This celebrity is overly enthusiastic!

Chapter 127: Black Widow as Rebecca?

Zack Snyder, who is 37 years old this year, never dreamed that he would be invited by a 23-year-old Chinese young man to shoot a medium-to-large-scale cyberpunk science fiction film.

Moreover, Virgil, like him, also started out in advertising. However, Virgil rose to become a superstar who collaborated with giants like Columbia Pictures in just three years, while he himself had been shooting commercials for over a decade and was still shooting commercials.

Zack cherished this opportunity to collaborate, and he was deeply impressed after watching Virgil's short film, which was just over a minute long, to determine the style of the film!
Virgil's use of light, and his extensive use of lighting to create the atmosphere of the story, really appealed to him.

After reading the script for "The Edge Walker", Zack was a little disappointed.

Night City has a great setting: a city where capitalism has reached its peak amidst the ruins of a nuclear war, evoking a sense of despair as human civilization faces an apocalyptic crisis.

However, it would be a waste to make only a blockbuster popcorn movie about teenage romance in such a context.

However, aside from the plot, he was generally very satisfied with the project.

With Virgil's strong support, he tried to shoot several short films imitating Virgil's films, creating a bizarre and decadent portrayal of Night City's dazzling lights and decadent atmosphere.

He eventually convinced Columbia Pictures to let him direct "The Edge Walker".

While the director was being finalized, the casting was also under intense discussion.

Suitable actors must be selected in advance, as actors' schedules are usually planned for the foreseeable future, and it is too late to find them just before filming begins.

In an effort to capitalize on the popularity of "The Matrix" series, Alvin suggested using more actors from "The Matrix" for "The Edgewalker," which is also a cyberpunk film.

The character Mann is the one who leads the protagonist David through his adventures in the underworld, acting as his mentor and being regarded as family by David.

Laurence Fishburne, who played Morpheus' mentor in The Matrix, was cast in the role.

Chen Yuan also thought it was very suitable, so he agreed.

In the movie, Lucy's mentor, but ultimately betrayed by the team, was handed over to Monica Bellucci, who also played a role in "The Matrix".

Even the villain Faraday in the sequel has been tentatively cast as Agent Smith, played by Hugo Weaving.

Filming for the sequel to "The Matrix" was completed last August, and the two actors' schedules were also compatible.
After reading the script, his agent began negotiating with Columbia Pictures and discussing his salary.

Mann's partner, the tomboy Dorio, is played by Linda Hamilton, Cameron's fourth wife and the female lead in the Terminator movies, who embodies the classic Hollywood tomboy image.

Pila arranged for him to be given to one of Alvin's friends, and Chen Yuan didn't care.

The driver, Falk, gave the role to Japanese actor Teruyuki Kagawa. After all, Sony, as the financial backer, was so supportive, so they had to include a Japanese actor in the main cast; otherwise, all the Japanese actors in the movie would be playing villains.

The most troublesome casting choice was Rebecca. The screenwriters at Columbia Pictures even suggested cutting this female supporting character, who had too much of a Japanese anime style, outright!

Rebecca appears young and cute, but she swears constantly and uses heavy firepower in violent battles. She is a very typical 'violent loli' and a character with a strong Japanese sense of contrast.

However, it would be quite troublesome to cast a minor girl in this role.

Although the American high-ups are playing increasingly elaborate games, and countless young boys and girls have suffered at their hands, Lolita Island is probably still operating at full speed right now.
But that doesn't stop them from using it for show. Many states don't prohibit child marriage, but they are very strict about Hollywood casting minors under 16. Rebecca has a very outgoing personality, uses a lot of profanity, and sometimes shows off her figure.

So many questions could prompt investigations and protests from the FBI and other official and non-official organizations.

However, Chen Yuan didn't want to change Rebecca's character, so he could only find a young actress who was already an adult to play the role.

Moreover, they can only cast adult actors. Chen Yuan planned to make a trilogy for "The Edge Walker". It would be ridiculous if the actresses grew up and changed their appearance while filming.

However, Europeans and Americans tend to mature faster; by the age of seventeen or eighteen, they are already quite fully developed.

After much deliberation, Chen Yuan ultimately chose Scarlett Johansson, who is only 19 years old this year.

Although she looks a bit mature, she has great acting skills and is less than 160cm tall. With makeup and a brightly colored wig, she really has the vibe of a hot-tempered young girl.

With ongoing negotiations between Metaverse and Columbia Pictures, the production department, responsible for the entire project lifecycle management, planning, budget control, resource coordination, logistical support, and external cooperation, has finally begun to take shape.

The directing team, screenwriting team, cinematography team, art department, special effects department, and other departments that require a lot of involvement in the early stages of preparation have also begun to be set up.

Columbia Pictures knows that the Metaverse wants to learn from Hollywood's production methods, but it doesn't care at all.

What good would it do to learn it? The Hollywood model simply couldn't work in China's film market, which was less than $2 million a year.

The best career path for filmmakers trained in the US is to go to the US and provide fresh blood for Hollywood.

After Hong Kong films, which once rivaled Hollywood, were squeezed out of their market share by Hollywood blockbusters, many Hong Kong filmmakers went to Hollywood to make a living.

This is also why Hollywood has been constantly improving, attracting the world's best film talent.

Hong Kong's action films, once unparalleled in the world, have now had their essence copied by Hollywood, haven't they?
The wire work that was once only mastered by Hong Kong action choreography teams is now being used extensively in movies like "The Matrix" and "Spider-Man".

Even China's most famous filmmakers can only gain some recognition by making traditional films and going to the equally mediocre European film industry.
How much better can China's film industry, which is so backward and has to rely on protectionist policies to survive, be than Hong Kong's?

Alvin believes Chen Yuan is one of China's most outstanding filmmakers, but his ambition is far too great, to the point of wanting to eat his fill in one go.

His dazzling talent and remarkable achievements at such a young age clouded his judgment.

However, the large number of Chinese people involved is detrimental to Alvin's control over the project.

Although Alvin felt good working with Virgil, a young man, friendship was one thing, and power was another.

A maximum of 100 people are allowed to participate in the project to learn experience. How much they learn depends on their own abilities, but they cannot participate in core creative work, such as special effects, advanced post-production, and other key technologies that are essential to Hollywood's success.

Furthermore, Columbia Pictures will not pay the salaries of the Chinese staff; the salaries of the Chinese staff and the expenses on set will be fully covered by Metaverse and China Film Group.

(End of this chapter)