Robert Downey Jr. carefully and meticulously read through the script.
Then he said to Carl, "I can freely choose between these two roles, right?"
The main team in Inception consisted of five members.
They were the protagonist, Dom Cobb, the genius Ariadne, the point man Arthur, Eames, and Yusuf.
The script Carl handed him involved two roles: Eames, a key member of the protagonist's team, and Fischer, the heir to a massive corporate empire, who played a crucial role throughout the entire film.
Of course, the script didn't explicitly mark the screen time for each role. Downey wouldn't know the full extent of Fischer's storyline or his significance—only a brief character synopsis was provided.
In fact, based on the synopsis alone, Eames appeared to have more scenes.
But Downey only paused for a minute on Eames' description, while his gaze lingered on Fischer's synopsis for a full five minutes.
Carl was starting to get a little impatient when Downey finally let go of the pages. "Alright, when's the audition?"
Carl handed him a business card with the address of Norton's Eye on it.
"Two weeks from now, you need to come to New York for the audition. The location is on this card."
"No problem." Downey nodded. He could tell this script had a complex structure, filled with terms he didn't fully understand. He could only guess at their meaning.
But that didn't matter. The more intricate it was, the more it proved the director's dedication. It didn't matter what kind of film it was—just seeing the name Ethan Norton was enough.
He knew he had to land this role.
This might be his chance to turn his career around.
Downey held the script tightly to his chest and stepped out of the car. Just as he was about to close the door, Carl suddenly spoke.
"Good luck."
"Thanks." Downey nodded in acknowledgment, then watched as Carl drove away.
Turning back toward the basketball court, his steps felt a bit heavier than before.
Meanwhile, Ethan was being hosted at Leonardo DiCaprio's countryside estate.
"Long time no see, buddy!"
Leonardo was dressed in overalls paired with a white shirt, wearing a felt hat, and holding a pipe in his mouth. He looked exactly like an American landowner.
Ethan hugged him and raised an eyebrow. "Didn't we just see each other last month?"
"Haha, true—at the Oscars." Leonardo patted Ethan's shoulder. "It's just a formality, you know."
"I thought we could skip formalities at this point," Ethan chuckled. "After all, we know each other pretty well."
He pointed at Leonardo's outfit, which instantly reminded the actor of a past photoshoot.
"Oh, that was definitely a... unique way of getting to know each other," Leonardo laughed and led Ethan into the house.
Gisele Bündchen was nowhere to be seen.
Although Leonardo and Gisele had broken up and reconciled multiple times, this time, it was final—there was no chance of getting back together.
In the end, Gisele couldn't tolerate Leonardo's flirtatious nature and his relentless work schedule.
At this point, Leonardo was already pursuing a new love interest—Israeli model Bar Refaeli.
This guy clearly had a thing for models. Almost all of his past relationships had been with women in the modeling industry. His taste had never changed.
Although there was no female host in the estate, a team of competent staff, including servants, gardeners, and a butler, kept everything running smoothly.
As they walked through the property, Ethan could see them tending to various tasks, maintaining every detail of the vast estate.
"Pretty extravagant," Ethan remarked.
Leonardo shrugged. "If you want, you can have one too. Want me to introduce you to a real estate agent?"
"I'll pass. I think my money is better spent on more valuable things."
Ethan shook his head.
Fifty Shades of Grey had officially been released worldwide, topping the box office charts in numerous countries.
Projections estimated the global box office earnings to reach around 500 million. Combined with the North American box office, the total was expected to hit 670 million.
After deducting the shares for theaters, MGM, Lionsgate, and other parties, Ethan's Norton's Eye would receive a profit share of 250 million.
This was, without a doubt, a massive sum—the largest amount Ethan had ever earned in his life.
For Norton's Eye as a company, if they refrained from frequent film investments and maintained steady annual income, this money would be enough for them to coast comfortably forever.
But Ethan had no intention of sitting back and relaxing. He was making big moves.
His first major investment was a $100 million stake in United Artists.
Next, he set his sights on acquiring Digital Domain.
This Los Angeles-based VFX company was the third most influential in Hollywood, just behind Industrial Light & Magic and Weta Digital.
It was originally founded by former ILM manager Scott Ross in 1993, with director James Cameron later joining as an investor. Cameron then brought in his friend, special effects master Stan Winston.
Winston was renowned in the industry—his work included groundbreaking effects in Jurassic Park, Aliens, and Terminator.
With such a strong foundation, Digital Domain initially flourished.
However, due to James Cameron's strong-willed personality, Scott Ross found it increasingly difficult to manage the company. Conflicts between them arose over business operations. Moreover, as James Cameron gradually developed an interest in documentaries and lost enthusiasm for commercial filmmaking, he simply decided to exit the company.
Naturally, his good friend Stan Winston left along with him.
After their departure, the company's performance declined even further, falling far behind the other two competitors. Poor business decisions led to the accumulation of heavy debt.
But in Ethan's view, Digital Domain's downfall was due to the fact that its strengths did not align with the direction of the future era.
Digital Domain specialized in particle effects, whereas Hollywood's visual effects industry was moving towards large-scale scene construction, practical effects, and motion capture technology.
As a result, their projects paled in comparison to those handled by Industrial Light & Magic and Weta Digital.
However, both of those companies had strong financial backers, making it difficult for Ethan to acquire a stake in them.
Instead, he set his sights on this company, which was already on a downward trajectory, and planned to carry out an aggressive restructuring effort—bringing it back on the right track in Hollywood's visual effects industry and making it serve his own interests.
To this end, he prepared a budget of $70 million to acquire a 30% stake in the company, making him the largest shareholder.
Scott Ross was the key figure in this transaction.
Besides this investment, Ethan was also searching for a new office building for Norton Group's future headquarters.
After all, with the growing staff numbers at Angel Declaration, Norton Eye, Supreme Creativity, and Bernay & Co PR, their current office space was no longer sufficient.
Staying in that cramped location was no longer an ideal choice.
Moreover, it lacked privacy.
Thus, Ethan entrusted Fernando with the task of searching for a suitable office building in New York.
Of course, he wasn't planning to buy an entire building outright—that would be too extravagant.
He could wait until after the 2008 financial crisis to make a purchase.
For now, he only intended to lease a few floors as a temporary base.
As for the $50 million loan he had taken for Supreme Creativity?
Debtors hold the power, and Ethan had no intention of paying off the loan all at once.
Keeping the money in his hands meant he could generate even greater returns.
But Leonardo couldn't quite grasp what Ethan meant by "value." He furrowed his brow and asked, "Isn't living a happy life the most valuable thing?"
"You're not wrong." Ethan spread his hands. "But my happiness doesn't come from that."
"Then what does your happiness come from?" Leonardo asked curiously.
"My happiness?" Ethan looked up at the sharp spire of the manor's architecture. "Standing up there, receiving the admiration of all—that's my happiness."
Leonardo squinted at the sky under the blazing sun alongside him.
"In that case, part of my happiness must come from the same thing."
"Hahaha." They exchanged smiles and walked into the villa.
Sitting on a brown leather sofa, barefoot on a plush carpet, and gazing at the mounted hunting trophies on the wall, Ethan immediately felt the luxury of Leonardo's lifestyle.
"You've done a great job here. No wonder you don't stay in the city."
"Of course." Leonardo shrugged. "It's quiet here. When I want to study a script without distractions, I come here. And when I want some excitement, I head back to my Los Angeles villa and throw a party."
"Sounds nice. So, did you come here because you've received a new film offer?"
"No, I'm here because I want to make a documentary." Leonardo explained, "It's called The 11th Hour. You know, I've been running my environmental organization for eight years now. I've been consistently advocating the importance of environmental protection to the public."
He handed a glass of wine to Ethan. "We're constantly destroying our ecosystem. I think this world is accelerating toward its demise, so we must take environmental issues seriously."
Ethan looked down at the carpet and then at the mounted trophies on the walls. "Does your environmentalism include animals?"
"Of course." Leonardo walked over to the wall, smiling. "Everything you see here is fake. Not real. Even the carpet you're stepping on—it's synthetic. But these are all representations of endangered species. The reason they're here is to raise awareness."
"So, are you trying to recruit me into your environmental organization, or do you want me to help with your documentary?"
"Either one works. Ethan, I think your influence is only going to grow stronger in the future." Leonardo sat back on the couch and said seriously, "You're a director. If you believe in the idea of environmental protection, then what you can do might far exceed what I can achieve."
"Yeah... To be honest, I do agree with environmentalism." Ethan nodded. "I think global warming is fundamentally driven by human activity…"
"You're absolutely right. Nations are recklessly deforesting and hunting wildlife. The ecological balance and climate are being disrupted."
"Maybe it's not just that…" Ethan tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I don't think deforestation alone can cause such severe consequences. Carbon emissions play a huge role too. The U.S. itself is the largest carbon emitter in the world. Cars, factories—all of them are polluting the environment without restraint. Or worse, shifting the pollution onto developing countries."
"And then they have the audacity to declare that the entire world must contribute to environmental efforts. Don't you think that's hilarious?"
Leonardo fell silent for a moment. "I didn't expect you to be so critical of the government."
"Oh, come on, Leonardo. I may be born and raised in the U.S., but I have to say—this country can be pretty damn screwed up."
Ethan chuckled. "The good thing is, it's still democratic enough, isn't it?"
Leonardo didn't catch the sarcasm in Ethan's tone and raised his glass. "Then let's toast to democracy and freedom."
"Cheers."
"Clink." Ethan finished his drink. "That said, I'm actually interested in your documentary. Count me in. You're the producer—assign me whatever role you see fit. But in return, you can't turn down Inception this time."
"Hahaha, I brought you here, didn't I? That means I don't plan on refusing." Leonardo nodded in agreement. "But what exactly is this film about? I feel like I don't quite get it."
"It's simple." Ethan walked behind Leonardo, placed two fingers on his temples, and spoke in a deep, hypnotic voice. "Close your eyes and relax."
Leonardo hesitated but followed Ethan's instructions and closed his eyes.
Then, he heard Ethan's voice, sounding almost like a hypnotic suggestion:
"You are about to enter the world of dreams. There, you will meet the person you most long to see. You walk together along the beach, embracing, kissing. As the sunset fades beyond the horizon, you sit on the sand and share your deepest secrets."
"And when you finish sharing your secrets, you realize the dream has vanished."
Ethan snapped his fingers next to Leonardo's ear.
"Snap!" Leonardo's eyes flew open.
The next second, he saw Ethan sitting on the coffee table across from him, the overhead light casting shadows over his face, making his expression unreadable.
From within the dim light, Ethan spoke: "Now, I know your secret."
Leonardo's eyes widened. He was just about to demand an explanation when Ethan suddenly laughed. "That's exactly the feeling I want."
"…FXXK!" Leonardo cursed.
"You really didn't hypnotize me?"
After a moment's thought, he asked again.
Ethan burst out laughing. "Come on, Leonardo, do you really think I could hypnotize you? Wouldn't you know if you actually fell asleep?"
"Not necessarily!" Leonardo smirked. "In Hollywood, you're considered a lucky charm. Many people say you're blessed by some higher power."
"But that doesn't mean I'd use that blessing for mischief."
After exchanging a few more words, Leonardo suddenly became excited. "So, in the film, my role is this kind of character? A hypnotist?"
"Exactly. You'll be a dream infiltrator—hypnotizing people, entering their dreams, using disguise, words, and actions to unlock their deepest secrets."
"Sounds interesting."
"Don't worry, Leonardo. This will be an incredible movie. I can't guarantee awards, but the reputation and impact will be massive."
"Alright, I trust you." Leonardo bumped fists with Ethan, then drained his glass.
....
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