From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

“… Good night, I hope everything goes smoothly with your upcoming work, and I can't wait to see the results of your efforts.”

Dinner was over, and Tom Hanks was responsible for the polite farewells, not only to Anson and Edgar but also to Anna.

With a turn, Tom also got into the back of the car. Steven gently patted the driver's seat and then started the engine, the vehicle slowly entering the night.

Tom glanced at the rearview mirror and could see Anson in the night—

The nights in Paris are neither noisy nor bright, at least not after you get away from the tourist area centered on the Champs-Élysées. A peaceful atmosphere permeates the historic districts.

The cream-colored lights at the entrance of the restaurant dispelled the darkness, slowly outlining Anson's tall and straight figure, naturally revealing a sense of handsomeness and elegance. Even a casual glance couldn't help but linger for a moment.

Until the night swallowed the slender figure like a tide.

Tom withdrew his gaze and looked at Steven, “So, how do you feel?”

Steven hadn't spoken since getting into the car, lost in his own thoughts. Hearing Tom's words now didn't change his posture; his gaze was still directed forward, and you could feel the diffusion of focus in his eyes.

“I can understand Jeff's praise and commendation. He does have a different quality, something that catches the eye. He has a face that's suitable for the camera.”

Steven said. Tom nodded slightly, “But?”

Steven turned to look at Tom, “Hmm?”

Tom, “What you said sounds incomplete. Obviously, there's more to it. The ‘but’ at the end is the key point.”

Steven didn't directly answer Tom but threw the topic back, “What do you think?”

“You're right, he is suitable for the camera, he has a movie face. I'm a little curious, what would it be like if he played the role of Little Frank?”

“You know me, I always believe that arousing curiosity is an actor's greatest achievement, whether it's appearance, performance, or something else. As long as the actor can make the audience curious, he is successful.”

“So, I like him.”

“However, the decision is yours. So, what's your ‘but’?”

Steven didn't speak; his thoughts were still extending—

Steven and Tom's appearance in Paris was naturally not a coincidence; everything was carefully arranged. They needed to audition Anson, but without Anson or his agent knowing.

Time needs to rewind a bit, back to the end of 1999.

At that time, DreamWorks acquired the adaptation rights to an autobiography, “Catch Me If You Can: The Astonishing True Story of a Real Fake” by Frank Abagnale Jr.

Little Frank Abagnale was the youngest wanted criminal in FBI history, active in the 1960s. His criminal methods were vast and magical, his ability to disguise his identity was beyond ordinary, and almost the entire North American continent was left with his criminal footprints. Doctor, lawyer, pilot, etc. were all his former identities, but no one could see through them.

Of course, with this “skill,” Frank defrauded millions of dollars in income.

In 1980, Frank's autobiography was published. Soon after, Hollywood bought the adaptation rights, but it changed hands many times, going through Columbia Pictures, Disney, Hollywood Pictures, Paramount, and several producers, but it never really entered the production stage, finally landing in Steven's hands at DreamWorks.

Steven was very interested in the story of Little Frank Abagnale. After carefully reading the autobiography, he decided to serve as the producer himself and began negotiations.

The film was temporarily named after the autobiography, “Catch Me If You Can,” which can also be translated as “Cat and Mouse Game.”

The director Steven favored was David Fincher, but unfortunately, David later chose “Panic Room”; then, Gore Verbinski, who had directed “Mouse Hunt” two years ago and later created “Pirates of the Caribbean,” became the director and entered the official casting stage.

After selection and negotiation, Leonardo DiCaprio accepted the script and was about to play the role of Little Frank Abagnale.

For Leonardo, this role was crucial. After the brilliant success of “Titanic,” this last box-office superstar in Hollywood fell into a brief period of confusion and doubt, staying away from the Hollywood mainstream, not only active in the independent film field but also exploring the beaches of Southeast Asia. It was during this period that Leonardo realized the importance of protecting the earth.

But at the same time, Leonardo also realized that only by becoming a more important existence could he make more people hear his voice and exert his influence—

Just like what Lily told Mia in “The Princess Diaries.”

At this time, Leonardo returned to Hollywood and prepared himself to start his acting career again.

This “Cat and Mouse Game” was the first work in which Leonardo entered the mainstream market for wide and full release after a full four years—or even five years. He also believed in Steven's role as a producer before agreeing to it.

However, things still went wrong.

Gore Verbinski's progress in selecting actors was too slow. Originally scheduled to start in March of this year, March was postponed to April, April was postponed to May, but there was still no movement; at the same time, the opportunity that Leonardo had been longing for appeared:

Martin Scorsese.

Upon returning to Hollywood this time, Leonardo was determined that he wanted to collaborate with Martin Scorsese, and for this, he did not hesitate to change agents, changing five agents before and after, finally successfully connecting with Martin Scorsese and winning a role.

“Gangs of New York.”

In this work, Leonardo could not only collaborate with the director Martin he admired but also act opposite Daniel Day-Lewis, who was wholeheartedly focused on acting, which made Leonardo excited and made a choice without any hesitation.

So, Leonardo abandoned Gore and “Cat and Mouse Game.”

This made Gore extremely angry and he also withdrew from the crew, so that the cast of “Cat and Mouse Game,” which had been so hard to build, collapsed overnight.

Subsequently, Steven had been looking for a director, going through four directors before and after, but the results were not satisfactory, because of his personal love for the script, Steven finally decided to direct it himself, for which he rejected works such as “Big Fish” and “Memoirs of a Geisha,” and rebuilt a brand-new cast.

First and foremost, who should be chosen for the male lead?

At this time, Jeff Robinov, a senior executive at Warner Bros., gave Steven a name: Anson Wood.