The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 455

"What's taking him so long?"

Seated in the lobby of the Fox Building, Paula Patton watched the elevators with a hint of anxiety.

She had arrived at the Fox Building in Century City early Monday morning with her boyfriend, Francis Lawrence. 20th Century Fox was looking for a director, and Francis's agent, Kevin, had recommended him for the job.

Today, she was there to support Francis as he auditioned for the director's chair.

Of course, Paula was an incredibly ambitious young actress.

She wasn't permitted to join Francis in the 20th Century Fox audition offices, so she was left to wait in the ground-floor lobby.

She glanced at the time—it was nearly eleven in the morning, and there was still no sign of Francis emerging from the elevators. Paula grew increasingly desperate to know what project he was auditioning for.

It was never easy for a minor actor to climb the ladder in Hollywood.

Paula knew this all too well. She had attached herself to a promising director like Francis Lawrence, hoping he would give her a leg up. At first, things had gone smoothly: Francis had landed the director's chair for a massive production like I Am Legend, and he was supposed to give her a supporting role.

But who could have imagined that Lawrence would be bullied by the film's lead actor during pre-production, not only costing her the supporting role but even costing him his own position as director.There was a moment when Paula considered leaving Francis, but she held back after learning from their agent, Kevin, that he still believed in Lawrence and was determined to find him another suitable project.

It was easier to advance your career with a director who might have a future than to go it alone.

But...

The truth was, if Francis failed this time, there was no point in wasting any more time or emotional energy on him.

Just as she was thinking this, Francis's figure emerged from the elevator. He headed toward the lounge area where she waited, his face calm and unreadable. Paula couldn't discern the outcome of his audition from his expression.

"Hey, honey."

Seeing Lawrence approach, Paula immediately rose to her feet and asked, "How did the audition go?"

Francis took a long breath, then took Paula's hand. "I passed the first round," he said. "I'm one of the final three candidates for director."

"Really?" Paula feigned genuine happiness. "Honey, that's wonderful! You're definitely going to get the job!"

Francis, however, was less confident. "I'm not sure I'll get it," he admitted. "The competition is stiff."

Paula squeezed his hand tighter. "I believe in you! You're the best!"

"You're right. I'll do everything I can." Lawrence looked at Paula, his eyes softening. "For you, I'll land this job."

Then he added, "This project is just like the last one, except it has a female lead."

The awkwardness on Paula's face vanished in an instant, replaced by astonishment. A single thought echoed in her mind: a female lead... a female lead!

"I... I..." Paula steadied her breathing. "Could I be the lead?"

Francis answered with conviction, "If I'm the director, I'll do everything in my power to make it happen."

Paula, no longer a naive young girl, calmed herself after the initial shock. "What movie is it?" she asked.

"It's a sequel to a blockbuster," Francis said, deliberately being coy.

Paula was even more intrigued. Sequels to blockbusters always generated a lot of buzz.

Francis didn't keep Paula in suspense. "It's the sequel to Alien vs. Predator," he revealed.

Paula nodded. "I saw the first one. The lead was definitely a woman."

She immediately leaned in and kissed him.

Afterward, Paula took Francis by the arm, and they walked out of the Fox Building together. She was so affectionate, so sweet, that her sincere "love" for him was on full display.

****

Before getting into their car, Lawrence bought a copy of Premiere magazine. As an aspiring top-tier director, he always kept a close eye on the North American film market.

Paula slid into the driver's seat and waited for Lawrence to get in.

She glanced over her shoulder and noticed that Francis had stopped flipping through the magazine. His previously calm face had gone pale.

"Honey?" Paula, playing the part of the devoted girlfriend to perfection, asked with concern. "What's wrong?"

Instead of answering immediately, Francis remained silent, his eyes fixed on a report in Premiere.

"Though the summer season has so far failed to meet industry expectations, the long-awaited Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest has arrived in full force. The action-adventure film starring Johnny Depp, Matthew Horner, and Keira Knightley has dominated the latest North American box office chart by a massive margin!"

"According to box office tracking sites, 44 films grossed a combined $211.96 million over the weekend, a 32% increase from last year. The Disney blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest accounted for an astounding $156 million of that total, single-handedly fueling a major surge in the market."

Reading this, Francis slowly closed the magazine, a storm of emotions churning inside him.

The very same Matthew Horner who had forced him off I Am Legend had just scored another massive success.

'One hundred and fifty-six million dollars...' The number was staggering. Horner was one of the two leads. How many people, how many studios, would be crawling all over him now?

Just then, Paula's voice cut in. "Honey, what is it?"

Lawrence scoffed, tossing the magazine aside. "Horner and Depp's movie, Pirates of the Caribbean 2*, made one hundred and fifty-six million dollars at the North American box office on its opening weekend."

"What?" Paula couldn't believe the figure she'd just heard. "How much did you say?"

Francis repeated, "$156 million."

Paula's mouth fell open. "My God! That bastard Horner's movie made that much on its opening weekend?"

Francis's mood soured, realizing the gap between himself and Matthew Horner had grown impossibly wide.

"Has any other movie ever had an opening weekend that big?" Paula asked.

"No." As a director, Francis was certain of this. "As much as I dislike Horner—as much as I hate him—he just starred in a movie that broke the record for the highest single-day gross and the highest opening weekend in North American box office history."

Paula was speechless for a moment.

Francis sighed grimly and added, "If I remember correctly, Matthew's movie also set the record for grossing over one hundred million dollars in its first two days."

"How does every movie he touches turn into a hit?" Paula slammed her hand on the steering wheel in disgust. "Why is he so damn lucky?"

She could never forgive Matthew Horner for costing her a significant supporting role.

Francis was also struggling to understand. "I guess... he's just incredibly popular with his fans."

Thinking of the role she had lost, Paula's hatred simmered. "He'll fall out of favor one day. It always happens in Hollywood. Today, everyone's kissing his ass; tomorrow, they'll be spitting in his face."

Francis wished he could see that day, but he knew it wouldn't be so simple. "Maybe," he said, "in ten or twenty years."

He shrugged helplessly. "A lot of people in the press are saying Horner is like Tom Cruise in the nineties—everything he touched was a hit."

Paula nodded. "I've read the same thing in the papers."

As their car left Century City and came to a stop at a red light, Paula slowly pressed the brake. She waited for the car to come to a complete halt before turning to Francis. "The last time Spike Lee was over at our place," she began, "he made a suggestion that I thought was actually pretty good."

Francis didn't say anything, clearly hesitant.

Paula reminded him, "Don't forget, honey, how things work in Hollywood right now."