America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 869 Sylvester Stallone's Daughter

Beverly Hills, Century City.

Dressed in a suit, Heath Ledger emerged from Fox Building. His decadent lifestyle over the past few years, coupled with long-term drug dependence, made him appear unusually gloomy even in the bright sunlight.

His sales pitch to Fox was unsuccessful, and Heath Ledger was directly rejected.

Heath Ledger visited numerous production companies, large and small, but he didn't go to Pacific Films, Davis Studios, or Disney Studios.

Of these three companies, one was founded by Martin Davis, one belongs to Martin Davis's mistress, and the other is currently in a honeymoon period with Martin Davis.

His scandalous affair with Martin Davis is common knowledge in Hollywood.

Heath Ledger glanced at the nearby Death Star building and headed straight for the CAA.

CAA used to be Heath Ledger's agency, and he's familiar with many of the agents there. CAA also likes to package film projects, so if you can persuade CAA...

Unfortunately, not long after, Heath Ledger emerged from the CAA office building, dejected.

CAA did not have a good relationship with Martin Davis, but after reading the script he brought, they rejected it outright.

Western chess is such a niche subject.

When Heath Ledger came downstairs, he was filled with regret. He shouldn't have gotten so caught up in the hype and listened to people's nonsense, buying the script for $20,000.

Wouldn't it be better to use $20,000 to buy laundry detergent?

Heath Ledger got off the elevator and his phone rang. It was a call from an unknown number.

"This is Heath Ledger."

"Hello, Mr. Ledger, I'm Clyde, the business president of Iris Pictures. I heard from screenwriter Alan Scott that you hold the film and television adaptation rights to 'The Queen's Chess Game'?"

Heath Ledger did indeed buy the rights to the novel and screenplay from Alan Scott, stating, "Yes, they're in my hands."

The person on the other end said, "Mr. Ledger, can we talk about this project?"

Heath Ledger was overjoyed and said, "Of course, when would you like to talk?"

"It depends on your schedule," the person on the other end said. "I'm available anytime."

Heath Ledger couldn't wait any longer. He glanced at the coffee shop on the first floor of the building and said, "Come to the Death Star building where CAA is located. I'll be waiting for you in the coffee shop on the first floor."

They agreed.

Heath Ledger entered the coffee shop, chose a quiet booth, and waited patiently.

A minivan was parked in the parking lot in front of the Death Star Building.

Ivan, dressed in a suit and tie, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and carrying a briefcase, walked towards the coffee shop.

When his assistant Luke caught up, he instructed him, "You're not a professional when it comes to movies. Try not to talk when we get there."

Luke replied, "Okay."

After taking a few more steps, Ivan paused slightly: "You'd better not say anything."

Luke shrugged. "Boss, from now on, I'm mute, okay?"

Ivan entered the coffee shop, made a phone call, and soon saw Heath Ledger. After exchanging greetings, they sat on opposite sides of a booth and began discussing business.

Heath Ledger glanced at Ivan's business card and couldn't help but ask curiously, "I've never heard of Iris Pictures, where Mr. Clyde works."

Ivan remained calm and composed: "Iris Pictures was only established in the first half of the year, but we are financially strong and have received support from international capital."

He turned the tables and said, "Mr. Ledger, I previously contacted screenwriter Alan Scott, wanting to buy the film and television adaptation rights to 'The Queen's Game,' and he told me that the rights have already been sold to you."

Heath Ledger said, "Yes, the copyright is indeed in my hands."

An idea popped into his head: this new company might lack experience. If he sold the copyright with additional conditions, could he become the director of the project?

This could potentially turn his nearly destroyed Hollywood career around.

Having investigated Heath Ledger's background in detail, Ivan asked directly, "I wonder if Mr. Ledger would be interested in reselling the rights to Iris Pictures?"

Heath Ledger, however, had his own ideas: "How about we work together instead of a directing deal? I've been studying how to be a director for years and I've gained a lot of experience. I'll transfer the rights to you, and you can hire me to direct the project. That way, we can achieve a win-win situation."

Given his current situation, if he succeeds in directing the film, he can turn his life around. Even if he fails, the loss will only be the production company's money, and he won't be worse off than he is now. He can even get an extra director's fee.

Ivan, of course, disagreed: "Iris is only interested in the film and television adaptation rights."

Heath Ledger looked extremely grim, but he held back. His lack of restraint back then had led to this predicament…

Ivan said, "Alan Scott transferred the rights to you for $20,000, and Iris Pictures is willing to buy them for $25,000."

Heath Ledger still wanted to be a director, so he remained silent.

Thinking of the investigation he'd conducted over the past few days, and Bruce's instructions, Ivan added, "3 dollars."

Heath Ledger declined: "Unless I'm the director."

"Then there's nothing to talk about." Ivan said no more, picked up his briefcase, and prepared to leave.

Seeing this, Heath Ledger quickly said, "It was just a suggestion."

There's no other way; our family's supplies are almost gone. We can skip meals, but we can't stop taking our medicine.

"$4," Ivan gave his final offer, then opened his wallet, took out a $20 bill, and placed it on the table.

Heath Ledger calculated how many bags of goods $4 could buy, and before the other party left, he replied, "Okay, $4 it is."

Fearing the other party might renege, he emphasized, "I request that the transfer agreement be signed as soon as possible, and that the copyright transfer fee be paid in full at once."

Ivan thought for a moment and said, "Okay."

Copyright transfer agreements are complicated; it's not something that can be done simply by two people signing a contract. Heath Ledger and Evan Ivan both started calling people, striving to finalize the agreement today.

In the afternoon, as the sun began to set in the west, Heath Ledger received $4 in cash. He took a quarter of it and immediately contacted his drug supplier to purchase a batch of high-quality drugs.

He then called Gemma Ward and told her to come home early so they could have some fun together.

This transfer agreement naturally did not include any restrictive clauses, and within just one week, The Queen's Chess Game was transferred to Davies Studios.

Martin then instructed his studio to hire a suitable screenwriter to adapt the film script into a television series of about eight episodes.

The subject matter of this series dictates that it cannot follow the usual path.

Martin required that the screenwriters and directors he hired be proficient in chess, and that each chess game be carefully designed by a chess master. The games had to be easy to understand, so that even people who did not know chess would not find the chess matches in the show boring.

The project's subject matter dictates that it won't use too many special effects, nor will it invite high-paid A-list celebrities to star in it. Moreover, hiring a chess grandmaster isn't expensive, and a production budget of over $2000 million is sufficient.

The most difficult part was recruiting screenwriters and directors who were proficient in chess.

Martin and Louise don't know chess. There are a few people in Davis's studio who can play, but they are far from being proficient.

In Davis Studio, in Martin's office.

Thomas recommended someone: "I inquired around at the company, and there's a senior screenwriter who's an expert in chess. He even participated in the national amateur tournament and supposedly made it to the quarterfinals."

Even making it to the top eight at the amateur level is quite impressive, Martin asked. "What about his screenplay?"

Thomas briefly introduced, "This screenwriter is Scott Frank, who has written the screenplays for more than a dozen films, including 'Body Fever,' 'Minority Report,' and 'The Wolverine.' as the credited screenwriter."

Martin has seen all three of these movies. The last one goes without saying: Minority Report, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise, and The Edge of Heat, starring Nicole Kidman.

Thomas added, "Scott Frank also directed several episodes of the first two seasons of Shameless."

Martin said, "He can write and direct, and he also has experience directing successful TV series."

Thomas replied, "Yes, Shameless is a remake, but it's very successful."

Martin said directly, "Go talk to him. If he's interested, I'll arrange to meet him for a chat."

Thomas left immediately: "I'm going to find Scott Frank's agent right now."

Martin also left the studio.

Today is the third audition for several main female roles in "Split," and he's going to attend.

Upon arriving at the Disney studio, Martin met up with Louise and they went into the audition room together.

The casting director on David Fincher's team had already set up the cameras.

The first two rounds of auditions eliminated most of the actors, leaving only six.

One of them was an acquaintance of Martin's, named Sofia Stallone.

Without a doubt, she is the eldest of Stallone's three daughters.

Martin glanced at the actress's profile and asked, "Is Sofia's acting up?"

"She's passable," David Fincher said. "But she has a great figure. We're not just casting for the lead actress this time, but also for two other female roles."

There are four main female characters in the script, and only six actresses made it to the third round of auditions, so the pass rate is relatively high.

Martin trusts David Fincher's judgment.

The latter added, "Sylvester Stallone's daughter can also be used as a gimmick for film promotion."

David Fincher, who won the Oscar for Best Director, has completely evolved, and the commercial aspect of his mind has gradually taken over.

The casting director then came over and asked, "Shall we begin now?"

David Fincher glanced at the last row, where representatives from the Screen Actors Guild and insurance companies were engrossed in playing on their tablets.

He said, "Let's begin."

An assistant brought the actors in, and the first one to enter was Sofia Stallone.

She greeted Louise and David Fincher politely, then smiled and said to Martin, "It's been a long time."

Martin nodded: "Let's get back to work."

Sofia quickly got into character and rehearsed two scenes as required by the casting director.

One scene depicts the character's terror, while the other depicts a moment of emotional breakdown.

The performance proceeded as normal and ended as normal. Neither Martin nor David Fincher offered any comments; they simply told Sofia to go back and wait for news.

Sofia performed reasonably well in the two audition scenes, better than Martin had expected, but her acting was still considered mediocre.

However, among the female characters, the one who truly needs to deliver a powerful performance is the female lead; the other characters are more like decorative figures.

A beautiful female vase is an indispensable embellishment in Hollywood horror and thriller movies.

The second actress who auditioned had a very distinctive appearance, especially her big, bulging eyes, which always gave people a sense of innocence.

This brown-haired actress was quite cunning; she wore slightly tight clothes and walked a little slowly when she entered the audition.

Whether it's a personal walking habit or intentional, her body sways quite a bit when she walks, causing the bulges in her chest and back to constantly bounce up and down.

Anya Taylor-Joy, who just turned eighteen this year, carefully studied the character and the characteristics of the person who would ultimately decide who got the role before she auditioned.

According to the agent's analysis, this film requires not only acting skills, but also a good appearance and figure.

Therefore, Anya made every effort to highlight her strengths even before the audition began.

Martin glanced at Anya briefly; her appearance was very distinctive, and at first glance, she looked like a goldfish spirit.

But she is somewhat different from the goldfish girl he remembered. She probably hasn't had plastic surgery or liposuction yet, and hasn't turned into a skinny, bony figure with sunken cheeks.

The casting director said, "Let's begin."

An assistant was assigned to act opposite Anya, and the audition scene was exactly the same as Sofia Stallone's.

Anya's performance was more powerful and her portrayal of the character's details far surpassed Sofia's.

Martin vaguely saw a resemblance to Saoirse Ronan when she was just an adult.

David Fincher was very satisfied with her. After Anya left the audition room, he immediately said to Martin, "This girl is the leading lady we're looking for. Her appearance, eyes, and expressions give off a particularly complex feeling."

Martin, who also has some experience in acting, said, "It's quite remarkable to have such acting skills at the age of 18."

Louise reminded them, "There are still a few auditioning actors left. You can make a decision after you've seen all the auditions."

Martin nodded: "Let's continue."

David Fincher waved to the assistant director, and the auditions continued.

During the later auditions, Martin also saw an actress he recognized named Ana de Armas, who was from Cuba.

After all the auditions were over, David Fincher, Louise, and Martin watched the audition videos one by one.

The three quickly reached an agreement on the female lead.

David Fincher began by saying, "Anya Taylor-Joy, this is the leading lady I want."

Martin said, "Among the auditioning actors, her appearance and acting skills were the most suitable."

"Then let's finalize the deal with her," Louise said to her deputy. "Contact her agent and discuss the contract."

Martin didn't pay much attention to the other actors and didn't offer any opinions.

As expected, David Fincher's cast list included Sofia Stallone and Ana de Armas.

(End of this chapter)