Chapter 42: Gary Stu

"Speed's global box office is approaching 300 million dollars."

Inside a CAA office, Martin Bob seemed to be talking to himself as much as to Lovett sitting across from him. "The film's rising box office will only make Warner Brothers value Duke Rosenberg more, reducing our leverage."

He tapped lightly on the desk, weighing the situation. "Duke Rosenberg left Fox only to latch onto Warner Brothers. They won't just sit back and watch their investment fail. We can't afford to use too many underhanded methods, otherwise we'll draw the attention of Time Warner..."

CAA had done plenty of shady things. Because they created value, no major Hollywood studio cared. But to actually go up against one of the country's top three media conglomerates... they would be stripped bare from the inside out, and the other major talent agencies would definitely kick them while they were down.

"So we do nothing?" Lovett asked, unwilling to concede. His feelings toward Duke were incredibly complex.

"We still need to use our private methods. Wait until The Rock is nearing the end of post-production, then leak the news about Sean."

By then, the cost of changing the plot or the cast would be massive, and it would prime audiences to make comparisons. Martin Bob had clearly calculated it all out. "Also, we need to find a blockbuster to release at the exact same time as The Rock to crush it completely!"

"How did things go with James Cameron? I asked you to contact him," he said to Lovett.

"Well..." Lovett carefully organized his words, seemingly filtering the profanity from the original statement. "Cameron said that as long as he's on the True Lies set, CAA shouldn't even think about touching his project. He would rather True Lies be canceled than be CAA's puppet!"

"What a worthless director with no vision!"

Martin Bob could easily imagine James Cameron roaring those crude words in front of a crowd, using the most arrogant and furious tone possible. "Vision dictates a person's future. Cameron's achievements will peak right here. Once he fails, who in Hollywood will even remember a truck driver?"

"We need a project that can suppress The Rock." He lightly tapped the armrest of his chair.

"Tom has always been very interested in Interview with the Vampire," Lovett suddenly reminded him. "This was originally our next package project with Twentieth Century Fox, but they've temporarily shelved it."

"Interview with the Vampire..." Martin Bob's tapping gradually grew heavier. "Since Fox lost The Rock, they must have their opinions on Duke Rosenberg. We can put together an all-star cast for Interview with the Vampire. The book already has a broad readership, so it's entirely possible to..."

"Lovett, contact Tom for me... No, go pick him up yourself." Martin Bob stood up. "I'm going to see Ovitz and Thomas Rothman."

In a coffee shop in Beverly Hills, not far from Century City, Duke set down his cup and looked at Nicolas Cage sitting across from him.

Compared to their last meeting, Cage's hairline seemed to have receded quite a bit further.

The two had been talking for a while, but Nicolas Cage was still hesitating. Duke spoke up again, "Nicolas, this won't stop you from continuing to act in art-house films! Nor will it hinder your pursuit of an Oscar. If the film is a success, it'll actually push your career a massive step forward. Think about it. In a few years, maybe even the fans in that closed-off country on the other side of the Pacific Ocean will know who you are."

"'Hey, that's Nicolas Cage, I love his movies!'" Duke said, spreading his hands. "Don't you enjoy that kind of feeling? It's a feeling independent films just can't bring you!"

Next to Cage sat his agent, who had long since been tempted by the $5 million salary offered by the production.

"Nicolas, it's time we entered the mainstream film industry," he urged.

Not wanting her words to influence her cousin's decision, Sofia Coppola hadn't spoken since she sat down next to Duke. Now, looking at Duke and then at the William Morris agent, she understood that even if Cage didn't make a decision right now, it wouldn't be long before he signed the contract.

Her eyes drifted back to Duke. Whether he was bewitching Warner Brothers into rejecting CAA or persuading Nicolas to accept the role, this seemingly calm and reserved guy always used the simplest, most direct methods—which were also the easiest ways to move people: fame and fortune!

In Hollywood, who could escape the influence of those two things? Sofia knew she couldn't, and she knew Duke couldn't either.

"Whether it works out or not..." Cage stood up and offered his hand. "I'll give you an answer as soon as possible."

"I hope to hear good news." Duke gripped Cage's hand firmly. "I believe John and Sofia would also really love to work with you."

He was never pedantic, nor was he the rigid person Naomi made him out to be. Without hesitation, he dragged Cage's cousins, John Schwartzman and Sofia, into the pitch.

Sofia shot Duke a subtle glare but said nothing.

The "Rock" studio, established to coordinate The Rock project, had officially opened in Burbank last week. The crew was simultaneously and systematically preparing props, designing sets, drawing storyboards, and casting actors. Ed Harris, specifically requested by Duke, had already agreed to audition, and Naomi Watts, squeezed into the casting process by Nancy, had also received an audition invitation.

The hardest to deal with was the current indie darling, Nicolas Cage. Duke had spoken to him on the phone a few times with little success, which was why he had invited Cage's agent out for a joint meeting.

If Nicolas Cage still refused, Duke would definitely recast the role without hesitation. Cage was only his top choice, not an indispensable one.

"Are you sure you want to completely give up on inviting Sean Connery?"

After Cage left, Sofia called the waiter over and ordered two fresh cups of coffee. Sitting across from Duke, she asked, "You're not going to meet him and persuade him personally?"

"My dear, I don't have an idiot aura." Duke added a little sugar to his coffee. "Do you think CAA would have demanded a ten-million-dollar investment without Sean Connery's consent? Even though he's known as the most elegant and sexiest old man around, we all know what he's really like."

"Alcoholism, drugs, domestic violence..." Sofia shrugged, stating Hollywood's general consensus on Sean Connery. "Rude, impulsive, irritable, and foul-mouthed."

"Since he already refused and is standing on CAA's side, and we know exactly what kind of person he is," Duke spread his hands, "why go humiliate myself in front of him?"

All of Hollywood knew that Sean Connery was a gentleman meticulously packaged by CAA, and that his actual self was perhaps better described as the exact opposite of a gentleman.

"Are you sure Christopher Lee can surpass him?"

Hearing Sofia's words, Duke shook his head. "I'm not sure. But don't forget, Connery has never been known for outstanding acting. I've seen some of Christopher Lee's roles; his acting is definitely no worse than Connery's, and he has real-life experience that Connery lacks."

"Like what?" Sofia asked curiously.

"Warner Brothers gathered some information." Duke recalled the details he had recently read. "At seventeen, Lee went to Finland to fight against the Soviet invasion. Then he served in the famous British desert unit, the "Ghost Patrol," fighting Nazi Germany for several years. Later, he joined a British Special Operations Executive unit, primarily carrying out reconnaissance, espionage, and sabotage missions in Nazi-occupied territories. After World War II ended, he went to Yugoslavia as an intelligence operative..."

"In other words, Lee is probably the only actor in Hollywood who was a genuine spy. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say his hands are stained with blood. More importantly, just like Sean Connery, his acting skills are absolutely above standard, so interpreting the role of a spy will definitely be no problem for him."

"Is... is this fake?" Sofia simply couldn't believe Duke's words.

"Warner Brothers utilized some of their connections in Britain." Duke shook his head at her. "They confirmed the information is authentic."

"If he agrees," Sofia immediately thought of another angle, "this will be a fantastic promotional gimmick. A real former British spy playing a British spy will definitely spark the audience's desire to watch."

"That's exactly what Warner Brothers and I were thinking."

The reason Warner Brothers was willing to run over to Britain to verify this information was precisely because it held immense potential value. "But now isn't the time. This needs to be deployed during the most critical phase of the film's promotion. Especially with CAA—if they leak the news about Sean Connery, launching our promotional blitz about Lee then will be far more effective. Lee's fame might not match his, but we can absolutely use Sean Connery's name to generate hype."

"It seems a public relations role suits you better," Sofia said, a hint of mockery in her slightly nasal voice, "rather than a director!"

"You misunderstand." Duke raised a finger and wagged it at her. "This is the promotional strategy Warner Brothers devised for if Christopher Lee agrees to take the role. I'm merely repeating it."

"In that case,"

Seeing Duke gather his things and stand up, Sofia quickly followed suit. "I suppose the CAA problem is practically solved."

"Only temporarily solved."

The character of John Mason would definitely require some appropriate adjustments to fit Christopher Lee.

Feeling Sofia's hand habitually slide into the crook of his arm, Duke walked out of the coffee shop. "The final result is still hard to say. We also have to watch out for CAA; they could pounce and take a bite out of us at any moment."

Although Christopher Lee didn't have any particularly famous roles in the past, Duke had some confidence in him. After all, the future Count Dooku and Saruman were both exceptionally brilliant. Furthermore, on the level of being a "British spy," if the first-generation 007 was a lucky bastard, then Christopher Lee was a completely overpowered "Gary Stu"!