**Chapter 137: Soderbergh's True Intentions**

Even big-name actors like "Wolverine" Hugh Jackman, now a leading male star, and Kevin Spacey, who won the Oscar for Best Actor last year, took the initiative to greet him.

Thinking about how Kevin Spacey publicly came out in his previous life, Wayne couldn't help but feel goosebumps.

"Do you have time for a drink tonight?" Liv Tyler moved a bit closer to him, her voice and gaze becoming incredibly seductive.

Unfortunately, Liv Tyler's looks have declined a bit quickly. It's only been a few months since they last met, and her appearance has noticeably diminished.

Now that he has better options, he's really not interested in Liv Tyler anymore.

"I'm really sorry, but I already have plans for tonight," Wayne politely declined with an apologetic smile.

It wasn't just Liv Tyler; even Alicia Silverstone, who was once the "sweetheart" of America, had seen a significant decline in her looks. Before she turned 20, she was in a league of her own among Hollywood's sweet girls—her sweetness was off the charts. But just after turning 20, her appearance plummeted, and now, at 25, she doesn't even have half of the charm she once had at her peak.

Seeing her in person today, Wayne couldn't help but sigh at the ruthless passage of time.

Unwilling to give up, Liv Tyler seemed like she wanted to say something more. But just then, Harvey arrived, accompanied by a bald man wearing black-rimmed glasses who looked about forty.

"Hey, Miss Tyler, maybe you could mingle somewhere else?" Harvey said with a cheerful smile.

Liv Tyler was initially startled when she saw the bald man. She quickly regained her composure and, with an elegant smile, took her glass and walked away.

"Sometimes, being too popular can be quite troublesome," Harvey teased Wayne before introducing him.

"Wayne, this is—"

"Director Steven Soderbergh, right?" Wayne interjected with a smile. "I think there's no one in the industry who wouldn't recognize Director Soderbergh."

As he finished speaking, the polite smile on Steven Soderbergh's face became noticeably brighter.

Although several consecutive flops after 2008 caused Soderbergh's fame and influence in Hollywood to plummet—so much so that he was reduced to making TV movies—he was still one of the hottest and most influential directors in Hollywood over the past two years.

"Erin Brockovich," "Traffic," and the soon-to-be-filmed "Ocean's Eleven," set to be released at the end of this year, all boasted box office successes one after another, along with critical acclaim. These films catapulted Steven Soderbergh to a level almost on par with Spielberg and Cameron.

Initially, Wayne thought Soderbergh was just here to say hello, considering they were both among the most prestigious guests at the party.

However, after some brief pleasantries, Soderbergh unexpectedly invited him to act in "Ocean's Eleven."

The role he proposed was Linus, the third male lead originally set to be played by Matt Damon. Wayne raised an eyebrow, a surprised expression crossing his face.

But he quickly understood Soderbergh's little scheme.

Although his current salary wasn't lower than Matt Damon's, Wayne's fame and popularity were undoubtedly higher than Damon's, especially considering Damon had two consecutive box office failures.

After all, it was just a third male lead role. If he could use this role to build a relationship with Wayne, it would undoubtedly be a worthwhile exchange for Soderbergh.

Wayne raised his glass, took a sip of champagne, and quickly calculated in his mind.

This version of "Ocean's Eleven" was a remake of the 1960 film of the same name, originally starring Frank Sinatra. The plot had been significantly modified, and with the addition of stars like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, and Matt Damon, the film garnered a global box office of $450 million, becoming a classic in the heist genre.

Considering the film's reputation, box office success, and influence, playing the third male lead alongside George Clooney and Brad Pitt wasn't entirely out of the question.

However, after finishing the shooting of "Mean Girls," he still needed to work on "The Notebook" and his next major project, "Wanted."

Although he could squeeze in some time to film "Ocean's Eleven"—since the third male lead doesn't have that many scenes—it would be quite exhausting.

He wasn't the same guy who had just crossed over, struggling to make ends meet. With a substantial amount of production funding in hand, he didn't need to work himself so hard anymore; he could let others make money for him.

With this in mind, Wayne put down his glass, ready to politely decline Soderbergh's invitation, citing a tight schedule.

However, just as he was about to speak, Soderbergh quickly added, "Also, we haven't finalized the female lead yet. Perhaps Mr. Wayne has some good recommendations?"

Wayne was taken aback again.

The third male lead was one thing, but offering the lead female role in a major production with an $85 million budget—an opportunity that top actresses would fight tooth and nail for—seemed overly generous.

Something was definitely off. At that moment, Wayne finally realized that Soderbergh had come to him with ulterior motives.

Indeed, Soderbergh's true purpose in seeking him out was to secure additional investment.

A big-name director like him usually wouldn't have trouble finding investors, but "premium investors" who put in a lot of money for a smaller share of the profits were rare since investors aren't fools.

But Wayne was different. Soderbergh could use the third male lead and the female lead as bargaining chips to try and make Wayne one of his "premium investors."

"There is still a $15 million investment slot available for this film. I could negotiate with Warner Bros. to give you a 15% priority box office share," Soderbergh offered.

Wayne found himself speechless. In his previous life, "Ocean's Eleven" was said to have a production cost of $85 million, but in reality, it probably didn't even reach $60 million. Even including promotional expenses, it wouldn't exceed $85 million.

Investing $15 million for only a 15% share of the box office profits, with no cut from subsequent DVD sales, was a bit of a rip-off.

However, the fact that Soderbergh and Warner Bros. were willing to offer a priority box office share, rather than a standard box office share, indicated they weren't completely trying to cheat him; there was some sincerity in the offer.

Otherwise, as the distributor, Warner Bros. could easily inflate the promotional costs and reduce the box office share to nothing.

For example, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" grossed $612 million in North America, but Warner Bros. exaggerated the promotional expenses to a staggering $342 million. After deducting the distributor's promotional expenses from the box office earnings, the investors ended up owing Warner Bros. millions of dollars.

(End of Chapter)