Chapter 403

The entrance of the Kodak Theater looked majestic in the warm spring afternoon sun. At that moment, it was already surrounded by a hubbub of voices. A long red carpet stretched from one end of the street to the entrance of the Kodak Theater. Tall golden figurines were also erected. Countless reporters stood in the designated area, constantly taking pictures of the women and the elegant men on the red carpet. Although the ceremony had been held for 74 years, it was still lively every year.

The noise came from the entrance. A slightly thin but energetic figure appeared on the red carpet. He wore a pair of black thin-rimmed glasses, looking gentle and elegant. The reporters all aimed their cameras at this middle-aged man. He was the most famous director in the world. He had won countless honors and was a regular at the Oscars. His own film company was also very famous in Hollywood and even internationally. No matter where he appeared, he would receive countless applause and attention. Just like now.

However, only this middle-aged man who was smiling at the reporters knew that although he was very successful, compared to the other person, he was basically inferior in all aspects. Although his old buddies were very diligent in running the company, their ability was limited. Moreover, they had their own focus and could not complement each other. It looked very impressive, but in fact, the business was constantly shrinking. The ambition of the establishment was facing a severe test of reality. Needless to say, the film production of the other company last year, regardless of whether it was a live-action film or an animated film, had been ranked first in Hollywood.

Perhaps, from a personal point of view, he could still beat the other party in the box office. Although the other party could produce films of all styles, he still lacked experience in this area. However, he was afraid that he would be surpassed sooner or later. Think about last year's film. Thinking of this, he smiled and shook his head slightly. Why should he care about this? He had seen everything in Hollywood for so many years. Moreover, they were business partners.

Even so, when he thought about the other party's private life, he felt a headache. Although he had no right to interfere, this involved …

"Hi, Godfather." A familiar voice rang in his ear. Gwyneth's pretty face immediately came into view.

"Hi, Gwyneth." Spielberg hugged his goddaughter and sighed in his heart. From a purely male point of view, he was probably the most hated person in Hollywood.

If Adriaan was just an ordinary playboy, it would not be a big deal. However, almost everyone in Hollywood knew that he was not just fooling around. Those outstanding women were all caught by his side and were willing to give birth to his children. Basically, Kate Beckinsale, Monica Bellucci, Kate Blanchett, and Sophie Marceau had all given birth to his children. Even so, there were still many women who wanted to know him. Even so, there were still many women who wanted to know him. There was no other person like him in Hollywood.

However, he was so amazing. He was already the chairman of the board of directors of a large media group before the age of 40. He was also an extremely outstanding director who could fully explore the characteristics of women and put them on the throne of Best Actress. Just this alone was enough to make many women throw themselves into his arms. Moreover, he was good at coaxing women. Spielberg had also persuaded his goddaughter many times. Why did she have to stay with a playboy? Old Pablo had also lost his temper in front of his daughter many times. However, Gwyneth was very considerate in other aspects, but she would not listen to them no matter what they said.

"I feel comfortable around him. I don't have to worry about anything. There's no pressure. It's very comfortable." Gwyneth had once described the feeling of being by Adriaan's side to Spielberg.

So, what else could he say? After all, his other goddaughter, Drew Barrymore, was said to have secretly lamented why she had not met Adriaan earlier. Spielberg had even heard that last year, at her bachelor party the day before her wedding, she had indulged herself at Adriaan's place with her best friends, Cameron Diaz and Hu Kaili, whom she had met because of Charlie and Charlie. Although Drew had strongly denied this in private, he still felt that the possibility was very high.

Even so, no matter how much he could not stand it, there was no way he could reverse this situation. It was just like how he could not stop Drew from taking drugs and drinking. This was someone else's private matter, and he was just their godfather, and the most ordinary kind at that. It was because … Alright, let's not talk about this. In short, even Warren Beatty and Woody Allen were not as good as the current Adriaan. This kind of person would not appear for decades. Let's not think too much about it. It was better to work together and strive to make DreamWorks more stable.

"Yes, I hope 'A Beautiful Mind' can win the Best Film Award. I personally like this movie very much. Lang did an excellent job, and Russell and Gwyneth's performances are very good. It would be perfect if they can win Best Director and Best Actor and Actress." Spielberg was not at all polite to this reporter. Director Lang Howard, Russell Crowe, and Gwyneth stood by the side and added a few words from time to time.

After all, this movie was funded by DreamWorks, and they had also contributed to the distribution. It could be considered a collaboration between Universal and them. Naturally, Spielberg hoped that it could win the Best Film Award.

"Me too." At that moment, a voice came, and then Adriaan's face, which was not very handsome but had distinct and attractive features, appeared in front of everyone.

"Hi, Steven." He warmly opened his arms to him.

"Hi, Eide." Spielberg smiled and hugged him, glancing around. Hmm, there were no other women around who had an ambiguous relationship with Adriaan.

"No wonder I heard cheers over there. So you're here," he said immediately.

"Compliments from a great director really do sound different." Adriaan raised his eyebrows, and then it was followed by a burst of laughter. Then the reporters seized the opportunity to ask questions. There were not many opportunities to interview him.

Spielberg then moved aside to let Adriaan fully face the reporters. If it was five or six years ago, he would have to talk to him in front of these people. Now that he was older, and there were more things on his mind, he was not interested in doing this.

Adriaan did not say much, other than that he was optimistic about A Beautiful Mind, Russell's and Gwyneth's performances. However, the reporters immediately seized the nomination of Moulin Rouge and The Lord of the Rings and asked him if he was not satisfied with his two films. Unfortunately, this kind of question was not difficult for Adriaan. He had to admit that he was very good with his words. At first, he very humbly said that the two films were nothing, but then he praised them and finally said that the results would be known after the awards ceremony.

However, probably because Gwyneth was next to him, when he mentioned Nicole Kidman, he only said a few words, which made Spielberg involuntarily shake his head slightly.

"You seemed to disagree with what I said just now, Steven." After getting rid of the reporters and starting to walk into the Kodak Theater, Adriaan, who chatted with Russell and exchanged ambiguous glances with Gwyneth, slowed down and walked side by side with Spielberg.

"No, it's nothing. I just think that the reporters are overestimating themselves. They actually want to dig information out of you," Spielberg said teasingly.

Adriaan laughed and then changed the topic. "By the way, I heard that the movie adaptation of Arthur Gordon's novel is in the hands of you or DreamWorks."

Spielberg, who knew that he must have some ulterior motive for coming here with him, raised his eyebrows. "Arthur Gordon's novel?"

He quickly remembered and then looked at Adriaan with a surprised expression. "'Memoirs of a Geisha'?"

"Yes," Adriaan smiled and nodded. "You know, I have a deep understanding of Asian culture, so after reading 'Memoirs of a Geisha', I came up with the idea of adapting it. It just so happens that I have a suitable Japanese actor here. I didn't expect that you would be one step ahead of me, so I was thinking … Maybe you're willing to let us produce it?"

"Let you produce it? Don't you think your request is a little too much, Eide? "Although Spielberg spoke in such a tone, he did not look angry.

"Could it be that you have decided to direct and produce it yourself?" Adriaan was still smiling.

"Of course not, I still have a lot of things to do, but after all, the adaptation rights are in our hands. Do you want to take it away with just a few words?"

"You can't be unaware of the Japanese's reaction to this novel, right? Just last year, Ms. Iwasaki Minako, who was based on Koyuri, published 'Memoirs of a Real Geisha' to express her dissatisfaction. So, I can basically predict how the movie will turn out. " Adriaan blinked. "But it's different if you let us produce it, because I know how to modify it and how to make it work, so that they can accept the story."

Spielberg was expressionless as he talked for a while. He just stared at him and waited for him to continue.

"Okay, okay." Adriaan raised his hands and looked a little helpless. "We can cooperate, just like 'A Beautiful Mind'. Also, I have a script about Japanese culture, and I'm optimistic about its prospects. As long as DreamWorks is willing, we can cooperate in this way."

"Oh?" Spielberg looked curious.

"You know, John Logan is a very creative screenwriter. Last year, he wrote 'Gladiator' with David Franzoni, and it almost won the Best Original Screenplay Award." Adriaan explained, "This year, he came up with another idea. It's about the story of the Japanese samurai. It's about the mid-19th century when Japan needed to change because of America. Japan completely abolished the samurai profession, and then it caused a riot. An American, who is the main character, was dragged into it. He formed a friendship with this group of declining samurai, and he became addicted to the charm of Bushido."

"Sounds … interesting." Spielberg pushed up his glasses and quickly calculated in his mind.

It was impossible to judge whether the script was good or bad from these few words, but the problem was that Adriaan was optimistic about it. Now, no one doubted his judgment, and it was completely worth a try. Although "Memoirs of a Geisha" was very popular, some Japanese people could not accept it. Minako Iwasaki almost sued Gordon. That was also why Spielberg wanted to direct the movie in the first place but gave up on it later. If it was handed over to Adrian, it would not be a bad idea to let him deal with this problem.

"The script written by Logan is called 'The Last Samurai'." Adriaan then continued, "If you need, I can ask someone to send you the outline at any time. The production rights are not non-negotiable, and you can choose whoever you want to be the main character."

"Including Tom Cruise?" Spielberg blurted out.

During this time, DreamWorks was working with Cruise. Spielberg was personally directing, and 'Minority Report', which Cruise starred in, had already been finalized for this summer. If the box office reached expectations, this cooperation would continue. Therefore, Spielberg knew very well that Cruise would never allow anyone around him to mention his ex-wife and Adriaan. Otherwise, it would be better if he just looked upset.

He had also heard that rumor, and he knew that it was very likely. Just look at Adriaan and Nicole's flirting, but this did not mean that he would stand on Cruise's side. After all, from the time Adriaan first supported him in producing 'Schindler's List' and establishing DreamWorks, to the full and comprehensive cooperation now, there was no reason for him to alienate Adriaan.

When he picked up the camera, he was a director, but when he put it down, he was a businessman.

Moreover, he did not have a good impression of Cruise. Although he was polite most of the time, sometimes when he was under too much pressure, he would be ecstatic or angry for no reason, and people did not like him. However, it was easier to leave a deep impression this way, so Spielberg said it naturally at this moment.

Adriaan immediately showed a surprised expression, and Spielberg, who felt that he had said something wrong, was about to correct it, but the other party's next words stunned him again.

"No problem, as long as you want." That was what Adriaan said with a strange smile, as if he had thought of something interesting. "Anyone can be the lead."

Finally, it's done. After Spielberg left, Adriaan heaved a sigh of relief in his heart.

Well, the whole thing was like this. Previously, when he visited Tokyo, he played with Kyoko Fukada because of Ayumi Hamasaki. As a capitalist with a 'conscience' and 'morals', after playing with her, he should at least show some appreciation. After all, although Kyoko Fukada was not as voluptuous as Ivanka, Scarlet, and Keely, she still worked hard to serve him.

However, there were not many good roles for a while. There were many roles in TV dramas, but they did not help her development in Japan much. This made Adriaan quite unhappy, until John Logan's new script appeared.

He did not expect that Logan, who wrote "Gladiator," was also the screenwriter of "The Last Samurai." Well, it was just that he did not look carefully in his memory. This solved the problem. There was a female role in "The Last Samurai," and he could give Kyoko Fukada a try.

As for Yuki Hui, there was no need to worry. Adriaan would not mistreat her. He had already arranged a path for her. With "Guillermo Girl" and several other movies, she was quite famous in North America. She could be considered one of the more well-known Asian actors. However, she lacked some important works in the process. Fortunately, because of "The Last Disregard," Adriaan immediately thought of another movie about Japanese people. Yes, it was the adaptation of Arthur Gordon's novel, "Memoirs of a Geisha," which did not do well in Japan or China.

To be honest, although the movie's box office and reputation were quite bad, most of the reason was because of the producer. He did not know which genius came up with the idea. Even if the Japanese did not have internationally ranked actors, they should not have found Chinese actors to star in the movie. Ordinary people did not care about those differences, so the result was that the Japanese did not like the movie, and the Chinese did not like it. The former made some money, but the latter could not be entered at all.

Moreover, the release date was in December. This was something that Adriaan racked his brains to remember. This kind of movie, which had nothing to do with Americans and was only about curiosity, was arranged to be released in the Christmas slot, and it was in the early part of the year. Moreover, it was mixed in with several commercial blockbusters. It was extremely stupid. Even if Adriaan directed it himself, it would take a lot of effort to do so. He had to use a long-term release method to delay the release until January.

In addition to the two flaws mentioned above, the ending of the movie was also a major failure. Koyuri actually stayed by the president's side as a lover. Western feminists would definitely not like this plot. Perhaps this was the situation in reality. In the entertainment industry, no matter what profession, there was no place for purity. Not to mention other things, Adriaan had a lot of lovers around him. However, it did not mean that feminists would allow such a plot in a movie, especially a movie that was so popular. Naturally, criticism was inevitable.

Under such circumstances, it would be strange if the box office was high. Thinking about it, the reason why Iwasaki Minako, who was the original character, was angry was probably related to the ending of the plot. After all, in reality, she was also considered an independent woman.

Adriaan remembered that "Memoirs of a Geisha" had earned about 160 million at the box office worldwide. Therefore, there were still some merits to the plot, such as showing the training of geishas, the competition, and the fancy moves. Even in Japan, where geishas were strongly opposed, it seemed to have earned more than 10 million. Therefore, as long as the three most important points mentioned above were corrected, it would not be difficult for the movie to have a higher box office and reputation.

Now that Yukio had been in Hollywood for many years, she was quite famous. It would not be a problem for her to play the role of Koyuri. It would also be good for her to take the role of Koyuri.

Unfortunately, the movie rights of "Memoirs of a Geisha" were obtained by DreamWorks at the end of the 1990s. It would not be easy to take them away from them. Therefore, Adriaan simply used "The Last Samurai" as an exchange. Anyway, this movie was very popular. As long as Kyoko Fukada played the female role, it would be fine.

Adriaan did not expect Spielberg to ask, "Including Cruise?" Therefore, he was a little surprised. After all, the original version of "The Last Samurai" starred Cruise, and now it was going to fall into his hands in such a way? Therefore, he agreed without hesitation. He remembered that in the original version … Watanabe Ken, that should be his name. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but Cruise did not win anything. How could such an interesting scene disappear?

Well, let's put it aside for now. After chuckling, Adriaan said to himself, "I can take it slow. This is … the 74th Academy Awards!"