Chapter 368: The Godfather

As soon as Kara Knightley spoke, Matthew understood her meaning but did not interrupt her.

"Bill Nighy is auditioning for Davy Jones."

At this moment, there was no one else in the conference room. It was the right time for such discussions. Kara Knightley said, "He is a friend of my parents, and he came to me, I couldn't really refuse."

This name was unfamiliar to Matthew, and he wasn't sure if it was the same person who had played Davy Jones before.

Seeing that Matthew did not respond, Kara Knightley continued, "The audition for Davy Jones is now down to the final round. Ian Gray, Jim Broadbent, and Richard Grant along with Bill Nighy are all candidates, but Bill Nighy isn't guaranteed to win."

Matthew was already pondering. Since it was the final round of auditions, Bill Nighy must at least meet the production team's requirements for the role.

"Kara, what should I do?" Matthew asked generously.

Kara Knightley, noticeably more mature than in previous years, replied, "I'll talk to director Gore Verbinski and casting director Mustafa. If you could also reach out to them, Bill Nighy's chances might greatly improve."

The "Pirates of the Caribbean" production team had experienced some sharp conflicts recently. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski had argued several times over power distribution within the team, and it was only with Disney's intervention that these issues were temporarily resolved.

However, with the blockbuster success of "The Curse of the Black Pearl," Gore Verbinski's influence was bound to increase. Eventually, Jerry Bruckheimer had to concede under Disney's influence, and the new casting decisions were primarily influenced by Verbinski, who had also brought in his recommended casting director.

This was also tied to the failure of "King Arthur," another epic that bombed at the box office, which had shaken Disney's faith in Jerry Bruckheimer as a golden producer.

If not for the failure of "King Arthur," Disney would have certainly suppressed Gore Verbinski.

Matthew had been keeping an eye on the dynamics within the team and was fairly well-informed.

A lead male role, along with a lead female role, a word with Gore Verbinski could be somewhat effective.

It might be less so for a pivotal role like Davy Jones, but for second-tier roles, the impact was undeniably significant.

"Sure!" Matthew readily agreed, "After this, I'll go talk to Gore Verbinski and the casting director."

It was just a matter of making contact; success or failure, he made no promises.

Kara Knightley then smiled, "I owe you a drink."

"No need for drinks, it's too much trouble," Matthew had already planned his response before agreeing, "Kara, I actually need a favor from you as well."

"You..." Kara Knightley could only shake her head, "You had this planned, waiting for me to ask for your help?"

Matthew looked innocent, "I didn't know you were going to ask for my help." Just like Kara Knightley wouldn't be shy with him, he wouldn't be with her either, he continued, "Helen has a client named Eva Green…"

"That name sounds familiar," Kara Knightley was sure she had heard it somewhere.

"She starred as the lead in Bernardo Bertolucci's 'Dreamers of Paris.'" After attending the premiere of "Kingdom of Heaven," Matthew had specifically watched this film, and the scene where Eva Green was dressed as the Venus de Milo had made a deep impression, "Then she moved to Hollywood and starred in Ridley Scott's 'Kingdom of Heaven' as the lead actress."

Kara Knightley muttered, "All with renowned directors."

Matthew leaned back in his chair, reminding her, "'Kingdom of Heaven' flopped, and she was affected, currently struggling to find work. Helen recommended her for the role of the witch here."

He said straightforwardly, "When you talk to Gore Verbinski and the casting director, mention Eva Green too."

Kara Knightley agreed quickly, "Sure." Then, curiously, she asked, "Eva Green isn't your secret lover, is she?"

"What are you thinking?" Matthew lightly pushed her, saying, "I have no relationship with Eva Green, it's just to help Helen Herman."

Kara Knightley believed Matthew's words; it was not uncommon for star actors to help their agents in the industry.

The door to the conference room opened again as people started coming in. Most of the main staff of the production team were familiar faces who had collaborated before, like Geoffrey Rush, who would continue to play Captain Barbossa.

Then producers Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski also walked in.

The last to arrive was Johnny Depp, Captain Sparrow himself, who appeared half-asleep.

He came directly to

 where Matthew was sitting and greeted Matthew and Kara Knightley with a smile; the three of them along with Jerry Bruckheimer and Gore Verbinski formed the top echelon of the production team.

"Did you have a party last night?" Matthew glanced at Depp, asking in a low voice, "Why didn't you call me?"

Johnny Depp, already slipping into his Jack Sparrow persona, pinched his fingers together, "I just came from France, haven't adjusted to the time zone yet."

Matthew teased again, "Is France that good that you don't want to come back?"

Johnny Depp seemed a bit resentful, speaking softly, "It's not like I have a choice."

Kara Knightley joined in the fun, "The prodigal son has finally returned."

Everyone knew Johnny Depp had settled in France, entirely at the behest of his French girlfriend Vanessa Paradis.

"I want to be a good father," Johnny Depp seemed to remember something, then said, "Matthew, I want you to be my daughter's godfather."

"Lily-Depp?" Kara Knightley asked.

Johnny Depp squinted his drowsy eyes, "How many daughters do I have?" He continued, "Kara, you be the godmother."

Kara Knightley didn't quite know how to respond to his casual offer.

Matthew then said, "Lily's six, right? Becoming a godfather at this stage, and I'm not religious, is that appropriate?"

Johnny Depp, being who he was, didn't care about such details, "It's fine if we think it's fine."

Matthew knew that the role of a godfather, especially in Hollywood, was no longer traditional, and immediately agreed, "Alright, I'll meet Lily some other time."

"Yeah," Johnny Depp nodded, "Lily's in France now, next time I come back, I'll bring her over."

Turning to Kara Knightley, he asked, "What about you?"

Kara Knightley spread her hands, "I'm fine with it too."

The three of them huddled together, whispering. Other people didn't even try to come over to talk, let alone sit close. During the filming of "The Curse of the Black Pearl," the trio had already formed a small team within the team.

Matthew felt being a godfather would be a novel experience, murmuring, "I don't have experience dealing with kids."

"The kind of godfather you are," Kara Knightley teased, "would corrupt the child."

Just as Matthew was about to retort, he noticed Johnny Depp had fallen asleep leaning back in his chair. Even though Depp had recently acquired a private plane, long flights and jet lag were still torturous, especially since he wasn't in great health.

From their previous on-set sword fights, Matthew had some understanding; in old terms, Depp was rather frail.

At the head of the conference table, Jerry Bruckheimer had started discussing key points about the upcoming shoot, while Johnny Depp continued to sleep undisturbed. Matthew saw no reason to wake him. As the most popular star of the team, the beloved performer of Captain Jack Sparrow, Johnny Depp had this privilege.

In fact, even if he and Kara Knightley were to fall asleep, no one would disturb them.

In the filming of these two sequels, their collective power as lead actors was significant. They could potentially overrule director Gore Verbinski, although there was no reason to do so without cause.

Matthew listened for a while; Jerry Bruckheimer talked mostly about the production plans, such as shooting on location in Dominica and respecting local customs.

Frankly, such meetings were often dull, but fortunately, they didn't last too long, ending after about forty minutes.

"Wake up, Depp."

Seeing Jerry Bruckheimer and Gore Verbinski leaving the conference room, Matthew tapped Johnny Depp, "Go back to sleep."

Johnny Depp rubbed his eyes, asking, "It's over?"

Matthew nodded softly, "It's over."

Johnny Depp stood up, saying, "Matthew, Kara, I'll treat you to a drink some other time. I'm off now, need to catch up on sleep. I'm exhausted."

Matthew waved him off, advising, "Don't drive yourself."

"My driver drove me here today."

With that final remark, Johnny Depp also left.

Most of the people in the conference room had departed. Matthew looked at Kara Knightley, "I guess Gore Verbinski hasn't gone to the studio yet, you go first or should I?"

"I'll go first," Kara Knightley checked her watch, "Go there fifteen minutes after me."

Matthew nodded, and after Kara Knightley left, he waited fifteen minutes before he visited Gore Verbinski's office, followed by the casting director Mustafa's office.

As expected, it went smoothly. Although Gore Verbinski didn't explicitly state anything, he mentioned

 that as long as the audition wasn't poor, they would definitely consider the candidates favorably.

Such endorsements would benefit Bill Nighy and Eva Green, but might disadvantage others.

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