Chapter 203: Spielberg's Invitation

The promotional campaign brought about very noticeable results.

“Wait, has Hemera Films released another movie?”

“Seriously? Let me check... My goodness, it's written by Wayne Anderson again?”

“Wow, counting The Bourne Identity, that's four or five movies Hemera Films has released in the past three months with him either starring or writing!”

“It’s possible those movies were completed earlier and are just being released now.”

“Still, it’s impressive. Almost every single one has been a box office hit and well-rated too.”

“Honestly, even among the Big Seven studios, Hemera Films seems unmatched in production capability.”

“...”

“This time, the lead actress is Scarlett? That’s my goddess! I have to watch this!”

“Count me in! Scarlett’s figure and looks are just amazing! I watched Mean Girls three times and even bought the VHS.”

“But the male lead seems to be Liam Neeson.”

“Liam Neeson? Is this an action movie? Can Liam Neeson even fight?”

“Who knows? Maybe he can. Just like no one expected ‘Bartleby’ to play ‘Bourne’ and be that good at fighting.”

“Fair point.”

“...”

With a whopping promotional budget of over $10 million, the buzz for Taken skyrocketed. The level of promotion undoubtedly surpassed the original version's campaign.

Amid this overwhelming publicity, time quietly slipped into July.

First, Hotel for Dogs, which had been in theaters for a month, wrapped up its North American run with a cumulative box office of $164 million.

Its overseas box office, hindered by staggered release dates, stood at $87.32 million. Projections suggested it would surpass $100 million by the end of its run.

With these numbers, DreamWorks likely made a decent profit from selling overseas rights.

Coupled with the post-release revenue from DVD sales, DreamWorks had a lucrative haul.

Of course, Wayne made a substantial profit as well.

From the North American box office alone, per the revenue-sharing agreement, DreamWorks owed Hemera Films $40.5 million.

Overseas revenue would likely yield a similar amount.

In total, Wayne was set to earn around $110 million from this movie, achieving a return on investment of over 400%!

On July 2, the same day Spielberg excitedly invited Wayne to a party, The Ring (American version), which began shooting on May 23 and wrapped in just 40 days, entered post-production.

At the same time, the Big Seven studios and Harvey Weinstein all extended party invitations to Wayne.

Wayne was genuinely unsure whose party he should attend.

The following day, July 3, after a month and a half of preparation, The Intern finally began auditions. Anne Hathaway, who had been eagerly awaiting this moment, could hardly contain her excitement as director Nancy Meyers returned from a month-long vacation.

The original The Intern was set in a fashion e-commerce company.

However, given the era, Wayne made some modifications, setting it in a fashion magazine company instead.

The production rented the Los Angeles office of ELLE magazine for filming.

To secure the location, Wayne paid $10 million in rental fees and another $10 million for ELLE's branding rights.

Even though Anne Hearst was familiar with Wayne’s extravagant production budgets, she was still stunned.

After all, ELLE's Los Angeles branch only generated about $20 million in annual profits.

As a gesture of gratitude—and coinciding with Jun Ji-hyun’s return to promote My Sassy Girl—Anne Hearst sent over Kim Tae-hee, dubbed South Korea's most beautiful woman, as a gift to Wayne.

Wayne couldn’t hide his surprise.

“How did you manage to pull this off?” he asked Anne Hearst over the phone, his curiosity piqued.

Although Kim Tae-hee was on the candidate list he’d provided, he hadn’t expected Anne Hearst to actually secure her.

After all, Kim Tae-hee was a chaebol heiress.

“Chaebol? Heiress?” Anne Hearst chuckled dismissively on the other end of the line.

“She’s the daughter of a small logistics company owner. Their market share in South Korea is only about 5%, and the company’s valuation is just a few million dollars. Her father doesn’t even own a third of the company; the rest belongs to Wall Street investors. Does that sound like a chaebol to you?”

Wayne paused for a moment before realizing the truth.

Not all chaebols are created equal. Not every chaebol is a Samsung, with annual revenues accounting for a quarter of South Korea’s GDP.

Moreover, South Korea’s logistics industry has long been dominated by the Hyundai Group, one of the four major chaebols, which commands 85% of the market share.

While Kim Tae-hee’s family may own the third-largest logistics company in South Korea, their wealth is far from immense.

That said, a few million dollars in assets in this era is still significant.

However, compared to Anne Hearst, whose wealth neared $2 billion, or other billionaires, it was hardly noteworthy.

Not to mention, Wayne’s own wealth had grown significantly—he could now command $4 million per screenplay and had personal savings exceeding $100 million.

“Besides,” Anne Hearst added, “she genuinely enjoys acting and is a big fan of yours. When we approached her, she quickly agreed. It just took some time to process her exchange student paperwork, which is why she’s only arriving now.”

Wayne finally understood.

Of course, even if he hadn’t, he wasn’t planning to let Kim Tae-hee go easily.

After all, she was already here—how could she leave without leaving something behind?

And even if Kim Tae-hee didn’t plan on giving anything, Wayne certainly had a gift in mind for her.

---

On the very day Kim Tae-hee was arranged to stay in Villa 10, where Son Ye-jin and her group resided, she left him a red gift as a token of gratitude.

In return, he generously gifted Kim Tae-hee presents worth billions and arranged for her to play a small supporting role with a few lines and brief screen time in the interns’ storyline.

Additionally, the male lead, a nearly seventy-year-old retired man who still wanted to contribute, "Ben," continued to be portrayed by Academy Award winner Robert De Niro.

As for the serious and responsible male second lead, who shared some ambiguous chemistry with the female protagonist Austin (played by Anne Hathaway), he was reimagined as a woman. The role was handed to Martina, whose fame had further increased after the release of The Hidden Face, and who was on the cusp of rising to B-list stardom.

Although Martina was receiving offers from many scripts at the time, just like Scarlett and Megan, she brought these scripts to Wayne for his review after spending quality time discussing them with him. Upon his rejection, she obediently turned them all down.

Next, the male third lead in the original—Austin’s ex-husband, a scumbag—was given to Chris Pratt, who was also set to play a similar "jerk" role in Wanted. Pratt’s unique blend of roguishness and sleaziness made him an even better fit for this character compared to someone like Ryan Reynolds, whose vibe is mischievous but not outright scummy.

Since the backdrop of the story had been changed to a fashion magazine office, there were scenes showcasing day-to-day modeling photoshoots. Wayne seized this opportunity to cast Lin Wei-jun, Risa Bakulova, and Mélanie Laurent in these scenes.

Though their combined screen time barely added up to a minute, it was still a dream come true for countless actresses in Hollywood.

For the three newcomers to Hollywood, especially Risa Bakulova, who had no prior acting experience, such roles were already satisfying.

Moreover, Wayne generously offered them each a paycheck of $10,000.

While this compensation was nowhere near that of A-list stars, it was a significant step up for them. This was particularly true for Lin Wei-jun, given the state of the Taiwanese entertainment industry, which could rival South Korea's in harshness.

Previously, Lin had only earned a few hundred Taiwanese dollars for shooting commercials. Even her small supporting role in the idol drama The Hot Teacher last year only paid 1,000 Taiwanese dollars.

Now, with a paycheck of $10,000 in US dollars—a several-fold increase—her earnings had skyrocketed.

“Mr. Wayne, can I treat you to dinner? My family just sent me some specialties from home yesterday. I heard you like Chinese food, and I’m pretty good at cooking,” Lin Wei-jun asked, her face alight with excitement, shyness, and hope.

Wayne felt a surge of appetite just from looking at her eager and charming demeanor. However, he had to pick up Avril, who was returning after attending Britney Spears’s concert, and then attend Spielberg’s party in the evening. He simply didn’t have time.

“Sorry, I’m afraid I can’t today. Let’s reschedule,” he replied.

“Oh, okay then.”

A trace of disappointment flickered in Lin’s eyes, but she quickly perked up and flashed a sweet smile. While she was already content with her current life compared to her days in Taiwan, she still hoped for a bit more of Wayne’s favor.

---

At 3 p.m., Los Angeles International Airport.

Avril, who had just gotten off the plane, immediately spotted Wayne, clad in hip-hop attire and sunglasses, as though drawn by a magnet. With a squeal of excitement, she ran toward him.

“Ah! Honey, why are you here? Weren’t you busy filming?”

“I took some time off! You’re finally back, and I wanted to see you right away!”

Hearing this, Avril’s long-standing longing for him melted into a swell of emotion. She threw herself into his arms, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him deeply.

At that moment, the July heat of California couldn’t compare to the fiery passion in their hearts.

Luckily, this was America.

What was wrong with young couples kissing at the airport?

Although Avril had gained some fame in the music industry, she wasn’t at a level where random passersby would instantly recognize her. Wayne, too, had carefully disguised himself, making them less noticeable.

Passersby merely cast casual glances without causing a fuss.

After a lengthy kiss, the couple drove straight to Avril’s residence at Villa 6.

The moment they stepped inside, the punk princess took the lead.

(Three thousand words omitted here.)

---

Avril, having not seen Wayne for some time, seemed a bit out of practice. Within an hour, she was already begging for mercy.

Had it been anyone else, Wayne might have gone out for coffee with someone else or invited another woman over. But seeing Avril curled up in his arms like a purring kitten, he smiled helplessly and started chatting with her about her concert.

However, five minutes into their conversation, she had already dozed off.

---

At around 6 p.m., Wayne placed the dinner he prepared for her on the dining table and left a note by her bedside before returning to the estate.

His own dinner, of course, was prepared by the estate’s top chefs. While his cooking skills were decent, they were no match for the professionals.

---

At 7:30 p.m., Wayne and Mia attended Spielberg’s party.

As he expected, the invitation had allowed for a plus-one, indicating Spielberg wasn’t as relaxed and unreserved as some CEOs. He still maintained some reservations.

That said, Spielberg hadn’t given up entirely. He presented what he believed to be a competitive offering:

“I recently came across a fascinating biography and purchased its adaptation rights. I plan to turn it into a film.”

“Oh? I enjoy reading novels too. Which one are you talking about, Steven?”

"Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake," Spielberg replied. "It’s the autobiography of Frank Abagnale, a legendary con artist from the 1960s. It’s about—"

Wayne didn’t need Spielberg’s explanation. While he hadn’t read the novel, he was well-acquainted with the film adaptation, Catch Me If You Can.

The movie was a classic, boasting an impressive 9.1 rating on Douban with over a million reviews. More than 60% of users gave it five stars, attesting to its immense popularity in China.

Even on IMDb, the film held a solid 8.1 rating—a high score by any standard.

The only downside was its box office performance.

With Spielberg directing and Leonardo DiCaprio in his prime starring alongside two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks, one would expect a minimum box office of $400 million, with $500 million being the norm.

After all, any of these three could individually pull in around $300 million with their films.

In reality, however, the movie only grossed $352 million worldwide.

Although both DiCaprio and Hanks had agreed to lower their upfront salaries in exchange for profit shares, keeping production costs at just $52 million and ensuring profitability, the box office numbers were still below expectations.

(Chapter ends.)