Chapter 326: Irene’s Reputation

Chapter 326: Chapter 326: Irene’s Reputation

Irene nodded and pulled a sheet of paper from the folder, which contained a character biography she had written. "These are the background details I added for Edward—his experiences before becoming a vampire and the process of the Cullen family accepting him. You can use it as a reference. His restraint is essentially an inferiority complex regarding his ’outsider’ status and a longing for the human world. This sense of contradiction is his core charm."

Taylor hurriedly took the paper, which was densely packed with the reasons behind Edward’s personality and his behavioral logic. As she skimmed through it, she suddenly had a new idea for the plot point where she had been stuck.

"Thank you, Irene. I know how to write the next part now." Taylor suddenly felt a creative urge to give it a try.

Watching the light reignite in Taylor’s eyes, Marcus added with a smile, "Actually, the Bella that Taylor wrote is very vivid. Especially that feeling of being ignorant yet brave when facing Edward. It’s very relatable."

Irene raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Indeed, Taylor’s capture of emotional details is very keen. That is your advantage."

"At the same time, you must remember that when shaping Bella’s character, you definitely cannot define her simply as a ’love-brain.’ Although this is a romance novel, a simplistic character design won’t go far. She needs growth and a character arc. Another very important point: rather than saying she chooses Edward as a partner, it’s more that she wants to become a powerful creature like a vampire. You need to subtly reveal this information bit by bit in the subsequent content. Such portrayal makes it easier for more female audiences to feel a sense of empowerment."

Taylor nodded repeatedly, even using a pen to immediately jot down Irene’s key points.

Afterward, Irene turned to Marcus. "In your Taken, the phone call scene between the protagonist and his daughter is written very well. The emotion is very sincere. However, in the subsequent chase sequences, you could add some flashbacks of the daughter when she was little—for example, the protagonist teaching her to use codes to transmit information. This way, the later plot of cracking traps will be more convincing."

Marcus immediately took out his notebook to write it down. "That’s a great idea! I was only thinking about how to make the trap design more ingenious, but I forgot that it could echo the emotional line from earlier."

The three of them discussed the manuscripts like this. The clock in the cafe ticked away quietly, and the sky outside gradually darkened. Neon lights flickered on one after another, reflected on the glass window, forming a hazy play of light and shadow.

Taylor would occasionally be awakened by Irene’s precise critiques, and occasionally argue with Marcus over a certain plot setting. Irene always gave suggestions at the right time, neither restricting their creativity nor letting the story stray from the direction she wanted.

Before leaving, Irene handed the organized revision suggestions and supplementary materials to the two of them. "If you have any questions later, find me anytime. Just like before, send your completed drafts to my email regularly. I’ll grade and correct them in my spare time. I can’t wait to see the day the novels hit the market."

Taylor clutched the documents and walked out of the cafe. The night breeze brushed against her cheeks, bringing a hint of chill, yet it made her feel exceptionally clear-headed.

She turned to look at Marcus beside her, a look of relief appearing on her face. "It turns out that communicating with Irene face-to-face isn’t as scary as I imagined."

Marcus smiled. "Of course. You were the one who thought she was too terrifying."

The two walked side by side in the night, the streetlights stretching their shadows very long.

On the other side, Irene walked quickly toward the parking lot.

The night was deep, and the lights of Los Angeles were just coming on. She pulled open the car door and sat in the driver’s seat. Her fingertips quickly swiped across the phone screen to confirm tomorrow’s shooting schedule for Pirates of the Caribbean 2. Then, she floored the gas and drove toward the new office area of Echo Pictures. Robert was already waiting in the office to report on the concluding work for two new films.

When she arrived at the office area, only a few scattered offices in the entire building still had their lights on.

Irene pushed open her office door and saw Robert sitting on the sofa flipping through documents. Two cups of already cold coffee sat on the table.

"Post-production for Saw and Little Miss Sunshine is all complete." Seeing her enter, Robert immediately stood up and handed over two thick reports. "Editing, soundtrack, and color grading have all been finalized, and the ratings passed smoothly—*Saw* is rated R, and Little Miss Sunshine is PG-13, which perfectly meets our expectations."

Irene took the reports and flipped through them quickly. Her eyes landed on the film festival and release schedule planning page, and a flash of approval crossed her eyes. "Cannes and Venice? And the release dates are set for Halloween and Thanksgiving?" She looked up at Robert, her tone carrying a hint of curiosity. "These two slots are not easy to get. How did you do it?"

Robert leaned back on the sofa with a smile, his tone carrying a bit of pride. "Boss, you might not have fully realized your current weight in Hollywood."

"I’ve already applied for the Cannes Film Festival to take Saw there in May. The organizing committee added a ’Genre Film Venture Capital Unit’ this year. This movie’s narrative tricks and visual impact happen to fit the ’sense of surprise’ they want. As for Venice, the artistic core and healing tone of Little Miss Sunshine suit the jury’s taste very well. I’ve already secured a screening slot through my previous connections."

"As for the release dates," Robert changed the subject, picking up the theater circuit screening confirmation letter from the table. "While Halloween and Thanksgiving aren’t as high-profile as the summer or Christmas slots, the holiday atmosphere comes with its own genre filters. The thriller and suspense of Saw, paired with the horror atmosphere of Halloween, can maximize the audience’s desire to watch. The family warmth theme of Little Miss Sunshine just happens to fit the reunion atmosphere of Thanksgiving, making it easy to trigger emotional resonance."

"You also know how fierce the competition is for these two slots. There are plenty of horror movies clustered in the Halloween slot, and the Thanksgiving slot is a must-win for family films and comedies. Theater screens are limited. The movies wanting to squeeze in could stretch from Hollywood to New York. But I only made a phone call to the heads of the AMC, Regal, and Cinemark theater chains and told them these two were personally greenlit by Irene Coppola and are Echo Pictures’ key projects for promotion this year. They didn’t even ask for the scripts and directly agreed to leave us sufficient screening shares."

Irene raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. "Just based on my name?"

"Of course not just that, but your name is the key," Robert said seriously. "Don’t forget, you won the Oscar for Best Picture this year with Million Dollar Baby. The box office for that film also far exceeded ordinary artistic films, with the global box office already reaching 150 million dollars. And the first Pirates of the Caribbean from last year is still showing in global theaters, with the box office breaking 700 million dollars. Who in the industry doesn’t know now that Irene Coppola has a sharp eye and almost every project she bets on becomes a hit? Plus, we acquired Future World Pictures and integrated their distribution channels, so the theater chains are naturally willing to give us this face."

"Moreover, Future World really didn’t have any decent works before, but it’s different now. We have your gold-lettered signboard in our hands, plus the endorsement of a super IP like Pirates of the Caribbean. The theater chains know in their hearts that getting your heavily promoted works can not only attract foot traffic but also enhance the value of their time slots. They even proactively suggested that if we’re willing, they can add midnight screenings for Saw to coordinate with Halloween-themed activities."