Page 32 of Cinematic Destinies (Red Carpet Romance #3)
Entertainment News Report
It seemed all of Hollywood was out last night for the premiere of Beauty , slated to be legend Jean Mercier’s final film. The night was full of surprises. Flexing their star power and showing their gratitude to the now ninety-year-old filmmaker, it was a veritable who’s who on the red carpet.
Willow Barnes stunned in a strapless Versace gown.
The former fallen tween star revived her career when Mercier cast her in his acclaimed film Celebration , for which Barnes won the Oscar for her supporting role.
Once the most followed person on social media, the reclusive actress hasn’t walked a red carpet in over a decade, although she remains a presence on the silver screen and Broadway stage.
When asked why she decided to make a rare public appearance, the blonde beauty explained, “Jean changed my life. There is nowhere else I would be.”
Barnes wasn’t alone. With the exception of deceased actor Albie Hughes, the entire cast of Celebration was in attendance, and it was quite the family affair.
Michael Hennesey, star of Beauty , attended with his wife.
He praised the eccentric filmmaker saying, “Jean’s the coolest guy I know and a hell of a director.
” Charlotte Reed also made an appearance with her husband, echoing the sentiments of the night, calling Mercier “an artistic visionary.”
One of the biggest surprises came when Rupert Reed arrived arm in arm with his costar Georgia Sinclair Forrester, who proudly showed off an engagement ring.
Reed explained he and Forrester “fell madly in love while making the film.” The pair couldn’t take their eyes off each other, prompting reporters to note that she seemed to be following in her parents’ footsteps; they also met on a Mercier set.
She said, “Rupert and I would be lucky to have an ounce of the love my parents share.” When asked if they were trying to make a public red-carpet splash like her parents famously did at the Cannes Film Festival decades earlier, she was quick to say, “I don’t think my parents even noticed anyone else was there.
Their eyes only saw each other. Rupert and I feel the same.
” Reporters congratulated Forrester on the early award buzz for what many are calling her breakout performance.
When asked if she hoped to win Oscar gold, she didn’t miss a beat, squeezing her fiancé’s arm and saying, “I already scored my gold.”
In another unexpected turn, for the first time and to the delight of the media and fan gallery, the entire Forrester family walked the red carpet: movie star Finn Forrester and his wife Gabriella Sinclair Forrester, eldest daughter Betty with her beau, and son Albert with his beau.
They dazzled the media, posing for photographs.
Finn told the press he was “incredibly proud” of daughter Georgia and all his children.
The Oscar winner added that it was “important to our family to support Georgia and our dear friend Jean to whom we owe so much.” When asked what he and his wife were looking forward to at this stage of their lives, they smiled at each other, and he simply said, “Everything.”
But in a twist that no one saw coming, the biggest surprise of the night came from Mercier himself.
When a reporter congratulated Mercier on his extraordinary career, the tempestuous director barked, “Save your judgment. I’m still above ground.
” Asked to clarify if he was coming out of retirement, Mercier announced, “I have written another script. I am in the middle of casting.” Speculation immediately began swirling that the cast of Celebration would reunite for the project and their appearance on the red carpet was a publicity stunt.
When confronted with the rumors, Mercier smirked and said, “Time shall tell. I hope to start shooting late summer. We will see what happens, what fate has in store. I shall die someday not so far off. Until then I shall live. Art never dies. That is our reality, our inescapable truth, our cinematic destiny.”