NOVEL NEXT Chapter 167: Movie Premiere
[Wednesday, Billboard magazine interview! Vanity Fair journalist exclusive interview!]
Swipe! A colored pen streaked across the form, leaving behind a bright red cross.
Link gave a slight smile, the joy of crossing things off probably only something a busy person like himself could understand, as he straightened his tie in front of the mirror and put on his sunglasses before leaving the apartment.
At noon, a silver-grey Porsche business van was parked on the direct driveway in front of Yorkville Apartments.
Seeing Link come out, the driver, Bob, got down to open the car door and, after Link got in, drove towards the Metropolitan Theater.
"Boss, Eminem just called; he wants to talk to you about his new song and asked when you'd have the time,"
his assistant Anna said.
Link pinched the bridge of his nose. There was an awards ceremony tomorrow, a company cocktail party, and no time the day after tomorrow.
"Ask Eminem if he's got time this weekend?"
"Sure!"
Half an hour later, the car arrived at the Metropolitan Theater. Today, Deep Sea Quest 2 was holding its premiere here.
This movie, invested in and produced by Columbia Pictures, had a budget of less than 12 million US dollars and initially wasn't much paid attention to as a minor production.
However, as Link's album sold well and his popularity rose, the film company used his debut movie as a selling point in its promotion.
In the trailer released in March, he had as much screen time as the male lead, going from the third male lead to one of the main stars.
In the poster at the movie theater, he and the male lead were shirtless with the female lead standing between them, suggestive of a love triangle.
Due to his involvement, the media and fans also paid a great deal of attention to the film, curious to see how his first movie turned out.
As the car arrived in front of the theater, there were thousands of spectators and fans on-site, along with a group of journalists waiting outside the red carpet area, constantly taking photos and interviewing several stars who had been invited to the premiere.
Including Deep Sea Chase 1's leads Paul Walker and Jessica Alba, and several other well-known stars such as Lindsay Lohan and Ashton Kutcher.
They were invited by distributors to show support, which was part of their paid responsibilities and had little to do with the film.
Link pushed open the car door and got out, and after a while, he saw Paul Walker drive over in a sports car, looking handsome in a gray suit.
"Hey, Link, didn't bring your girlfriend?"
Paul Walker called out.
"I didn't invite her; she's busy with work."
"I'm talking about the other girlfriends; are they all busy too?"
Paul Walker said with a twinkle in his eye and a laugh.
"Stop talking nonsense; I'm not as much of a ladies' man as you are,"
Link patted his shoulder and pushed him onto the red carpet.
Both men, one in a blue suit and one in a gray suit, one with black hair and the other with blond, tall and handsome.
The crowd on-site erupted into lively cheers when they saw the two approaching, shouting their names.
The photographers also didn't stop snapping photos, capturing the image of two handsome men walking side by side on the red carpet.
"Mr. Link Baker, may we interview you?"
a few journalists shouted.
Link nodded his head and moved to the edge of the red carpet for the interview.
"Mr. Baker, Deep Sea Quest 2 is your debut film. How did it feel shooting it? Did you encounter any difficulties?"
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a Variety entertainment magazine journalist asked.
"Yes, before shooting this movie, I was completely new to acting and hadn't received any formal training in acting. In the beginning, I indeed faced a lot of challenges, but director Stephen Herrick is a very capable person, and he taught me a lot on set, helping us get through the hard times,"
Link spoke confidently to the camera.
"Mr. Baker, did you participate in Deep Sea Quest 2 as a whim, or do you plan to become a professional actor?"
The New York Daily News reporter asked.
"I like movies and love acting, if there's a good script, I'd consider playing more roles."
Link responded.
"Mr. Baker, I heard you've enrolled in New York University. We all know you're involved in a lot of work, boxing, music, movies. How do you manage your time between work and studies? Are you worried about failing any subjects?"
The American Express reporter asked.
Link chuckled and said, "Yes, I'm a bit worried. I've heard that failing means taking re-exams, and it could affect graduation. I certainly don't want to become the butt of jokes, so whenever I have time, I try to attend as many classes as possible."
"Mr. Baker, how is the recording of your second album going? When will it be available for purchase?"
The Baltimore Sun reporter asked.
"It's in the recording process. The specific release date depends on the company's schedule."
Link answered a few more questions, waved goodbye to the reporters and fans, and followed Paul Walker into the cinema.
The plot of "Deep Sea Quest 2" is similar to the first one, telling the story of a couple of divers hired by a big shot to search for the legendary treasure that Columbus lost at the bottom of the sea.
During their search, they discover the employer's secret: he is looking for two nuclear warheads.
In order to save the world and catch the mastermind, the protagonists engage in a battle of wits with the big shot. Eventually, with the help of the police, they capture the villain behind it all, and also find Columbus's treasure, becoming rich and living happily together.
In the drama, Link played the role of the big shot's assistant, who was sent to recruit the protagonists to search for the treasure underwater, but in reality, he was secretly looking for the nuclear warheads.
In the original script, his character was the trusty confidant of the big shot, leaking information about the male lead, and eventually getting caught by the police. But in the movie, he becomes friends with the lead characters and together, they take on the villain behind the scenes.
After watching it once, Link couldn't help but admire the film editor's skills. Clearly, two unrelated plot segments had been connected through editing, conveying different meanings.
"Link, what do you think?"
Director Stephen Herrick turned to ask.
"It looks pretty good."
He hadn't seen the original version and considering its lack of fame, he had assumed it was a poor film.
But just watching a bit, he realized the plot was more exciting than he expected, with many highlights. The actresses were all very sexy, and Link and a few male actors were handsome.
There were sports cars, yachts, fights, explosions - all more spectacular than your average low-budget commercial film.
Plus, his original character was a villain, but now reworked into a hero, increasing his screen time by over ten minutes. He had nothing to complain about.
The only dissatisfaction was his salary. When he agreed to do the film, he was the Golden Gloves champion, and his pay was just $100,000. Including post-release promotion fees, it added up to only $500,000, which was less than what he got for endorsing a small commercial.
"Link, you're well-suited for action flicks, and right now in Hollywood, most of the male stars who are good at action are getting old, and the next generation hasn't risen up yet. If you want to make it in the film industry, consider becoming an action star," said Director Stephen.
Link nodded. Indeed, becoming an action star was a suitable direction for him, but he knew that for the next decade, Hollywood would be dominated by Marvel movies. To enter the ranks of top action actors, he'd have to play a superhero.
"Link, I can't watch this," Paul Walker groaned, holding his forehead and looking pained.
"Are you feeling unwell?" Link asked in surprise.
Paul Walker pointed at the big screen, "Just watch. In a few minutes, you'll be strutting around naked, showing off your muscles and figure. If I were a woman, I might keep watching, but I'm a man. What do you think I'd think of this movie?"
"You had as many nude scenes as me in the first film. Oh, I get it, you're jealous that I'm in better shape."
"Bullshit, why would I be jealous of you? Fine, even if your muscles are a tad better, my acting skills blow yours out of the water. Just wait and see, by tomorrow some critic will be tearing into your acting, calling you a vase," Paul Walker teased.
Link simply smiled, unfazed by the criticism of his acting skills.
Let them see just how poor his acting was, so that when "Fighter" came out, they would see how much he had improved and realize how hard he had worked.
Underperforming in "Deep Sea Quest 2" might even turn out to be a good thing.