Setbacks

Brett's figure quickly disappeared into the bustling street, leaving Andy and Renly standing in place amidst the lively crowd. The silence and calm between them gradually solidified, as if they were suddenly isolated in another world.

For the past half-month, everything had been going smoothly, even somewhat unstoppable. This unexpected setback left both of them a bit stunned. Especially when they had been so confident about "Horrible Bosses," discussing the audition just yesterday with Renly full of enthusiasm and Andy brimming with ambition. They both believed this project was more worthwhile than "Fast & Furious 5," even starting to envision the future after landing this role. But now, less than twelve hours later...

"Renly! Hey, man! Great performance! Your performance in 'Buried' was fantastic!"

Someone nearby greeted them, giving Renly a thumbs-up, which drew the attention of others around them. A group of young people started whistling and clapping, making the hotel lobby lively again. Renly snapped out of his thoughts, smiled, and nodded in acknowledgment, expressing his gratitude.

Andy also let out a breath, releasing the pent-up frustration in his chest, and asked with concern, "You okay?"

"Heh, shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" Renly chuckled lightly, appearing relaxed and unaffected.

Andy laughed and shook his head, "I'm used to it by now, but this might be your first time, right?"

Hollywood, though not the stock market on Wall Street, is equally volatile. Even contracts signed in black and white can be torn up, leading to lawsuits, let alone a verbal agreement for an audition. In the process of casting actors, the tug-of-war between producers and agents is constant, and agents must be ever vigilant against one another.

This is true for top stars and even more so for newcomers like Renly.

Andy was surprised partly because the decision came so quickly, with a major reversal in just twelve hours, and he hadn't heard a word of it. The other part was the sudden sense of defeat, like hitting a wall at full speed.

After a brief moment of instability, Andy regained his composure. He had seen countless storms before.

"I won't say I'm not disappointed," Renly shrugged, a hint of regret in his eyes, pausing for a moment.

As he said, he genuinely wanted the role in "Horrible Bosses." He had even begun building the character in his mind, and now he didn't even have the chance to showcase his potential before being rejected. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

But he also knew that this was Hollywood, the fiercely competitive Hollywood. Just as he could snatch a role from Dwayne Johnson, others could step in and take away his audition opportunity. Moreover, his acting career was just beginning.

After calming down a bit, Renly smiled and teased, "But believe it or not, this isn't my first rejection." Before "The Pacific," he spent three months learning to accept "no."

Andy chuckled, inexplicably reminded of Renly's participation in street skateboarding competitions. "Actually, this is a good thing. It can help us cool down a bit, not get carried away by success. The long battle has just begun."

The recent smooth sailing indeed made Andy's head a bit hot, his ambitions swelling. But for a newcomer like Renly, a steady, gradual approach was still necessary.

The rejection of "Horrible Bosses" was a timely wake-up call. The awards season hadn't even started, and the distribution and promotion of "Buried" needed to be grounded and thorough. Compared to an unknown new project, "Buried," which had garnered significant media attention in Toronto and Telluride, was clearly more important.

He needed to rethink his strategy.

Moreover, the casting process of "Horrible Bosses" advancing so significantly within twelve hours suggested something had driven this. More importantly, Andy hadn't caught any wind of it. Brett's silence and the morning's evasive behavior indicated more beneath the surface. Renly being a newcomer was a fact, but Andy was not. He knew something was amiss.

If he remembered correctly, Jason Sudeikis's agent was Fisher Morgan, who had some history with Renly. Fisher had secured the role of Thor for Chris Hemsworth. While Andy didn't believe Fisher would hold a grudge against a newcomer like Renly, the timing was too coincidental. Jason Sudeikis wasn't even on the casting radar for "Horrible Bosses" yesterday, yet today he was in? This was Hollywood, where coincidences often hid truths.

Andy could accept rejection and failure but not without understanding why. Otherwise, it would only repeat.

"Since today's audition is over, go enjoy the film festival," Andy didn't share his suspicions. It was his job, not Renly's. "I'll call you if anything comes up. You wouldn't want to miss the last day of Telluride."

Renly's lips curved into a relaxed smile, "That's what I planned to do."

The Telluride Film Festival lasted only four days, bustling and crowded. There was no opening or closing ceremony; it would naturally conclude after four lively days.

Renly casually joined the moviegoers, immersing himself in the festival's frenzy again; Andy's busy work had just begun.

"Fast & Furious 5" welcomes new cast member, Renly Hall, who shone at the Telluride Film Festival, joining the team!"

"Rising Star: Hall's outstanding performance in 'Buried' catches the eye of major productions, set to join 'Fast & Furious 5'."

"Emmy-winning actor Renly Hall gets nod from 'Fast & Furious 5', to join Vin Diesel and Paul Walker in thrilling car races!"

...

"Behind the scenes drama: Dwayne Johnson reportedly drops out of 'Fast & Furious 5' filming!"

"Breaking news: Dwayne Johnson exits 'Fast & Furious 5', Renly Hall steps in!"

"Vin Diesel: We need fresh blood to invigorate the series."

"Paul Walker: Hall is a remarkable actor, 'Buried' was my favorite film at Telluride."

"Exclusive: Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel clash on set!"

...

"Another Shia LaBeouf? Twenty-year-old Renly Hall to take on action role!"

"From Emmys to Toronto to Telluride, Renly Hall's rapid rise gets noticed by Hollywood's top studios."

"Telluride's buzz: Renly Hall, James Franco, Jesse Eisenberg – who will get their first Oscar nod?"

...

Undoubtedly, Telluride remained a media darling. Various rumors and official news reports drew global attention. Among the many featured films, the commercial "Fast & Furious 5" surprisingly occupied considerable coverage. News of the film's recasting was rampant.

Not just Renly, Neil H. Moritz was meeting with Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and various actors like James Franco, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Keanu Reeves. In just two days, news about "Fast & Furious 5" flooded in, making recasting seem inevitable.

Amidst this, Renly, the least experienced and youngest, stood at the center of the storm, sparking debates on Yahoo's community. Many "Fast & Furious" fans questioned if Renly could replace Dwayne Johnson, a very charismatic actor.

Entertainment gossip media joined the discussion, curious about what happened between Johnson and the crew. What did Johnson think of the recasting? Was Renly joining the crew a blessing or a curse?

It seemed overnight, Renly's replacement of Johnson in "Fast & Furious 5" was a foregone conclusion, even though none of the involved parties had commented, and the crew hadn't confirmed anything.

But these rumors held little weight for Renly, who lost himself in the final day's festivities at Telluride. After watching movies all day, he ended the festival with a big party, celebrating late into the night.

Renly returned to his hotel room at ten in the morning. With a checkout deadline of eleven, he quickly packed his things and went to the lobby, not seeing Andy. After waiting on a sofa for a while, he finally saw Andy arriving.

They left the hotel, Renly put his luggage in the car's trunk, ready to leave for Los Angeles, then sat in the front seat, preparing to catch some sleep. Looking up, he saw Andy deep in thought, hands crossed over his stomach, a sign of his thinking mode, "What's up? Any news to share?"

"It's about 'Fast & Furious 5'," Andy hesitated before deciding to be honest.

"What about 'Fast & Furious 5'?" Renly, who spent the previous day with movie lovers and hadn't read any newspapers, seemed well-informed, "Isn't everything going as expected? Even better than expected."

"That's the issue. Things have progressed too quickly and too positively in just one day," Andy's fingers tapped lightly, "I think they might be using you as a stepping stone."