Chapter 36. Ryan: "I Was the First!"

Time flew by unnoticed, and it was already mid-October. Eric spent time with Gal Gadot, keeping an eye on several major projects.

The premiere of "Red Dragon" grossed about $60 million in its first weekend, which spurred the actors and the director to actively promote it. Box office success is a measure of achievement, affecting the resumes and popularity of the actors, so everyone was doing their utmost.

Thanks to good reviews, the second week's box office receipts dropped only by 45%, collecting $31 million.

At the same time, the first weekend's box office data from other countries became known: $8.5 million in the UK, $6.9 million in France, $8.8 million in Germany, $6.2 million in Italy, and $6.3 million in Spain.

These five countries are major markets in Europe. Other countries, such as Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, and Belgium, bring in significantly less revenue, usually accounting for only a third or a quarter of the total receipts of these five countries.

As for Asia, the largest markets there are Japan and South Korea, but the premieres in these countries were scheduled for later, in a week.

In 2002, China was not yet a significant market. Due to the absence of a rating system, strict censorship, and low revenue share, films with large scenes and violent footage, like "Red Dragon," simply had no chance of success. For instance, Jiang Wen's film "The Missing Gun," released in 2002, grossed less than 10 million yuan.

Thus, horror and thriller films like "Red Dragon" couldn't expect success in China. Only big action-love films like "True Lies" and "Titanic" were popular there.

At the moment, the total box office of "Red Dragon" in North America reached $90 million, and overseas it was $62 million, making a combined total of $150 million.

Analysts predicted that after premieres in Japan, Korea, and Australia, the final box office gross could reach $300 million.

Meanwhile, Leigh Whannell decided to forgo the lead role in "Saw" to fully focus on the screenplay. He met with the candidates suggested by Eric, Ryan Reynolds and Patrick Wilson. Both, after reading the script, expressed strong interest in participating in the project.

Ryan Reynolds even called Eric to inquire about marketing and possible sequels, and after that, he was even more motivated to get the role.

However, fate sometimes works in mysterious ways. Despite Ryan's early contact with James Wan and Leigh Whannell, after Patrick Wilson flew in from New York to Los Angeles, the situation changed.

...

On the set of "Sharknado" at sunset, the filming day was coming to an end.

To meet the deadline set by Eric, the entire crew worked in a tight schedule. Warren and director Anthony Ferrante thanked everyone for their hard work and encouraged the team.

They especially praised Ryan. Ferrante often spoke highly of him. Although Ryan wasn't the biggest star, he remained the most famous actor on set.

Fortunately, Ryan had a great character, didn't stand out, and worked hard on his role.

Many joked behind the scenes that he was seriously acting in an obviously doomed film, working like a dog. But perhaps it is this kind of dedication that distinguishes real actors. They have professional ethics and dreams.

The film might be bad, but that doesn't mean I have to be bad! The main thing is that Eric Cooper notices this and doesn't forget his promises!

After filming, Ryan washed off his makeup, cleaned himself of the fake blood, changed into comfortable clothes, and, after saying goodbye to his colleagues, took his phone out of his bag.

As he headed toward the exit of the soundstage, Ryan glanced at his phone and saw a missed call from James Wan. A sense of foreboding immediately crept into his soul. This feeling was all too familiar to him. He had experienced it many times in his career—the sense that a role had been snatched away, that luck had eluded him once again.

He hurriedly dialed the number.

"Hi, James, it's Ryan Reynolds. Sorry, I was busy on set and missed your call. What's up?"

After a brief conversation, Ryan stood in a daze, mechanically repeating, "I understand, it's all for the job. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to audition. Okay, got it. Goodbye."

He hung up and froze in place, feeling the world crumble around him. At 26, after spending 12 years in the industry, Ryan still couldn't achieve significant success. And though he had faced numerous failures over the years, missing out on such an opportunity was especially painful.

Why did he lose? Everyone believed in him, agreements were reached, how could everything change so suddenly? Why did this have to happen to me?

What made it even worse was the realization that this opportunity had been presented by Eric Cooper. How would Eric look at him now? Would he consider him a total failure?

"Hey, what's wrong, Ryan? You've been standing here for half an hour!"

A sudden hard slap on the back jolted him. Turning around, he saw Warren.

During their time on set, he and Warren had become close friends. Though Warren was a producer, he turned out to be kind and pleasant to be around. He was known for his kindness and easily got along with colleagues, especially the men.

Ryan knew that Warren was Eric's trusted confidant, so he decided not to hide his feelings and honestly told him what had happened.

After listening, Warren sighed, "Ryan, these things are inevitable in Hollywood. You know that well."

Ryan lowered his head and quietly said, "Yeah, I'm used to it by now."

Seeing his depressed state, Warren couldn't remain indifferent. He knew how hard Ryan worked, how badly he wanted a chance.

"You know what," Warren said, patting Ryan on the shoulder, "I'll talk to Eric. Maybe he can help you get the role."

Ryan's eyes lit up. If Eric Cooper intervened, even James Wan would have to listen.

But he was doubtful. His relationship with Eric wasn't close enough for him to directly ask for help. However, if Warren did it, maybe it would work.

In general, the actors' guild strictly prohibits using connections to get roles. Any unfair competition, such as bribing a director, can be reported to the guild. But throughout the millennia of human society, in what circle does everything not rely on connections? Such complaints are rare, like the laws on overtime pay for government employees, which are never enforced.

"Really?" Ryan asked hopefully. "But won't it look bad? Won't Eric think of me as a loser?"

Seeing his hesitation, Warren laughed, "We're just going to try. Don't get your hopes up too high. If it doesn't work out, so be it. Besides, I haven't spent time with Eric in a while. How about now? Is there a suitable place?"

"How about Avalon?" Ryan suggested, swallowing hard.

"Great choice!" Warren nodded approvingly.

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