27 Indie Darling— Fox Searchlight

The airplane from New York had just reached the Los Angeles International Airport. The place was quite busy and bustling as usual; it was such a busy airport.

Inside, the terminal bustles with a symphony of languages and accents. Businessmen tap away on laptops, their suits slightly rumpled after long flights. Young backpackers clutching tattered Lonely Planets mingle with families herding sleepy kids and overflowing strollers. A gaggle of teenagers in ripped jeans and band tees blast Pop music from their phones, their laughter bouncing off the high ceilings.

The air hangs heavy with a blend of jet fuel, coffee, and nervous perspiration. Announcements crackle overhead, a multilingual chorus guiding people to their gates. The smell of airport food carts adds a salty, greasy spice to the mix, competing with the faint aroma of jasmine from flowers nestled among the sterile potted palms.

Lucas exited the airport with a smile, feeling more alive than ever. He had just reactivated his ability to delve into the deep recesses of his consciousness. Surprisingly, while embodying the character of Aron Ralston, Lucas found himself wearing the same clothing as Aron, enhancing his immersion in the adventurous yet wonderful feelings Aron experienced—exploring the Canyon as if meditating.

This experience was truly remarkable for Lucas, even though he could only stay in that state for ten minutes before returning to reality. Though he didn't fully portray Aron Ralston, it was sufficient for Lucas.

In his next journey into the depths of consciousness, he planned to directly act or emulate the scene where Aron accidentally gets his right arm stuck in the chuckstone. While Lucas might intentionally create this situation, he aimed to be fully immersed in the character, appearing genuinely careless and clueless about the impending tragedy he unknowingly brought upon himself.

Lucas hailed a taxi to head to Century City.

As he boarded, memories of Shawn crossed Lucas's mind; he wondered how that guy was faring.

The taxi's worn leather seat pressed against Lucas's skin as it navigated the L.A. afternoon heat. Palm trees blurred past outside the window, their shadows dancing on the cracked dashboard.

Los Angeles buzzed with frenetic energy, amplified through the taxi's scratchy speakers blaring classic rock.

The cityscape shifted from sun-soaked beaches to towering billboards emblazoned with movie stars' faces.

Lucas craned his neck, observing the billboards. Notably, Leonardo DiCaprio's eyes seemed to stare down at him from a tall building.

Lucas observed the billboards briefly before realizing the taxi was approaching his destination.

The taxi rattled to a stop under the awning of an unassuming building. While Century Fox Searchlight lacked the grandeur of its studio siblings, the air crackled with the quiet electricity of ambition.

Lucas disembarked from the taxi and glanced around.

"Finally," Lucas muttered as he approached the building. While walking, his mind couldn't help but wonder.

In his previous life, "127 Hours" was announced in November 2009, but in this world, it seemed much earlier, though he wasn't entirely sure of the details.

Curious as he was, Lucas didn't dwell too much on it. After all, he found himself in a parallel world with differences from his previous life—like the absence of popular bands and songs. Despite these distinctions, Lucas sensed that this world and his former one felt remarkably similar.

Lucas entered the building, marveling at the literary haven he found. Sunlight streamed through arched windows, illuminating walls adorned with vintage movie posters and black-and-white stills.

The receptionist, a young woman with a bored expression and a headset glued to her ear, barely glanced up from her computer screen. "Appointment?" she croaked, her voice monotone.

Lucas swallowed, his mouth dry from the experience of entering the Fox Searchlight building, the indie darling nestled among Hollywood's glossy giants.

After calming himself, Lucas presented the project script for "127 Hours."

The receptionist indifferently observed the paper sheets in Lucas's hands, taking a moment to read them closely.

Realizing that the young man before her was applying for the main role of "127 Hours," she was a bit surprised. She scrutinized Lucas's face but found nothing particularly special. Without much thought, she said, "You're quite fortunate; the audition deadline for this project is about to reach its end next week."

After the young woman provided the information, she directed Lucas to the studio facility where the audition was taking place.

Lucas made his way to the studio, observing the inside of the Fox Searchlight along the way. Upon reaching the hall, he noticed several good-looking men seated in arranged seats, appearing to be in a line.

Lucas took an unoccupied seat.

***

Donna Isaacson, the casting director for the "127 Hours" film project, watched as actor Jesse Eisenberg auditioned for the role of Aron Ralston.

With her seasoned experience, Donna could see that Jesse's portrayal of Aron Ralston was too weak. Despite being a talented actor, he struggled to convey the depth of Aron Ralston's character, particularly in the moments when he was trapped in the narrow canyon.

Donna's hesitation about Jesse portraying Aron Ralston extended beyond his performance. His built and body shape didn't align with the appearance of the real Aron Ralston.

Despite Jesse auditioning multiple times, Donna couldn't see why she should choose him for the role.

After Jesse Eisenberg finished his audition, the process continued. As Donna observed more, it became apparent that none of the actors vying for the role of Aron Ralston could authentically convey the experience of being trapped in the narrow canyon.

Certainly, it was an exceptionally challenging role, and accurately replicating Aron Ralston's emotions during the 127 hours trapped in the narrow canyon was nearly impossible. The casting team acknowledged this, recognizing that only Aron Ralston himself could truly understand that experience. Donna and her team didn't expect actors to perfectly replicate the situation but aimed for someone who could convey at least half of the real emotions Aron Ralston went through.

In an ideal scenario, Donna would have considered casting Daniel Day Lewis if he were younger, given his exceptional acting skills. Unfortunately, Daniel's age didn't align with the character. However, the casting team was already exploring alternatives in case they couldn't make a decision for the role of Aron Ralston before the audition deadline.

The team considered "Cillian Murphy" as a suitable actor for the role and had already reached out to him. However, Cillian Murphy was currently busy, and they were willing to wait a bit, recognizing his talent and capabilities. He was, without a doubt, their first choice.

In the event that Cillian Murphy was unavailable, "James Franco" emerged as another potential actor to portray Aron Ralston.

Interestingly, James Franco was already en route to audition for the role.