Chapter 197: Public Votings Begins

While Taylor Swift's new album was selling hot, the global casting for Fifty Shades of Grey was also progressing rapidly.

Norton Eye received actor resumes from all over the world, many of them from ordinary people, models, and singers.

Clearly, many were simply trying their luck by submitting their resumes.

However, these resumes also became capital for Ethan's publicity efforts.

Soon, the 3,800 actor resumes became news in the papers, surprising everyone about the global fame of Fifty Shades of Grey, and further expanding its reach.

When many passersby saw that the film had such a large pool of actors to choose from, they became curious about what kind of film it was.

After learning that it was an adaptation of a novel, some even went out to purchase the original book.

Although the plot of the book received mixed reviews from readers, the film's fame grew even more.

Seizing the momentum, Ethan began narrowing down the actors.

An upgraded selection committee, made up of Jimmy, Greta, Carl, James Wan, Kane, and Fernando, started the selection process in the office.

Saw II had completed filming a month ago and was already in post-production, giving James Wan plenty of time to rest.

He was looking forward to the performance of this movie.

Because this would prove his ability and show that Ethan's judgment was correct.

"James, check this one out?" Jimmy interrupted James Wan's thoughts as he passed over a resume. Without thinking, James took it, then frowned when he saw the actor's photo.

"WTF…"

"You see? I told you James couldn't stand this kind of actor!" Jimmy laughed loudly.

James Wan raised the resume he was holding: "Is he serious? He has all these steel nails in his face and still has the confidence to audition for the lead?"

The photo showed a man naked, his brow and nose bridge pierced with steel nails, forming a shape reminiscent of certain parts of his body. One glance and it felt painful to the eyes.

Even in the liberal U.S., this person was considered an oddity.

"Let's just toss it," Greta said as she took the resume and threw it into the shredder, continuing to look at other photos.

With over three thousand resumes, it was not easy to go through them all.

So, they skimmed through the photos first.

After all, Ethan's main requirement for the male and female leads was that they had to stand out and look good. Anything less was immediately rejected.

"280 pounds! Oh my god, that's almost as heavy as a small car! What is she going to do in this movie, crush the male lead?"

"Check this one out, great body, but her face looks as old as my family's Shar-Pei. It's too funny. If the male lead looks at this face, he won't be able to perform."

"How about this one? A guy only 4'7", and he wants to play the male lead? Does he plan to stand on a chair to act?"

"I have something even weirder. It says 'biological male, psychological female, attracted to women.' What a strange description. I don't understand it, but it shocked me."

"This girl looks good. She reminds me of someone I dated when I was younger. Too bad her father broke us up."

"Why, Fernando?"

"Because her father is a major shareholder in our company."

"Ah, another Romeo and Juliet story."

After sifting through resumes for a long time, they finally found 300 that were decent.

Next, they began to review the actors' demo reels.

Some professional actors included clips from films, which were quite enjoyable to watch.

However, this was a rare occurrence. Most actors just submitted a brief self-introduction and a monologue.

There were even more outrageous ones. In the U.S., you could be unemployed, but as long as you weren't living under a rock.

For example, one handsome actor stuttered through his introduction and then proceeded to perform a sexy dance during his monologue.

Based on his rather plump buttocks, Jimmy and the others could easily imagine what this guy's main job might be.

Others showcased musical talents, cooking skills, or even pole dancing.

The most outrageous was a man who tried to bribe the judges.

"Just let me through, and I'll give each of you $3,000. What do you think?" The actor seriously held up two stacks of cash, looking very serious.

Jimmy and Kane exchanged a look and couldn't help but laugh. "What's this guy doing? Does he think we're short a few thousand dollars?"

"Although you have to admit, his acting is decent. At least his commitment is strong," James Wan found another angle.

"Ha! James, you really know how to put it!"

After a week of reviewing, they narrowed down the selection to 16 actors and sent the list to Ethan.

Ethan went through the resumes one by one.

"Alan Tweed, never acted on screen, just joined Broadway, but has a decent image and acting potential."

This actor didn't leave much of an impression on Ethan, but he was good-looking.

Due to his age, he looked a bit youthful.

Flipping to the next page, Ethan raised his eyebrows.

"Chris Evans, isn't this Captain America?"

The man in the photo was smiling healthily—none other than Chris Evans, known for playing Captain America in Marvel's movies.

He had just finished filming Fantastic Four and was on the rise. It wasn't surprising that he'd sent in his resume.

However, it made sense. Fantastic Four hadn't been released yet, and everything was uncertain.

Meanwhile, Fifty Shades of Grey had the strong backing of MGM and Supreme Creative, already making a name for itself in the U.S. and other countries.

Although the male lead for the BDSM role wasn't exactly a glamorous name, established actors would still consider it. Other actors would be more concerned about earning money and increasing their status.

Turning to the female actors, Ethan found 10 names, including Chloe Grace Moretz.

However, Ethan wasn't sure she'd land the role of the female lead, as there were other contenders with equal beauty, fame, and acting chops.

"Leighton Meester," one of the future stars of Gossip Girl.

"Amanda Seyfried," star of Mean Girls.

But none of them stood out like the photo Ethan was holding.

It showed a beautiful young woman with dark hair and striking gray eyes. When he saw her, Ethan immediately thought of the sexy bombshell from Transformers.

Yes, it was Megan Fox.

It seemed the competition for the female lead was even more intense than for the male lead.

Ethan believed these actresses would certainly drive a large number of male votes.

So, two days later, Judy and Milen saw the casting call for Fifty Shades of Grey in the newspaper.

"Wow! This guy is so handsome! He's even kind of cute!" Judy squealed when she saw Alan Tweed, immediately drawn to his looks and fulfilling her fantasy of the male lead.

Milon, standing nearby, felt a bit jealous, but didn't know what to say. He pointed to Chris Evans and said, "I think he's even better looking."

"Hmm…" Judy frowned. "He's definitely handsome, but don't you think he looks a little too mature?"

"Well, isn't the male CEO supposed to be mature?" Milon instinctively replied.

"Yeah, mature," Judy shook her head. "But sorry, I like Tweed better. He looks way sexier."

"Sexy? Do you watch movies just to see his body? That's shallow,"Milon couldn't help but snap back.

"What? What did you say?" Judy exclaimed. "So that's how you see me, Milon?"

"No, no! I misspoke!"Milon hurriedly tried to backtrack, but it was too late. Judy was already angry.

She tossed the newspaper aside and stormed off, saying, "You can spend Christmas with your music magazine!"

"Don't go! Judy!" Milon tried to stop her, but failed.

He looked at the newspaper on the floor and angrily stepped on it, muttering, "Damn you! Ethan!"

Many couples had similar experiences, though more often it was the girls getting jealous of the guys' choices.

Especially when the girls saw their boyfriends casting votes for Megan Fox in a bikini, their anger boiled over.

To prevent this, some girls formed a counter-league, choosing Cindy and Leighton Meester, who looked very different from Megan Fox.

However, since voting required a fee, when Ethan learned that the voting money had already exceeded three million dollars, he couldn't help but be amazed.

"These girls are really crazy."

He sat in his chair, marveling. In the world of commerce, women, children, the elderly, and dogs—this ranking wasn't without reason.

It was clear that when women were willing to spend money on something they liked, nothing could stop them.

And this was exactly Ethan's intention behind the casting call—to get these girls to spend real money on votes, ensuring that they'd eventually show up at the theater.

If this were the internet age, he wouldn't have done it this way, as it would have led to fan wars.

But for now, with communication still limited, people could maintain some rationality.

During the wait for the vote results, Taylor Swift's new album officially broke 700,000 sales, getting closer to the million-dollar platinum mark.

Taylor had already begun her nationwide tour, with Kane accompanying her and her mother to major music festivals to expand her fame.

For a while, Ethan enjoyed some peace and quiet.

At the same time, the post-production of Saw II had been completed and the film had started its test screenings.

This film would be Lionsgate's only opportunity, so their executives had been closely monitoring the reception of Saw II's test screenings.

Unfortunately, it disappointed them.

The Hollywood Reporter gave Saw II a 6/10 rating, stating that while the film was directed by a new director and didn't surpass the first one in terms of visuals, camera work, and other aspects, it did make strides in terms of visual effects, especially the innovation in the traps. It also revealed some of the backstory of the vertical saw, giving the audience a glimpse into the old man's mind.

As such, the film's watchability didn't fall short of the first one.

However, it inherited the mixed reviews of the first film, with many critics unable to understand the film's content, deeming it meaningless.

But when it came to audience reception, Saw II continued the first film's good reputation. All the viewers expressed their satisfaction, calling it an excellent horror film.

In particular, the scenes involving the traps and executions gave the audience a very real sense of pain.

Many of them said they would definitely recommend others to go see it in the theaters.

Meanwhile, Ethan's advertising channels continued their promotions, with Saw II's ads being played every day on large screens.

The city's corners once again featured the puppet Billy riding a children's bike, and passersby could even pull out invitation cards from its mouth.

Because the puppet was made so exquisitely, people started to search for Billy on their own.

It became like a large-scale offline game, with many Saw series fans proud to own the Billy puppet distributed by the production team.

They even noticed that the Billy puppets on the streets had unique markings, different from the ones sold in stores.

This undoubtedly increased many people's interest, and everyone believed that these Billys were one of a kind.

On second-hand platforms, these Billy puppets sold for higher prices than regular ones.

Once all the Billy puppets were found, Saw II officially premiered.

That evening, all the cinemas in New York replaced the columns in front with Billy puppets, and audiences lined up in droves, eager to experience the thrill.

The next day, Ethan sat in the office of Moriah from Lionsgate, looking at the box office report in his hand.

"Opening day box office of $18.3 million," Ethan smiled. Moriah, sitting across from him, shrugged and casually offered his congratulations.

This was because it meant Lionsgate's plans had essentially failed. Little Miss Sunshine and Saw II both far exceeded expectations in terms of box office performance. Unless Fifty Shades of Grey underperformed, Lionsgate would have no chance to recover.

But how could that happen?

The public voting for Fifty Shades of Grey had already earned millions of dollars!

Those girls would bring down the doors of the theaters!

Moriah had no doubt this would happen, as all of Hollywood had seen the frenzy of women's interest.

Even the original Fifty Shades of Grey novel had successfully achieved a 50% increase in sales.

Moriah had to admit that Ethan was truly the most brilliant marketing genius. He even began discussing with Ethan about handing over the promotion of all their films to him and High Creative.

"What do you think?" Moriah handed him the cooperation agreement.

Ethan glanced at the numbers on the paper, nodded, and signed it with a flourish. "No problem, Moriah. I'll take this contract."