Hollywood: Star Kid

Nicole and Kimberly were chatting in the hallway, just waiting for Ryan to return before leaving. After all, the essential matters had already been discussed, and the actual tasks would naturally be handed over to Jenkins Pictures' manager, Julius Stewart.

There weren't many secrets in this industry. As time went by, the agreements—or rather, the conflicts—between Universal Pictures and Spielberg had gradually leaked out. The two women had no intention of getting involved. At first, they were a bit worried that Ryan, being young and impulsive, might say something inappropriate. But to their relief, when the atmosphere in the conference room shifted slightly, he had quickly pulled them out.

Gwyneth's scream shattered the peace of the entire building. Nicole and Kimberly heard it clearly—it came from the direction of the restroom.

"What happened?" Kimberly asked curiously.

However, before she finished her sentence, her companion had already vanished. Nicole, in her high heels, clicked quickly toward the corner. The chaotic crowd blocked her view, and all she could hear were women screaming, causing her heart to panic.

Could it be Ryan…?

Nicole Kidman didn't dare to finish the thought. She completely forgot her usual celebrity composure, pushing and pulling her way through the disorderly crowd.

"Ryan! Ryan!" Nicole shouted with urgency and worry.

"I'm fine, Nicole!" Ryan instantly picked up on the tone of her voice and quickly replied.

"Make way! Make way!" Nicole finally squeezed into the scene, but the sight before her made the corners of her mouth twitch, her face gradually covered in an icy frost.

A girl with honey-gold long hair was covering her mouth, trying not to scream again. Another girl with golden-brown hair was lying on the ground, wincing in pain. One of her arms was still gripped tightly in Ryan's hand.

Seeing this, Nicole immediately understood what had happened. After all, she'd watched Ryan train with George many times. It was clear that the girl had been thrown to the ground by Ryan.

"Ryan Jenkins, how impressive! You've learned to hit girls now?" Nicole was absolutely furious. With twenty or thirty people gathered around, it wouldn't even take until tomorrow for the news to spread.

"Uh… well…" Ryan quickly let go of her arm. It had been a reflex—he hadn't expected things to escalate like this. "Nicole… I—it was just an instinctive reaction."

"Help her up, quickly." Nicole glanced at the girl—she didn't seem to be injured.

Ryan hurriedly helped Drew to her feet, apologizing awkwardly, "Sorry, Miss Barrymore. I may have overreacted."

Drew Barrymore rubbed her butt and gave him a fierce glare. At that moment, Ron Meyer arrived, clearly drawn out by the noise.

"Ryan—and Drew—whatever happened, let's discuss it in my office." His eyes swept over the crowd, which immediately began to disperse.

Gwyneth supported Drew. Nicole glared at Ryan as they followed Ron Meyer into his office.

"Ryan Jenkins…"

Nicole's gaze was like a knife. Ryan knew that when she called him by his full name, her anger was maxed out. Not wanting to suffer sitting beside her, and with no space next to the two girls anyway, he simply sat in the chair opposite Ron Meyer's desk.

"Well, let's hear it. What happened?" Nicole first asked Drew Barrymore. After confirming that she wasn't hurt, she turned her gaze back to Ryan.

Ryan scratched his head. Influenced by his previous life's mindset, he found it hard to say some things aloud. How could he tell Nicole that Drew had been harassing him?

"Ryan, you really are something! Just a short while and you've turned the whole Universal building upside down." Nicole rarely scolded him, but this time she couldn't hold back.

"Let me explain," Gwyneth stepped forward, seeing that Drew remained silent. She gave a general account of what had happened—fairly neutral and objective.

Drew Barrymore didn't seem too bothered, but Ryan's face was burning with embarrassment. What the hell was this situation—getting harassed?

"Ryan, you're getting more and more out of control. Now you're hitting girls too!" Nicole's expression was equally dramatic. "Apologize to Drew."

Ryan didn't argue. In fact, he was already a little regretful. No matter what, hitting a girl in front of so many people wasn't a good look. Who knew what kind of gossip might spread afterward?

More importantly, out of respect—if not for the girls themselves, then for who they were connected to—these two were clearly linked to Spielberg. That made them potential allies. There was no need to make enemies over something like this.

"I'm truly sorry, Drew. I shouldn't have used force."

"Forget it. I was partly in the wrong too," Drew replied generously, though her eyes were still darting around suspiciously.

"Ryan, once we're home, you're grounded until after New Year's," Nicole announced.

Now it was everyone else's turn to be shocked. Wasn't this a bit too biased? Today was December 31st!

Ryan didn't seem to care. His attention had been completely drawn to a script on the desk. Even though it was tucked inside a file box a little ways off, he could still clearly read the title on the cover—Schindler's List!

"Ryan…" Nicole was really getting mad now. She realized she had been spoiling him too much. Ryan gestured an apology to her and unconsciously walked over. Fortunately, he still remembered to ask permission first. "Mr. Meyer, is this the script? The script for Schindler's List?"

"Yes, that's the initial draft Steven handed to us," Ron Meyer replied, nodding slightly from the couch.

"May I take a look?" Ryan asked tentatively.

"Of course," Ron Meyer said generously. Many people in the industry had already seen the script.

Taking the script, Ryan sat back in his chair. Ignoring everyone else, he began flipping through it rapidly. His reading speed was extremely fast, and the more he read, the more tightly his brows furrowed. The script was barely over a hundred pages. While the main storyline matched what he remembered from his past life, a lot of content was missing. For example, the scene depicting the "liquidation" of the Krakow Jewish ghetto was reduced to just a single page.

And to make things worse, someone had added a note suggesting the film be shot in Polish and German in order to maintain historical accuracy.

But most importantly—where was the film's most iconic use of color?

If this script were turned into a movie as-is, Schindler's List would be no different from previous Holocaust films. It would likely be met with audience indifference. And without a strong emotional response, the film wouldn't have the widespread impact it needed.

Of course, this was likely only a first or second draft. Spielberg might personally revise it later.

"What's going on here?" Spielberg's voice snapped Ryan out of the script.

He looked up to see that Spielberg and Lucas had entered the room at some point. They were now seated next to Drew Barrymore and Gwyneth Paltrow, talking.

After listening to Gwyneth's explanation, Spielberg's expression turned a little awkward. Over the past year, Drew had finally broken free from her greedy mother's control. Her behavior had gradually improved, and she had even kicked her drug habit. Spielberg had brought them along this time to help set them on a better path—doing his duty as a godfather. He hadn't expected such a mess.

"I'm sorry, Steven. This was my fault," Ryan spoke again. No matter what, hitting a girl wasn't exactly gentlemanly.

"It's okay, Ryan. Drew…" Spielberg didn't quite know how to describe his goddaughter. Instead, he looked at Ryan and noticed the script in his hands—Schindler's List.

He can understand it? That was Spielberg's thought. Ryan Jenkins was undeniably talented, but this kind of heavy historical subject matter—could someone his age really grasp it?

"Ryan, you've read the script? Do you have any thoughts on it?" Perhaps on a whim, or maybe because of the typical Hollywood veteran's mindset, Spielberg asked the question.

Though Spielberg spoke courteously, Ryan immediately caught the hidden implication.

Veteran filmmakers in Hollywood had all struggled for years to reach their current status. They tended to look down on overnight sensations. And Ryan's conflict with Universal had partly involved Spielberg too. In private, this kind of subtle jab was already quite polite.

"Yes, I do have quite a few thoughts," Ryan said, frankly finding the script underwhelming.

"Hmm?" Spielberg was slightly surprised, but being who he was, he quickly said, "Would you mind sharing?"

"Of course." Ryan stood up and began pacing. "Steven, I don't know what your thoughts were, but from my perspective, this script has a fundamental problem."

Before Spielberg could react, Ryan continued, "Its stance is entirely from the Jewish perspective. How is that any different from past Holocaust films? Even if complete neutrality is impossible, the script should at least strive for a relatively objective and balanced viewpoint. Only then can it resonate with a wider audience, rather than alienate them."

Spielberg showed a contemplative expression and nodded slightly. This was something he had considered—and the main reason he had hesitated to direct the film himself. As a Jewish man, maintaining objectivity would be extremely difficult.

"And another thing," Ryan went on, "The film is about the Holocaust during World War II, yet the script barely touches on the Krakow liquidation. Don't doubt me—I've read many books and materials about that period. I know what happened in Europe and the Far East!"

"If we're going to portray genocide, then these scenes need to be presented with cold, unflinching shots. They may disturb the audience, but they'll also create a stronger impact—so the whole world understands the horror of what happened in Poland. That scene should be the most heart-wrenching part of the film!"

Ryan flipped to the end of the script, where the writer's notes and Spielberg's own annotations were. He said, "Steven, from the notes here, you intend to shoot the film in black and white, right?"