Chapter 389: The Best Candidate

Chapter 389: Chapter 389: The Best Candidate

Actually, when Irene first started filming, she had already thought about the casting for Twilight.

For the male lead, Edward, she immediately thought of Edward Nelson.

His first film role was in Legally Blonde, which she directed and was also Irene’s debut work.

Later, they collaborated on several other projects like Mean Girls and The Italian Job.

He possessed both good looks and acting skills, and their personalities were very compatible.

What was even more coincidental was that his name was identical to the character’s, making it a match made in heaven.

However, Edward Nelson subsequently got together with Britney, and they are now a globally famous couple.

Putting aside whether Edward would be willing to publicly "break up" with Britney for the role, their fans alone would not agree to it.

If he were forced to take the role, it would not only trigger strong backlash from fans but could also affect his relationship with Britney, which would not be worth the cost.

Afterward, Irene thought of Henry Cavill.

In Pirates of the Caribbean, Henry Cavill left a deep impression on her with his handsome appearance and outstanding performance, and his temperament was very fitting for Edward’s aristocratic aura.

However, after finishing the sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean, Henry Cavill wanted to shed the "eye candy" label and transition into a serious actor.

He had already returned to the UK to study acting, so he would likely not be interested in a teen idol drama like Twilight.

After missing out on two ideal candidates in a row, Irene finally decided to adopt a public selection method.

"This way, we can avoid fan controversy while leveraging the power of the fans to expand our influence; it is the safest choice at the moment," she said.

Unlike the high-profile nature of Twilight, Taken 1 was designated as a "low-profile preparation" project.

This film tells the story of former CIA agent Bryan Mills, who travels thousands of miles to hunt down the culprits to rescue his kidnapped daughter.

The core selling points are the tight plot, spectacular action sequences, and deep fatherly love.

No marketing was needed in the early stages; after all, action films like this are common in Hollywood, and the focus of promotion should be entirely on the period after the film’s release.

The nearly sixty-year-old male lead possesses both the deep tenderness of a father and the sharp ruthlessness of combat; this contrast of "tough guy with a soft heart" is highly infectious, which is the key to the film’s success.

"Twilight is destined to trigger massive market discussion, so we need a project with a completely different style to balance the risk," Irene explained. "Taken 1 follows the hardcore action route, targeting adult male audiences, which complements the young female audience of Twilight. Moreover, the market for action films is relatively stable; as long as the plot is solid and the action sequences are spectacular, it can achieve decent box office results."

Regarding the choice for the male lead, Bryan Mills, Irene had long since made up her mind: "I think Liam Neeson is the only choice for this role."

"Liam Neeson is a recognized powerhouse actor. In 1993, he received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for Schindler’s List, and his acting skills are beyond doubt. Afterward, he appeared in many classic films such as the Star Wars prequels, Gangs of New York, and Love Actually, accumulating a deep audience base. However, he has never truly carried a film on his own, mostly appearing as a golden supporting actor or as one of the dual leads, lacking a signature work to prove his box office draw. Our invitation is an excellent opportunity for him; as long as the script quality is up to par, he will likely not refuse."

Everyone expressed their agreement; Liam Neeson’s image and temperament were indeed highly compatible with Bryan Mills, possessing both the calm competence of an agent and the warmth and determination of a father.

"What about the rest of the supporting cast?" an executive asked.

"The director and supporting roles can be handled by CAA," Irene said. "CAA has a distinct advantage in terms of resources. Let them recommend suitable candidates, and we will be responsible for the final review. The focus is to find actors with solid acting skills and high cost-effectiveness to keep production costs under control."

"Irene, do you not plan to direct either of these two projects?" one of the executives asked.

Irene shook her head. "Time waits for no one. My work focus this year will be on Transformers. Other projects will be handed over to others. As long as you all supervise them well, there will not be any problems."

Ranked third was Brokeback Mountain.

Ang Lee had already submitted the final revised draft of the script.

Irene had already reviewed it carefully and was very satisfied with the quality of the script.

"Brokeback Mountain is a project we are focusing on this year for awards, with its artistic value outweighing its commercial value. Director Ang Lee has high accomplishments in the field of art films and has a very deep understanding of this story. The casting work can be left entirely to him, and we only need to supervise the final stage."

She added, "We must give Director Ang Lee enough creative freedom and not interfere too much with his casting ideas. As long as the actors fit the character profiles and have the acting skills, we can finalize them. Regarding the budget, execute it according to the previously agreed $20 million to ensure the production quality of the film."

Robert nodded. "Director Ang Lee has already started screening actors. It is said that he has already contacted several favored actors and will submit the list of candidates to us in a while."

Finally, Robert mentioned an unexpected invitation.

"By the way, Irene, I recently received an invitation from the Mr. & Mrs. Smith crew. They hope you can serve as the director of this film. Angelina Jolie has explicitly stated that as long as you direct, she will sign immediately, and the choice for the male lead can also be recommended by us."

Hearing this news, the executives present all showed expressions of surprise.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith was a key commercial film recently prepared by 20th Century Fox, with a large investment scale and a strong cast, making it a project many directors dreamed of.

But Irene, without almost any hesitation, shook her head directly.

"I refuse."

"Why?" an executive could not help but ask. "This is a very good opportunity, and are you not on good terms with Adelaide? Fox also really hopes to cooperate with you again."

"I do indeed appreciate Angelina Jolie, and I recognize the potential of the Mr. & Mrs. Smith project, but I really do not have the schedule," Irene explained helplessly. "For the entire year, my main energy must be placed on the filming of Transformers. This film is very difficult to produce and requires a huge amount of time and energy. Plus, the company has so many other projects that need coordination; I simply cannot spare the time to direct other films."

"Moreover, although the script for Mr. & Mrs. Smith is good, the overall framework is still a relatively conventional agent film, which does not pose much of a creative challenge for me. Rather than splitting my energy to shoot a commercial film, it is better to spend time on our own projects and build IPs like Saw 2 and Twilight into our own core competitiveness."

Robert had long anticipated that she would refuse and did not try to persuade her too much.

"I understand. I will reply to the Mr. & Mrs. Smith crew and explain the situation."

The meeting lasted for an entire afternoon, and the priorities, preparation plans, and personnel arrangements for all projects were finalized one by one.

When the meeting adjourned, it had already turned dark, and the night view of Los Angeles was brightly lit.