**Chapter 93: Who's This Big Star Now?**

Susan on the other end of the line fell into silence after hearing that. 

Well, compared to Nicolas Cage, Ben Stiller's fame was indeed much smaller.

Though Nicolas Cage's reputation fluctuates, he's still a bona fide Hollywood A-lister. He even won an Oscar in 1996.

Even though his salary is slightly cheaper than Leonardo DiCaprio and Will Smith, it's still over $15 million, plus a share of the box office.

Without the box office share, his salary might even reach $20 million.

In comparison, Ben Stiller's $10 to $13 million salary seems quite affordable.

"But if we really cast Ben Stiller as the lead, the budget will probably increase a lot," Susan said, a bit worried.

Wayne, on the other end of the phone, chuckled.

"You don't need to worry about the budget as long as it's a 'reasonable' expense."

"That's reassuring," Susan said, feeling slightly more at ease.

Since Charlize Theron was cast as "Alice," and with Wayne's high demands for costumes and sets, *Resident Evil*'s budget was already high. Combined, the first two films would cost a solid $50 million.

Charlize Theron alone would command a $10 million salary.

Now, with Ben Stiller playing the male lead—even if it's just for the first film—the budget would certainly exceed $60 million. After all, she had never planned to hire such an expensive male lead.

"At least the supporting actresses aren't particularly expensive," Susan thought with a sigh of relief.

While *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* performed impressively at the box office, its lead actors didn't rise to the level of fame like Jackie Chan or Jet Li had in the past.

Moreover, Zhang Ziyi was only a supporting actress. From Susan's experience, Zhang's salary for one film wouldn't exceed $1 million.

As for Eva Green, who played Valentine in the second film, she was still a student with no fame at all. Her salary would be similar to what Annie received in *Gifted,* and even if Wayne wanted to pay her more, it wasn't possible.

"What about the other roles? Have you decided on them?" Susan asked.

"For the male lead in the second film, I've chosen Ryan Reynolds."

"Ryan Reynolds? Who's that big star?" Susan thought instinctively.

She went through the names of all the hot male stars in Hollywood, but couldn't remember who Ryan Reynolds was.

In fact, Wayne didn't plan to hire another famous star for the second film.

The first film needed enough buzz to draw in the audience, so he chose Ben Stiller, who had already established himself with two successful films.

But for the sequel, since the first film had already created a fanbase, hiring another big-name star would feel unnecessary.

"He's not a big star, just a small supporting actor from last year's *Dick* starring Kirsten Dunst," Wayne explained.

As expected, Susan was surprised, clearly not anticipating this.

However, Wayne was the boss, and he had proven himself multiple times with his casting choices, so Susan didn't object. She quickly jotted it down.

"What about the villain in the first film, 'Spence Parks'? Have you decided on that?"

Wayne stirred his coffee, his brow slightly furrowed.

Honestly, he had considered casting a Black actor for the role, but for the sake of the box office, he dropped that idea.

After all, the first film of any series is crucial.

"For 'Spence Parks,' let's go with Heath Ledger, the male lead from last year's *Ten Things I Hate About You.*"

Sensing Susan's confusion, Wayne paused and explained, "I see a certain quality in him. He's perfect for this kind of villain role."

That's right. To increase *Resident Evil 1*'s chances of success, Wayne decided to introduce Heath Ledger—still a relatively unknown actor—to Christopher Nolan, hoping they could create something special together.

In fact, if the male lead in the first film didn't have the responsibility of driving the hype, Wayne would've cast Christian Bale—Nolan's future Batman—right away.

As for why he didn't choose Christian Bale for the second film's male lead, Carlos Oliveira, it's because Wayne had higher hopes for Ryan Reynolds.

"For the second film's villain, 'Cain,' I want Hugo Weaving. He's perfect for playing those slick, suited-up villains."

"No problem!"

Finally hearing a familiar name, Susan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly noted it down.

"Oh, and for the leader of the mercenary squad in the first film, let's cast Samuel L. Jackson."

"I've heard of him! He's the Black actor nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, right?" Susan said while writing.

"Yep, he's starring in an action film this year, *S.W.A.T.*, and he plays a cop. He looks pretty good in that role."

Wayne had brought Samuel L. Jackson on board as well.

At this point, Samuel L. Jackson wasn't exactly unknown. Among Hollywood's second-tier actors, he was near the top, which is why he was starring in a $40 million action movie.

However, due to the mediocre box office performance of his recent films, his salary had actually dropped a bit. Plus, he would only be a supporting character, so they could hire him for under $2 million.

"Anything else?" Susan asked.

"That's all for now."

"Alright, I'll contact Mike."

After hanging up, Susan reviewed her notes and then dialed Mike's number.

"Hey, Mike, it's Susan. Wayne has finalized the major cast members for *Resident Evil 1 and 2*."

Mike, excited to hear this, perked up instantly.

Although his biggest clients, Wayne and Jessica, wouldn't be starring in this movie, just representing Zhang Ziyi alone would earn him several thousand dollars in commission!

(End of the chapter)