America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 751 I object to Martin playing the male lead

In the afternoon, Denis Villeneuve came to Davis's studio.

The Canadian director has been working with Graham King to prepare for filming since he signed on to "Prince of Thieves" two months ago.

"Preparations are progressing smoothly. Graham has already led a group to Boston." Villeneuve came to see Martin today, not primarily to report on the crew's progress: "Have you coordinated your schedule, Martin? I need a clear timetable so I can develop a shooting plan based on your availability."

Martin asked directly, "Based on the preparations, when will filming begin?"

Villeneuve replied, "Normally, filming will begin in June and may last 45 to 60 days, as there is some uncertainty due to the large number of street scenes to be filmed."

Martin had originally planned to reserve the three months of his schedule, June, July, and August, for Nolan.

However, progress on Interstellar was very slow. The joint investment and production by multiple large companies did not bring any convenience, but instead caused frequent disputes and slowed down the preparation process.

Warner Bros., in particular, was furious because Nolan sued them.

This president, who is considered a genius most of the time, may well want to teach Nolan a lesson.

Martin thought for a moment and said, "My schedule is fine. You can make the shooting schedule according to this time. It would be best to arrange my scenes at the beginning."

Villeneuve confirmed: "I will finalize the shooting schedule as soon as possible and move it to the studio."

As he prepared to leave, he specifically reminded Martin before departing, "Martin, regarding firearms, especially AK series firearms..."

Martin reassured him: "I practice at a fixed time every week."

Villeneuve found that working with actors like Martin was really easy.

After agreeing on the schedule with Martin, Villeneuve took his leave, as he had to attend actor auditions in the next few days.

The female lead has been basically confirmed; Martin directly recommended someone for the role. Alexandra Daddario, an actress from New York, will play the lead, and even the supporting actress has been chosen.

This project was originally produced by Davis Studios, so Martin had the most say in the casting.

Villeneuve mainly auditioned for supporting roles and other types of actors.

In his office, Martin called Nolan to inquire about the progress of "The Rescue".

"I'm fed up with these projects where copyrights are fragmented and multiple major studios are involved in the investment," Nolan complained on the phone. "All sorts of problems keep popping up, and every time one of them happens, the project has to be put on hold."

Martin asked, "Is the problem still with Warner Bros.?"

Nolan said, "I've had enough of Jon Berg and his idiot team at Warner Bros. They always have so many creative ideas, especially Jon Berg, who wanted to bring his successful experience from 'Jack the Giant Slayer' to my production team."

The news was so shocking that even Martin was stunned.

Warner Bros.' dream team isn't even sparing Nolan?

At this point, Nolan lost control and swore: "I curse his whole family! If he dares to do that, I'll fire him and quit directing!"

Martin asked, "Jack the Giant Slayer isn't due for a while yet, and Jon Berg is already eager to promote his success?"

Nolan composed himself: "He believes the film will be a success."

Martin understood. The president of Warner Bros. had combined the best parts of multiple edited versions to create a miracle.

Nolan said, "Spikes is leading a coordination meeting with the production team soon, and we expect to have results soon."

"Chris, you go ahead and do your thing." Martin hung up the phone.

…………

Warner Bros. Studios established the Interstellar Studio earlier this year.

However, the project preparation is progressing slowly.

Initially, director Nolan was busy with the final production of "The Dark Knight Rises" and had no time for anything else.

Later, the Nolans joined the crew, and Warner Bros. came up with one brilliant idea after another, leaving everyone overwhelmed.

Warner Bros. president Jon Berger clearly wants to take control of the project.

This genius had an excellent self-esteem, but in the eyes of onlookers, almost all of the medium-to-large-scale investment projects that Jon Berg personally oversaw after taking office, such as "Owls and Gods" and "Darklands," failed.

They made some profit from just a few small-investment projects.

Spielberg, one of the producers and investors and the project initiator, convened this coordination meeting.

The project involved a huge investment and the production company had high hopes for it. Representatives from Paramount, DreamWorks, and Warner Bros. were all present, which shows how much influence Spielberg had.

In addition, the Nolans also participated in the meeting.

"We must have final cut rights, that was agreed upon when the director's agreement was signed," Emma Thomas said firmly, because Nolan had enough confidence.

She placed her arms crossed on the conference table and looked at Jon Berger across from her: "This is a mega-production with a budget of $1.8 million, not an experimental film!"

Jon Berger could tell that the words were directed at him, and he instinctively wanted to speak up.

Nolan preemptively stated, "If you all don't trust me, I can resign from this directing position."

Bob from Paramount Pictures quickly added, "I've always believed you're the perfect director."

Spielberg, who seemed like a nice guy, then spoke up: "It's best to leave the filming and production of the project to professionals."

"Okay, the final cut can go to Chris." Jon Berg conceded a step, but became even more assertive: "But as for the male lead, I don't agree with Martin Davis being the choice."

Nolan argued forcefully: "Martin's acting skills, image, and market appeal are all top-notch in Hollywood; he is the most suitable leading man."

Jon Berg cautioned, "Don't forget, his salary is also among the highest in the industry! The 20+20 model will drain our profits, and does the identity of the male lead even matter in this film?"

Bob chose to remain neutral on this issue, saying that Martin Davis was a suitable option, but not a necessary one.

Paramount Pictures has created classic and commercially successful franchises by collaborating with superstars, but it has also experienced the frustrating experience of superstars taking half of the profits from a single film.

That's right, he was thinking of Tom Cruise and the Mission: Impossible series.

Paramount Pictures once became a company that produced superstars.

Spielberg has always preferred to work with big-name stars in big-budget commercials, saying, "Superstars can generate huge buzz, GG effect, and publicity, especially superstars like Martin Scorsese, whose market appeal is extremely strong."

Jon Berger, though opposing for the sake of opposing, had prepared ample reasons and excuses: "Have you forgotten which film Martin Davis won the Oscar for Best Actor for? It was also a space movie, and he played an astronaut! Playing similar roles in two consecutive films..."

"First of all, the male lead is not an astronaut, but a father!" Nolan interrupted Jon Berg directly. "Secondly, the earliest this film will be released is 2014, and Martin will have several films released in the meantime, so the so-called overlap of roles is not a problem at all."

Jon Berg, interrupted and looking somewhat displeased, said, "But there are still huge risks. The project has a production budget of $1.8 million. Why are we still discussing pre-production issues today? Because we must eliminate as many risks as possible!"

He was certainly prepared: "If you insist on casting a superstar for the male lead, I think Tom Cruise is more suitable. At least he has a daughter, has a family, and knows how to be a father and how to take responsibility for a family!"

Even Spielberg found these later points to be reasonable, because the film's theme wasn't actually about space.

It's not about exploring black holes, or delving into the mysteries of time and space.

These are all just the outer shell; the core is the same formula that mainstream Hollywood movies have remained unchanged for over twenty years.

Spielberg stated directly: "Tommy would be a good fit too."

Upon hearing Tom Cruise's name, Bob couldn't sit still. Although Paramount Pictures had just collaborated with Tom Cruise on "Mission: Impossible 4," they defied public opinion and added the character of Brant to the film, intending to replace Tom Cruise with the less prominent and more obedient Jeremy Renner.

However, the results were indeed poor; audiences still only recognized Tom Cruise and Ethan Hunt, and Paramount Pictures had no choice but to continue working with Tom Cruise despite the disappointment.

This does not mean that Paramount Pictures wants to work with Tom Cruise on any more big-budget films.

Sumner Redstone, the real boss of Paramount, personally stepped in to humiliate Tom Cruise a few years ago. If Cruise hadn't been so resilient, he would have been crushed.

Bob immediately spoke up: "I don't think Tommy is suitable. His understanding of family and father-daughter relationships is distorted because of Scientology. This will not only fail to help him portray the character, but will also become a hindrance."

Spielberg, being older, had a better temper and acted as a mediator: "How about this, we invite Martin and Tommy to audition for the role."

"I disagree." Nolan objected directly. He had never worked with Tom Cruise, but he knew that Tom Cruise was very difficult to deal with on set.

Martin collaborated with him twice, and the two worked together seamlessly. Often, a single glance was enough for them to know how to act and how to film.

Nolan looked at Spielberg: "Steven, when I signed the director's contract, I said that Martin playing the male lead was one of the conditions for me to direct this project, and you agreed to that back then!"

Jon Berger stated, "I am against using Martin Davis, and Warner Bros. is withdrawing from the project if he plays the lead role."

Warner Bros. is one of the copyright owners, and Warner Bros.' withdrawal means the project will come to a standstill.

Spielberg, who chaired the meeting, was in a real bind. During the meeting, he even suggested that DreamWorks acquire the portion of the copyright held by Warner, but this was rejected by Jon Berg.

The meeting went on until the very end, but no agreement could be reached.

(End of this chapter)