King of Hollywood

Chapter 91: Chapter 91: The Same Fate

“Compared to his photos, Adrian in person is much more rugged—of course, this also has something to do with the newspaper not having decent pictures. You can’t describe him as handsome, but Adrian, though young, has an indescribable confidence about him, giving you the sense that nothing could perplex him.

We talked for about 30 minutes, and Adrian’s face carried a smile throughout. He spoke calmly, drawing you in without your realizing it. During the entire interview, I rarely interjected; it was mostly him narrating. He was articulate and easily engaged his listeners.

‘Even now, sometimes I am surprised that I picked up the megaphone and became a director and a filmmaker,’ he said with evident emotion. Despite this, I could still hear the confidence in his voice, just as mentioned earlier, even when trying directing for the first time, he believed in himself.

Adrian didn’t shy away from his wild youth, admitting that like all young people, he spent entire nights out at bars, feasting on the moment, without a thought for his future—even the profound loss of his parents only drove him deeper into alcohol.

Fortunately, he eventually got back on his feet. In his words, one day it just clicked surprisingly, and then he began planning his future and dove headfirst into it. After that came the Adrian we see today, who astonishes everyone.

‘I can’t describe the feeling, ideas continuously burst forth, and I have to work hard to realize them. It’s like they had accumulated to a point where they just had to burst out. I’m not sure why there was such an accumulation, maybe it was my previous erratic lifestyle? But, undoubtedly, realizing these ideas has been incredibly satisfying.’ Adrian explained his ‘wild’ behavior like this, becoming very excited and speaking even faster when discussing this topic. He seems to have endless ideas in film, inspirations ready to emerge at any moment.

I can’t form a judgement on him; he is different from any other director I’ve met, full of energy and confidence, yet humble and courteous, inscrutable yet enjoyable to listen to, exceptionally charismatic. I know this article isn’t sufficient to fully depict this youngest nominee for the Best Director Oscar, but these are my most honest thoughts.”

After the Haggis Painter’s interview was published in the Washington Post, it immediately sparked a new fervor, and public interest in Adrian soared. The Best Newcomer Award at the Venice Film Festival, the Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival, the Oscar nomination for Best Director, and the high box office of these three films, along with his wild past stories, layered together as if placing dazzling halos over Adrian’s head.

“The entire Hollywood seems to be revolving around this prodigal son returning,” some media said, not without envy.

Even the seniors at various major film companies, who knew of Adrian, were still inevitably astonished by this trend.

“It’s like getting a new idol, except this time the idol is a young director, not one of those big-screen stars,” said Eric Cahill from Disney.

‘He definitely did it on purpose, at least in my eyes, everything he does is intentional,’ Spielberg, preparing to start shooting Jurassic Park, said uncharitably while talking with friends about Adrian.

Well, Spielberg was right, it was indeed something Adrian had intentionally displayed. As Laverne had said, if it couldn’t be remedied, they should think in a different direction. Although what he meant was simply to make a big publicity splash first, to lay a foundation in the public’s mind, and then move up a level next year—if the quality of Adrian’s three films could indeed be guaranteed.

Moreover, if used properly, they might even bring home an Oscar at the 64th Academy Awards. They wouldn’t need to think about Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, or Best Supporting Actor, but they could compete for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Editing, and Best Cinematography.

However, Adrian was thinking far deeper, and this sudden incident had given him an even better idea, which Laverne initially agreed was feasible and effective.

Besides, he had a strange request: not to let “The Shawshank Redemption” win any awards!

“Because I want to create a perfectly classic piece,” Adrian said when Laverne asked why. Although Laverne still didn’t understand, Adrian didn’t explain further.

In Adrian’s memory, the reason “The Shawshank Redemption” had made such a significant mark in film history, why it was hailed as the most perfect movie, was not just its quality but also the title “Crownless King.”

If it hadn’t encountered “Forrest Gump” and ended up empty-handed, “The Shawshank Redemption” wouldn’t have garnered so much sympathy. And it was these sympathy points that added considerable weight to “The Shawshank Redemption”—most people felt pity for those who fought arduously and failed; they unconsciously biased toward the brave loser—thus securing a high place in film history.

Now, since “The Shawshank Redemption” appeared two years earlier because of Adrian, and unfortunately collided with “Silence of the Lambs”, it was clear that it would not win the weightiest awards. So, better to give up entirely, and just as in his memory, elevate the movie to the throne of the “Crownless King.” Moreover, this was very helpful to Adrian’s adjusted new plan.

Alright, let’s set this matter aside for now. After all, the Oscars were not until the end of March; it was better to focus the main energy on the filming of “Pulp Fiction.”

Due to the public’s continuous high interest, Adrian had also become increasingly busy, not only with shooting but also with preventing journalists from secretly photographing the plots and so on—fortunately, most scenes were indoors.

Although it was somewhat arduous, he didn’t take it to heart. Since he had decided to release some of his accumulated reputation, he naturally had to bear the corresponding pressure. Fortunately, there were bad things and good things, such as Willis suddenly getting into the zone, spurred on by Adrian, and finishing shooting three days early; and then there were many who called to congratulate him—Claude, The Godfather, and some old friends. More unexpectedly, Kate had eagerly run from the academy to visit the set, so that evening Adrian specially treated her well in the hotel.