Chapter 236: Private Club

Chapter 236: Chapter 236: Private Club

Hearing this, Irene felt completely at ease.

Hilary didn’t care about the salary, only the role, which was exactly the state of mind Irene wanted in an actor. "That’s great," she said in a brisk tone.

"Regarding the salary, Shelly will give you a reasonable offer. After all, you’re the lead actress with the most screen time. Additionally, I’ll set aside an extra portion of the budget as your boxing special training fund and hire a professional boxing coach to lead your systematic training later on."

"Really? Thank you so much!" Hilary’s eyes lit up. She had been wanting to study systematically.

"It’s only right," Irene waved her hand. "Maggie is a professional boxer, so you have to look the part. Special training will officially begin next month. We’ll train for three months first to see the results. I hope you can get into character as soon as possible."

Shelly added at this point, "By the way, Irene, Al Pacino just called me. He said Robert De Niro has already read the script and is very interested. He wants to meet with you tomorrow to discuss the male lead role."

"That’s wonderful!" Irene was overjoyed. With Robert De Niro willing to take the role, the issue of the male lead was completely resolved. "Where is the meeting scheduled?"

"At Mr. De Niro’s private club. He said it would be easier to talk about the character more intuitively there," Shelly replied.

Irene nodded, the blueprint in her mind becoming clearer and clearer: lead actress Hilary Swank, male lead Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman confirmed to return, plus the potential support of Warner Bros.’s distribution. The lineup and configuration of Million Dollar Baby were already no less impressive than in her previous life.

"Then I’ll go with you to see Mr. De Niro tomorrow," Irene said. "Hilary, you can come along too. You might even be able to exchange some insights about the character with Mr. De Niro."

Hilary agreed immediately. "Of course! I can’t wait to work with Mr. De Niro."

Shelly looked at the situation before him and couldn’t help but remark, "Now that the main cast is basically finalized and we have a preferred choice for the distributor, this film is really about to start production."

"Yes," Irene looked at the two of them, her eyes firm. "From now on, all of us must go all out. I want Million Dollar Baby to shine with the most dazzling brilliance on the stage of the 75th Oscars."

Hilary nodded heavily, her eyes full of longing and determination. She knew this wasn’t just a movie, but a major breakthrough in her acting career, and she had to seize this opportunity firmly.

The next morning, Shelly drove Irene and Hilary toward Robert De Niro’s private club.

The club was hidden in a lush green area in the suburbs of Los Angeles. There was no conspicuous sign, only a low-key wrought iron gate. The security personnel at the entrance only slowly allowed them through after verifying their information.

The car drove along the winding driveway, passing open lawns and several retro-style small buildings.

After getting out of the car, Irene realized that this place had far more style than she had imagined. There were no extravagant or ostentatious designs. Instead, a sense of steady quality permeated everywhere.

Walking through the pebble-paved courtyard and into the main building, the lobby was hung with many old photographs, many of which were group photos of Hollywood stars and sports celebrities.

"I didn’t expect it to be so big," Hilary couldn’t help but murmur, her gaze drawn to the collection of boxing gloves on the wall.

Shelly explained with a smile, "Mr. De Niro loves all kinds of sports. He founded this club years ago with a few close friends, and the facilities inside are very complete."

Just then, the club manager came forward to greet them with a respectful attitude. "Miss Coppola, Ms. Swank, Mr. Ovitz, Mr. De Niro is already waiting for you at the boxing gym."

Following the manager inside, Irene discovered that there was indeed more than just boxing. Passing a floor-to-ceiling window, she caught a glimpse of an open stable outside, where several fine horses were leisurely pacing on the lawn.

Further ahead, she saw a hidden shooting range. Through the crack in the door, she could see various firearms laid out, with several members practicing in protective gear.

"I didn’t expect there to be these activities," Irene said casually. It was only in America. In her previous life, she had never seen any real firearms or ammunition in person.

The manager responded with a smile, "The club was originally founded to make it easier for the founders to share their sporting hobbies. Later, it gradually expanded to include horse riding, shooting, and golf. By the way, Miss Coppola, your father, Mr. Francis, was also one of the club’s founders. There’s even a photo of him on the wall of honor over there."

Irene was stunned for a moment and looked in the direction the manager pointed. Sure enough, she saw her father on the wall of honor. In the photo, Francis was dressed in casual clothes, standing with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and others, smiling brightly. She had never heard her father mention this before, thinking it must be a private friendship among the older generation.

Arriving at the boxing gym, Robert De Niro was in sportswear and boxing gloves, lightly sparring with a coach. He wasn’t particularly burly, but his stance was steady and his punches were powerful. It was clear that the foundation he had built while filming Raging Bull was still there.

Hearing footsteps, he stopped, took off his gloves, and showed a gentle smile. "Irene, Shelly, and Ms. Swank, welcome."

Irene stepped forward and greeted him with a smile. "Mr. De Niro, thank you for inviting us. The club is wonderful. It’s my first time learning that my father was also a founder here."

"Oh, your father—we’re old pals," Robert said, wiping the light sweat from his forehead in a familiar tone. "Back then, a few of us who loved sports got together, thinking of creating a place where we could relax and talk, and so this club was born. Francis is busy with his wine business every day now and doesn’t come often, but he always shows up for the annual member gathering."

He turned to Hilary, his eyes full of appreciation. "Ms. Swank, I’ve seen quite a few of your works. Your acting is very solid. The role of Maggie is very challenging, and I’m looking forward to working with you."

Hilary was a bit flattered and quickly responded, "Mr. De Niro, it’s an honor to work with you. Starting next month, I will officially begin boxing training, and I hope I won’t let you down."

"Good, that’s the spirit," Robert nodded, leading everyone to the lounge area by the boxing gym to sit down.

"Irene, I’ve read the script carefully. I really like the character of Frankie. He’s aloof on the surface, but he hides softness and persistence in his heart. Sending a disciple who is like a daughter to heaven—the inner conflict and complexity are very fascinating. A multi-layered character like this is interesting."

"I knew you would like it," Irene laughed. "No one can interpret Frankie’s sense of world-weariness and obsession with boxing better than you. Everyone saw the effort you put into Raging Bull back then."

"That’s all in the past," Robert waved his hand modestly. "However, when it comes to boxing themes, I am indeed more familiar with them. If needed, I can help Hilary refine her boxing moves to make the character more authentic."

Hilary thanked him immediately. "Thank you so much, Mr. De Niro. I was worried about having no guidance. With your help, I feel much more at ease."

The few of them sat together and naturally began talking about the characters. Robert shared his understanding of Frankie’s past experiences and suggested several details to make the character fuller.

Hilary also spoke about her interpretation of Maggie’s inner struggle. Irene supplemented from the side, explaining the character relationships and backgrounds not explicitly stated in the script to the two of them.