**Chapter 41: Want to Come Along?**

Early the next day, Wayne was driving to the set when he contacted Sarah to discuss acquiring the film adaptation rights for *Resident Evil*.

Though *Resident Evil* is a classic game, its audience isn't huge, so the film rights wouldn't cost as much as *The Bourne Identity*. Even if they set aside some funds for it now, it wouldn't affect the preparation of *The Bourne Identity*.

However, Sarah managed to negotiate a price lower than Wayne had anticipated.

In just two days, Sarah brought the price down to $1.5 million, with no box office share included. With such a deal, all that was left was to head to Japan to sign with CAPCOM.

"No problem, let's go with that price. Who are you sending over for the signing? Don't tell me it's Mia—I can't do without her here," Wayne joked, feeling upbeat.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't be so cruel as to separate you and Mia," Sarah replied lightheartedly. "I'll send Susan Levin with a lawyer and accountant. Susan is the deputy manager of our production department, whom I recently recruited."

"Oh? Which company did you poach her from?" Wayne asked offhandedly.

"Silver Pictures, you've heard of it, right?"

Hearing that name made Wayne pause for a moment.

Silver Pictures?

Of course, he had heard of it. After all, it's Joel Silver's company, responsible for hits like *The Matrix*, *Die Hard*, and *Lethal Weapon*.

This company was one of the biggest, just behind DreamWorks.

"You managed to poach someone from Silver Pictures?" Wayne asked in surprise.

It's not that he underestimated his own company, but Hemera Films was nowhere near the level of Silver Pictures at this point. Even with the release of *The Bourne Identity*, they wouldn't be comparable.

After all, Silver Pictures had several classic film franchises.

"Not directly from Silver Pictures, but from its subsidiary, Dark Castle Entertainment, which specializes in low-budget horror and suspense films under $10 million."

"That makes more sense!" Wayne laughed, shaking his head.

If it was just a subsidiary, then it wasn't as surprising.

"Dark Castle Entertainment? That's an interesting name—"

Wayne suddenly froze mid-sentence.

"Wait, Dark Castle Entertainment? Susan Levin? Could it be—"

On the other end, Sarah seemed to hear Wayne's mutterings and laughed. "You've heard of Susan? Makes sense. She's also an SCA graduate, in the same department as Mia, just a few years ahead. Becoming a producer at her age, even if it's only for a few million-dollar films, is pretty impressive."

Wayne was now certain.

Susan Levin, Dark Castle Entertainment, and an SCA alum—she was none other than Robert Downey Jr.'s future wife!

Originally, Susan Levin would continue to rise in her career and become vice president of Dark Castle in a few years. She would meet the struggling Robert Downey Jr. during the filming of *Gothika*, and their relationship would help him turn his life around.

But now, Sarah had poached her for Hemera Films.

So now...

"Will Tony Stark still meet his Pepper Potts? I'm not making *Gothika*!" Wayne thought, growing concerned. He had already been planning to buy the rights to *Iron Man* and *Captain America* before Marvel sold them off.

If Robert Downey Jr. never cleaned up his act due to not meeting Susan Levin, would he still be able to play Tony Stark?

After hanging up the phone, Wayne thought about it for a while. In the end, he decided that if necessary, he could have Susan produce a low-budget film and cast Downey Jr. in it, creating an opportunity for them to meet.

"Damn it! Since when did I, a capitalist, start playing matchmaker? How embarrassing!"

"But... as long as it makes money—and a lot of it—does it really matter?" Wayne mused.

Meanwhile, his assistant Hannah, who had been complaining about dozing off on set every day, got a new task: becoming Charlize Theron's fight and firearms trainer.

Theron didn't have Wayne's natural talent, so even to just learn the basics while maintaining her slim figure, she'd need at least a couple of months. With film promotions and various parties in between, it would be impressive if she could meet the required standard before finishing her scenes for *The Bourne Identity*.

Wayne's own work on *Happy Death Day* continued on schedule, with the shoot proceeding at full speed.

By September 25th, Wayne had wrapped up his scenes, including a fight scene with Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins—or more accurately, getting beaten up by him. With that, his work on *Happy Death Day* was done.

However, he didn't have time to relax or stay with Jessica and Mia. He had to leave the set early due to the unexpected poor box office performance of *Men of Honor*. After an emergency meeting at Warner Bros., they decided to move up the release of *Accepted* to September 28th to avoid clashing with DreamWorks' *Meet the Parents*, which was set to release on October 6th.

Yes, *Meet the Parents* starred Oscar-winner Robert De Niro.

Based on Wayne's past-life memories, this was a smart move.

Ben Stiller might not be a household name, but if you mention *Night at the Museum* or *The Secret Life of Walter Mitty*, his familiar face would immediately come to mind.

*Meet the Parents*, a family comedy with a $55 million production budget, eventually grossed $165 million in North America and $330 million globally, ranking in the top ten films of the year.

If *Accepted* had released at the same time, its box office would have suffered.

So moving up the release was a good thing for Wayne, though it did make things a bit rushed.

That morning, he had just finished his scenes, and by lunchtime, he only had time to grab a quick bite and change clothes before heading to Century City for a small screening of *Accepted*.

Jessica, the film's nominal female lead, didn't have to attend since she wasn't well-known, and her role had been reduced due to Natalie Portman overshadowing her. Jessica would only need to show up at the premiere on the 27th.

"Hey, Wayne, long time no see. How's the new film prep going?" 

At 2 PM, after a quick chat with Sarah and a Warner Bros. vice president, Natalie Portman, looking more regal than ever in a white mermaid gown, approached him.

"Long time no see, Natalie. You look beautiful today!" Wayne politely complimented her before getting straight to the point. "Are you asking about *The Bourne Identity*? Prep is going smoothly, and I've wrapped up my scenes for *Happy Death Day*, so now it's just a matter of waiting for Jessie to finish. Once that's done, we'll be ready to roll."

He wasn't exaggerating. Although the $50 million budget for *The Bourne Identity* wasn't fully secured, that didn't impact the project's preparation. Actor and director salaries would be paid in stages, and other staff were on weekly wages.

With sets and props only being pre-booked, they wouldn't incur costs until use. So even with just $8 million in hand, the project's early stages could proceed without a hitch.

Indeed, *Happy Death Day*'s production costs had already neared $12 million, slightly exceeding the original budget.

But with the system's triple return mechanism, Wayne wasn't worried about the cost, as long as it remained reasonable.

Natalie Portman's eyes sparkled with understanding when she realized Wayne was turning down her offer. But she wasn't the type to give up easily, which had helped her achieve her current fame and status. Smiling sweetly, she moved closer to Wayne, her tone intimate: "You've been so busy with filming and preparing your new project. You must be exhausted. I've just received some authentic Yirgacheffe coffee—how about coming over tonight to try it?"

Yirgacheffe coffee is a type of high-quality coffee from the Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia, naturally imbued with floral and fruity aromas. The price per pound can reach several hundred dollars, making it one of the most expensive coffees in the world.

However, what Natalie Portman might want him to "taste" is probably more than just the Yirgacheffe coffee, right? To be honest, after the shine of her stardom faded in his previous life, he had already lost interest in Natalie Portman.

It wasn't just that Natalie's appearance and figure paled in comparison to top-tier beauties like Jessica, Theron, or Anne. It was also because Natalie had a somewhat overbearing and aggressive personality.

Sure, they both saw this as a transaction, but there was a big difference between him making the first move and Natalie doing so. Moreover, what Natalie wanted was more than what he was willing to give, which was the real issue.

So, he had no hesitation in rejecting Natalie Portman.

"Sorry, Natalie, I've already made plans to 'relax' with someone tonight."

A flicker of displeasure crossed Natalie Portman's eyes upon hearing this. Perhaps due to her early fame, she had always held herself in high regard.

But when she thought about the benefits Wayne could bring to her career, she managed to suppress her frustration and softly asked, "What about tomorrow night then?"

"Tomorrow night won't work either. In fact, I've already booked a yacht. Since the premiere is still two days away, I'm planning to take my girls out for a relaxing trip at sea."

"But aren't your two girlfriends still on the set of *Happy Death Day*?" Natalie asked, frowning.

"That's true, but I have other girlfriends too!"

At this point, Wayne had a sudden idea and smiled, "Of course, compared to the superstars, my number of girlfriends is still a bit low. Besides Mia and Jess, I only have four others. But Natalie, if you'd like to join us, I'd be more than happy!"

". . ."

Natalie Portman was momentarily speechless, caught off guard by the reversal.

What a joke! She was a rising B-list actress, after all! Spending one-on-one time with Wayne would be one thing, but with other women? No way!

Wayne wasn't a top executive at one of the Big Seven studios, nor was he a director like Spielberg or Cameron! He wasn't worth her making such a sacrifice.

"Well then, I wish you a pleasant vacation!" Natalie forced a smile, her expression visibly stiff, before turning and walking toward the Warner Bros. executive she had been talking to earlier.

There were plenty of people in Hollywood who could help her career. Wayne was just a bit more attractive, better built, and more talented than the rest—nothing worth getting too attached to.

In fact, this was one of the reasons Wayne wanted to put some distance between them.

Soon, with all the invited reporters and critics in attendance, the film officially began its screening.

"Hey, Posey, let's switch seats!"

After sitting down, Wayne deliberately swapped seats with director Posey, ensuring he wouldn't be sitting next to Natalie Portman, with whom relations had become a bit tense.

Having already seen the finished film, Wayne didn't focus much on the big screen during the screening. Instead, he turned his attention to the audience area with anticipation.

Since Warner Bros. had invited a lot of journalists and critics, regular viewers only made up a small portion of the audience.

But even so, there were still seventy or eighty people in attendance.

These viewers were carefully selected by Warner Bros., representing a cross-section of various age groups and demographics. Observing their reactions would help gauge the film's real target audience, aiding in the next steps for promotion and expanding the film's release.

To Wayne's surprise, the audience's reactions were polarized right from the beginning of the film.

"A high school student making fake IDs in the school's home economics classroom? Bartleby is way too irresponsible . . ."

Some viewers, especially those from privileged or more traditional backgrounds, frowned slightly when they saw Bartleby making fake IDs in the opening scenes.

On the other hand, another portion of the audience couldn't help but smile, whispering to their friends, "Wow! This guy is so cool! Why didn't I think of a way to make money like that back then?"

**End of Chapter**