Chapter 258: Advice

Chapter 258: Chapter 258: Advice

Britney, listening from the side, was so angry she nearly jumped up. "What? It was actually him behind this! That’s too much! He should just focus on filming his own movie. Why is he fixated on you?"

Irene patted Britney’s hand, signaling her to calm down. "Forget it, it’s not worth arguing with someone like that." She spoke to Shelly on the other end of the phone,

"Shelly, since we’ve found the truth, there’s no need for further public relations. Just let the media let it simmer on its own. Mel Gibson doing this only makes him look small-minded. It won’t have much of an impact on me."

"But..." Shelly wanted to say something more.

"No buts," Irene interrupted him, her tone certain. "Just quietly leak the truth to a few reliable media outlets. Don’t name names. Just drop enough hints. Leave the rest to time and the audience to judge." She paused and added,

"Also, tell those two producers that it’s best if I never see them again in any setting. Otherwise, they can forget about making a living in Hollywood."

After hanging up, Britney still had an indignant look on her face. "You’re just letting them go like that? That’s too easy on Mel Gibson and those two creeps!"

Irene smiled and picked up her bag from the sofa. "What else should I do? Get into a public spat with them? That would just play right into their hands, giving them all the hype they want. We’ll just keep doing what we’re doing. This little storm won’t affect us at all. Let’s go out for a stroll. I haven’t gone shopping around here since I moved."

With that, the two of them changed clothes and headed out.

The spotlights at the jewelry counter made the diamonds sparkle brilliantly. Britney was admiring a sapphire necklace she couldn’t bear to put down when Irene’s phone suddenly vibrated.

The name "Adelaide" flashing on the screen caused her brow to furrow almost imperceptibly.

She walked to a quiet corner to answer the call, her voice maintaining its usual composure. "Adelaide, good afternoon. I’m out shopping. Is something the matter?"

"Irene, sorry to interrupt your shopping, but I have to ask you something right now." On the other end of the line, Adelaide’s tone was hurried, carrying a hint of subtle anxiety.

"The news about you not being optimistic about Kingdom of Heaven has been spreading like wildfire lately. Although I know the media loves to exaggerate, I still want to ask you personally: do you really think there’s a problem with this project?"

Irene rubbed the edge of her phone with her fingertip, quickly weighing the situation in her mind. She knew very well the weight of this question.

Adelaide had only recently risen to power at Fox and needed to produce impressive results to secure her position. Kingdom of Heaven was the major project she was pushing. The crew had just been assembled, and Fox was currently negotiating the final production agreement with Ridley Scott.

Her initial advice to Rachel to turn down the role was merely a kind warning between friends. An actress’s choice was insignificant to Ridley, but if her attitude influenced Fox’s decision and caused them to abandon the partnership, she would truly and completely offend this old-school Hollywood director. That could potentially have some impact on her career.

"Adelaide, you shouldn’t be asking me this." Irene’s voice cooled slightly.

"I’m just a director, not a prophet. Whether a project is good or not ultimately depends on the market and the creation itself." She instinctively wanted to avoid it. After all, it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble.

"But you must know something, or have sensed something." Adelaide’s tone was pleading.

"I know you’re not someone who would casually criticize someone else’s project. You’ve always been very sharp about the market. Any subject in your hands can produce a miracle and has never failed. I’ve just taken over, and the production cost for Kingdom of Heaven is as high as 150 million dollars. If something goes wrong, my fate won’t be much better than Baird Fergus’s."

The name Baird Fergus gave Irene pause. That former Fox executive had been ousted and had since vanished from Hollywood precisely because a major production he pushed had a disastrous box office performance.

Adelaide was one of the few people willing to give her a chance when she first entered the industry, acting as something of a mentor. She really couldn’t bear to watch her repeat the same mistake.

Thoughts of the future disastrous box office figures for Kingdom of Heaven flashed through her mind. A North America box office of only around 40 million dollars would be enough to sink Fox into a quagmire of astronomical losses.

After a moment of silence, Irene took a deep breath, her tone becoming more serious than ever before.

"Adelaide, what I say to you stays between us. Once it leaves my mouth and enters your ears, I will not take any responsibility for it, and you cannot let a third person know."

Adelaide immediately stated her position. "I guarantee on my professional future that I will not reveal what you say, not even a single word." She could hear the gravity in Irene’s tone and knew that what she was about to say must be crucial information.

"I have a feeling that Kingdom of Heaven will fail, and it will be a disastrous failure." Irene’s voice was very low, every word clear.

"If it’s not too late for you to pull out, I suggest you withdraw from this project immediately and find another company to take over. But this must be done seamlessly. Otherwise, both you and I could face huge trouble. If the arrow is already on the string and it’s too late, then you must do everything possible to get Fox’s senior management to agree to give the final cut privilege entirely to Ridley Scott himself."

She paused and added, "Director Ridley has his own rhythm for controlling epic themes. Currently, the market’s acceptance of these slow-burn epics isn’t high to begin with. If the investors forcibly interfere with the editing to cater to fast-food viewing habits, it will only make the film neither fish nor fowl, ultimately pleasing no one. Only by letting him complete the final version according to his own ideas might the film’s core quality be preserved, preventing the losses from being so total."

Adelaide went silent on the other end of the phone. Irene could hear her rapid breathing. She was clearly shocked by these words.

After a long while, she finally spoke, her voice trembling slightly. "You... why are you so certain? Is there any specific basis?"

"There is no basis, just intuition combined with judgment of the market and the subject matter." Irene decisively refused further explanation.

"I’ve said what I needed to say. Whether you listen is up to you. That’s all. Good luck."

Without waiting for Adelaide to ask further, Irene hung up. She put away her phone and turned back to Britney, her face already having regained its calm, as if the conversation that could potentially change the industry’s direction had never happened.

"Who was it? You talked for so long." Britney asked curiously, holding the sapphire necklace out to her. "What do you think of this one? It would definitely look stunning with my white formal dress."

"Adelaide from Fox, asking me about Kingdom of Heaven." Irene took the necklace and held it up against Britney’s neck. The luster indeed made her skin look even fairer. "I gave her some advice. I hope she listens."

"Aren’t you afraid of truly offending Director Ridley?" Britney was a bit worried. "If he finds out you’re behind the scenes advising Fox to pull out, he’ll definitely be angry."

"Fear is useless. I can’t just watch a friend jump into a fire pit." Irene smiled and handed the necklace to the sales assistant. "We’ll take this one. As for Director Ridley, my conscience is clear. If he really gets angry because of this, then it just means we aren’t cut from the same cloth." Her eyes were resolute.

"Alright, the clothes and jewelry are all chosen. Now you just need to wait peacefully for the party next weekend. I hope Adelaide can make the right choice."

Britney nodded and took her arm. "She definitely will! Come on, let’s go pay, and then go get something to eat. I know a French restaurant nearby that’s super delicious."