Chapter 90: Let's Get Started

[Chapter 91: Let's Get Started]

Inside a small conference room at William Morris.

Everyone gathered around the table.

Hawke sat at the head of the conference table and said, "Let's summarize what everyone has on their plates."

Dany put down her phone. "I just received some news. Paul Walker has signed with Universal Pictures, and the filming schedule for Fast & Furious 2 overlaps with our project."

Hawke reminded her, "You need to keep an eye on the production team. Watch out for any new actors joining the auditions."

He turned to Johnson. "What about you, Dwayne?"

Johnson replied, "In the past couple of days, I had lunch with producer Leonard Goldberg and even played a round of golf with him. He doesn't hold any grudges against me, but when it comes to the role, he won't budge easily since there are others vying for it too."

Hawke asked directly, "What about Leonard's preferences? Male or female? Or does he swing both ways?"

Since he had chosen this line of work, Johnson felt no embarrassment. "He's straight; I can confirm that. Plus, his taste aligns somewhat with mine -- he likes strong women."

Dany added, "Actress Michelle Rodriguez has been visiting Leonard's hotel room for discussions about the script and the leading lady for several nights in a row. She's likely to land the role."

Auditions were just the foundation; the real decisions were made outside the audition room.

Hawke looked over at Caroline. "What's happening on your end?"

Caroline passed her materials over to Hawke and said, "My assistant Sasha contacted the operations manager at the Firefighters' Fund Insurance Company, Green, last night. Through some probing, we established that Green views Steve Nutt as the archetype for white men and is extremely supportive of the advocacy for Black civil rights."

Hawke took the materials and reviewed them. This was information Caroline gathered about competitors and the power players in the production.

He skimmed through it quickly, pulling out some previously prepared photos to stick on the whiteboard. They included One-Eyed Pirate, Clark Johnson, Spike Lee, and Insurance Manager Green.

Hawke laid out what he had seen yesterday and the subsequent investigation, concluding, "Samuel, Clark, and Spike are all supporters of the civil rights movement in Hollywood; the latter two are even leading figures. They are highly sensitive to the rights of Black individuals in Hollywood."

He added, "Spike Lee never stirs up trouble with major companies, but when it comes to personal actors and the Academy Awards, he has dropped more than a few curse words in frustration."

Caroline followed Hawke's rhythm, understanding his intentions. "But Colin Farrell and Josh Hartnett have never shown any tendencies toward racial discrimination."

Johnson chimed in, "Samuel is just a nominal producer; he might influence director Clark, but Clark only has advisory power. The real decision-maker is Leonard, and he's white."

Hawke's finger tapped on Green's photo. "So we need to pull in the third-party insurance manager to put pressure on both sides and influence the crew's decision."

He turned to Caroline. "There's one particular skill for our job that's crucial."

Caroline worked hard to keep up with Hawke's pace.

Edward shook his head at Ms. Baa, feeling her skills weren't impressive, saying, "Creating something out of nothing!"

Caroline immediately recalled an earlier collaboration with Hawke, where the public revelation about Steve's son was something Hawke had fabricated.

"Yesterday, I came up with our first specific plan: we'll stage a discrimination incident!" Hawke's choice was influenced by the social backdrop. "The Steve Nutt incident has initiated another peak of Black civil rights discussions across California, especially in Los Angeles."

Caroline stared at Hawke, feeling a strange admiration. The wave he created, only to have it utilized by him later on, was something that even the head of a PR firm like Rooney Chasen would struggle to handle.

Johnson and Dany exchanged glances, the former asking, "Are we taking them all out at once?"

Hawke shook his head. "That approach can only be used once on a single target; we'll take out the biggest threat."

Dany added, "Josh Hartnett; he starred in Pearl Harbor. While the film was criticized by both media and audiences, many still see it as an impressive credential. Plus, he collaborated with Sony Columbia on Black Hawk Down."

Johnson pointed out, "Josh has a good relationship with Leonard's co-producer. I suspect there's something more to that friendship."

Hawke understood what that "something" was and wasn't surprised. Even if you can't make it to the top, the leading actor in a large or medium-sized investment project may not have to pay less than the leading actress.

The Hollywood scandals out in the media didn't even scratch the surface of what went on.

Hawke asked the key question, "What's Josh Hartnett's background?"

Dany elaborated, "He came from a regular family, non-showbiz second generation. He studied acting at the State University of New York and has faced hurdles on his way up, but he managed to reach his current status. Besides his acting, his biggest asset in Hollywood is his physique."

Hawke wrote Josh's name under the pictures of the four men.

Next, he wrote down Colin Farrell's name. "We also need to figure out how to counter him; otherwise, everything done to Josh could end up benefiting him."

Caroline said, "Colin Farrell is close with Kevin Spacey. I heard a rumor that they got together while working on Ordinary Decent Criminal."

Hawke nodded slightly. "Tell me more about Colin Farrell."

Caroline detailed, "He's Irish. Both his parents were football players, and he himself started as an athlete before switching to drama school. Like many Irish men, he enjoys drinking, has a fiery temper, and often flies off the handle over trivial issues, especially when dealing with those beneath him."

Hawke glanced at the list of works Colin had appeared in; he acted in his first feature film in 2000 and had a movie titled Phone Booth releasing this year.

Caroline continued, "He's got good looks, a great physique, and he's daring. He participates in all sorts of games, which many producers and directors appreciate, so his future looks promising within the industry."

Hawke stuck a press photo of Colin Farrell on the whiteboard. "If the producer has a preference for men, Dwayne won't have a chance."

Edward interjected, "Thank goodness Leonard is a straight guy."

Hawke asked a pivotal question, "Did Kevin Spacey only call Dwayne?"

"No," Dany clarified after digging deeper. "He called everyone who attended the final audition, trying to leverage his fame and influence over the candidates. He even specifically sought out producer Leonard."

Hawke shifted the conversation back to Leonard: "What does the producer hate the most in both his personal and professional life?"

"Leonard Goldberg is a veteran producer at Columbia Pictures, having been in the industry since the 1970s," Caroline explained. "He despises being rejected by actresses in his personal life; he's produced or been involved in over 30 films and shows, and any actress who has refused him or stood him up has been completely cut off."

She continued with his professional disposition: "In terms of work, he hates tardiness. During auditions for Charlie's Angels, Cameron Diaz was late, and Leonard shot down her chances right away. Drew Barrymore had practically pre-sold half the investment in that film, and despite her best efforts to mediate, Cameron Diaz still had to spend the entire night with Leonard."

Edward remarked, "Isn't it true that it was Drew Barrymore's continuous invitations that ultimately got Cameron to begrudgingly participate?"

"Just promotional material; I recommend not taking it too seriously," Caroline replied. "I've fabricated some behind-the-scenes footage for various productions for promotion."

Suddenly, Johnson stated, "I'm a hero who thwarted a robbery."

The serious atmosphere was broken, and everyone burst into laughter.

After settling down, Hawke asked, "Any similar situations?"

Caroline responded, "Yes, during auditions for projects like Aspen Extreme and Double Jeopardy, similar incidents occurred. All the actors who were late were outright rejected by him."

Hawke was starting to get the picture. "For now, we'll focus on the biggest threat, Josh Hartnett."

He said, "We haven't initiated anything yet; right now, the ones causing the most stir are Colin Farrell and his master, Kevin Spacey, who has also made threatening calls. If we take out Josh Hartnett, who do you think he would suspect first?"

Dany laughed, "Colin Farrell."

Hawke continued, "Of course he'll suspect us too, but that's not important. Let's muddy the waters."

Johnson said, "Tell us what you need us to do; we're on it."

To get things done, money was a foundation. Hawke directly stated, "You prepare a sum of operating cash; nothing else matters. Don't flop in the audition room; we need you to meet the basic requirements."

Johnson put in his investment too. "I'm in touch with the S.W.A.T. team in LA; I'll be experiencing life as part of the squad tomorrow."

Hawke turned to Dany and Caroline. "Both of you tap into your resources to find out about Josh Hartnett's recent schedule. I need to know the places he frequently visits, like bars, hotels, and gyms."

Caroline responded, "Public schedules aren't hard to track down; for private ones, we can trace them using the public schedule."

Hawke looked at Edward. "You're on standby."

Edward, being a good driver and a native of Los Angeles, knew the roads and neighborhoods very well, and he hadn't messed up during the few times he had to drive with others.

As for how to deal with Josh Hartnett, that would be up to Hawke now.

...

Half an hour later, the meeting wrapped up. Hawke grabbed a stack of cash and left with Edward.

Back in the car, Hawke said, "Get to searching for the our trio of trouble makers."

Edward replied, "Those three are itching to make some money again."

Hawke dropped Edward off at Fountain Street, letting him pick up a car to locate them.

...

The next day, Caroline provided Hawke with a range of information about Josh Hartnett.

Despite receiving backlash for his role in Pearl Harbor, he had gained fame. With combined media and PR insights, it became clear where Josh Hartnett frequently hung out.

After thoroughly researching, Hawke drove around to check these places, including Paloma Bar on North Santa Monica Boulevard, a residence in Sherman Oaks, a gym in North Hollywood, and the performance school located at Paramount Pictures.

He also called in the trio to Ranch Park for some impromptu training.

Hawke mapped out several action plans based on different locations, but the execution would rely on how well the trio adapted on the spot.

More information came in from Caroline: it turned out that Josh Hartnett had never had a Black friend and had a general indifference toward the Black community.

Edward was dispatched by Hawke to keep an eye on Josh Hartnett for the opportune moment.

On an ordinary afternoon, Edward called, reporting that Josh, after changing his appearance, had gone to the Marriott Hotel in Manhattan Beach.

Hawke promptly gathered the team and set out.

*****

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