In the early morning, while having breakfast at a nearby restaurant, Bruce recounted the events of the previous night to Martin.
Martin, somewhat surprised, inquired, "She didn't propose it, but she asked you to be the leading actor in the video?"
Bruce playfully acted the part of a braggart, saying, "Hey, man, look at me, the real love saint is here!"
Martin, setting aside his knife and fork, wiped his mouth with a napkin and asked, "The most important question, Love Saint Bruce, have you agreed?"
Bruce replied, "I asked her to think about it carefully."
Martin, looking at him sternly, retorted, "Is that all? You dare to call yourself a lover? You're clearly a coward!"
Bruce countered, "Mr. scumbag, would you dare to do it?"
Martin replied without hesitation, "If Annie invites me, I'd definitely agree!"
Bruce, feeling hesitant about King's request, found an excuse, saying, "Kim intends to distribute the video across North America."
Martin, considerate as always, reassured him, "Jenna's company will buy it."
Bruce continued, "That's not the main issue. Can you listen?" He explained, "A group of drug traffickers in Mexico are still after me. What if they see the video and come after me?"
Martin scoffed, "Just don't show your face. I believe you can handle it." He added, "Remember who you are, Bruce. The man King Kong Girl Sofia will never forget."
After their banter, Bruce abruptly left without a word.
After breakfast, Martin hurried to Warner Studios to join the post-production and distribution meeting for "The Hills Has Eyes" with Craven and Ajia.
At the meeting, they discussed the film's promotional strategies, taking Martin's suggestions seriously.
However, Martin acknowledged that the actual implementation would depend on the crew and Warner Bros. professionals.
The extensive marketing campaign for "The Hills Have Eyes" was planned to launch after the New Year.
Warner Bros. decided to advertise during the Super Bowl and emphasized maintaining buzz until the film's release.
Craven's reputation and the success of the wax museum boosted Martin's position as the leading actor.
After its third weekend in North America, "House ofWax" had grossed $47.56 million, on track to exceed $50 million.
Internationally, the film had been released in over 30 countries, earning over $30 million overseas.
The global box office was expected to surpass $100 million.
After the meeting, Martin headed to Alexander's post-production studio to invite Louise to lunch.
As he passed by, Louise was bidding farewell to Angelina Jolie.
Julie, curious, asked, "Won't you introduce me?"
Louise introduced Martin as the talented actor she had discovered in Atlanta.
Martin greeted Julie and complimented her, "Angelina Julie, you are the bright moon in the night sky, outshining all the stars."
Julie modestly replied, "I'm just a second-rate actor."
Martin countered, "You're my idol, and I admire Laura."
After a brief chat, Julie's agent arrived, and she left.
Martin joined Louise in her office, where promotional materials for "Alexander the Great" adorned the walls.
He inquired about the film's leading actor, Colin Farrell.
Louise explained that Heath Ledger was the original choice, but concerns led to his rejection.
Martin reassured her, "I'll support you all the way."
Louise expressed her worries about the film's prospects and potential financial losses.
Martin responded, "It's okay. I'll stand by you."
Louise candidly said, "In a month, I might turn you into a pauper."
Martin confidently stated, "Alcoholic, you should view people from a developmental perspective. My current salary is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. If 'The Hills Have Eye' succeeds, I'll be earning a seven-figure salary."
Louise smiled and shook her head.
"I've completed all the post-dubbing work for 'The Hills Have Eyes,'" Martin said earnestly. "I'll start looking for a new job immediately."
Louise inquired, "Do you still have room for your support team in Atlanta?"
Martin, knowing she referred to Vincent and Sofia, replied, "As long as 'The Hills Have Eyes' is successful, they'll continue to be involved and may even invest more. They're waiting for its release."
Then, he shamelessly asked, "My dear, do you have any suitable roles or projects to recommend to me?"
Louise didn't respond directly and emphasized, "You still owe me a debt."
Martin shrugged, saying, "Come on, can't we have unwritten rules for our relationship? I have my goals for you, and you've become an international bartending master. You have goals for me, and I should become an internationally famous movie star, right?"
Louise let go of her worries and laughed heartily.
After their laughter subsided, she commented, "You're quite good at lifting people's spirits."
Martin asked, "Are you in a good mood?" Seeing her nod, he continued, "Ms. Louise Meyer, international bartending master, I heard you've invented two new cocktails?"
Louise confirmed, "That's right. I plan to announce them soon to establish myself as a global bartender master."
Martin, prepared, handed her a notepad, saying, "Master, can you sign this in advance?"
Louise looked at it and kept it with satisfaction, saying, "Since you have a support team and can still invest in projects, I'll give you a fair opportunity." She explained, "Pacific Pictures' script project library is open to you, which includes scripts submitted by screenwriters, projects self-recommended by directors, and initial investment plans by some producers. It's not as prestigious as the big studios, but it contains tens of thousands of scripts and hundreds of initial projects."
Martin was excited to have access to the film company's script library, which wasn't easily available to outsiders.
Louise, however, warned, "Most of them aren't worth it. Every year, thousands of scripts and projects are registered in Hollywood, but only a small fraction make it to the big screen."
Martin inquired about the "initial plans for projects."
Louise explained, "Similar to 'House of Wax' and 'The Hills Have Eyes,' many Hollywood movies start with an idea or encounter a suitable literary work or real-life story for adaptation. They then gather investment, producers, directors, and screenwriters for scripts."
She emphasized adaptation, saying, "Most initial plans are just on paper, and some require investment to hold value because they lack copyrights."
Martin contemplated his chances of success in forming a platter. He knew his funds were limited and decided to wait for "The Hills Have Eyes" box office results. He also noted Louise's agency connections.
Louise offered, "Come with me to Pacific Pictures this afternoon and choose whatever you like."
Martin playfully teased, "You really know how to strike a deal! Is this what you call a fair exchange? You've already selected the best projects for your platter, and the rest is just moldy garbage you're tossing my way, treating me like a trash bin?"
Louise candidly admitted, "I don't have a suitable project right now."
Martin couldn't pass up the opportunity to explore a film and television company's script library.
At noon, Louise and Martin had lunch together before heading to Pacific Pictures, located next to Warner Studios.
Pacific Pictures wasn't a film production company, with just a few employees and an office building rented from Warner Studios.
After lunch, Louise took a break and asked her assistant Nikki to guide Martin to the first-floor database.
The custodian, informed by Louise, led Martin to the warehouse.
Pointing to a computer, the custodian explained, "You can search project outlines here. We keep scripts with bought-out copyrights, but other scripts and planning materials are cleaned out annually."
Martin thanked him and sat down at the computer, but his phone rang, and he quickly dialed Robert's number for assistance.
Robert replied, "I understand. The ceremony will begin."
Martin chuckled, wondering if it had evolved into a special ceremony, and thanked Robert.
With confidence, Martin powered up the computer, accessed the database, and searched for scripts and project materials from the past year.
He carefully reviewed script names and story synopses, discarding unfamiliar or unclear ones.
Despite thousands of options, nothing seemed familiar to Martin.
He pondered that if this approach didn't work, he'd have to rely on the market response to continue his career. However, without strong social media support, success remained uncertain.
His current fame and appeal fell short of Hollywood's top stars.