[Chapter 130: Happy Days on Set, Speed Gets Rolling]
On the second day after checking into the hotel, Linton and Catherine just returned to their room after dinner when the doorbell rang. As soon as Linton opened the door, a stunning woman threw herself into his arms. "Darling, why didn't you tell me you were staying at the hotel? I've missed you so much!" she exclaimed.
"Ahem, there's someone else here," Catherine said with displeasure.
"Who are you, and what are you doing in Linton's room?"
"Who are you?"
Noticing the tension between the two women, Linton quickly intervened and introduced them to each other.
"Jennifer, this is Catherine Zeta-Jones, the lead actress of Speed."
"Catherine, this is Jennifer Connelly, the lead actress of Step Up 2."
Surprisingly, the two had no intention of getting acquainted. They each grabbed one of Linton's hands and eyed each other warily.
Seeing this situation, Linton held Jennifer's right hand with his left and Catherine's left hand with his right and placed them together. "Hey, you two, don't be like this. You're both people I care about. Get to know each other and be warm. Who knows? Maybe you'll become great friends."
Hearing this, the two women reluctantly greeted each other and shook hands.
But the atmosphere remained a bit tense and awkward, so Linton took the initiative to say, "How about we have some red wine and chat?"
He grabbed a bottle from the minibar and poured each of them a glass.
"Here's to new friends," Linton raised his glass.
Although the two women weren't exactly getting along, they did not want to embarrass Linton, so the three of them toasted together.
He then took the opportunity to introduce them in more detail. "You both were my direct choices for the leading roles, and you're exactly my type. I believe you can definitely become good friends."
At the same time, he subtly used his Soul Induction ability.
Thanks to Linton's mediation and the smooth effect of the wine, the hostility between the women slowly dissipated. However, they were still far from becoming close friends.
Linton didn't push it, as long as there was no conflict between them, he was satisfied.
...
After finishing the bottle, the mood became more ambiguous. Linton asked, "Who's staying tonight? Or will you both stay?"
"I definitely want to stay. You haven't shown me any affection in days," Jennifer said first, hugging Linton's left arm tightly.
"I'm not leaving either," Catherine said, clutching his right arm.
"Then you both stay," Linton said, feeling thrilled -- Jennifer was sweet and innocent on the left, while Catherine was elegantly charming on the right; he was brimming with excitement.
Naturally, the passionate night began.
The fun of the evening was beyond words. Through their intimate time together, Jennifer and Catherine gradually overcame their differences and began cooperating, managing to hold their own against the powerful "boss."
...
To avoid suspicion, Linton asked Robert to assign Jennifer a room next to Catherine's, claiming it was for evening acting rehearsals.
In reality, it was unnecessary -- everyone on set knew what was really going on. Still, it was better to have some cover. As the saying goes, no proof means nothing to admit.
In fact, Jennifer never set foot in that room. She moved straight into Linton's room along with Catherine.
---
On December 20, filming of Speed officially began at Universal Studios.
Unlike for The Shallows, the production invited many media reporters for a grand kickoff ceremony.
A huge crowd of reporters showed up, and the Q&A session was lively, though most questions were directed at Linton.
"Mr. Anderson, I heard the lead actress wasn't chosen through an open audition but was personally picked by you. Are there any unspoken rules behind this?"
"Don't guess wildly. My reputation has already been ruined by such rumors, branding me as a womanizer," Linton responded with a joke before getting serious. "Everyone knows I wrote the script for Speed. After the final draft, I thought about the best actors for the lead roles. For the male lead, obviously, I had to play it myself since it's basically written for my image, ha ha.
As for the female lead, Catherine and I didn't know each other before this. Last year, when I was promoting my album in the UK, I happened to watch a TV show called The Darling Buds of May, and she impressed me deeply; she perfectly fit my idea of the heroine. So I invited her to audition. When she tried out, the producer and I agreed she was perfect. There's absolutely no chance of unspoken rules here.
Next question."
"Mr. Anderson, what's Speed about? I heard it's an action movie. You just finished a great youth dance film, so your shift seems big. Are you confident you can pull it off?"
"Mr. Anderson, I heard Step Up 2 has started production. Why aren't you directing it? The new director Anne has never directed before. Do you think she can succeed?"
"Mr. Anderson, you've been frequently absent from the set, attending various events. As the director and lead actor, aren't you neglecting your responsibility? Is everything ready for filming?"
"Mr. Anderson, your single I Swear has topped the Billboard charts for six weeks. Any thoughts? I also heard your second single's release has been delayed by Universal until next year. Is there some conflict?"
...
The questions went on and on -- tricky and provocative, all aiming to trap him.
But Linton, experienced with handling reporters, answered everything calmly and flawlessly.
The reporters left complaining, "He's too sharp -- no scoop at all."
Of course, some Universal-affiliated media helped promote the film.
"Mr. Anderson, I heard to film authentic cop-and-robber scenes, you invited LAPD experts for guidance, and the main actors even experienced police duties firsthand. Could you elaborate?"
...
After the ceremony, Robert handed out official cast photos and envelopes with per diems to the reporters, hoping to boost publicity for Speed -- good or bad, exposure was exposure.
...
Usually, the first day of filming involves simple scenes to warm up the crew.
Speed was no exception. The first scene shot was in an elevator where the security checks the villain Dennis's repair order.
To train Michael and Ryan, Linton basically let them manage the schedule and shots, while he just supervised the final footage.
"Okay, that's a wrap," Linton said after the fourth take, satisfied with their work. "Take a break and have lunch. We'll continue this afternoon."
*****
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