Getting ready

Tom Cruise was an actor, and he had the ability to discern the depth of characters.

And undoubtedly, Ian Caden had a considerable range for performance.

After reading the character biography, he felt a slight itch in his heart.

Whether it was transforming from a police officer to an undercover agent or rebelling entirely as an undercover, the entire psychological struggle was profound enough to be considered an invisible collision between notions of good and evil and the cruel realities of society.

Murdering for the sake of killing, brotherly affection, love, the vigilance of the police, and the guilt of killing one's own brother, it all gradually extinguished Ian's humanity, eradicating the last remnants of his convictions, and plunging him completely into darkness.

The vast contrast in the character's transformation, coupled with the performance encompassing restraint and eruption, presented a tremendous challenge for any actor.

He was intrigued.

"Lyman, why did his superior choose him as an undercover agent from the beginning and still have to be cautious around him?" Tom lifted his head and asked the doubt that arose while he was reading the character biography.

"Because once you wear the mask for too long, you can't take it off. Do you remember what his superior said before coming up with this plan? In this line of work, it's common for undercover agents to become disloyal and experience mental breakdowns. He didn't want to execute this plan," Lyman explained.

"Alright," Tom held the character biography, indicating his understanding, "then..."

For a moment, he didn't know what else to say.

"So, you don't want it because the role is that of the main antagonist?" Lyman teased, causing Tom to pause for a moment before laughing lightly, "Of course not. I just don't know how to express my determination to take on this role."

"Haha," Lyman chuckled, "In fact, you haven't seen the complete script yet. If you read the entire story, I believe you'll be even more interested."

Tom admired Lyman's confidence and said, "So, can I have this role?"

At that question, Lyman didn't respond immediately. Instead, he looked into Tom's eyes seriously and asked, "Tom, first and foremost, I must emphasize that once you enter my crew, you must follow the crew's arrangements, especially during the shooting process. Can you do that? I mean, I don't want the actor's demands to overshadow the entire crew. Can you guarantee that?"

Lyman's unexpected words made Tom ponder seriously. Eventually, he replied, "Any other requirements, you can tell me now so that we won't have to negotiate further."

Indeed, Tom's determination to obtain the role was evident, and he was resolute.

"I'm still a bit unclear about your remuneration... If it's too expensive, I'm afraid the crew won't be able to afford it," Lyman said diplomatically. After all, changing the story's setting to lower the salary was also a concern for him. With Heath Ledger and Nicolas Cage's salaries likely to rise due to the success of "Fury", it was something that needed consideration.

However, Tom proved to be more daring than Lyman had imagined. He spoke up, "I can promise you this: eight million dollars in salary plus a five percent share of the North American box office. How does that sound?"

Tom had dominated Hollywood for nearly twenty years, and he was well aware of the industry's standards. Although he rarely lowered his asking price, he did it impressively this time.

Lyman didn't say anything more. The compromise on this condition was substantial and straightforward. He reached out his right hand, saying, "Once you sign with Paramount, I'll send you a complete script, and you can explore your character's evolution based on reality and the settings."

Tom was evidently delighted with Lyman's approval. His face lit up with a bright smile as he firmly shook Lyman's hand, "Then, I'll wait for your news. I'm also eager to see how exciting the story will be."

"Of course."

After leaving Tom's mansion, Lyman hitched a ride and headed to Warner Bros. Studios.

As he entered the rented Studio No. 3, René and Thomas were already busy at work.

As they say, when preparing for a major event, the logistics should come first.

Even though all the actors hadn't been gathered yet, it didn't prevent Lyman from starting some preliminary work for the shoot.

Selecting locations, preparing costumes, props, and set decorations in advance—all of these required time.

They also needed to ensure that all the equipment required during the shoot would be ready.

René was currently discussing set decoration issues with the set design team when he saw Lyman approaching.

"Lyman..."

"Director..."

"Director Lyman..."

The members of the set design team greeted him, and Lyman nodded in response to each of them before walking up to René and asking, "How is it? Have the cameras we requested arrived?"

"EuropaCorp is quite reliable. They have already purchased ten of the latest Sony cameras for us. They will be here at the latest by next week, and they certainly won't affect our shooting schedule."

"Hmm, though it's not urgent, let's keep an eye on it," Lyman reminded.

"Sure," René nodded.

"And also," Lyman asked again, "how is the discussion with Paramount Pictures about the filming locations?"

Nowadays, it's becoming more and more popular to shoot films overseas, mainly because of the tax rebates and subsidies available in those regions. "Miscreant" naturally wouldn't be filmed solely in Los Angeles. Although the United States always promotes supporting the film industry, the actual support is far from abundant.

"Australia, the UK, Canada, New Zealand, France..." René listed a series of names and continued, "Regarding the tax rebates, the conditions vary slightly, but the differences aren't significant. Paramount doesn't have a specific preference, but EuropaCorp hopes that we can film in France."

"Will the subsidy options for this year be included in our consideration?" Lyman was somewhat surprised.

As for countries like France, the UK, and Germany, although they do provide some tax subsidies for film production, most of it is utilized internally. Even the annual quotas are divided among local film companies at the beginning of the year. This is why countries like Australia and New Zealand, which have shown great potential in film production, quickly became popular shooting locations. They treat all productions equally and offer tax rebates as long as they meet the criteria.

"Well, EuropaCorp managed to secure a spot for us."

"Then let's choose France," Lyman didn't really care about this aspect. After all, they would go wherever the better incentives were.

"How about the actors? Tell me about the audition registration situation."

The main roles for the film had already been cast.

As an undercover agent, Tom Cruise was the most likely choice. Nicolas Cage would portray the undercover agent's brother-in-arms within the gang, while Heath Ledger would play the second-in-command of the gang, someone who would compete for power in the future.

Lyman had given these roles some thought and designed them based on the actors' images.

Roles like the police officers, gangsters, or the undercover agent's wife and informants were not yet decided upon.

Or rather, Lyman had a rough idea of the characters but needed specific reference from potential actors.

"The situation is good. As soon as we released the information about casting, many people signed up. Agencies like CAA and Williams also sent in lists of potential actors. Do you want to take a look?"

René handed Lyman a few application forms.

Lyman looked at the first one, which was provided by CAA and listed six candidates. For the role of the undercover agent's superior, they recommended Morgan Freeman. As for the others, there was Aaron Eckhart, and for the role of the undercover agent's wife, they suggested Gwyneth Paltrow.

One had to admit that CAA was quite impressive. Although Lyman had always tried to keep his set from being infiltrated by CAA, he couldn't help but feel that this list of recommendations was not bad.

CAA had played to their strengths. They not only tailored the list of actor candidates according to the characters in the script but also had enough actor resources to do so. They could pick the cream of the crop and provide top-quality choices. Their confidence was evident from the fact that they recommended only one actor per role.

One could only say that CAA was truly CAA.

"Send these lists to everyone and ask them to prepare for the audition. We'll pick a time to screen them."

After looking through the lists provided by the major talent agencies, Lyman recognized many familiar names, such as Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Alba, Vanessa Paradis...

However, before formal auditions, it was impossible to make a rash decision on casting. Lyman wasn't familiar with them; knowing only their names was of little use.

Unlike actors like Heath Ledger and Nicolas Cage, whom he had worked with before, and with whom he had a basic understanding, it was easier to work with them, and they readily agreed to set aside time from April to June.

There was no comparison.