America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 357 How the Living Defeat the Dead

"Cheers!"

Inside the banquet hall, the cast and crew of "The Departed" celebrated wildly, constantly raising their glasses in toasts, making it the most eye-catching spot at the Oscars night party.

"Congratulations to our director on achieving his dream!" Martin raised another glass of champagne and exclaimed, "Congratulations to our film crew!"

Nicholson, shameless as ever, also raised his champagne glass: "Let's thank Martin and Leo for running alongside us!"

The crew laughed and congratulated Martin and Leonardo, who could only reluctantly drink a glass.

Scorsese came over alone, had a drink with Martin, and encouraged him, "Don't be discouraged. With your acting skills and ability to stir things up, you could win an Oscar within five years if you get the right role."

Martin chuckled: "Director, you really have a good eye."

Leonardo was displeased: "What about me?"

Scorsese said, "Your three-hit combo has become second nature."

Martin put his arm around Leonardo: "Dude, maybe in a few years, you'll be the runner-up for me."

Nicholson chimed in, "Two idiots destined to be runners-up."

Martin glared at Nicholson: "You have three Oscars, you're so high and mighty, you think you're so great!" He turned to Leo and said, "Leo, when we get our Oscars, I'll shove mine into Jack's mouth."

Leonardo DiCaprio naturally chimed in, "I'll put mine in his ass!"

Scorsese felt that these three guys together were beyond redemption, so he quickly got away from the area.

Martin saw Emma Thomas in the banquet hall and went to find her.

Emma was eating a mousse cake by herself. She probably didn't need to control her diet, as she ate very quickly.

When Martin arrived, she had just started eating; by the time he got closer, the cake was all gone.

"Make yourself at home." Emma casually wiped her mouth with a napkin and said, "Congratulations, Martin, your film won an Oscar."

Martin smiled. "Thank you." He added, "Unfortunately, I won't be winning any individual awards."

Emma watched "The Departed": "Actually, you acted quite well, better than Leonardo. In terms of the role and performance alone, Alan Arkin may not be better than you, but he has a huge advantage."

Martin said, "I'm young, I have plenty of opportunities." He then got straight to the point: "A few days ago, I saw the script for the new Batman movie at Louise Meyer's place at Pacific Films."

Emma remembers clearly: "Pacific Films was one of the investors."

Martin continued, "The script is fantastic. Both Bruce and the Joker are incredibly profound. The conflict between good and evil, the complexity of human nature, is breathtaking."

Because Menez has done enough work, Emma Thomas, who appreciates Martin, reminded him: "Warner Bros., Legendary Pictures, and DC Comics have all called for Christian Bale to return and continue playing Batman."

Martin said, "The script is a dual-protagonist model, and in terms of screen time, the Joker is even the main protagonist."

Emma and her husband Nolan had discussed the film more than once, and she knew that Martin had hit the nail on the head: "You're right, Chris told me that Batman is just a plot device, and the main character in this film is the Joker."

She asked, "Are you interested?"

"Yes." Martin had no reason to deny it: "I'm very interested. It's a very special superhero movie, not even like a superhero movie, more like a realistic crime movie."

Nolan is not yet a god-like director; strictly speaking, he is only a second-tier director. Emma Watson is also considering the practicalities. If Martin Scorsese joins the project, there are many commercial opportunities available.

With a project budget of $1.8 million, if it fails commercially, or even only makes a small profit, Nolan's future will be essentially over.

He had no choice but to return to the UK and start over with low-budget independent films.

Emma, ​​the producer, always takes care of all the miscellaneous matters outside of filming and production for her husband. She has her own judgment. As for Bale, apart from the Batman factor, his commercial appeal is not strong.

In contrast, Martin Scorsese has starred in four consecutive films that grossed over $100 million at the North American box office, with his most recent film, "Limitless," further proving his ability to carry the box office.

Emma said, "The production team will start casting next month, and the Joker is a key character. Wait for my invitation."

Martin nodded: "No problem."

This character has a unique characteristic that other well-known superheroes do not possess.

Martin can completely transform himself, never revealing his true face throughout the entire film, and even undergoing a radical change in his own demeanor and appearance.

Like Nicholson, he wasn't typecast as the Joker.

Such a madman role requires a lot of effort, but Martin has his own advantages.

When he talked about this with Leonardo and Nicholson, they both gave similar advice, telling him that he just needed to unleash the beast inside him.

Bruce was even more direct, saying, "Isn't this just you being yourself?"

Martin has recently been growing his hair long and increasing his exercise to make his body more toned and gradually lose some weight in a healthy way.

With clowns painted in oil and with exaggerated poses, it's easier to separate the character from the actor.

Martin wasn't worried about those things, but rather about the deaths.

It is well known that the death of a star actor or leading actor has an astonishingly powerful impact.

It's not easy for the living to defeat the dead.

Therefore, Martin has been planning since last year, and even asked Nicholson, the former Joker, for help.

Emma asked, "I heard your relationship with Bale isn't very harmonious? DC values ​​him highly; this is a sequel, and Bale already has an audience base and fan approval..."

Martin simply replied, "I'm an actor who gives my all to a role."

It's like a dream.

The two chatted for a while longer before Martin took his leave.

I hadn't gone far when someone greeted me from the side: "Hey, Martin!"

Martin turned his head, and Cody Horn, dressed in formal attire, came over from the side: "I saw you a while ago, but I didn't disturb you because you were chatting with someone."

"Emma Thomas, wife of British director Christopher Nolan," Martin explained. "We happened to run into each other and chatted about Nolan's new project."

Speaking of movies, Cody had something to say: "I went back to my parents' place the other day, and my dad was complaining that you turned down a role offer from him?"

Martin will definitely stick to the same story: "The scheduling was unfortunate; it conflicted with the schedule of 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,' for which I was scheduled to audition."

Cody said, "I was even planning to have a cameo in that movie and act opposite you."

"It's a real shame." Martin sounded quite helpless, trying to steer the conversation: "Actually, I really like the script and the character, but there are just too many things to consider when casting. Sigh, I wonder who will get the role of the savior."

Cody clearly knew something: "Paul Haggis has basically reached an agreement with Christian Bale's agent."

Martin couldn't help but feel envious: "Bell is such a lucky guy."

Cody laughed: "David Fincher's project is also good. I'll sign up for his production team to see if I can find a role to audition for."

Martin had done his homework: "You did a good job in 'The Rescue,' your acting was fine."

As a second-generation rich kid and a second-generation star, Cody may not have much else, but he has an abundance of confidence: "I think so too."

Not long after, Martin returned to the set of "The Departed".

Nicholson watched Cody Horn walk away and asked Martin, "I remember you being a very loyal person? Or is your appreciation of beauty declining?"

Martin simply stated, "Warner Bros. president Alan Horn's daughter asked her for some information."

Nicholson gave a thumbs up: "Dude, you're fucking amazing. Compared to you, Leo is just a pile of dog shit."

Martin said, "I just spoke with Emma Thomas, the producer of the Batman project."

Nicholson asked, "Is it confirmed that the Joker will be the villain in the second movie?"

"Not the villain, to be precise, the protagonist." Martin lowered his voice: "The production team will be organizing auditions next month, don't forget what we agreed on."

Nicholson, practically retired, spends his days either looking for fun or on his way to look for fun. He readily replied, "When have I ever held anyone back? The idea of ​​turning against someone and then making up is quite amusing."

Leonardo leaned closer: "Don't forget, I'm here too."

Martin emphasized, "Keep your mouth shut! If you use that three-pronged attack on a familiar reporter, everyone will know you're faking it."

Leonardo DiCaprio lamented, "I've been acting for over twenty years, and I've ended up being the worst actor among the three of us."

Nicholson patted him on the shoulder: "Acting is all about talent."

Martin said, "Yeah, Jack, we're both exceptionally talented, so we should avoid associating with average actors who aren't particularly talented."

Leonardo DiCaprio played his trump card: "Next time there's a wild party, I'm not taking you guys."

Martin and Nicholson's expressions changed simultaneously, and they put on ingratiating smiles: "Just kidding, don't take it seriously, Leo. With your 11 seconds, you'll definitely need your brothers' help."

"Stop slandering me!" Leonardo retorted, "The last time I was a patient, the longest I lasted was 50 seconds!"

Afterwards, all the main members of the production team gathered at the filming location in the banquet hall, where a reporter from Vanity Fair took promotional photos.

Winning an Oscar is an achievement, but the ultimate goal is still to promote the film.

It is precisely the profits that the Oscars bring that attract so many film companies to participate in this game of fame and fortune.

The day after the Oscars, fueled by the media frenzy and intense attention, the DVD of "The Departed," which had already been distributed, was released in multiple markets around the world.

In North America alone, DVD sales reached $1700 million that day.

With the combined influence of the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, the effect was quite remarkable in this era.

In just one day, the film recouped all the publicity and public relations funds it had invested in the Oscars, and even made a profit.

In just two days, the North American DVD sales of "The Departed" exceeded $3000 million.

Even Martin will receive a significant extra income at the end of the year.

Even his starring role in "Limitless" benefited from the Oscars, and its box office rebounded, accumulating $1.52 million in North America and over $3 million worldwide.

The film's huge success also proves Martin's ability to carry the box office.

(End of this chapter)