Capítulo 320: Chapter 320: The First Thirty Minutes (4)
Roman Siennis's unexpected powerful strike killed Saul Maroni. In the abandoned warehouse, a brief silence followed. Maroni's men drew their guns, but Roman Siennis was quicker, pulling out two black silencers and firing rapidly.
Not a single shot missed.
After the unique whizzing sound of the silenced pistols, the goons who hadn't had a chance to react were mostly down, with the rest not daring to make any further moves.
Two figures in the dark remained unresponsive throughout.
After a final sweep with his guns, Roman Siennis nodded in satisfaction and declared, "From now on, I am your boss."
He kicked Saul Maroni's corpse aside, sat down on a chair, and began to look through the documents on the table.
Seeing Roman Siennis's back to them, one of the goons exchanged glances with a companion, and both drew their guns to sneak attack. But as soon as they moved, Roman Siennis grabbed the silenced pistol by his side and fired two shots behind him. As the bodies hit the floor, Siennis continued to peruse the documents as if nothing had happened, remarking, "Deadshot, Killer Croc, not bad, not bad at all."
Then, he finally looked up at the two calm figures: "So, would you like to work for me?"
The camera finally focused on these two figures, slowly zooming in.
The audience could see clearly now: one of them had a red-glowing prosthetic eye, and the other, initially hunched in a hoodie, straightened up, revealing a towering figure over two meters tall with a crocodile-like ferocious face and sharp teeth.
Though they did not speak, Roman Siennis got the answer he wanted and nodded again, "Good."
Turning the page, the camera panned to the word 'Batman' on the document. Siennis said, "Then, let's start with this bat."
At this point, in front of the big screen, Sherry Lansing checked her watch again.
7:30 PM.
As expected.
Simon Westeros used these thirty minutes perfectly to lay out the film's plot.
Usually, a movie with one or two classic scenes, like Sally's diner scene in "When Harry Met Sally," Jones killing the swordsman in "Raiders of the Lost Ark," or the iconic dance in "Pulp Fiction," is enough to be memorable and significantly boost box office success.
In these first thirty minutes of "Batman," the astonishing opening, Catwoman's impactful kick, Black Mask's terrifying pencil, all left a deep impression on the audience. Given Simon Westeros's recent filmmaking prowess, Sherry Lansing doubted the following plot would be any less captivating than the first thirty minutes.
Rumors about Simon Westeros's unusual new film had been circulating in the industry for a while, and Lansing had been skeptical, but now, she had no doubts left.
Although Simon Westeros had facilitated her becoming the CEO of MGM-UA, Lansing didn't want to rely entirely on Daenerys Entertainment. No one wants to be a vassal. Now, she thought, clinging to Simon Westeros might be the wisest move for Hollywood's future.
Thinking this, Lansing glanced toward the front row, quickly locating Westeros. He seemed to say something to his girlfriend, then stood up and quietly left the hall for the backstage.
It seemed like a good opportunity to talk.
However, after hesitating for a moment, Lansing did not stand up but refocused on the movie.
The first thirty minutes of the movie had already inspired her greatly, and she was sure there would be more surprises to come.
Lansing's decision not to act did not mean others wouldn't.
With over 1200 people in the theater, many were there for Simon Westeros, a Hollywood mogul and billionaire.
In the Sacred Citizen Hall's backstage, after using the restroom, Westeros returned to the lounge area and saw a tall woman walking nonchalantly from the hall entrance.
"Hi, Nicole, heading that way?"
Nicole Kidman, greeted by Westeros, pointed towards the restroom behind her and nodded, "Yes."
After a moment of hesitation, seeing that the man didn't immediately return to the hall but walked to a corner sofa, she didn't rush to approach him.
Pretending to touch up her makeup in the restroom, she came back to find another woman by Westeros's side, a Latin lady with a much more voluptuous figure than hers. Despite the available sofas, the woman sat close to Westeros on the armrest of his single sofa, draping an arm over his shoulder.
Unsure whether to interrupt, Nicole eventually approached.
Westeros introduced them, "Nicole, this is Sabrina, she's from Italy; Sabrina, this is Nicole."
Sabrina Freely stood up, offered her hand to Nicole, and said with a noticeable Italian accent, "Hello, Miss Kidman, I really enjoyed your performance in 'Pulp Fiction.'"
"Thank you."
Nicole shook her hand but couldn't recall who she was. She thought about complimenting Sabrina's English but didn't find it appropriate.
Sabrina didn't let the conversation stall, greeting Nicole and then turning back to whisper something in Italian to Westeros, "I've been staying at Valeri's apartment these days, Simon, you can call me anytime."
Sabrina Freely and Valeri Golino were both Italians who had become good friends after meeting at a Gucci show during Milan Fashion Week. Sabrina explained she came specifically to support Valeri and had signed with WMA, hoping to try her luck in Hollywood.
Westeros looked at Sabrina leaning towards him, revealing a generous view from her dress, and said, "Unfortunately, Lena, I'm off to Australia tomorrow."
Disappointed but not lingering, Sabrina said goodbye and nodded to Nicole, still standing nearby, before heading towards the hall.
With many others backstage, Nicole, not as bold as Sabrina, sat down next to Westeros after she left.
Westeros ordered two bottles of water for them and asked Nicole, "What do you think of the movie?"
Nicole replied, "That pencil scene was terrifying. I'll never be able to look at pencils the same way again."
Westeros laughed, "The original scene was even more frightening, with blood, but we removed it to avoid rating issues."
The film was rated PG-13.
Despite removing the blood, some reviewers still found the scene too violent, potentially leaving a psychological impact on viewers. However, with the influence of Daenerys Entertainment and Warner Bros, the PG-13 rating was secured without changes.
Westeros never considered a PG rating.
Nicole seemed interested in these behind-the-scenes details, nodding and asking, "Why aren't you back in the hall? Worried about the box office?"
Westeros gestured towards the hall, "I can recite the entire movie by now. Watching it doesn't matter. As for the box office, I'm quite confident."
After half a year of hard work and even longer in preparation, every scene was etched in Westeros's mind.
Regarding box office success, as the first major live-action Batman movie in half a century, Westeros wasn't worried about its commercial performance. As a childhood memory for many Americans, as long as the film wasn't poorly made, the only concern would be the margin of profit.
However, if the film didn't satisfy audiences, creating a series would end like Tim Burton's Batman: diminishing returns and eventual discontinuation. Thus, Westeros wasn't concerned about the first Batman movie's commercial performance but how to continue leveraging the DC superhero IP into a cohesive and enduring DC Cinematic Universe.
Terry Semel had committed to fully funding the sequel after the first screening, and Warner Bros had been inquiring if Westeros would direct the sequel.
Westeros hadn't given a final answer but didn't plan to continue directing. He preferred a role similar to Kevin Feige's in Marvel, overseeing the big picture without direct involvement. Plus, managing the entire DC Universe would leave no time for hands-on directing.
As the staff brought the water, Nicole handed a bottle to Westeros and took a sip from hers, then, looking somewhat resentfully, said, "I, you know, I could have tried for the role of Catwoman."
But after seeing Valeri Golino's captivating performance as Catwoman on screen, Nicole knew the character would be unforgettable. If she had landed the role, it would have been her second iconic screen presence after Mia.
Westeros assessed Nicole and shook his head, "You're not right for the role."
In fact, Westeros had considered Nicole for casting.
However, Nicole had never performed in action roles and even turned down the lead in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith."
Westeros wanted Catwoman to play a role similar to Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, leading to comparisons with Scarlett Johansson during casting.
In this aspect, Valeri Golino shared several similarities with Johansson, including acting skills. As an Italian, Golino had a comparable appearance and figure to Johansson.
Compared to the 1.8-meter-tall Nicole, Golino's height matched Johansson's, making it easier to find suitable stunt doubles for action scenes.
Moreover, without any Hollywood background, Golino was cooperative, hardworking, and capable of enduring the rigorous training and filming of action scenes. In contrast, Nicole, as a pampered Kidman family member, was less likely to handle action movie demands.
As for appearance, Nicole indeed had an edge.
But at Westeros's position, choosing Batman characters wasn't about looks but suitability.
This approach differed from Marvel, where the female leads' appearance has been criticized, especially compared to DC's glamorous stars. Yet, Marvel's commercial success without focusing on beauty shows the importance of character fit over appearance.
Westeros wouldn't completely follow Marvel's casting strategy, especially not making choices like casting a mismatched actress for Valkyrie in "Thor: Ragnarok" for political correctness. But he also wouldn't allow his cinematic universe to be filled with inappropriate beauties for the sake of appearance.
Nicole felt a fleeting resentment, misunderstanding the detailed reasoning behind Westeros's decision as personal displeasure from her past actions.
After some thought, Nicole said, "Simon, Daenerys is planning to shoot 'Wonder Woman,' right? Maybe I could try for that."
Westeros looked at Nicole again and smiled, "You do know the role of Wonder Woman has already been cast, right?"
"Somewhat, that, Famke Janssen," Nicole nodded, not fully satisfied, "She's not as famous as me."
Westeros gestured towards the hall, "Adam and Valeri aren't as famous as you either, but after 'Batman' releases, that might change."
Recalling their performance, Nicole had no doubt about this. Thinking of Famke Janssen, she felt a strong sense of threat.
Janssen, like Nicole, was tall and beautiful. If she became more popular, she would likely take roles meant for Nicole. Hollywood has limited opportunities for tall actresses, and with Westeros's support, Janssen could become a formidable competitor.
Feeling this, Nicole's expression turned wistful, almost begging, "Simon, let me try for Wonder Woman, please. I promise I'll be very cooperative in the future."
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