The Greatest Showman #704 - Cast List

Renly looked at Paul, who stood before him, and confusion flickered in his eyes. Is this a cycle of history?

In the previous life, Paul hadn't been involved in the creation of this work in any capacity. Yet in this life, after what seemed like a circular journey, Paul had proposed the name "Edge of Tomorrow," bringing the project back to its original point. Was this a coincidence, fate, or perhaps the butterfly effect?

"What's wrong? Don't you like it?" Paul sensed Renly's surprise and, undeterred, chewed on his words thoughtfully. "I admit, the name is a bit literary—it's not as straightforward as a commercial film title, and it might not seem like it has the potential to sell. But I think it fits the concept we just discussed. What do you think?"

Renly chuckled softly and shook his head. "No, it's not that. I was just thinking... Why don't I ask everyone else? 'Edge of Tomorrow'—could the name have been one of the reasons the last film failed at the box office?" Renly wasn't a market researcher, so he had no clear answer, but he decided to leave it up to fate whether it would work this time. "Alright, everyone, what do you think of 'Edge of Tomorrow'? Paul came up with it."

There was a moment of silence as everyone pondered the name.

Lucinda nodded. "I think it's great. At least, it would pique my curiosity to walk into a movie theater with that title. It has a bit of a Nolan-esque feel to it."

Derek raised his hand excitedly. "I like it!" He then turned to Billy, eager to hear his opinion. "What do you think? It fits the theme we discussed."

Billy shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm not great at naming things, but it's not bad."

All eyes turned to Tim, who remained silent, repeating the name to himself. "Edge of Tomorrow... Edge of Tomorrow..."

His mutterings were almost unbearable, and Paul leaned in, smirking. "If I were on the West End in London, I'd probably get kicked off stage with a line like that," he teased.

Tim snapped out of his daze, blinking as he realized everyone was staring at him. Lucinda gave him a gentle reminder, and Tim nodded earnestly. "I think the name's great. It has a sci-fi vibe and fits our theme. That's it!"

Renly, the last one to speak, looked around and felt the true weight of his role as an executive producer.

"Then, it all depends on Frank Marshall's opinion." Renly's response was unexpected but reasonable. The discussion had started with Frank, and it naturally came back to him. Besides, everyone in the room was focused on the film's production, not the business or market considerations, so ultimately, it was Frank's decision.

Everyone agreed. Lucinda, seizing the moment, interjected, "Now, about the script. I know there's still a lot to discuss and revise, but we'll need some time for that. I've already done two rounds of auditions for every role, and I've selected a few actors for the waiting list. I'd like your feedback, and I'll proceed with the auditions based on your thoughts."

Lucinda pulled out her laptop, "Each actor has three videos: one is an interview they filmed themselves, and the others are from the first and second-round auditions. If you're interested, you can watch them and give me your feedback."

Billy waved his hand dismissively. "This isn't my job," he said, then buried his head in his notebook, scribbling away. Derek, sitting next to him, looked curious, but Billy didn't give him a chance to comment.

He nudged Derek playfully. "Focus, we just finished outlining our ideas..."

Derek sighed but didn't linger long on his frustration. Moments later, he was back to work.

Paul took the laptop, following Lucinda's instructions to open the folder, and Tim stood up to join him. They both began browsing through the list of actors.

Lucinda, noticing Renly still wasn't involved, asked, "Aren't you going to offer any advice?"

Renly chuckled. "Not long ago, I was the one being judged, and now I'm the one doing the judging—it's a bit strange." Although he now truly felt the responsibility of being an executive producer, the actual execution was still a learning curve. Every aspect of filmmaking was far more complex than it seemed.

"Let's leave the decision to Paul," Renly suggested. "If it were Tom Cruise, he'd need to evaluate every actor and build the cast around himself. But for me, I see the whole film as more important, and I trust Paul's judgment. He should take the lead, but I can still offer some comments." Renly paused. "By the way, besides the videos, do you have a list of the actors?"

Lucinda looked at Renly in slight confusion. With thousands of actors in Hollywood, it was nearly impossible to recall names just from a list. But she didn't question him. She simply pulled out a sheet of paper with the list of actors she had already considered, handed it to Renly, and waited for his feedback.

Renly glanced at it before turning to Lucinda. "How many actors showed up for auditions?"

"Not many, but there were still a few," Lucinda admitted honestly.

Without big-name actors or directors, it wasn't easy to attract top talent. But Hollywood was always bustling with actors looking for opportunities, and even an indie project like Buried Alive could find willing performers.

Renly raised an eyebrow. "Ah, relieved. I thought the media curse had taken hold." Lucinda smiled at his remark.

The first part of the list was for the female lead, Rita Volatowski. Rita was a fierce warrior who had gained fame after the aliens invaded Earth and overtook Europe. She was known as the "Angel of Verdun" for leading humanity's first victory in the battle of Verdun.

Like the protagonist Cage, Rita also possessed the ability to reincarnate in time and space. This power was what allowed her to win the battle. However, she later lost this ability, and now it was Cage's turn to carry the torch. Rita hoped Cage could replicate her success and lead humanity to victory once again.

Rita, much like Cage, was a complex character. She had watched her lover die over and over, powerless to change anything. She had lived through the agony of repeated death and reincarnation, yet she fought on, more determined than ever to defeat the aliens. This quest was driven by vengeance, for she had no family left.

Her character required an actress who was not only an excellent action star but also an accomplished dramatic actor. Few in Hollywood could meet this dual requirement.

In the previous life, Emily Blunt had done an excellent job portraying Rita. In this life, the script was expected to go even deeper, so the question was: Who could take on such a heavy role?