[Chapter 118: Step Up 2 in Preparation, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly]
After wrapping up preparations with The Shallows crew, Linton turned his attention to Step Up 2. He t with Frank, Anne, and Silva, the assistant production manager from Universal, to finalize the main tasks and tone for the crew.
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Unlike The Shallows, which was a fresh project, Step Up 2 was a sequel. Most outdoor scenes would be shot in Baltimore again, while indoor shots were planned on sets at Universal Studios.
To give the actors plenty of ti for dance rehearsals, filming was scheduled to start on January 10, 1993, with a shooting cycle of 70 days.
The film's core vibe would carry on from the first: handso guys, beautiful girls, slick youth dance numbers, romance, and inspirational thes. A big focus was on casting the leads and choreography.
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Linton insisted that the leads had to be especially attractive since this was a youth idol film. Without any major stars joining, the male lead had to be irresistibly handso, and the female lead stunningly beautiful. Coupled with cool dance routines, that was the formula to draw audiences to theaters.
Linton suggested inviting Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connelly for the main roles. When assistant ena pinned their photos onto the display board, everyone murmured in awe.
At this ti, a young Leonardo was about to turn 18 -- at the peak of his youthful charm and looks, a bona fide heartthrob who appealed to everyone.
Jennifer Connelly was even more impressive -- a beloved Arican teen idol, already popular for her stunning beauty and performances in movies and TV shows.
The team unanimously agreed it was a perfect choice to invite Leonardo and Jennifer as the leads. Linton instructed Frank to send audition invitations imdiately.
But if they really took the roles, both needed to start dance training at least two months ahead to guarantee performance quality. Linton had never considered using body doubles.
He also noticed Anne's eyes sparkled with excitent when she saw Leonardo's photo and silently felt sorry for the young actor.
Anne herself was very beautiful -- early thirties with striking features and shoulder-length golden hair. As a long-ti dancer, her physique was perfectly balanced.
Although not quite on par with stars like Caron or Naomi, she was undeniably a gorgeous woman. Linton thought it was far better for Leonardo to be under Anne's guidance than exploited by so unscrupulous older industry veterans.
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As for the Step Up 2 soundtrack, Linton didn't have the ti or energy to handle it personally and chose to continue working with Universal Music.
Universal was tasked with preparing sixteen songs based on the film's storyline. Song selection had to be cleared by Linton, and he insisted that Shania had top priority to choose perforrs.
The soundtrack album, as a film tie-in, would give the Step Up 2 crew a 20% share of sales and a 20% copyright stake.
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Anne, now directing the film, couldn't keep her previous role as choreographer. To ensure dance quality, she recomnded Hollywood's top choreographer David Scott after Linton's on-site evaluation.
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Leonardo and Jennifer responded quickly to the crew's invitation and showed up excitedly the next day with their agents for auditions.
At this point, Leonardo was struggling to transition from child star to adult actor. His recent films hadn't made much impact.
Getting an invite from Step Up 2 was a dream co true. He told his agent he'd do anything to land the role.
Jennifer, though celebrated for her beauty nationwide, lacked notable work and desperately needed a strong film to boost her status and comrcial value.
She was over the moon receiving the invitation and was determined to get the part.
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Linton, Frank, Anne, and Silva auditioned Leonardo and Jennifer that afternoon. They perford acting scenes and danced a little.
All four were blown away. The real Leonardo and Jennifer were far more dazzling than their photos -- Leonardo was breathtakingly handso, and Jennifer was stunningly beautiful.
Most pleasantly surprising was their dance foundation. Anne estimated that with two months of intense training, they could et the film's dance requirents.
Linton told Frank to start contract negotiations imdiately and get them into dance training as soon as possible.
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Unexpectedly, after dinner, assistant ena handed Linton the phone with a curious look -- Jennifer was calling.
She wanted to visit the estate for a more thorough showcase of her talents to give Linton a fuller impression. Nobody knew where she had gotten his number.
Linton was moved by how strong the film's female lead role was in attracting soone like Jennifer, knowing her incredible beauty, sexy figure, and especially her voluptuous 36D curves.
Feeling his heart warm, Linton agreed over the phone and, to avoid paparazzi hassle, had David drive quietly to her hotel to pick her up.
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Jennifer looked exquisite that evening. Perfect skin, long hair cascading over her shoulders, fiery red lips, and a chic black form-fitting gown paired with black high heels.
Her figure was strikingly sensual -- her voluptuous bosom, slender waist, perky hips, and long legs created a perfect S-shaped silhouette.
In the study, faced with such a vision, Linton could hardly contain himself. Both understood the night's purpose well, so no courtesy was needed. He pulled Jennifer close.
Jennifer eagerly returned his kisses, and as they kissed deeper, their body temperatures rose. At the height of their passion, Jennifer whispered into Linton's ear, "Darling, not here -- take upstairs."
He lifted her and headed straight to the third floor. Both fumbled hurriedly to remove their restraints, then lively, sweet lodies filled the air...
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After a while, passionate play paused. Jennifer lay like a kitten on Linton, purring, "You're amazing, darling."
"Baby, you're incredible too -- especially those big treasures of yours, absolutely fantastic." Under the lamp's glow, Jennifer looked like a living masterpiece, utterly breathtaking.
"Really? Then take good care of them."
Unknowingly, another round began, with joyful music echoing throughout the night...
Thankfully, the newbie assistant had the foresight to move into the guest house beside Amy last night to avoid looking like a Raccoon today when Jennifer ca knocking.
*****
spatreon/Sayonara816.
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