Bab 347: Chapter 347: Activation of the Studio
A black Chrysler sedan turned off California's scenic Highway 1 into the widened four-lane entrance of the Malibu Daenerys Studio, proceeding along the U-shaped tar road to the studio's gate halfway up the hill, where the guard checked and then waved the car through.
Upon entering the park, the main road first revealed a vast parking lot, stretching all the way to the cliff on the south side.
Less than a week after its official launch, the parking lot was already densely packed with cars, a testament to the studio's bustling activity.
The destination was the administrative area on the top level. The Chrysler made its way through the busy filming studio area, with the Hollywood actress Joanna Cassidy curiously observing her surroundings. By her reckoning, Hollywood hadn't seen a studio of such scale since her debut in the late sixties, though many old studios had been sold and repurposed.
This made the achievements of the young man who created all this in just a few years all the more remarkable.
Thinking of Simon Westeros, Joanna Cassidy refocused, considering the upcoming audition.
Joanna Cassidy was here for the role of Queen Hippolyta, mother of Diana Prince in "Wonder Woman."
Casting for the DC movie universe was among Hollywood's most high-profile events of late.
According to recent Hollywood media reports, Daenerys Entertainment initially approached Sigourney Weaver for the role.
Sigourney Weaver, having just had a baby, planned to take a year off—an acceptable hiatus since "Wonder Woman" wasn't shooting until 1992. However, her refusal to sign a multi-film deal and demands for a high salary and other conditions led Daenerys Entertainment to drop her candidacy.
Having spent twenty years in the industry, Joanna Cassidy was not short on insider information and knew that Sigourney Weaver had been eager for the role.
Sigourney Weaver, a six-foot-tall actress known for her roles in the "Alien" series and "Ghostbusters" series, had a somewhat narrow acting range due to her height, often confined to supporting roles with not-so-high salaries, even though she single-handedly carried the global box-office hit "Aliens," earning just one million dollars.
"Wonder Woman" needed a tall actress, and Daenerys Entertainment set the minimum height for an Amazon warrior at 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm), making Sigourney Weaver a perfect fit.
The huge success of "Batman: The Start of War" and the grand design of the DC movie universe ensured that even a series' supporting role could achieve great popularity.
Securing the role of Queen Hippolyta could solidify Sigourney Weaver's position in Hollywood and stave off competition from similar actresses rising in the industry.
However, compared to the usual treatment where studios cater to every whim of A-list stars, Daenerys Entertainment displayed an assertiveness that surpassed even the golden era of big studios.
Refusing to relent on long-term contract and other core terms, Daenerys Entertainment decisively chose to move on.
Joanna Cassidy could somewhat understand why Daenerys Entertainment took such a stance.
Many sequels in Hollywood were stalled because creative teams couldn't agree on contracts, and some reluctantly started sequels often lost their momentum due to delays, leading to failure. A mega-series involving multiple films like the DC movie universe could suffer significantly if actor contracts caused delays.
Thus, the opportunity fell into the laps of actresses like Joanna Cassidy.
At 45, having debuted in the late 60s and acted in various films and TV shows over the years without a breakout role, her most notable part was the snake dancer Zora in Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner," where she appeared for less than five minutes.
Her agent informed her that she got this audition for Queen Hippolyta because someone appreciated her performance in "Blade Runner," where she hit Harrison Ford.
Indeed, this was something Simon Westeros had mentioned during his discussion with her agent.
Linda Vargas, initially an inconspicuous figure in Hollywood, had lucked into participating in Simon Westeros's first film "Run Lola Run" as a casting director. She then became his trusted casting director for many of his films, and now she was highly sought-after in Hollywood.
Yet, Linda Vargas was very loyal to Simon Westeros, and those trying to use her to gain access usually left empty-handed.
This was probably why she had become Simon Westeros's go-to casting director.
Joanna Cassidy thought that if she were in Linda's shoes, she would have done the same.
The longer one was in Hollywood, the clearer it became how difficult it was to rise to the top—most people might not get even one chance in their lifetime, and Cassidy was a typical example. Linda Vargas was clearly someone who had seized her opportunity and held on tightly.
However, Simon Westeros had appreciated her for hitting Harrison Ford in "Blade Runner."
Could that be some kind of hint?
His preferences for women were well-known throughout Hollywood.
Lost
in thought, she even harbored some anticipation deep inside—having been single since her divorce in the seventies, if something could happen with that young man, coveted by countless Hollywood women, it would be hard to resist.
With these thoughts, the Chrysler passed through the second level of the office park and soon reached the administrative area on the top level.
Exiting the car in the parking lot and looking around, she saw several minimalist-style office buildings surrounded by glass curtain walls, each of different heights but arranged in a very comfortable order.
Used to traditional studio bungalows or small buildings, this modern-looking studio office building was a refreshing sight.
Joanna Cassidy walked to the northernmost five-story office building, entered the lobby, and after a brief interaction with the reception, was quickly escorted to the third floor where Linda Vargas was already waiting for her, along with two other actresses who had arrived early for the audition.
After cordial greetings, they were taken to the makeup room to prepare.
The audition for a major supporting role like Queen Hippolyta was on a small scale, with only the three finalists needing makeup.
Arriving at the studio at nine in the morning, after an hour of busy preparations, Joanna Cassidy and the other two actresses were ready, and Martin Campbell, the confirmed director of "Wonder Woman," had already arrived along with several other key members of the film's creative team.
After spending nearly half an hour taking photos, they finally headed to the audition room set up with a blue screen downstairs.
After a short wait, at 11 o'clock sharp, Simon Westeros himself appeared, exchanged brief greetings with the three actresses, and then began the audition.
All three finalists had been meticulously selected, and their basic acting skills were beyond doubt. Besides meeting them in person, Simon also wanted to assess their on-screen performance in a virtual environment.
The DC movie universe series would use a lot of virtual filming technology, and a studio within the park had been specially set aside for the Daenerys special effects team to conduct real-time virtual filming experiments.
Each actress had 20 minutes, and Joanna Cassidy was scheduled to go last.
Entering the audition room, aside from the blue screen, there were just a few simple chairs. Westeros and the others courteously stood up as she approached.
Joanna Cassidy shook hands with the young man, exchanged greetings, and the others sat back down.
Simon, holding a notebook, skipped the unnecessary introductions and got straight to the point: "Miss Cassidy, the scene is as follows: Steppenwolf invades Themyscira to steal the Mother Box guarded by the Amazons. Queen Hippolyta encounters Steppenwolf; after a brief skirmish, she is quickly defeated, then you question Steppenwolf's intentions. Note, this is a virtual performance, Steppenwolf is 10 feet tall, planned to be portrayed using CG and motion capture technology, there will be no one acting opposite you, okay, please begin your performance."
Alone against thin air.
Joanna Cassidy didn't dwell on the slightly mocking tone the young man had used when he said the last sentence. She quickly gathered her emotions, then drew the sword at her waist and swung a few times to her right, immediately acting as if struck, falling backwards. Propping herself up with the sword, she asked, "Who are you?"
Normally, an audition would involve another actor delivering lines in response.
But this time, there was no reply.
Only the eyes of everyone in the room and the recording camera watched her.
Joanna Cassidy didn't lack the ability to adapt. Recalling Simon's earlier briefing, she imagined Steppenwolf's lines in her head, paused briefly, and with a face of dawning understanding yet feigned composure, said, "Steppenwolf, why have you come to Themyscira?"
"..."
"Whatever you're looking for, it isn't here."
"..."
Aside from the initial playful "please begin your performance," Simon observed Joanna Cassidy's performance very professionally, occasionally jotting notes in his notebook.
After a freeform performance, Simon had Joanna Cassidy try a few other shots.
The brief twenty minutes flew by, and it was noon.
Simon closed his notebook, stood up again, and shook hands with Joanna Cassidy, saying, "Thank you for taking the time to come, Miss Cassidy. By the way, it's noon. If you're not in a hurry, you're welcome to stay for lunch before leaving."
Joanna Cassidy, hearing Simon's 'invitation,' casually nodded with a smile: "Of course, thank you."
She then was led by staff to remove her makeup—a quick process this time. Twenty minutes later, Joanna Cassidy arrived at a small restaurant inside another office building.
Initially expecting a private invitation, she was surprised to find the other two actresses who had auditioned were also still here, not just Simon Westeros, but Martin Campbell and Linda Vargas were present too, turning lunch into a working meal, with ongoing discussions about
"Wonder Woman."
Seeing another actress openly flirting with the young man, who was the focus of everyone's attention, Joanna Cassidy realized she was perhaps a bit too conservative.
Maybe she should have been more proactive.
But, since someone else had already taken the initiative, and although Martin Campbell and others appeared indifferent, she still couldn't muster the courage.
She knew she had maintained her appearance very well over the years, even as a former model.
Yet, courting a man young enough to be her son still felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Thinking this, she couldn't help but envy the men of Hollywood. Or more precisely, the powerful men of Hollywood. Whatever type of woman they preferred seemed natural to outsiders.
Women simply didn't have that privilege.
Today was May 16th, a Wednesday.
Although Simon had indeed once said he admired Joanna Cassidy for hitting Harrison Ford in "Blade Runner," he wasn't particularly interested in her. His entire work schedule for the day was packed; he had no time for dalliances, regardless of how his surroundings might appear, and he generally didn't entertain such thoughts in professional settings.
After having lunch with everyone, the three actresses left, and Simon discussed the morning's audition results with Martin Campbell and others.
Among the three actresses vying for the final role, Joanna Cassidy was originally the least favored due to her height, which barely met Simon's minimum requirement of 175 cm for an Amazon warrior, with the other two actresses being taller.
However, Joanna Cassidy's extensive acting experience ultimately gave her an edge. Despite never having a breakout role, her twenty years in Hollywood had seasoned her well.
After reviewing the morning's costume photos and footage, including Simon's own observations, everyone agreed that Joanna Cassidy was better suited for the role.
As for her height, it could be easily compensated with high heels.
They also discussed other casting decisions and Martin Campbell's thoughts on the movie until three o'clock when auditions for another character, Hippolyta's sister Antiope, were scheduled. In the original film, this role was played by Robin Wright.
This time, Simon had his eye on Linda Hamilton.
Linda Hamilton's portrayal in "Terminator 2" as a tough woman in a tank top, pants, and combat boots, wielding a gun and smoking a cigarette, had become iconic.
Of course, "Terminator 2" was still in its final preparations and wouldn't start filming until later in the year.
"Wonder Woman" was scheduled to start filming the following year, and Linda Hamilton's schedule had no conflicts.
Still, the team wasn't putting all their bets on Linda Hamilton; three people were auditioning, so they could quickly find a replacement if needed.
The role of Queen Hippolyta was treated similarly.
The filming of "Wonder Woman" would involve many horseback combat scenes. While the production team would ensure safety, if an accident like the one that happened to Sean Young during "Batman," who broke her arm and had to leave the production, occurred, the team could promptly implement a backup plan.
In any case, all these measures were to ensure the smooth progression of the DC movie universe.
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