บท 589: Dazzled
Renly was somewhat surprised, not by Roy's work but by Andy's work.
It was the first time Renly had seen so many scripts, all of them major commercial film scripts. Among them were some well-known works, and regardless of their quality or whether he could perform in them, Renly knew these were just initial inquiries. Auditioning was still a step away. Nevertheless, Renly couldn't help but feel surprised.
It was the first time Renly truly felt Andy's capabilities and the capabilities of the CAA behind him.
As the foremost Hollywood agency, their connections and resources were beyond doubt. Thanks to the company's internal resource-sharing model, in simple terms, what Harrison Ford could get, Renly could also get, and emerging actors could receive treatment on par with top actors. The only difference was whether the agents were willing to fight for their clients, and, of course, whether the producers were willing to offer opportunities.
However, up until this point, most of Renly's roles had been in artistic works. The only purely commercial film was "Fast 5", and that had happened by chance. The only commercial project that had actively sought Renly was "Thor".
This highlighted the significant difference between having and not having an agent, and between having a top-tier agent and an average one. Elite agents held the lion's share of those top resources.
Nine scripts in total. It was a coincidence that all nine of these works were mainstream, and Renly had watched all of them in his previous life. He couldn't help but admire Andy's work even more because of it. He thought he might reward Andy with a chicken leg one day.
"Before this, Andy gave me six scripts, and he added three more later on. However, Warner Bros.'s projects still haven't surfaced, and Andy is probably still negotiating with them," Roy explained the background simply. "Of these scripts, two belong to independent film companies: "Looper" and "The Vow". The rest are from the Big Six."
For an actor, it wasn't crucial to know which company they were collaborating with. In the end, the script, director, and cast were more important. After all, they rarely interacted with the film company's staff, and there was little overlap between the two worlds. At least, until they reached the level of Johnny Depp or Tom Hanks.
Renly nodded and began flipping through the scripts. "Give me an introduction." In front of others, Renly naturally couldn't show an attitude of "I've already seen this movie, I know this script," so he casually flipped through the script while appearing to listen attentively. In reality, he was more curious about Roy's opinions on these scripts than the scripts themselves.
Roy sat casually on the sofa, but his posture was upright. The keen observer would notice his focus and engagement. Renly began with the stack he had first opened, and the first script was "Snow White and the Huntsman".
Roy organized his thoughts and began speaking directly, showing his confidence. "This script is an adaptation of the original fairy tale, but it lacks the expected elements of adaptation. It's neither here nor there, and the dark elements aren't pronounced. Most importantly, the characters themselves are terrible. I can't see any potential for development. I'm not sure how they'll cast it, but clearly, the huntsman isn't the lead role. Playing a male vase in an idol drama? I don't think it suits you."
His commentary flowed naturally, and art was inherently a matter of personal taste. Some people liked it, and some didn't; that was inevitable. The same held true for scripts and movies. Roy's direct expression of his opinions was a demonstration of his confidence.
"I'm not sure why Andy brought this script over. Maybe he got Chris Hemsworth's script mixed up," Roy quickly remarked, summarizing his thoughts in just a few words. He concluded with a quip about Andy and a teasing comment about Chris.
However, Renly raised an eyebrow at Roy. In his previous life, Chris had ultimately taken on this role.
Unaware of this history, Roy faced Renly's inquisitive gaze and asked, "What's wrong? Are you interested in scripts adapted from fairy tales?"
Renly put the script aside; he had no interest in "Snow White and the Huntsman". Moreover, this film had faced a slew of scandals in his previous life. First, it was the affair between the engaged Kristen Stewart and married director Rupert Sanders. Later, despite a hefty $170M investment, the movie barely grossed less than $400M worldwide, resulting in a significant loss.
As for the quality of the film, Renly agreed with Roy's assessment.
Nevertheless, Renly responded lightly, half-joking, "Just as every girl dreams of Cinderella, how can men reject the title of Prince Charming?"
"Maybe I have one right in front of me," Roy's gaze deepened slightly, revealing a hint of certainty. This time, Renly didn't respond, only smiling. Then, Roy noticed Renly picking up the next script, "This is a pure romantic love story, based on a real-life story. But I think it's much worse than "The Notebook"."
"The Vow". Renly hadn't even opened the script yet but burst into laughter upon hearing Roy's candid opinion. "Do you inherently reject romantic love movies? Did your ex make you watch too many Nicholas Sparks films?"
Nicholas Sparks was referred to as the "American Chiung Yao" in Chinese drama circles, specializing in love stories with the classic formula of accidents, terminal illnesses, and first loves. Almost all of his works were adapted into films, with "The Notebook" being the most famous.
Roy shrugged, neither confirming nor denying, "I just think that, given your outstanding performance in "Like Crazy", you should be more cautious when selecting love stories."
Watching Renly pick up the script for "Pitch Perfect" next, Roy straightforwardly explained, "This is a girl-centric music film where the guys are just props. Strictly speaking, they're not even props, just cameos. More importantly, the story lacks highlights. Unless you want to star in a "High School Musical" as a background prop, I suggest you skip this one."
Although Renly was only twenty-one years old this year, still very young, high school comedy dramas seemed too... simplistic for him, and they inexplicably had a sense of incompatibility. Even if he wanted to attract a teenage audience, there were many other projects to choose from, like adrenaline-pumping works such as "Fast & Furious".
Seeing Renly's half-smiling expression, Roy shrugged, "I think Andy must have brought the wrong script. Even if you want to try a musical, this isn't the best choice. There's no need to follow trends." His firm tone was filled with the flavor of sarcasm.
Renly could sing, and he sang quite well. Roy knew this, and starring in a musical would indeed be a showcase of his talents. However, clearly, "Pitch Perfect" wasn't the right choice.
Renly couldn't help but think that if Andy were here right now, it would be much more fun than simply reading scripts.
As for the last script in the elimination group, "Jack Reacher", Roy's conclusion was straightforward, "While you were busy shooting, Paramount had already made their decision. Tom Cruise is confirmed to star, and he's leading his entire team, from screenwriters to producers to casting. So, we've missed the opportunity."
"I've heard that Tom isn't satisfied with the current script. He's bringing in his trusted screenwriters to overhaul it completely. I can't say for sure," Roy added as an explanation.
Nevertheless, Renly casually browsed through the script for "Jack Reacher". In fact, the quality, reputation, and box office performance of this work were all mediocre. Even with Tom as the lead, it still couldn't ignite the audience's enthusiasm.
The reason was straightforward: the male lead's character was far from the original, even sparking strong protests from fans of the source material. The eventual rewrite bore a striking resemblance to Ethan Hunt from "Mission: Impossible", lacking innovation. Moreover, the script's return to a Cold War style couldn't escape its clichéd and tedious nature.
Not only did Roy not find any interest in these four scripts, but even Renly himself found them unappealing and lost interest just by flipping through them.
But from another perspective, it was likely that these four scripts didn't hold much promise for Renly either. After all, in terms of roles, significance, and popularity, except for "The Vow", which sounded somewhat reasonable, the other three scripts weren't very suitable for Renly. These projects probably reached out to Renly more out of curiosity than genuine interest.
Of course, Renly was more inclined to believe in another possibility: they were merely tests from Andy to gauge Roy's reactions.
Because besides "Pitch Perfect", the other three scripts, solely based on their project settings and investment scale, were quite attractive. The eventual cast of these works also reflected this point. A remarkable project, however, didn't necessarily mean it was suitable for every actor; it depended on the judgment of the agent and manager.
The result was that Roy had eliminated these four scripts.
It was evident that Roy had carefully read the scripts, forming a basic judgment about the characters and stories. He didn't simply reject them based on themes, styles, or cast. This was a positive sign, indicating that Roy at least had a basic understanding of Renly's preferences.
Next, Renly skipped the uncertain group and extended his hand towards the recommended group, "21 Jump Street" and "Looper". Renly felt a slight surprise at Roy's choices, and Andy's choices were surprising as well.
"Between these two scripts, I recommend "Looper" more," Roy cut straight to the point without any hesitation, offering a clean and clear answer. This, however, left Renly with a slightly surprised expression.
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