Chapitre 2: CHAPTER 2: The First Meeting With Gwen
Hollywood, Wilshire Avenue.
Rufus Harding casually put on a shirt and jeans and rode a bicycle for a full 10 kilometers before arriving at the Sony Pictures headquarters.
As soon as he walked in, he almost bumped into a middle-aged white man with an unshaven beard.
"Hello, Marc."
"Hey, Rufus! You're here, and I was just about to call your agent."
This man was Marc Webb, the director of "The Amazing Spider-Man" and the romantic film "500 Days of Summer."
During the previous audition, Marc Webb initially hesitated when he saw that Rufus was a relatively unknown actor and almost made excuses to dismiss him.
Fortunately, he was patient and willing to give Rufus a chance.
The results of the audition were unexpected, completely subverting Marc Webb's expectations.
So much so that he chose to defy public opinion and insisted on casting Rufus Harding, a British actor, as the iconic superhero Spider-Man!
Fortunately, Rufus had the right look—handsome, with strong, defined features.
At the same time, he had a boy-next-door appeal.
He was very similar to Peter Parker in the comics.
Marc Webb believed that comic book fans would definitely be satisfied with this casting!
"Let's go, I'll take you to meet the crew. Everyone's here today. We'll start with a script read-through, which might be a bit tiring."
"No problem."
Rufus wasn't afraid of hard work. This was a film he had chosen himself. No matter how challenging or exhausting, he was always going to be happy.
"Hey, Emma, let me introduce you. This handsome young man is your co-star, Rufus Harding! And this lovely lady is..."
Under the guidance of the director, Rufus met a fair-skinned, blonde girl.
The most striking feature about her was her large eyes, making her look almost like a character out of a fantasy novel.
Emma Stone, who played Gwen Stacy in "The Amazing Spider-Man" and would later star in "La La Land," was standing in front of him.
Rufus was already familiar with her work.
At this time, Emma was only 18 years old, and her youthful complexion was radiant.
"No introduction needed...Hello, Miss Stone, I'm a fan."
Rufus smiled warmly and shook her hand confidently.
It was clear that Emma Stone was both surprised and a little flustered.
The young man in front of her had made a strong impression.
But he had only appeared in a couple of American TV shows so far, and in minor roles with little screen time.
Yet, he actually knew who she was?
"Hello, Mr. Harding..."
"Rufus."
"Rufus... nice to meet you."
"Well, you speak English very well."
Rufus decided to let the minor awkwardness slide, thinking he could help her with any cultural nuances later.
As the two newcomers interacted, director Marc Webb stood by with his arms crossed, a satisfied smile on his face.
An assistant director passing by noticed the scene and was a bit surprised.
"Hey, Marc, what's going on?"
"Do you feel that this scene is very sweet and feels great?"
As a former romance film director, Marc Webb was very sensitive to the interaction between male and female protagonists.
There was a natural chemistry from the first contact, and he felt that the casting had been spot-on!
In the original idea, he had planned to use Mary Jane, Peter Parker's first love, as the heroine.
Later, after discussing the story with Rufus, they discovered that Gwen Stacy, Spider-Man's first love, was even more interesting!
With the approval of Stan Lee,
Producer Avi Arad called the screenwriters to revise the script overnight.
They decided to make Gwen Stacy the heroine this time!
The 2002 version of "Spider-Man" was iconic, yes.
But the romantic subplot had its critics, and Mary Jane's character came across as problematic.
After changing the heroine to Gwen, the emotional arc became much smoother.
This was one of the reasons Marc Webb insisted on casting Rufus.
Rufus's understanding of the story was deeper than many screenwriters!
"Okay, everyone is almost here, let's get ready to start the script reading."
…
"The first script reading of 'Spider-Man' starts now!"
In the Sony Pictures conference room, director Marc Webb and a group of actors sat together.
Everyone held the script in their hands, their expressions quite serious.
Before the official start of shooting, the cast would read through the script together, helping to deepen their understanding of the characters and prepare for filming.
It was also an opportunity to test the actors' performances.
Actors could leave a better impression on the director, perhaps gaining more favor.
"...On a rainy night, Aunt May held baby Parker and looked out the window, reflecting Parker's immature and uneasy face..."
"The scene transitioned, and Peter Parker had grown up to be a high school student... He was looking at the photo in a trance, but his head was hit by a basketball flying from off-screen..."
After director Marc Webb finished reading the voice-over, it was Rufus's turn to read his lines.
Rufus had been preparing for this moment, and as he was about to speak, it was as if his mind was struck by a bolt of inspiration!
A surge of energy coursed through his entire body!
Previous iterations of "Spider-Man," "The Amazing Spider-Man," "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," "Marvel's Spider-Man"...
Peter Parker from all these works seemed to merge into Rufus's soul in an instant!
Rufus closed his eyes and could almost see Peter Parker's own memories!
At that moment, he felt completely in sync with the character. He was Spider-Man!
Emma Stone, who was sitting next to Rufus, looked a little surprised.
Why wasn't this handsome guy reading his lines? Was he too nervous?
She was about to discreetly nudge him with her leg to remind him,
When Rufus finally spoke:
"Hey, good morning, Fletcher..."
In just a few words, Rufus perfectly captured the essence of a bullied high school student, someone who was quietly enduring his circumstances.
Rufus, who was tall and bright just a moment ago, suddenly seemed to embody a shy, insecure teenager.
In the following dialogues, Rufus's tone and expressions were flawless!
Director Marc Webb's eyes lit up.
He hadn't expected Rufus to get into the role so quickly!
He thought Rufus, being relatively inexperienced, would need some time to adapt!
The script reading continued smoothly.
"...I think you were very brave just now."
"What?"
Emma glanced at Rufus next to her and quickly returned to the script.
"A bit silly, but brave. You'd better go to the infirmary and get checked for a concussion."
"Forehead…"
"May I have your name?"
"Peter...your name is Gwen, right?"
"Gwen Stacy...remember to go to the infirmary."
Although it was just a script reading, Rufus and Emma Stone had already begun making strong eye contact, conveying the depth of their characters' budding relationship.
Director Marc Webb watched this and nodded silently.
It seemed that the casting was indeed right this time, and he felt a sense of relief.
The emotional scenes were already 80% there, and now it was just a matter of nailing the action scenes during filming.
It was said that Rufus had studied stage combat in the UK, so he should be up to the task, right?
…
"Hey, Peter!"
"Gwen."
"Hahaha, I'm sorry. I just got used to it from reading the script. I should have called you by your real name."
The two had only just met, but their collaboration was already going smoothly.
After several scenes together, Emma Stone and Rufus Harding were quickly becoming comfortable with each other.
"Rufus, are you free later? Why don't we go grab a drink?"
"Sure, I'd be delighted."
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