Lucas has auditioned for the film project "127 Hours" every day, and, quite so far, Lucas could feel that the directors were showing signs that he could be picked for the role.
Although it was just Lucas feeling, he just felt it was a good sign for him.
And in the week of Lucas attending auditions, he was informed by the directors to analyze each performance, discuss strengths and weaknesses, and might select potential call-backs for further exploration.
It is expected that Lucas and the other potential actors, such as James Franco, to be called back, and other shortlisted actors might be called back for additional scenes, improvisation exercises, or chemistry reads with other cast members. This final stage solidifies the casting team's choice.
Although the film "127 Hours" focused on the main character, Aron Ralston, there were still some scenes that required other casts.
Lucas chose to stay in Los Angeles, Century City. After all, it will just take about a week before he will be called for the audition with other casts.
Lucas spent another week in LA, and sure enough, after a week, he was called back to the Fox Searchlight headquarters for additional scenes.
Lucas went to the Fox Searchlight headquarters, and went to the studio. As soon as he entered, he noticed James Franco.
Lucas knew that James Franco was also called to do additional scenes.
James Franco just found out that besides him, there are actually other actors who passed the previous audition stage, the same as him.
He turned his head towards the young man with blonde hair and blue eyes. He found it hard to believe that a young actor was actually able to compete against him for the role of Aron Ralston.
James shook off the distractions from his head as he was the one who would audition first and perform the additional scenes along with the other casts, specifically the characters of Kristi and Megan.
James Franco warmed up before performing the scenes...
Lucas sat in the prepared chair for him as he observed the audition progress. It was James Franco who would audition first, and he looked at James sitting in the distance, reading the scripts.
While Lucas also read his scripts, he didn't notice that he was being observed through the camera along with James Franco.
The directors and the casting team observed the two actors competing for the role of Aron Ralston.
Director Danny was especially impressed by Lucas. A week ago, he tested Lucas with a cold reading. A cold reading means that the actor performs a scene in an audition for the first time without warm-up or rehearsal. It is particularly challenging for actors, especially beginners, as the scene is not included in the scripts provided in the project sheet by the studio.
Yet, Lucas's performance was exceptionally well, showcasing his raw talent, improvisation skills, and ability to connect with the material on the fly.
James Franco also underwent a cold reading test, yet his performance wasn't as exceptional as Lucas Knight's.
To be completely honest, Director Danny, Casting Director Donna, and the casting team felt that there was no need for this additional scenes process and were inclined to choose Lucas Knight for the role of Aron Ralston on the spot. Even the real Aron Ralston agreed with this view and liked Lucas Knight. However, the problem was that the studio, producers, and even executive members didn't share the same perspective.
While directors hold significant weight, casting decisions often involve collaboration with studios, producers, and executive members. Each party has different priorities and preferences that influence the final selection.
The producers and executive members believed that James Franco was suitable for the role. Despite the directors' differing opinion, the producers and executive members thought choosing James Franco would at least generate attention for the film, given his potential audience appeal. His name recognition and fan base were viewed as advantageous for the film's commercial success. Casting a rising star can bring both name recognition and potential box-office appeal.
Studios are often hesitant to relinquish this advantage entirely, especially if the rising star's performance was still good, even if overshadowed by the newcomer.
Hence, the directors couldn't proceed with immediate casting. The producers and executive members insisted that James Franco be given a chance.
The directors believed that the situation wasn't dire because, along the way, they could make it more evident to the producers and executive members who performed better by comparison in this final stage of the audition. With a significant difference in performance, the producers and executive members would have no choice but to select Lucas Knight for the role.
Additionally, the directors wanted to observe how Lucas Knight would handle the pressure, witnessing that he was up against tough competition.
After half an hour, James Franco finally performed the scene with the other cast members.
The clock ticked, and James Franco's performance finally came to an end.
Lucas was able to observe the performance personally, and he had to admit that James Franco was indeed a talented actor.
After an hour and a half, it was finally Lucas's turn to perform.
James Franco stayed in the audition room and observed Lucas's performance by himself. As he watched, he was quite impressed by Lucas's performance, but he still felt confident that he would get the role. After all, he had just given his best in the scene where his right arm was pinned earlier.
He left the audition room after watching Lucas's first scene performance.
However, James didn't know that Lucas's performance of the scene where Aron gets stuck in the canyon surpassed his own in the same scene.
After Lucas performed all the required scenes, he went to the motel.
Although Lucas knew the chances of him being chosen for the role were high, he still felt nervous.
Three days passed with Lucas in Los Angeles, and his money was gradually being used up. Then his iPhone 3G rang.
Lucas hastily answered it and was informed by the casting team that he had been chosen for the role.
When Lucas heard this, he was overjoyed and jumped on the bed like a kid.
James Franco was in a high-end hotel in Los Angeles, Century City. He had just finished relieving himself when he received a phone call informing him that, unfortunately, he was not chosen for the role.
"What? You mean that blonde kid took the role?" James couldn't help but express disbelief as he asked.
"As you are not part of the film project, I can't disclose any information about the cast. Good day, sir," came the response.
James looked at his phone in disbelief when he heard that. He wasn't literally asking; he just blurted it out due to disbelief.
"You don't have to disclose anything since I already know, being a participant in the project," James wanted to say back, but he realized the phone call had already ended, not even giving him a chance to explain himself.
James couldn't help but feel awkward. Then, he couldn't help but be disappointed; he really wanted to perform in the role after all. Then he remembered Lucas, muttering, "I'm curious to see the final result of the film and find out why you were chosen for the role instead of me..."
If "127 Hours" were to grace a film festival, James had the urge to watch it and see what Lucas was truly capable of, to be able to best him in the audition.
The thing is, he hadn't seen Lucas on television or in films, but James just thought that maybe Lucas had already performed in some TV show or films that he wasn't aware of, as it might not have been well-known.