Chapter 470 - 471: Two Down-and-Out Guys and Saw
That night, after Frank and his family finished dinner at Martin's house, they left.
Frank looked eager, brimming with the excitement of a man about to embark on a new business venture.
As they got into the car, Miranda Kerr finally snapped out of her daze. "Frank, am I really going to start a fashion business?"
"Of course! And not just fashion. With Martin and his network of female celebrities backing us, we're going straight into the luxury market—clothing, watches, jewelry, handbags—we can do it all!"
"What brand? What business?" Chris Kerr had the same bewildered expression Miranda had earlier.
Frank explained his new business collaboration with Martin.
Chris nodded approvingly. "This is a good opportunity. I may not like Martin's playboy ways, but I do admire his business acumen. He's never failed at anything so far."
In the West, success—and following successful people—was the way of life.
...
After bidding farewell to Frank's family, Martin went upstairs to his study.
He turned on his computer, opened his email, and clicked on the message from Chris Columbus.
The list of names was long, but Martin skimmed through it quickly.
In no time, he had selected three names: Crystal Liu, Katie Leung, and Yang Mi.
Crystal Liu, Chinese, born in 1987, recently starred in the TV series Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.
Katie Leung, a British-Chinese actress, was the original Harry Potter film series' Cho Chang.
Yang Mi, Chinese, born in September 1986, was 17 years old and had appeared in the TV drama The Story of a Noble Family and the TV movie Beijing Fairytale.
...
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The next day, Martin called Columbus.
"When do auditions begin?"
"The first round is scheduled for mid-November."
"Move the second round to after Christmas."
"Got it. So, you're skipping the first round?"
"Yeah. Just notify me before the second round starts. Also, I have a list—put these names straight into the second round."
"No problem. Send it over."
...
Throughout November, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was raking in massive box office revenue.
In December, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King hit theaters, stealing the spotlight from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
With Legolas making his grand return, the Elven Prince once again captivated audiences worldwide.
At the same time, a surprising announcement surfaced:
Martin would be taking the SATs in December.
(SAT exams are held on the first Saturday of March, May, June, October, November, and December, as well as the last Saturday of August.)
At the premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, reporters swarmed Martin.
"Martin, rumors say you're taking the SATs this year. Is that true?"
"Are you planning to go to college? Have you chosen a university? What will you study?"
"You've spent the entire year acting and handling business affairs. Have you had time to study? Are you worried about your scores?"
Liv Tyler, who was standing beside Martin, was completely ignored. But she didn't mind—she was just as curious about his answers.
"Yes, I'll be taking the December SAT. I've always planned to attend college to broaden my knowledge. If I had more free time, I would have taken the test in June."
"What? Which university?"
"No, not NYU. Not USC either." (These two universities have the most renowned film programs.) "I'll probably apply to Harvard Law."
"And the SAT? I'm not worried. Just wait and see my scores."
The next day, media outlets were flooded with reports about Martin's decision to attend university.
"Is Martin abandoning his acting career to pursue higher education? Will this be a mistake, like Natalie Portman's decision?"
"Martin's overwhelming success in various fields makes us forget that he's still a high school student. According to his teachers, despite his busy schedule, he always makes time for key exams—and his grades are excellent."
"To those who doubt him, don't forget—besides being a successful author, actor, musician, and entrepreneur, Martin is also a top student. Even though he rarely attends class, he's always ranked first in his grade."
"A reporter interviewed the dean of Harvard Law School, who expressed enthusiasm about Martin's potential enrollment."
"The Return of the King might be Martin's farewell performance. If he truly focuses on his studies, we may not see another film from him for four years."
The hype around The Return of the King skyrocketed, and so did its box office performance.
Warner Bros. was overjoyed.
...
"Martin, are you really leaving Hollywood?"
Natalie Portman asked over the phone.
"Of course not! The reporters are just making things up. It's just college—I can handle both."
Natalie sighed in relief. "That's good. You know, when I left the industry to study, I didn't realize how much four years away would erode my hard-earned reputation. It was incredibly difficult to restart my career."
Martin wasn't worried about that. He simply didn't want to lose his massive source of magical energy—his fame and influence.
...
Los Angeles. In a run-down apartment, two men lay sprawled on a worn-out couch, completely motionless.
After a long silence, one of them, a scruffy-haired man, suddenly erupted.
"F***, f***, f***! Are all those Hollywood executives blind? Our script is amazing, yet they won't even consider it!"
The other man, an Asian with dyed blonde hair, glanced at him. "Face it, man. We're out of luck. We should probably head back to Australia and look for jobs."
"F*** that! I refuse to accept this!"
The man crushed his beer can and hurled it at the wall.
James Wan and Leigh Whannell weren't just university classmates—they were lifelong friends.
Both had majored in film during college.
After graduation, they pursued further studies at RMIT University.
During their time there, they joined an underground film collective called Splat Pack, which specialized in modern-style, brutal horror films.
The group was a haven for young filmmakers passionate about horror and thriller genres.
In 2003, the duo co-produced a horror short film—Saw 0.5. Whannell wrote the script, and Wan directed.
The short film was well-received within niche circles, inspiring them to expand the story into a full-length feature.
Eager to turn their vision into reality, they traveled to Hollywood to seek opportunities.
But reality hit them hard.
They submitted their screenplay, but no studio responded.
Now, after six months, their savings were nearly gone. If they didn't earn money soon, they wouldn't even be able to afford a plane ticket back to Australia.
"...Maybe we should try submitting it to Myers Pictures?" Whannell glanced at a newspaper on the table and suggested.