Reborn in Hollywood

Over the next week, Li Rui kept an eye on the crew's preparations while repeatedly working with the director and action choreographer to refine the script.

As expected, two teams were hired for the action choreography.

The South Korean guy surnamed Park doesn't talk much, but his style is ruthless and sharp—although he seems a little fake, there's still room for improvement.

The one in China is still the same old man from the Yuan Clan, surnamed Chen, in his fifties. He smiles like a kind old man, but his eyes light up when he talks about action design.

When the two first met, they glanced at each other and then nodded.

He didn't say anything.

But Li Rui knew that the contest between the two leaders had officially begun.

Competition is what motivates them to produce their best work, especially the Yuen Clan, who tend to keep things hidden—a fact they themselves later admitted.

Just as the crew was making great progress in preparations, Alibaba sent over another script.

Van Helsing

The Universal project was originally slated to star Kate Winslet, with Hugh Jackman as the male lead.

However, due to a scheduling conflict with Kate, the project has been temporarily halted.

After going through a series of twists and turns, and I don't know how it happened, it ended up in Li Rui's hands.

When Li Rui received the notebook, his first reaction was that it looked familiar.

How could he not look familiar? It's Van Helsing!

It also involves werewolves and vampires, but it's an A-level production, much more prestigious than the Night series.

If it weren't for the disproportionate return on investment, a sequel would have been a sure thing.

Li Rui remembers that this movie was released in 2004. It was the progenitor of the MonsterVerse, which Universal invested heavily in, but it flopped so badly that even its own mother couldn't recognize it. Actually, it wasn't a huge flop. With a global box office of 300 million, it was a result that 99% of Hollywood productions could only dream of.

Putting box office aside, the premise of this film is quite interesting—in the 19th century, vampire hunter Van Helsing battles Dracula, werewolves, and Frankenstein's monster.

And Kate's portrayal of the female lead is absolutely stunning.

Li Rui flipped through the script and then made a phone call to Alibaba.

"Is the script for 'Van Helsing' published by Universal?"

"It's a co-production, but Universal Music has the final say."

"What's the situation now?"

Ali told Li Rui that Hugh Jackman was originally slated to play Van Helsing, but Kate Winslet was late in arriving, and Jackman was getting impatient; in other words, he didn't want to play the role anymore.

When Universal Pictures saw this situation, they also wanted to replace the person, but they couldn't find a suitable one.

After all, the production team couldn't be assembled until the male and female leads were decided.

Li Rui immediately said.

"Help me, Yoron Meir."

He knew he was trying to have his cake and eat it too.

But so what?

A star with box office appeal is someone who can make the film and the audience wait for them!

-----------------

Two days later, Li Rui and Alibaba appeared at the Global Headquarters.

Lang Mayer personally received him, his face beaming with smiles.

"Raphael, it's been a long time."

Li Rui got straight to the point.

"Mr. Mel, what do you think of me acting in the Van Helsing script?"

Lang Meier was taken aback.

"Aren't you filming Underworld?"

"After shooting the night scene, we shot Van Helsing, with only a month in between, which was a perfect schedule."

Li Rui said with a smile, "The filming of 'Nightfall' will wrap up no later than July, while 'Van Helsing' can start filming in September."

Lang Meier thought for a moment.

"Payment..."

"Just pay the market price."

Li Rui waved his hand, "I'm not here to discuss prices, I'm here to discuss the project."

Given his popularity and age, he could never possibly enter the 2000 million club. Not everyone is as lucky as Leonardo DiCaprio to have encountered that sinking ship.

Therefore, there is no need to haggle over the salary.

Lang Melton breathed a huge sigh of relief.

As long as Li Rui is willing to act, what does it matter if the schedule is postponed for a few months?

"We'd be delighted if you were willing to act!"

Li Rui nodded.

"Then it's settled. I'll reserve enough time for you."

As they walked out of the global headquarters, Alibaba couldn't help but ask.

"Are you sure this film will work? It clashes a bit with the theme of darkness..."

Li Rui knew what Ali was worried about, so he said directly, "Whether it works or not, let's film it first and then talk about it."

Ali didn't ask any further questions. He had more than one employer, but he only had one person as charismatic and capable as Li Rui.

Therefore, Alibaba is very clear about its role: to provide comprehensive and meticulous support, rather than interfering in Li Rui's career planning.

At most, helping Li Rui get a few more good scripts would be the greatest help we can give him.

At the end of March, the advance team of the new "Underworld" production team officially headed to North Carolina.

-----------------

At the same time, a message suddenly came from Alibaba.

Li Rui opened his phone and glanced at it—an audition invitation for "I, Robot," a Fox project, directed by Alex Proyas, who also directed "Dark City."

Li Rui was stunned for a moment.

"I, Robot"? Isn't that "I, Robot" that I read in my previous life?

He was deeply impressed by the movie.

Released in 2004, starring Will Smith, it tells the story of a detective investigating a robot murder case.

The film was well-made with a strong storyline, but its global box office performance was a bit lackluster, only reaching $3.5 million. However, it was a huge success in the DVD market, making a fortune for Fox, so it can be considered a commercially successful film.

Li Rui really liked this movie.

One-Armed Detective, Chicago in 2035, the streets are full of robots, and there's that robot named Sonny—did Li Rui even buy Asimov's original novel "I, Robot" after watching the movie?

He immediately called Ali back.

"What's going on?"

Ali explained over the phone.

"An audition invitation from Fox for the male lead—Dale Spooner, the one-armed detective."

Li Rui's heart skipped a beat.

"What about Will Smith? I heard he's also..."

"He's also considering it."

Ali paused for a moment, "But Fox wants to find more candidates. After all, Will Smith's salary is too high, 2000 million plus box office revenue sharing, which immediately increases the cost. So they want to find someone with a better cost-performance ratio."

Li Rui was speechless.

In the end, isn't it just about using him to pressure Will Smith's salary?

It's no wonder that the film earned 300 million at the box office but still suffered a small loss. With 20 million plus box office revenue sharing, it would have been difficult to avoid a loss.

Compared to his current salary of 800-1000 million, without needing additional box office revenue sharing, he is indeed much cheaper than Will Smith.

But the problem is-

"Do they think I can act well?"

"Rafael, don't underestimate yourself. You've already starred in three different types of commercial films, and each one was a huge hit. I heard from people inside Fox that you and Will were the top choices for the male lead."

Li Rui thought about it.

When is the audition?

"Fox is scheduled for the day after tomorrow."

"Then you can arrange for someone to pick me up."

After hanging up the phone, Li Rui leaned back on the sofa, his mind racing.

Will Smith is now a true A-list superstar in Hollywood, with unparalleled box office appeal.

It would be a lie to say that there was no pressure competing with him for the same role.

But then Li Rui thought again, the pressure may be great, but giving up without even trying is not his style.

Two days later, early in the morning, Li Rui arrived at the Fox studio on time.

When Li Rui went in, there were already seven or eight people sitting inside.

Li Rui glanced at them and found that they were all nobodys.

It seems that, just as Alibaba learned through insiders, Will Smith was the male lead for this movie from the very beginning, and Li Rui was just a tool to negotiate a lower price.

Among those auditioning for supporting roles, Li Rui spotted a familiar face—Shia LaBeouf.

This eccentric individual, a rarity even in Hollywood history, is only sixteen years old now, and looks far removed from the "eccentric" he will become in the future.

He noticed that Li Rui looked excited yet hesitant, seemingly torn between asking for an autograph or not.

Li Rui quickened his pace and entered the audition room; he didn't want to have anything to do with Spielberg's godson.

In the audition room, director Alex Proyas, producer John Davis, and several casting directors were watching Li Rui.

Li Rui performed two scenes as required.

One scene shows Detective Spooner's roguish demeanor when he first appears, and the other shows his alertness and anger when he discovers the robot's anomaly.

After the performance, Proyas nodded.

"The action scenes are definitely no problem; you can't find many better ones in all of Hollywood. The lines are alright too, but..." Proyas paused here, seemingly a little troubled, "...you look too young."

Li Rui's heart, which had been in his throat, immediately calmed down.

Yes, he's too young.

So even if he were ten or a hundred times better, there are some roles that are really not suitable for Li Rui to play at this stage.

This has nothing to do with his personal acting skills or temperament; it's purely a matter of the role he's playing.

Proyas continued.

"The character Spooner is supposed to be in his forties, have been in a car accident, lost an arm, and have a natural hostility toward robots. Your acting is fine, but your appearance doesn't quite fit the description."

Producer John Davis added from the side.

"And your schedule is also a problem. We plan to start filming in May and shoot until October, but I heard that you're going to shoot until July. Universal's Van Helsing also announced that filming will start in September, and you'll be the lead actor. There's simply no gap in between."

Li Rui remained silent for a few seconds, then stood up and smiled at the people in front of him.

"Understood. Thank you all for your feedback. I believe we will have opportunities to cooperate again in the future."

As I walked out of the audition room, Ali was waiting outside.

"How is it?"

Li Rui shook his head.

"No chance, let's go."

Ali was so anxious that he grimaced.

"They think your acting is bad?"

"My acting skills are fine, but I'm too young. It's inappropriate for a 21-year-old like me to play a role in someone over 40. Makeup can solve some problems, but it's not like I'm indispensable. I guess Fox has already leaked my audition to Will, and we'll see if he'll back down."

Alibaba's perspective on this matter is quite unique.

"It was a wasted trip, but it doesn't matter. Fox owes you a favor, and we'll definitely make it up to you when we have the chance."

Li Rui didn't say anything more, but he did feel a little regretful.

He genuinely liked the role.

But he also disagreed with Ali's words.

Who would care about a favor from Fox?

Li Rui still hasn't forgotten the time Fox News sensationalized his story and that of his family.

As I said before, we'll wait until the time is right...