The richest actor in Hollywood.

In an office near the Burbank Warner Building, Akiva Goldsman welcomed a visitor, Kevin Huvane, a renowned agent from CAA.

"Hello, Akiva," Kevin Huvane greeted warmly, "It's been a while."

Akiva Goldsman shook his extended hand and smiled, "Hello, Kevin."

Kevin was one of the most powerful agents at CAA and a partner, well-known in Hollywood as the principal agent for Will Smith and Halle Berry. He was also part of the management team for Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep.

Agents don't bring direct profits to producers and can often be seen as a hassle. For producers like Akiva, the main metric for evaluating an agent is the stars they represent.

After Kevin sat down, he got straight to the point, "Akiva, a few days ago, Will Smith received an audition invitation for your new project 'I Am Legend.' He's very excited and very interested in the lead role. He's always wanted to work with you and specifically asked me to come over and thank you. He will cherish this audition opportunity."

Akiva Goldsman was slightly taken aback but didn't show it. He responded vaguely, "Will is an excellent actor. I've always wanted to work with him too."

"Will has always been a fan of Richard Matheson's books," Kevin Huvane had come well-prepared. "In the past few days, he's gone through the script and the original novel several times and is looking forward to the audition."

Since the official audition invitation had been sent, Akiva Goldsman couldn't backtrack now. He smiled and said, "I'm looking forward to it too."

Kevin Huvane smiled back, opened his briefcase, took out a document, and pushed it towards Akiva Goldsman, saying, "This contains the box office data for all the films Will has starred in since 'Bad Boys.'"

He emphasized, "Will has been a star for over ten years, accumulating a huge fan base. He's one of Hollywood's most successful commercial movie stars today."

Akiva Goldsman picked up the document and flipped through it. He had once considered Will Smith as a template for the protagonist of 'I Am Legend.' He was well aware of who Will Smith was.

It was no exaggeration to say that Will Smith was now at the pinnacle of the A-list. If he had two or three more blockbuster hits, he would undoubtedly become Hollywood's first black super superstar.

Akiva Goldsman didn't need to read the document to know that since the release of 'Bad Boys' in 1995, every movie Will Smith starred in, except for 'Bad Boys 2,' had been a box office success.

These ten years and more than a dozen successful films had brought Will Smith to the brink of superstardom.

As he turned to the last page, Akiva Goldsman frowned slightly.

Kevin Huvane, always observant, noted Akiva's reaction. Reading people was a fundamental skill for an agent.

"Akiva, this is a statistical analysis of the changes in theater audience demographics since the new century," Kevin said at the right moment. "In recent years, the overall number of moviegoers has shown a slight decline, especially among white audiences."

Akiva Goldsman remained silent, focusing on the statistics from Cinema Score, a highly credible source.

Kevin Huvane, despite having financial backing that helped him become a CAA partner, had proven his own abilities. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been Will Smith and Halle Berry's principal agent.

"On the contrary," Kevin continued, "the proportion of minority audiences is rising rapidly. Hispanic and black audiences are becoming major consumers in the theater market alongside white audiences."

He stressed, "Will has always been very popular and has a natural advantage in appealing to minority audiences."

As a producer, Akiva Goldsman was aware of the shifts in audience and market dynamics. He also kept an eye on social and political trends. Recent statistics showed that the black population in the USA was rising to thirteen percent, and the Hispanic population had reached fifteen percent. Including other minorities like Asians, these groups were becoming significant consumer bases in every market.

Despite Hollywood's loud proclamations, Akiva knew that the USA wasn't a melting pot but a mosaic of various ethnic groups with significant divides.

Will Smith indeed had an edge in attracting minority audiences. However, this didn't change the fact that white audiences were still the main market demographic and the primary theater-goers.

Closing the document, Akiva Goldsman said, "Kevin, I'll seriously consider what you said."

Hearing this, Kevin Huvane knew it was time to leave. When dealing with a renowned producer, it was essential to know when to stop. He didn't expect to convince Akiva Goldsman in one meeting; neither Akiva nor he was naive.

Securing a leading role in a top-tier Hollywood production was often a long process. Their target wasn't just Akiva Goldsman; they would also approach other key figures in the production.

Kevin Huvane certainly wouldn't overlook director Francis Lawrence.

While Akiva Goldsman held the reins as the producer, the director's influence on the project couldn't be ignored.

"Francis is a true leftist."

In a moving car, Beyoncé said to Will Smith beside her, "He directed several of my music videos. I've known Francis since my Destiny's Child days and understand him well."

Will Smith nodded slightly.

Beyoncé continued, "Francis genuinely believes in equal status for black people in the industry. He has said more than once that you're an outstanding representative among black actors."

"That's good to hear," Will Smith smiled. "Thank you for introducing me."

"Don't mention it, Will," Beyoncé replied naturally. "You've helped me before. Besides, we should stick together for better development."

Will Smith nodded again, "You're right."

Though he didn't fully agree with Beyoncé's views and disliked certain narratives, Will Smith knew better than to voice such thoughts. His fellow black Americans would tear him apart for it.

There was some advantage to this. Even if he had a 'white heart,' he couldn't change his black skin.

Their car soon arrived at a private club. After waiting a few minutes, Kevin Huvane arrived.

After meeting, they entered the club and went to a seaside reception room where they met Francis Lawrence, whom Beyoncé had arranged to meet.

Beyoncé made the introductions and left without further ado.

Even with her acquaintance with Will Smith and the help she'd received from him, there were limits. Introducing him to someone she'd never dealt with much was a significant favor.

"Will, I've always liked your acting style."

In the reception room, Francis Lawrence was somewhat excited to see Will Smith approach him personally, "I'm a fan of yours."

Although a director, Francis was relatively new to the film industry and younger than Will Smith.

Will Smith responded politely, "I watched the music videos you directed for Beyoncé. They were unique and memorable." He added, "Watching those videos, I thought about how great it would be if we could collaborate on a uniquely styled film."

Francis Lawrence, though a bit white-skinned with a black heart, wasn't foolish and quickly caught the subtext in Will Smith's words.

"Uh... Will, we can collaborate?" Francis asked.

"Of course, we have the opportunity!" Will Smith responded with surprise. "Didn't you know? The 'I Am Legend' team has already invited me to audition for the lead role. If I pass the audition, our collaboration will come true."

Francis Lawrence immediately understood but looked a bit troubled, "Will, I really want to work with you, and I can suggest actors, but the final decision lies with Akiva Goldsman."

He thought for a moment and added, "Akiva Goldsman is pretty much set on having Matthew Horner play the lead. They're still negotiating. As the director, my influence is limited."

"We don't need you to do much."

Kevin Huvane, who had been silent, spoke up, "Director Lawrence, you only need to mention Will favorably to Akiva Goldsman, emphasize how a black actor fits the project better. That'll be enough."

"Is that all?" Francis Lawrence asked.

These tasks were indeed easy and wouldn't require much effort.

"Yes," Kevin Huvane, familiar with the unspoken rules of the industry, added, "Director Lawrence, Will and CAA will remember this favor. If you want to join CAA, I can introduce you. You know that CAA means more opportunities and a broader space for development."

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