Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 62: A Marvel Opportunity

When Roy Lockley arrived at the Pioneer Village, it was already past eight-thirty, the peak time for dinner. There were three groups of people waiting for a table at the entrance, which surprised Roy. However, after inquiring, he found out that Renly had actually reserved a spot for him in advance, allowing him to bypass the line and go straight into the bar.

After finding his seat, the host enthusiastically said, "Please wait here for a moment, Renly will be right over."

Sure enough, in no time, Renly briskly approached. "Good evening, Mr. Lockley." After politely greeting him, he handed over the menu. "It's quite busy right now. If you haven't had dinner yet, please take your time. I'll come back after this rush, is that alright?"

Roy hesitated for a moment, looking at Renly in his deep blue printed shirt with rolled-up sleeves and a black tie casually tucked between the third and fourth buttons, giving him a sharp yet stylish look. Roy found it a bit surreal, but he reflexively nodded. Then Renly swiftly introduced the menu and left.

In just two brief interactions, Roy thought he was mentally prepared for Renly's casual and carefree attitude. Yet, at this moment, he still felt a profound sense of absurdity.

As a talent agent, he personally visited actors to inform them of audition invitations. But here was Renly, dutifully performing the duties of a waiter... Was this professionalism? Or was it the opposite? Roy felt a bit confused. Over the years, he had handled hundreds of actors, but someone like Renly was truly a first.

Thinking about it, Roy couldn't help but chuckle.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting," Renly said, walking steadily towards Roy and taking a seat in front of him.

Despite being in a hurry, his pace and breath were not rushed. The sophistication and manners displayed in his gestures and demeanor were indeed remarkable. If Roy's impression of Renly was somewhat vague before, it was gradually becoming clearer now.

"No worries, the performance tonight was excellent." The clock on the wall indicated it had just passed ten. The waiting time had indeed exceeded expectations, but Roy wasn't lying. It was his first moment of relaxation in two months, a genuine one. "I heard you occasionally perform on stage?"

Usually, Roy didn't enjoy chatting with actors. Business was business, swift and efficient. But Renly was different; each brief conversation always left him with something to ponder.

"Occasional gigs," Renly replied, glancing towards the stage where an indie folk band was performing tonight. They used unique instruments like African drums, sand hammers, and saxophones to create a sense of freedom and ease within their folk music, quite special. "I'm not sure about you, but music always calms me down and helps me focus," Renly looked back at Roy, smiling. "I mean, besides sleeping."

Roy chuckled. "I can relate to that. But I thought you were more into classical music types."

"Oh God, it seems I need to change my image. Do I usually give off such a stuffy impression? You're the second person today to offer a different perspective on my image," Renly's banter made Roy laugh.

Roy shrugged. "I may not be an expert on accents, but a genuine London accent is unmistakable." And the etiquette in Renly's every move was ingrained, revealing his depth. Take accents for example, picky and proud Brits not only distinguish London accents from others, but even differentiate between East London and West London accents. Those nuances in wording and intonation often become the first basis for Brits to judge someone's background.

"Looks like switching to a New York accent is my top priority." Renly shook his head earnestly, his serious demeanor making Roy can't help but suppress a chuckle.

"Your Texan accent is quite convincing," Roy commented objectively.

"But not so well-received in New York." Generally speaking, in North America, those from one coast discriminate against those from the other, and the U.S. discriminates against both Canada above and Mexico below. New York, self-proclaimed cultural hub, is especially snobbish, almost as much as Londoners.

"Haha, that's a fact," Roy nodded in agreement. "But aren't you curious about the project they're inviting you for?" Initially, Roy intended to continue chatting, but his professional instinct couldn't help but surface.

"Oh, right." Renly suddenly realized, "So, what's the invitation about? I've been quite curious all afternoon."

Watching Renly's composed demeanor, Roy didn't feel stifled, but rather intrigued. What he was most looking forward to was Renly's reaction when he heard about the invitation project. "Thor, from Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures. They want you to audition for the role of Thor Odinson."

In the long history of film development, comic book adaptations can be divided into three eras. The first, before 1978, saw almost no market for comic book adaptations. Marvel and DC Comics were always neck and neck in the geek market.

The second era spanned from 1978 to 2008. Superman's portrayal by Christopher Reeve in 1978 ignited the market, leading to two decades of DC Comics dominance. Spider-Man's debut in 2002, followed by the X-Men, led to Marvel's resurgence. However, during this period, comic book adaptations were hit or miss.

The third era began after 2008, with Iron Man's debut marking a new era for comic book adaptations, becoming a dominant force in the film market. Any film company couldn't ignore the potential behind comic books, ushering in a new age.

Just last month, Iron Man 2 premiered in North America, raking in an impressive $128 million during its opening weekend, ranking fifth in box office history. Its cumulative box office gross over four weeks reached $275 million, crossing the $300 million threshold. This truly elevated the wave of comic book adaptations to new heights.

Thor was put on the agenda in such a context, and the attention it garnered was not exaggerated.

"Thor Odinson?" Renly was initially stunned, not because of the massive investment in the film, but because Thor's screen image was worlds apart from Eugene in "The Pacific." If it were the Hulk in Ang Lee's version, one could argue that Lee wanted to show a stark contrast before and after Bruce Banner's transformation, so he chose Renly for the audition. But Thor? From a casting perspective, Renly couldn't understand the connection.

"At least Tom Hanks has openly praised your potential at three private gatherings. Your performance in 'The Pacific' was convincing enough. Frankly, many studios now believe you could be the next Brad Pitt," Roy explained simply, enlightening Renly.

But upon hearing the last sentence, Renly couldn't help but laugh. Brad Pitt.

Of course, when Brad first started out, his performances in "Legends of the Fall," "Twelve Monkeys," "Seven," and "Fight Club" earned him much praise, but Brad was never known for his acting prowess.

If they were to define Renly like that, he might not be so fortunate. "I'm not very interested in comic book adaptations," Renly replied.

Roy was dumbfounded. He had speculated about various responses from Renly, including refusal. However, he never expected Renly to refuse so decisively, without a moment's thought or hesitation, casually declining the proposal. This... was simply unimaginable. Roy felt like his heart couldn't handle it and found himself grabbing a beer, taking a big sip. He needed to steady himself.

"Renly, do you know how huge the investment is for this project?" Roy thought Renly might be a newcomer who wasn't familiar with the industry's internal workings, so he refused so decisively.

In Hollywood's casting process, there is an unwritten rule: to become the lead actor in a top-tier blockbuster, whether male or female, one must go through a certain process of seasoning. While people often see Hollywood fairy tales of overnight success, examples like Megan Fox in "Transformers" or Joe Alwyn in "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" are few and far between. Most of the time, actors need a certain foundation laid, usually starting with unknown small productions, using their performances as bargaining chips, and impressing top producers through the skill of top agents. Work history, impressive performances, top agents, all three are essential. From an unknown actor to becoming the leading star of a top-tier blockbuster, it would take at least two to three years.

When Francis Park saw Renly's performance in "The Pacific" and called Tom Hanks, saying he could push Renly to the top in three years, it wasn't an offhand remark but a reflection of reality.

Now, Renly had only appeared in one TV series and, without the backing of an agent, had entered the casting stage of a top-tier film—though it was just an audition invitation, it meant Renly could have face-to-face conversations with those top producers. Whether the audition succeeded or not, it would be a milestone for Renly, knocking on the door to his next project.

For example, the next time there's a big production, even without top agents to manage, Renly's name would still appear on those producers' desks. Such a situation wasn't one in a thousand but one in a million, an opportunity that others might not win even after three years of hard work, but it was now in front of Renly, an extremely rare opportunity!

But Renly actually refused! Even Roy, as composed as he was, felt his jaw almost dislocate.