Chapter 408

"Prison in the Air" was naturally handed over to New Line. This was because they had agreed with Cage at the beginning, and Cage had immediately set aside a schedule after receiving the script. That was how Adriaan had managed to convince Bruckheimer to take on two movies at the same time. However, "Prison in the Air" was a little behind in reality. Moreover, "Independence Day," which made New Line a big hit this year, was also a sci-fi movie. Now, this somewhat delayed crime-themed movie was theirs.

"Los Angeles Confidential" was left for Bosworth. Although this film company would inevitably decline again after the last piece of the puzzle was put together, there was still some time before that happened. Therefore, Adriaan had arranged more classic works for it. After all, this was the company that had carried his initial goal.

"I believe you can work together to produce an outstanding movie," Adriaan, who had specially come to the set when the filming started, said to the main actors and directors.

"I'm very happy to work with Kevin, Russell, and Katherine," Rui Fan, one of the main characters, said immediately. It was obvious that he got along well with the others.

The same was true for Kevin Spacey and Russell Crowe. They were basically discovered by Adriaan. Like many other actors, when they received the invitation, they did not hesitate to agree. Even if they might encounter a little unhappiness, they would not take it to heart. The same was true for director Curtis Hansen, who had been chosen to take charge of the film.

Everyone knew that for ordinary A-list directors, being the director of a movie produced by Adriaan was the happiest thing. Not only could they obtain fame and benefits, but they also had greater autonomy. Adriaan almost never interfered with the filming. He was only strict with the script, but compared to the profits that they received, this was nothing.

From Jane De Bont to Michael Bay to David Fincher, they had all proven this point. How could Curtis Hansen, who had only become a director in 1994, let go of this opportunity?

However, when it came to interpersonal relationships, Katherine Zetajones was still the best. Although she had only joined the crew for a few days, unlike when she was on location in Texas, almost everyone in the crew was speaking up for her. Basically, no one in the crew hated her. Sexy and beautiful women were born with an advantage. Moreover, Zetajones was very good with her words and always maintained a good demeanor. No wonder she could control Douglas. Even without Adriaan's interference, she would have become famous in this place sooner or later.

Unfortunately, she was now destined to be his collection. Adrian looked at Zeta Jones, who was chatting happily with the crew members, and thought to himself. Even though many people, including Russell, admired her, he was not worried. He knew that both Russell and Zetajones were smart people and knew what they should do.

Everything was going smoothly. Then, the annual Thanksgiving Day came again. Every family began to gather together to share a turkey feast. This time, Adriaan chose to spend it at his godfather's house. This time, he was not alone. Kate and Lily were by his side, because Ron Norris had never seen his godson's daughter.

The little girl, who was already one year and two months old, was getting more and more lively. Not only had she climbed all over the villa, but she had also begun to walk shakily. Although her speech was still a little slurred, she could call out the words "Mom and Dad" very clearly.

One of Lily's greatest strengths was that she could easily accept strangers. She was very outgoing and would always be cheerful and cute to everyone. Although Kate was happy, she was also a little worried. However, Adriaan did not care too much. It was better for children to be outgoing. He had "served" Emma, who was also one year old. She was always shy and avoided contact with others, which was not good for her growth.

Besides, his daughter's intuition was very sharp. She could easily tell if someone was treating her well or not. There was no need to worry about her being deceived. Because of this, Ron Norris liked her very much.

"She is very smart and lively. She is very much like you and your father. You have a cute daughter." The godfather looked at Lily, who was sometimes giggling under his wife's teasing. Then he sighed and said, "I wonder when Krau will bring a child back."

"You can tell him that directly, Godfather." Adriaan replied with a smile. He comforted her, "Don't worry. Maybe Krau will really bring a child back one day."

"That won't do." Ron Norris shook his head and turned to look at Kate, who was joking with his wife. "Those women are not even as good as Kate."

Adriaan immediately shrugged. He knew what the godfather meant, whether it was about Claude or himself. However, there were some things that he could not explain too much, so he decided not to answer.

"I'm not saying that Kate is terrible. Eide, she is actually a very good girl, but …" Unexpectedly, the godfather tried to change the topic. "It's not appropriate to continue like this. If you are worried about your uncle, I can talk to Anderson."

"Some things cannot be forced, Godfather. I love Kate and Lily, but I also like to live a carefree life." Adriaan had no choice but to answer. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

The godfather looked at him for a while and sighed again. "Alright, alright. You young people always have your own ideas. What we have is not suitable for you."

As he spoke, he patted him on the arm and returned to his study. Adriaan knew that he was concerned about him, but some things had already been decided. He would not change his mind just because of what the godfather said.

Seeing that his father had left, Claude moved closer to Adriaan and asked, "How is it? What did my dad say?"

"Nothing, he just wants a grandson," Adriaan said straightforwardly.

"Hmm … I didn't say anything." Claude looked as though he had choked and walked away.

Adriaan laughed and shook his head again. The godfather would probably have to wait for a long time before he could see his grandson or granddaughter. Claude was having a lot of fun. For example, he was very concerned about Victoria's Secret. Not only did he try his best to provide them with convenience, but he also asked Adriaan for good ideas from time to time. He even signed Heidi Krum, who had left a good impression on him, when he was forming a model team.

Although Heidi Krum was supposed to be an underwear model for Victoria's Secret, it was really funny that the process had turned out like this.

"It's just a little hobby. I know where to draw the line. Besides, aren't you optimistic about them?" In the face of Adriaan's ridicule, Claude replied disapprovingly.

Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. After Thanksgiving, after a large-scale promotion, "Mr. Sweetheart" finally entered the cinema. Of course, the premiere was inevitable. Similarly, Adriaan had to attend.

"This is definitely a wonderful film. Tommy showed great charm in it. You will know once you see it," Adriaan said to the reporters outside the bustling cinema.

However, the reporters' attention was obviously not on this. From time to time, they wanted to bring the topic to Blanchett, who was next to him, because she came down from the car holding his arm tonight.

"After the film company decided the premiere time that day, Adriaan lamented that Tommy was accompanied by Nicole wherever he went. I jokingly said 'I can accompany him when the time comes.' I didn't expect him to really drive to pick me up today. As a last resort, I had to let my car leave. I don't think anyone would refuse, right? "When asked why she appeared with Adriaan, Blanchett replied.

She wore a light-colored long dress and had slightly curled short hair. She had a smile that looked dignified and elegant, and her words were watertight.

"You know, I really want to tell them that you are playing with my body and my heart." After entering the front yard of the cinema, Blanchett whispered in Adriaan's ear.

Having said that, the reproachful tone sounded more like she was acting coquettishly. She always had a smile on her face, and she did not let go of his arm. It was intimate and ambiguous.

"As long as you are willing, I don't have any objections." Adriaan shrugged slightly. He completely understood Blanchett's heart that was sinking bit by bit in his hands.

The definition of wonderful was actually very broad. This movie was very warm, inspirational, and touching, so it could also be considered wonderful. A lot of ink was used on the interaction between the agent and the football player. At the same time, it also exposed a little bit of shady business. For example, if a player suffered an irreversible injury and could no longer play, he would immediately be abandoned by the agent and be ignored.

Of course, it would only be a little bit. One must know that the power of the agent group was still quite large. They were the most basic and lowest network in the entertainment and sports circles. It would not be good to offend them. Therefore, if there was a shady business, there must be someone to fight against it. Cruise played such a manager.

In order to make the whole story more realistic, the agent he played was not a good person from the beginning. He wrote an article in the newspaper to expose the shady dealings of the agent. Of course, he felt sympathy for a certain player after he was injured, but more of it was to increase his popularity and create a better image for himself.

Who knew that he would offend his colleagues and boss? In the end, he was fired. When he left and announced that he was going to start his own business, none of the guys who used to call him brothers responded. Only his assistant, who was played by Blanchett, chose to follow him. Bad luck came one after another.

One after another, his clients also used all sorts of excuses to terminate their contracts with him. His girlfriend, whom he got along well with, also broke up with him because he lost his job. Like many inspirational stories, the protagonist began to change and began to work hard. Also, like many inspirational stories, he always encountered all sorts of things.

For example, he finally managed to sign a black player with potential, but he turned out to be a bad-tempered and blabbermouthed guy. His family was also in constant conflict. However, these difficulties could always be overcome. The little assistant always stayed by his side, and the black player played by Cuba Gooding Jr., was bad-tempered, but he always stood by his side. Even the little assistant's ten-year-old child, a girl, talked to him about football to encourage him.

Finally, in the team's final, the black player successfully turned the game around and became the most dazzling star on the field. However, at the same time, he fell into a coma because he was hit hard on the last ball.

This was the climax of the usual ending. Of course, the black player woke up unscathed. Finally, amidst the cheers of the fans and the crowd of reporters, he found his agent and hugged him passionately. The player next to him asked his agent sourly, "Why didn't we have that kind of intimate relationship before?" Then, he rolled his eyes and pushed away his agent, who had no choice but to go forward to hug him.

This detail caused a lot of laughter in the theater.

In short, it was a happy ending. The black player became a dazzling football star, the protagonist's own company was on the right track, and it was known for its warmth in the industry. At the same time, he and his assistant finally got married.

One had to admit that it was not without reason that Cruise could become one of the most popular male stars in Hollywood from the late 80s to the late 90s. His performance in Mr. Sweet was indeed wonderful, especially when it came to the protagonist's two psychological states before and after the change. The fake smile that was ridiculed as a puppet almost never appeared. In the climax of the final scene, the black player was hit and fell to the ground unconscious. His constant changes of worry and expression left a deep impression on the audience.

The others were just as good. Cuba Jr.? Gu Ding vividly played his character's bad-tempered, blabbermouthed, and emotional image of someone who knew what was good for him. When he was annoying, he was especially annoying, wishing that the protagonist could fire him immediately. However, when he liked him, he was especially likable, clapping and cheering for his persistence and help to the protagonist.

Not to mention Blanchett, her acting skills were not inferior to the other two. She handled the feelings of the female assistant very well, whether it was the feeling of a little woman who had a crush on the protagonist or the look of silent support and encouragement. Her hope, her disappointment, and her sadness were closely related to the protagonist's development, which made many viewers admire her.

As for Scarlett, frankly speaking, she was also very good. She was only a notch lower than Natalie from This Isn't Too Cold to Kill and Kirsten from Interview with the Vampire. However, there were still three more outstanding actors, and the contrast between the characters was not particularly strong. Rugby was America's favorite game, and there were many girls who liked it. Therefore, although Scarlett was not bad, she could not help but be overshadowed by the three main characters.

It was a heartwarming and inspirational movie that told the story of the realization of the American Dream from two perspectives — Tom Cruise starting his own business after being fired, and Cuba Jr. working hard to become a rugby star — and it also involved America's favorite sport. Coupled with Cruise's star power and the fact that the movie was released in December, it earned 19 million dollars in the box office in its first week. It was not particularly good, but the prospects were good, and it had a good reputation among the film critics.

"This is a good inspirational story. Tom Cruise has finally shown his acting skills again, which is rare."

"Whether it's Cuba Jr. or Kate Blanchett, they're all impressive. As for Tom Cruise, at least he's not bad when he discusses rugby with Scarlett Johansson."

"It's a good work, and it involves some of the shady side of being an agent. Although the plot is a bit cliché, it's still exciting."

Even the criticism was quite warm, and it had a good reputation during the test screening. Of course, those who objected purely for the sake of objecting did not mention it.

"I told you, you'll shine for this movie." After receiving the first-week box office and some reviews written by well-known film critics, Adriaan, who was skiing in Canada with Blanchett, said this.

"Thank you." Blanchett, who was on a snowboard and her bulky clothes covered her good figure, shrugged noncommittally. "But which part are you referring to?"

"Is there anything else?" Adriaan did not seem to understand what she was referring to. "Just you wait, I have an even bigger surprise for you in two months."

"You know what I'm going to say, Eide." Blanchett, who was about to ski down the slope, stopped and looked at Adriaan. Something flashed in her grayish-blue eyes.

"So, what do you want to ask, Kate?" Adriaan asked with a smile while holding his ski pole on the ground.

"Are you …" She lowered her voice and did not finish her question.

"You'll have to guess it yourself." Adriaan shrugged and did not elaborate.

Blanchett wanted to ask about Nicole. At the premiere, when Nicole saw Adriaan and Blanchett holding hands, she looked very uncomfortable. After the screening, she left Cruise in a hurry. Based on Adriaan's usual behavior, it was impossible not to think of certain things.

"I knew it …" Blanchett rolled her eyes and sighed. Then, she took the ski pole and started to ski down.

Adrian shrugged his shoulders with a smile and did not reply. The relationship between Cruise and Nicole seemed to be colder than before. Otherwise, how could Cruise not care about Nicole's departure at all? He was still talking cheerfully and wittily without the slightest bit of anger. Of course, only a person like Adriaan, who was always observing and comparing, could see the clues.

In fact, this was not what Blanchett wanted to ask. She just wanted to find an excuse to test him. Her real target was the reports in the tabloids.

The serious newspapers were all about the movie. Only the tabloids talked about him inviting Blanchett to attend the premiere. They even made a special topic, listing the Miracle Girls one by one and guessing whether the winner was about to be decided.

Does she still want to struggle? Looking at Blanchett who was sliding down, Adriaan thought of her performance after the premiere. He laughed and shook his head in his heart. Then, he shouted, "Be careful not to fall."

As soon as he finished speaking, Blanchett screamed in shock.

This was just the beginning. A week later, at the premiere in the same cinema, Adriaan appeared on the red carpet with another woman.