King of Hollywood

Chapter 409: 131 Additional Investments and More Movies

Chapter 409: Chapter 131 Additional Investments and More Movies

Without any suspense, Yuan Heping agreed. The more movies, the better—no one does not want to break into Hollywood, especially since this “foreigner” Adrian had a high opinion of him. However, formally arranging actor training would have to wait for about two months. Monica was currently working on a new movie with Tommy Lee Jones, where the female lead was a rather ordinary housewife, so they at least had to wait for the majority of the shots to be completed before starting.

This was not a big issue. Adrian had also made it clear to Yuan Heping that there would definitely be some differences in work habits between the two sides, and they could use this time to adapt to each other. Moreover, Adrian would personally helm the first film and needed to fully understand the action and fight choreography they designed to see if it was suitable for what the film wanted to express. As for the second film, another role had yet to be decided, so naturally, it was not possible to arrange training.

Everything was thus settled. Calculating the time, Adrian also began preparing to dive wholeheartedly into the post-production of “Eyes Wide Shut.” Of course, he still had to pay attention to and inquire about the necessary matters, such as at the end of July, Gwyneth finally returned to Los Angeles from Rosarito, finally escaping the nightmare!

“That’s right, it was an utter nightmare, God, James Cameron is definitely the incarnation of Satan!” Gwyneth complained resentfully to Adrian, who had flown over to pick her up.

Compared to half a year ago, she had indeed slimmed down quite a bit, but her figure was still well maintained, at least to the touch, it was still as comfortable as before. She had all the reasons to complain; although Adrian did not often go to Rosarito, he was well aware that Cameron’s severity on set was significantly greater than what he remembered. After all, Adrian had unflinchingly handed over 200 million US Dollars for him to squander. Although Cameron had immense confidence, he also felt considerable pressure.

As such, situations like staying in water in full costume for four to five hours were common occurrences. These two months had been bearable, seeing as it was already summer, but the first few months of the year had been terrible. Though Rosarito was in southern Mexico, the temperature of the cold water in winter was still low, and Gwyneth had contracted pneumonia and spent several days in bed because of it.

Of course, Adrian had rushed over as soon as he heard. She spent a few days in bed, and he spent a few days by her side, which moved Gwyneth a little. Women are quite sensitive to these details. Maybe, on the surface, they pretend it doesn’t matter, but inwardly, they really care. To sweet-talk a woman, one must put in enough effort in the details.

“Alright, you’ve already punished him like I told you, right? James knows he went too far, so he was willing to be punished by you,” Adrian said, trying to comfort her.

On the day Cameron announced the wrap, Gwyneth, who had suffered a lot, recalled the words Adrian had previously planted in her mind. She quickly contacted DiCaprio and several other actors who played corpses, beckoning Cameron before proceeding to douse him in bucket after bucket of water, soaking the tyrant director from head to toe. However, after it was over, Cameron said nothing and simply shrugged; in this regard, he was indeed a good director.

“Stop thinking about it so much. No matter what, the movie is finished. When it’s released, you will see that all this hardship was worth it.” Noticing that Gwyneth was still somewhat begrudging, Adrian then kissed the corner of her mouth, and with an enticing drawl, added, “And I can assure you, as long as James meets my requirements, then…”

Although he didn’t finish his sentence, Gwyneth knew what he was implying. Right away, she sat on his lap and seductively offered a kiss—had she not stayed by his side precisely for these moments, aside from being attracted to him?

As for whether “Titanic” could be released by year’s end, Cameron, who was fully in charge, was not very sure either.

“I can only say I’ll do my best. Although the shooting took a little longer, many of the scenes for post-production are being worked on simultaneously. I can’t give a definite answer unless you give me some time,” he had said.

Adrian, though keen to see the clash of the big ship with the soldiers, could only wait upon hearing the other party say this. However, sometimes things happen that one does not want to see, and two months later, Cameron, who had dived headfirst into the studio, approached Adrian with a difficult request.

“An additional 20 million in investment?” Adrian did not hide his surprise, while Cameron was grabbing his head, stammering unable to articulate his words.

“James, you must know that the total investment has already reached 200 million, and that’s not including the marketing costs,” Adrian said in an unruffled tone, “Besides, you should still have some funds on hand. Isn’t that enough?”

“I know, Ed, I know…” Cameron said with a bitter smile as if unsure of what else to say.

Adrian was not a Fox executive from “history.” In “history,” the initial investment for the big ship was just over 100 million, which grew to 200 million due to Cameron’s repeated requests for additional funding. For this reason, the executives at Fox were prepared to jump off a building in case of failure. But now, Adrian had agreed to provide a whopping 200 million in funding in one go, and he was doing this as a private investor. Cameron could get angry and threaten those executives, but he dared not do the same in front of Adrian.

“Listen to me, Ed,” Cameron took a deep breath, finally calming down, “I know this request is a bit much, but I truly believe that an additional 20 million in investment will make this movie even more perfect. Originally, there were a few technical issues we couldn’t solve, so some scenes had to be replaced with alternate solutions, which didn’t look very good. But just two weeks ago, we solved that problem, and I am absolutely confident that we can make it bigger and more realistic!”

He paused for a moment, then seemed to make up his mind, “I am well aware of the huge risk involved, but Ed, please believe me, I can make it even more perfect. Moreover, no matter the result after the movie is released, I and my team are willing to give up all our salaries and bonuses!”

After speaking, Cameron looked at Adrian with a hint of unease, while Adrian pursed his lips and remained silent with lowered eyelids. He wasn’t considering whether to agree to the request. He remembered clearly that the investment for “Titanic” was 240 million US dollars! His direct offer of 200 million was meant to push Cameron to learn to save and strive to finish the big ship within 200 million. But now, it seemed impossible, so an increase in investment was pretty much a certainty. Even if the marketing costs were 25 million, there would still be 15 million to spare, right?

So, Adrian was actually marveling. Cameron, though a tyrant on the set and a technical maniac, was also a pure director, ready to stake everything for his work. “Giving up all salaries and bonuses” seemed pointless as there would be no profits to share if the movie failed, and that little salary was just a drop in the ocean compared to the losses. But this was also Cameron’s statement, implying that he would never direct again if he failed. This reminded Adrian of the time Cameron sold the “Terminator” script for 1 US dollar. It was no wonder that some say only the obsessed can succeed in this world. Compared to that, he himself was nothing.

Adrian’s musings were one thing, but Cameron was getting even more nervous beside him, nearly certain he would be refused. Fortunately, Adrian finally came back to his senses, and just as Cameron was about to stand up and leave, he spoke, “I have decided.”

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