Chapter 415: Relieving Concerns

Chapter 415: Chapter 415: Relieving Concerns

When the complete, high-quality script was delivered to Will Smith, he could hardly contain his excitement after reading the entire story.

Having been in the industry for many years, he had seen countless assembly-line scripts and superficial inspirational films, but such a delicate, authentic, and heart-wrenching biographical story was truly rare.

The helplessness of struggling at the bottom, the tenderness of being a father, the kindness of holding on in desperate situations, and the resilience of turning things around against the wind—every detail had great empathy, combined with realistic depth and award potential, making it the top-tier Oscar-contending resource that all A-list actors dreamed of.

Will immediately put down all his current work and called his exclusive agent, asking him to come over right away to discuss the details of the project collaboration.

Will’s wife, Jada Smith, also learned about this blockbuster offer immediately.

She was not an outsider; having been deeply involved in the Hollywood entertainment circle for years, she was already very familiar with the name Irene Coppola.

Because of Irene’s excellent reputation among people of color in Hollywood—such as respecting minority groups, not exploiting suffering, and not deliberately belittling Black characters—Jada had been silently following every work of this talented director.

However, the inherent perceptions formed from long-term observation left Jada filled with doubts and concerns.

Looking at all of Irene’s breakout works, from the initial Legally Blonde to The Italian Job, and then to Million Dollar Baby and the Pirates of the Caribbean series, the core protagonists, award-winning personas, and top-tier screen images were almost all white.

This was not deliberate racial prejudice, but rather the common choice of 99% of top directors in Hollywood today; it was a long-standing solidified norm in the industry, which was understandable, yet it still left a trace of resentment in Jada’s heart.

In her view, her husband, Will Smith, had long since ranked among Hollywood’s top A-listers, with his box office appeal, public popularity, and screen presence all firmly in the top tier of Black actors; being overlooked by the mainstream circle for years and missing out on top-tier Oscar-contending resources had already made her dissatisfied.

Now, Irene, who had always favored white protagonists, suddenly and proactively offered a top-tier Oscar-contending script, full of sincerity, and even labeled it as a custom-made project; this sudden show of favor was too abnormal, making her subconsciously feel that there were hidden tricks and ulterior motives.

After Will hung up the phone with his agent, Jada immediately poured out her concerns, frankly stating her doubts and worrying that this unexpected honor was not a coincidence, but rather harbored unknown schemes.

Will Smith, however, held a completely different view after listening.

He carefully recalled his brief interaction with Irene at the premiere; she was humble, polite, sincere, and friendly, completely lacking the arrogance of a top director or the utilitarianism of a capital mogul.

Her conduct was measured and broad-minded, and everything she projected was pure appreciation and goodwill.

No matter how he reviewed the details of their interaction, he could not see any malice or calculation.

Will comforted his wife, telling her to calm down and wait for the agent to arrive so the three of them could discuss and make a decision together.

An hour later, Will’s exclusive agent, Jay Shapiro, arrived quickly, and the three of them immediately started a special discussion in the home meeting room.

After Jay Shapiro arrived, he did not ask anything; he sat down and carefully read the script from beginning to end.

As a Hollywood agent, analyzing scripts was one of their necessary tasks.

After reviewing the script word for word and conducting a comprehensive assessment based on current Hollywood award trends and market directions, he quickly gave it a very high evaluation.

He stated bluntly that this script perfectly fit the current mainstream American biographical narrative model, abandoning deliberate tragic rendering, focusing on the struggles and perseverance of ordinary people, and conveying values of inspiration, kindness, and never giving up.

It precisely hit the emotional pain points of American audiences, possessing both mass empathy and the humanistic core most valued by the Oscar awards season.

Finally, Jay Shapiro could not help but exclaim sincerely:

"Irene Coppola is truly amazing. At just over 20 years old, after consecutively helming top-tier heavy-industrial blockbusters like Transformers and Pirates of the Caribbean, she has not lost her original intention and foundation for artistic creation in the slightest.

The script’s narrative still strikes directly at human nature, delicate and profound; the power of the writing is in no way inferior to the period when she won the Oscar for Million Dollar Baby. Her creative foundation has not regressed at all; instead, it has become even more mature and sophisticated."

"What is more important is that she is also very clear-headed, knowing that deep-diving into commercial films is not the optimal solution for her; advancing commercial films and artistic films side-by-side is the choice of a top Hollywood director. She had not revealed her future work before, so it seems this is her plan after finishing Transformers."

Will Smith highly agreed with his agent’s statement.

In Hollywood, the number of directors who could film a movie like Pirates of the Caribbean could be counted on one hand, not to mention that she was currently filming Transformers, all of which were subjects that ordinary directors dared not take on or even think about.

And she not only dared to think but could even organize the production herself; this kind of courage was not something an ordinary person could achieve, especially considering how young she was now, with a visibly boundless future.

This made him eager to take on this project and collaborate with her.

Watching her agent and husband praise the script and Irene Coppola endlessly and hold them in high regard throughout the conversation, Jada still had not completely let down her guard, and her inner dissatisfaction and concerns had not yet dissipated.

She raised her doubts again, insisting that Irene’s sudden show of favor was too abnormal and most likely harbored ulterior motives.

Upon hearing this, Jay Shapiro instantly understood her concerns and also knew her sensitive mindset—the Black community was like this, both worried about others looking down on them and worried about being used by others.

He quickly and patiently tried to persuade her and dispel her obsession.

He frankly stated that Jada’s thoughts were truly overthinking.

Currently, the influence of the Black community was rising year by year, making it a box office force in Hollywood that could not be ignored, but there was absolutely no need to be overly sensitive and suspicious of everything.

Irene now held top-tier resources and had a solid industry position; there was simply no need for her to deliberately approach Will to create topics, and even less reason to deliberately set a trap to scheme against a top-tier A-list actor, as the losses would outweigh the gains.

At the same time, he precisely pointed out the core key:

"The original prototype of this script is a true experience of a Black person, and the background of the story is destined to be impossible to replace with a white actor; this is also where Irene’s greatest sincerity lies.

Looking at powerful Black actors in Hollywood, Denzel Washington has deeper acting skills and a stronger foundation in awards, but Will’s national popularity, box office appeal, and public affinity also surpass him by quite a bit.

Irene choosing Will is both a choice for the best collaboration and an appreciation of his unique, nationwide popularity; it is the most rational and pure industry choice, without any conspiracy or calculation."

This thorough and rational analysis completely resolved most of her doubts.

Jay Shapiro immediately finalized the connection plan, telling Will that he did not need to personally connect with Echo Pictures anymore; all subsequent matters, such as contract negotiations, detail discussions, schedule arrangements, and rights communication, would be fully taken over by him, striving to secure the best cooperation conditions and firmly win this rare top-tier Oscar-contending resource.