Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 123 Role Arrangement
The early summer sun in Los Angeles is scorching but unobtrusive, and the light and shadows outside the car window are mottled like a flowing painting.

Jason Blum drove a black Cadillac SUV along Santa Monica Boulevard toward Lionsgate headquarters.

He was wearing a dark grey T-shirt and a light-colored casual suit, with his sleeves casually rolled up, and was chatting with Wu Chen in the passenger seat while driving.

Advertising light boxes stood tall on the street corners, and huge movie posters filled the air: Darth Vader from "Star Wars: Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith" had a stern silhouette, his scarlet lightsaber drawing an arc in the darkness;
On the other side, Warner's "Batman Begins" focuses on the visual Gotham night scene, and Bale's face half-hidden behind the mask is particularly eye-catching.

"How much is the box office for this movie now?" Wu Chen pointed at the "Star Wars" poster and asked curiously.

"Star Wars" is also a landmark movie in the United States.

"It's already close to 300 million in North America," Jason chuckled, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. "But breaking 1 billion globally is a bit of a stretch. The overseas market isn't that crazy."

"Oh?" Wu Chen raised his eyebrows.

"What's interesting is that the Chinese market is doing quite well. I saw a news report yesterday that mainland China's box office has already broken into the top ten globally, which is quite rare."

Blum said casually, "It seems your audience is more interested in lightsabers."

Wu Chen smiled lightly and didn't respond. He just looked out the window at the film sets and post-production companies slowly passing by.

The film and television industry in Los Angeles is like a cold yet passionate machine, running non-stop.

The glass building not far from the Lionsgate headquarters reflects the azure sky and the outlines of distant mountains, and the sunlight creates dazzling ripples on the glass curtain wall.

The car slowly stopped downstairs of Lionsgate Entertainment headquarters.

The building was busier than usual today. A group of actors who had just finished a presentation were leaving through the side door. Several staff members came towards them and couldn't help but slow down their pace after seeing Wu Chen.

"Hey, is that Wu Chen?"

"Is it him, the director of 'Buried'? The best director in Berlin this year?"

Some people were whispering, and then a young female assistant bravely stepped forward, extended her hand, and said with a smile, "Wu, I really like your "Buried Alive." Can you sign it for me?"

Wu Chen was stunned for a moment, then shook hands back and said, "Thank you." He then quickly signed his artistic signature with a pen.

"You have more and more female fans." Blum joked with a smile.

The elevator went up quickly. The conference room was already ready, and the Los Angeles street scene unfolded behind the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Lionsgate's Chief Operating Officer Jon Feltheimer was already present, and Michael Burns was sitting next to him. They both stood up and shook hands with Wu Chen.

Jason Blum and Michael Burns both opened the casting materials in their hands and spread them on the table.

"We've currently screened several preliminary lists. Considering the overall budget of 'Now You See Me', which is approximately $45 million, it's reasonable to keep the actors' salaries within 30% to 40% of the total cost."

Wu Chen flipped through the pages and saw some cast members from the original Now You See Me, including Woody Harrelson, who played Merritt McKinney, one of the Four Horsemen, with a salary of $100 million to $150 million.
The subsequent comments were also given: the acting is first-class and fits the character's slick nature.
However, the most outstanding character in this casting is the supporting actor Bradley, the so-called magic revealer, because his salary is higher than that of the leading actor.

Morgan Freeman, salary: $300-400 million.

Wu Chen frowned slightly. Jason Blum noticed this, glanced at the character list, and then smiled, "He's an Oscar regular and very well-recognized in North America. He's very suitable for a supporting role."

Michael Burns then added: "According to our research, the temperament and quality of the film will be improved if he plays a supporting role, so even though he is a supporting role, his price will be slightly more expensive.

If we can't hire him due to the overall salary, we have a backup plan."

Wu Chen nodded and turned the page. Sure enough, the backup candidate, Ben Kingsley, had guaranteed acting skills and was important, so his salary went straight back to $150 million.

Wu Chen checked the audition candidates one by one. Generally, two to three people were enough for one role. Too many would not be good. If they were not suitable, he would just continue to look for people.

Like the male protagonist Daniel, Wu Chen directly hooked up with Josh Hartnett, who was very popular in Hollywood at the time because of "Pearl Harbor" and "Black Hawk Down" and whose image and temperament were quite suitable, and also hooked up with the future Professor X James McAvoy.

For the role of Merritt, Wu Chen directly hooked Woody Harrelson.

Jason Blum was a little surprised. In this kind of audition where only one person was chosen, it was obvious that the role would go to the other person as expected.

The role of the heroine Henley is one of the highlights, and the cast is full of Hollywood beauties with good figures and temperament.

Sure enough, old-school producers know what the audience wants to see.

The currently popular Scarlett Johansson, the cool European style, the unique temperament of Ava Green, and the sexy stunner Jessica Biel.
"Hey, Wu, if you want, you can actually hook up with both." Jason Blum suddenly leaned over and whispered in Wu Chen's ear.

"."

Wu Chen glanced at Jason Blum. His serious expression made Wu Chen laugh. Looking at the photos, he said, "Let's go with these three. If it's about the box office, Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Biel are good.

If the schedule is right, one playing the Four Horsemen and the other playing an Interpol member would probably attract more audience attention."

"Good idea!" Michael Burns' eyes suddenly lit up. He took a look at Jessica Biel's salary, which was only one million, not expensive.

This hot and sexy body should bring more profits to the movie.

"Okay, that's it." After Wu Chen finished selecting, he pushed it over. "How long will it take?"

"We'll arrange auditions in about a week," Michael Burns replied.

"Ok!"

Wu Chen was not surprised by this.

When the discussion ended, it was almost noon. The sunlight came in through the tall floor-to-ceiling windows of Lionsgate headquarters, slanting onto the conference table.

Burns and Wu Chen smiled at each other, stood up and extended their hands to shake.

"We've booked a restaurant and we'll take you to try a pretty good Italian restaurant here." Burns said with a smile.

Wu Chen nodded in agreement, but in his heart he thought that these Americans were quite particular about the art of hospitality.

It turns out that social etiquette is universal everywhere.

The restaurant is located at Musso & Frank Grill at the foot of the Hollywood Hills. The red canopy is mottled, and the old street lamp in front of the door exudes the aftertaste of the mid-20th century.

This long-established Western restaurant, which opened in 1920, was once a frequented spot by Chaplin and Hepburn, and is considered a "historical landmark" in the Los Angeles film community.

Walking into the restaurant, the wooden floor and dark green leather booths exude a subtle retro atmosphere, with black and white stills hanging on the walls, making you feel like you have walked into a time tunnel.

Burns was obviously familiar with the place, and as soon as he sat down, he ordered several signature dishes: thick-cut rib-eye steak, classic Italian risotto, and an Old Fashioned Dry Martini.

The atmosphere around the dinner table was quite relaxed. Several Lionsgate executives chatted and laughed about gossip in the industry, and also took the opportunity to inquire about Wu Chen's thoughts on the casting direction. The topic jumped around, but always revolved around "Now You See Me".

After the meal, everyone said their goodbyes politely. Some hurried to the afternoon meeting, while Blum continued to accompany Wu Chen and strolled along the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The sun is shining brightly in California in early summer. The streets are crowded with tourists. The air is filled with the aroma of roasted corn and popcorn. In the distance, the white words "Hollywood" are embedded in the hillside.

Wu Chen wore sunglasses and walked leisurely, listening to Blum tell some behind-the-scenes stories of recently released films while strolling casually.

When he walked near the Hollywood Chinese Theater, the phone in Wu Chen's pocket vibrated.

He looked down and saw "Christian Bale" on the screen.

Wu Chen raised an eyebrow, answered the call, and said with a smile, "Christian, how did you know I was in Los Angeles?"

Bell's deep voice came from the other end of the phone, with a hint of teasing: "Someone said they saw you hanging around Lionsgate headquarters. I guess you're here for the casting?"

"Almost." Wu Chen smiled and leaned against a street lamp. His eyes swept over a street performer who was performing magic. "I just finished discussing a few roles and came out to get some fresh air."

"Wu, if you and Jason are free, why not come to the premiere of Batman Begins," Bell said, his tone carrying a hint of sincerity. "On the 10th, many friends in the industry will be there."

Wu Chen was slightly stunned and quickly reviewed the schedule in his mind. If nothing unexpected happened, the initial round of auditions seemed to be scheduled in those days, but the time and rounds were unknown. After all, actors also need time.

"I'll try my best. If I can make it, I'll definitely go."

"I understand." Bell said gently, "I hope to see you then."

After hanging up the phone, Wu Chen put the phone in his pocket and smiled.

"Christian?" Brom asked, tilting his head.

Wu Chen nodded, "He invited us to the premiere of his Batman."

Blum smiled. "Christopher Nolan's movies. He's also a talented director, much like you. Perhaps new ideas can always come together between you two geniuses."

"talk later."

(End of this chapter)