Waiting for Him to Fail

The day after his hurried trip to Australia, Evan gathered his key collaborators in Los Angeles for a short production meeting.

This film would take less time to prepare and shoot than Batman Begins. There was no elaborate visual-effects pipeline to plan, no extended buildup to principal photography, and no need to move a large unit from one distant location to another.

After the meeting, Hector Henry packed a bag and flew to Boston to scout locations and arrange accommodations for the crew.

Casting was about to begin as well. People throughout the business were watching Evan's next project, and within a day of the announcement, agents had sent dozens of submissions to Bob Schwartz. Many of the actors were established names. Only a few were unknowns.

That reflected the requirements Evan had set. He already had candidates in mind for the three principal roles. An audition would have to give him a compelling reason to change his plans.

All three parts demanded real acting ability. Actors who could deliver a difficult performance and draw an audience were scarce enough; finding ones who also suited the roles narrowed the field further.

He had arrived at his choices slowly, considering each in turn. It would take more than a good headshot to dislodge them. Still, an invitation from him was no guarantee. If any of those actors failed to meet the demands of the part, he would replace them without hesitation.

On November 20, reporters and paparazzi were waiting outside the Warner lot long before the actors arrived.

The Departed had attracted attention simply by being Evan's next film. Beyond its title and the fact that it was a crime drama, however, the press knew very little.

The reporters hoped an actor might let something slip about the script. Most of the people auditioning were newsworthy in their own right, which gave the photographers another reason to stay.

They were likely to leave disappointed. So far, Christian Bale was the only actor who had read the complete screenplay, and he did not have to audition.

Evan had already seen what Bale could do. His commitment and work ethic were equally familiar. There was nothing an audition would tell him that months of working together had not.

Word had spread that there were two young male leads. With one already taken, everyone arriving to read for the other knew how fierce the competition would be.

"One point two million dollars. That's a token fee for you."

In a dressing room on the lot, Chambers paced around his client, still unable to accept the offer.

"Think this through. If we agree, the next production will point to this deal and offer you the same money."

A reduced fee could establish a precedent that an actor would spend years trying to escape. For someone whose career was gaining momentum, it was a particularly dangerous concession. Studios remembered the lowest number they could justify paying, not the circumstances that had made an actor accept it.

"Chambers, it's an Evan Rosenberg film."

Brad Pitt sounded uncertain too. He was giving his agent the argument he had been using on himself.

"And he asked for me. This could take my career further. Look at Bale. Does anyone question what he's worth now?"

Chambers checked the door, leaned toward him, and lowered his voice.

"This is a grounded crime drama. Who says Rosenberg can never miss? If he wanted you for one of his big DC pictures, I'd tell you to take it without a second thought. I'd even understand doing it for nothing. This is a different bet."

They had had this argument more than once. It usually ended with Pitt falling silent.

He could not dismiss his agent's concerns as self-interest. Chambers was trying to protect him, and the warning was sound. Nobody succeeded forever, not even a man whose name had become shorthand for a hit.

The business was waiting for Evan's first failure. Once it came, rival studios would have a reason to stop moving their release dates out of his way.

Warner wanted the run to continue. Almost everyone else had something to gain from seeing it end. Yet no studio wanted to be the one that spent millions testing whether this would finally be the film that disappointed his audience.

"He's going after an Oscar," Pitt said. "At least that's part of it. That matters, doesn't it?"

Chambers sighed and sat down.

"I'm telling you not to let his reputation make the decision for you. One point two is low. Whether the risk is worth it is your call."

It was unquestionably a gamble. After Se7en, Pitt could have used the attention to secure a much larger paycheck on a commercial production. Instead, he was considering a film whose immediate financial reward was modest and whose success was far from certain.

If it worked, the prestige could increase his value. He might even accompany the film to the Oscars. If it failed, he would have spent the momentum from Se7en on a project that cost him time and paid poorly.

Pitt made up his mind.

"I'll do the audition. If he wants me, we'll accept Warner's terms."

In the next dressing room, two other actors were preparing for the same role. For the moment, they were alone.

"Matt, I just saw Brad Pitt."

Ben Affleck looked as though their chances had disappeared before either of them had entered the room.

"Come on, Ben." Matt Damon clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We don't know how this ends until we've read."

Affleck nodded, managing a faint smile. This was the second time they had come together to audition for a Rosenberg film. On the first occasion, he had thought he had a real chance. The director had seemed interested in him, yet the part had gone to Bale.

He was back largely because Damon had insisted. He had allowed himself a little hope that Rosenberg might remember the earlier audition favorably. Seeing Pitt had made that hope harder to sustain.

Se7en had put their rival in front of audiences everywhere. He was not merely a handsome face. He could act, and neither of them could offer anything close to his box-office appeal.

"They're about to start. Let's get ready," Damon said as footsteps passed outside. "If neither of us gets it, we'll finish Good Will Hunting and find the money ourselves."

There were two knocks at the door.

"Matt?" his agent called from the hallway. "Be ready. You may be first."

"I'm ready!"

In the conference room that had been converted for auditions, Evan sat behind Schwartz, looking through the selected headshots while two assistants set up the camera.

Several faces were familiar. If he recognized them now, there was a good chance they had made names for themselves in the future he remembered.

One photograph caught his attention immediately: Frank Grillo. He remembered the actor as Big Daddy in Wolf Warrior 2.

It happened at almost every round of auditions. A face he associated with a later film would turn up among the submissions, years before anyone else in the room had reason to recognize it.

"Jennifer Connelly. Interesting." He tapped another resume and looked at Schwartz. "She isn't exactly short of work, is she?"

She already had a substantial list of film credits.

"Someone spoke to Bruce Rosenblum, and Bruce called me," Schwartz said frankly. "If you're not interested, I can call her agent tonight and cancel tomorrow's audition."

"No. Leave her on the list."

Evan leaned back and folded his arms. Connelly was in her twenties now. He remembered how striking she had been at that age.

One of the assistants nodded to Schwartz. The casting director checked his watch.

"We're ready here. Shall we start?"

"Go ahead."

A little later, Matt Damon knocked and entered.

The setup was familiar: a camera, a table, and people waiting to assess him. One detail was unusual. Rosenberg was sitting alone behind the casting director. There was no producer beside him.

Before Schwartz could speak, Evan addressed the actor.

"Mr. Damon, we can skip the introduction. I remember you. I have a scene I'd like you to read. Bob, read opposite him."

Evan passed over a sheet he had prepared in advance. There was a private irony in watching this particular actor encounter the material. In another life, Damon had already played one of its central roles.

"Start whenever you're ready."

Damon looked down at the half-page excerpt and paused. Almost every line contained an obscenity. Whatever else the finished film might be, he could see why they were expecting an R rating.