Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 83: Unexpected News

Success!

Joyful emotions gently collided in the chest, causing the corners of the mouth to unconsciously curve upwards. Eventually, unable to contain it any longer, fists clenched tightly and swung fiercely twice, finally releasing the excitement.

It wasn't until leaving the vicinity of Amsterdam Street that the reality set in—he had truly secured the role of Paul Conroy.

When Ryan appeared, Renly knew he was in an unfavorable position. From any angle, there was no reason for Rodrigo to refuse Ryan. So, Renly had to do everything in his power to give Rodrigo a reason.

Renly realized his only advantage lay in his acting and his understanding of the role. Standing at the doorway, he pondered. On one hand, he thought about how to win a second chance to showcase his talent before Ryan's decision. On the other hand, he contemplated the role of Paul, how he should interpret it, and how he should perform it.

When Scarlett appeared, Renly sensitively sensed that the opportunity had arrived.

So, he went along with the flow, engaging with Scarlett, and exploring the complete character of Paul. Renly wasn't sure if Rodrigo could see it, but this was his only chance. Unfortunately, Scarlett was too clever and quickly saw through his intentions, bringing all attempts to a halt.

The window left for Renly was truly small. Renly almost thought he would miss out on "Buried" before he could fully unleash all his energy.

But he succeeded! He landed his first major screen role, "Buried"!

After spending nearly seven months after the end of "The Pacific" filming, he finally obtained another opportunity to challenge his acting skills, and this time it would be on the big screen, taking another solid step forward in his acting career.

It's worth mentioning that this time, he won the role in a direct competition with the original actor from the previous world. This achievement was even more commendable! It not only proved his strength but also proved that history could be changed—although he had achieved it once during "The Pacific," this time it was more direct and obvious.

The trajectory of history was gradually changing direction, and he, as "Renly Hall," was altering the future of the film industry. Perhaps, in the near future, even Renly himself couldn't predict what would happen. The stimulation between the known and the unknown slowly released adrenaline.

Of course, more importantly than the work itself, this was an opportunity to challenge himself and his acting skills. It might become a turning point on the path to his dreams.

He had imagined what roles he would play and what difficulties he would encounter, but he hadn't expected his first film to offer such a rare opportunity— not only was the role extremely challenging, but it was also an independent production, and he was the sole actor! This meant he could fully immerse himself in exploring his acting abilities, pushing himself to see what heights he could reach.

Perhaps, as his parents said, he didn't have any innate talent. The world wasn't short of geniuses, but not all geniuses could reach the peak, and he wasn't even a genius. Perhaps, he truly had the spiritual essence of acting, just like what David Nutt said, he could carve out his own world on the stage of actors.

But regardless of the outcome, he wouldn't regret it, nor did he want to regret it.

At this moment, Renly held the contract for "Buried" in his hand. That thin document felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, signifying that the heavyweight role of Paul Conroy rested on Renly's shoulders, and the success or failure of the entire film relied on Renly's performance. Although heavy, it was exhilarating.

"Buried" was a completely independent film. Upon inquiry, it was revealed that the investors were a Spanish independent company, which had previously only invested in a film with a budget of less than five hundred thousand. This time, they verbally budgeted "Buried Alive" at three million, but that included future promotional expenses—promotion for independent films typically involves participating in film festivals, and whether it's Sundance or Toronto, exhibiting at these festivals requires fees, not to mention the collective promotional costs afterward.

So, strictly speaking, the production cost of "Buried Alive" was estimated to be below two million.

For such independent films, there's naturally no official process like HBO. Just look at today's audition to know. Even the American Actors' Guild didn't send a public agent to supervise, so the signing process wasn't conventional either. Rodrigo directly handed the contract to Renly, who could have a lawyer or agent review it, then sign it once confirmed.

After the terms were settled on paper, Renly could officially join the "Buried" crew.

Looking at the contract in his hand, Renly thought seriously and dialed Roy Lockley's phone number. The phone rang for a while without answer. Renly could imagine Roy was still busy as ever. Just as Renly was about to give up, the call finally went through. "This is Roy Lockley," came the brisk response.

"Renly Hall."

"Renly?" Roy sounded somewhat surprised, then said to someone nearby, "Yes, these are the documents, send them over by fax." Then he addressed Renly again, "So, what's up?"

"Yes, I've taken on a new project. I have the actor contract in hand and need the union to review it for me." Renly summarized simply without beating around the bush.

Roy put the phone on his shoulder, noting it down on the desktop calendar. "No problem, just fax it over. What's the project?"

"An independent film, financed by a Spanish company."

Renly's answer remained concise, without much explanation. However, his confidence in his words was unwavering, showing no extra emotions just because it was an independent film—no regret, no disappointment, no excitement.

Roy paused for a moment, then chuckled knowingly. If it were anyone else, they might not have had any special reaction, but Roy was different. He knew Renly had turned down the audition invitation for "Thor" and now chose an unknown independent film. It was quite interesting.

"What about the pay? Need me to negotiate for you?" Generally, actors wouldn't discuss "money" themselves. It not only tarnished their image but also strained relations. Negotiations were typically handled by agents. Since Renly didn't have an agent, Roy was willing to lend a hand.

Renly chuckled softly. "No need, it's already negotiated. A hundred thousand."

"Buried" wasn't a high-budget production, that's for sure. However, as the sole lead actor, this pay was still somewhat low. After all, almost the entire budget of the film would go to Renly alone. Even if it wasn't three hundred thousand, it should at least be two hundred thousand.

However, after talking with Rodrigo, Renly agreed to the contract for a hundred thousand. The surplus funds could be fully invested in the project, and within the limited budget, a truly excellent work could be created.

Renly understood that if he wanted to make money, he shouldn't have accepted an independent film like "Buried." Choosing a commercial film like "Thor," even if the pay was lower, would have brought higher income.

Roy chuckled lightly. Renly's income this time was even lower than during the "The Pacific" period, which didn't seem like he had landed a film project. However, Roy didn't say much, just teasing, "It seems like this will definitely be an outstanding piece of work."

"Of course." Renly's reply was unwavering, and Roy could feel the steadfast determination, showing that Renly's choice of this project was driven by inner aspiration rather than a last resort. "So, is this why you introduced the 'Thor' project to Chris Hemsworth?"

Renly couldn't help but pause, not understanding Roy's words. He blurted out, "What?" He knew that according to the trajectory of the previous world, "Thor" would eventually fall into Chris's hands. But why would Roy say he introduced it to Chris?

Originally just a joke, Roy had to explain again, "Yesterday, news circulated internally that Chris will play the role of Thor. I guess no one told you, but it seems Chris had already read the script in advance, so he was well prepared. 'Thor' didn't have a confidentiality agreement, but the scripts they sent out were limited, and each script was labeled. From what I heard, it seems like Chris read your script? So, I guess..."

Roy's words stopped there, leaving the rest to be inferred.

Renly's brows furrowed slightly. Details from that night flooded back, and the final piece of the puzzle fell into place. A strange feeling echoed in his mind, finally manifesting as a mocking smile on his lips. "No, I put the script on the shelf at the time, and didn't recommend it to anyone."

Roy paused for a moment, then said meaningfully, "Ah."