*Chapter 385: "The Expendables" Premiere*

During the filming of Captain America in Los Angeles, Link also took time to make guest appearances in the sets of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and You're Still Here.

In the former, he played the male lead’s older brother, an Olympic football star and the lead character's idol and role model. This role involved four scenes and was not too challenging.

In the latter, a documentary directed by Casey Affleck featuring Joaquin Phoenix, Link played himself, a top-tier singer who has successfully transitioned between industries. His character is portrayed as a superstar and playboy with a chaotic private life.

His scenes were primarily in two parts: one where he and Joaquin Phoenix discuss their attitudes towards rap music and their reflections on fame in the backstage; the other involved performing the second album’s hit song "Believer" and rap songs "I'm the One" and "Lighters" together.

To film these scenes, the production team organized a small concert in Burbank, Los Angeles, where Link performed as a guest.

In October, he also flew to Paris to attend the engagement ceremony of Marion Cotillard and Guillaume Canet. When he saw Marion, he was surprised to find she was pregnant, though her belly was much smaller compared to Taylor’s.

Link asked her how many months along she was.

Marion said it wasn’t his, so he needn’t worry. She leaned into him and mentioned that Guillaume was very good to her and loved her, which is why she accepted his proposal.

Link touched her abdomen, feeling it was similar to Taylor's, and recalled that Marion had been pregnant before filming Rust and Bone, which was this year. Thus, he couldn’t be sure if this child was his.

Afterward, Guillaume approached him and asked him not to disturb their married life as Marion was now his wife.

With a complicated mood, Link returned to Los Angeles to continue filming and training.

In early November, The Expendables was released. The film had wrapped up in May and after six months of post-production, it was scheduled to premiere in November.

The film brought together top action stars from around the world, including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jet Li, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, Dolph Lundgren, and current global superstar and world boxing champion Link Beck.

The film had already generated excitement and anticipation among action movie fans before its release and was labeled by media as one of the most anticipated action movies of 2010, with tags like "Action Movie of the Year" and "Must-Watch for Real Men."

The Expendables lived up to expectations, earning $41.05 million over the three-day weekend from 3,270 theaters in North America.

It outperformed parody film Twilight Saga: The Movie, Jennifer Aniston’s The Switch, Weinstein’s Piranha 3D, and Universal’s big-budget Nanny McPhee 2, securing the top spot at the box office.

The film received mixed reviews.

Fans praised the action scenes as intense and explosive, evoking a sense of nostalgia for classic action movies like Rocky and Rambo. It was seen as a true action film.

Critics felt the movie’s plot was clichéd and not in line with current audience tastes, and it wasn’t as exciting as anticipated.

The media review score was 72, Rotten Tomatoes rated it 68% fresh with 46 positive and 14 negative reviews; Yahoo critics gave it a B.

Regardless of opinions, audiences were generally pleased with Link’s performance in the film.

They felt his action scenes were on par with the veteran action stars, commenting on his handsome looks, strong and sexy physique, and the fresh energy he brought to a movie with an outdated style and storyline. Many fans said they watched only Link’s scenes and skipped the rest.

There were also numerous fans urging Link to take on more action roles and become an action star rather than focusing on romantic roles, suggesting that one can see romance in newspapers rather than needing to buy tickets for it.

With the film’s success, Link’s box office appeal was once again validated. Many film companies approached him with large offers, including many action films, but Link declined.

Having become a global superstar, he no longer had a desperate need for fame;

As a billionaire, multi-million dollar paychecks were less tempting, and he preferred to be involved in projects that could earn money for his company.

For instance, The Hunger Games.

According to reports, the adaptation rights for this novel were acquired by Lionsgate, an independent film and television production company that focuses on horror films, established in 1997 and headquartered in Canada.

Lionsgate had produced the Saw series, Texas Chainsaw 3D, The Cabin in the Woods, The Blair Witch Project, and some quality independent films like Hotel Rwanda, Dead Man Walking, and Girl with a Pearl Earring.

After The Hunger Games was published in 2008, Lionsgate acquired the adaptation rights, which were set to expire in five years, and the studio was currently in the process of production.

Palm Beach Pictures extended a cooperation invitation to Lionsgate but had not yet received a response.

However, Link was not in a hurry. Media reports mentioned that due to the financial crisis and the development of the internet, DVD sales had significantly decreased. Lionsgate faced massive losses in recent years, cutting 8% of its workforce and eliminating 45 positions from 2008 to this year.

Despite this, Lionsgate still carried $350 million in debt and reported a quarterly loss of $93.4 million in May, stating they would continue to reduce their film production plans to mitigate losses.

As Producer Bent said, nearly no film company in Hollywood is free of financial troubles.

Especially in the realm of independent film companies, major players like New Line, Focus, Lionsgate, Dimension, Weinstein, and Castle Rock all have billion-dollar financial deficits.

As long as there is money willing to invest, there’s no worry about finding a buyer.

Hollywood is like a big casino, but the risks are higher than in Las Vegas, as a failed bet here can result in losses of tens of millions of dollars.

Producer Bent, while discussing the film companies' losses, was essentially advising Link to be cautious and avoid investing in too many projects simultaneously or engaging in overly ambitious projects to prevent losses.

Link understood his meaning but felt that missing out on The Hunger Games—a successful series post-Twilight—would be a significant loss, so he wanted the company to continue pursuing Lionsgate.

(The End of Chapter)