After finishing scouting for locations, Gilbert returned to the "Speed" studio in Los Angeles, which was set up specifically for Speed.
Although the third-party studio system was troublesome, it provided security for both the film company and the crew, preventing delays or unfinished productions.
Producer Charles Roven approached Gilbert to discuss script changes: "Gilbert, I think the script could lean more towards Die Hard, adding some comedic elements while highlighting the protagonist's personality."
"How would you add that?" Gilbert looked at Charles Roven strangely. "Didn't the script already get approved? Why change it now?"
Seeing Charles Roven about to say more, Gilbert interrupted directly: "I'm making a relatively serious action film. Jack cannot be an arrogant protagonist like John McClane; he has to be a proper, upright man. Trying to merge Die Hard into this is ridiculous. Jack shouldn't be glib; he needs to be serious and earnest."
A glib Keanu Reeves? Gilbert shivered at the thought; it sounded a bit terrifying.
Charles Roven could only swallow his words. While a producer holds significant power, he wasn't the only producer on the team.
Cain Waxman was definitely on Gilbert's side, and the Warner Bros. CEO had already stated that Gilbert would be in charge.
This matter had to be dropped, and Charles Roven could only assist Gilbert.
Gilbert had no complaints about Charles Roven. Charles Roven's work ability was strong, and he did an excellent job with everything he was assigned.
But he always seemed to meddle, unable to resist offering what he thought were brilliant suggestions.
For instance, he later felt that Halle Berry would be a more suitable choice for the female lead, Annie, but Gilbert flatly rejected it.
Another example was his belief that Tom Cruise would be a better fit for the male lead than Keanu Reeves.
After all, in terms of looks, Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves each had their strengths, but Tom Cruise's popularity was much higher than Keanu Reeves'.
Plus, they could even make it a husband-and-wife duo and bring Nicole Kidman in as the female lead.
But Gilbert vetoed that again. With a budget of twenty million, they wanted to hire the Cruise couple? They clearly didn't know what it meant to be one of Hollywood's highest-paid couples...
Other than that, there were no major issues. After all, Charles Roven was a producer sent by Warner Bros., and as long as he didn't interfere with the normal operation of the crew, Gilbert couldn't very well send him back to Warner.
After finalizing the locations, casting officially began. All the less important roles were left to the assistant director, Annie Burton.
As expected, after Gilbert put in a word, Naomi Watts successfully passed her audition and landed the role of Emily.
It wasn't a large part, with just over a dozen lines. Gilbert, without affecting the main storyline, subtly added a bit more screen time for her, a small personal indulgence.
The most crucial castings were for the male and female leads, as well as the villain, Payne.
The role of Payne was easy to decide; veteran actor Dennis Hopper, who had appeared in many films, secured the role after a simple audition.
However, during the audition for the male lead, Jack, Keanu Reeves didn't perform well, perhaps because he had been out too late with his two good friends the night before. He seemed a bit out of it.
Gilbert frowned. This wasn't the state he was hoping for. Jack was a capable police officer, not someone who looked like he hadn't slept.
"Keanu, you need to wash your face. Didn't you rest well last night?" Gilbert asked.
Knowing he hadn't performed well, Keanu Reeves was embarrassed. He wasn't good at lying, so he just nodded in agreement.
Gilbert sighed: "You can rest for a bit. We'll try another take later."
"Thank you, director..." Keanu Reeves didn't say much more and left to find a place to rest.
After Keanu Reeves left, Charles Roven seized the opportunity to say, "Director, I think we should replace him. Keanu Reeves is in no state to play the lead."
"Let's see how they do this afternoon during Sandra Bullock's audition, and then we'll decide. If it doesn't work, we'll replace him," Gilbert said. Charles Roven saw this and didn't say anything more. Given Keanu Reeves' state, he probably wouldn't have much success that afternoon either.
Gilbert, on the other hand, had a headache. He liked Keanu Reeves as an actor, it was true, but if his audition performance was poor, he wouldn't be able to convince Warner and Disney to cast him as the lead.
Moreover, this was his transition film, and he couldn't afford any mistakes.
In Hollywood, no one was indispensable, not even if their name was Tom Cruise or Harrison Ford, let alone Keanu Reeves at this point.
Keanu Reeves left the audition area, where his agent was waiting anxiously outside the door. "Keanu, how was the audition?" he asked nervously.
Keanu Reeves shook his head: "Not good, it was terrible."
His agent was thunderstruck and asked in a hushed voice, "How could this happen?"
Seeing his agent's worried expression, Keanu Reeves also felt bad: "I'm sorry, I was out too late with River and them yesterday. I didn't get enough sleep."
"Oh my God," the agent grew even more anxious: "Keanu, wake up! This is an audition, an opportunity, not a bar where you smoke or perform."
"It's fine, the director said I'll have another chance this afternoon, and to come back then," Keanu Reeves reassured his worried agent.
"Alright then," the agent quickly found a place for Keanu Reeves to rest: "You absolutely must get good rest. This afternoon is your last chance. If you can't seize it, Director Gilbert will definitely replace you..."
Keanu Reeves went off to catch up on sleep, while Sandra Bullock, led by her agent, arrived at the audition location.
"Don't be nervous during the audition. Director Gilbert is the one asking you to audition, and he has a lot of influence. As long as you perform well, you have a very high chance of getting the role," Rory Toledo said.
"What about you?" Sandra Bullock asked. "How will you talk to Gilbert about that matter?"
"Don't worry about me," Rory Toledo seemed confident: "As long as you get the role and sign the actor's contract, that's a success. As for whether that other matter works out, it's beyond our control, so there's no need to overthink it."
Sandra Bullock was somewhat reassured by Rory Toledo's words.
During the afternoon audition, Sandra Bullock discovered that she would be auditioning with someone else, performing a scene together.
As the audition began, Sandra Bullock realized she had a wonderful chemistry with the person she was acting opposite, and the scene flowed very smoothly.
She couldn't help but feel curious. After finishing the scene and stepping out, she proactively introduced herself: "Hello, my name is Sandra Bullock."
"Keanu Reeves..."
"I've heard of you. You were in Point Break, which was very good," Sandra Bullock said with a smile.
However, Keanu Reeves seemed rather aloof, merely replying with a "Thank you."
Sandra Bullock secretly pouted. Why was this person so distant?
Little did she know, Keanu Reeves was simply tired and just wanted to go home quickly to rest and recharge so he could go to the bar that night.
Of course, audition results wouldn't be out in a single day, as the production team still needed to deliberate, and then the producers would make the final decision.
So, on the evening after the audition, Keanu Reeves politely declined Sandra Bullock's dinner invitation and went home to sleep.
Sandra Bullock looked at Keanu Reeves' retreating back and commented: "What an eccentric person..."
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