Naomi Watts was resting at home due to her pregnancy. Actually, being pregnant doesn't necessarily mean one can't work.
Many actresses continue acting and even attend commercial events while pregnant, largely because the pregnancy gap is too long and they're afraid of being forgotten by the audience.
However, after so many years of effort to finally have this child, Naomi Watts wanted to be cautious, so she took a break.
Coincidentally, by the time she gave birth, Peter Jackson's King Kong would be ready to begin production, allowing Naomi Watts to make a direct comeback post-delivery.
With nothing to do, Naomi Watts would sometimes visit the Melon Studio, sitting in Gilbert's office to read or play games.
One day, she saw a script and asked Gilbert, "Darling, what's this?"
Gilbert looked up and explained, "It's a script Bob forwarded to me, called National Treasure!"
"National Treasure? Another treasure-hunting adventure film?" Naomi Watts asked.
"Yes," Gilbert nodded slightly. "After The Mystery of the Talisman did well, this type of film has found a market.
Jerry Bruckheimer took the script to Disney, so Bob asked me to take a look."
"Is Bob hoping you'll direct it?" Naomi Watts asked curiously.
"No," Gilbert replied flatly, "Even if he was, I wouldn't direct this movie. No need."
At this point, Gilbert recalled that the script had a female lead with a significant amount of screen time basically a flower vase role so he asked Naomi Watts, "Are you interested in playing the female lead?"
Since winning the Oscar, Naomi Watts had become less selective about doing strictly artistic films and returned to more commercial projects.
The reason was simple winning an Oscar can elevate an actress to the A-list, but what truly cements that status is commercial success.
Take Meryl Streep, for example she's won Oscars her whole life, but no one ever considered her a top Hollywood star.
On the flip side, Julia Roberts was arguably the hottest A-list actress of the '90s despite not winning an Oscar at the time.
Of course, last year, Julia Roberts finally broke that curse and won the Best Actress Oscar for Erin Brockovich.
Naomi Watts was lucky clinging to Gilbert's leg, she easily reached the A-list and nabbed an Oscar with ease.
Even so, Naomi Watts leaned toward commercial films. If a good script came along, she might take a pay cut for an indie film, but overall, it's box office success that determines whether a Hollywood actor remains A-list.
Naomi Watts skimmed through the script. National Treasure was a textbook Hollywood screenplay.
A down-on-his-luck male lead with a mission, a sidekick, a female lead serving mostly as eye candy, a goofy villain, and some silly puzzle designs.
No wonder Gilbert wasn't interested. The script for The Mystery of the Talisman had been co-written by Gilbert and Jonathan Nolan.
Though similar in genre, The Mystery of the Talisman had a sense of sophistication in its setup.
That sense of sophistication was absent in National Treasure. The whole movie felt like a light, brainless commercial flick.
Not that such movies are bad in fact, audiences often prefer something simple. Light and mindless, easy to watch, a few laughs, and it leaves you happy for a whole day.
Movies like The Matrix with complex themes are rare. Even The Matrix relied heavily on visual effects and exaggerated action scenes to excite viewers.
Its philosophical and religious symbolism merely added icing on the cake, not the main reason for its box office success.
That's also why when James Gunn took over the later Matrix films, he avoided those deeper philosophical themes.
Make sure the audience enjoys it first—everything else comes after. That's something Gilbert repeatedly emphasized to James Gunn during production.
After The Matrix project, James Gunn seemed interested in zombie films and planned to shoot one just for fun.
Honestly, Gilbert was also intrigued by the genre and had a good story ready.
Back to National Treasure though it seemed to have strong box office potential, considering her schedule and pregnancy, Naomi Watts politely declined. "Let Michelle do it. I think she'd be great."
"Michelle, huh?" Gilbert rested his chin on his hand. "She might not be willing. Michelle has already decided to transition into producing working behind the scenes."
"You can still act while producing," Naomi Watts said.
"Fair enough, I'll ask her when she comes by." Gilbert nodded in agreement.
There aren't many Hollywood projects each year that people actually recognize by name, and National Treasure was one of them—at least Gilbert had heard of it.
Cameron Diaz had no interest in chasing Oscars. She occasionally took on roles for fun and would probably be happy to join the film.
As they chatted, the topic shifted to Gilbert's new project.
Naomi Watts asked, "How's that pirate project of yours coming along?"
"It's officially greenlit. It's called Pirates of the Caribbean, another fantasy-adventure movie," Gilbert replied.
In fact, in a few days there would be an official press conference to announce Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as to begin casting.
Gilbert had already sent invitations to Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. After a simple audition, both would be able to join the cast.
Orlando Bloom was fine. His role as the Elven Prince in The Lord of the Rings had turned him into a heartthrob across America and around the world. He was insanely popular.
Orlando Bloom was like those heartthrob "idols" from a past life poor acting skills but loads of fans.
But Bloom had a few things going for him he wasn't effeminate, had muscles under his shirt, and was quite professional during filming.
Although professionalism should be standard for actors, among those heartthrob types, it was actually rare.
When Gilbert invited him again, Orlando Bloom didn't hesitate. He didn't even read the script before agreeing.
In Bloom's own words, "Even if it's just a supporting role, I'd still do it." He mainly wanted to thank Gilbert for giving him his big break.
Compared to Orlando Bloom, Johnny Depp hadn't been doing so well these past two years.
He was already known for being an eccentric person with a weird temper, hard to get along with, and never watching his mouth—he had offended a lot of big-name directors.
Fortunately, he clung tightly to Tim Burton, a similarly eccentric director, which helped him maintain his position in Hollywood's A-list.
But over the past two years, every film Johnny Depp took on bombed at the box office. Gradually, he started to develop the reputation of being box office poison.
For actors like Johnny Depp, normal roles just don't suit him. He's more fit for those neurotic, offbeat characters.
Coincidentally, Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean was exactly that kind of quirky character, a perfect fit for Johnny Depp's persona.
However, when the invitation reached Johnny Depp, he didn't agree right away as expected instead, he hesitated.
"Johnny, what are you hesitating for? This is Gilbert's project!" His agent was anxious.
"It's just…" Johnny Depp looked drunk and slightly tipsy. "I'm not too fond of this character. I don't want to play it."
"What character? What is there to hesitate about? If you don't take it, plenty of others will." His agent was panicking. "Johnny, you can't go on like this.
The films we've taken these past couple years haven't done well. You desperately need a big hit to prove yourself and return to Hollywood's top tier."
But Johnny Depp still did things his own way. He didn't listen to a word his agent said, and who knew what was going through his muddled mind.
The agent was helpless. Just then, Keanu Reeves came in. After hearing what happened, he said to the agent, "Leave it to me!"
The agent had no other choice and could only hope Keanu Reeves could knock some sense into Johnny Depp.
"Johnny, I still remember when I was debating whether or not to take Speed, you and River both strongly urged me to accept that movie.
Now, River's gone, but I'm still here to tell you you really should take this project." Keanu Reeves took the drink from Johnny Depp's hand and tried to talk some sense into him.
Hearing the name River Phoenix, Johnny Depp's murky eyes finally showed a flicker of light.
But he still repeated the same excuse for refusing: "I don't like this character."
"What character?"
"This one," Johnny Depp pointed at the character description in the script—Will Turner.
Keanu Reeves was stunned. "Will Turner? I heard from Charles that Orlando Bloom had already been cast in that role."
"You mean... I'm competing for a role with that sissy?" Johnny Depp became even more unwilling.
If Orlando Bloom heard that, he'd probably cry. He was being called a sissy? Dude, I'm the Elven Prince, okay?
Keanu Reeves found it odd and called in Johnny Depp's agent. "Did melon Studios send an offer for Johnny to play Will Turner?"
The agent was stunned and replied, "No, it was for Jack Sparrow the pirate captain."
"???" After the agent said that, the three people in the room were all dumbfounded.
Turns out the agent hadn't explained clearly, and Johnny Depp mistakenly thought he was being asked to play the blacksmith, Will Turner.
The air froze. After a long silence, Johnny Depp finally came to his senses: "F***, sorry, I misread it. I thought they wanted me to play Will Turner.
If it's Jack Sparrow, then… I'm willing to play him."
Keanu Reeves and the agent looked at each other, speechless. Keanu Reeves shook his head and said, "Johnny, you really need to quit drinking. Your brain's all fogged up from too much booze."
"Oh right," the agent suddenly remembered something. "Melon Studios said that if Johnny agrees to the role, he's not allowed to drink or use any kind of drugs during filming."
"Is that so?" Johnny Depp was stunned, then quickly said, "Then I won't take it."
"No way. You have to take it." Keanu Reeves and the agent spoke in unison.
Keanu Reeves held Johnny Depp back, while the agent quickly called melon Studios. "Hello? melon Studios? Johnny has agreed to take the role."
And so, under his friend's semi-forced intervention, Johnny Depp ended up taking the role of Jack Sparrow, becoming the second officially confirmed cast member.
However, many roles in the film had yet to be finalized and would need auditions to determine.
The most important among them was Elizabeth Swann the lone female character in a sea of strange men.
Unlike in the previous version of the film, Gilbert didn't directly pick Keira Knightley. Instead, he held auditions to see if there was a more suitable actress.
....
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