Chapter 268: Fallout

News about celebrities, especially prominent figures like Martin Davis,Brad Pitt, and Jennifer Aniston, spreads like wildfire. That evening, numerous entertainment TV stations urgently included it in their evening news broadcasts, and the newspapers were filled with stories the following morning.

Two beloved male celebrities fighting over America's sweetheart was a topic that the general public couldn't get enough of.

On this day, the only conversation at American dinner tables was about Martin beating up Brad Pitt because of Jennifer Aniston. Most Americans seemed to revel in this spectacle, believing that Peter deserved to be on the receiving end.

Compared to Angelina Jolie, who had been portrayed as a saint, Pitt's reputation wasn't all that great. To put it mildly, Brad Pitt was not very popular among the public.

Meanwhile, Martin was in the shadows, strategically orchestrating the buzz surrounding the incident. He knew that if he didn't stir the pot, he'd be in hot water.

The internet was abuzz with videos and images, with virtually every website featuring the incident. TMZ, the first to break the video, became an overnight sensation, solidifying its popularity.

Simultaneously, news of Aniston's role in Martin's upcoming film began to circulate. The early publicity for "Limitless" eclipsed "Wanted" and "The Hills Have Eyes," establishing itself as Martin's first major hit as a leading actor.

As for Martin, he took refuge at home, steering clear of the enthusiastic female admirer who wanted to party all night. The video was already out there, and many witnesses were present, so he didn't need to personally stoke the flames.

He was confident that others would step in to keep the story alive. He knew his fellow members of the Bastard Trio well.

Jack Nicholson, who had been semi-retired, was afraid of missing out on the excitement. He left his hotel early in the morning and lingered around the entrance.

Seeing no reporters approaching him for an interview, he grew frustrated and dialed the newspaper office from his phone. "I'm Jack Nicholson. I was present at the altercation between Martin Davis and Brad Pitt last night. There's some explosive news to share!"

Within ten minutes, a reporter sped into the hotel parking lot in a Mustang and hurried to interview Jack Nicholson.

Jack Nicholson realized he was somewhat outdated; the media only had eyes for the emerging stars.

At a coffee shop in the hotel, the reporter treated Nicholson to a Blue Mountain coffee and asked for inside information.

Nicholson explained, "Last night, Leonardo, Martin, and I were at Avalon. From my perspective, Martin and Aniston are at best just friends. Brad Pitt clearly misunderstood the situation. I never expected Brad Pitt to be so weak, initiating a confrontation that he couldn't win. I even suggested that they engage in a one-on-one duel in a manly manner, but Brad Pitt resorted to a sneak attack and was swiftly subdued by Martin."

Known for his sharp tongue, Nicholson didn't hold back, stating, "If I were Aniston, I'd never pick someone like Brad Pitt, a coward who can't stand his ground."

The reporter zeroed in on the key point, asking, "So, according to you, Martin is both charming and capable?"

Nicholson boasted, "Martin is half as good as I was in my prime, but he's a true bastard!"

Nicholson also brought up the firecracker incident on the set of "The Departed," which Martin had encouraged Leonardo to carry out. It had scared Nicholson out of his wits.

The reporter was thrilled, especially when Leonardo's name entered the conversation. This was big news.

Nicholson, a member of the Face Gang and self-proclaimed leader of the Bastard Trio, naturally championed his associates while belittling his rivals.

Ten minutes later, Nicholson went upstairs to the suite he'd stayed in the previous night. Meryl Streep, who had rendezvoused with him, complained, "Where have you been so early in the morning?"

Nicholson was getting on in years and didn't have the energy he once did, but he didn't want to decline Meryl's invitation. He couldn't show his face again if he did.

He pondered what Martin had given him and recalled seeing a similar item during the shooting.

Nicholson retrieved the item, piquing Streep's curiosity.

Afternoon saw Nicholson back in shape. He didn't want to enjoy this alone. He picked up the phone and called Leonardo, saying, "Leo, I used the gift Martin gave me last night. It's amazing!"

Leonardo inquired, "Is it really that effective?"

Nicholson assured him, "I tried it myself, and it's a definite success!" He clenched his teeth, "I want to thank Martin when I see him later!"

Nicholson recommended, and according to common sense, it should be done by friends. He was quite relieved, but Leonardo had second thoughts about trying it, considering the duo's penchant for mischief.

On the third day after TMZ broke the news, the cast of "Limitless" held auditions for the character Linda, with only one candidate at the moment: Aniston.

Martin stood by the audition room's entrance, requesting that Bruce bring the handheld game console he'd prepared.

Carrying the console inside, Martin offered it to the representatives from the Screen Actors Guild and Warner Bros., who took seats in the back row of the audition room. They turned off the sound and discreetly played the game while the auditions continued. Not a word was spoken.

Martin sat in the second row, and casting director Molly spoke, "Please come over, Miss Aniston."

Aniston hurried over, recognizing many faces in the audition room, and exchanged greetings with them one by one.

An assistant stood opposite her, and the audition scene was brief, lasting only half a minute.

After Aniston's audition, Martin, Molly, Boyle, and Louise gathered to watch the audition tape on the screen.

"No issues," said Director Boyle. "The role itself is straightforward. Do we all agree on Aniston?"

Martin nodded, "I'm on board."

Louise and Molly chimed in, "Agreed."

With the heroine role settled, Louise instructed Nikki, the associate producer, to inform Aniston of the outcome so that formal negotiations could commence as soon as possible.

Subsequent auditions were held for other roles, but Martin and Louise didn't stay for them. They left the audition room together.

For another pivotal role in the film, the crew had extended invitations to Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Their current salaries weren't exorbitant, and there was a hint of willingness to accept roles for the right compensation.

Walking down the corridor, Louise asked, "Are you coming over for Thanksgiving dinner at my place?"

"Aren't you headed home for Thanksgiving?" Martin inquired, aware that Louise's parents resided in Brentwood. "Won't you be with your folks?"

Louise followed him into the office. "My parents are vacationing in Europe."

Martin had already made prior plans for Thanksgiving. "I made arrangements to go back to Atlanta for Thanksgiving with someone. I can't cancel."

Louise pondered, "Not with Kelly, then? Lily Carter, perhaps?"

She chuckled with a mischievous gleam in her eye, "How about this? I'll go with you to Atlanta."

Martin knew that this was extravagant and couldn't bring her along to Atlanta. He entered the office, found a cocktail recipe, and handed it over, saying, "The new cocktail recipe is a bit more intricate. Take your time to practice it thoroughly to avoid embarrassing yourself at the bartender's conference."

Louise accepted it, quickly scanned the document, and leaned in to kiss Martin on the cheek. "As long as you remember who's been good to you," she said with a playful smile.

Martin assured her, "Don't worry, I won't forget your kindness."

Even though he was a nostalgic good guy, Martin couldn't forget the help Louise had provided, especially during their business transactions. A teenage producer with such charm wouldn't easily be forgotten.

As for someone like Whoopi Goldberg, Martin would have been more likely to forget.

Satisfied, Louise left the office.

Martin called Jessica, instructing her to book flights to Atlanta and New York in advance.

Subsequently, the film crew officially announced that Jennifer Aniston had joined "Limitless" and would play the lead role.

Despite her continued silence amidst the Martin-Pitt controversy, Jennifer Aniston's involvement gave a significant boost to "Limitless." The popularity of Martin's previous film, "Wanted," saw another uptick, earning an additional $9.88 million in North America the weekend before Thanksgiving, bringing the North American box office to $160 million.

The film's global box office was approaching $300 million, already turning a profit based on box office receipts alone.

Throughout the Thanksgiving season, "Wanted" maintained its position, even as other films were released. As it expanded into more international markets, its international box office surpassed that of North America.

The outlook for "Wanted" became increasingly promising, with Warner Bros., the distributor, issuing conservative estimates suggesting the North American box office would likely exceed $200 million, and the overseas box office would reach $250 million by the time the film had its full release.

But now this has nothing to do with Martin، as he quietly returned to Atlanta shortly before Thanksgiving.