Chapter 254: Advice

Chapter 254: Chapter 254: Advice

The music at the housewarming party flowed, and champagne glasses clinked with a crisp sound.

Irene had just finished a lively jazz dance with Johnny Depp, and he teased her with his signature lazy smile. "Your dance steps are much more agile than when we were filming Pirates of the Caribbean. It seems you’ve been practicing diligently lately."

Irene waved her hand with a smile and turned toward the island counter. After entertaining several groups of guests in a row, she wanted to take the opportunity to grab an iced drink and catch her breath.

Just as she picked up a bottle of sparkling water, soft footsteps sounded behind her.

Irene turned her head and saw Rachel McAdams walking over quickly, her face showing a hint of hesitation and undisguised urgency.

"Rachel, I’m sorry I haven’t been able to chat with you properly until now. Please forgive my lack of hospitality."

Irene spoke first, opened the refrigerator door to grab a drink for her as well, and asked, "Are you having a good time today?"

"I am. Your new home is beautiful, especially the viewing deck—it’s like a scene from a painting."

Rachel quickly waved her hand and raised the champagne glass in her hand. "First, congratulations on your move. This house suits you perfectly."

She paused, her eyes glancing around unconsciously. Seeing that most of the guests were gathered in the living room and on the terrace, she lowered her voice and said,

"Actually, I came over this time because there’s something I want to ask your opinion about—it’s regarding a movie."

Irene unscrewed the cap of the sparkling water, took a sip, and said in a relaxed tone, "Oh? What movie? Tell me about it."

She assumed it was just Rachel’s routine consultation about script selection and didn’t think much of it, as she often did this for friends.

"A historical movie has approached me, wanting me to be the lead actress."

Rachel’s voice carried a hint of conflict. "At first, I was quite tempted. Historical themes can hone one’s acting skills, and the production team sounds pretty good."

Irene agreed, "That’s great. Regardless of the theme, it’s a good thing to encounter a reliable team and a role that allows for expression. Acting skills are honed one movie at a time, so what are you struggling with?"

"I thought so too at first, but after reading the official script, I hesitated."

Rachel frowned, her tone full of confusion. "The plot is extremely chaotic, the main storyline is unclear, and it’s very draggy. Even though it has a war background, it’s mixed with a bunch of romance. It feels like *Pearl Harbor*—wearing the skin of a real war, but it’s actually a romance film at its core, and the romance line is written very far-fetchedly."

Irene raised an eyebrow. Such a movie is indeed hard to be a big hit, but she still asked, "A bad script doesn’t necessarily mean the final product will be bad. Post-production editing might be able to save it. What’s the name of the movie? Who is the director?"

"The movie is called Kingdom of Heaven, and the director is Ridley Scott."

Rachel stated the name, and seeing that Irene didn’t react, she added, "The lead actor is already set as Orlando Bloom, and it’s said that they are still in talks with Edward Norton for the supporting role."

"Pfft—" The sparkling water Irene had just taken a sip of almost sprayed out. She looked at Rachel sharply, her eyes full of surprise.

How could she not have an impression of this luxurious lineup? Kingdom of Heaven, this movie that later became famous for its "huge losses" and "director’s cut being legendary while the theatrical version bombed," had actually approached Rachel.

As the person who brought Rachel into the mainstream Hollywood spotlight back then, the two were not only good friends but also shared a bond of mentorship.

Irene didn’t hesitate at all and said directly, "You should turn this movie down."

"Huh?" Rachel was completely stunned, her eyes wide.

"You just said I should give it a try. Why are you telling me to refuse it now that I’ve mentioned the director and the cast? It’s Ridley Scott! He directed Alien, Blade Runner, and Gladiator. He’s a master-level director recognized by the industry, and Orlando and Edward are both A-listers. This lineup is too rare."

Irene realized then that her reaction just now had been too direct.

She quickly scanned her surroundings. There were still two Fox producers talking in low voices near the island counter. Although they weren’t very close, they might catch a word or two.

Saying that a movie currently in preparation is "destined to fail" wouldn’t be good if it got out, especially regarding a big shot like Ridley Scott. Offending him wouldn’t do her or Rachel any good.

She quickly gave Rachel a look, signaling her to come closer.

Although confused, Rachel leaned in, bringing her ear close to Irene.

"Do you trust me?" Irene’s voice was extremely low, her tone firm. "If you do, don’t take it."

Rachel blinked and began to hesitate.

On one side was a top-tier director like Ridley Scott, and on the other was her trusted friend and mentor. She was at a loss for a moment.

"But... but that’s Ridley Scott. His directing ability is right there. Even if the script has some problems, he should be able to save it, right? And this is a historical blockbuster. It would definitely be a huge help to my career."

Irene rolled her eyes in annoyance, her tone teasing but without any blame. "Then why did you come to ask me? Just say yes and be done with it."

"I’m conflicted, aren’t I!" Rachel smiled ingratiatingly and tugged on Irene’s arm.

"Good Irene, why exactly are you not optimistic about this movie? You have to give me a reason. Otherwise, I won’t feel at ease."

Irene sighed inwardly. She couldn’t tell her that she knew the movie would have poor word-of-mouth after its release. It wasn’t a problem with Director Ridley’s ability. On the contrary, he wanted to make this movie too well.

However, in this current period, trying to bring a movie of over 3 hours to the screen has huge difficulties in itself. Not to mention whether theaters would be willing to schedule it, no film company would dare or want to risk releasing a commercial blockbuster over three hours long. Yet the 2-hour version would have incoherent historical logic and far-fetched character motivations, failing to capture the essence of the movie at all.

Therefore, Kingdom of Heaven is destined to fail. This is caused by realistic reasons, and no one can save it.

But she couldn’t tell Rachel any of this, so she had to make up a reason. "Have you thought about why this movie approached you?"

Rachel was stunned and shook her head.

"I happen to know some news. Director Ridley will indeed treat this movie very seriously and earnestly, but the length of historical blockbusters is a big problem.

Since it tells a story of foreign history, to avoid American audiences not understanding it, there will be a large amount of historical background exposition and character growth arcs. As a result, the movie’s length will inevitably increase, and the risk of the movie failing will increase accordingly."

"But what does this have to do with whether I take the movie or not?" Rachel asked, not understanding.

Irene paused. "Once the movie’s word-of-mouth isn’t ideal, Director Ridley’s directing ability won’t be the problem. Orlando Bloom, as a current A-list actor, can’t have issues with his acting. Edward Norton has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor, so his acting is beyond reproach and can’t be the problem. So, who will be the problem?"

Rachel showed an expression of disbelief upon hearing this.

Irene nodded. "When you eliminate all the wrong answers, and you are the only one left, you are the one who will be the scapegoat."