Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 254: In the Limelight

Renly: No exaggeration, but in just the past six months, Renly's name has repeatedly made the entertainment headlines, with his rise being almost unstoppable.

Previously, discussions about "Renly Hall" had already been lively several times; but this time it was different. Renly left the small screen of television, left the obscure departments of the Emmy Awards, left the niche attention of art films, and truly entered the public eye.

Replacing Dwayne and joining "Fast & Furious 5"—a series action film with a commercial foundation—easily ignited heated media discussions, releasing all the previously repressed enthusiasm.

Before Renly could even join the crew, people's expectations had already begun to rise slowly. Rather than anticipating Renly's performance, people were curious about the young man who had frequently appeared in the news lately. After all, besides "The Pacific," "Buried" had not yet been released, "Fast & Furious 5" had not yet started filming, and the audiences of Toronto and Telluride were limited. People had no way of getting to know Renly, adding a layer of mystery to him.

Now, a commercial film like "Fast & Furious 5" has become the best medium to awaken people's curiosity about this mystery.

Discussion posts on Yahoo Community started buzzing again. Meanwhile, the exclusive interview in "US Weekly" during Toronto became the best source for people to learn about Renly.

This new-generation actor, with his outstanding acting skills, first conquered the small screen and won his first Emmy Award at just twenty years old. Then, he successfully received a lot of praise in Toronto and Telluride, standing on par with the well-established James Franco. The halo surrounding him became the driving force for people to further understand and explore Renly.

The interview in "US Weekly" was more detailed and vivid than other media, not only opening a window for strangers to get to know Renly but also providing a path for a few fans to get closer to him.

Interestingly, after the Toronto interview, Gavin Hunter was the first to reveal the latest casting developments of "Fast & Furious 5." What did this mean? Did Gavin have some undisclosed first-hand information?

For a time, Gavin also started to become hot in the journalist circle.

Major media outlets competed to report not only on Renly but also on the "Fast & Furious 5" crew. Some questioned, some agreed, some opposed, and some praised. Everyone was discussing the impact of replacing Dwayne with Renly.

But there is no doubt that at present, the "Fast & Furious 5" crew has undoubtedly achieved great success. They swept away the previous three weeks of decline, renewed themselves, and regained focus with vigor, announcing the restart of filming in Los Angeles. This active posture renewed people's confidence in the movie.

And this is not the end!

At the same time, Focus Features also smelled an opportunity and started early promotions for "Buried" at the right time, announcing the movie's official release date, with preview screenings in Los Angeles and New York on October 22, followed by a wider release. This arrangement clearly targeted this year's Halloween season.

This move sparked a lot of industry discussion.

Judging from the early reviews of "Buried," it seemed more like an award-season contender—a one-man show, confined space, sensory stimulation, and other keywords proved this point, even more so than "127 Hours." But now, Focus Features' schedule arrangement showed their strong confidence, aiming for box office success—or at least striving for it.

It's worth noting that this year's Halloween season is extremely crowded, with "Paranormal Activity 2" and "Saw 3D" set for an intense showdown, followed by the grand debut of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1)." In this limited market space, any film trying to break through won't have it easy. Now, "Buried" also wants to join the competition?

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

After the brewing and fermenting in Toronto and Telluride, coupled with the news about "Fast & Furious 5," the first wave of publicity for "Buried" was indeed excellent, sparking strong interest and discussion among many viewers.

But this is only the first step in early promotion. Attracting attention is already a victory. This is why Focus Features chose to announce the release date at this time. Next, Focus Features will release the first trailer. Whether the trailer meets audience expectations will determine the subsequent promotional trajectory of the film.

From "Fast & Furious 5" to "Buried," Renly's rise is indeed unstoppable. Moreover, even competitors began to lend a helping hand.

Dwayne Johnson immediately reacted, announcing his high-profile joining of "The Expendables"!

He will form a stellar lineup with Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li, Jason Statham, and Dolph Lundgren, aiming to create a truly macho film.

In his words, he revealed a lot of information: "A real men's movie," "return to classic action," "less flashy gimmicks," etc. He seemed to be belittling the "Fast & Furious 5" crew, even if not explicitly stated, the media were already excited.

Additionally, Lionsgate, the production company for "The Expendables," also stepped up. In their official press release, they placed Dwayne on the same level as Sylvester, emphasizing Dwayne's position as the second lead and stating that this film would be a classic action version of "Ocean's Eleven," rekindling people's enthusiasm for action films from the 70s and 80s.

The next day, Lionsgate copied Universal Pictures' move and released a new poster featuring just Sylvester and Dwayne standing side by side. The implication was clear: even if it's not a dual-lead movie, Dwayne's importance is undeniable.

Though only the second lead, Lionsgate's attention was evident. This was Dwayne's return to a major commercial film after "The Mummy Returns," "The Scorpion King," and "The Rundown." The $80 million investment in "The Expendables" was no less than "Fast & Furious 5."

The difference was that previous commercial films did not perform well at the box office, and Dwayne did not skyrocket. But this time, just the strong appeal of Sylvester, Dolph, and Jet in the industry made "The Expendables" promising. Adding Dwayne was sure to draw attention, explaining Lionsgate's importance.

From Dwayne to Lionsgate, all signs showed that it wasn't the "Fast & Furious 5" crew who abandoned Dwayne, but Dwayne who chose "The Expendables," retaining the initiative. With Lionsgate's and "The Expendables'" attention, Dwayne finally elevated his status in the industry.

If "The Expendables" performs well at the box office, he could still achieve the expected million-dollar box office treatment in his next film. Of course, the prerequisite remains the box office. Previously, Dwayne chose "Fast & Furious 5" because of the series' strong resurgence. Now, choosing "The Expendables" also looked at the strong appeal of a bunch of veteran action stars.

Ultimately, box office is the sole measure of success for commercial films.

It is foreseeable that Lionsgate and Universal Pictures will inevitably have a showdown. However, Dwayne chose "The Expendables," and Universal Pictures chose Renly. Both made bold and risky decisions. Whether they are correct or incorrect can only be determined when the two films are released.

In this increasingly heated gossip vortex, no one noticed that Jason Statham's role in "The Expendables" was marginalized. After all, Jason's weight was not enough.

First, Universal Pictures' official promotion, then Focus Features' timely cooperation, followed by Lionsgate's miraculous assist... Initially, it was just a simple cast change. Both "Fast & Furious 5" and "The Expendables" attracted limited attention in the generally declining action film landscape. But now, they successfully created a wave of topic effect, and audience attention to both films soared.

From this perspective, everyone is a winner.

But among the many winners, Renly is undoubtedly the biggest victor. In this dramatic news showdown, "Renly Hall" entered the public eye for the first time. The previous halo was finally cashed in, breaking through the constraints of cyberspace and niche groups, spreading widely. Recognition and popularity visibly rose.

From his debut on the small screen in early March to the arrival of October, Renly successfully achieved a triple jump as a newcomer, establishing himself among third-tier actors. Whether he can successfully enter the ranks of second-tier actors depends on the performance of "Buried" and "Fast & Furious 5." Of course, there is also the overlooked "Like Crazy."

But for Renly, these things are superficial. Having just finished filming "Like Crazy," he was still immersed in confusion and frustration. He must quickly recover and engage in the shooting of "Fast & Furious 5."

This is a high-energy, charming, hormone-packed film, meaning Renly will play a completely different FBI agent. Acting is indeed a fascinating thing, isn't it?