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"Robert just wrote a great horror script. If we want to invest in some low-budget horror movies, now is the best opportunity." James Wan sold it hard. "The Witch. When I first saw this script, I was fascinated by it. That dark and grotesque flavor is not inferior to Clive Barker (Master of Horror)."
Leon showed strong interest in this.
Compared to James Wan, he knew almost nothing about Robert.
Every day in Hollywood, countless young screenwriters and directors with lofty dreams, claiming to be buried geniuses, wave their scripts and brag extravagantly in front of film distributors like selling health products.
As if as long as the movie can be shot, ten times the box office return is easy to get, and sweeping the three major film festivals aiming at the Oscars is not a difficult task...
Leon held a wait-and-see attitude towards this. After all, James Wan has a tough box office report card, while Robert has nothing.
But if it's just a low-budget horror movie, there are not so many concerns. Small investment, fast return; generally speaking, it is difficult to lose money.
"Tell me, Robert, talk about the script you created. Is it called The Witch?" Leon crossed his legs, asking seemingly casually.
"No problem, Mr. Leon. simply put, this is a horror film about history and supernatural phenomena..." Chatting about topics like witchcraft, the reticent Robert instantly opened his chatterbox. "I have been interested in witchcraft and supernatural phenomena since I was a child. I like observing animal carcasses and read many occult books about witchcraft... I even know the production process of the elixir of life."
"Haha, listen, although I think immortality is a curse, rich people like Gates and Buffett will definitely be interested in this kind of thing." Leon grinned at the other party's charlatan remarks. "You can sell this formula to them... They are definitely willing to pay all their wealth, even their souls!"
Robert cleared his throat, looking serious. "Alchemists in the Renaissance believed that the human body contains the secrets of the universe... They would collect the ashes of executed prisoners, the blood of virgins, and placentas, grind these materials into powder, mix substances such as sulfur and mercury, put them into a crucible, and heat them for refining... According to different formulas, some alchemists would choose fresh hearts or brains."
Seeing the other party's gloomy face, Leon laughed even happier, and couldn't help but burst out, "What a fcking freak..."
Obviously telling a grotesque and heavy alchemy legend, but the audience laughed heartily. Robert buried his head even lower.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to attack you personally." Leon patted his shoulder. "Freak is my interpretation of genius. I like freaks; I like those strange ideas in your heads."
"Later my assistant will leave you an email address. Send the script to this email for me to appreciate carefully. I won't let gold be buried..."
Hearing this, Robert's eyes immediately regained their luster, thanking him incoherently.
In the following week, Apocalypse Pictures began recruiting according to the policy determined by James Wan.
The number of jobs provided in New York is always far less than the number of job seekers. Adventurers from all over the world make even dishwashing jobs here exceptionally competitive.
Most jobs in film companies are clerical. The difficulty of finding jobs for liberal arts students is universal worldwide.
Apocalypse Pictures receives hundreds of job application emails in the company mailbox every day.
Considering the current situation, Leon is not so anxious about expanding the personnel structure.
The renovation work of Apocalypse Music on Fulton Street in downtown Brooklyn is nearing completion and is in the final sweeping stage.
When the record company completes the relocation, the current office location can just be left for the film company as a transition office.
One day in late September, Apocalypse Music suspended all music-related activities and transformed this place into a temporary venue for auditing the leading actors of Ready Player One.
The competition for the role of Samantha was too fierce. Actresses like Megan Fox and Amber Heard participated in this audition, so Leon simply rejected all audition applications from amateurs.
Letting these famous actresses compete with amateurs is an insult to them.
Three days ago, Leon called Anya with twelve points of enthusiasm.
The other party stammered on the phone, expressing a strong desire to become an actress, but couldn't make a decision.
In this case, he decided to talk to Anya's parents personally.
After more than an hour of communication, Anya's parents were moved only after Leon made many promises.
Such as "Anya cannot shoot intimate scenes before adulthood," "Cannot touch drugs," etc...
Considering the notoriety of Street Jesus, Anya's parents' request was actually only one—protect her well!
Leon agreed to all these requirements readily and stated that he would treat this girl as his own sister.
Anyway, trick this girl to the US first.
After discussion, the recording studio of Apocalypse Music became a temporary audition location.
Although there were fewer than ten actresses on the interview list this time, the corridor and office were still packed. Everyone brought an agent or assistant.
For an actress of Megan Fox's status, there were three accompanying assistants.
Megan sat on the swivel chair, drinking coffee while complaining incessantly. "The environment here is terrible... I never thought I would have to compete for a role with these fools..."
Her gaze swept over the people around, most of whom were unknown third-rate actors in Hollywood. Her thoughts were immediately pulled back to seven years ago.
At that time, she was also one of these girls, running around auditioning everywhere just to get a role with a few minutes of footage in a low-budget movie...
Many times, passing the audition does not mean getting the role. The private audition of the director or producer is the final test.
But this situation ceased to exist after 2007.
After becoming popular with Transformers, she never participated in any stupid audition activities again.
"What a shameless scumbag..." Whenever she thought that she had spared no effort to pay the physical price but still needed to participate in the audition, Megan would clench her back molars.
She was not the only one with the same idea; Heard also paid the physical price.
The two regarded each other as the biggest competitor for the role, both regarding "sleeping with the investor" as their biggest trump card, full of confidence in the role.
Anya stood among a group of actresses, obviously overwhelmed, especially after seeing big shots like Megan Fox.
She kept fiddling with the hem of her clothes, having less and less confidence in herself.
"Mr. Leon!" She saw Leon's figure shuttling through the crowd and shouted with courage.
Hearing the familiar sweet voice, Leon turned around immediately.
Anya's styling today was even more amazing than when the two first met in London. Last time she only wore a white sweater and jeans, a simple girl-next-door outfit.
Leaving parental control and coming to the other side of the Atlantic, the girl could finally choose her attire as she pleased.
To cope with the first audition in her life, she wore a black dress, exposing a large area of white-to-glowing skin on her chest, with a shallow cleavage looming.
Looking quite similar to Natalie Portman's styling in Black Swan.
Even so, her unique appearance and strong classical beauty made her visible at a glance in the audition scene surrounded by beauties.
The audition proceeded in an orderly manner. Megan appeared and performed a plot from Shakespeare's Macbeth as usual:
"Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty."
James Wan was satisfied with this performance and couldn't help hinting to Leon that this was the "Lady Macbeth" they were looking for.
Next it was Anya's turn. She didn't choose to perform a classic play clip but chose her strength and danced a ballet.
A segment of Swan Lake dance was adapted to show the interweaving of emotions such as jealousy, temptation, and destruction, not like a 15-year-old girl at all.
As her rotation stopped, she blinked her big eyes and looked firmly at the judges' seat.
Leon and James Wan looked at each other, unable to make a decision for a long time.
After the audition, the two had a long and heated discussion on the issue of the leading actor.
"Megan is the representative of the new generation of actresses. Her performance and appearance are impeccable. For her name, many nerds will walk into the cinema to buy tickets!" James Wan said.
"I understand, but her image is completely inconsistent with Samantha..."
Leon had an answer in his heart long ago, and that answer was Anya.
Not to mention completely fitting the original image, she is also an artist under Apocalypse Agency. In comparison, Megan Fox's salary is as high as $6 million.
For a CGI movie, the leading actor can easily get money by moving around against the green screen, but for Leon as an investor, such a sky-high salary is simply unreasonable.
"You'd better think clearly; this is not a joke. Megan is the synonym for sexy in many people's hearts. Who can say no to her..." James Wan is a fanatical fan of the Transformers series and never forgets Megan's hot figure in the film.
"Listen, I have more undeniable reasons to refuse her than you." Leon said in a deep voice, "But this time you have to trust my judgment, everything for this movie."
Behind the scenes, the two reached a consensus after a series of discussions: Leon threw the blame for casting entirely on James Wan, letting him bear the abuse and curses of the female stars.
As a partner who just joined Apocalypse Pictures, the honest James Wan had nothing to say about this and could only be forced to accept.
After the first round of auditions, only three actresses remained on the scene: Megan, Heard, and Anya.
Heard and Megan were equally confident, confident that they had already obtained the ticket to the set with their lower bodies.
"Don't worry, this role is in your bag." Megan's agent held her hand and comforted her.
At this moment when the result was about to be announced, the originally harmonious atmosphere suddenly became chilling.
"Miss Megan's performance fully meets our fantasy of the character Samantha, especially considering her rich industry experience..." Leon read from the script, "Miss Heard is the same. I don't know how to make a choice."
As soon as the voice fell, the originally harmonious relationship between Megan and Heard suddenly became tense.
Rolling eyes at each other, waiting for the result to be announced, and then sarcastically comforting the other party as mockery.
"I have a different opinion!" James Wan's volume rose three degrees. "I think Miss Anya is more suitable for this movie. The charm and temperament she shows from the inside out are like Samantha walking out of the OASIS into reality..."
"No, James, Miss Anya is indeed excellent, but we also have to consider performance experience."
"Sorry, as the director, I must say you have to listen to me this time!"
The two bickered back and forth according to the script prepared originally.
Clumsy acting plus pretentious lines, anyone could see this was basically a double act.
Heard was the first to sense something wrong with the atmosphere, her smile gradually stiffening.
After looking around, she finally rested her gaze on Leon and rolled a big eye.
"Bastard..." She almost didn't hesitate, stood up, and was about to leave with her assistant.
Before leaving, she whispered in Leon's ear: "I don't know how to describe you, you devil who only knows how to play and deceive... you will regret it."
After speaking, she left without looking back.
Megan, on the other hand, still had a trace of fantasy. Under the hint of her agent, she repeatedly strengthened physical contact with Leon.
Her body rubbed back and forth against Leon's arm. "Don't forget... you promised me before..."
Leon pretended to be in a difficult position and fell into a long debate with James Wan.
Five minutes later, the result was announced, no surprise.
Anya Taylor-Joy became the first candidate for the heroine.
Besides Megan, Anya herself felt incredible. She froze in place blinking her long eyelashes, daring not confirm whether this result was real.
"WTF..." Megan murmured to herself, unable to help cursing.
Unlike Heard, she still showed a trace of fantasy towards Leon, obviously not understanding the other party's scumbag nature yet.
Although cursing in her mouth, she didn't leave immediately.
"Looks like you're in big trouble..." James Wan couldn't help complaining.
This looked like a precursor to a sex scandal. Continuing like this, a sex scandal outbreak is sooner or later.
Investors like Leon who only sleep but don't do things (keep promises), eat and then spit out, are rare existences even in the entire Hollywood.
After the audition, Leon caught up with Megan, comforted her fake-heartedly, and blamed the result on the director's needs.
"I understand, but you shouldn't have promised me. From the beginning, you shouldn't have let me have so many fantasies, you out-and-out bastard." Megan completely lacked the sexy and fiery posture on the screen, sobbing in her words.
"Listen, this is not something I can decide." Leon said, "This role involves many complex factors. There will be more suitable roles for you in the future."
The paradoxical thing is that Megan, as a star famous for sexiness in Hollywood, was soon confused by his PUA. Heard, on the contrary, didn't say a word from the end of the audition to leaving, leaving Leon with a cold look.
The images and behaviors of the two contrasted sharply.
"Damn it..." After the audition event ended, Leon lay on the swivel chair as if he had just undergone a trial.
"You promised those girls too much." James Wan spread his hands. "Sht... this matter won't end so easily. You should understand the unspoken rules of Hollywood."
"What unspoken rules?"
"Don't sleep with girls casually, especially those ambitious girls... This will definitely harm you in the end!"
Leon shrugged with a noncommittal expression, echoing in his mind the look in Heard's eyes that wanted to kill someone before leaving.
"Mr. Leon, can you tell me what the situation is now?" Anya put on a thin trench coat and asked timidly.
Even at this point, she still dared not believe that she defeated big shots like Megan Fox and got the heroine role of Ready Player One.
"Your performance was impeccable." Leon said.
No matter from which aspect, Anya is his first choice.
Just 15 years old, simple and easy to control. The salary saves at least millions of dollars compared to first-line female stars like Megan. "I don't always agree with Leon's approach." James Wan spread his hands. "But congratulations on getting this role, girl. I look forward to your performance."
"I don't know how to thank Mr. Leon..." Anya curled up her body, unable to help leaning closer to Leon's chest.