Chapter 339: Leave it to Check**

"I don't agree with you," Tom replied bluntly.

Steven, on the other hand, calmed down and looked at Tom. After all, he had invited Tom to Paris hoping to hear his opinions. Of course, the main reason was to see the chemistry between Tom and Anson.

Tom looked at Steven, "If you need me to shut up, just say the word."

"In my view, Anson has already shown the potential of Frank today—his purity and simplicity, his confidence and poise, his charm and wit. Honestly, it's been a long time since I've seen a young man like this."

Steven glanced at Tom with a slightly amused expression, "Why didn't I see that?"

Tom shrugged lightly, "Maybe because of preconceived notions? Look, as soon as you saw him, you already labeled him as a 'kid'; whereas for me, he reminded me of myself when I was in the 'growing up' phase. The conversation hadn't even started and I was already biased."

Steven chuckled, "His agent deserves some credit."

Tom neither agreed nor disagreed, "But let's put those biases aside for a moment and seriously think about it. The situation you created, Anson's responses, the studio's reaction, and the poise he showed at dinner."

"Come on, Steven, you really couldn't ask for more."

"An eighteen-year-old kid, a newcomer who's only starred in two projects, the composure and demeanor he's displayed are already convincing."

"He's got potential, maybe still lacks experience, but I don't think that will be an obstacle for him to play the role of young Frank Abagnale."

A flurry of emotions swept through like a storm.

Unintentionally, Steven fell into contemplation and began to reflect—

Maybe he still hadn't let go of Leonardo, insisting Leonardo was the best choice, but had to consider other options because of Leonardo's schedule conflict. Yet, while auditioning other actors, he hadn't abandoned his preconceived stereotypes and had made judgments even before the auditions?

Calming down and thinking seriously, Steven recalled a detail:

The first meeting at the studio.

When Anson showed up and greeted them formally, the poise and enthusiasm he exhibited were just right, indeed overturning Steven's preconceived impression, even giving him a little surprise.

As the chaotic thoughts slowly untangled, Steven regained his composure. "Alright."

Tom, "What?"

Steven, "Let's give him another chance, have further interaction to see."

"This time, we'll tell his agent it's an audition, to see how the kid performs and whether he can continue to surprise us."

Tom glanced at Steven and slowly, unhurriedly, teased, "There's no need to be so formal. Even if we don't tell them, they'll probably know what's up next time we meet. Revealing an answer they're not even curious about will just make you look awkward, trust me."

Steven chuckled, "Tom, are you sure? Don't look at me being so troublesome and difficult right now, but once the actor is confirmed, I don't really interfere. When filming starts, the one who faces real trouble won't be me."

Steven trusted actors, you could even say he relied on them.

When choosing actors, he's particularly serious about matching the actor's image, temperament, and vibe, then relying on the actor to bring the character to life.

So, when it comes to filming, unlike other directors, Steven rarely gives direction or makes demands. He often just lets the actors throw out something based on their understanding and interpretation of the script, and he's responsible for capturing, refining, and structuring, letting the camera revolve around the actor.

That is to say, once Steven decides on Anson, he won't nitpick but would prefer to completely trust the actor, even if it's a newcomer; naturally, the real challenges and difficulties would fall on the actor.

For example, Tom.

After all, Steven has already made his stance clear: "Catch Me If You Can" is all about the subtle and complex tension between the roles of Frank and Carl.

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With a single remark, Tom's smile froze at the corner of his mouth. He put on a seemingly honest and simple expression, looking kindly at Steven, "Alright, let's take another look. We're not in a rush anyway."

"Since we've crossed the Atlantic, there's no need to turn around and take a long flight back right away. Paris is worth seeing, after all."

To serve as the union president and skillfully navigate the different film studios, Tom was not as simple as he appeared.

Now, the ball was in Steven's court.

Steven leisurely shifted his gaze, "The Paris I see and the Paris you see are different. If I wanted to experience Paris, I would come with Kate. You should come with Rita too."

Clearly, this was a playful tease.

Kate Capshaw is Steven's wife, and Rita Wilson is Tom's wife.

Tom responded with a relaxed expression, "Don't worry, I'll come with Rita on my own."

On one side, Steven and Tom were deep in discussion.

On the other side, as expected, Edgar was conducting an investigation at the first opportunity.

The investigation was proving to be quite challenging.

The fact that Steven was casting for a new project wasn't a secret; a bit of asking around could confirm that. But the issue was, Steven and Tom had an official purpose for being in Paris. They were there to promote "Band of Brothers" because the DVD set was going to be released in France.

Meanwhile, the conversation between Jeff Robinov and Steven Spielberg was very secretive. There was no leak from Hollywood, so a crucial piece of the puzzle was missing, and Edgar couldn't quickly piece everything together.

If Steven and Tom were just visiting Anna, preparing for the "Vogue" French edition's DVD release promotion, that would also make sense.

Could it be that their visit to Anson was purely coincidental?

"'Catch Me If You Can.'"

Turning around, Edgar gave Anson the answer.

Even though Edgar wasn't sure of the real situation, an excellent agent should seize every opportunity. Even when there's no chance, they should create one.

Since they were already on Steven and Tom's radar, and since Steven was indeed casting for a new project, regardless of whether it was a coincidence, Edgar believed they should seize the opportunity.

"Anson, I know we haven't seen the script yet, and we don't know anything about the roles or the script's quality, but I think we should actively go after this."

"That's Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. That reason alone is enough. Even if it's a bad movie, even if it flops at the box office, we should go for it. Opportunities like this are rare."

Edgar was a bit excited, his thoughts rapidly unfolding.

"Maybe, this project could break the stereotype of you as just a pretty face and get you into the Academy's radar. Even if you don't win any nominations this time, at least people won't just see you as a pretty face anymore."

This also meant that Edgar's concern about the potential negative impact of modeling work would be resolved. Even if "Catch Me If You Can" is a commercial film, it wouldn't matter—

After all, it's Steven and Tom.

Edgar looked at Anson with bright eyes, ready to continue persuading him, but to his surprise, Anson nodded without hesitation.

"Okay," he said.

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