**Chapter 48: The 8 Million Dollar Team!**

As evening approached, the yacht docked, and the four returned to the beachside villa they had rented alongside the yacht. After spending the night there, they returned to Wayne Manor early the next morning and got busy again.

Although *Happy Death Day* had been sold, as the screenwriter and lead actor, Wayne still had to participate in DreamWorks' promotional activities. Jessica, as the female lead, was no exception. 

Mia, after careful consideration, decided to hand over all the responsibilities of *The Bourne Identity* to Sarah and continue serving as the producer for Wayne and Jessica. This way, she could accompany them to Europe.

As for the preparations for *Gifted*, they would be handed over to Susan Levin, who had always wanted to be a producer. If she handled this film well, *Resident Evil* could be entrusted to her in the future. This prospect excited Susan immensely.

However, the casting decisions for *Gifted*, like Wayne's previous films, still rested solely with him. Whether it was the director or the lead actor, Wayne had the final say. As a first-time producer, Susan didn't mind having less power than usual.

The phone's ring woke Wayne up. He glanced at the two women, Annie and Naomi Watts, still tangled up and asleep next to him, then quietly answered the call.

"Hello? Susan? Isn't it too early for this? It's only 7 a.m. Did you stay up all night?"

"I had too much to handle, but don't worry, I volunteered for overtime, so I won't charge you!" Susan joked before continuing, "Allen Ball got back to us. He'll need about two weeks to finalize the script."

Allen Ball was the screenwriter for *American Beauty*, which swept the 72nd Academy Awards this year, winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography. Despite the $15 million production budget, the film grossed $356 million worldwide, making Ball one of Hollywood's most sought-after writers.

Even though the Writers Guild of America hadn't yet had enough strikes to inflate fees, Ball's script still cost a mere $1 million, even after Wayne offered a premium.

Wayne, however, hesitated, thinking two weeks seemed too long for just filling out his story outline. Some writers could finish this in just three to five days. 

Instead of voicing his doubts, he asked, "What do you think of him?"

"I think he's great," Susan replied, understanding Wayne's question. "The locations and props for this story are relatively simple, so we can compress the production time. I think we can wrap everything up within 45 days."

Today was already October 21st, and with the aim to release the film by Christmas, they needed to leave at least 20 days for marketing. That left just 45 days to complete the entire production.

"Alright, we'll go with that," Wayne agreed.

"I've already chosen the actresses for the lead and the supporting roles. They're actors I'm familiar with."

"For the director, I'm thinking of Gus Van Sant, who directed *Good Will Hunting*."

"As for the third lead, Evelyn, I want Susan Sarandon to play the role."

Before Wayne could finish, Susan began to cough in surprise.

"Susan Sarandon?!"

"That's right, Susan Sarandon."

Shocked, Susan went silent for a moment. Gus Van Sant had directed *Good Will Hunting*, which grossed $226 million globally on a $10 million budget and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Director, although he lost to James Cameron for *Titanic*.

Susan had thought Gus Van Sant was a big enough name already, especially with his $4 million salary. But Wayne was also planning to cast Susan Sarandon, an actress who had been nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars five times and had won once? And Allen Ball, too? This was shaping up to be a huge project!

"Wayne, what about the production budget?" she asked, concerned.

"Don't worry. The two lead actresses aren't big names, and their combined pay is only $300,000, so the total production cost won't go up too much."

After hearing this, Susan quickly did the math. Sarandon, despite her fame, mostly starred in dramas that didn't perform strongly at the box office, so her pay would likely be around $2 million. Gus Van Sant's fee, based on his previous success, would likely fall under $5 million. With Allen Ball already signed for $1 million, that brought the total to $8 million.

Three salaries adding up to $8 million? That's insane! 

However, the overall production budget would still remain below $12 million, the initial target Wayne had set. Relieved, Susan relaxed a bit.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder, "Lead actresses with a combined salary of under $300,000? How unknown are these actors?" 

What Susan didn't know was that Wayne had already increased their salaries by 50%. Naomi Watts, who had played numerous roles but lacked fame, received $240,000 for the lead role. Meanwhile, Anne, a near newcomer, was earning just $60,000, even after the 50% increase.

Yes, after much thought, Wayne decided Naomi Watts would play the lead in *Gifted*. It wasn't just because she was closer to him, but because Anne's acting skills weren't quite up to the challenge of playing the character Frank. Anne's more academic appearance didn't fit the role of a street-smart woman, so the role went to Naomi Watts.

"And what about the young girl, Mary?" Susan asked.

"That'll be Dakota Fanning, a child actress who's appeared in *CSI*, *ER*, and *Spin City*, among other shows, and has done a lot of commercials."

Fanning had already shown impressive acting ability, and in 2001's *I Am Sam*, her performance had started drawing significant attention. At six years old, she was perfect for the role.

"I'll contact their agents immediately!" With that, Susan hung up. There was no time to waste when it came to big names like Gus Van Sant and Susan Sarandon.

After the call ended, Wayne chuckled and shook his head. If Susan was this excited about Van Sant and Sarandon, how would she react if he brought in the likes of James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, or Meryl Streep?

Sarandon's reputation as a former UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, coupled with her award for Outstanding Leadership, made her a perfect fit for the role of a reformed grandmother, and her involvement would undoubtedly add promotional value. After all, it was the box office and profits that filled Wayne's pockets!