King of Hollywood

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"No, no, no, Mr. Adrian, we believe these terms are just right," Branet, evidently prepared, looked at Adrian earnestly and sincerely. "You are very talented, Mr. Adrian. No one can deny that. But we also cannot deny that you are still new to this industry. We must adhere to regulations."

"Oh?" Adrian raised an eyebrow noncommittally, crossing his hands together.

"Even if the film achieves outstanding box office results, we cannot offer a higher price for the screenplay," Branet gestured, maintaining his earnestness and sincerity. "Because the current price for these two scripts is already quite generous for a newcomer screenwriter. As for the deadline for submitting the script, I don't think there's anything to discuss, right?"

"I'd like to remind you, Mr. Branet, that the script price wasn't set by me." Adrian smiled and spread his hands.

After he put forth these two scripts, four companies immediately launched a fierce competition. Due to the considerable value of the four previous scripts, they no longer had the notion of bargaining and sharing, so the prices naturally soared.

The first to give up was Warner, as they had "The Bodyguard" in hand. According to their experts, although "Scream" and "American Pie" both had significant selling points, the benefits they brought might not be much higher than "The Bodyguard." Then Fox gave up; they thought Adrian's script was good, but Universal and Disney had pushed the prices a bit too high. Disney held on until the end. Although they mainly produced family-friendly films, they also had Touchstone Pictures, which specialized in making films rated above G. However, they still couldn't outbid Universal.

"Forgive my impertinence, Mr. Branet. It seems you haven't seen my potential," Adrian continued. "I think when you were thinking about how to obtain these two scripts, you didn't anticipate that I would acquire a small film company and become a director."

"That's a different matter, Mr. Adrian," Branet responded noncommittally.

"No, no, no. What I'm saying is," Adrian calmly shook his head, "I still have options. I believe Disney, or maybe Fox and Warner, would be willing to make concessions here. If they wish, they could just invest, and I'd handle the production since no one understands the script better than I do."

"That doesn't seem quite appropriate, Mr. Cowell." Although Branet's expression didn't change, the change in his address showed his discontent and indifference.

"Indeed." To his surprise, Adrian didn't deny it.

"How about this," Adrian sipped his coffee before continuing, "Universal could have the exclusive rights to the sequel script, but the exact price should be negotiated after the first film is released. If we really can't reach an agreement, Universal can look for someone else to write the sequel script—of course, the definition of a disagreement must be specifically discussed. What do you think, Mr. Branet?"

Branet was a bit dazed; he couldn't believe Adrian would propose such terms. The exclusive rights were one thing, but he actually handed over the right to write the sequel! Although the details still needed to be discussed, if Universal really wanted to renege and find another writer for the script, it would still be a simple matter.

"I think—this is an acceptable condition." No matter what, agreeing first would be wise. It didn't put his side at a disadvantage. After all, specific discussions were still needed, so there was no worry about potential problems. That was Branet's thought.

"You can rest in London for a few days. Lawyer Wilson will quickly come to discuss the details with you." Adrian, straightforward after reaching an agreement, sent Branet off without further ado.

It seemed Universal gained a great advantage, but Adrian himself didn't see it that way. He knew clearly that despite acquiring a film company and directing, in Universal's eyes, he was still just a somewhat talented rich kid wanting to play in the film industry—they surely understood what he had done before. Since Adrian was still a newcomer, they wanted to buy the sequel's script first at the same price to maximize their benefits, which was only natural.

Since that was the case, Adrian simply gave them a bigger piece of cake. In his plan, the money made from scripts was just small change; the main purpose was to build good relationships with major film companies. Besides, he wasn't interested in writing sequels. In Hollywood, the hardest scripts to write aren't originals or adaptations; the toughest are sequels to hit films.

A sequel's script must consider the film's selling points as well as its connection to the previous installment. If there were significant flaws in logic, even with appealing visuals to attract audiences, it would still be criticized. Moreover, sequel films could easily cause aesthetic exhaustion, reducing their appeal. For instance, "Scream 3," in terms of script, was still of mid-to-upper level quality. Yet, audiences already knew it was just another masked killer causing trouble for Cindy. Since the writers couldn't fully break out of the initial framework, it couldn't match the first installment.

The same was true for "American Pie." Although it had 6 or 7 installments, by the later films, it had largely devolved into focusing on explicit content and discussing anatomy as selling points. So if possible, Adrian avoided writing sequel scripts. In his plan, maintaining an image of overflowing talent was also crucial.

"Is there a problem?" After seeing Branet off, Adrian found Catherine standing by the negotiation table, looking at him curiously.

"No, it's just... surprising." Catherine made an ambiguous gesture. "I didn't expect you to be a screenwriter as well as a director."

"There are many things you don't know, Miss Bequina," Adrian chuckled. "I suppose you didn't notice the screenwriter's name when reading the script—so sometimes, don't jump to conclusions."

"Unfortunately, the script you gave me didn't have the screenwriter's name indicated." Catherine snorted, turned around, and left.

Watching her back, Adrian chuckled quietly and shrugged. Joseph had mentioned she was only 17, and a slightly fiery girl was indeed more appealing. He didn't know why, but she seemed very familiar to him, which was one reason he was so interested in her. However, Adrian didn't dwell on it—it was too time-consuming and draining.

No need to think too much; wait until it happens. Adrian lightly squeezed his fingers.

A knock on the door resounded. Busy at the typewriter, Adrian replied, "Hold on," without looking up. After finishing a paragraph with a flurry of typing, he stood up and walked quickly to the door.

"Anything, Miss Bequina?" Adrian feigned surprise.

"Your assistant, Mr. Haggis, asked me to bring over tomorrow's plans and some other documents for you due to his commitments. He hopes that you'll review them and offer feedback before I take them back." Catherine waved the documents in her hand. She wore a loose T-shirt and tight jeans, and even in the dim lighting, her youthful energy was undeniable.

"Alright, come in, please." Adrian gestured for her to enter. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thank you." Catherine's smile was somewhat forced, and her eyes clearly conveyed: help me out, if there are no revisions needed, let me take it back. I have things to do.

"Alright, please have a seat." Adrian didn't say much more and sat by the desk lamp, picking up the documents to review.

Catherine, sitting opposite, looked around idly. Seeing Adrian engrossed in the documents without any particular appreciation, she shifted her attention to the stacks of papers on the typewriter.

Upon closer inspection, her expression changed to one of astonishment as she naturally picked up the pages on the desk. The pages contained fragments of novels, two different stories that still managed to captivate her.

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"What is the Matrix? Control! The Matrix is a dreamworld controlled by computers, created to control humans. To turn people into this kind of thing!" Morpheus raised a battery, his voice carrying a metallic chill that pierced through Andrew's heart with ease.

"No, I don't believe it, that's impossible!" Andrew shouted, clutching his head.

"Yes, it's not easy to accept, Neo, but it's the truth," Morpheus stated mercilessly.

"Stop talking, get me out, get me out!" Neo screamed wildly.

In an instant, everything around disappeared, and Andrew found himself back in that cramped cabin. He leapt from his seat and stumbled to a corner, shouting "Stay away," before dropping to his knees and nearly retching.

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"How do you feel?" Adrian's voice startled Catherine, who quickly put the pages back on the desk.

"Don't worry," Adrian chuckled at her childlike reaction. "I just want to know your thoughts."

Catherine studied him cautiously for a few seconds, realizing he wasn't joking. She then cleared her throat, "Um...is this your novel?"

"Yes, these are two science fiction novels." Adrian nodded. Seeing her still puzzled, he simply took the pages to explain, "This one is about zombies. The rough story is about a biological company conducting a viral experiment in a remote town in the United States. After a virus leaks, it turns regular people into zombies. The government dispatches a special tactical team to investigate, leading to a series of incidents. It's a...popular novel that seeks thrills and reading pleasure. While this one also adopts a similar approach, it's slightly more serious. It tells the story of people in the future becoming batteries for the AI they designed, immersing themselves in virtual worlds without knowing it, but some begin to question everything and gradually escape the virtual world, step by step uncovering the world's truths!"

(Suddenly realizing there are tips from friends, in immense gratitude. However, tips before the launch don't offer much to the author; it's better to cast some evaluation votes. Additionally, if possible, please recommend some high-grossing or highly-acclaimed movies from before 1995, preferably suitable for young female leads. However, well-known films like "The Mask" or "Sleepless in Seattle" don't count. Also, I hope the book review section becomes more active. This book involved a considerable amount of research, and I'll try to write well and realistically, while also trying to touch on Hollywood's dark side. Of course, I will still accept criticisms. That's all.)

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