Chapter 27

Emma Stone recently left for Portland, Oregon, where she will stay for at least three months. At Xu Can's suggestion, she accepted the lead role of Isabella in The Twilight Saga, successfully winning the part over Kristen Stewart during the auditions. The producers were drawn to Emma's rising popularity and box office appeal, recognizing her as one of Hollywood's hottest young actresses at just 18 years old. They even agreed to modify the script, removing the kiss scenes and adjusting the character dynamics to better suit her.

With Emma in Oregon, Xu Can's apartment in Los Angeles feels emptier. However, Xu Can himself is about to become busy as production on John Wick is officially underway. The majority of the film will be shot at Sony Pictures Studios, with additional scenes in New York and Berlin.

When Xu Can arrived on set, ready to film the first scene, a flash of inspiration struck him, immersing him deeply into the mindset of his character, John Wick.

"My name is John Wick, and I am a retired assassin," Xu Can recited, embodying his character. "Once, I worked for a powerful crime syndicate, leaving a trail of blood in my wake, becoming a legend in the underworld. But then I met Helen, the love of my life. After retiring, we lived happily together for five years. Unfortunately, Helen passed away due to illness. Before she died, she gave me a dog, Daisy, to help ease my grief. After burying my wife, Daisy became my sole companion.

One day, I encountered a gangster at a gas station who tried to buy my car by force. When I refused, he broke into my home later that night and killed Daisy. The boss of the gang knew who I was and panicked, hoping to plead for mercy. But there is no mercy. They all have to die. Every last one of them."

Xu Can snapped out of the role, feeling as though he had truly lived John Wick's life. The memories of the character lingered, leaving Xu Can momentarily overwhelmed by grief and anger.

"Xu, are you okay?" David Leitch, the director of John Wick, asked with concern. Xu Can, not only the star and screenwriter of the film but also its investor, was integral to the movie's success. David Leitch felt more like a facilitator of Xu Can's vision, content to follow his lead.

"It's fine," Xu Can reassured him, picking up a prop pistol and getting ready for the first take.

"John Wick, scene one, shot one, take one!" the clapperboard snapped.

"Action!"

Meanwhile, in the Far East, a Spider-Man craze was sweeping across Hong Kong. Even though the film had been in theaters for over a week, screenings were still packed, with Spider-Man dominating over 70% of the showtimes. Local films, which once ruled the box office in Hong Kong, were being pushed aside by the Hollywood blockbuster.

Back in 1995, Hong Kong cinema was considered the Hollywood of the East, but the industry had been in decline since then. In 2006, local films like Jet Li's Fearless and Jackie Chan's Rob-B-Hood struggled to compete against major Hollywood releases.

Spider-Man changed all that, smashing records with an opening week gross of 38 million HKD, surpassing the previous top-grossing film, Pirates of the Caribbean 2. Media outlets predicted that Spider-Man would exceed 50 million HKD, rekindling the long-lost enthusiasm for cinema on the island.

Across the strait in Taiwan, Spider-Man also dominated, grossing over 120 million TWD in its first week, outshining Pirates of the Caribbean.

However, in mainland China, Spider-Man faced obstacles. Due to disputes with China Film Group and the strict censorship process, the movie had not yet been released in 2006. Despite this, media outlets were buzzing about the film, predicting it would surpass the success of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Domestically, there was little awareness that a Chinese actor had played Spider-Man. Online forums were filled with debates about the authenticity of these claims, with some doubting that a Chinese actor could successfully portray the iconic superhero. However, this skepticism was put to rest when China Film Group made a major announcement:

"Chinese actor Xu Can stars in the sci-fi action blockbuster Spider-Man, set to be released on January 28th!"

The news sent shockwaves through the Chinese film community, silencing doubters and stirring excitement among moviegoers.

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