Chapter 187: A New World Opens!

"No—"

"Why don't we invite Lydia and Amanda to join in too?"

Mia wanted to bring Lydia and Amanda over to share the attention, but it was too late.

Just as she turned, Wayne picked her up, and soon, she ended up like Charlize Theron and the others.

"Next time, let’s try Cleopatra’s outfit."

"Vivien Leigh and Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra were pretty iconic."

"Leona Viera’s 1999 version of Cleopatra was good too. At this point in time, she was probably a third-tier actress, right?"

"It’s only been two years, so her looks shouldn't have faded."

"Oh, and Monica Bellucci played Cleopatra in a comedy film as well."

"If we gathered all four versions of Cleopatra together..."

In the dead of night, Wayne, having finished his work, sat at his desk, writing a script. Yet, his mind wandered.

He had to admit, Charlize Theron and the others’ latest antics opened up a whole new world for him.

It wasn’t just Cleopatra. Characters like Catwoman, Supergirl, Harley Quinn, Spider-Gwen, and Scarlet Witch—all of these could be cosplayed too!

"And there’s Liu Tianxian’s Dragon Girl and Zhao Ling’er’s look."

"Tsk, why didn’t I think of this before?"

"Guess I’ve been too innocent!"

Wayne thought to himself.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

"Knock, knock!"

"Come in."

Wayne assumed it was the maid bringing coffee, so he didn’t pay much attention and casually responded without looking up.

Although the visitor was indeed bringing coffee, it wasn’t the maid.

"Sir, your coffee."

The sweet voice, with a slightly odd accent, startled Wayne. He looked up, surprised.

"Eri? Why are you here?"

"I got a little hungry and couldn’t resist getting something to eat. I saw the maid preparing your coffee and volunteered to bring it to you."

Eri stuck out her tongue, embarrassed. Her naturally sweet face made the expression even more adorable.

She was only wearing a starry-blue Japanese bathrobe, which made her fair and tender skin stand out even more.

From Wayne’s elevated position, he could clearly see the enticing view through her slightly open collar.

This immediately made Wayne add outfits like bathrobes, kimonos, school uniforms, and shrine maiden clothes to his growing list of cosplay ideas.

"Thanks. In the future, if you’re hungry, feel free to have the kitchen prepare something for you. If you’re not tired, why don’t you sit with me?"

"Sure, sir!"

Eri’s eyes lit up. After setting down the coffee, she quickly circled the large desk and pulled up a chair to sit beside him.

Not long after, she slipped under the desk.

And so, the next morning, Eri naturally missed breakfast again.

"It’s your fault, dear. You rushed me so much last night that I almost forgot about something important." While eating breakfast, Mia suddenly paused and complained.

"That investment project for Wrong Turn—after I responded with your offer yesterday, they turned it down."

Wayne was stunned, showing a surprised expression.

"Turned it down?"

"Yes."

"That little director must really believe in his work."

"No, after receiving our response, he immediately reached out to other companies. Using the fact that 'the famous Wayne was willing to invest' as a selling point, he eventually secured a $4.2 million investment with a 75% priority on box office earnings."

Mia couldn't help but show an amused expression as she spoke.

Wayne chuckled as well.

"That’s a clever little move," Wayne remarked with a playful smile.

After making so many successful films, Wayne’s reputation had already spread throughout Hollywood.

It wasn’t surprising that someone would try to use his name to promote their project and attract investors—it was just standard business practice.

"So, who ended up taking the project?" Wayne asked, curious.

"Paramount," Mia explained. "I heard about it at the party last night from Sherry Lansing. She said the director contacted her and asked me not to take offense."

Wayne burst out laughing at that.

"Isn't that a bit hypocritical?"

Shaking his head, Wayne didn’t hold back his criticism: "Sherry Lansing is not only two-faced, but her vision is small. No wonder Paramount was the most eager to take down DreamWorks among the Big Seven studios."

Wayne thought for a moment and concluded that Paramount needed to be cut down.

"In the 21st century, Paramount’s most important franchises were Mission: Impossible, Star Trek, Transformers, and Marvel films before Iron Man 3."

That’s right. Before Disney bought Marvel, the Iron Man trilogy, the first two Captain America films, and The Avengers 1 were all distributed by Paramount.

"But now, I’ve snatched Transformers and Marvel from them."

"Star Trek still needs a few years for special effects and 3D technology to mature."

"So, I only need to target Mission: Impossible."

Wayne thought to himself.

His plan to target Paramount had little to do with Sherry Lansing’s actions.

The real reason was that he needed to bring down some of the Big Seven studios in order to give Hemera Studios a chance to rise.

And why target Paramount instead of MGM, the weakest of the Big Seven?

Simply because MGM was already on the verge of collapse, making it unnecessary to go after them.

But taking down Paramount, the second weakest, would significantly benefit Hemera Studios' growth.

"Spy and espionage films have always been popular, but aside from James Bond, Mission: Impossible, and Bourne Identity, most others are a tier below."

Drawing on his memories from his past life, Wayne quickly sifted through a large number of spy films, picking out a few names.

XXX, The Equalizer, Kingsman—and of course, Taken, which had already been released, could also be considered part of this genre.

These films had one thing in common: they heavily relied on the lead actor’s box office appeal.

For example, XXX 1 and XXX 3 starring Vin Diesel grossed $277 million and $346 million worldwide, respectively.

But XXX 2, where the studio replaced Vin Diesel because they thought his asking price was too high, only grossed $71 million worldwide.

The Mission: Impossible series was similar—without Tom Cruise, it would struggle to make even $100 million at the box office.

However, Kingsman was a bit of an outlier. While the plot followed familiar tropes, its setting and style were refreshingly unique.

Despite its relatively unknown cast, the first film grossed $223 million globally.

And after the first film’s success, the sequel grossed $410 million worldwide, a very impressive feat for a spy movie.

Still, to compete with Mission: Impossible, XXX seemed like the best choice.

Although, Wayne wasn’t particularly fond of Vin Diesel.

This guy is a typical example of someone who becomes arrogant as soon as he gains a little fame.

Before the release of The Fast and the Furious 1, his paycheck was just a few hundred thousand dollars.

After The Fast and the Furious 1 came out, although the response was decent, the box office only reached $207 million, so his popularity and status were still at a B-list level.

However, when they approached him for XXX, he boldly demanded a $15 million paycheck.

After some negotiation, it was reduced to $10 million, but that was still much higher than the average B-list male star's salary.

Keep in mind, this was in 2001.

After XXX 1 grossed $277 million at the box office, when they came to him for the sequel, he demanded $25 million and 10% of the box office profits.

At that point, it wasn't just bold; it was downright outrageous. Even though XXX's success was largely due to him, what was he thinking? That he was Tom Cruise or someone on that level?

Mind you, The Fast and the Furious 2 hadn't even been released yet.

While it's normal for an actor to fight for a higher salary, unfortunately for him, Wayne was now the one calling the shots as a producer.

"But if not Vin Diesel, who else?"

"XXX might have a similar plot style to Mission Impossible, but the tone is different."

"The lead in Mission Impossible has a suave and humorous style."

"But the lead in XXX, 'Xander', follows the tough-guy path."

In spy movies, the lead character’s persona is crucial, even more so than in other genres.

James Bond from 007 has an elegant, gentlemanly style, Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible character combines good looks with humor, Jason Bourne from The Bourne Identity is all about being silent and authentic, and Kingsman's lead is an impulsive rookie.

All these successful spy movies had leads with very distinct and different character traits.

So, for XXX to replicate its past success, it needed to maintain the tough-guy persona for the lead.

Wayne quickly thought about all the action stars.

Since he had worked with him before, Jason Statham came to mind first.

However, Jason Statham was already lined up to star in The Transporter series.

Not to mention, he also had The Expendables and Death Race coming up.

There was no available time in his schedule, and besides, he had already played in too many similar films, making it easy for the audience to get typecast when they saw him.

So, Wayne quickly gave up on the idea of casting Jason Statham.

Next, he thought of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, and The Rock were probably the three most popular action stars in Hollywood after the 21st century.

And unlike Vin Diesel and Jason Statham, The Rock had a huge fan base even before he transitioned into acting.

He had won a national college football championship and later went on to become an 8-time WWE champion.

So, when he entered Hollywood, his starting point was already high. His second movie was The Mummy Returns, where he played the Scorpion King, and his third movie made him the lead in The Scorpion King.

Most importantly, The Rock had a much better personality and reputation than Vin Diesel.

However, if Wayne's calculations were right, The Rock had already been cast in that role and would start shooting in a couple of months.

If they wanted The Rock for XXX, they'd have to wait at least five months.

"Five months."

"If I remember correctly, the script for XXX was completed in September, the project was greenlit in October, and filming started at the end of November."

Waiting five months clearly wasn’t feasible.

To get ahead of the original production, it would be best to start filming by mid-June.

Wayne shook his head.

It was clear this wasn't realistic.

Besides, Mission Impossible's appeal, besides Tom Cruise, came from its high-octane, death-defying stunts.

Even with The Rock’s impressive physicality, he’d still need significant training time.

"Maybe I can cast The Rock as the mechanic in Wanted, and have Jet Li play the butcher. That would make for an even more impressive cast."

Wayne quickly jotted this idea down.

As for XXX, given the time constraints and lack of a suitable lead, he had no choice but to let it go.

Sometimes, even with his resources, things just don’t fall into place.

"Hmm, I think I’ll head over to Monica’s today."

Still feeling a bit irritated, Wayne decided it was time to learn a thing or two from Chancellor Cao. After breakfast, he dropped Mia off at the company and drove to Monica Bellucci’s house at 4 Roxbury Street.

Then, he made calls to Catherine Zeta-Jones, Kate Beckinsale, and Téa Leoni.

"Hey, Catherine, are you free today? How about grabbing a coffee together?"

As expected, all three were more than happy to join Wayne for a coffee.

Wayne hesitated for a moment before calling Nicole Kidman.

He wasn’t holding out much hope. After all, Nicole Kidman was currently an A-list star, with far more fame and clout than Catherine Zeta-Jones and the others combined.

To his surprise, Nicole Kidman readily agreed after just asking for the address.

Clearly, Wayne had underestimated his own appeal to Nicole Kidman, as well as his... prowess.

Even when teaming up with Camilla Belle, Nicole Kidman was no match for Wayne.

One-on-one, it was no contest.

It seemed that spending time with women closer in age and status, like Monica Bellucci, was more to her taste than hanging out with younger women like Annie, Sarah, or Martina.

(End of this chapter)