When Rob Sari walked into the audition room, he saw Ethan and the producers sitting in the main seats.
"Director, hello." Rob Sari smiled and greeted everyone before sitting down in the chair in front of them.
"Sari, long time no see. How have you been lately?" Ethan asked, looking up.
"Thanks to you, I've been doing great." Rob Sari grinned. "I've gained some fame, shot quite a few commercials, and even moved my family into a new home near New York."
"Sounds good." Ethan nodded. "Do you know what my new film is this time?"
"I don't know. You didn't tell me. Is it a new franchise?"
Ethan shook his head. "No, it's a sequel to Lucy."
"Lucy sequel? But didn't I already die before?" Rob Sari asked in confusion.
"That's right, so if you want to take part this time, you need to be mentally prepared." Ethan picked up a blank sheet of paper and showed it to Rob Sari.
Rob Sari saw a character sketch on it. The figure was over two meters tall, covered in black cybernetic implants, with thick red cables intertwining through its body, connecting various joints.
On its back was a small cannon-like device. The only human feature visible was its head, but even that had numerous tubes embedded into the back of the skull. Its eyes glowed red, and just looking at it gave off an intimidating aura.
"Who is this?" Rob Sari had a vague feeling that this wasn't an ordinary person.
"Adam Smasher. He's Arasaka Corporation's top-tier cybernetic soldier, the ultimate embodiment of cybernetic enhancements," Ethan explained.
Adam Smasher originated from the game Cyberpunk 2077. In fact, Norton Eye had already acquired the rights to Cyberpunk TRPG, the tabletop game that preceded it.
So Ethan decided to introduce this heavyweight character early.
"Adam Smasher?" Rob Sari stared at the powerful and imposing figure in fascination. "Can I play him?"
"Of course you can. In fact, I called you here because I think you're a great fit." Ethan explained. "But you should know, if you take on this role, you'll have to go through three months of training, shave your head, and completely adapt to this character's look. It will affect your other—"
"No problem!" Rob Sari agreed without hesitation. Whether out of gratitude or personal interest, he felt that Adam Smasher was an incredible role.
It was like the character was made for him.
He had always longed to portray an overwhelming powerhouse on screen, and now that the opportunity had finally come, there was no way he would pass it up.
"Are you sure?" Ethan still asked, just to be certain.
"I'm sure." Rob Sari nodded firmly.
"That's great. I won't need to find any backup candidates, then. Sari, looking forward to working with you." Ethan stood up and extended his hand. Rob Sari immediately stepped forward and shook it.
After confirming the role, Rob Sari asked, "Director, were those actors outside also auditioning for this role?"
Ethan shook his head. "No, of course not. They were auditioning for some minor roles. The only reason I called you in first was that you were the closest."
"I see." Rob Sari felt relieved. Ethan's words dispelled his worries—it wasn't that the director doubted his ability, it was just a coincidence.
That was good.
Feeling at ease, Rob Sari thanked everyone and left the audition room.
Meanwhile, Ethan moved on to the next actor's audition.
It wasn't a difficult process since they weren't looking for particularly complex characters. The curly-haired actor and the brown-haired actor both got selected—they would appear as minor thugs in the movie.
Once the casting was settled, Ethan reviewed the character designs and script again.
This movie would follow Lucy and her team as they unearthed more secrets and clashed with Arasaka Corporation.
Although the comic version had already delved into the deeper truths of Earth, the movies couldn't progress that quickly. Especially since every member of Lucy's team had the potential to lead a standalone film.
However, compared to the widespread recognition and established reputation of Marvel and DC, SuperCyc's world was still relatively unknown. It needed more development to build a strong audience base.
So after setting up Lucy 2, Ethan also scheduled standalone films for the rest of the team.
Of course, he wouldn't direct all of them himself.
James Wan and Greta Gerwig would each direct one of the team members' films, with Ethan serving as the producer.
At the same time, Ethan was also in discussions with other directors, and several had already expressed initial interest—just waiting for the scripts to be finalized.
In short, Norton Eye was gearing up for a massive push over the next two years.
Amidst all this busy planning, the filming for Skyfall finally wrapped up in May, and preparations for Lucy 2 entered their final stage.
Then came a flood of invitations to fashion galas and magazine events.
Given his growing presence in the fashion world, Ethan accepted an invitation from VOGUE, and joining him would be Scarlett Johansson. Meanwhile, Anne Hathaway and Jessica declined the event.
Avril Lavigne had just released a new album and was busy promoting it everywhere.
Everything was planned out perfectly—until the day of the event, when Taylor Swift suddenly announced she would also be attending and wanted to walk the red carpet with Ethan.
Sitting in his dressing room, Ethan tugged at the corner of his mouth. This girl was obviously scheming something.
But he had to admit, this put him in a difficult position.
He had already arranged to walk the red carpet with Scarlett, and now Taylor wanted to join as well. That was bound to be awkward.
Before he could come up with a solution, Taylor suddenly walked into his dressing room.
She was wearing a light pink dress today, her golden hair perfectly styled, and bright red lipstick enhancing her beauty. She looked more radiant than ever.
"Ethan, your outfit looks really sharp today." Taylor sat on the sofa behind him, smiling as she looked at Ethan through the makeup mirror.
"Thanks for the compliment. Your dress looks amazing too, and this shade of lipstick suits you well—it's darker than the one you wore last time." Ethan returned the praise. Women always appreciated compliments, especially those with specific details.
A simple "You look beautiful" worked for strangers, but once in a relationship, women expected compliments to be more detailed—comments on their hairstyle, blush, eyeshadow, outfit coordination, and even lipstick shade.
If a man couldn't answer these questions accurately, women would often get the impression that he didn't care about them.
For someone like Ethan, with his keen memory, this was effortless. Even Taylor herself hadn't expected him to remember the exact shade of her previous lipstick.
"I think so too." Taylor's lips curled up in satisfaction, her expression practically screaming how much she enjoyed this moment.
However, her smile didn't last long. It was interrupted by someone else's arrival—Scarlett had finished her makeup and entered Ethan's dressing room.
Scarlett was wearing a red dress today, far more striking than Taylor's outfit. Her golden short hair added to her charm, and her well-endowed figure, especially her ample chest, was significantly more prominent than Taylor's.
The moment Taylor saw her, she let out a cold snort.
Hearing this, Scarlett sat across from Taylor, elegantly crossed her fair legs, and smiled at her. "Hello, Taylor. I really like your songs."
"Really? Well, I've never watched your movies," Taylor responded with impatience. She knew Ethan had many women around him, and Scarlett was one of them. But facing her directly for the first time still irritated her.
"In that case, I must recommend Lucy to you. Ethan directed it, and it's absolutely fantastic," Scarlett said with a straight face, taking the opportunity to promote her film with Ethan.
Taylor clenched her teeth in frustration.
After all, her collaboration with Ethan dated back to her first album.
"Oh, by the way, the sequel to Lucy is already in the works. It might hit theaters next year. I'll send you a few tickets then—you can bring your whole family. I guarantee it'll be amazing," Scarlett added another jab at the perfect moment, making Taylor even angrier.
Taylor narrowed her eyes and muttered under her breath, "Old woman."
"What did you say?" Age was always a sensitive topic for women, especially when sitting across from a romantic rival.
Scarlett was born in 1984, while Taylor was born in 1989—a five-year difference. Naturally, Scarlett was quite sensitive to being called "old."
"Oh, nothing. I was just wondering whether I should call you 'sister' or 'auntie,'" Taylor said, maintaining a fake smile while deliberately provoking her.
Scarlett's expression didn't falter. She returned the fake smile and responded in a low voice, "Either works, little sister. After all, I'll be sticking closely to Ethan for the next six months."
Taylor pursed her lips tightly, resisting the urge to curse.
Just then, an event organizer called Ethan out of the room, taking the makeup artist along. Now, only Taylor and Scarlett remained in the dressing room.
Taylor, no longer restraining herself, snapped back. "Ethan won't like you for long. Give up, old woman."
Scarlett smiled. "At least I've been with Ethan longer than you, little Taylor."
"Then why haven't you had a child with him? Is it because you don't want to?" Taylor struck directly at Scarlett's sore spot.
Scarlett didn't back down. "And what about you? No one even knows you're dating Ethan."
This hit Taylor right where it hurt. She raised her middle finger. "F**k you!"
"F**k you too!" Scarlett wasn't one to back down either. If they hadn't already done their makeup, they might have started a full-blown fight right there.
At that moment, Ethan pushed the door open and walked back in.
Scarlett instantly switched back to her usual demeanor. "Let's go, dear Ethan. It's time for the red carpet."
Taylor was stunned by how quickly Scarlett changed her attitude, but she wasn't about to let Ethan be taken away. She stood up in frustration and reached out her hand. "Ethan, walk the red carpet with me."
Ethan looked at the two women, then extended both of his hands. "Since you both want to walk with me, let's do it together."
"Huh?" Taylor and Scarlett were both taken aback by Ethan's move. Before they could react, he pulled them out of the room.
As soon as they stepped outside, the noise of the event surrounded them, with staff and other celebrities filling the area.
Taylor and Scarlett had no choice but to keep their tempers in check. A public fallout here would land them on the front pages of every gossip magazine.
So, the two women linked their arms with Ethan's and followed the staff's guidance to the red carpet.
"Wow! Is that Ethan? And he has two dates?"
"Scarlett and Taylor! Oh my god, they're walking the red carpet together?"
"This is every man's dream!"
The reporters were in a frenzy as soon as they spotted the three of them, cameras flashing non-stop.
Out of sight from the cameras, Taylor and Scarlett were both pinching Ethan's waist.
"Ow, take it easy, ladies," Ethan muttered, smiling through the pain as he led them forward.
Taylor and Scarlett both maintained their fake smiles, making it look like nothing was wrong.
When they reached the host's area, the host obviously wasn't going to let this slide.
"Ethan, why are you walking the red carpet with two stunning ladies today?"
Scarlett and Taylor turned their heads toward Ethan, waiting for his response.
Ethan took the microphone and said, "Actually, I have two great announcements to make."
"Oh? What are they?" The host leaned in with interest.
"First, about the movie," Ethan smiled. "The Lucy sequel will start filming this August. I know the fans have been waiting for a long time, so I wanted to share the news today."
"Really? Wow, that's amazing!" The host exclaimed. "I'm a huge fan of Lucy! I even bought the comics—they're incredible! Ethan, I heard you were involved in those stories too?"
"That's right. Every story in the SuperCyc Universe has my involvement. It's like my child," Ethan replied.
"That explains it! And Taylor, why are you walking the red carpet with Ethan today?"
Taylor was caught off guard. She hadn't prepared an answer.
Luckily, Ethan stepped in. He took the microphone again and said, "That brings me to my second announcement."
"Taylor will be performing the theme song for Lucy 2. Also, she's about to release a brand-new single."
"Wow! My God, really?" The host turned to Taylor.
Taylor nodded. "Yes, my new single is almost ready for release."
"Fans are going to go crazy over this!" The host spread his arms wide. "I'm a fan too—I own all your albums. What's the style of this one?"
"This time, I focused more on my inner world," Taylor said, instantly regaining her composure. "Music is very important to me. Whether I'm happy or sad, I like to express it this way. So, this song is quite special. I hope my fans will see a different side of me."
"I can't wait! Taylor, I'll definitely support you!"
With that, the host finally let them go, and the three of them walked into the event hall together.
...
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