Chapter 294

After settling on the "Pacific Rim" project, Xu Can really hoped to make a good film out of this movie he had liked so much in his past life.

And not just one, but to film the complete trilogy.

To make up for the regret of "Pacific Rim 2" in his past life, and build a brand-new series.

No need for too many — filming too many would easily turn into "Transformers," getting worse and worse.

A trilogy is just right.

After considering many actresses, Sister Wo (ScarJo) was indeed the most suitable.

First, the role required a certain amount of action scenes, and demanded high physical coordination, which screened out a large batch of Hollywood actresses.

Also, looks and age had to be considered.

Big sisters like Uma Thurman and Charlize Theron weren't really suitable.

Anne Hathaway and Gal Gadot were the right age, but their temperament didn't quite fit the character.

After much thought, Scarlett Johansson in "Lucy" and "The Avengers" both fit the image perfectly — even more like the female lead than the original Rinko Kikuchi.

She was also 3 years younger than Rinko Kikuchi; at 25, Sister Wo was at her peak.

Originally, the two were friends who could talk about anything; Sister Wo had a strong desire to share, and liked sharing many little life things with Xu Can.

But ever since Stone Sister and Tay-Tay openly competed for Xu Can in front of the whole world, with high-profile love declarations erupting one after another,

Sister Wo gradually reduced her contact with Xu Can.

When Xu Can sent her a message, she would reply instantly, but not as enthusiastically as before — as if deliberately holding back.

She also never took the initiative to reach out to Xu Can.

Therefore, Xu Can hesitated for a few seconds, then dialed the call anyway.

It's just a formal collaboration discussion, not dating — what's there to worry about?

The call connected instantly, but no one spoke.

"Miss Johansson, do you have any schedule coming up?" Xu Can deliberately adopted an all-business tone, getting straight to the point.

"You're looking for me to film? Jin Gang 2 is already wrapped, and The Avengers is still a while off… is it some other movie?"

When it came to filming, Sister Wo sounded both surprised and eager as she asked.

"Yes, there's a sci-fi commercial film — I wonder if you're interested."

Sister Wo was silent for a moment: "Not interested."

"Alright, that's a shame, then I'll find someone else…"

"Wait, wait." Sister Wo panicked.

Xu Can grinned on the other end of the line — he knew Sister Wo was used to this back-and-forth with him.

"I have schedule. I want to know what kind of movie it is, who's on the creative team…"

Sister Wo was carefully choosing her words, but Xu Can interrupted her spellcasting.

"You're in Hollywood, right?"

"Yeah."

"Go to the old place. See you in 20 minutes."

"Huh? Wait!"

Before Sister Wo could finish, Xu Can had already hung up the phone, giving her no chance at all.

"How can he do this… really, no matter whether other people have plans or not."

Sister Wo complained a few times, but obediently went to the walk-in closet, changed into an outfit she considered elegant and sexy, and drove to the old place.

This was near the "Jin Gang 2" studio lot.

During her shoot, she often chatted with Xu Can at this coffee shop — it counted as their secret base.

Sure enough, Xu Can's newly picked-up car was parked at the door — a Koenigsegg CCXR Special Edition.

This car had just debuted at the Geneva Motor Show, and currently there were only two in the entire world.

One was owned by a Dubai prince, the other was under Xu Can's name.

Nobody knew how he had snatched it from the rich of the whole world — when Xu Can picked up the car, Hollywood's paparazzi and gossip media had given it wall-to-wall coverage.

Seeing this supercar was like seeing Xu Can himself.

Scarlett Johansson spent a long time in the parking lot composing herself before finally mustering the courage to walk into the coffee shop.

"Just a coffee, talking work — right, talking work…"

"What are you muttering about?"

She hadn't expected her muttering to be overheard by Xu Can.

He sat by the window, leisurely sipping coffee, a sunny smile on his face — paired with the California sun outside the glass, the whole man practically glowed.

Scarlett Johansson couldn't help but freeze for a beat; thankfully, her strong self-control let her hold her expression, and she sat down across from Xu Can as if nothing had happened.

"Nothing."

"Your coffee — vanilla latte, no sugar, an extra shot."

"Thanks." Sister Wo hadn't expected Xu Can to still remember her taste.

She unconsciously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, doing her best to keep her emotions in check, and looked up at Xu Can.

"What kind of movie are you planning to make this time? Are you producing or directing?"

Sister Wo didn't ask for the answer directly; Xu Can seemed to see right through her thoughts and pushed the tablet over to her.

"Take a look yourself — who's starring. And get a general sense of the script too."

Sister Wo took the tablet and looked at the cast list first.

"Director: Xu Can; Starring: Xu Can, Scarlett Johansson…"

She's really acting opposite him!

"How about it? Will you appear in it? I've already written your name in for the female lead." Xu Can smiled as he looked at Sister Widow.

"Let me look at the script first." Though Sister Widow's eyes had clearly lit up, she still kept a straight face and continued flipping through it.

A moment later, Sister Widow finally nodded.

"The script is good, very interesting. I'm willing to join."

"The contract has already been sent to your agent. Confirm the details when the time comes, but first…"

Xu Can extended his hand with full confidence,

"Welcome to Pacific Rim. I'm very glad we can work together directly this time."

Scarlett Johansson was momentarily stunned.

Before, Xu Can had only been the producer, and Scarlett Johansson had already been wrangling with him.

Now she would be acting opposite him directly, and there was even a fairly intimate kissing scene at the end.

Scarlett Johansson had a premonition that she would definitely fall for him when the time came — pulling out now was still possible.

But her hand had already moved faster than her thoughts and clasped Xu Can's.

"Pleasure working with you."

……

Pacific Rim was officially greenlit, becoming the 8th work Xu Can would star in and produce.

The moment this news was announced, it once again sent shockwaves through Hollywood.

Xu Can was fully funding a sci-fi mecha film? A completely new IP, uncharted territory!

Soon, Paramount CEO Brian Luo Bin started souring on Xu Can again.

Back when filming Jin Gang, this guy had snidely shaded Xu Can in an interview, saying he wanted to rip off Transformers.

Once the actual film came out, everyone saw for themselves.

What the hell does Jin Gang have to do with Transformers?

Brian Luo Bin got roasted by netizens and cursed into a corner for a long time, too afraid to give interviews.

Finally, nearly two years had passed, and Brian Luo Bin popped out again.

"This time he's definitely ripping off Transformers! Mecha warriors dozens of stories tall — isn't he just trying to ride the heat of our Transformers?"

"He must have seen how good the box office of our Transformers 2 was and wants a piece of the pie."

"In my opinion, Transformers has the backing of the Hasbro IP, and it's also the first live-action mecha film — it's already built a moat for mecha movies."

"If anyone else wants to copy it, they really need to know their own worth. Don't think that just because you're the Oscar Best Director, you can make something better-looking than Transformers!"

The moment this interview was posted, it got roasted by YouTube netizens.

"Got it — besides Transformers, Paramount can't bring out anything."

"The second one was so bad, and you still have the nerve to brag?"