Indomitable

"I think they might just be using you as a whetstone," Andy stated.

Renly wasn't surprised. He had speculated about this possibility before the audition. Compared to Dwayne Johnson, his strengths and weaknesses were quite clear. It all depended on how the production team positioned him. Moreover, after the blow from "Horrible Bosses" yesterday, today's news didn't affect him as much, and his mood had settled considerably.

Andy turned to Renly and saw the calm expression on his face. He couldn't help but chuckle quietly. He had thought that consecutive setbacks would have left Renly visibly disappointed. Yet, he had forgotten that Renly couldn't be judged by common standards.

"Things have progressed too quickly," Andy began to explain, feeling slightly relieved. "In less than thirty-six hours, there have been numerous news reports from various sources, and they're all incredibly intense. In a place like Telluride, "Fast 5" doesn't have an upper hand. If there isn't someone behind the scenes stirring up waves, they can't possibly secure this many resources."

Renly remained silent, carefully recalling the news he had heard yesterday.

Although it was the age of the internet, where information could spread in a day, often causing a seismic shift within twenty-four hours, the utilization rate of platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube wasn't that high yet. News updates still relied on portal websites, online news, and traditional media. Considering this, Andy's concerns were not without basis.

"It's very likely that they just want to use you to stir up Dwayne Johnson," Andy expressed his judgment. "From start to finish, they might not actually intend to recast. If that's the case, Neal might be a bit too hasty."

First, "Horrible Bosses" had been sentenced to death before even making an effort. Then the collaboration on "Fast 5" took an unexpected turn. In just two days, it felt like a rollercoaster – reaching extremes before plummeting to the depths. The rapid oscillation was overwhelming.

Yet, Andy remained unfazed. "Horrible Bosses" had become a thing of the past, but "Fast 5" hadn't. They still retained a glimmer of hope. Even facing Universal Pictures, the behemoth, they weren't doomed to being passive victims.

He didn't know how the early stages of "Fast 5" were progressing or the level of investment each day required. However, he knew that Dwayne's agent wasn't foolish. This tug-of-war was likely to continue. What was most important was the internal sentiment at Universal Pictures: whether they supported the recasting.

Andy wasn't worried about Renly being used as a whetstone. If it was indeed the case, Renly had effortlessly gained a wealth of promotional resources. This would only benefit the upcoming release of "Buried" and enhance Renly's visibility. What Andy was contemplating was how to seize this momentum, elevate Renly by leveraging the situation with Dwayne Johnson, and truly grasp the opportunity to perform in "Fast 5".

Given that Neal and Dwayne were now mutually suspicious and calculating, on one hand, Dwayne wouldn't easily believe the news of the past two days. He might even become more confident. Andy could easily contact Dwayne's friends or assistants to spread the news that Neal was using Renly as a whetstone. Alternatively, he could plant the idea that Neal's sincerity was questionable, and he had doubts about the collaboration...

On the other hand, Neal was trying to create the illusion that Renly was about to replace Dwayne. In that case, they might as well continue to fuel the fire, collaborating with the media to truly make everyone believe that Renly's role in "Fast 5" was set in stone, even if unofficially. However, Andy couldn't be the one to do this openly. Otherwise, it would contradict his earlier stance. In comparison, Renly, as the person directly involved, was the most suitable candidate. Moreover, the media was eagerly waiting to interview Renly, wasn't it?

"I'm going to contact a few media outlets now…" a framework gradually formed in Andy's mind. "No, it shouldn't be me who contacts them." Otherwise, it would come across as too desperate. "Renly, do you know any reporters? I mean, as friends."

Renly's thought process naturally couldn't keep up with Andy, the industry professional. He asked in puzzlement, "What's going on?"

"I need you to call this reporter and express your excitement about the possibility of joining "Fast 5"," Andy explained without going into details, offering a simple directive. "But it's best to do it subtly so that they bring it up on their own. Then, you can naturally talk about your expectations, but still maintain an air of uncertainty in your words."

"In simple terms, just say that I'm really looking forward to being part of the project, and I hope the "Fast 5" team can see my enthusiasm," Renly grasped it instantly. It was like the transfer strategy in football, where a star player publicly expressed eagerness to join a new team, even sending flirtatious glances across the divide. The agent would then work behind the scenes, creating hype, eventually pressuring the player's current team to lower their price.

Andy nodded with satisfaction, confirming his understanding.

"Does that mean that the casting decision for "Fast 5" won't be finalized in the next few days?" After comprehending Andy's plan, Renly voiced his question.

Andy contemplated for a moment. "We'll have to see. It depends on the opinions of the other producers of "Fast 5"."

A big-budget commercial film with an investment of over $100M naturally had multiple producers. In a vast production team, having a dozen producers wasn't uncommon. They each had their own responsibilities and generally didn't interfere with each other. Something like a recasting decision might require consensus among two or three of them. Currently, they were in contact with two producers: Neal and Vin. However, Andy hadn't managed to ascertain their internal opinions yet.

"If things move quickly, it might take three to five days. But if it turns into a tug-of-war, it will depend on how much investment the production team has made in the early stages and how long they can hold out." Following the principle of maximizing profit, every day delayed was a day lost for the production. If this dragged on for a week, the difference in Dwayne Johnson's salary might have already been worked out. Yet, the game of interests wasn't that simple. It was a battle of momentum.

For producers, they disliked actors acting high and mighty. In Hollywood, the system favored the producers. If Dwayne's ultimatum succeeded this time, it would lead to an exchange of power dynamics. If it went on, suppressing Dwayne again might not be as easy.

For agents and actors, they had to seize the right moment accurately. Hollywood's rule of inertia was: once the salary goes up, it doesn't come down again. This referred to the industry's average standards. Of course, when actors voluntarily reduced their fees to collaborate with top directors, that was a different story.

To give a simple example, if Universal Pictures offered Dwayne Johnson a salary increase of $3.5M, then as the lead actor, Dwayne's salary would also need to rise. When other film companies sought to collaborate with Dwayne in the future, they would have to match Universal Pictures' standards. Therefore, salary hikes were a challenging matter that required both skill and opportunity. Agents wouldn't easily give up, and producers wouldn't easily relent.

So, as Andy had said, the course of this game was still to be observed.

"Then what do we do now?" Renly's question made Andy turn his head, a puzzled expression on his face. Renly continued to explain, "What's the plan next? Are we going to wait indefinitely for updates on "Fast 5"?"

Andy caught on quickly, a characteristic smile forming on his face. "Since when did you become so subtle?"

"Starting now," Renly replied with a smile, tucking his jaw back in.

Andy burst into laughter. "No, we shouldn't wait passively. Let's meet with Drake tomorrow and finalize the contract."

The implied question in Renly's previous query was: What about "Like Crazy"?

Andy had met with Drake Doremus yesterday, and they had further discussed the matter of "Like Crazy". Drake's sincerity was beyond doubt. In the face of Andy's request, he had almost instantly agreed to it. He hoped that Renly could join the project.

Andy had considered making a larger request, but he also knew that their independent production had its limitations. If he set the salary too high and Drake agreed so readily, it could lead to production constraints. This might even impact the quality of the final product.

So, after careful consideration, Andy had decided to propose a salary of just $20,000, along with priority for a share of box office profits. Drake had expressed that when they signed with distribution companies, if the distribution company rejected the profit-sharing clause, he would be willing to allocate a portion of his share to Renly.

Even so, the salary offered was still meager. If it weren't for Renly's insistence, Andy would never have agreed. At present, this $250,000 investment seemed to be more of a low-budget independent production. Even if it failed, it wouldn't have a significant impact. But if it succeeded, the rewards would be immense. This was the fundamental reason why Andy chose to believe in Renly.

Drake had conveyed that the entire production team was ready. As long as Renly's schedule opened up, they could begin shooting immediately. The movie would be shot in both Los Angeles and London. The crew had already secured houses and props, not through leasing, but by borrowing spaces from Drake's friends. Independent productions often used such methods to save costs.

This was why Renly had asked earlier: Should they temporarily put "Like Crazy" on hold, waiting for the decision regarding "Fast 5" to avoid scheduling conflicts that could cause them to miss the boat? After all, they had known even before the auditions that time was precious for the "Fast 5" team.

Renly had originally thought that Andy would be more inclined toward "Fast 5", considering that "Like Crazy" wasn't exactly a prominent project. However, he hadn't expected Andy to respond so readily and provide an entirely different answer, without much hesitation.

"Okay," Renly nodded. He felt that their collaboration was taking the right course, and that was a good thing. The corners of his mouth involuntarily lifted, forming a smile. "I'll call the reporters now. What do you think about Bradley Adams from The New York Times?"