"Gilbert, let me introduce someone to you. This is a singer I just signed, from Canada, named Napanee. She's already released one album and has gained a bit of popularity."
Sheena Boone brought over a girl with blonde hair streaked with a hint of rose-red, and introduced her to Gilbert.
The girl was confident and poised. Her smoky eye makeup emphasized her big eyes. She didn't show the slightest bit of shyness or fear that others usually did when meeting a famous director. Instead, she boldly examined Gilbert.
She seemed to be sizing him up. Gilbert smiled at her and then turned to Sheena Boone. "Since when did you get into managing singers?"
"Ever since Britney Spears blew up," Sheena said as if it were obvious. "She got so big so fast, I've been trying to find the next breakout star ever singer.
I think this girl I just signed is pretty good she's got potential."
Gilbert turned to the girl behind Sheena and asked, "Hey, young lady, what's your name.
The girl had a guitar strapped to her back and seemed slightly annoyed by being called "young lady," but still replied, "Avril Lavigne. You can call me Lavin or Vivian."
"Alright, Vivian. So you're here to sing the theme song for my new movie?"
"To write and sing it."
"To write and sing it?"
"Yes," Avril Lavigne nodded. "But you have to tell me the story first. I need to feel inspired."
"Okay, Vivian." Gilbert agreed. "I'll count on you for the theme song. Do your best!"
Avril Lavigne stared at Gilbert for a moment before saying, "Thanks. I know this opportunity is rare. I don't usually say thank you, but I truly appreciate this."
"No need to be so polite, Vivian. When you have a new album, send me a copy, alright?" Gilbert said.
"Of course. I'm writing a new one now. Once it's ready, you'll be the first to hear it."
Avril had a bit of that rebellious rock spirit in her, but that didn't mean she was foolish. She clearly understood Gilbert's influence in Hollywood and across the North American entertainment scene.
So she wasn't dumb enough to say something reckless and offend Gilbert.
And with a face like hers, as long as she didn't say anything off-putting, it'd be hard for anyone to dislike her.
After chatting for a while, Avril Lavigne left first. She still had to attend a program.
Right now, Avril Lavigne needed all the exposure she could get. Her previous album had only just started to build her name she still needed to solidify her position.
That was why Sheena Boone brought her to meet Gilbert and pushed for her to do the theme song for his new movie.
Watching Avril walk away, Gilbert said to Sheena Boone, "You should guide this girl carefully. I think she's got a lot of potential."
Sheena Boone was proud of her instincts. "Of course. If she didn't have potential, I wouldn't be managing her myself."
As they chatted about other topics, the two walked toward the office.
Still, the streak of rose-red in Avril's hair left a strong impression on Gilbert.
"Sheena, since you're into signing female singers with potential, you might want to consider a girl named Taylor Swift," Gilbert suggested.
Sheena Boone thought for a moment. She'd never heard of the name Taylor Swift before.
So she asked, "Who's Taylor Swift?"
Gilbert answered, "I saw her perform at an NBA halftime show when I went to a game. She should only be around thirteen this year.
I think she has the potential to become the next Madonna."
"The next Madonna?" Sheena Boone was surprised. Just earlier, with Avril Lavigne, she only thought the girl might become a little rock queen at best.
But to become the next Madonna—that would be the next legend. Such high praise genuinely shocked Sheena.
"Alright, I'll keep an eye on her." Sheena Boone had always trusted Gilbert's eye for talent. She planned to find this girl named Taylor Swift right away.
Avril Lavigne wasn't going to write songs for Pirates of the Caribbean, actually. There was no need.
The score for that film had already been assigned to Hans Zimmer. With him in charge, Gilbert had no concerns.
The real movie that needed a theme song was Flipped.
Although Avril Lavigne was mainly a rock artist, Sheena Boone insisted that Avril had no trouble composing emotional ballads too.
Gilbert had heard her music in his past life, so after thinking it over, he agreed.
Of course, this was all just a small interlude.
Gilbert's main focus remained on the preparation of Pirates of the Caribbean. First, he and several screenwriters carried out major revisions of the entire script, shaping it into a series.
Second was the selection of filming locations. Although the movie was called Pirates of the Caribbean, the crew couldn't realistically shoot in the actual Caribbean Sea.
The massive water tank in Rosarito, Baja California, that had been used for the filming of Titanic still existed, and once Charles Roven got in touch with the local party, they immediately agreed to rent it out.
Later, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World also wanted to use this location for filming, but Pirates of the Caribbean got there first, forcing them to find another place.
Additionally, while Charles Roven was scouting in Central and South America, he unexpectedly discovered a ship that perfectly matched the description of the Black Pearl in the film.
This wooden sailing ship was built in Finland in 1948. During the 1970s, it was mainly used to transport cargo in the Caribbean Sea, and also served as a tourist vessel.
Apart from not being a pirate ship, even the location fit perfectly.
Charles Roven immediately got in touch with the owner of the ship, a local tour boat company, to negotiate renting it.
When they heard it was for a film, they readily agreed, not charging a single cent—just hoping the name of their tour company could appear in the movie.
Charles Roven promptly called Gilbert to discuss the matter. Gilbert, who originally planned to build a replica ship from scratch, saw that there was already a ready-made option that didn't cost anything, and immediately gave his approval.
Thus, this wooden sailing ship, renamed the Black Pearl, passed through the Panama Canal and docked in Baja California, Mexico, awaiting the start of filming.
Another interesting event was that, before the cast had been officially announced to the public, rumors surfaced that Michael Keaton, Jim Carrey, and Christopher Walken were all in talks with the crew.
In reality, these rumors were deliberately leaked. The purpose was to restrain Johnny Depp, mainly to prevent his eccentric personality from causing trouble for the crew.
Sure enough, Johnny Depp immediately and happily signed the actor's contract, also agreeing to appear in the subsequent sequels.
When the rumors were at their peak, Johnny Depp made a high-profile visit to a well-known dental clinic in Los Angeles.
He asked the dentist to fit him with four gold teeth: one made of 14K gold, one of 18K gold, one of 22K gold, and the last one made of platinum.
Afterward, in an interview, he stated that it was in preparation for a role in a new movie and openly confirmed his collaboration with Gilbert.
This move was very clever and immediately put an end to all the rumor-mongering.
....
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