Chapter 205: Failing to Recognize Oneself

Naturally, Barry Diller did not stop him.

What if Wayne really found someone he clicked with at the party?

From Barry's perspective, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.

“Hi, Mr. Wayne, do you remember me? I’m Mena Suvari. I once auditioned for Mean Girls, which you hosted.”

The first person to approach was Mena Suvari. She had once flirted with breaking into the second tier of stardom with American Pie and American Beauty. However, her recent string of box office flops had demoted her back to mid-level third-tier status.

During the Mean Girls audition, she had competed for the role of the teacher played by Sarah Michelle Gellar. Unfortunately, her looks fell slightly short, and her age didn’t align with the character’s requirements, so she was passed over.

Now, Sarah Michelle Gellar had already become the leading lady in Wedding Crashers, starring opposite the red-hot Wayne. It was no wonder Mena felt a pang of jealousy and regret.

Although she had American Pie 2 releasing this year, a film that had grossed an impressive $287 million in its previous installment, there was a catch.

The American Pie franchise mainly revolved around male high school students.

The male characters dominated the screen time and stole the spotlight.

Moreover, the male lead “Jim” had a girlfriend, “Michelle,” who wasn’t played by Mena. As a result, the fame boost she gained from the series was relatively limited.

If she could strike up a connection with Wayne, the benefits would far surpass anything a few American Pie movies could offer.

Unfortunately for her, she wasn’t quite Wayne’s type. Wayne exchanged a few polite words with her, but his tone carried a clear sense of detachment, leaving her visibly disappointed.

“Hello, Mr. Wayne. I’m Thora Birch, a huge fan of yours. Oh my god, I can’t believe I’m meeting you here!”

Thora Birch, who had joined Mena, did her best to act like an adoring fangirl meeting her idol. But Wayne was long immune to such performances.

At least, when it came to someone like Thora Birch, she wasn’t worth his time.

That said, her figure, much like in her films, was undeniably impressive.

Perhaps because her parents were actors from nearby San Fernando Valley, she also seemed particularly bold in certain areas.

However, Wayne found women like her even less appealing, preferring to keep his distance.

Before the two could linger any longer, other women came over, effectively pushing them aside.

Among the newcomers were familiar faces like Penélope Cruz, Dominique Swain, and Brittany Murphy.

There were also some Wayne hadn’t encountered before, such as Linda Cardellini, a veteran of over a decade in Hollywood, with dozens of minor film and TV roles. Though she remained stuck at the fringes of fame, she would later play Clint Barton’s wife, “Laura,” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Then there was Jennifer Love Hewitt, a former child star who had built a career as a singer and actress, holding a respectable upper third-tier status.

Another was Sarah Paulson, who had found moderate success on TV with shows like Desperate Housewives and American Horror Story. Despite her television fame, she had yet to make a significant impact in the film world, and her current status was closer to the lower end of the third tier.

Yet, Wayne had no intention of expanding his roster of admirers. His life was already overflowing with women, and he wasn’t about to lower his standards. The subtle flirtation in their conversations was met with polite rejections.

Even so, being surrounded by beautiful women attracted the ire of the party’s ostensible host, Vin Diesel, who had become noticeably agitated.

“Hey, Paul, look at that guy. He’s really popular,” Vin Diesel muttered, gripping his drink as he glanced toward Wayne. Beside him stood only Paul Walker, which seemed to sour Vin’s mood further, despite the forced smile on his face.

“Yeah,” Paul Walker replied, his gaze following Vin’s to Wayne, silently marveling at the scene.

“How about we go over and say hi?” Vin suggested.

Paul was taken aback, studying Vin’s expression more closely.

“Come on, man. What are you thinking? We can’t afford to mess with him,” Paul cautioned.

A flash of displeasure crossed Vin Diesel’s eyes. With a mocking tone, he said, “Don’t tell me you’re scared? This is our party. So what if he’s famous? We’re supposed to be the stars here.”

“You—”

“The Fast & Furious franchise is going to be legendary. Our fame will rival his someday!” Vin declared confidently, as if surpassing Wayne’s fame and status was inevitable.

Paul Walker shot him an odd look, baffled by his overconfidence.

While Paul knew Vin’s personality from working with him, he hadn’t expected his self-assurance to reach such heights.

Wayne’s current fame already exceeded Tom Cruise’s and was fast approaching Leonardo DiCaprio’s level.

A single movie grossing $760 million, with his films collectively earning over $1.6 billion in half a year.

And Vin Diesel thought he could catch up? To Paul, this wasn’t confidence—it was delusion.

More importantly, Wayne wasn’t just an actor or star. He was the owner of Hemera Pictures, a studio that consistently produced blockbusters.

Professional evaluations now valued Hemera Pictures at over a billion dollars!

What could Vin Diesel possibly bring to the table to compete with that?

“This guy’s brain must be running on low-grade fuel,” Paul thought, though he kept the sentiment to himself.

“Sure, I believe in you. Oh look, there’s Director Rob Cohen. I’ll go say hi.”

Without giving Vin a chance to respond, Paul Walker grabbed his drink and walked toward Rob Cohen, who was chatting with Barry Diller nearby.

Rob Cohen, the director of The Fast and the Furious, had also helmed XXX.

Given Rob Cohen’s past successful collaboration with Vin Diesel, it was telling that he had almost refused to work with him again. It spoke volumes about Vin Diesel’s difficult personality.

Vin watched Paul walk away, his face darkening as a new thought crept into his mind—cutting Paul Walker from the next Fast & Furious installment.

If a subordinate wasn’t loyal, why keep him around?

In Vin’s eyes, every supporting actor in the franchise was just part of his entourage, including Paul Walker.

Of course, that idea would have to wait.

Vin cast another glance at Wayne before letting out a cold huff. Ultimately, he chose not to approach.

Though arrogant, Vin wasn’t completely out of touch with reality.

The gap between himself and Wayne was too vast to ignore. They were operating on entirely different levels.

Vin was fine badmouthing Wayne behind his back, but when it came to confronting him directly, he didn’t dare.

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Reluctantly casting a final glance at Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster, Vin Diesel ultimately decided to seek out other targets.

Indeed, his dislike for Wayne stemmed mainly from jealousy. Michelle and Jordana, like two fawning admirers, surrounded Wayne, lavishing him with attention. Back during filming, Vin had gone to great lengths to showcase his charm, yet he failed to win either of them over.

It was maddeningly unfair.

Meanwhile, Wayne navigated the sea of admirers effortlessly, leaving no attachments in his wake and taking no one with him.

This caused Barry Diller, who had previously been brimming with confidence, to start doubting his own judgment.

If Wayne's taste in women was that refined, then the problem had to lie with him.

Moreover, Wayne had yet to bring up the matter of acquiring the rights to the Jurassic Park franchise.

There was no rush; the right time would come after Jurassic Park 3 hit theaters and underperformed both at the box office and with critics, prompting the studio’s executives to shelve plans for a sequel. That would be the perfect opportunity to strike.

“Speaking of which, Taken is set to premiere just three days before Jurassic Park 3. Is Sony aiming to crush Universal in a head-to-head showdown? With the quality of Taken, it should have some impact on Jurassic Park 3's box office,” Wayne mused on his drive back to the estate.

"Wait, didn’t you go to Universal’s party tonight? You’re already back?"

At home, Hannah exclaimed in surprise. She was lounging on the couch with Mia, Jessica, and Charlize Theron, all wearing face masks and watching TV.

It was rare for Wayne to leave a party like this empty-handed.

“What can I say? You ladies are just too stunning.”

Wayne grinned, dismissing the maids with a wave before approaching the four women.

“By the way, where are Amanda and Lydia?”

“They’re doing homework. They’ve been working hard lately to get into good universities so they can help you in the future,” Hannah replied.

“Then I’ll have to ‘thank’ them later,” Wayne said with a smirk.

Soon, the living room turned into a chaotic battlefield, the air growing increasingly heated.

---

The calendar turned to July 14.

The day stood out for three reasons.

First, the opening-day box office numbers for Taken were in.

Quality action films always had no shortage of screens or showtimes in theaters during this era. With Warner Bros. pulling the strings, the film launched with 3,000 screens right out of the gate—fully exploiting the system to maximize its theatrical run.

The results didn’t disappoint.

The movie grossed $18.69 million domestically and $25.90 million overseas on its first day. While it didn’t outperform The Bourne Identity or The Notebook, the numbers were still remarkable—certainly better than The Fast and the Furious.  

More importantly, Taken was earning excellent reviews.

Audiences particularly loved scenes where the protagonist used waterboarding and electrocution to interrogate traffickers, eventually executing one with electric torture. Another moment—where the protagonist directly shoots his corrupt former colleague's wife—elicited cheers from the crowd.

Buoyed by such positive reception, Taken's IMDb score reached an impressive 8.9. While it might dip over time, it was already exceptional for an action film, surpassing The Fast and the Furious's opening score by a full 1.8 points.

This success infuriated Vin Diesel, who, while having breakfast in his new mansion and reading the newspaper, crushed it in his hands in anger.

But his frustration was futile.

With such strong reviews, Taken's box office was poised to grow in the coming days, leaving Barry Diller, belatedly realizing the stakes, feeling nervous.

Unfortunately for him, it was too late to delay Jurassic Park 3's release. Now, he could only hope the two movies’ differing genres would minimize the impact.

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The second event was the wrap of filming for Wedding Crashers, which had begun on May 26 and officially finished on July 14.

A romantic comedy without large-scale scenes or complex shots shouldn’t have taken so long to shoot. But Wayne’s frequent absences for other commitments caused delays. Director Peter Farrelly adjusted the schedule as needed, but the disruptions still had an effect.

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The third event was the completion of post-production for the American remake of The Ring, which had begun shooting on July 1.

Although it was a horror film, The Ring required minimal special effects. Most seemingly "special effect" shots were actually achieved with makeup and practical effects, while the rest depended on skillful editing.

Director Gore Verbinski deserved credit for his tireless dedication to the project. Despite being older than James Wan by over a decade, Verbinski worked tirelessly, hoping to secure the opportunity to direct Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

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The confluence of these three events—Taken's box office success, the completion of Wedding Crashers, and the wrap-up of The Ring's post-production—sent Wayne’s work phone into overdrive, with Harvey Weinstein and Howard Stringer bombarding him with calls.

But both Wedding Crashers and The Ring already had plans.

Wayne had decided to sell The Ring to Harvey Weinstein, whose efforts at the last party had been particularly thoughtful. This decision also served a deeper purpose: stabilizing Harvey’s position at Miramax.

Miramax’s recent releases had performed poorly, with two major flops. Without help, Harvey’s days at the studio could be numbered.

Wayne preferred Miramax—and Disney, its parent company—to remain embroiled in internal conflicts. A stable Disney would pose a much greater threat.

For Wayne, the more disarray at Disney, the better.

(End of Chapter)