Chapter 409: Global Attention

Chapter 409: Chapter 409: Global Attention

As everyone knows, the Hollywood film and television industry has always had deep-seated racial prejudices.

Works with themes involving people of color or Black protagonists are often deliberately belittled or uglified; either the misery of the lower class is intentionally magnified and suffering sold to solicit sympathy, or the characters are deliberately smeared and their true experiences twisted to cater to the stereotypes of some white audiences.

She was genuinely worried that Echo Pictures, for the sake of dramatic conflict and box office heat, would wantonly tamper with their true lives, deliberately smear and weaken the characters’ personalities, magnify the embarrassment and unseemliness of life, and distort their original intention of upholding kindness and struggling to fight back, ultimately reducing her family’s true suffering and persistence to a tool for Hollywood to grab attention, leaving behind a distorted and misunderstood screen image.

Seeing his wife full of anxiety and unease, Chris Gardner patiently comforted her, slowly explaining the confidence he had after his research.

"I know your concerns, and I am also clear about Hollywood’s inherent prejudice against the Black community, but this time we should be able to rest assured."

"First of all, the script for this film will be written by Director Irene Coppola herself. You should have heard her name; she won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture with Million Dollar Baby. That female inspirational work was adapted and polished by her personally from beginning to end, respecting the characters, respecting the truth, and having a positive core. She has never deliberately created conflict or smeared characters; her professional ability is beyond doubt."

"Secondly, Echo Pictures has clearly promised that after the complete script is finalized, it will be handed over to us and a professional review team for dual review. We have the right to know and the right to suggest changes for all content involving our family and true experiences, and absolutely will not allow arbitrary tampering or malicious smearing. Furthermore, the entire film will still be directed by Irene Coppola herself."

"I specifically consulted friends in the Hollywood industry, and everyone’s evaluation of Irene is highly consistent. She is one of the few top directors in the industry with upright values who respects minority groups and people of color. She respects women, sympathizes with the lower class, embraces diversity, and never consumes suffering, creates opposition, or deliberately labels minority groups. Not only is her professional technique excellent and her directing skills top-notch, but she is also humble, polite, and broad-minded, with almost no negative industry rumors. She is the most perfect and reliable candidate among Hollywood’s new generation of directors."

"It can be said that as long as it is a project she has taken a fancy to, there are plenty of people in Hollywood scrambling to support and join. We should be glad that we were chosen."

After listening to her husband’s detailed and comprehensive analysis and endorsement, the heavy stone in the wife’s heart finally landed slightly, her tense nerves slowly relaxed, and her concerns were mostly reduced.

She trusted her husband’s eye for people and commercial judgment, and she had also heard of Irene’s legendary resume and good reputation.

She knew that such a director, who held Oscar honors, had upright character, and respected diversity, would never deliberately distort their lives, let alone use their suffering to grab attention.

At this point, Chris Gardner’s family had basically finalized their cooperation intention, waiting only for Echo Pictures to issue a formal cooperation plan and script guarantee clauses to successfully sign the film adaptation authorization contract.

Time flew by quietly amidst the busy filming and desk work of the crew, and in the blink of an eye, it was July 30, 2004.

The highly anticipated super commercial blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest was officially released in North America.

As one of the most anticipated ace IP sequels in this year’s summer slot, this film, backed by the dual giants Fox and Disney and co-produced by Echo Pictures, had firmly dominated industry heat since the beginning of its project, and the premiere was regarded by the industry as a top Hollywood event of the year.

As the director, Irene did not participate in the internal advance screening before the film’s release.

Unlike most creators in the industry who were nervous and watching, repeatedly polishing flaws, she had absolute confidence in this film.

From script rewriting, actor confirmation, special effects supervision to filming control, she personally participated in the gatekeeping of every link.

She knew that the texture, rhythm, and special effects level of the entire film were not inferior to any other work in the Hollywood summer slot this year.

There was no need to rely on advance screenings to adjust public opinion and avoid risks.

This confidence allowed her to calmly wait for the film to officially land in theaters.

Even though she was long accustomed to all kinds of grand Hollywood red carpet ceremonies, this premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest could still be called top-tier in scale and dazzling with stars.

The red carpet at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles was brightly lit all night that evening, and the dazzling spotlights pierced the night sky, illuminating the entire street like daylight.

As the current rising director in Hollywood with the most momentum, the widest network, and the strongest track record, Irene’s connections and reputation in the circle had already reached the top tier.

A host of actors who were on good terms with her, had worked with her, or intended to build a relationship with her, as long as their schedules were free, almost all rushed to the scene to support the film.

The sides of the red carpet were crowded with fans and media reporters who had heard the news.

It was packed with people, with deafening cheers, and the sound of shutters went on almost uninterrupted.

One famous Hollywood superstar after another appeared, igniting the heat of the scene in turns, leaving the onlookers dizzying and calling it a treat.

Leonardo DiCaprio, who had disappeared since filming The Aviator, made a heavy appearance.

The two had long appreciated and recognized each other, but due to scheduling and project misalignment, they had never been able to achieve deep cooperation, which had always been a small regret in their hearts.

This time, Leonardo specifically pushed aside some private itineraries to come and support.

Following closely behind was the veteran powerful actor Tom Hanks.

He and Irene had teamed up to invest in the hit low-budget film My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which had yielded rich returns, and they had a very good personal relationship.

Appearing this time, Tom Hanks had a gentle smile on his face throughout, showing the elegance and charm of a veteran superstar.

There were also Matt Damon and Charlize Theron, who had worked with Irene on The Italian Job, appearing together.

The former crew partners were in the same frame again, evoking memories of countless industry insiders.

In addition, Reese Witherspoon, who quickly broke out with her youthful sweet girl image, the promising new generation actress Rachel McAdams, Chinese-American actress Lucy Liu, and a host of powerful and popular actors all arrived.

The grand occasion of stars gathering pushed the pomp of the premiere that night to the peak.

Being at the center of fame and fortune, Irene moved freely among the superstars, politely greeting people from all sides and maintaining her circle of connections at the top of Hollywood.

She saw Charlize Theron standing alone by the window, so she immediately walked over with two wine glasses.

She handed the red wine in her right hand to the other party.

The two had not seen each other for a long time, but their relationship was not distant.

Irene sincerely praised the film Monster that Charlize Theron had previously starred in, stating that it was one of the most subversive female screen performances in Hollywood in recent years.

"Your performance in Monster was completely transformative, subverting everyone’s inherent impression of your appearance. You put down your status, shed your glamour, and vividly portrayed the struggle, fragmentation, and redemption of a lower-class criminal. The emotional tension was extremely penetrating."

Irene looked sincere, without any polite perfunctoriness. "This Oscar for Best Actress trophy, you won it deservedly and undeniably. I have always been looking forward to cooperating with you again to polish a more suitable and powerful female role for you."