novelraw Chapter 463 - 272: Like Father, Like Son
Chapter 463 - 272: Like Father, Like Son
"You don’t even know who the director of ’Reversing Life’ is?"
Raising a hand to press his brow, Pedro Langley found yet another reason why Nora Scott "can’t make it big" in the entertainment industry.
Nora raised an eyebrow, "Who?"
The script Henry Chapman had given her only contained the story content and title, nothing else.
Oh, and she had printed the script herself; Henry had only given her the electronic version.
"Alfred Lawrence."
Pedro Langley uttered the name.
Startled, Nora recalled the person, "The actor-turned-director whose every movie wins an Oscar?"
"Yes."
"Doesn’t he only make movies?"
When he was an actor, he only took movie scripts.
As a director, he only made movies.
He’s been in the industry for over thirty years with ten or so works; not every piece is a classic, but all guarantee quality. He can make art films or commercial hits, either earning accolades or cash—or sometimes, both. More than half of his movies achieve both critical acclaim and box office success.
Unlike some actors and directors whose works vary in quality.
This person has one major trait—
Steady, exceptionally steady.
As long as he’s involved, quality is guaranteed.
"In terms of format, ’Twelve’ is no different from a movie," Pedro Langley leisurely explained, "12 directors, all outstanding from the past thirty years, half of whom have never filmed a TV series."
Resting her elbow on the armrest, Nora propped her chin, quite amazed, "What a big deal!"
"Yes."
"..."
Nora could roughly imagine the sensation when this news breaks out.
"The 12 lead screenwriters all have award-winning works." Pedro Langley glanced at the script in her hand, "The ’Reversing Life’ you’re holding was penned by Edward Gray. Three years ago, his ’Dumbbell’ won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay."
"..."
After two silent seconds, Nora finally sensed something amiss, "What’s going on?"
She never underestimated ’Twelve’ since it could attract Henry Chapman. However, she didn’t expect too much when she got involved.
Who would’ve thought that such a small TV series could gather all these big names together...
Seeing her finally attentive, Pedro Langley finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Slowly, he started narrating.
"Initially, a few directors felt that the TV drama industry had been declining in recent years, so they planned to do something about it. Later, they contacted some colleagues, shared their idea of ’collaborating,’ and unexpectedly received active responses from many colleagues, leading to more and more wanting to be involved."
"Eventually, it was decided to go with 12 directors. They then used their connections to contact screenwriters and draft scripts."
"With these directors and screenwriters, there was no shortage of investment, all vying to provide funds. With more money, they began to think creatively—"
"Too idle,"
Nora couldn’t help but comment.
Pedro Langley smirked and pinched her ear, "More idle than you?"
"Get lost."
Nora took his hand away.
Looking up, she continued asking, "So, what conspiracy did they brew?"
"They set up ’Twelve’ as a game."
Nora froze, recalling the word Pedro Langley had used earlier, "Game rules?"
"After ’Twelve’ is fully broadcast, an online vote will be held," Pedro introduced, "Ten awards are being considered, including Best Work, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Actress..."
"An online Oscar?" Nora chuckled with interest, "What about vote manipulation?"
Pedro Langley gave her a meaningful look, "That’s why they created a website that can’t be hacked for votes."
"..."
Nora was instantly speechless.
After a brief pause, she asked, "What do you get if you win, a little gold man?"
"No, you get fame and fortune," Pedro said, "The first place for each award receives an eight-figure cash prize. For actors, the Best Lead can choose to collaborate with any of the directors, with no limit on the number of works or time until they win an Oscar. Whenever these directors have a project, they must consider these actors first."
"The Best Supporting Actor can lead in three of their films."
"Moreover, with these directors’ connections, they promise three years of exposure, flooding resources at their feet until their hands are full."
After Pedro Langley’s explanation, Nora couldn’t help but be amazed, "They’re playing this big?"
Pedro Langley replied, "More than that."
Nora’s mouth twitched, speechless, "There’s more?"
"There’s also a Hollywood movie recommendation and the ambassador role for a national event next year."
"..."
Goodness, a one-stop service, a full package of fame and fortune that any actor would want, with nothing excluded.
Such bare-faced allure...
Won’t everyone in the circle fight tooth and nail for a role in ’Twelve’?
"A pie from the sky?"
Nora raised her hand, shaking the script.
"A pie from the sky."
Pedro Langley confirmed her guess.
’Twelve’ was bound to be a hit, doubtless. It would receive unprecedented attention during filming and after broadcasting.
"Is there any more shocking news?" Nora asked.
Pedro Langley smiled faintly, "Yes. This year’s ’Twelve’ is just the beginning. Next year, these 12 directors will establish a foundation, which will start implementing from the year after. The foundation aims at new directors and actors, selecting 12 directors to shoot ’Twelve’ every two years. After broadcasting, the audience votes, and the best directors and actors win awards. Though the scale won’t be as grand as this time, the specifics aren’t out yet. However, for the upcoming TV circles, ’Twelve’ will remain hot in the short term and even for a decade or more."
Pedro Langley’s words indeed left Nora a bit stunned.
After a brief pause, she chuckled, "With them playing like this, how lively will it be online?"
"Dominating the charts," Pedro Langley used a vivid term, concise and direct, "From the moment the news broke, the top twenty trending topics have been consistently related to ’Twelve.’
Moreover, all major media outlets rushed to report, and various news stories emerged endlessly...
The entertainment industry, after months of silence, finally using this opportunity made a spectacular comeback, overshadowing the comic circle’s Zero, which had been continuously topping the charts.
Except the journalists got terribly busy.
"Impressive."
Nora thought for a while and commented in one word.
After all, it didn’t concern her much.
Her expectations for herself weren’t high, still the same—don’t hold back the crew.
"With so many excellent directors and screenwriters, this novel gameplay, and all sorts of actors in the circle..." After analyzing, Nora turned her head, "Am I just catching a ride on this windfall?"
Usually, any director like Alfred Lawrence or actor like Henry Chapman could draw significant attention individually.
Their presence alone equaled promotion.
Now, this kind of "traffic" was measured in "tons"...
How terrifying must the numbers be?
"Pretty much," Pedro Langley smiled, "For actors like you, just getting screen time means you’ve earned."
"...Seems like we both have a pretty consistent perception of my role as an actor."
"Participation is key."
They exchanged a glance.
Then, both laughed.
At this moment, the awards of ’Twelve’ were nothing more than table talk for them, neither ever imagining Nora would have any tie to the awards, however slight.
*
Upstairs.
After solving a tough problem, Andrew Hughes didn’t leave right away.
Camilo Nogueira’s home had a series of toys like Lego, Tangram, and Huayu Road, especially Lego, piled up, making it hard for Andrew Hughes to take a step forward upon seeing them.
"Play, I’ll let Nora know."
After making a call and returning, seeing Andrew Hughes’ gaze, Camilo Nogueira kindly spoke.
Andrew Hughes then played with peace of mind.
This kid, though not very talkative, was smart and well-behaved, the more Camilo watched, the more pleasing he found him; though he was a bit puzzled—
He wondered about his family’s upbringing, how a four or five-year-old child had none of the liveliness and energy typical of kids his age.
Seated on the sofa, glancing at the quietly playing Andrew Hughes, Camilo had a sudden thought, pretending to play with his phone while sneakily taking a picture of Andrew Hughes with the camera.
He casually sent it to the group chat.
Ask:
[How do you handle a child?]
However, none of the replies were serious—
[Is that your son?]
[Woah, where’d you sneak a kid from?]
[Didn’t you say you were going on blind dates last month? How did your kid get so big in a month. Camilo, is your kid a magical being?]
[Camilo]: Found him.
[@Camilo, nonsense, he’s an exact mold of you; say he’s your brother and I’d believe. ]
[@Camilo, looks just like you, definitely your own. Where’d you pick him up? I want to camp there too.]
?
Looks just like him?
Camilo swiped his finger slightly, opened the photo he just sent, and studied the child’s features. Then, he looked up again and examined Andrew Hughes, who was still playing with Lego carefully.
Those small nose and eyes... do look a bit like him.