America gains both fame and fortune

Chapter 410: The Hero is Corroded by the Devil
Like the past few films, the studio for the new project was still chosen to be Warner Studios, with Louise as the producer, in charge of crew affairs, especially negotiating with Warner Bros. on publicity and distribution matters.

Martin and Chad both served as production managers in addition to their main duties.

Chen Hu and Marcus served as action directors for close combat and gunfights respectively.

Buck and Lewis, who had served as Martin's stunt double several times, also joined the action stunt team.

During the filming and production, computer special effects shots were extremely limited, and almost all action shots were completed through real shooting.

Emily will join the crew with a team from Davis Studio, who will be responsible for creating online hype, especially topics that can really generate hype - if you want my life, I want your life.

As for the main actors, two people have been confirmed, Martin and Mene.

Needless to say, Martin is naturally the male lead.

The salary is divided into three parts: a basic salary of US$500 million, a tiered box office share that is being negotiated, and a DVD share.

Menet, who is over 30 years old, has gained weight and looks a little haggard, and can be called a killer of middle-aged women, plays the owner of the Continental Hotel in New York.

It is politically correct that there must be a positive main character who is black.

Other major roles will be selected through auditions, with priority given to WMA's actor clients.

As for the behind-the-scenes staff of the crew, many of the persons in charge came from the "Wanted" crew. Martin's studio and Chad have been in contact with them, and those who had the right schedule joined the crew as soon as possible.

The location selection team will soon travel to New York to select suitable street scenes for filming.

After the project meeting of the crew, Louise flew to New York with her assistant to negotiate a series of matters related to the filming.

For example, car racing, street fighting and gun battle shooting.

Apart from occasionally participating in media events and assisting the public relations team with public relations, Martin focuses all his energy on training.

Including physical fitness, fighting, firearms and driving, etc., we strive to be the best in each one.

He even practiced how to stab people with a pencil and how to make a simple bow and arrow using hardware stores.

"In theory, it's possible to attack with a sharpened pencil."

On the training ground of the studio, Chen Hu gestured and said to Martin: "But it is not easy to do this, especially when a killer attacks another killer."

Martin held a soft resin pencil in his backhand and pointed at several vital parts of himself: "First of all, the neck and eyes?"

Chen Hu said: "We can try and see which one is easier to get."

"Be careful, I'm coming." Martin took a step forward and stabbed Chen Hu's eyes with the prop pencil.

He understood Chen Hu's abilities, so he didn't need to hold back.

Chen Hu tilted his head slightly, and the pencil scratched his forehead.

He just dodged and didn't fight back.

Martin pressed his hand downward, using his height to suppress Chen Hu, and stabbed Chen Hu with the pencil again. Chen Hu tried to dodge, but the neck was a much bigger target than the eyes, and the pencil stabbed him lower behind the ear.

Chen Hu stepped back, getting rid of Martin, and said, "It's hard to stab someone in the eye even if they're caught off guard."

Martin nodded: "Neck, throat or near the carotid artery."

Chen Hu added: "The style we finally decided on must have good-looking movements while also ensuring a certain degree of authenticity. In close combat, even if you are very skilled, it is not easy to kill a trained adult man with your bare hands. Therefore, all close combat bare-handed combat does not aim to kill the opponent directly, but to control him so that he cannot move for a short period of time."

He performed crotch kicks, throat locks, heart scoops and eye piercings: "This can buy you even a second, and you can also take out a weapon and kill him, with a gun or any other weapon you can find."

Martin grasped the key point he said: "Use weapons when you can."

Marcus, who was standing nearby, spoke up: "The first choice is always a gun."

Afterwards, Martin practiced action routines with Chen Hu, and followed Marcus to strengthen shooting movements, especially shooting at enemies around corners.

Marcus, who was born in the Navy SEALs and participated in real urban street fighting, has rich experience in this area, far exceeding the ordinary gun battle designers in Hollywood.

After practicing for a while, the three simply left the set and drove to the Angel Shooting Club to train with real firearms.

Martin was obsessed with killing training and his public appearances became less and less frequent. Gradually, the only pictures that appeared in the media were candid photos of him entering and leaving the psychological clinic.

More and more entertainment media speculated that Martin's mental problems were worsening.

At the same time, the publicity for The Dark Knight crew began to intensify.

In mid-January, a video of Bale being interviewed circulated from the UK.

After several months, the British actor finally made a public appearance and attended the British Academy Film Awards. During the event, he talked about the Dark Knight crew and Batman. He said that because the role setting was extremely difficult, it did cause him psychological problems. He was trapped in darkness for the past few months and was unable to extricate himself, but he finally got out of it.

Some reporters also asked about Martin.

Bale accepted the crew's plan: "He may have a bigger problem than me, because on the set he is more evil than the most evil clown in the comics!"

No matter how the media reporters asked, Bale didn't say anything more.

This was a carefully planned publicity campaign by the Dark Knight crew, who specifically chose the British Academy Film Awards, a media-heavy occasion.

The Dark Knight was released in the summer of 2008, and the promotion began six months in advance.

Nolan called Martin personally: "Are you ready? Do you need me to send a professional photographer?" "No need." Martin declined: "I have one here."

He hung up the phone and said to Bruce, "Let Ivan go."

"Where?" Bruce asked.

Martin said, “It’s right here in the community park square.”

Bruce went to call Ivan.

What was needed this time was still candid photography, and the crew's photographer was actually not as professional as Ivan.

Martin went out alone, walked along the community road, came to the park square, sat on a bench, looking at the sunset in the west, motionless like a statue.

Not long after, the phone in his pocket vibrated a few times.

Martin knew that Ivan was coming.

He turned his head slowly, and a strange smile appeared on his slightly gloomy face.

Ivan took several sneak shots of Martin, pressing the shutter button at just the right moment to take several photos in succession.

That evening, the photo appeared on the front page of TMZ.

Jodi is very professional. He uses real photos as the model and adds slightly exaggerated captions.

"Our city hero's soul is being eaten away by the devil!"

Martin sat alone, with a handsome face, a gloomy expression and a weird smile.

Jodi deliberately put the video of Bell's interview under Martin's picture.

That night, there were over 10,000 news comments.

"Why do I think it's scarier than Jack Nicholson's laugh in The Shining?"

"Because you know that The Shining was an act, but this really happened to Martin!"

"I am very curious about what kind of Batman movie this is that could drive the two leading actors to the point where they have psychological problems."

"Bell is only able to appear after several months of treatment, and Martin needs to see a psychiatrist every week. What kind of character and what kind of plot is this?"

The number of people paying attention to and discussing The Dark Knight is increasing rapidly.

After the news fermented for a few days and was reprinted by more media, Thomas issued a public statement on behalf of Martin, apologizing to the Golden Globe Organizing Committee and claiming that he was unable to accept the invitation to this year's Golden Globe Awards ceremony due to health reasons.

This also makes the previous news more marketable.

Thomas later gave another interview, saying that Martin was aware of the problem, was working hard to get rid of it, and would be back to normal work soon.

The Dark Knight crew has officially revealed the main promotional poster for the film.

Not a single Batman, but a dual protagonist!
Batman stood in the city of Gotham, his head completely covered by black clouds.

The clown stood in the sun. Although his true face was covered by white paint, there was a faint smile on his blood-red mouth. He was just standing there simply, but he exuded an unbridled evil that made people shudder.

There is no need for video, veteran movie fans can interpret the style of the film just from the poster: dark, suffocating and crazy!

After the first wave of publicity generated a lot of heat, the crew simply guided public opinion on the Internet and lay dormant for the time being.

Nolan is a master in film shooting and production, as well as a master in publicity and marketing. He then came to Martin's house in the name of visiting him and had a long discussion with Martin about the current situation and the next plan.

The two people, both of whom are good at hype, had a passionate collision.

After Martin saw Nolan off, Elizabeth, who had just returned from filming an advertisement, came to see him first.

"Are you really okay?" Elizabeth hugged Martin tightly and pressed his head into her arms, allowing Martin to fully feel the warmth.

Martin was vague: "There is no big problem for the time being."

Elizabeth rubbed Martin's cheek: "You didn't even attend the Golden Globe Awards, and you said it was okay!"

Martin is not a stone man. He can feel Elizabeth's worries and perceive her genuine concern.

"I don't want to attend the Golden Globe Awards, mainly because I have an idea." He still had some conscience and knew that Elizabeth wanted to become a star, so he simply pushed her hard: "I'm waiting for you to come back. I want to take you to walk the Oscar red carpet so that everyone can know you!"

Elizabeth's thoughts were completely different from Martin's. She hugged Martin even harder: "Let everyone know that I'm your girlfriend?"

Martin struggled to speak.

Elizabeth said again: "Martin, I understand your intention. I promise you, no matter what, I will agree to it all!"

Martin struggled out of her arms, looking at her tears, thinking that he was just taking her to walk the Oscar red carpet...

He wiped away the tears from Elizabeth's eyes and said, "Your makeup is all smudged. You look like a witch."

Elizabeth wiped her tears and suddenly said, "Old boy, don't you like me to be a witch?"

(End of this chapter)