America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 79. Does he even understand directing?

Today's filming ended early; usually everyone clocks out at 8 PM.

However, due to road closures, MGM only managed to secure the time slot from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The municipal government must also consider residents' travel needs and avoid peak hours in the morning and evening to minimize inconvenience to residents.

So a day may seem like a long time, but after deducting preparation and rest time, the actual time available for filming is only about five hours.

Before the evening rush hour, the crew loaded the props onto trucks and moved them away. The wrecked cars were taken back to the factory for repairs, and a new batch of scrapped cars will be replaced tomorrow.

Anyway, it's all supported by General Motors; they have plenty of these.

At this moment, residents began to emerge from the surrounding shops and apartments, approaching the celebrities they were interested in to take photos with, even though there weren't many big names among them.

Because filming was taking place in Los Angeles, most people chose to go home after the shoot, while those without homes, such as the British trio, had to stay in hotels.

Not far away, Ryan Reynolds walked over with the three British brothers. After training in the army with Tom Hardy and Michael Fassbender for a month, the three quickly became brothers, having fought together and even visited prostitutes together.

Tom Hardy and Michael Fassbender have a good relationship with James McAvoy, so Ryan Reynolds and James McAvoy also became acquainted. With Chris Evans joining them, the five of them are now like a small gang.

"Eric, are you free tonight? Want to grab a drink?" Ryan Reynolds asked.

"Okay, where to?"

Thinking that he didn't have anything planned for the evening, Eric agreed.

"Let's find a quiet bar. We have filming tomorrow, and it would be terrible if we got drunk like last time."

"Then you decide on the location, call me and tell me the address, I'll be there later."

Seeing that Eric had agreed, Ryan Reynolds left happily.

Blues bar.

Unlike the wild nightclub vibe of Avalon, this is an artsy bar where a white guy in his early twenties is playing guitar and singing, while a black girl is playing the piano next to him.

Ryan Reynolds and his four friends sat in a corner booth, drinking and chatting. The topics they discussed were naturally quite vulgar, including how their last takeout meal was and who ordered the better quality food.

"Michael, why are you staring at the stage?" Chris Evans asked.

Ryan Reynolds had already noticed his strange gaze: "I know that singer sings well, but you don't need to keep staring at him like that. Are you a two-pronged person?"

As soon as Deadpool finished speaking, the group moved to the side at the same time, especially James McAvoy, who subconsciously scratched his butt.

He has a naturally beautiful appearance and lives in the UK, so he has often received advances from the same sex since high school. Even though he has a girlfriend, he still receives advances. He has always been very wary of such things.

Sensing that something was wrong with his friend, Fassbinder wore a speechless expression.

"Please, look at my face! Do I have some kind of weird fetish? I'm not looking at the singer, I'm looking at the girl playing the piano! Oh my god, she's so beautiful!"

"Who?"

"That black girl?"

At this moment, Eric was led to a booth by the waiter.

When the boss arrived, the group quickly stood up and led Eric to the center.

"Hmm? Why are there only five of you? Where's Ben Foster? Didn't he come?"

"Foster has found a girlfriend; he's a man who's settled down," Ryan Reynolds said.

"Kirsten Dunst? I remember his girlfriend was Dunst."

"No, we've already broken up. It happened during our military training. But he didn't seem too upset. There's a big gap between us, and Ben Foster has a strong sense of pride. It's probably better to break up sooner, since we often argue anyway."

Xiao Jianjian's words resonated with everyone. No matter what circle you're in, even the most ordinary working class, there's a saying that you should marry someone of equal social standing; otherwise, problems are bound to arise sooner or later.

Eric gulped down half a glass of beer: "The sooner we break up, the better. By the way, what were you guys talking about just now? It sounded quite lively."

Tom Hardy pointed to the stage: "Michael has his eye on that girl who plays the piano."

Eric looked up and saw that it was a black woman, and immediately lost interest.

According to his aesthetic standards, among the world's three major races, Black people are definitely the ugliest and the closest to apes and gorillas.

How could someone with such thick lips, a sunken nose, and a protruding forehead possibly feel any desire for intimacy?

Halle Berry is beautiful because she is of mixed race; the probability of finding handsome men and beautiful women among purebred Black people is absolutely the lowest.

But Fassbender clearly doesn't think so. Considering the news about him before he traveled through time, this guy really does have a soft spot for black women; his taste is just unique.

But in the end he still married a white woman, and the reasons are open to interpretation.

Eric patted him on the back: "Michael, go for it if you like her. Take advantage of the fact that you're not famous yet, because you won't be this free in the future. I didn't see the singer and that girl talking, so they're probably not a couple."

Fassbender quickly shook his head: "No, I just admire it, I didn't mean anything else."

"Haha. I don't believe in simple appreciation in this world, guys. Let's raise a glass and cheer for Michael!"

Yeah!

Ryan Reynolds, Chris Evans, and McAvoy raised their glasses, but Tom Hardy only raised a glass of juice.

"Wait, wait, what are you doing, Tom? There are so many drinks at the bar, don't you have anything you like?"

"No, I'm just quitting drinking recently. That month in the military helped me a lot, but the doctor told me to stay away from alcohol for at least three months," Tom Hardy quickly explained.

Eric then realized that the other party did indeed have problems with drug dependence and alcoholism at this stage.

He wasn't the kind of leader who liked to bully people or force them to drink, so he just let him be.

Encouraged by everyone, after the song ended, Michael Fassbender mustered up the courage to walk towards the black woman.

Meanwhile, the group continued chatting and joking, and the conversation eventually veered back to the movie.

Eric looked at McAvoy and asked, "James, after we finish filming 'Transformers,' would you be interested in collaborating again?"

The other three immediately looked on with envy, and James McAvoy was also surprised: "What movie? Can you tell us what role you're playing?"

"It's an art film, told from the female lead's perspective. I'd like you to play her lover. The role isn't large, but it will be a real test of your acting skills; a good performance could be outstanding. Would you like to take it?"

McAvoy nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice: "Of course, I have no objection, I like this kind of movie."

"It's settled then. We'll let you know before filming starts."

Having inexplicably landed the role, James McAvoy naturally bears the bill today.

When everyone had drunk enough, they all left. Fassbender had his arm around the black woman, Deadpool, young Captain America, and Tom Hardy each had one on their arm, and James McAvoy was being hugged by someone.

Eric opened the car door and climbed into the passenger seat of the Lamborghini.

"Where to?"

Colossevini's voice came from the driver's seat.

"Anywhere, let's find a secluded hotel."

bell.

Just then, the phone rang.

Eric glanced at the number and answered.

"Sorry Gadot, I have to work overtime tonight. Yes, I need to make a shooting plan and check the shots. Anyway, you should get some rest."

Cough

"What? Whose voice are you asking about? It's Patty, she choked on her coffee."

"Oh no, the coffee has spilled on the machine, I have to deal with it right away."

After hanging up the phone, Eric glared fiercely at Colosseigni: "Madam, you did this on purpose!"

"Hehe. I just have a slightly itchy throat."

"Really? Then get the ice packs ready."

"Why prepare ice packs? You can't chill your throat." The woman asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Although it can't be used to cool the throat, it can be used to reduce swelling."

Colosseum laughed heartily: "Was that really necessary?"

"There may not be anything ahead, but that's preparation for what's to come. You must pay the price, madam!"

On the first day of the new year, Eric had just arrived at the film set when Chris Evans ran over with several newspapers.

"Director, we're being filmed without our consent!"

"What! You were so careful and still got photographed? Wait, could it be those girls from last night who leaked it? I told you to keep it a secret, after all, you're almost famous celebrities."

"Uh, you've got the wrong director. It's not about going to the bar, it's about filming yesterday."

Eric then realized what was happening, picked up the newspaper and looked at it. The entertainment front page featured photos of several cars being blown into the air.

I flipped through them again, and they were all pretty much the same. Some focused on the filming set, some on the actors, and some on the director.

However, overall there were no negative reviews, and the content was fairly standard, neither overly praising nor criticizing.

At this moment, Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot also walked over. Seeing the two of them together, Eric couldn't help but notice their expressions. He glanced at them a few times, and they seemed quite normal.

"We've taken very good precautions, but what if the plot gets spoiled?" Gadot asked with some concern.

"It's alright, these things are unavoidable. You can protect yourself from paparazzi, but you can't protect yourself from those higher-ups." Eric pointed to the surrounding apartments.

"Yes, after they take the photos, they can easily sell them to reporters. I've heard that some people do this kind of business."

"Alright, let's not worry about the media. As long as there are no negative reports, it's fine. Consider it free publicity."

Soon, Colossevini arrived, but his gait was somewhat strange.

"Sevier, what's wrong?"

Colosseini gave an awkward laugh: "I twisted my ankle last night."

Patty Jenkins immediately tried to call the crew doctor, but the doctor quickly refused, saying, "I've already seen a doctor, it's nothing serious, I'll recover soon."

Are you sure?

"Of course, it won't affect filming, and I don't have any action scenes, cough cough."

As he spoke, Colossevini suddenly coughed a few times.

Beside her, Gadot frowned, instantly recognizing the voice, and glanced at Closévini.

The latter, however, remained completely unfazed: "There's a newspaper. Did something interesting happen?"

She reached for the newspaper, and using the newspaper as a cover, her fingers gently slid across Eric's palm.

Feeling the itching sensation, Eric composed himself, turned around, picked up a bottle of mineral water, and opened it: "Enough with the small talk, let's get to work!"

The director gave the order, and everyone dispersed.

Seeing that no one was around, Eric called Patty Jenkins to the monitor.

"Eric, what's wrong? Why are you being so mysterious?"

"You know what I want to ask."

The two women looked at each other, Patty Jenkins covered her mouth, squinted, and said in a strange, teasing tone, "Yes, you're very safe, Director. I'm not a woman who likes to talk nonsense."

"Gadot just asked me if I worked overtime with you last night, what could I say? But please don't use me as an excuse for this kind of thing in the future."

Upon hearing this, Eric gave her a thumbs-up: "You're a great person!"

"No, I don't want to be a great man. I'm just afraid that some trivial questions will delay the filming schedule."

"That's absolutely right, that's exactly what I was thinking. I'll add another million dollars to the investment for 'Monster'."

Patty Jenkins' eyes lit up: "Really? Then please be sure to use me as a shield more often in the future. I love covering for people."

"Well"

Just like Patty Jenkins said, Eric wasn't worried about Gadot getting angry. After all, they hadn't established a relationship yet, so why should she tell him what to do?

However, if I don't take it seriously, but if the other party's mood affects the filming, we can't afford to waste time.

In his experience, underage girls like this are most prone to acting on their emotions, while those who have been through thick and thin for many years, like the Olsen sisters and Sevigny, would just laugh it off if they knew.

As filming of "Transformers" continued, these secretly taken photos and videos circulated, sparking considerable discussion.

The discussion shifted from large-scale filming and the actors' looks to a single point: does Eric Cooper really understand directing?

Recalling the announcement of the director's name on MGM's official website a month ago, it instantly caused a huge uproar among movie fans, or to be more precise, widespread ridicule.

The release of the Transformers special effects video later brought fans' expectations back, and for a while, not many people paid attention to director Eric anymore.

The video showed him holding a megaphone and issuing commands, and the entire crew ran smoothly under his direction.

Strange, magical, it's simply baffling.

The online discussion was divided, with some believing it was a publicity stunt and others thinking Eric was a genius. A war of words ensued.

The media naturally wouldn't miss such a good opportunity, and if you're asking who can judge this issue, it's of course the big directors in Hollywood.

As a result, paparazzi from all walks of life sprang into action, following and surrounding these big-name directors.

First and foremost is Steven Spielberg, who is currently ranked number one on the world's highest-grossing director list. Judging from the speed at which he makes films, it is foreseeable that he will hold this position for a long time.

Spielberg pushed up his glasses. He and Eric had become much more familiar with each other since their last exchange on "Catch Me If You Can."

We are currently discussing the proposal for cooperation with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen.

If DreamWorks can truly secure a partnership with MGM, especially in securing greater profits from overseas distribution rights—a crucial area where DreamWorks is most lacking—it might have a chance to escape its current predicament.

Therefore, upon seeing that the question concerned Eric, the renowned director naturally understood what to say.

"That's right, I've seen the news, and it's clear from it that Eric Cooper has a certain level of directing ability."

"From my personal perspective, directing requires a long period of learning, but geniuses do exist in this world, and no one can deny that!"

The Wachowski brothers, who were working on "The Matrix," were also spotted by reporters.

Since the release dates didn't conflict, the Wachowski brothers understood that MGM was deliberately avoiding scheduling their films, so their attitude wasn't bad.

Larry Wachowski, the older brother, said, "I haven't had any contact with Eric Cooper, but I know his father, Charlie Cooper, who is a very capable man."

Andy Wachowski, the younger brother, added: "Yes, what we mean is, the Cooper family is very talented. This young man is from an Ivy League school, which is full of gifted and creative people."

Then the Coen brothers, both renowned directors, gave a brief interview. They are masters of suspense and have unique perspectives.

"I think the public was probably being joked about. Maybe Eric Cooper was self-taught in directing, but nobody paid attention to him at the time."

"So these videos just prove his abilities. If you want to know the truth, you should dig deeper into his past."

"Go find his friends and classmates; the answer is there."

Thank you, Lao Ma, for the 500 coins!

(End of this chapter)