Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 247: Cash in on Chaos

Andy Rogers took a big gulp of coffee, the bitterness without any sugar made him shudder. He looked at the sugar jar on the table and then at his own protruding beer belly... Well, one sugar cube wouldn't hurt; it might even count as a diet.

He flipped through the newspapers and magazines on his desk. The headline of "Entertainment Weekly" was quite shocking: "'Fast & Furious 5' Delayed Indefinitely? Universal Pictures Considering Schedule Adjustment, Release in 2012!" Below the glaring red letters was a black subtitle, "Negotiations with Dwayne Johnson Officially Break Down!"

Andy's expression didn't change at all. Recently, news about the "Fast & Furious 5" crew had been non-stop, with new stories breaking every few days. The print edition of "Entertainment Weekly" was published once a week, so this headline was already somewhat outdated, more like a summary of the past week's news.

However, "Entertainment Weekly" wasn't the only media outlet following the developments of the "Fast & Furious 5" crew.

"'Fast & Furious 5' Crew Feud, Production Halted for Three Weeks, Losses Could Reach $5 Million!"

"Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson Clash? Diesel Declares: It's Him or Me!"

"Casting Hits a Snag, Pre-production Testing Faces Setbacks, Rio de Janeiro Municipal Government Rejects Crew's Filming Schedule Request, 'Fast & Furious 5' Off to a Bad Start."

"Dwayne Johnson: I Desperately Want to Join This Family, But We're Still Negotiating." (A/N: Lmao, that was a good title)

"'Fast & Furious 5' Crew Announces Another Two-Week Halt, Resumption of Filming Indefinitely Delayed, Universal Pictures Silent on the Matter."

...

These were today's latest updates. It was clear that the "Fast & Furious 5" crew was stuck in a stalemate. Using Renly to divert attention had lost its intended effect. After Dwayne Johnson saw through the crew's tactics, he began to pressure the crew and Universal Pictures through the media. Meanwhile, the crew's internal issues kept piling up, leaving Neal H. Moritz in a difficult position.

Universal Pictures had never been good at making sequels. Among the six major studios, they had the fewest successful sequels—especially profitable ones. Currently, the "Fast & Furious" series was their only ace, attracting immense attention. Now, Ron Meyer's stance was crucial.

If Ron decided to back Neal, Dwayne's replacement would be a done deal. After such a prolonged standoff with Dwayne, Neal would undoubtedly be harboring some resentment and unwilling to back down easily. But if Ron gave Dwayne the green light, Neal would relent, and within the next twenty-four hours, at the latest three days, "Fast & Furious 5" could resume filming.

Andy habitually left the "Los Angeles Times" for last. For East Coasters, the "New York Times" was an essential part of life. Correspondingly, on the West Coast, the "Los Angeles Times" held supreme status.

Today's "Los Angeles Times" front-page headline featured the outgoing California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The governor was set to leave office in January next year, and everyone was focusing on the upcoming gubernatorial election and Arnold's achievements over the past seven years. The "Los Angeles Times" had an exclusive interview with the tough-guy actor-turned-governor.

Additionally, the front page also highlighted a drought warning for California. Following last year, California was likely to face another year of drought, garnering statewide attention. The "Los Angeles Times" was naturally at the forefront, alerting local residents.

Opening the entertainment section, Andy planned to quickly scan the headlines but froze when his eyes landed on the top story: "The Next New Member of the 'Fast & Furious 5' Crew: Jason Statham?"

Andy quickly searched his memory. He hadn't heard anything about Jason being in talks with the crew. This was unexpected. Known for the "Transporter" series, Jason had yet to make further strides in Hollywood. Although he was five years older than Dwayne, his athletic background, nimble moves, and tough-guy style had made an impression.

If Jason were to replace Dwayne...

After some thought, Andy pressed the phone's intercom button. "Nancy, could you find out who Jason Statham's agent is?"

After hanging up, Andy's mind raced. This game had finally reached a critical juncture, and he wasn't about to let his guard down or surrender easily. Until the last moment, he refused to let victory slip away.

He hadn't received any news about Jason in the past week, which was odd. He had been closely monitoring key figures in the "Fast & Furious 5" crew. Being completely cut off from information was unusual—either it wasn't worth noting, or there was something more. But the report came from the "Los Angeles Times," which made it all the more intriguing.

"Andy, Jason is one of our company's artists." About three minutes later, Andy received a response from his assistant, Nancy Kingsley. It turned out to be a case of not recognizing one's own family. Andy chuckled, relaxing a bit. "Who's handling him right now?"

At the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), there were no strict divisions for artists or resources. In other words, Andy could access all of Jason's work information without any barriers, no need to speculate—he had first-hand inside information. Likewise, the opportunity to be in "Fast & Furious 5" was open to all actors in the company.

So, what happens when their own artists become competitors? The solution was simple: whoever had more potential, more value, and was more suitable would get the role, ensuring the resources were maximized efficiently.

In the case of "Fast & Furious 5," whether Renly or Jason was more suitable, CAA would choose accordingly. If both Renly and Jason were rejected, Andy would recommend another actor to the crew. Unless the crew signed with Dwayne Johnson directly, they would keep pushing until CAA secured the role.

Of course, this approach only applied to newcomers like Renly and Jason. Top-tier actors were a different story.

After a few phone calls, Andy was reassured.

Neal had indeed contacted Jason, but it was just a smokescreen. In fact, Jason had already signed with the "Expendables" crew, preparing to star in this star-studded action film. Additionally, he was negotiating two other projects, so there was no concern about lack of work.

This gave Andy an unusual feeling. Neal's actions were speeding up, indicating they were ready to abandon Dwayne.

Choosing someone like Jason as a decoy was signaling to Dwayne that they'd rather pick a similar but lower-profile actor like Jason Statham than go with the optimal choice, Dwayne Johnson.

This would inevitably push Dwayne's team into high gear. Either Dwayne would decisively lower his fee and compromise, or Neal would proceed with his signing plans, refusing to drag this out further. It seemed Ron was siding with Neal.

The question was, who would Neal choose as the replacement?

Renly was now very close to joining the "Fast & Furious 5" crew, almost within reach. But this position was also the most precarious. If Dwayne's team made a decisive move at the last moment, Renly might fall short right at the finish line. So close yet still not in hand—that feeling was the most unsettling.

"Ring, ring." The phone ringing interrupted Andy's thoughts. He answered, and Nancy's voice came through again, "Andy, Neal H. Moritz on line three."

Speak of the devil.

Andy's eyes narrowed slightly. "Put him through." Neal's voice, carrying a tone of polite humor, came through the other end, "A brand new day, how's it going? I thought I'd see you at Barry Meyer's private party over the weekend, but it seems you had other plans."

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1)" was set to hit theaters this Halloween, marking the beginning of the end for the decade-long Harry Potter series. Naturally, Warner Bros. CEO Barry Meyer had high hopes for a perfect conclusion, hence the private party, inviting various bigwigs to kick off the promotional campaign.

"The party's threshold was too high, not just anyone can get in. Sadly, I didn't receive an invitation. Apparently, I missed quite the event." Andy replied with a joking smile.

In fact, he had attended another party over the weekend—Scott Rudin's private gathering for the promotion of "True Grit." Though award season hadn't officially begun, the prelude events were already in full swing.

Neal, knowing better, also joked, "Don't worry, apart from Charlie Sheen getting drunk again and losing his pants, you didn't miss much." After the small talk, Neal got straight to the point, "How's that young guy under you doing recently?"

Andy had several actors under his wing, but only one young actor—Renly.

"Like countless young people, he's waiting for his chance." Andy provided Neal an out.

Both Andy and Neal knew Renly was currently filming with the "Like Crazy" crew. Andy never hid this information, it was just that people hadn't paid attention. Anyone with interest could find out.

Neal, pretending not to know, chuckled, "That's good to hear. I think he's exactly what our crew has been looking for. Paul told me yesterday he can't wait to work with him."

"Wow, that's fantastic news." Though fully aware, Andy feigned surprise. "Renly would be thrilled to hear this. Just wondering, what's the crew's budget for his fee?"