Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Action Movie Star
"Turn left, the villa ahead."
Under Shania's direction from the passenger seat, Duke turned the steering wheel, guiding the car down a quiet tree-lined path, coming to a gentle stop in front of a teal villa.
"Is this the place?" Duke asked, glancing at Shania.
"This is the house my agent rented for me," Shania replied, unbuckling her seatbelt. "He thinks I should have a place that matches my future status. The rent is quite shocking. If my album doesn't sell well next year, I'll definitely be in debt to the bank."
"This location isn't bad, and the safety here is great," Duke remarked casually. "It's far from the slums and minority neighborhoods; living here will be beneficial for your future."
The villa was located on the outskirts of Beverly Hills. Shania's agent had clearly put some thought into this rental. While the upscale neighborhoods of Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and North Hollywood were bustling with activity, one only needed to take a few turns through the slums and minority communities to realize that this country was far from a paradise.
"Goodbye, Duke." Shania opened the car door and waved at him. "Thanks for the ride home."
Duke turned his head, watching the stunning woman as she prepared to exit. After a brief moment of hesitation, he tentatively asked, "Shania, how about inviting me in for a cup of coffee?"
"Sorry, Duke." She got out of the car, leaning against the door with a smile. "It's too late today; let's save it for another time."
Duke shrugged, unfazed, and was about to start the engine when Shania suddenly stopped, opened her handbag, pulled out a card, leaned back into the car, and placed it in Duke's hand.
"This is my number," she winked at him. "Keep in touch."
"Sure, I will."
Duke glanced at the number on the card, tucked it into his pocket, and waved goodbye to the sexy woman standing by the roadside.
Though rejected, Duke felt no disappointment as he drove back to his apartment in North Hollywood. After taking a quick cold shower, he lay down on his firm mattress, trying to accumulate sleepiness.
Whenever he got into work mode, deep sleep felt like a luxury he could only occasionally afford, with invisible yet omnipresent pressure always surrounding him.
Finally, around midnight, Duke dozed off. In his dreams, he once again saw himself holding the Steadicam amidst the orange-red flames and the noise of crashing cars, shouting something at the top of his lungs, seemingly desperate to capture the image of the world exploding and collapsing through the camera lens.
Despite the poor quality of sleep, the sun peeked over the horizon, and his biological clock promptly woke him. After a quick wash, he bought a casual breakfast from the downstairs restaurant and headed off to the film set, energized.
"John, your camera needs to follow the bomb."
In the studio, Duke stood on a high platform, pointing at the devil island set below while instructing John Schwartzman, "I want the footage to closely follow the bomb's descent. The bomb is your first-person perspective."
They were about to shoot the scene where the F-18 mistakenly bombed Devil Island at the end of the film. Duke planned to use a 'bomb perspective' to depict the fall and explosion from the bomb's point of view.
Having navigated through a difficult period after the halt, the overall state of the crew was slowly improving, gradually finding their rhythm from before the interruption. The most explosive scenes were being shot one after another, with everyone spending every moment amid the cacophony of the set, their weary faces illuminated by the rising flames of explosions.
The two production managers delivered both good and bad news simultaneously: Charles Rowen brought news that the crew of "Interview with the Vampire" was restarting, while Robin Grand had obtained filming approval for San Francisco City Hall.
The former was no surprise to Duke, while the latter meant the crew could create havoc on the streets of San Francisco.
"Duke, about the recent halt…"
During a break in filming, Nicolas Cage approached him deliberately. "As actors, there are some industry rules we must adhere to."
"It's fine," Duke replied, knowing he was referring to the investigation by the actors' guild. He waved his hand, inviting Cage to sit. "If the Writers Guild calls for a strike, I'll support it too."
Both laughed as the conversation gradually shifted to Cage's role.
"To be honest, I'm not a big fan of action films."
Cage thanked Sophia as she brought him a coffee and continued, "I believe art films and independent productions better showcase acting skills."
"Nicolas, have you noticed the changes happening in Hollywood?"
This kind of casual conversation helped ease the tension brought on by work, so Duke set aside his current tasks. "Art films can indeed bring artistic accomplishments, but Hollywood is becoming increasingly commercialized. To become a top star, commercial box office is an unavoidable topic. Without commercial success, you'll never break into the top tier."
"Unless you only want to be an actor," Duke added.
While there may indeed be a few people in Hollywood who just want to be actors, they are incredibly rare. Nicolas Cage was definitely not someone who only wanted to act.
"Exactly," Cage nodded. After a moment of thought, he said, "That's why I chose you and 'The Rock.'"
"Trust me, it will be a wise choice." Duke shot a glance at Sophia, who was stifling a laugh beside him, and pointed at Cage's muscular build. "You look strong and full of power, which is perfect for action films. You have a very unique vibe that combines a casual, crazy, and rugged demeanor, making your performance more relaxed and interesting compared to pure action stars."
"If you can focus on both action films and art films at the same time…" Duke raised his index finger, teasingly saying, "Twenty years from now, when you look back, you might become a representative figure of 90s action films in Hollywood."
"Is that how you convinced Lee and Harris?" Cage clearly took this as a joke.
"Lee and Harris just thought their roles were interesting," Duke shrugged.
Of course, there was also the fact that the crew had offered them a salary of $2 million, which they currently could not possibly obtain.
Glancing at the time, Duke stood up and headed towards the set; the break was over, and filming was about to resume.
The southeast corner of the studio was set up as the morgue of Devil Island Prison, cluttered with trash and debris. Underneath a prop next to a table lay a dummy; Duke and Cage passed by while the prop team was seemingly checking the dummy's performance, which was still twitching when they walked past.
Standing next to a standing gas missile, Duke carefully surveyed the surroundings, inspecting the props, set, and camera positions before addressing Christopher Lee, who had walked over. "Lee, this scene revolves around Gus."
Turning to Nicolas Cage, Duke made the final instructions. "Next, you'll be disarming the deadly gas."
"I'll be extremely nervous," Cage nodded.
"But you need to maintain a sense of humor while being nervous." Duke patted Cage's arm and walked towards the monitors. "Nicolas, it's time to show your dark humor."
After consulting various departments, Duke gestured to another assistant to prepare.
"Scene 85, take 11, now starting!"
"Listen, I'm just a chemist, locked away in the lab all day, living a mundane life…"
Cage's face looked exceptionally serious on the monitor, yet his tone, combined with the current environment, made it oddly humorous. "Now I'm handling the deadliest substance in the world, so please don't mess with me."
He focused his mind and opened the missile in front of him, pulling out a gas component filled with green balls…
"What can this thing do?" Mason asked.
"If the missile vaporizes it, it can kill an entire city's population."
Mason looked surprised at Gus's words and asked, "Really? What if you drop one?"
"Lucky for us, it would only kill the two of us…"
As Christmas approached, the crew had completely regained their best rhythm. Having been through the filming of "Speed" and "The Rock," Duke's experience had grown richer, and his adjustment abilities had noticeably improved. Whether it was integrating various departments of the crew, directing the actors, or eliciting their emotions, he had made significant progress.
Christmas is one of the most important holidays in the country, so the crew definitely had time off. Before the Christmas holiday began, Duke successfully wrapped up filming at Warner Studios, and after the holiday, the crew could head straight to San Francisco.
During the three-day holiday, Duke enjoyed a rare moment of relaxation. He temporarily set aside work, returned to his home in Santa Monica, and spent Christmas with his mother.
"I heard you're dating someone again."
Sitting at the long dining table, just the two of them, Lady Leah put down her knife and fork. "Why didn't you bring her along?"
"Mom…" Duke said, feeling somewhat helpless. "If I find a girl I truly like, I will definitely bring her over."
"Duke," Lady Leah fixed her gaze on him, saying seriously, "No feelings given without return."
"There will always be the right one," Duke replied casually.
"Next week, Santa Fia will be hosting a New Year's reception." Lady Leah stood up and walked toward the restaurant exit. Duke wiped his mouth with a napkin and followed her. "Sorry, Mom, after Christmas, I'm heading to San Francisco, and I might not have time."
Waving her hand, Leah said no more.
Just as Duke said, after Christmas, the crew moved to San Francisco and began busy location shooting. Because the streets had to be closed for filming, time was particularly tight. There was also the Alcatraz scene, but due to a sudden financial crisis at San Francisco City Hall, Alcatraz had to be temporarily closed to tourists.
Fortunately, the crew was able to shoot normally, and without onlookers, the shooting went more smoothly.
Amidst the busyness, Duke welcomed the year 1993.
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