Chapter 65: The Eye of Hollywood

In trailers and promotional posters for 'The Rock,' John Mason is portrayed as a former British agent."

Facing the cameras of Fox Television, Sean Connery showcased his usual gentlemanly demeanor. "Warner Bros. and director Duke Rosenberg have both invited me, and I'm very interested in this role. We were in substantial negotiations, but Duke changed his mind and hired a lesser-known older actor for the part. I feel quite regretful."

"Are you very interested in this role?" the reporter asked in response.

"Yes, I am very interested in this role," Sean Connery admitted directly. "Everyone knows what my first famous role was; I have no reason to refuse. I believe the fans would love to see me play a role like this…"

Throughout Connery's statements, he subtly hinted that the audience and the media were drawing comparisons between the current John Mason and himself, especially since he repeatedly adjusted his suit collar during the interview, clearly indicating that he is the retired former British agent.

The scene then shifted to the studio, where the host timely commented.

"Given the character design of John Mason, there is no one among Hollywood's older actors more suitable than Sean Connery. Sean is also very interested in this role. I don't understand why that young director, Duke Rosenberg, rejected Sean in favor of casting Christopher Lee, an unknown actor. Does he really think Lee can compare with Sean Connery?"

Some things do not need to be stated explicitly; nowadays, guiding public opinion through the media is relatively easy, especially for a major television network like Fox, which caters to the entire U.S.

Turning off the television, Sofia walked back and sat down in her place, looking at Duke.

"This day has finally come," she said, appearing quite relaxed.

"Nothing ever goes smoothly; this is a fiercely competitive Hollywood," Duke replied.

Just after he finished speaking, Duke's phone rang again. The caller was Jeff Robinov from Warner Bros. After listening for a moment, he said, "Yes, I saw it. I will cooperate with Warner's publicity plan!"

From the next day onward, many media outlets began to hype the news that Sean Connery had previously been rejected by Duke. The media thrives on sensationalism; they don't care about the potential insider details, as long as it draws attention—it's as if they would welcome a nuclear war.

"Younger Duke Rosenberg made a mistake by rejecting the best former British agent."

"What reason does Duke have to reject Sean? This will lead to the audience missing out on the best British agent role."

"Who is Christopher Lee? Who has heard of him? Can he compare to Sean Connery?"

The ordinary media commentary was relatively restrained, but it was no surprise that exaggerated reports began to appear in the tabloids under the News Corporation umbrella.

"It is so unfair to poor Christopher Lee; the film hasn't even been released yet, only the trailer and poster description have been revealed, and he's already being compared to Hollywood's best old actor. The character of John Mason in 'The Rock' is bound to be a failure."

"The New York Post randomly interviewed 100 film fans, of whom 97 had never heard of Christopher Lee and expressed skepticism about his portrayal of the agent role…"

These tabloids were making comparisons between Sean Connery and Christopher Lee. Even insiders in Hollywood could see that this involved competition and other factors, but no one could articulate anything specific. This is a common tactic, and Sean Connery is clearly crushing Christopher Lee—no one can deny that.

"Why didn't Duke use Sean Connery?"

Sitting in a hamburger joint, Jones looked at Allen in confusion. "Although I haven't seen many of Sean Connery's movies and I'm not familiar with these older actors, the first 007 should surely be more fitting than that… that other guy, right?"

"It doesn't matter..." Allen shrugged, clearly uninterested. "Who plays the role is not that important. We're watching Duke's films for his action scenes and explosions. Besides, Sean Connery is not an actor of our generation; to me, he's just a washed-up old star. 007? That was ages ago!"

As Kunites returned with a soda, he happened to overhear Allen's words and chimed in, "Sean Connery doesn't belong to our generation; who cares who he is!"

Every generation has its favorite stars. After leaving 007, Connery had fallen from grace until he saw a slight resurgence in the late '80s. It was clear that Connery was not among the actors particularly favored by audiences of the late '60s and early '70s, who now dominated the current film market.

Having experienced an era of advanced internet, Duke knew that the teenage audience, who occupies the majority of the theater market, would not easily accept an old star. Otherwise, he wouldn't have taken the risk of using Christopher Lee, and Warner had already devised relevant publicity plans.

In the Duke Studios in North Hollywood, Duke had just sent Christopher Lee and his agent away and returned to the office, which was now left with only him and Charles Roven.

Some matters are only suitable for two people to discuss. If a third person were present, any potential conflict with Warner could become a sore point.

As for Sean Connery, Duke neither liked him nor disliked him. Entering this circle, personal preferences must take a backseat. He adhered to only one point: those who share common interests are temporary friends, while those who infringe upon his interests are enemies.

Just as he had thought, one must never judge current partnerships based on past feelings toward a film role.

However, his strength and capital were extremely limited now; he could only cling to and borrow the massive support of Warner Bros., his current partner.

"Charles..." Duke said, sitting down and looking at the production manager. "Is there any specific progress in the fire investigation?"

"None. Everything points to an accidental fire caused by mismanagement," Charles Roven said, somewhat helpless. "Such fires happen every year in Hollywood, and it's not the first time for the Warner studio. The fire during 'Batman' still doesn't have a convincing conclusion, and this time it's the same. The Los Angeles police are about to close the case."

He shook his head. "Currently, there is no evidence indicating that this was arson. Warner is quite angry, but they can't find a way to vent that anger. They can't exactly attack CAA as a whole."

"Charles, remember what you told me? Some things don't require evidence!"

Previously, Duke had focused his energy on post-production, and the fire had to be set aside. Now that post-production only remained as a tail end, he didn't care whether it was arson or not. The fire had touched his interests, and it was obvious that certain people might benefit from it. So, he was very straightforward about scapegoating.

"I don't know what Warner's higher-ups are thinking. This is not within the rules of conduct and seriously violates industry bottom lines. If certain people don't learn their lesson, if something like this happens once, it will happen again!"

Does it matter if it was arson? Slandering certain people also aligns with Warner's interests, especially since it is extremely beneficial for the film's promotion.

"Does Warner want to face a second loss? The fire destroyed not just our $870,000, but Warner's reputation and face! Are we supposed to sit back and watch those who harmed our interests continue to enjoy themselves?" He wouldn't pretend to be magnanimous; if someone slapped him, he would return the favor twice if he could.

"What are your thoughts?" Charles Roven asked.

"Have you heard of the Eye of Hollywood, Charles?"

Half an hour later, Duke saw Charles Roven off at the office door. The latter had not provided any answer throughout. Everything depended on Warner's assessment and decision; this was no trivial matter, and no one would easily agree or leave evidence behind.

Hollywood is full of things that cannot be seen in the light. Just like Duke and Charles Roven, they would only have thoughts in their hearts, never easily leaving incriminating evidence. Once they left the office, neither would admit to what they had just discussed.

The media continued to hype the news about Sean Connery, while Duke and Warner had not given any direct responses, waiting for the news to fully ferment. CAA evidently had not taken seriously or thoroughly investigated a minor figure like Christopher Lee, unaware that minor characters often have unusual backgrounds.

Wearing black sunglasses, Anthony Pellicano entered an old café in Venice, casually looked around, and walked to a coffee table where a Latino man was sitting across from him.

This was an unremarkable-looking man with an average build, someone who would hardly stand out in a crowd. However, Pellicano's keen instincts, developed from his profession, led him to suspect that the man was likely a private investigator or someone handling behind-the-scenes matters for a large company. But he, having gained the title 'The Eye of Hollywood,' certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to ask too many questions.

The two men hardly spoke. A thick leather bag and a copy of the entertainment section of a newspaper were all that Pellicano received. Some things didn't need to be explicitly stated. After the other man left, his gaze naturally fell on the newspaper.

The headline of the paper featured a gray-haired old man, who radiated gentlemanly charm even in print.

This is his target! It seems a bit challenging, doesn't it?

Though that thought flashed briefly, Pellicano chuckled as he felt the weight of the leather bag.

He had dared to investigate superstars like Elizabeth Taylor and Sylvester Stallone, and he wasn't going to be deterred by a washed-up character.

Pellicano didn't care about the people who hired him at all. Those who wanted to investigate these stars were either competitors or rival companies, which was quite common in Hollywood. His principle was simple: he got paid to do the job. Previous investigation subjects could turn into future employers, and current employers might also become future subjects of investigation.

He picked up the newspaper featuring an article on Sean Connery and walked out of the café.