[Chapter 465: Casting the Leading Lady and Recording New Songs]
Nearly two months had passed since the projects Twister and The Nutty Professor had been greenlit. The preparations for both films were progressing smoothly, and it was almost time for casting.
Previously, Linton had decided on Naomi Watts as the lead actress for Twister, leaving the rest of the casting decisions to the production team. However, he hadn't expected the competition for the other roles to be so intense, especially for characters he wasn't particularly interested in.
Halle Berry, after all, was considered one of Hollywood's top mixed-race actresses and ranked as a solid B-list star at best. Despite her current popularity and status, she felt she had little chance of landing a role and had surprisingly come to Linton behind the scenes to pull strings.
It seemed Linton had underestimated just how fierce and ruthless the Hollywood casting race had become.
He remembered that in a previous era, the lead role in this very movie had gone to Jada Pinkett. No one really knew how she snagged the part, but her career skyrocketed after the film's release, elevating her above even Halle Berry at the time. She later married Will Smith, and together, they became the hottest black celebrity couple in Hollywood. Will Smith eventually rose to become a superstar. Of course, what made them truly famous wasn't their star power alone, but the way they navigated their high-profile relationship, earning them a reputation as one of Hollywood's most unconventional couples.
Since Halle Berry had come to him personally, Linton figured the lead role was now off the table for anyone else.
Thinking this, he looked at Halle, who was still fumbling nervously on the phone.
"Blake, it's me."
"Boss, what are your orders?" Blake responded immediately, straightening up with respect upon hearing Linton's voice.
"How's the movie prep coming along?"
"Everything's on track. Casting starts next week."
"No need to audition for the female lead, Carla. I have the perfect choice."
"Oh? Boss, may I ask who it is?"
"You know who -- Halle Berry."
"If you say she's the right fit, then she sure is. But I have a suggestion."
"Go ahead."
"Although we've decided on Halle Berry, we can't announce it publicly just yet. After all, we've already released casting info to the unions and agencies."
"So?"
"We need Halle to just go through the audition process to keep everything above board."
"No problem. I only care about the result."
After hanging up, Linton patted a still-flustered Halle on the shoulder.
"Halle, you heard that, right?"
"Darling, I heard you loud and clear -- I love you!" Halle said, then nervously stumbled over her words even more.
---
After more than a year, Linton walked into the door of Universal Records once again. It looked the same as ever -- the familiar Universal Records.
But everything had changed. He had once been a superstar and the undisputed number one artist on the label. Yet, back then, he was just a performer -- cherished by the company but never truly respected.
Now, his role had shifted. Not only was he a top singer, but he was now the owner of Universal Records.
As he stepped out of his car, he spotted Daniel arriving with a group of senior executives standing respectfully at the entrance, ready to greet him.
Universal had even moved his office from the artists' floor to the executive suite on the highest level. The space was larger than Daniel's own office and boasted the title of Chairman. They had also established a dedicated chairman's office, staffed solely to provide him support.
His assistant, Molly, had been promoted accordingly, now serving as director of the chairman's office.
Seeing all this, Linton shook his head internally, tempted to tease Daniel but deciding against it -- he didn't want to undermine his team's ambition.
Since this was his first visit since acquiring Universal, besides recording songs, he had a meeting lined up to get a comprehensive update on the company.
Without going into the details of the meeting, Linton was generally satisfied with Universal Records' operations.
Moreover, he had never had conflicts with any of the management prior. There was no drama or backstabbing; rather, his rise had been so rapid that before anyone could react, he had already become a star.
Even if some had ill intentions, they never had the chance to act on them. And once someone hits it big, the people around them usually become allies rather than enemies -- they wouldn't risk offending a promising young star.
Plus, he had quickly expanded his career focus into movies, which meant fewer resource conflicts with other artists at the label who might be competition.
...
After finishing the executive meeting, Linton, accompanied by Daniel, headed to the recording studio.
The producer on this project was still his old friend Lisa.
After over ten days of preparation, the song arrangements were complete, and all backing tracks were ready. They just needed Linton to show up to start recording.
With Linton's ever-deepening experience, especially now at the Celestial Presence stage of his abilities, he had complete control over every part of his voice.
Typically, singers relied on techniques like switching between head and chest voice or breath control to compensate for vocal limitations.
But for Linton, these were mere embellishments. His vocal power alone could carry any song.
Whether hitting the highest notes or the lowest growls, it was effortless for him.
The recording team was left dumbfounded. How could he improve his singing so dramatically in just a year? Was it even possible for a human voice to reach such levels?
Though almost surreal, the recording process went incredibly smoothly. Linton's control over his vocal tone was so strong that he passed each take within three attempts.
Even the most challenging parts didn't take more than five takes.
In just three days, Linton recorded all twelve songs.
For comparison, even top-tier singers like Shania Twain usually needed at least three days to record a single track, given that auto-tune and other digital tools hadn't reached today's levels yet.
Plus, vocal rest and care were necessary to avoid strain, so recording twelve songs to a high standard would normally take at least six weeks.
In the past, Linton's best output had been one song per day, which was already extraordinary.
Now, after a year away, he effortlessly knocked out four songs per day. It was superhuman -- how could anyone else compete?
Lisa and her team were amazed but also felt kind of deflated. No matter how skilled they were, they couldn't match Linton's unique talent.
Of course, this singing prowess added another layer to Linton's growing legend. Beyond being a prodigy, he was now officially recognized as having the strongest vocal skills in the industry.
*****
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