Chapter 34: Interview and Hype
"Sir, there's a situation at the new soundstage."
Sergei knocked lightly on the door and called out to William inside the editing room.
William paused what he was doing.
"What happened?"
"There's a reporter outside. She wants to interview Miss Kidman," Sergei explained, recounting the situation in detail.
"A reporter?" William frowned slightly.
"From the Top Gun set across the way?"
When he arrived earlier, he'd already noticed the swarm of journalists gathered outside Top Gun's production.
"According to Alexei's assessment," Sergei replied stiffly,
"there's about an eighty percent chance."
William leaned back in his chair and began weighing the pros and cons.
If Nicole publicly addressed her withdrawal from Top Gun, they could easily ride Tom Cruise's media heat to generate buzz for Before I Go to Sleep.
From a publicity standpoint, it was perfect.
The only question was—
Would Nicole agree?
That part, William wasn't certain about.
"Where is Kidman right now?" he asked, standing up.
"She's hiding in the office at the new soundstage next door."
William nodded, then slipped through the back passage connecting the two soundstages and headed for the new office.
---
Inside the office, Nicole wasn't alone.
Courteney was there as well, placing a cup of coffee gently in front of Nicole.
"William, you're here," Nicole said.
"What do you want to do? Should I go out and take the interview?"
Nicole was sharp—she had already realized this was a perfect opportunity to build momentum for Before I Go to Sleep.
But without William's approval, she hadn't acted recklessly.
If she angered him by moving on her own initiative, any publicity gained would be meaningless.
In that sense, their thinking aligned almost uncannily.
"What do you think?" William asked, sitting down beside her.
"I think this is a chance worth using to generate buzz—but it might also bring you some criticism."
Hearing that, Nicole felt a quiet warmth spread through her chest.
She hadn't expected his first concern to be her.
And she liked that—very much.
"It's fine," she said calmly.
"The moment I chose this industry, I was already prepared for days like this. I can handle it."
William nodded.
"Alright. Then get ready. Do you want me to go with you?"
Nicole looked at him—and suddenly, a new idea sparked in her eyes.
She smiled slightly.
"Actually…"
Since the production across the street was busy promoting their film, there was no reason she couldn't do the same.
Why not take this opportunity to bring William into the public eye as well?
With that thought in mind, Nicole quickly shared the idea with him.
William nodded after hearing her out.
In Hollywood, showing your face wasn't a big deal.
In fact, he had already planned to step into the public spotlight sooner or later—specifically as a director.
This was something he had prepared for.
Once they reached an agreement, Sergei used the walkie-talkie to instruct Alexei to let the reporters in.
A short while later, Larry and Samantha Voss were escorted into the office by Courteney.
"Please, have a seat," Courteney said politely.
"I'll get you some coffee."
As a secretary, she was doing an excellent job.
"Hello, Miss Kidman," Samantha said with a practiced smile.
"I'm Samantha Voss, a field reporter from E! Channel. And this gentleman is…?"
(E! is a well-known Hollywood entertainment and gossip network.)
Samantha's gaze shifted to William.
Nicole smiled lightly.
"This is William Blake—the chief director of Umbrella Pictures, and also the director and male lead of my new film, Before I Go to Sleep."
That single sentence carried a lot of information.
Samantha's eyes immediately lit up—this was exactly the kind of scoop she'd been hoping for.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Blake."
She reached out, and William shook her hand.
"Nice to meet you too, Miss Voss."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Samantha smoothly steered the conversation back to Nicole's new project.
"Miss Kidman, would you be willing to share a bit about your new film?"
Nicole glanced at the camera Larry was holding.
"Ms. Voss—are we officially starting the interview now?"
Samantha tapped her forehead theatrically.
"Oh, silly me—my apologies. Larry, did you record any of that?"
Larry shook his head.
"Not yet, but we're ready anytime."
"Alright, let's start now."
Samantha straightened her outfit and crossed her legs neatly.
Larry handed out lapel microphones to all three of them.
Once the mics were clipped on and the audio check completed, Larry lifted the camera, started recording, and gave Samantha an OK sign.
"Hello everyone, this is reporter Samantha Voss.
Standing beside me is Nicole Kidman, star of the recently buzzed-about film Dead Calm.
Today, I'm honored to have secured an exclusive interview with her—and it seems she has a special surprise prepared for our viewers."
She turned toward Nicole as the camera zoomed in for a close-up.
"Please say a few words to our audience."
"Hello everyone," Nicole said warmly.
"I'm Nicole Kidman. It's a pleasure to be interviewed by Ms. Voss today."
Samantha then shifted the focus toward William.
"This gentleman looks unfamiliar to our audience. Would you mind introducing yourself?"
"Hello," William said calmly.
"I'm William Blake, chief director of Umbrella Pictures. I'm also very honored to be part of this interview."
"May I ask," Samantha continued,
"what is your relationship with Miss Kidman? And why is she at your studio today?"
The question was clearly meant to open the door.
William understood immediately.
"Of course. Miss Kidman and I are currently collaborating on a new film titled Before I Go to Sleep.
Today happens to be the first day of interior shooting."
"Oh wow—a brand-new film?" Samantha exclaimed.
"Miss Kidman, you've done an impressive job keeping this under wraps."
The compliment was polite, though in truth, if Dead Calm hadn't unexpectedly gained traction, few people would've been paying close attention to Nicole Kidman's movements in Hollywood.
Then Samantha's tone subtly shifted.
"But Miss Kidman, I heard earlier that you were set to star as the female lead in Tony Scott's Top Gun.
Did something change?"
She put on an expression of genuine curiosity.
Nicole maintained her calm, gentle smile.
"First of all, I never officially confirmed my participation in Top Gun.
It's true that I was once the first choice, but by the time I was formally contacted, I had already committed to Mr. Blake's project.
So unfortunately, I had to decline Director Scott's invitation."