Chapter 34

"Girl with short, golden hair?" Murphy looked at James Franco, the eccentric talent, in surprise, "Are you talking about Carey Mulligan?"

James Franco wasn't sure of her name, but he had found out that she had come to the production for an audition. He muttered, "So her name is Carey Mulligan."

Murphy frowned slightly, sensing something from James Franco's attitude.

"Her acting is excellent," Murphy said tentatively, "the best I've seen among girls her age."

"Excellent?" James Franco asked hurriedly, "Do you plan to use her?"

"If everything goes well..."

Murphy glanced at James Franco again, as if he had an idea, "She will be the lead actress of this project."

"OK!" James Franco snapped his fingers, "Contact my agent."

Murphy turned to Jessica Chastain and gave her some instructions. James Franco, without showing any emotion, swiftly grabbed the pen he had been eyeing and slipped it into his sleeve. He stood up and said, "Let's leave it at that. I'm off."

Thinking of the girl he had seen at the actors' guild, James Franco's smile became even more charming.

He waved to Murphy and Jessica Chastain, left the warehouse, and looked up at the bright sun, walking briskly toward Mitten Café. As he walked, he took the pen out of his sleeve, examined it carefully, and said to himself, "Another collectible."

In the warehouse, Murphy closed his notebook and realized his pen was missing. He searched the table but couldn't find it, wondering where it had gone.

"Someone took it," Jessica Chastain seemed to have noticed.

Murphy turned around and asked curiously, "Who took it?"

"James Franco..."

Hearing Jessica Chastain's name, Murphy was puzzled. The pen he used was the cheapest and most common one on the market; even a beggar would probably disdain it. Why would James Franco, a somewhat famous actor, take such a pen?

However, Murphy quickly understood. He had learned from the internet that Hollywood stars often have various quirks, and many of them, despite their wealth, enjoy petty theft.

Over the next two days, Murphy continued to prepare for his project and had initial contact with James Franco's agent. Unlike the actor's intentions, agents were difficult to deal with, especially when it came to negotiating salaries, which were often exorbitant.

The "Hard Candy" project had only a $300,000 budget, and James Franco's agent demanded $150,000 upfront...

After two rounds of negotiations, the salary gradually dropped below $100,000, but it was still beyond what Murphy could afford.

When the salary was down to $80,000, the negotiations almost broke down. Murphy knew that it was difficult to negotiate further with the agent, and the actor's willingness could play a significant role at this point.

Standing by the window in his workspace, Murphy dialed a number. When the other party answered, he said, "Hey, Jim, it's me, Murphy."

The other side was busy with something, and there were many noisy sounds. After a while, James Franco's voice came through, "Hi, Murphy, it's been a while."

Murphy deliberately teased, "Is the pen working well for you?"

"Ah..." James Franco sounded a bit embarrassed. Murphy seized the opportunity and said, "Jim, you don't want to join my production, do you?"

Who wants to join? James Franco thought to himself but said, "Of course I do."

"But our negotiations with your agent are not going well," Murphy didn't beat around the bush, "My project has a total investment of only $300,000, and he's not budging on the $80,000 salary. The film can't be made this way."

James Franco said nonchalantly, "Negotiations are the agent's job; I can't interfere."

If James Franco was interested in a minor role in a small project, Murphy wouldn't believe it. After the audition, he had a rough idea of the actor's intentions and sighed, "That's too bad. It looks like we can't work together. My lead actress, Carey Mulligan, is already confirmed, and I'll have to find a new lead actor."

It seemed that James Franco's absence would be a great loss.

"Lead actress confirmed?" James Franco paused, "Murphy, I think we have a great connection. Let me talk to my agent..."

Listening to James Franco's rambling, Murphy hung up the phone. James Franco's audition for the role clearly had some ulterior motives, but this was a good thing for Murphy. An actor like James Franco was far more professional and suitable than part-time car washers and waiters.

Turning back, Murphy sat at his desk. The biggest issue now was securing Carey Mulligan.

The British girl's attitude was fine; Jessica Chastain had already informed her that she had passed the audition. However, her age meant that a guardian had to sign the contract.

Getting her parents to agree to her playing such a role was not easy.

Moreover, failing to secure Carey Mulligan would mean the negotiations with James Franco would completely break down.

While they weren't the only options, James Franco and Carey Mulligan were the most suitable among those who had auditioned.

Thinking about this, Murphy found the phone number in his notebook and dialed it.

"Hello, this is Carey Mulligan."

The voice on the other end was tinged with sobs. It seemed the person was crying. Murphy quickly said, "Hello, Carey, it's me, Murphy. What's wrong? Are you crying?"

On the other side, Carey Mulligan was curled up on the sofa. Hearing that it was Murphy, she quickly wiped her tears and said, "They all disagree with me playing Haley."

Murphy asked, puzzled, "They?"

Carey Mulligan sniffled, as if she had found an outlet for her emotions, "Uncle Julian Fellowes opposes it, and he called my parents. They just called from London and scolded me..."

The sobs were very noticeable. Murphy knew the rebellious nature hidden beneath the girl's delicate appearance and deliberately comforted her, "Hey, Carey, don't cry. Even if we can't work together, I can still show you the script after the film is made. Your parents are doing this for your own good."

"For my own good?" The girl's voice rose, "Since I can remember, they've been constantly opposing everything I do. Whatever I like, they oppose. I'm fed up! I have no freedom at all!"

Murphy added, "They are your parents, and they love you."

"If they loved me, they would support me in pursuing my dreams, not keep blocking me," Carey Mulligan's voice grew louder, "If they loved me, would they have agreed to me coming to Los Angeles as an exchange student? They've never even come to see me!"

The girl seemed to have accumulated a lot of resentment.

"Sorry, Carey..."

Dealing with a young girl with no social experience was relatively easy for Murphy, "For the sake of your family's harmony, I have to give up on you..."

"No!" The girl interrupted him before he could finish, "I have to play the role! Murphy, can you give me some more time..."

Her voice lowered, "Please."

Originally, she was indeed very interested in the unique story of a young girl avenging herself against a perverted uncle. She had read a page of the script and found it interesting, but it wasn't a must for her. As a young actress with some background, getting small roles in other films wasn't difficult.

However, at her age, the more her parents opposed something, the more she wanted to do it. With Murphy's subtle encouragement, Carey Mulligan had made up her mind to play the role of Haley, no matter what.

Even if her parents were already on a flight to Los Angeles, she wasn't going to give up.

Murphy remained silent for a while, conveying a sense of great difficulty. After Carey Mulligan said "Please" again, he slowly said, "Carey, the rest of the crew is ready, and we're about to start shooting in northern Los Angeles. We only need the lead actress."

Carey Mulligan seemed about to cry again, "Murphy..."

She wanted to prove that her parents' opposition was wrong, that she had grown up and should follow her own path.

"Alright, alright, Carey..." Murphy finally said, "I can wait for you, but no more than a week."

"Thank you, Murphy." Carey Mulligan smiled, "You're a good person who understands others."

In the eyes of a rebellious girl, those who support her are good, and those who oppose her are always bad.

After hanging up, Murphy called Jessica Chastain and informed her to continue the search for the lead actors. Although he believed Carey Mulligan and James Franco were the most suitable, there was no guarantee they would definitely be cast. It was wise to have some backups.

Whether the rebellious Carey Mulligan could overcome her parents like Natalie Portman did, Murphy had no confidence. After all, he was far from being as capable as Luc Besson was back then.

In the apartment, Carey Mulligan clutched the phone, sitting on the large sofa, thinking about how to defeat her parents who were about to arrive.

In her eyes, her parents were demons destroying her dreams, systematically crushing one dream after another from childhood to the present, and now they wouldn't even let her pursue her biggest dream.

"I won't give up!" The girl's grip on the phone tightened, and she shouted in Julian Fellowes' empty house, "I won't give up!"

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