Ava Gardner was reading the script. If categorized as a movie, this film would be considered a Western hero film, with the protagonist being a bounty hunter named John.

  Seeing the name John, Ava smiled to herself. Hardy must have used his own name here.

  When she saw the name of the female lead, Marissa, Ava was momentarily stunned. Did Hardy think of his own name when writing the female lead?

  The script was exceptionally well-crafted. After finishing it, Hardy told her that he had written it himself. Before, Ava had only thought of Hardy as a rough man, but she hadn't realized he was so talented, able to write such a good script.

  At that moment, Ava felt a strong sense of admiration for Hardy, he wasn't just an ordinary gang leader.

  He was an artistic and talented gang leader.

  Thinking of this, Ava suddenly felt that the protagonist, John in the script was quite like Hardy.

  Rough, But with a sense of righteousness.

  If it weren't for him back then, perhaps she would still be living under the shadow of that devilish agent. In the end, wasn't it Hardy who saved her?

  Just then, the door was pushed open.

  Hardy entered with director Nolan. Ava snapped out of her own reverie, looked up at the two, and said, "Ah, you're back."

  She quickly stood up. Seeing someone beside Hardy, Ava appeared a bit reserved.

  Nolan looked at the woman before him and was instantly amazed. This woman was extremely beautiful, arguably one of the top actresses, even among Hollywood stars.

  Perfect proportions, slender legs, and a beautiful face with an air of determination.

  No wonder Hardy was so dedicated.

  If he had a girlfriend like this, he do be just as dedicated.

  "Ava, let me introduce you. This is Jonathan Nolan, the director of 'Frontier Hero.'"

  "Nice to meet you, Mr. Director," Ava said with a light smile.

  "Nice to meet you, Miss Gardner."

  Hardy looked at Nolan and smiled, asking, "How do you feel about the lead actress I found for you?"

  Nolan looked at Ava, shook his head without saying a word.

  Why did the director shake his head? Could it be that he didn't like her? Ava Gardner immediately became nervous.

  "She's too beautiful. Originally, in my imagination, Marissa wasn't this beautiful, but just now, I suddenly felt that a woman who could be so desperately pursued by Romain should indeed be very beautiful, irresistible to be taken away."

  Upon hearing this, Ava's mood eased slightly.

  Nolan looked at Ava, holding the script, and said to her, "Miss Gardner, you must have read the script by now."

  "Yes, I have."

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  "Can you perform a scene according to the script's plot, any scene will do."

  Ava Gardner had studied acting for over a year before. Just having read the script, she had gained some understanding of the character Marissa.

  Just now, she even imagined Hardy as the great bounty hunter John, and herself as the Marissa he had saved, inadvertently getting into character.

  Ava walked to the center, her steps slightly faltering, her eyes becoming melancholic, and her voice tinged with sadness, "Romain, don't hurt my child, please."

  Then she turned around and embraced something tightly, tears streaming down, "Please, Romain, spare him, he's innocent, I'll go back with you obediently, never run away again."

  Her face was filled with heartbreak and despair.

  "Excellent performance. Miss Gardner is very suitable for this role. I think we can confirm the lead actress now," Nolan said loudly.

  Nolan wasn't stupid; this woman was already Hardy's intended lead actress. Besides, her acting skills were passable, and she was beautiful, fully capable of being the lead actress.

  Ava wiped away her tears, almost jumping up with excitement, visible joy and excitement in her eyes.

  This was her first role in life.

  The three sat down. Nolan said to Hardy, "Now the most critical thing is finding a male lead who fits the character of John. This is very important. I've thought about suitable actors in Hollywood right now. There are a few who might fit well; I have high hopes for Henry Fonda, but his salary is around $350,000, which is too expensive. McRae or Coburn would work, but their fees are also above $100,000."

  Hardy refused directly saying, "As I mentioned, this film won't rely on stars for popularity. All the money will be used for filming. Hollywood has plenty of second- and third-tier actors whose acting skills are not lacking. We can certainly select suitable actors from them."

  Nolan agreed with Hardy's approach.

  "Alright, I'll have someone scout through the actor's union, and once we have a list, I'll run it by you. Hardy, I'll head out now; I can't wait to start assembling the crew." Nolan stood up.

  Hardy smiled as he escorted Nolan out.

  In the office, only Hardy and Ava remained. Immediately shedding her reserve, Ava threw herself onto Hardy, "Hardy, I can really be the lead actress, I'm so happy, it's like a dream come true."

  "Is it a beautiful dream? Then let's keep dreaming, never waking up."

  After her excitement subsided, Ava picked up the script again, treating it as if it was the most beautiful thing in the world. Hardy brewed a cup of tea and lit a cigar.

  Regarding the film...

  The reason film companies seek big stars isn't just because of their acting skills, which is only a small part of it. The main reason is to use their fame to draw people into cinemas.

  Like directors in later times would select popular actors, even if they know that some actor's acting skills are poor, if they have popularity, they can draw in audiences.

  Before every film premiere, extensive publicity efforts are made, often costing a significant portion of the film's budget, sometimes even exceeding production costs.

  The goal is to get people to buy tickets and enter the cinema.

  How should he promote his film in the future? Traditional promotion methods are undoubtedly costly. Hardy searched for modern promotional strategies in his mind, hoping to find one to use.

  "Jon, does this film have a theme song?" Ava suddenly asked.

  "A theme song?"

  "Yes, like the theme song 'My Own True Love' from 'Gone with the Wind,' I absolutely love it. Sometimes, the theme song becomes more famous than the movie itself."

  A flash of inspiration suddenly crossed Hardy's mind.

  Yes,

  Film soundtrack.

  If they could create a film soundtrack, play it on the radio, and promote it as the soundtrack of a film without revealing the movie's name, people would surely be curious. By the time the film was released, combined with the song's promotion, the effect would likely surpass throwing money around.

  But what song should he use? have the company's music department write one? Those people probably couldn't write a hit song.

  Why not pick a classic from later times?

  Hardy's memory was pretty good; he loved listening to songs, especially old classics, and playing them on loop while driving.

  He suddenly thought of a song and closed his eyes, softly humming.

  Hardy's voice was somewhat deep, and his singing ability was at best karaoke level, but his singing immediately captivated Ava.

  This melodious tone was something she had never heard before.

  He stopped singing after just one verse and looked at Ava, who was filled with astonishment. "This is a song I composed before, based on an English folk song. What do you think?"

  Ava Gardner covered her mouth in astonishment.

  "Oh my, Hardy, you can compose songs too, and they're so beautiful. This song is simply amazing; I was deeply drawn in by just a few lines."

  Ava Gardner walked up to Hardy, her eyes filled with admiration, gently holding the man's face and softly saying, "Hardy, you're the most talented man I've ever met."