether she had sensed his intentions or not, she had declined the invitation in the end. Adrian didn’t dwell on it, deciding to take things slow.
“Not bad, and I brought this guy over for you.” Kate said with a chuckle, stepping aside, and Dennis appeared in front of Adrian, “Hey, Ed, did you need me for something?”
“Ha, Dan, you must’ve been having a good time lately, huh?” Adrian teased.
“Well… haha… not bad,” Dennis laughed awkwardly.
Adrian had called him a few days earlier when he was still in London and, because of the time difference, London’s daytime was pretty much Los Angeles’s night. Adrian could clearly hear a woman’s voice, sensual and teasing, and Dennis also sounded excited, so he didn’t say much before hanging up.
Then, a couple of days ago, tabloid journalists reported, citing sources, that Dennis and Winona had a very intimate dinner at a restaurant in Orange County, and left together in the end. Although there were no pictures and neither Dennis nor Winona had commented, it was still the headline of several gossip papers, especially since Depp and Winona had claimed two months earlier that they wouldn’t break up.
Adrian really wanted to ask how things were going between them now that there had been a slight exposure, and that meant some kind of decision should have been made. However, seeing Dennis’s somewhat gloomy face, Adrian returned to the main topic, “Remember what I told you at the film festival? There’s a male lead in a romantic comedy movie, are you interested?”
“Romantic comedy?” Dennis was a little surprised.
“Yes, and it’s got an English flair,” Adrian said with a smile.
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Dennis’s surprise deepened, but he quickly nodded, “No problem, as long as you need me.”
“Great, that’s settled, then,” Adrian clapped him on the shoulder, “the script isn’t finished yet, but I can tell you the character is quite a libertine, you could think about how to portray the English version of that when you have time.”
“Libertine?” As he uttered that word, Dennis inadvertently gave Adrian a look, but then he perked up, “I got it.”
“Let’s leave it at that then.” Adrian said, glancing at the two ladies chatting beside him. Sarah was half-heartedly agreeing with Kate, clearly pricking up her ears to their conversation.
He chuckled to himself, looking around before beckoning, “Kate, Sarah, let’s head to the screening room, the premiere is about to start. ”
The four of them then walked to the screening room together, and it was only when they were nearing the door that Adrian thought to ask the young girl beside him, “By the way, Sarah, do you have any work lined up recently?”
Sarah seemed a bit taken aback but hid it well, not letting anyone but Adrian notice.
“Not at the moment, why?” She tilted her head and spoke calmly.
“I’m currently collaborating with director James Cameron on a film, and I think there’s a daughter’s role you could try out for,” Adrian said as they walked. “However, the script isn’t finished yet, and the preparations probably won’t begin until the end of the year. And since Cameron is overseeing everything this time, you’ll need to audition.”
Saying this, he looked into the girl’s eyes, “Would you be willing to give it a try, Sarah?”
Sarah pursed her lips and hesitated for a few seconds before nodding, “I would.” (To be continued, for more content please visit www.qidian.com. More chapters are available there and your support for the author and legitimate reading is appreciated!)