Chapter 395: Chapter 117 Ready to Go

“Don’t overthink it, it’s just a matter of a few days, Kubrick won’t delay too long.” Adrian wanted to say something more, but eventually just waved his hand. Of course, as always, a light slap sounded on Charlize’s perky behind. Charlize gave him a glance and swiftly walked out of the room, not looking back, amidst Adrian’s cheerful laughter.

In the following days, Adrian didn’t do much but took Emma around for sightseeing. The little one was thrilled about his return, and even learned a dance to perform in front of him, singing and dancing adorably. Besides that, Adrian made a special trip to Edinburgh to discuss the publishing issues with Rowling, who was wrapping up the second book of the Harry Potter series, “Chamber of Secrets.” Though “Philosopher’s Stone” wasn’t selling very well in the United Kingdom, it was doing quite well in the United States, even making it to the “New York Times” list of 100 best-selling books. Rowling had completely escaped her financial hardships and moved into the middle class.

“No need for this, Joe, it’s all what you deserve, isn’t it?” Facing Rowling’s repeated thanks, Adrian said and, after some thought, decided he would wait until “Chamber of Secrets” was published before discussing the movie adaptation. It seemed a bit early now.

On the fifth day after the visit, Kubrick’s eldest daughter, Anya, once again invited Adrian and Clarkson to the small manor. The old man, who had been bedridden and unable to speak or move, had finally agreed to it after much deliberation.

“In principle, father allows Mr. Adrian to take over, and he also allows Mr. Adrian to make adjustments as per his requirements, but, once the movie is completed, it must first be reviewed by father. If he is dissatisfied, the movie cannot be distributed through any channel.” In the bedroom of their last visit, Anya stated the conditions in front of her father, who was propped up in bed, and other family members.

“I think that’s fine, right, Pine?” Adrian looked at Clarkson, as Warner had left this matter entirely to him since he was the one Adrian had consulted initially.

“It should… be fine, I guess,” Clarkson sighed helplessly.

“I suddenly feel like I’ve made a big mistake. Are you so sure you can satisfy Stanley? He’s a picky guy. I’ve dealt with him more than once; sometimes he isn’t even satisfied with his own work, let alone… this unprecedented act of letting someone else take over his work.” Clarkson said grimly as they left the small manor.

If Adrian took over the production and Kubrick ended up dissatisfied, and if the box office was poor, they could still recoup some of the costs by distributing video tapes, but if it wasn’t distributed at all, it would be a total loss.

“Being 100% satisfied is definitely impossible, but I believe it won’t cross his bottom line,” Adrian confidently asserted, then burst into laughter seeing Clarkson’s distressed expression. “Come on, Pine, making movies is often no different from gambling; you don’t know how it ends until the last moment. You yourself admit, this time letting someone take over is unprecedented for Kubrick, so why not believe that I can create a miracle?”

“Indeed, you are the Miracle Director, so I hope a miracle really does happen in the end,” Clarkson sighed again and smiled in self-comfort.

Although signing the contract was going to take some time, since oral statements like “if father is not satisfied, then the movie cannot be distributed through any channel” lacked legal force and were easy to exploit, those were issues for lawyers to handle. After getting the promise, Adrian returned to Los Angeles to begin some preliminary work.

For instance, after Kubrick had moved to the United Kingdom, his movies were mostly filmed there rather than elsewhere. Although the script of “Eyes Wide Shut” was set in New York, he insisted on shooting in the United Kingdom. Before this, he had already arranged for a studio, planning to build a New York streetscape, a significant expense, as most of the movie’s budget was spent on this.

However, since Adrian had now taken over, the plan to build sets in the United Kingdom remained only on paper, and it naturally made more sense to shoot on location in New York.

Besides, he also needed to meet with the crew members. Many of them had worked with Kubrick several times. Although Adrian would bring some of his own familiar people, most would be retained since they were relatively familiar with Kubrick’s style. Therefore, establishing a good relationship in advance was necessary, but most importantly, he needed to communicate with the lead actors.

“Pine, I remember originally agreeing to act because of Stanley’s invitation, but why has it changed to Ed now?” Inside a private club’s VIP room, Tom Cruise looked at Payne Clarkson, his tone carrying a hint of reproach. However, he then turned to Adrian, flashing his trademark smile, “Sorry, Ed, I don’t mean to offend you; I just want to understand why things have turned out this way.”

“I understand.” Adrian smiled and didn’t say much, his gaze completely fixed on Cruise as if Nicole Kidman by his side didn’t exist.

“You know, Tommy, Stanley had a stroke, a severe one, he can’t even speak, let alone direct a movie. But he sold the adaptation rights of the novel decades ago, he absolutely would not want to abandon it halfway. Now that Adrian has timely stepped in and impressed him with his abilities and sincerity, why can’t it continue?” Clarkson sincerely said, with his hands spread open.

“Oh, of course, Ed is the renowned Miracle Director.” Cruise smiled with a flicker of disdain in his eyes, then he immediately asked with confusion, “But from what I know, given Stanley’s character, he would never allow anyone to interfere with his movies. How did you persuade him, Payne?”

As he spoke, Cruise looked at his agent, and Kingsley took over the conversation, “Indeed, Mr. Clarkson, everyone knows that Stanley Kubrick had disagreements with the original authors Arthur Clarke and Stephen King during the filming of ‘The Shining’ and ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, the disputes arose because they disagreed with their views on the scripts. Arthur backed down, while Stephen criticized the film version of ‘The Shining’ more than once.”

Then she gestured with both hands, the implication clear: How could you persuade that stubborn old man? Or was Warner thinking of pushing Kubrick out due to his stroke?

“This has to be explained from two aspects. The external reason is naturally that Stanley has been preparing for this movie for many years and doesn’t want to give up now, while the internal reason…” Clarkson said, glancing at Adrian with some doubts in his mind. As an executive at Warner, he certainly knew that Adrian was working on a movie with Cruise, and their relationship should still be somewhat okay. Why would Cruise look like that?

Cruise thought he was being subtle, but everyone present saw it clearly.

Although Clarkson’s mind kept spinning, his mouth didn’t stop, “Just as I said earlier, Ed moved Stanley with his sincerity and capability. Before today, we had already visited the United Kingdom and discussed with Stanley in person. The ideas that Ed presented were approved by him. After all, without his agreement, even if someone wanted to take over, it wouldn’t be possible. You can confirm this with his family, I assure you will get the answer you seek.”

Kingsley and Cruise then started talking quietly, occasionally asking Nicole a few questions. Nicole seemed indecisive, only briefly speaking each time before stopping. However, once she elaborated a bit longer, Cruise would quickly take over the conversation, hinting at some underlying issues.

“Tommy, can you tell me why you are hesitant?” Seeing that their discussion wasn’t reaching any conclusion after quite some time, Adrian finally spoke up.

“Well… The key is, initially, Nicole and I agreed because we wanted to collaborate with Stanley.” Cruise made efforts with his gestures, then continued as if explaining something, “I’m not saying I don’t want to collaborate with you, Ed. I’m just thinking, if we are to collaborate, why not pick a new movie?”

“I understand your feeling, Tommy. Making movies can sometimes be like gambling. A script might look good, but the finished product might be a mess, especially when taking over from a director with a unique style,” Adrian said with a chuckle, his expression nonchalant, “But when have I ever missed, Tommy? Even Stanley admitted I was qualified to take over his work, why not give it a try?”

Adrian crossed his hands and propped his chin on the table, leisurely watching Cruise, his eyes hiding a hint of challenge. Unlike Cruise’s attempt to be discreet, which no one could notice except for those face-to-face, Adrian was not someone Cruise could contend with in this regard.

“I believe you shone in ‘Jerry Maguire’; why can’t you trust that I can handle ‘Eyes Wide Shut’?” he continued in a relaxed tone.

Cruise pursed his lips, the smile fading as he glanced at Adrian and then took a deep breath, frowning for a while before looking back at his wife.

“What do you think, Nicole?” He put on his signature smile again, although very charming and sunny, it felt somewhat fake if seen too often.

“Maybe…” Nicole looked uncertainly at Adrian, who then lowered his head to sip his coffee, seemingly indifferent to her and Cruise.

Nicole’s hands under the table clenched into fists involuntarily.

“Maybe we could give it a try,” she whispered to her husband.

Upon hearing the answer, Cruise raised an eyebrow, pondered for a moment, and then directed his smile at Adrian again, “Well, I have no objections now.”

“I’m glad to be working comprehensively with you, Tommy,” a meaningful look crossed Adrian’s eyes as he stood up and reached out his hand to Cruise with a smile.

Now that the deal was settled, Adrian saw no need to stay any longer and quickly shook hands and said goodbye to the Cruise couple and their agent, Kingsley.

“I remember you were working with Tommy, weren’t you, Ed?” Clarkson couldn’t help but ask as they left the club.

“What do you want to ask, Payne?” Adrian replied nonchalantly.

“Don’t you think Tommy seems a bit hostile towards you?” Clarkson directly broached the topic.

“Yes, I know, but if you ask me why, I’m not sure either,” Adrian shrugged.

He wasn’t lying. This wasn’t the first or second time Cruise had acted this way, but he genuinely didn’t know why. Heaven knows what was going on in Cruise’s mind. But combining some of Cruise’s words and actions during their several encounters with something from his memory, Adrian could roughly guess a bit–it wasn’t certain but probably had some relevance. People who were not broad-minded and couldn’t regulate themselves were truly… pathetic.

But this also made Adrian feel more justified in doing certain things, thinking about the situation when he left, his lips couldn’t help but curve slightly upward. As they said goodbye, he briefly shook Nicole’s hand and then without any sentimentality, pulled his hand away as if he were dealing with a stranger, and even left without looking back.

After basic communication with the crew members and finalizing the two main actors, Adrian went to New York again at the end of April. There weren’t many real scenes in New York, most of the filming was still scheduled in the studios in Los Angeles. Warner fully endorsed this, as building the entire set in the United Kingdom as Kubrick had envisioned would have cost a fortune.

A Kubrick film was sure not to make money, even now under the direction of the Miracle Director. Since Adrian had received Kubrick’s endorsement, he definitely would not inject any commercial elements into it. Granted, once filming started, it was out of Kubrick’s hands, but don’t forget–if he was dissatisfied, the film couldn’t be released, and Adrian wouldn’t gamble with his own reputation, so cutting costs was still preferable.

“Alright, I admit this place is suitable; you’ve earned your merit, Qiqi,” Adrian said to the beaming girl while having a few photos taken of the neighborhood.

“How about that? I told you I’d be useful if you brought me along,” Kirsten bragged, dressed in a light-colored long-sleeve T-shirt, covered with a dark jacket, long pants, and sneakers, perfectly capturing the youthful vigor of a young girl.

“Yes, yes, but could you not be so loud,” Adrian sighed, glancing at the few people working nearby. Fortunately, he hadn’t brought many people along, and Charlize had stayed in Los Angeles.

Kirsten was here because that day, as usual, she had come to Adrian’s office when she heard him mention he was going to New York soon to scout locations for his next film. The spirited girl immediately acted coquettishly and insisted on coming along.

“I lived in New York for a while, and I’m familiar with the neighborhoods, especially Brooklyn. I can find any kind of vibe you want,” Kirsten said, straddling Adrian’s thighs and wrapping her arms around his neck. She had just recovered from the “guidance” of his fingers, her cheeks still flushed red, and her soft voice sounded as comforting as red wine before bedtime.

She had indeed lived in New York; otherwise, she wouldn’t have auditioned for The Professional. Given the circumstances, Adrian readily agreed to her request. However, he was not confused, so Kirsten had come to New York with her mother, Inez.

She told her mother most of the truth, only altering a bit, saying that she persuaded Adrian by using the excuse of “going to New York with Mom,” so her mother had to help her maintain the lie. Inez naturally agreed to her daughter’s request, knowing that her daughter’s achievements were not unrelated to Adrian, so she wanted to maintain a good relationship with the Miracle Director, but she didn’t know that her daughter had gone even further.

“Alright, since we’ve decided, I should take you back now,” Adrian said. After giving the person in charge a few instructions, he promptly took the young girl to the car parked by the roadside.

“Since it’s still early, why don’t we go somewhere else for a stroll? We’ve been looking for the neighborhoods you wanted for days. You should take a break,” Kirsten, sitting in the passenger seat, chirped cheerfully.

“No way, I promised your mom I’d take you back immediately.” Adrian shook his head, leaned over to buckle her seatbelt, and then tapped her plump cheek, “Safety first. I rarely drive on the streets of New York.”

“Oh, Ed, can’t you not do this?” Kirsten seized the opportunity to grasp his arm, pressing her whole body against him, pleading.

Feeling the touch from his elbow, Adrian sighed, “Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll drive two-thirds of the way, and then we’ll walk the last third.”

“Okay.” Disappointment was undisguised in Kirsten’s eyes. She knew that once Adrian made a decision, it was unlikely to change.

Seeing her look, Adrian chuckled softly and then started the car. Kirsten wondered how he could possibly not know what she was thinking. But then, some things should indeed be kept in suspense, shouldn’t they? They were still within the expiration date, right?

As he said, he drove through several streets before parking two blocks away from Kirsten and her mother’s apartment–Inez had a decent small apartment in New York, so they didn’t stay in a hotel–and they walked back as if strolling.

Although Kirsten wasn’t very spirited, she laughed constantly at Adrian’s humorous remarks. No one was better at entertaining women than he was, no matter what type of woman.

“Alright, let’s stop here, Qiqi,” Adrian said, patting her head after having walked her down to the apartment steps, “Don’t be so eager. You know, I really like you.”

“Yes, I know.” Kirsten sighed, then hesitantly looked at Adrian, “There are some things… do you think I can tell you?”

“Oh?” Adrian immediately bent down, but the young girl suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and firmly kissed him on the face right before everyone’s eyes.

“Qiqi!” Adrian exclaimed in annoyance, quickly scanning the surroundings. It seemed not many people noticed, and there were no faces behind the apartment windows.

“I just wanted a souvenir,” Kirsten giggled naughtily, making a face before swiftly opening the door and slipping inside. (To be continued. If you like this work, please go to wuxiaworld.site to vote and support the author. Your support is my greatest motivation.)