Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 124 Wu Chen is in charge of North America and personally selects the cast
The Los Angeles sun in June is scorching, carrying the unique dryness of the West Coast, shining on the streets of Beverly Hills and Hollywood Boulevard, as if even the air is filled with the impetuous smell of the film industry.

The auditions for "Now You See Me" quietly began in Los Angeles.

Not surprisingly, this move quickly attracted strong attention from the North American media.

As a magic blockbuster with a novel theme and a production budget of up to 50 million US dollars, the director behind it, Chinese director Wu Chen, has become a highlight in the report.

Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly—all major publications published similar headlines around the same time:
Chinese director Wu Chen teams up with Lionsgate and Blumhouse Films to create a magic blockbuster, "Now You See Me" officially starts casting!

From Buried to Magic Blockbusters, Wu Chen: A Genius Director from the East!

"Now You See Me" Launches Global Auditions, Wu Chen In-Person in charge of Casting in North America!

However, in comparison, the focus of gossip media is completely different.

Sexy bombshell Jessica Biel appears at Lionsgate. Will she play the role of 'Hard Candy Beauty' again?

[Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Biel, two sexy beauties, who is better? ]

【.】

The photos were released one after another, including Scarlett's silhouette getting out of the car, Jessica Biel walking into the Lionsgate studio with her head lowered, and the blurry silhouette of Josh Hartnett wearing sunglasses and talking on the phone on the street corner.

Meanwhile, in a low-key meeting room at Lionsgate, auditions were proceeding at full speed.

"She is coming."

Following the staff's quiet announcement, Scarlett Johansson stepped into the room. She was wearing a black sleeveless dress, her blonde hair draped over her shoulders, and her red lips slightly pursed, looking beautiful and sexy.

Scarlett Johansson's performance is undoubtedly eye-catching - her temperament, her line handling, and even her effortless and mysterious smile all fit in with the setting of the heroine.

Moreover, this movie does not test her acting skills. She has outstanding looks and figure. Although her popularity is not as high as that of "Black Widow", she is now a rising star in Hollywood and is very popular.

very suitable.

After the audition, Wu Chen closed the script and said with a smile, "Congratulations, Ms. Scarlett Johansson."

"Thank you." Scarlett Johansson smiled softly, pursing her red lips. Before leaving, she tilted her head slightly and said, "I wonder if you'd be interested in having dinner together? It's my treat."

Wu Chen was slightly startled, then shook his head and smiled: "Forget it, maybe next time."

"What a pity." Scarlett waved her hand half-jokingly, leaving behind a scented breeze before turning and leaving.

Jason Blum on the side couldn't help but come over and said, "Why refuse? Maybe something wonderful will happen after dinner."

"If I'm photographed by the media, I'll no longer be a director, but a headline star. I don't want to suffer Hollywood's harsh words." Wu Chen joked, "And I remember that she should be with Josh Hartnett, one of our male lead candidates."

"But you think James McAvoy is more suitable for the role." Jason shrugged. "It doesn't matter. There's no chance now anyway."

Jason Blum feels bad.

The audition continued. Wu Chen glanced at the time and then at the scheduled audition. He could only send a message to Christian Bale with regret.

At this time, Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale were being interviewed on the red carpet.

During the break, Nolan turned around and asked with a smile, "It seems that the friend you invited didn't come?"

"They got back to me," Bell spread his hands. "The audition schedule is too tight. I can't spare the time."

"What a shame," Nolan sighed softly. "I quite liked his film 'The Dark Side.' I'm also planning a magic movie and would like to exchange ideas with him."

Nolan smiled and said, "Christian, do you have time? My movie is quite suitable for you."

Christian Bale was taken aback; he hadn't expected Nolan to immediately invite him. For the auditions for Now You See Me, Lionsgate and Blumhouse Films collaborated, not only aggressively promoting them in local media but also proactively inviting numerous mainstream and entertainment media outlets to visit the set, striving to generate buzz before filming even began.

Under the carefully arranged camera lenses of photographers, scenes of Wu Chen communicating with the actors and personally auditioning were also exposed one by one in the media news.

The most eye-catching thing is naturally the beautiful figures of several actresses.

These reports and pictures were simultaneously translated and forwarded to domestic portal forums, instantly sparking a wave of "selecting a concubine"-style discussions.

"Wu Chen has such a sharp eye, every one of them is top-notch!"

"Scarlett Johansson is great, wow, that face and figure, and that dress she's wearing. Wu Chen, trust me, choosing her will definitely make the box office a hit!"

"Bullshit, isn't Jessica Biel fierce enough? Big breasts and a nice butt, damn, how can Wu Chen be so picky about people?
"Damn, they're all lustful dogs. Ava Green has such a great temperament, but they didn't choose her. Are they blind?"

"."

Even in Wu Chen's dormitory, Xiang Zhuo and his friends were gathered around the computer, watching with great interest.

But at this time, Liu Yifei from the Performance Department of Beijing Film Academy was holding a mobile phone, and there seemed to be a burden hanging on the corner of her mouth.

She just clicked on Wu Chen's contact and dialed the number, but all she heard was the "beep-beep" waiting tone from the phone.

Just as her fingertips loosened and she was about to hang up, a brisk voice suddenly rang out:

"Sister."

That word "Senior Sister" was like a drop of water falling into a lake on a summer morning, gently hitting and dispelling the noise in my heart.

Liu Yifei's lips curled up slightly, "Junior brother, are you done with the audition?"

"Almost done, only two more main characters are done." Wu Chen's voice was a little tired, but his tone was still relaxed.

Liu Yifei blinked her beautiful eyes slightly, and asked casually, "Oh, aren't Scarlett Johansson and the others very beautiful? I see that your eyes are staring intently in your photo."

Wu Chen paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "It's an audition. How can you tell their acting skills if you don't look carefully? Those were all taken by Lionsgate.

But—she did take the initiative to ask me out for dinner.”

"What?" Liu Yifei's voice suddenly rose half a degree.

"Well, I refused." Wu Chen said with a smile.

When Liu Yifei heard this, she couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. Her cheeks flushed slightly and the corners of her mouth unconsciously curled up.

She changed her sitting position and lowered her voice, as if she didn't want Wu Chen to hear. "That's good."

Her voice was brisk, like bubbling soda in the summer. Wu Chen only heard the beeping sound of the phone and didn't hear it clearly at all.

"Sister, what did you say?"

"Nothing, Teacher Zhang said the training will start next week."

"That's great!" Wu Chen nodded. He was also familiar with the schedule. "It's almost time. If you have any important announcements, please inform the two teachers in advance."

"Okay, I understand." Liu Yifei nodded, her eyes filled with determination and seriousness. She clenched her fists and said, "Don't worry, I will work hard and not embarrass you."

Suddenly, she seemed to remember something and said, "Oh, right, I want to announce this on my birthday, is that okay?"

"Okay! I'll be there that day to cheer you on."

"I don't care." Liu Yifei said with a smile, her eyelashes fluttering along with her eyes.
(End of this chapter)