Chapter 522: Angels

[Chapter 522: The Burden of Force]

"What are you planning to do?" Joanna asked Eric after she finished reading the email seriously.

Eric chuckled lightly, "Honestly, it's not a big deal. I've been single for a while now."

Joanna blinked her slender eyes a few times, and she almost grasped the situation. Eric wasn't married, so having a child early wouldn't be too significant; at most, some conservative folks would criticize him, but with his current power and fame, it wouldn't cause him any real harm.

"So... Will the movie really be affected?" Joanna pointed to the email.

Eric smiled and patted Joanna's hand. "Don't worry, it won't have much impact. You don't need to concern yourself with this. Just focus on taking good care of the little one. And if you ever get bored and want to work, I can arrange for you to do a movie or whatever you're interested in. Haven't you been chatting with Emily about fashion? Interested in being a designer?"

Joanna shook her head, leaning gently against Eric's arm. "I was just talking with Emily; I'm not like you. I can only act, nothing else."

"Then just let it be. If you want to do something, just let me know."

"Yeah," Joanna replied softly, pausing for a moment before adding, "Eric, I told my parents about Elia's birth."

Eric turned to look at her. "What did they say?"

"They didn't say much. They just hope I'll be doing okay."

Eric squeezed Joanna's hand and said, "I assure you, you and Elia, you two will be just fine."

"I know," Joanna nodded. "But there's something else."

"What's that?"

"My... my little sister plans to come to America. Mom and Dad hope I can look after her."

Eric was somewhat puzzled. It was the first time he heard Joanna mention having a younger sister. "Why didn't you ever mention her?"

"I didn't think it was necessary," Joanna said, looking at Eric. "Her name is Ewa, Ewa Pacuła. She's... she's a year younger than you."

Being a year younger meant Ewa Pacuła was just twenty-two years old.

Eric's mind spun as he subconsciously asked, "Is Ewa prettier than you?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Eric felt a sharp pinch on his arm from Joanna, causing him to rub it and cry out in pain.

Joanna released him, shot Eric a glare, but softly said, "Everyone who knows us says Ewa looks just like me, especially our eyes."

This time, Eric didn't dare to joke, nodding in agreement. "Your eyes are the prettiest. So, what's Ewa coming to America for? Can I help in any way?"

"I initially thought of asking for your help, but never mind. I'm going to keep Ewa far from you," Joanna said bluntly.

Eric quickly donned a charming smile. "Alright, you handle it. I won't interfere. But if you need help, it's fine to ask someone else and just say it was my idea."

Joanna nodded and sighed, "Ewa wanted to come a few years ago, but I insisted she finish her degree in Poland."

Eric asked, "What does she study?"

"English," Joanna replied, then glanced at Eric. "Her English is way better than mine. She won't... won't have that strange accent you like."

To prepare for Twister, Joanna went through extensive language training to lose her accent. But after filming was over, her accent returned, a quirky, rolled-r tongue English that Eric couldn't quite define but strangely liked.

As they talked, Eric's mobile phone beside him rang.

"Hello, is this Mr. Williams?" a female voice came through.

This mobile number was new, assigned when Eric came to New York, and not many knew it. Hearing the somewhat familiar but strange voice, Eric asked, "Yes, this is I. Who is this?"

"Mr. Williams, this is Michelle Simmons. I just returned from Europe. Your old number was answered by Mr. Fishman, who told me I could reach you at this number."

Eric immediately recalled her, saying, "Michelle, how was your trip to Europe?"

"Yes, Mr. Williams, I found several qualified actresses as you requested. They are with me in Los Angeles, and I wanted to ask if you could arrange a time to meet them."

Eric considered for a moment. "How about you fax their information to me first? I'll take a look. Write down the number."

Michelle Simmons seemed to know something and didn't argue. "Just a moment; I'll find a pen."

After a while, Michelle noted the fax number before hanging up.

Joanna saw Eric hang up and asked, "Is there an urgent matter in Los Angeles you have to handle?"

Eric shook his head, smiling. "No, don't worry. I promised I would spend time here with you guys."

Joanna smiled, standing up. "I was just thinking about the fax. Should I go grab it for you?"

"Yeah, it might take a bit longer," Eric replied.

...

After Joanna left, Eric looked at the email on his computer screen, thought for a moment, and wrote a reply to Jerry Bruckheimer. He then shut down the browser and began typing the story outline for Charlie's Angels.

Nearly half an hour passed, and Joanna still hadn't returned, but Virginia walked out with a pile of faxes. "Hey, look at all these pretty faces. What are you up to now?"

Eric laughed as he picked up the documents. "Didn't I tell you? I'm planning to remake Charlie's Angels into an action movie for women."

Virginia sat down in Joanna's chair, took a few sips of Eric's coffee, and asked, "Is this your next movie?"

Eric looked at the materials in his hand, not realizing the deeper meaning behind Virginia's words, and simply nodded. "Yeah, next movie."

Virginia immediately frowned, saying, "It seems like you're just planning to use this movie as a pretext to fool around with the leading ladies. Charlie's Angels? Pshh, I've seen it. Just three little flirts showing off their bodies."

Realizing Virginia thought he would personally direct Charlie's Angels, he merely felt amused. He reflected on how the once gentle woman had turned into a fiery mom after giving birth -- not in terms of body shape but temperament.

He pushed a portion of the story outline he had written toward Virginia, saying, "This is serious work, and I only intend to be the writer, not the director."

Virginia used the mouse to scroll to the top of the document and read a few lines. Suddenly, she became interested and pulled the notebook closer to her.

Noticing her move, Eric shifted the stack of actress profiles Michelle Simmons had sent, making room as he continued reading.

Moments later, Eric's gaze landed on one actress's profile.

Virginia suddenly spoke, "Eric, this Jill Monroe is a genius with high IQ, and I like the setup for Sabrina Wells, but I feel the character of Kelly Garrett is a bit forced. I've seen Bruce Lee's action films, but Kelly Garrett was adopted by an old Chinese man who runs a martial arts school in Chinatown after her parents died when she was six. Wouldn't she have other relatives? Even if she didn't have any family, according to federal adoption laws, it wouldn't be possible for an old Chinese man to adopt her. There are many inconsistencies."

Eric listened to Virginia's ramble with a slight smile. These were merely brainstorming ideas that would undergo significant modifications later. But glancing at the profile in his hand, he chuckled, saying, "If it doesn't work, we can adjust it. Maybe give her a Chinese grandfather who knows martial arts. It'd make more sense. What do you think?"

Virginia looked at him, "A grandfather who knows martial arts?"

Eric smiled, "Yeah, there's a profile here of an actress who has a quarter Chinese ancestry. She'd be perfect."

With that, Eric pulled out the actress's profile and placed it on the round table.

Virginia picked it up and immediately saw the photo of the graceful and striking girl. Her eyes then fell to the girl's biographical details as she quietly read out the name, "Kate Beckinsale."

Eric smiled, knowing the character Kelly Garrett in Charlie's Angels had been defined as the 'muscle' of the Angels. Who could be more fitting than Kate Beckinsale, who would later earn the title of Hollywood's "Violent Barbie"?

Meanwhile, Virginia was beside Eric, wowed. "Wow, an Oxford grad! No wait, given her age, she should only be a sophomore now. Haha, now that she's in Hollywood, she's probably not going to finish her degree."

"Alright, don't hate on a high-achieving student just because you lack academic prowess," Eric said, pulling the profile from Virginia's grasp.

Virginia wasn't bothered and chuckled, "Isn't your other beauty, Jennifer Connelly, just studying at Stanford?"

Eric countered, "You still have to have what it takes to get into Stanford. Do you?"

"I'm not interested," Virginia nonchalantly rose, asking, "What do you want for dinner?"

"I'll eat whatever the kid's having. Is that okay?"

"Ugh, I'll just starve you to death!" Virginia blushed, rolled her eyes at Eric, and left.

Eric smiled to himself and shrugged, turning his attention back to the profiles in his hands.

...

The candidates Michelle Simmons found weren't many, just eight, and even though the profiles were detailed, he quickly finished reviewing them. Eric initially thought he wouldn't encounter any "familiar faces," but upon reaching the last one, a familiar, somewhat wild-looking Latina woman's photo appeared before him.

Penelope Cruz!

Eric raised an eyebrow in surprise, glancing up at the character setup for the other Angel, Sabrina Wells. Although it diverged from his memory of her, he thought carefully and realized that Penelope Cruz's persona and image perfectly matched the role of Sabrina Wells.

As for the last role of "IQ Specialist," it clearly belonged to the already signed Charlize Theron.

Eric hardly hesitated before picking up the mobile phone beside him, scrolling through his laptop to find Michelle Simmons' contact number, and dialing.

The call was soon connected. Upon hearing Eric's voice, Michelle sounded slightly surprised but asked, "Mr. Williams, I sent the materials over. Did you receive them?"

"I did," Eric replied, looking at the two profiles on the round table. "Kate Beckinsale and Penelope Cruz -- besides what I have here, is there any other info on them?"

Michelle paused, seemingly searching for something, then quickly responded, "Most of their information has been sent. Penelope's resume is complete. She made her mark last year in Jamón Jamón, which won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival. Her performance was well received. As for Kate Beckinsale, though she's only played minor roles, she participated in a major Shakespearean comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, last year. It's set to release next month. The leads are Kenneth Branagh, the Best Actor at the Oscars three years ago, and this year's Best Actress, Emma Thompson. Additionally, stars like Michael Keaton and Keanu Reeves have also participated. The production company aims for an Oscar sweep next year, so the production should be exceptional. To be a part of such a film indicates this girl has strong capabilities; I even auditioned her while in the UK."

*****

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