"Luca has arrived!"
"Mr. Kelly is here!"
"Hello, Mr. Kelly, I'm Morena Baccarin. It's a pleasure to meet you!"
When Luca and his two companions stepped onto the deck, the party guests gathered around them. There were several film producers, directors, heads of distribution companies, general managers of cinema chains, and various celebrities from the entertainment industry.
Everyone warmly welcomed his arrival.
At this point, Luca was not only the most famous actor and screenwriter in the industry, but also the owner of Bigmouth Bird Pictures. The huge success of Rescue had brought Bigmouth Bird Pictures into the spotlight and into public view.
More importantly, the success of Rescue was inseparable from Luca's planning.
People from film companies wanted to collaborate with him and make money together.
Celebrities in the industry also wanted to get on his boat—if they caught his eye, they might even go to Hollywood and earn U.S. dollars. After all, Luca was a B-list Hollywood actor, which was a rare achievement in Brazil, or even all of South America.
Luca understood everyone's thoughts but didn't reject them. He held his wine glass and greeted people one by one.
"Look at Luca, surrounded by stars—that's what you call a big star!"
Not far away, Caroline gazed enviously at Luca in the crowd.
Maceo shrugged. "Yes, he's a Hollywood star. Everyone wants to make it big with him in Hollywood."
"Don't you want to go?"
"I used to, but not anymore."
"Why?"
"Because of you, of course!" Maceo laughed, putting his arm around her shoulders.
Caroline rolled her eyes. "Didn't you want to be a big star earlier? Now's your chance—you should stick by Luca's side and get to know some of the industry's big names. It would be very helpful for you."
Maceo's eyes brightened as he looked toward Luca, but then he shook his head. "Nah, I'm just a small-time actor. I wouldn't even get a word in with them."
"But you're Luca's cousin! If you're by his side, he's sure to introduce you."
"No need, no need. Everyone already knows about my relationship with Luca. There's no point in trying too hard."
"You're so lazy!" Caroline shook her head, pulling him forward.
When the two walked over, Luca was talking with Marcel and two other film company representatives.
"Rescue's box office numbers are a bit inflated. Given the current state of the domestic market, without the hype, the film would have barely made $30 million at the box office. So, while we made money this time, we might not be so lucky next time," Luca said, holding his wine glass.
"We can just hype the next one again," the chairman of Paragua Pictures said.
"It's not that simple," Luca shook his head. "This time, we found a good angle to break through and stir up a buzz. Can we guarantee we'll find something just as good next time? Movies ultimately rely on quality."
"True!" The people around him nodded in agreement.
"Luca, did you plan to use 'Ronaldo' for promotion when you were writing the script?" Marcel asked with a smile.
"Of course not. When I was writing the script, I didn't think that far ahead. I just thought the name Ronaldo would sound like someone great at soccer."
"Hahaha!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
"So the lawsuit with Ronaldo was just a publicity stunt? I thought it was real!" Caroline whispered behind them.
"It was real at first, but Luca seized the opportunity to hype it up and turned it into a hot topic," Maceo said, smirking.
"How did Luca get Ronaldo to agree to help with the promotion?" Caroline asked, puzzled.
"Of course, he was compensated," Maceo gestured.
"That much?!" Caroline gasped, covering her mouth.
"Haha, well, it's Ronaldo," Maceo laughed.
"Shh, listen, they're talking about a new project," Caroline reminded him.
Maceo, interested in the new project, focused on their conversation.
"A new project? As you all know, I'm still working on a project with Rio Pictures, and I don't plan to start anything new in the near future," Luca said, shrugging.
"Mr. Kelly, could you at least write a few scripts for us? We're willing to pay top dollar for your work," Marcel offered.
"Yes, Mr. Kelly, your scripts are always great. I heard you wrote Goal and Soccer Babe, which just premiered. You're amazing!"
"Wait, Soccer Babe was written by Mr. Kelly too? Wow, I heard it came second in the U.S. box office!"
"Mr. Kelly is so talented!"
Since Buried became a hit, Luca's screenwriting talent had spread throughout the industry.
Recently, Goal and Soccer Babe had also achieved decent success.
Now, whenever the news reported on Luca, they'd call him a famous screenwriter, praising his talent. He was often referred to as the brother of the famous writer Kate Kelly.
Luca smiled lightly, not caring much about these flattering titles.
"I do have a few new scripts, but they're more artistic and likely to win awards rather than make money. Are you still interested?" Luca asked.
"Uh..." The others hesitated. Their goal in making films was to make money, not win awards—although winning awards would be nice too.
"Mr. Kelly, do you have any scripts similar to Rescue? I'm willing to pay Hollywood prices for them," Marcel said seriously.
"Hollywood prices?" Luca raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I'm considered a famous screenwriter now. My scripts in Hollywood go for between $200,000 and $500,000. Are you sure you want to buy one of mine?"
Marcel frowned. Are Hollywood scripts really that expensive?
"Marcel, I understand what you're saying. Rescue was a hit, so making a few more films in the same vein could definitely be profitable. But the budgets for these follow-up productions should be kept under $500,000. Using one of my scripts isn't cost-effective. However, if you insist, I can write a few," Luca said slowly.
Writing scripts was mentally exhausting, and it didn't make much money. He wasn't very interested in copying scripts anymore.
Moreover, during the production of Rescue, Marcel and his team often acted unscrupulously, attracting police attention more than once.
Luca didn't want to continue working with them and risk getting into trouble.
After hearing this, Marcel quickly backed off, saying they'd work together again if the opportunity arose. The others chatted for a bit before dispersing.
"Luca, are you done writing scripts?" Maceo asked, stepping forward.
Luca glanced at him. "What's your rush? When I have a project, there will definitely be a role for you. Also, I'm heading back to the U.S. soon, and before I leave, let me give you a piece of advice: Don't get too close to Marcel and his crew. It won't do you any good."
Maceo nodded. "I understand."
After chatting for a bit on the deck, more people approached Luca for business, and he had to step into the main cabin to continue navigating through the crowd.
Three days later, after finishing his business in Brazil, Luca boarded a United Airlines flight.
He had originally planned to stay in Brazil for a few more days, but things changed. Jolie's involvement in Pitt and Aniston's relationship had just been exposed, and the couple was in a crisis.
Unfortunately, a newspaper dug up his old rumors with Aniston, blaming him for being the key figure in the Pitt-Aniston crisis.
As a result, he had to return early.