America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz
Chapter 301: Chapter 298: The Debt of Favors

In the Western Bar, the makeshift actors sat scattered around, loosening their dirty collars under the dry, sweltering weather and drinking beer heartily.

The local bully, who resembled Brad Pitt by about fifty to sixty percent, tried to harass the red-robed priestess of the Cola Cult and was easily subdued by Sect Leader Martin, pinned down on the table.

Martin held out his hand to the red-robed priestess Elizabeth, who then opened her bag, took out a glass bottle of Coca-Cola, and handed it to the leader.

The icy cola pressed on the bully's head, and he slid down automatically.

Martin opened the cola, placing it on the table.

The bully picked it up and started drinking; the expression on his face changed rapidly...

"Cut!" Sam Mendes called to stop the filming and shouted to the Pitt-like bully, "Make the transition more natural, not so stiff."

The makeup artists entered to touch up, and the filming quickly resumed.

The crew spent the whole morning shooting the bar's interior scenes, which were more challenging than the simple exterior ones. Mendes was more demanding, often stopping the shooting and sometimes stepping in to direct personally.

Shortly after midday, Kate Winslet arrived in Parker Town from San Diego and after greeting Martin, found a quiet place to watch the filming.

She had met Martin three years ago while acting in Atlanta, and his acting skills were already notable then.

Unfortunately, in the bright midday sun of A Beautiful Mind, nearly all of Martin's scenes were cut, and he just flashed briefly on screen without a single line of dialogue.

Kate had carefully watched every film Martin starred in afterward.

Whether it was the role of a green young football coach or a thoughtful adult, Martin could handle them all.

Kate had specially asked her old friend Leonardo, who had told her that, on the set of Infernal Affairs, including Nicholson and Scorsese, most people believed that Martin's performance during shooting completely outshone Leonardo as the lead actor.

Even Leonardo himself admitted this.

A few days earlier, Kate had called Leonardo again.

Leonardo's words were interesting: under Martin's handsome, young exterior, there might live a soul even more wicked than Nicholson's.

Kate looked back at the set, where the people in the bar were already subdued by the Sect Leader of the Cola Cult.

After the advertisement shoot ended, the actors filed out of the bar to remove their makeup.

Sam Mendes was still reviewing the footage.

After waiting a while, Kate approached and asked, "What do you think of Martin?"

Mendes gave his assessment, "Based just on these two days of shooting the advertisement, he's even better than what you told me; excellent acting, mature, polished, comfortably in command of the role... by comparison, none of the other actors in this ad come close."

He thought for a moment, "Personally, I feel he is not less than Kevin Spacey was during American Beauty."

Her husband was a director, an Oscar-winning one at that, and Kate trusted his judgment and insight, because it was very similar to what she had observed and heard.

While Martin loved to stir things up, there was no question about his ability, and he treated his friends well too.

Kate knew that Louise had faced great difficulties after "Alexander the Great," and Martin had helped her by dragging her into investment, allowing Pacific Pictures to weather the crisis successfully.

Mendes added, "I told him yesterday that you would be coming; I guess he'll be looking for you shortly."

Kate nodded and asked, "Haven't you made up your mind yet? My new project still needs a director who can take control."

Mendes expressed his hesitation, "I'll think about it."

As the crew dismantled equipment like dolly tracks and cameras, Kate found a spot out of the way and patiently waited.

Martin soon returned to the bar and pulled up a chair opposite Kate, asking, "You mentioned on Oscar night that you needed to talk to me, then you went traveling."

Kate replied with a smile, "So, I came here specifically to see you today."

Martin asked, "What's the matter specifically? If you need help, just a phone call will do."

Kate opened her carry-on bag, took out a book and a screenplay, and handed them directly to him, "Take a look at these first."

Martin took them; the book was 'The Reader' by the German writer Bernhard Schlink, and the screenplay was the adaptation of the same name.

Kate said, "I've mentioned this book to you before. After some thought, I decided to persuade the author himself and acquired the film adaptation rights. Then I collaborated with Anthony Minghella, the screenwriter and director of 'The English Patient' and 'The Talented Mr. Ripley,' to adapt it into this screenplay."

Martin didn't look at the novel but flipped through the screenplay directly, "I understand it broadly; it's a love story between a young man and an older woman."

Kate nodded and continued, "The protagonist in this story ages from his teens to middle age, so there's a significant time span involved. Some have suggested splitting the role between a young actor and an adult actor, but I don't think that's a good idea. The difference in their appearances would be too jarring, making it look like an older man reminiscing someone else's story."

She shared her opinion, "I prefer using the same actor. I've considered many candidates. It's not challenging for young actors to play teenagers, but successfully portraying a middle-aged character is not easy. After much thought, the only person I could think of was you."

Martin had ample experience and portraying the mentality and weathered qualities of middle age was not a problem for him.

Compared to that, changing one's appearance was actually the easiest issue to solve.

Martin directly asked, "Are you planning to use this film to aim for the Oscar for Best Actress?"

"Exactly." Kate's goal was very clear, and she even brought up a specific issue, "When I first acquired the adaptation rights, I planned to pull in investment for the production and then distribute through Weinstein Films. Before the Oscars, I had a detailed chat with Louise and learned about some issues between you and Harvey, so I decided not to collaborate with Weinstein Films for this project.

You can be assured of that."

This film wasn't to Martin's taste or style; if it were anyone else, he would have outright rejected it.

But it was Kate Winslet who had come to him, and there were things he had to consider.

In his climb upwards, Martin had frequently leveraged the power of women, including Kate Winslet.

During the disputes for the Saturn Award for Best Young Actor and The Hills Have Eyes, he had utilized Kate's relationship with Harvey's wife to truly get acquainted with Wes Craven.

Later, during Infernal Affairs' production, Leonardo supported him without knowing him, also thanks to Kate's persuasion.

It could have been just a few words between her and Leonardo, but those words meant nothing coming from someone who didn't have the right connections.

Kate added, "There's no rush on this. Take your time to read the script carefully, and if it's not suitable for you, I have other options."

Martin closed the script and asked, "Which Oscars are you targeting?"

"Next year's Oscars are definitely out of reach," Kate had already made plans, "If everything goes well, it will be released in the second half of '07, aiming for the 80th Oscars in '08."

Martin tried to remember who won the Oscar for Best Actress in 2008. It was so long ago that he couldn't recall the name of the person or the film.

Under such circumstances, it was likely that either the actor or the film was not very famous; even with an Oscar win, the impact was minimal.

Martin said, "Leave the script and the novel with me; I'll read them thoroughly."

Kate beamed, "There's plenty of time, no need to rush."

Martin then inquired, "What about the director? Is that settled yet?"

Kate pointed at Sam Mendes, who was still busy, "He is the first choice, but he hasn't accepted yet." She mentioned another matter, "I've pulled in some investment from Louise, and there's also some funding from England. Money is not an issue for the project."

Sam Mendes, a former Oscar-winning director, had the capability to direct this type of film.

Martin spoke frankly, "Kate, it's still your clout that makes it so easy for you to push a project forward."

Kate rubbed her forehead, "It's difficult, too. There are so many worrying aspects. Once I get the Best Actress, I'll stop dealing with the Academy. I've had enough."

Over the years, her grievances had piled up as the Oscars eluded her time after time, "The film is a box office hit, I'm popular all over the world, and somehow, that's a bad thing?"

Martin picked up the book, turning it over so that the back cover faced up, revealing an old woman, "Think of something for the makeup then, the protagonist is old at the end, isn't she?"

"Yes, old and ugly." Kate's choice to play a role as a Nazi and to make herself look unattractive was not without reason, "I'll try to outdo Charlize Theron in ugliness."

The thought of that Young Adult sent chills down Martin's spine.

The two chatted a bit more until Sam Mendes finished up his work. Kate joined him, and they left the bar together.

Martin also returned to the hotel in town, getting ready to pack his bags and head back to Los Angeles.

Bruce was also aware that Kate had come to see Martin. As he packed, he said from a manager's perspective, "This film doesn't quite fit your usual style, supporting Kate in…" Discover exclusive content at M-V-L

Martin shook his head, "I've skimmed through the script, and actually, the male lead's part is just as heavy as the female lead's. Purely from the script, it could be a story about a boy's maturation or about the painful choices a woman faces amidst dignity and hardship."

Bruce found it strange, "That's not the sort of story you usually like."

"If it weren't for Kate, even if it were Louise and Kelly coming to me together, I'd reject the script." Martin now had that kind of confidence, "Louise and Kelly have helped me before, but I led them to invest together, and they made a hefty profit. As for Kate? I still owe her, big time."

Bruce recalled it then, the debt of gratitude was twice due, "Hearing what you're saying now, I'm starting to wonder if you're still a scoundrel. If Leonardo and Nicholson knew what you're saying, they might just revoke your bastard membership."

Martin laughed, "When someone helps you, and you don't reciprocate, it can impact your reputation later." He had a lot to consider, "Of course, whether or not to repay this favor now, I haven't decided. At the very least, I'd need to go back and notify Thomas and the agency for a discussion."

After packing his bags, Martin took the script and the original novel with him and headed to the outskirts of the town, boarding a helicopter.

Heading back to Los Angeles with him on the same flight was Elizabeth Olsen.