When Gilbert walked over, Scarlett had just finished a set of training exercises. She stopped to rest and wiped her sweat with a towel.
"Came all the way just to see me?"
"Of course not," Gilbert said, handing her a bottle of sports drink and taking the towel to wipe her sweat for her. "How's it going? Tired?"
"Tired, really tired. It's much harder than filming a drama," Scarlett said, enjoying Gilbert's service.
"Hahaha!" Gilbert laughed out loud. "So it turns out even playing a pretty face in a blockbuster isn't easy. Keep it up, Scarlett, this role suits you perfectly."
"Mm-hmm." Scarlett nodded, rested a bit, and then continued her grueling training.
Even playing a "flower vase" in a commercial film wasn't that easy. When The Matrix was being filmed, Charlize Theron trained extensively for the role of Trinity.
In The Lord of the Rings series, Anne Hathaway and Orlando Bloom—both often labeled as pretty faces—trained for three months before shooting, and continued their training during filming.
Orlando Bloom even strained his tendons while practicing the archery movements.
Hollywood was indeed a circle where luck and connections mattered, but when opportunity landed in an actor's hands, without putting in effort, there could be no success.
Throughout June, Gilbert fully carried out his duties as the producer of Iron Man. With his supervision, Marvel Studios, in its first attempt at making a film independently, appeared calm and well-organized.
According to the preparation schedule, filming could officially begin in September.
Once Iron Man was on track, Gilbert turned his attention back to his new project, The Last of Us.
At the end of June, after successful negotiations with Tom Cruise's agent, Tom Cruise officially became the first confirmed actor to join The Last of Us.
On the very night he signed the contract, Tom Cruise eagerly announced on his social media that he would be working with Gilbert again.
"Thrilled to be collaborating with Gilbert once more. I've read the script—it's an absolutely amazing story. I'm already looking forward to what we'll achieve together."
The post also included a photo of Tom Cruise and Gilbert together, with Gilbert liking and commenting beneath it.
This was Tom Cruise's third collaboration with Gilbert, following Chicago and The False, making him the actor who had worked with Gilbert the most among Hollywood A-listers.
Naturally, fans were excited—Tom Cruise and Gilbert together again clearly meant something big was coming.
As the project advanced, online media learned from the Actors Guild that Gilbert had requested two young performers, aged between twelve and fourteen, to star alongside Tom Cruise.
Soon after, new reports surfaced that Dakota Fanning—who had previously worked with Tom Hanks on War of the Worlds—would once again play the daughter of a "Tom," this time opposite Tom Cruise.
Having played the daughter of both Toms, Dakota Fanning had achieved quite a unique milestone.
Later, at a public event, Dakota Fanning responded to the rumors for the first time during an interview.
"Yes, Director Gilbert did invite me, and I accepted," she said. "But my scenes aren't many. I've read the script, and my part is only about a page long."
When the reporter asked, "Can you tell us what the story is about?"
"I'm sorry," Dakota replied. "Director Gilbert doesn't want it revealed yet. What I can say is that it's a very touching story—just wait and see."
Dakota Fanning's role came about through a recommendation from Tom Hanks.
He had enjoyed working with her during War of the Worlds and thought she was a talented young actress. When he heard Gilbert was looking for a young performer, he recommended her immediately.
After a simple audition, Dakota Fanning was chosen to play Sarah.
Another major role, Ellie, proved to be a much harder decision.
The Actors Guild quickly provided Gilbert with a shortlist that included Kristen Stewart, Saoirse Ronan, and AnnaSophia Robb—
As well as Disney's recommendations: Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Taylor Momsen.
In addition, Julia Roberts, upon learning about the project, recommended her niece Emma Roberts for the role.
Emma Watson, too, after hearing about The Last of Us, personally went to Melon Studio and persistently asked Gilbert for an audition opportunity.
Soon, Melon Studio was filled with nearly every promising young actress in Hollywood between the ages of eleven and fifteen—any of whom might become the next big Hollywood superstar.
To be honest, none of these young actresses quite fit the image of Ellie that Gilbert had in mind.
If anyone was close, Gilbert thought it would be Ellen Page, but she was already eighteen—too mature for the character's age setting.
He remembered that she had starred in Inception, and later underwent gender transition surgery, changing her name to Elliot Page, which shocked everyone.
Rumor had it that she transitioned because she was tired of harassment and wanted to prevent people from having improper thoughts about her—so she took the initiative to become "him."
Since Ellen Page wasn't suitable, Gilbert had to choose from among the younger candidates.
He decided to hold individual auditions, evaluating each actress's performance before making the final decision.
However, before the young actresses' auditions began, Gilbert finalized several of the main adult roles. For Joel's younger brother Tommy, he invited Jude Law to play the part.
After reading the script and learning that Tom Cruise had joined the cast—Jude Law didn't hesitate to accept the role.
Another important character, Tess, though her screen time wasn't long, still became a hotly pursued part among Hollywood actresses. After all, working with Gilbert and Tom Cruise wasn't an everyday opportunity.
The role quickly became the target for many once–top-tier but now declining older actresses who were desperate to regain attention.
To win the role, the actresses tried every trick imaginable, engaging in all kinds of subtle competition. Gilbert even received multiple dinner invitations from various actresses.
Among them was Sharon Stone, the former Hollywood sex symbol but Gilbert turned her down.
Had she been ten years younger, he might not have minded, but at forty-seven, that grass was simply too old to graze.
In the end, after several rounds of auditions, Kim Basinger—known for her roles in 007 films and Tim Burton's Batman—was chosen by Gilbert.
The main reason he picked her was that he found Kim Basinger's personality quite similar to Tess's, with her sharp facial lines giving her the strong, tough look that fit perfectly.
Another key female role, Marlene, was taken by Halle Berry.
Originally, she'd been considered for the canceled Catwoman project, which Gilbert himself had vetoed. Though Halle Berry ranked among the top-tier Black actresses in Hollywood, her position was still awkward.
In commercial films, the glamorous "pretty" roles were almost always reserved for white actresses, while Black actresses were often cast as side characters or comic relief.
Halle Berry, however, believed she was no less beautiful than any of her white peers—but the market didn't offer her many chances.
So when she heard that The Last of Us had a Black female role, she volunteered to cut her salary just to be part of it. Seeing her determination, Gilbert had no reason to refuse.
....
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