บท 37: Chapter 37: Control
Under the relentless insistence of James Franco and five days of negotiations, the "Hard Candy" crew finally secured its male lead. Murphy paid a lump sum of forty thousand dollars for this role. Although James Franco's current status didn't match his potential future worth, he had previously played major roles in two film and television productions, indicating his capabilities beyond his current status.
Murphy was well aware that James Franco had ulterior motives for joining the crew, but he didn't mind. Everyone was merely fulfilling their own needs.
With that, the "Hard Candy" filming crew was officially assembled. Including Murphy, there were only fourteen people in total, with three of them serving as unpaid interns, maximizing cost savings.
In truth, Murphy had considered handling all the work himself to save on expenses, but it was simply not feasible. Despite his thorough education in filmmaking, he couldn't master every aspect of behind-the-scenes work.
The film's main cast consisted of two actors: the young girl Hailey and the cinematographer Jeff. Additionally, there was a female neighbor of Jeff's with a significant role, who Murphy had persuaded Jessica Chastain to cameo as.
There was also a brief opening scene involving a tragically deceased girl, for which Murphy had already chosen a candidate. However, this role had minimal screen time and would join the crew after filming commenced.
Most of the other minor roles would be filled by Murphy and crew members, including the inevitable appearance of waitstaff at Milton Café, portrayed by the café's employees, for which Old Lynch had prepared extensively.
Even in Los Angeles, the opportunity for ordinary people to appear in a film was rare.
"Let me make some introductions."
In the makeshift warehouse acting as their temporary studio, Murphy, Kerry Mulligan, and James Franco gathered for the first time. As the director, Murphy took the initiative to introduce them, "Kerry, this is James Franco, a talented actor."
Then, he turned to James Franco, "Jim, meet Kerry Mulligan, the future English rose."
After his introductions, Murphy stepped back.
"Hello, may I call you Kerry?" James Franco greeted with a charming smile, extending his hand, "I'm James Franco, but you can call me Jim."
Seemingly caught off guard, Kerry Mulligan expressed surprise, "Why you?"
"We meet again," James Franco continued, his hand still outstretched.
Without shaking his hand, Kerry Mulligan turned to Murphy and said, "Murphy, he's not a good person."
James Franco's smile stiffened, and he withdrew his hand, looking somewhat embarrassed.
Murphy couldn't understand what had transpired between the two, so he quickly intervened, "Kerry, is there a problem? Jim is a very talented actor."
"Hmph…" Kerry Mulligan merely snorted in response.
Few girls her age would appreciate having their shortcomings pointed out.
Glancing at James Franco, Murphy decided not to dwell on their past interactions. Kerry Mulligan's agent would arrive soon, and he didn't want to waste time with these two.
Walking over to the makeshift desk, Murphy handed out two rehearsal schedules, one to James Franco and one to Kerry Mulligan, instructing them, "I expect both of you to go through all the scenes outlined in the schedule before filming begins."
Every film required extensive rehearsals before shooting, and "Hard Candy" was no exception.
As the rehearsal began, James Franco recited a monologue, seemingly warming up and finding his rhythm. With his considerable experience, Murphy wasn't too worried. After briefly observing, his attention shifted to Kerry Mulligan.
From their initial auditions and subsequent discussions, the girl had demonstrated some acting skills. While not top-tier, she showed promise.
Of course, Murphy was still a novice director, and his judgment might not be entirely accurate.
A few minutes later, Kerry Mulligan and James Franco started rehearsing their first scene together, where their characters meet for the first time.
James Franco approached Kerry Mulligan from behind, saying, "Hailey…"
Turning back, as scripted, Kerry Mulligan lightly touched her lips, "Jeff?"
Although her voice conveyed a hint of surprise, her expression didn't match. Kerry Mulligan had already shown her dislike for James Franco, and her feelings were evident on her face. Her personality was such that her emotions were written all over it, even without close-up shots, Murphy could see the disdain in her bright eyes, as if she were thinking, "I'm going to kill you, you villain."
"Kerry..." Murphy interrupted their rehearsal, gesturing for her to come over.
Scratching her golden short hair, Kerry Mulligan walked over to the desk where Murphy sat, asking, "Did I do something wrong?"
She could read a lot from Murphy's expression.
Murphy recalled their conversation at the café, "Kerry, do you remember what we talked about at the café?"
"Yes." She nodded gently. "I'll never forget it. What determines our future isn't just our thoughts but also our actions."
Murphy smiled and looked at her, then glanced at the bewildered James Franco.
Kerry Mulligan was rebellious but not foolish. She immediately understood. Leaning in closer, she lowered her voice, "I understand. As an actress, I must display professionalism. You can trust me, Murphy. I won't let you down."
Her voice was low, but in the small warehouse, both James Franco and Bill Ross heard it. They turned to Murphy simultaneously.
James Franco tilted his head, realizing that his previously effective charming smile and handsome face were no match for the simple words spoken by the other guy.
Bill Ross, unlike the eccentric James Franco, understood Kerry Mulligan's rebellious nature and knew she was a handful. If it weren't for the recommendation from his long-time client, Julian Faros, he wouldn't have agreed to be her agent. He even imagined how this rebellious girl, who had forced her parents into a corner, would potentially wreak havoc on this small film crew.
However, what he witnessed completely overturned his previous assumptions. This newcomer director named Murphy Stanton had somehow managed to control Kerry Mulligan... No, more accurately, he was manipulating her in an extremely clever way.
Interesting... Bill Ross crossed his arms and watched silently. He suspected that Murphy Stanton might be a talent worth nurturing.
Seeing Kerry Mulligan realize her mistake, Murphy stood up, nodding in approval. When she flashed a happy smile, he spoke again.
"Kerry, in the scene we just rehearsed, Hailey doesn't like Jeff and is very wary of him, right?"
"Yes." Kerry Mulligan nodded eagerly.
"Jeff says Hailey seems mature, but he actually wishes she were foolish. So, Hailey pretends to be naive, enjoying chocolate cake, liking certain bands, and wearing cool T-shirts. This makes Jeff lower his guard and leads him in the wrong direction."
"Bingo." Murphy snapped his fingers. "You're really smart."
Kerry Mulligan's bait was merely attracting James Franco. Even if he wasn't present, Murphy couldn't realistically achieve independent rehearsals for the lead actors as previously discussed. Bill Ross, her agent, would likely stay by Kerry Mulligan's side most of the time.
Murphy had considered this already.
On the other hand, Kerry Mulligan couldn't help but lift her chin, smiling adorably. However, her smile was reserved for Murphy alone.
Watching from the side, James Franco's heart raced, almost bursting out of his chest. He took a deep breath, suppressing the boiling blood.
What an impressive guy... James Franco's gaze rested on Murphy. He realized that if he had such skills, he wouldn't have constantly aimed high and achieved so little in the past.
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