At the audition site, several actresses were nervously preparing.
Amanda Seyfried and Alexandra Daddario were both newcomers. Although they had previously participated in some short films and commercials, this was their first time involved in a movie.
At that moment, their agents were nervously giving them reminders important audition tips, mindset issues, and so on.
The other two British actresses, Emily Blunt and Keira Knightley, were also present. Keira Knightley was still quite young, born in 1985.
Emily Blunt, on the other hand, already had some acting experience. She had appeared in several film and television productions and had experience with stage plays and musicals.
Undoubtedly, she was the one with the best mindset among the auditioning actresses, and also the most promising one.
As for Natalie Portman, she had stated upon arrival that she was giving up on the audition. At the moment, she was sitting beside Gilbert, chatting with him.
Anne Hathaway was just there to make an appearance, but the elf-like princess was still earnestly preparing and didn't slack off.
Before the audition started, Gilbert even went to the actors' lounge to check on the actresses and offer them some encouragement. The actresses got a little nervous seeing the famous director.
Gilbert smiled and said, "Don't be nervous. The most important thing in an audition is your mindset. Only with the right mindset can you perform well."
The actresses nodded like pecking chicks. "Director, we understand."
"Mm, good luck!" Gilbert said before leaving the room to let them get ready.
Back in the audition hall, Gilbert saw that Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Geoffrey Rush had all arrived.
Seeing Gilbert enter, Orlando Bloom quickly stood up and greeted him, "Hello, Director…"
Johnny Depp, who usually carried a rebellious rock-and-roll vibe, was clearly more polite today. He also stood up and greeted Gilbert.
There was no need to say anything about Geoffrey Rush he was very skilled in social etiquette.
Gilbert greeted the three actors and then asked, "You've all read the script I gave you, right? Johnny, what do you think about the character Jack Sparrow?"
Johnny Depp looked a little excited. "I feel like this role was tailor-made for me. I really like this character's traits they're a lot like me."
"That's good. You're the focus of this film. Do your best. I'm looking forward to your performance," Gilbert encouraged.
Johnny Depp looked a bit proud, but remembering Keanu Reeves' advice, he knew Gilbert disliked boastful people, so he remained modest.
"Let's let the performance speak for itself. I'll need your guidance along the way…"
"Alright," Gilbert sat back down and said to the three actors, "For the audition later, I'll need you to help me evaluate and pick the most suitable actress."
"No problem," the three actors naturally agreed this was the reason they were there today.
Natalie Portman then chatted with Gilbert. "You went to check on the actresses. Who do you think did well?"
"They all have their own unique qualities. We'll have to see how they perform during the audition," Gilbert replied diplomatically.
Natalie Portman rolled her eyes and said, "You directors always speak so cautiously."
Gilbert was intrigued. "Is George like that too?"
"Of course he is," Natalie Portman laughed as she spoke. "Come to think of it, I'm the same way."
Natalie Portman was someone with a mind like a maze. Anyone dealing with her had to be extremely cautious.
But Gilbert didn't need to be. First, they were both 'squids' in the same circle, and Gilbert was the leader of the liberal squid faction Natalie Portman wouldn't dare try any tricks.
Second, even if Natalie Portman did try something, she couldn't hurt Gilbert.
At Gilbert's level of status and influence, he didn't need to say or do much there were always people ready to take care of any small plots and schemes around him.
In other words, to truly go head-to-head with Gilbert, you'd have to be someone of equal standing.
In Hollywood, such people were Steven Spielberg or George Lucas, but neither of them would ever do such a thing.
Spielberg was Gilbert's mentor and guide into Hollywood. George Lucas had only gained a foothold in the industry thanks to Gilbert's father's help.
In North America, on Wall Street, one would at least have to be someone on the Forbes rich list to be qualified to play games with Gilbert.
But then again, unless there was deep-seated hatred, few businessmen would ever stoop to personal attacks.
Because that would be like opening Pandora's box today you go after Gilbert personally, tomorrow he could come for you. At that point, no one would feel safe and there'd be no good outcome for anyone.
After chatting for a bit, the audition officially began.
The first to audition was Amanda Seyfried. The young girl did fairly well and didn't seem too nervous. Perhaps it was because she was acting opposite Orlando Bloom, but surprisingly, her performance seemed better than his.
In truth, Orlando Bloom had been attending acting classes regularly, but his talent was fairly average. He still hadn't reached the passing line.
After Amanda Seyfried's audition ended, Natalie Portman commented, "I don't think Amanda is suitable."
"Oh?" Gilbert was a bit surprised. Normally, someone like Natalie Portman an outsider wouldn't be chiming in on an audition.
The fact that she did showed she didn't see herself as an outsider. Maybe that was the impression she wanted to leave on Gilbert.
Natalie Portman explained, "Amanda's looks are too modern. She doesn't have a classical feel. She's more suited to modern urban films or sci-fi movies."
That's when Gilbert finally realized why Amanda looked so familiar. In his previous life, she had collaborated with Timberlake on In Time, and her look in that film had been quite fitting.
Natalie Portman had a point—Amanda Seyfried was more than capable of fulfilling the role of a decorative beauty, but she didn't have that classical look.
The second auditionee was Alexandra Daddario. Her eyes were particularly captivating, but the actor she was paired with was the eccentric Johnny Depp.
Maybe Johnny Depp had scared her a little. Alexandra Daddario didn't perform well; she even forgot her lines at one point, and her acting came off as stiff.
So Gilbert quietly marked an X next to Alexandra Daddario's name and eliminated her from consideration.
Perhaps these two beauties could be recommended to the Fast & Furious 2 crew, which happened to be gearing up as well more beauties would definitely be welcome there.
And they could make cameos in this film too; it would be a way to reward them for the effort and preparation they had put in, Gilbert thought to himself.
With that in mind, Gilbert spoke to his assistant and asked her to inform the two actresses' agents.
While they didn't get the lead role, being offered parts in two films left both actresses quite satisfied.
The remaining serious contenders were Emily Blunt and Keira Knightley. Keira Knightley auditioned first, and her performance was excellent.
Producer Charles Roven said, "Looks like being British gives a bit of an edge. Keira did really well I think she's a great fit."
Johnny Depp uncharacteristically chimed in, "I agree. She's got a noble air to her, a classic English rose."
"No rush. Let's see how the next actress does," Gilbert said, making his decision known.
When it came to casting, Gilbert had the final say. Even Charles Roven couldn't overturn his choices.
Emily Blunt soon entered to audition. Compared to Keira Knightley, her biggest advantage was having more acting experience.
And in terms of classical styling, there wasn't much difference between the two. As for body shape, both would need a bit of padding.
In terms of artistic temperament, Emily Blunt had attended drama school and been refined by the experience. On the other hand, Keira Knightley's father was an actor and her mother a screenwriter.
Interestingly, the two shared the same height both stood at 170 cm.
There was another unknown detail about Keira Knightley she had once worked as a stand-in for Natalie Portman.
Naturally, Natalie Portman recognized Keira Knightley, who had once been her stand-in. What surprised her even more was: "Where did you even find two actresses with such similar vibes?"
Gilbert shrugged. "I don't know. We just discovered it through the audition process."
"Why not just let Jacqueline take the role? Or Scarlett would work too," Charles Roven suggested.
"No. Jacqueline isn't interested in being in this movie. Maybe she doesn't want to work with Orlando Bloom again," Gilbert replied, then added, "As for Scarlett she's too sultry, and besides…"
Gilbert gestured at his own height, and Charles Roven understood Scarlett's short stature was a drawback.
"Why doesn't she want to work with Orlando Bloom again?" Natalie Portman was curious about this.
"It's just a joke people tell saying Orlando's acting is terrible…"
Gilbert's remark was overheard by Orlando Bloom, who looked aggrieved. "I've really been trying hard in acting classes, but I haven't improved much. There's nothing I can do."
Everyone burst out laughing at this. In the past couple of years, aside from The Lord of the Rings series, Orlando Bloom had also appeared in other films.
But the result was always the same—he got slammed by the critics.
Some even went as far as to say that without Gilbert, he was nothing.
In such a situation, most actors would choose to distance themselves from Gilbert to prove their worth. But Orlando Bloom, being more emotionally vulnerable, chose instead to stick with Gilbert to regain his confidence.
After a final round of discussion, taking into account the opinions of the three lead actors as well as the producer and director team, Gilbert ultimately chose Keira Knightley.
If needed, they could always pad things out anyway, it wouldn't affect the film's box office performance.
And just like that, the original cast of Pirates of the Caribbean was reunited. Gilbert had hosted a casting call that, in the end, felt somewhat pointless.
But in reality, it wasn't a waste of time at all. First of all, through this round of auditions, Gilbert got to meet several promising actors.
After the audition, Gilbert handed his business card to Emily Blunt, hoping to work with her on a future project.
Second, this was also part of a brand-building strategy. He wanted to use the audition process to tell all of Hollywood that his projects were always the hottest and most desirable creating a brand effect.
And to be fair, at the beginning, Gilbert genuinely had been open to the idea that someone better than Keira Knightley might show up.
But the fact remained there was a good reason she had landed the role in a previous life.
With the actors all assembled, the next step was setting up the crew and preparing the production.
..
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