"Gina Carano! Former professional MMA fighter turned actress. Her combat skills are strong, and audiences love her fighting style!"
Rob explained from the side. "Her action scenes are undeniable. The producers think she fits the image of the female instructor who can beat you into the ground perfectly!"
Cassius nodded.
Of course he knew Gina Carano. Famous as an action star, she indeed fit the role very well.
This casting logic was clear: they wanted a hardcore style that was realistically capable of fighting.
His gaze moved to the candidate list for the female lead, Lindsey Shaw.
Lindsey was an independent, smart investigative journalist with a strong sense of justice. She was Cassius's emotional anchor and important ally on Earth.
This role required intellectual beauty, a certain level of fame, and the ability to generate chemistry with Cassius.
The first name on the list made Cassius pause slightly: Keira Knightley.
"Keira Knightley?"
Rob pointed at the name. "Elizabeth Swann from the Pirates of the Caribbean series!"
"She gave excellent performances in Pride & Prejudice and Atonement. Known as the English Rose, her international fame is solid!"
"Bro, the producers are really investing heavily! They're pairing you with an A-list actress!"
Cassius looked at the name, also feeling a bit excited.
A few months ago, he was just a nameless small actor relying on the heat of his top-tier girlfriend.
But now, when Warner Bros. was selecting a screen partner for him, the new Green Lantern, they were directly considering an international movie star of Keira Knightley's level.
This was not just an increase in salary and screen time, but a direct reflection of his industry status and recognition.
He was now the one who could attract big-name actresses to collaborate and carry an A-list production together.
"Are there any other candidates?"
"Yes, there are a few others. Like Rachel McAdams is also on the list, but Keira Knightley is currently the highest priority!"
Rob rubbed his hands together. "Both the producers and Director Martin lean towards her. They feel her blend of classical beauty and modern independent temperament fits the journalist role perfectly. Plus, she has experience partnering with foreign actors, so it's easy to build chemistry!"
"The most critical point is her strong international box office appeal, especially in Europe and Asia. This is too important for our movie's global distribution!"
All considerations were very Hollywood!
Profit-driven!
For Cassius personally, this was a huge leap.
"But there's a problem!"
Rob calmed down a bit and frowned. "Keira Knightley's schedule is very tight. She seems to be negotiating for other scripts as well, and she's quite picky about roles. She has high requirements for the script and collaborators!"
"We need to get in touch as soon as possible to confirm her intention and schedule!"
"Then arrange it ASAP!"
Cassius said, "What about Gina Carano?"
"Her side is relatively easier to talk to, and her schedule fits. She's very interested in participating in this kind of big-budget superhero movie. After all, it can further open up the mainstream market for her. Her management team has already given a definite answer!"
Rob replied, "The key is to lock down Keira Knightley's schedule. As long as she nods, the prestige of this Green Lantern CP will be maxed out!"
Cassius could imagine how the media and public opinion would boil over if Keira Knightley was confirmed as the female lead.
This would undoubtedly bring huge attention and buzz to Green Lantern!
"I'll go communicate with the producers and casting director right now to arrange preliminary contact with Keira Knightley's team as soon as possible. Ideally, we can set up an informal meeting or video call for you two to touch base first and see how it feels."
Rob was very proactive!
Through Warner's channels, Cassius had an encrypted video call with Keira Knightley, who was far away in the UK.
On the screen, Keira Knightley was bare-faced, her hair tied up loosely, wearing a comfortable sweater.
She looked thinner than on screen, but her eyes were bright and focused, carrying the characteristic calmness of British actors.
"Hi, Cassius, nice to meet you!"
Her voice was crisp, with a British accent. "I've watched your 2 Broke Girls, it's very funny. I also saw the test footage clips you did with Director Martin, very innovative!"
"Thank you, Miss Knightley, nice to meet you too!"
Cassius responded politely, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they quickly cut to the chase, discussing the script of Green Lantern, especially the role of Lindsey Shaw.
Keira Knightley had obviously done her homework. she raised quite a few insightful questions about the professional characteristics of a journalist, the function of the role in the story, and the evolution of her relationship with Cassius.
She focused not only on screen time but also on the independence and internal logic of the character.
Cassius also shared his understanding of the character Cassius and his hope that their relationship would be based on fighting side by side as partners and adult affection with mutual appreciation, rather than a simple hero saving the beauty or dependency relationship.
The call lasted about half an hour, the atmosphere professional and harmonious.
Keira Knightley didn't make a promise immediately but expressed great interest in the direction of the script and Cassius's understanding of the character. She said she would seriously consider the schedule issue and have her team follow up with Warner.
"She has a lot of ideas and is very professional!"
After the call ended, Cassius said to Rob.
"There's hope!"
Rob said excitedly, "Her not rejecting it outright is good news! For an actor of this level, as long as they are interested, schedule issues can always be worked out!"
A few days later, news came from Warner:
After preliminary negotiations, Keira Knightley agreed to star as the female lead Lindsey Shaw in Green Lantern: Rise of the Azure Dragon. Specific contract details and the final schedule were being finalized closely.
Gina Carano also officially signed, confirming her role as the female instructor Sierra Jordan.
Although the news wasn't officially announced, there are no secrets in Hollywood, and rumors spread quickly.
Media and social networks were shaken again.
"Keira Knightley is expected to join the new Green Lantern, partnering with Cassius. This combination is interesting!"
"Warner's casting this time is solid! Keira's international fame + Cassius's freshness + Gina's action scenes, very balanced configuration!"
"Cassius has really ascended now. His collaborators are all at this level..."
"From Kristen's boyfriend to Keira Knightley's screen partner, his status is rising like a rocket, right?"
After learning the news, Kristen sent Cassius a teasing message: "Wow, Ms. Knightley. Good taste, Mr. Cassius!"
Followed by an eye-rolling emoji.
Cassius replied with a shrugging emoji.
Just past midnight!
The halo refreshed again!
Cassius discovered that the attributes refreshed by this [Halo Effect] were sometimes really like opening a blind box—it all depended on luck.
The [Lines] halo and [Expression] halo that refreshed in the past two days weren't completely useless, but he indeed hadn't found a particularly suitable place to use them.
On the day the [Lines] halo was active, he happened to be stuck at home revising the script.
Aside from feeling his enunciation was exceptionally crisp and his infectiousness doubled when reading the draft narration to himself, the biggest use was probably speaking incredibly clearly and pleasantly when telling the delivery guy "Please leave it at the door, thank you" on the phone.
The guy gave him two extra packets of ketchup because of it.
The [Expression] halo was even funnier.
That day Kristen was out of town shooting a commercial, and he was home alone.
He tried making various difficult emotional expressions in the mirror, from grief-stricken to ecstatic and manic. Indeed, the layers were rich and the nuances subtle, worthy of a masterclass in expression management.
But the only audience was the fat cat at home who loved to sprawl on the sofa. The fat cat glanced at him the whole time with a look that said, "What is this stupid two-legged beast freaking out about now?"
In the end, it just turned its butt towards him.