Chapter 338 Hesitation
In Steven's view, the most difficult and core problem in making the "Cat and Mouse Game" project is:
Casting.
For a legendary figure like Frank Abagnale Jr., if a movie were made, the audience would probably exclaim that it was nonsense, but he actually appeared in real life. How to present his charm and his personality? His struggle and the motivation behind all his criminal behavior will be the core of the entire movie.
Steven had in-depth discussions with the screenwriting team and found an entry point, the father-son relationship, based on his personal life experience.
Frank Abagnale Jr.’s first impression of crime came from Frank Abagnale-Fr., and he has always been affected by his parents’ divorce; while FBI agent Carl Hanratty ( Carl-Hanratty) was finally able to successfully arrest Frank because he saw through this.
So.
Frank and Carl, a criminal and a police detective, are like a cat-and-mouse game. You are running away from me, but they have wonderfully established a father-son relationship.
This will become the core of the entire movie.
It is conceivable that the actors playing the two roles will bear tremendous pressure and will also determine the success or failure of the film.
Initially, the role of Carl Hanratty was determined to be played by James Gandolfini. Although Gore Verbinski withdrew from the project, James stayed on loyally; but he did not expect that the project would be delayed again and again. , so much so that it delayed James' own filming schedule -
James Gandolfini, the leading actor in the HBO classic series "The Sopranos".
Due to schedule conflicts, James had to fulfill his contract to film "The Sopranos". He had no choice but to withdraw from the "cat-and-mouse game", so that when Steven took over, everything had to start from scratch. start.
Without much hesitation, Steven found Tom Hanks.
There was "Saving Private Ryan" before, and "Band of Brothers" after. Steven and Tom have been in the honeymoon period in the past two years, and they have met frequently in work and life. Steven thinks that Tom is Carl- Hanratty was the perfect candidate for the role. After reading the script carefully, Tom nodded and agreed.
From August to September, the "Cat and Mouse Game" is undergoing recasting in all aspects, but the most critical and core role, Frank Abagnale Jr., is still vacant.
In Steven's opinion, Leonardo is the perfect candidate.
After all, the actor needs to have personal charm, match the ever-changing temperament of Frank Abagnale Jr., and at the same time be able to show the youthfulness of this character; in addition, he needs to be able to stand up to Tom Hanks The two actors did not fall behind in the opposite scenes, and the two actors collided with each other and had a chemical reaction.
Under such standards, they don’t have many choices in Hollywood, at least, not as many as they imagined.
Unfortunately, "Gangs of New York" is still being filmed, and Leonardo is unable to do anything else.
Steven also had a headache.
At a party, Warner Bros. executive Jeff Robinov unexpectedly gave Steven a choice:
Anson Wood.
Steven doesn’t understand Anson. He has never watched “Friends” or “The Princess Diaries.” “GQ” and the Emmy Awards are all unfamiliar information to him. This name is perfect. This is completely the first time I've heard it; but Jeff said mysteriously, you won't be disappointed.
Anson entered Steven's field of vision for the first time.
For such an unfamiliar young actor, for such a crucial role, Steven believes that they need to change the audition model.
Of course, Steven doesn’t even need to say anything. Even if he just spreads the news, Anson’s agent will proactively come to audition; but in this case, it will often be filled with questions that the agent has inquired about in advance. The situation and the pattern are set in advance, and the actor's self cannot be seen.
Frank Abagnale Jr. is a cunning, changeable but charming character. Steven needs to see the actor's own colors and original appearance in order to build the character's edges and corners based on the original colors. Create a scene in your mind of the actor and Tom confronting each other to find creative inspiration. This is not just a random role, but the key to the success or failure of the entire movie. The "Cat and Mouse Game" project has gone through too many ups and downs, and Steven has also given up too much for this project. He needs this project. Get on track and avoid unnecessary mistakes.
So, they need an opportunity and an occasion to put Anson in a defenseless state and give Steven a chance to observe up close.
It just so happens that Paula-Abagnale, the mother of Frank Abagnale Jr., is a Frenchman. Because this is an autobiographical film, Steven hopes to be faithful to the original work and restore reality as much as possible. So he hopes to invite a French actor to play the role.
So Steven and Tom appeared in Paris.
On the one hand, audition actors for Paula.
On the other hand, see Anson for yourself.
Everything, completely confidential.
Steven believed that even now, Anson and Edgar would not know what was going on, but if they turned around and went back, Edgar would start to inquire.
It is precisely because of this that Tom just saw Anson's calmness and calmness in the rearview mirror. He did not look anxious to inquire about the situation. Worrying, this made him look at him differently. This young actor really didn't look like he was eighteen years old.
So, what about Steven’s “but”?
Tom didn’t rush, he just waited patiently.
After a while, Steven himself said, "But, he is too young."
The reason is not a truth, but it is real.
Tom laughed dumbly, "Steven, Frank Abagnale Jr. was only fifteen years old when he committed his first crime. He was only in his early twenties and twenty-two years old when he was finally arrested. ?Twenty-three years old? You even want to find a French actor to play Paula Abagnale, so from an age perspective, Anson is perfect."
"In fact, from an age perspective. It seems that Leonardo is already twenty-seven years old and is not suitable for this role. Anson is closer to the truth than him."
Facing a big boss like Steven, Tom doesn't need to worry about it and speaks out. He hit it back without hesitation.
Steven was a little embarrassed, "Tom, you know what I mean, it's not just about age."
"Indeed, considering age, we need to find an actor who is around 18 to 20 years old, but such actors are often young and inexperienced. Look at Anson, he has starred in one TV series and one movie so far, It is difficult for him to digest such a complex role.”
What Steven refers to as “young” is not so much age as experience.
At this time, looking back at Steven's first impression of Anson in the studio, "child", we can see the clues.
To be precise, it is for this reason that Steven still prefers Leonardo -
Young enough, experienced enough, charming, and at the same time... Acting.
One thing to say is that Steven’s directorial talent is mainly reflected in scheduling, composition and narrative. In his works, the audio-visual experience has always been a kind of enjoyment. He has never been a director who is good at training actors, so he needs The actor understands the role and presents the performance himself.
Tom understands Steven's concerns. He is not only an excellent actor, but has also tried directing work, but this time, "I don't agree with your opinion."
( End of chapter)