With the script finalized, David Fincher involved, and Brad Pete confirmed to join the cast, the Boston friends are all set to go. This untitled film has already quietly spread throughout Hollywood and is considered one of the most anticipated Oscar contenders for next year.
Now, only the most crucial piece of the puzzle remains: the male lead.
In a production meeting room in Beverly Hills, the atmosphere had plummeted to freezing point.
Lin Qi sat at the head of the long table, flipping through a thick stack of actor rosters provided by the United States Actors Guild. Opposite him sat Mary Gale, one of Hollywood's top casting directors. This seasoned industry veteran, with her vast experience in casting, was rubbing her temples with a worried expression.
"Mr. Lin Qi, I have to be honest," Mary sighed, "Your requirements for the male lead are practically nonexistent in the current Stephen Curry of actors."
Lin Qi put down the roster and looked at her coldly. "Is it that difficult? I only need a male actor with an Asian face, who can carry a box office expectation of hundreds of millions of dollars, and who exudes an aloof, cold-blooded, and oppressive aura. Hollywood is so big, can't you even find one?"
Mary and the co-producer next to her exchanged a glance and gave a wry smile.
"Mr. Lin Qi, in today's mainstream Hollywood commercial films, the stereotype of Asian male actors is still stuck on 'kung fu action stars' or 'nerdy hackers,'" the co-producer said cautiously. " John Lone is too old. Jackie Chan and Jet Li are action superstars; they can't portray the kind of charisma you're looking for."
"And the biggest problem is box office appeal," Mary added. "This film has a huge budget and ambitious goals. We need a superstar with A-list box office draw to carry it. But in the current list of A-list stars, the number of people who meet your appearance requirements... is zero."
The meeting room fell silent. This was the harsh reality of the industry.
"So? What's your suggestion?" Lin Qi leaned back in his chair, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger.
The co-producer swallowed hard, then forced a response—a solution commonplace in Hollywood, yet utterly arrogant. "Mr. Lin Qi, since this is a semi-fictional commercial film, for the sake of global distribution and maximizing profits... we strongly suggest changing the protagonist's race."
"We can change the lead actor to be white, or at least a mixed-race character more easily accepted by mainstream audiences. Tom Cruise, Doug Christie Bell, even Matt Damon himself could play the role! As long as you nod your head, we can do it right away..."
"Bang!"
Lin Qi grabbed the thick actors' guild roster from the table and slammed it down heavily. The thud interrupted the producer's incessant chatter.
"Change the protagonist's race?" Lin Qi looked at the producer, his eyes revealing a chilling coldness, and then a pure Boston street swear word burst from his mouth.
"Go to hell! You want me to spend money to make a clichéd fairy tale about a white savior?"
The entire conference room was silent. Fincher sat to the side, sipping his coffee and watching Lin Qi rage with great interest.
"Okay, okay. No changes to the settings." Mary wiped away her cold sweat and pulled out an even less common list. "But Mr. Lin Qi, if we insist on these physical attributes, we might really have to use completely unknown newcomers. For a big-budget production with Pete on board, that's risky..."
Lin Qi ignored her and casually flipped through the roster he had slammed on the table.
Suddenly, his finger stopped on a certain page.
That page featured an extremely handsome face, yet one that conveyed a profound sense of melancholy and detachment.
"Wait," Lin Qi pointed to the name, "How is he?"
Mary and the producer looked in the direction Lin Qi was pointing.
Keanu Reeves.
" Keanu?" Mary paused for a moment, then shook her head frantically. "Mr. Lin Qi, you must be joking. While Keanu does have China and Hawaii ancestry, and his features do have a touch of Eastern charm, he..."
"What's wrong with him?" Lin Qi stared at Keanu's eyes in the photo, eyes that seemed to see through everything yet remained detached from worldly affairs.
"That's Keanu Reeves!" the producer's voice rose an octave. "He just finished filming ' The Matrix Reloaded' and 'The Matrix Revolutions' in Australia. He's currently the hottest, top-tier superstar in all of Hollywood! Having him in the cast would guarantee top-notch box office appeal, but..."
"But this is an impossible task." Mary sighed, her voice filled with despair. "Mr. Lin Qi, you may not know Keanu's current situation. In the past two years, he has experienced too many personal tragedies... His best friend River Phoenix died of a drug overdose, his ex-girlfriend Jennifer gave birth to a stillborn child, and then Jennifer herself died in a car accident last year."
Mary paused, her tone heavy. "The series of blows, coupled with the intense filming of ' The Matrix,' have left him physically and mentally exhausted. He's in a state of extreme misanthropy and self-isolation. He just turned down all the multi-million dollar offers from major studios for commercial films, wanting only to play with his ' Sirius ' rock band or wander the highways on his motorcycle."
"Last year, he even turned down several blockbuster films. Money simply can't buy Keanu Reeves right now. His agent is going crazy."
After hearing these words, Lin Qi was not discouraged; instead, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
"Not lacking money, world-weary, extremely lonely, and that alienation that feels like knowing the truth of the world but having no one to confide in..."
Lin Qi closed the roster, a confident smile playing on his lips.
"Isn't this the protagonist I've been looking for?"
"But Mr. Lin Qi, we can't even see him. His schedule is completely confidential, not even his agent..."
"That's how you laymen do things." Lin Qi straightened up and adjusted his suit jacket. "I'll go find him myself."