Chapter 55: Too Difficult
"Director Wallace, how about we just have Melody Monroe play the female second lead?"
"Exactly. That way, the script won’t need any changes. We’ll just need to find someone else to play Willow Lynch, and we won’t have to make major adjustments anywhere else."
Director Wallace grew pensive. He didn’t seem to fully agree with that suggestion.
In his mind, Melody Monroe’s portrayal of Willow Lynch was already perfect.
He couldn’t imagine anyone other than Melody Monroe being right for the role of Willow Lynch.
"I’ve been thinking about the female second lead’s character ever since I first read the script..." Director Wallace trailed off. The truth was, he was unhappy with the character’s entire premise.
"A character like that is pretty standard for this genre," the screenwriter, Lucy Warren, suddenly interjected. "In fact, I’ve already made a lot of adjustments to the female second lead’s characterization."
Director Wallace knew that.
"But it still feels a bit too much like a web novel trope."
"Director Wallace, are you saying you want to revise the script again?"
"What if we remove the female second lead and use that to flesh out Willow Lynch’s character?"
"That’s too difficult!" Lucy Warren said, her face scrunching up. "I don’t have any ideas for that!"
"I do! Willow Lynch and Julian Hale were originally childhood sweethearts, and their relationship was stable. But because of Julian Hale’s father, the Lynn Family’s fortune declined. Willow’s father passed away from the blow, and she went abroad with her mother."
A glimmer of inspiration seemed to strike Lucy Warren. "Director Wallace, could you be a little more specific?"
"Five years later, Willow Lynch returns, but nothing is as it was. Her relationship with Julian Hale becomes a tangled web of love and hate. They loved each other, hated each other, and ultimately, missed their chance with each other."
"If that’s the case, won’t the romance between Holly Summers and Julian Hale seem a bit dull? And wouldn’t that mean cutting a lot of Raymond Ford’s scenes?"
"It won’t be dull. They’re two different kinds of love, and the role of Holly Summers, played by Raymond Ford, is Julian Hale’s ultimate love interest. She’s still the female lead. We’re just adding more scenes for Willow Lynch to create more emotional conflict," Director Wallace said with a nod.
"Director Wallace, a rewrite like that is a massive undertaking! Are you sure about this? All the prep work we’ve done so far will be for nothing!"
"I need to create something worthy of Zane Langdon’s current fame and reputation. Besides, I want to shoot a teen drama that I can truly stand behind."
"In that case, I’ll go start on the rewrite now. Once I have a new draft, we can all review it together."
"Thank you for your hard work."
...
"Okay, got it. Understood." Melody Monroe lowered her phone, feeling a little confused.
"What is it?" Talia Mercer immediately asked.
"They said the script is being revised, so filming is on hold. I’m just supposed to wait for news. I doubt we’ll be able to start shooting in the next couple of days."
"Do you think it has to do with Starfall Investments? With Hailey Paige leaving the cast, does that mean you’re going to play the female second lead again?" Talia Mercer asked, getting excited. "Melody, if it’s meant to be yours, no one can snatch it away!"
"It’s hard to say. Nothing’s certain. The production team might have other plans."
"I bet it’ll be you! Hailey Paige totally brought that on herself. And thanks to Starfall Investments, we’re benefiting a little from this mess! Zane Langdon is our lucky charm! Good things always happen when he’s around!"
Melody Monroe just smiled. "Like I said, let’s not count our chickens before they hatch. We’ll just have to wait for the official word. In the meantime, can you book me a high-speed train ticket? I want to go back and spend some time with Ian."
"A train ticket?"
"Yeah, the high-speed train is half the price of a plane ticket, and the travel time is about the same." Melody smiled. ’Getting to take the high-speed train already felt like a blessing. She used to have to cram onto regular trains, and often couldn’t even buy a ticket with a reserved seat.’