Chapter 71: Empty-Handed

Chapter 71: Chapter 71: Empty-Handed

As a member of the Coppola family, Irene Coppola could have quietly stayed in the corner.

But she was genuinely curious about the future Spider-Man girlfriend.

The first time she saw her was during the audition, but the other party had left in a hurry after finishing without even a formal greeting, so this time she took the initiative to walk up to her.

"Hello, Dunst. I’m Irene Coppola, Sophia’s sister." Irene offered a friendly smile.

Kirsten Dunst turned her head at the sound, her gaze lingering on Irene’s face for two seconds, as if searching her memory for the name.

Then she realized, and a polite but slightly formulaic smile appeared on her lips. "Oh, hello." Her tone was somewhat cold.

"Your performance in The Virgin Suicides also moved me very much," Irene said sincerely, trying to deepen the conversation. "The confusion and despair of being trapped in youth. You interpreted it very delicately."

"Thank you. The script was well written, and Sophia also provided a lot of guidance." Kirsten’s reply remained appropriate, yet carried an imperceptible indifference typical of a seasoned professional, as if she were saying, ’I know I acted well.’

She gently adjusted the hem of her dress, a small gesture that revealed how much she cared about her image.

Irene could feel the invisible barrier from the other party, but she didn’t mind. Instead, she found it somewhat interesting.

She could tell that Kirsten didn’t harbor any malice. This was just a protective color and habitual posture naturally formed from being immersed in the vanity fair since childhood.

At her core, she should still be a nice girl.

"I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate in the future." Irene maintained her composure and sent a vague but friendly signal.

Hearing this, Kirsten’s eyebrows twitched imperceptibly. She looked at Irene carefully again, as if she had only now connected the director’s sister in front of her with the identity of director itself.

Her attitude softened just a little, and her smile held a bit more genuine curiosity. "You are a director too?"

"Yes, I have finished filming two teen comedies. One was released last year, and one will be out this year." Irene answered modestly. She wasn’t unable to accept that the other party didn’t recognize her at all. After all, as a behind-the-scenes worker, she naturally lacked attention, and her name hadn’t reached the point of being a household name yet.

But for an actor to know nothing about their own director, it could only mean that Kirsten Dunst was someone who only cared about herself.

"Oh, that’s very nice." Kirsten nodded, but the interest in her eyes didn’t increase much. Clearly, teen comedy was not the genre she was eager to challenge at this stage.

Just at this moment, her assistant whispered a reminder that it was time for her to touch up her makeup.

"Then, let’s talk later." Kirsten nodded at Irene and then turned and left with an elegant posture.

Watching her back, Irene couldn’t help but smile.

This is Hollywood, with clear hierarchies, where everyone carries their own pride and calculations.

She wondered, after the huge success of Spider-Man arrived, what the state of mind would be for this young actress who was currently still carrying a bit of arrogance and detachment.

Kirsten returned to the lounge, and her assistant skillfully handed her a cup of black coffee at the perfect temperature and a novel she was currently reading.

After looking for two seconds, she suddenly seemed to remember something and asked her assistant, "Sophia’s sister, the one named Irene. She said she is also a director. Do you know what movies she has directed?" Her tone carried a hint of casual curiosity, not paying too much attention.

The makeup artist nearby was organizing brushes. Hearing the question, she immediately looked up and answered first. "I know, Kirsten. Irene Coppola, she directed that super popular Legally Blonde last year! Do you remember? That pink movie about girls at Harvard Law School."

The makeup artist’s voice carried obvious admiration as she continued, "I heard the budget was only 10 million, but it grossed 136 million USD in North America! It’s simply a miracle! Now many girls are imitating the outfits in it!"

"How much? 136 million?!" Kirsten’s hand, which was about to turn the page, froze instantly. Her eyes widened in surprise, and her body unconsciously sat up a bit straighter.

This number had a huge impact on any actor, especially a female actress.

The success of a movie, especially this kind of phenomenal success where a small budget yields big returns, would instantly elevate the director’s influence in Hollywood by several levels.

A trace of imperceptible regret quietly emerged.

She recalled her brief interaction with Irene just now, her own distant politeness, and the other party’s consistent friendliness and that line, "Look forward to collaborating."

At the time, she hadn’t taken it to heart, just thinking the other party might be another newcomer using the family name.

Now that she thought about it, that composure and confidence were actually built on such dazzling achievements.

It wasn’t that she didn’t understand the reality of Hollywood.

A director who can helm a movie with over 100 million in box office, regardless of gender, holds real casting power and project-pushing ability in their hands.

Especially for a female director, being able to achieve such success in this male-dominated industry is even more commendable, and often means they understand female characters better and can better tap into an actress’s potential.

"She... looks really young," Kirsten murmured, her tone no longer having the indifference from before.

She gently closed the novel she hadn’t really been reading and said to her assistant, "Keep an eye on the project information for Director Irene Coppola later."

A female director who is rising rapidly, possesses huge commercial value, and may bring high-quality opportunities is worth the focused attention of every actress in Hollywood.

This time, the Jury Prize for the drama unit was awarded to The Blair Witch Project, that god-tier movie famous for its extremely low budget of about 60,000 USD and groundbreaking found footage marketing technique, which ultimately grossed a staggering 248 million USD globally.

Everyone only saw how low the cost of this movie was, but they all ignored how such a rough movie made the list without sky-high promotional expenses. One can only say that the person who operated this movie was a genius.

The Virgin Suicides was selected as one of the most popular films but did not win the final award. However, this was Sophia’s first foray, and entering the selection already demonstrated her amazing talent. Although they ultimately came up empty-handed, Sophia still happily flew back to Los Angeles with Irene.

And the day after returning to Los Angeles, Irene finally received all the investigation results from Chen Shiyu regarding the My Big Fat Greek Wedding project.