America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 900 Driven to Madness

In the conference room, Daniel stood in front of a Joker poster, looking thoughtfully at the male lead on it.

Louise pushed open the door and came in, smiling as she said, "Martin is still doing post-production editing; he'll be here shortly."

Daniel said, "No rush." ​​He then changed the subject, asking, "What stage is post-production on 'Joker' at?"

Louise had coffee brought over and said, "The music and special effects have been added, and we're doing the final editing. Martin wants to cut the film from its current 185 minutes to around 120 minutes."

Daniel suddenly sighed: "Both films are kept to around 120 minutes in length, so why do I feel that Martin's 'Joker' is far more reliable than 'Justice League'?"

Louise shared her personal experience: "Martin has been in Hollywood for 12 years, and he has always been very reliable when it comes to doing serious work."

Daniel carefully recalled his collaboration with Martin and realized that this was indeed the case.

In contrast, the Warner Bros. team that controls "Justice League" is so unreliable that it's almost an understatement to call them geniuses.

The conference room door opened from the outside, and Martin walked in, greeted Daniel, and said, "There was a scene that needed to be adjusted at the last minute, which caused a delay."

"It's alright." Daniel waited for Martin to sit down and then said directly, "The reshoots for Justice League, which Joss Whedon is pushing for, have already begun. All the reshoots are green screen scenes in the studio. Warner Bros. and DC are keeping a close eye on it. Justice League will be released in November as planned."

Martin said, "Joker was released a few weeks earlier than them, hopefully it will turn out well."

This was also the result he specifically requested. If Justice League really flops like it did in its previous form, it will inevitably have a negative impact on other DC movies. Even if DC publicly distances itself from Joker, it's hard to say exactly how.

Daniel was aware of this: "It seems you're pessimistic about Justice League."

Louise asked directly, "After everything that's happened to that project, are you still optimistic about them?"

Daniel smiled helplessly: "The executives at Warner and DC still have confidence."

Martin's post-production work is almost finished, and he'll have more time later. He asked, "I'm quite familiar with Gal Gadot. How about we visit the set together sometime?"

Daniel shrugged: "Go to Warner Bros. Studios, you're welcome."

He then asked, "Why do you insist on doing post-production at Disney Studios? Warner Bros. isn't bad either."

Martin said very seriously, "I can't control what those people are thinking. They are all unparalleled geniuses. If they do something that ordinary people wouldn't dare to think or do, it will be trouble for us."

Daniel thought of those people of island descent and said, "A few years ago, I would have thought you were overthinking things, but now, I'm not so sure what they're thinking either."

After discussing some publicity and distribution work, Martin took Daniel into the editing room and showed him a finely edited clip.

Daniel said, "There's no trace of comics, no superhero movie characteristics whatsoever; it's more like a movie based on reality."

He also had his doubts: "If it were someone else, I wouldn't dare to invest too many resources, but Martin, it's different. Warner Bros. is willing to take the risk."

Martin has been so successful over the years that people are willing to take risks with successful people.

Martin cautioned, "Don't forget, this is the Joker!"

Daniel certainly remembered this key point: Warner Bros. was willing to invest resources in "Joker" partly because Martin Scorsese was a successful director, and partly because the Joker had already achieved legendary status.

Warner Bros. conducted market research and found that fans overwhelmingly approve of Martin Scorsese's Joker version.

Half an hour later, Daniel left the Joker studio.

Martin then threw himself into post-production, not leaving the editing room until he finished get off work.

Louise invited him to Sherman Oaks, and the two got into Louise's Rolls-Royce together.

Martin leaned back in his chair, his eyes closed from mental exhaustion.

Louise took out a bottle of water, unscrewed it, and handed it to him: "Daniel and I have agreed to hold the first internal screening of 'Joker' at the end of August, and a total of four screenings will be arranged before the film's public release in October."

Martin took the drink, took a sip, and said, "You can decide these things. I'll be focusing my energy on the final production of the film for the next two months."

To facilitate the post-production of "Joker," he had Thomas decline an invitation to the Cannes Film Festival.

When they arrived at Louise's mansion in Sherman Oaks, Kelly Grey was also there.

The three sat at the bar in the living room, chatting and talking about their past in Atlanta. Louise even mixed a few cocktails herself.

She is now one of the top bartenders and vice presidents of the International Bartenders Association.

Louise first made Kelly a paper airplane drink and said, "It was this drink that dragged me into this mess back then."

Kelly took a small sip of her drink: "You slut, you've never regretted it."

"I've made so much money, I've won without lifting a finger." Louise mixed another penicillin and handed it to Martin: "Your drink is rich in flavor, with distinct layers, capturing all the bittersweet experiences of life."

Martin said, "Isn't this your favorite?"

Louise also picked up a glass of penicillin: "Once you get used to the expansion and impact of this drink, the rest is all rich and wonderful flavors."

She raised her glass to Martin and Kelly: "With these, I became one of the top female bartenders in the world."

Kelly said, "Change the drinks, change the drinks, I want penicillin too."

Louise finished her drink and pushed Martin towards her: "Here's a glass of the best penicillin for you."

…………

Warner Bros. Studios is currently reshooting "Justice League," a film in which DC has invested heavily.

Joss Whedon, who replaced Zack Snyder as director, received full support from Warner Bros. and DC, and was given control of the project, including final cut rights.

The Black actor playing Cyborg sat in a corner of the studio, his eyes fixed on Joss Whedon as if he were looking at a mortal enemy.

Just now, Joss Whedon had his assistant inform him that most of Cyborg's scenes will be cut.

This is completely different from Zack Snyder's version, in which Cyborg is part of the main storyline.

To ruin someone's future is no different from killing their parents.

Joss Whedon, wielding immense power, didn't care what these young actors thought. Moreover, he had always been known for his tough style in the industry, having caused numerous controversies as early as when he directed Buffy in "Vampire Hunter."

The Hollywood adage, "Never let Michelle be alone with the director," refers to Joss Whedon.

On set, in front of the green screen, Joss Whedon called a halt to filming, went to Gal Gadot, who played the female lead, and expressed his dissatisfaction, saying directly, "Don't do those complicated performances. You're not capable of that, you know?"

Gal Gadot was quite surprised. Was this director out of his mind? Wasn't it enough that he messed with one male actor, he wanted to mess with her too?

Are all these actors, handpicked by Zack Snyder, his enemies?

Joss Whedon added, "You're just a pretty face; all you have to do is recite your lines."

That statement wasn't inherently wrong, but it was unpleasant to hear. Gal Gadot, no actor without connections, immediately retorted, "The script isn't just about reciting lines; my character..."

Joss Whedon, annoyed, snapped, "Shut up! I'm the director and screenwriter. You can't complain when I tell you to shut up! Just read your lines!"

This style is completely different from Zach Snyder's, which Gal Gadot strongly objected to: "Sorry, I can't perform like that."

Joss Whedon was furious: "Shut your stinking mouth! I can make your character look like a complete idiot in the movie, and if you don't do what I say, your career will be miserable!"

Gal Gadot looked at the director in surprise, momentarily at a loss for words.

An eerie silence fell over the set.

Jeff Jones, DC's representative on set, rushed over and immediately entered the set. He said a few words to Joss Whedon and then chatted privately with Gal Gadot for a while.

Ultimately, at Jeff Jones's "persuasion," Gal Gadot, as Joss Whedon requested, became a mere decorative figure.

These are just the tip of the iceberg in the reshoots. Joss Whedon wasn't just targeting one actor, but showing no mercy to six actors.

The reshoots for Justice League are like a powder keg that keeps heating up; given the right conditions, it's bound to explode.

But when this news reached the ears of DC and Warner executives, they perceived it as a completely different situation in their brilliant minds.

In the chairman's office, Hamada reported the latest progress of the project to Kevin Tsujihara: "Joss Whedon is experienced and ruthless. He has completely taken control of the crew. Whether it is the actors in front of the camera or the staff behind the scenes, everyone is on the same page. The reshoots are going very smoothly. If nothing unexpected happens, all the reshoots will be completed by the end of July."

Due to setbacks in the project's progress, Kevin Tsujihara faced pressure from Time Warner and its board of directors, stating, "The film must be released during the planned November holiday season!"

Hamada said, "There's plenty of time, we'll make it perfectly fine."

Kevin Tsujihara was still a little worried: "Is everything alright with Joss Whedon?"

"Communication went smoothly. He listened to the production team's opinions, unlike Zack Snyder who was so stubborn and insisted on a dark style and an excessively long runtime," Hamada said roughly. "Joss assured that the theatrical version of the film would be around 120 minutes long, and the tone of the film would definitely be like 'The Avengers,' leaning towards lighthearted entertainment. Many of the scenes he reshot were comedic."

The dark and serious approach wasn't working, so Kevin Tsujihara felt it was time to try a different approach: "Let's launch a publicity and marketing campaign. We need to have an initial budget of $200 million to create a huge buzz."

Because the production cost of reshooting this film exceeded $3 million, the final cost will be around $3.5 million.

Adding in global advertising and distribution costs, the total cost soared to nearly $6 million.

This is, of course, public knowledge, but many of the accounts involve Warner's media and subsidiaries, and there is a separate set of accounting methods.

Kevin Tsujihara then asked, "What's going on with Joker?"

Hamada stated, "Warner Bros. has confirmed a nationwide release in October, and pre-release promotion has already begun. We have publicly distanced ourselves from this film, and its success or failure will not significantly impact Justice League."

"After 'Joker' is released, if Martin Davis wants to make a sequel, don't give him the license again." Kevin Tsuji said this because his sister and brother-in-law have a personal feud with that bastard: "Once we have 'Justice League,' we can stabilize the situation again."

The Warner Music Group has had a tough time these past two years.

Hamada then left the chairman's office and went to the film studio where the crew was reshooting, to reaffirm Joss Whedon's central role in the project.

In the past, DC didn't really trust directors and would send various people to experience the creative process of the film crew.

This time, Warner Bros. will definitely learn from past experiences and give Joss Whedon enough power to help the director who created the huge success of "The Avengers" to help DC and the Justice League cinematic universe get rid of the dark and serious style and achieve a real transformation.

The strong support from Warner Bros. and DC also suppressed all the dissatisfaction from the production team.

At the same time, DC also released its first Game of Thrones movie, edited under the personal direction of Joss Whedon.

The release of the GG video attracted a lot of attention.

Many movie fans are eager to see what Justice League will be like with a new director.

This film doesn't involve any major changes. Joss Whedon has been working in Hollywood for over twenty years and has the ability to do so. He knows he can't make drastic changes right away.

He plans to gradually change the tone of Justice League as he releases more and more GG videos and trailers.

Therefore, this 30-second video, which no longer seemed so dark and serious, did not generate much negative feedback.

The dialogue between The Flash and Batman about "money power" has generated considerable buzz.

Warner Bros. and DC were encouraged. When Kevin Tsujihara visited the set during reshoots, he personally encouraged Joss Whedon to be bold and unrestrained in his approach to the film's style.

In July, the official trailer for "Joker" was released.

Compared to the more lighthearted tone of Justice League: Good Will Hunting, this trailer is dark, serious, heavy, and oppressive, realistically depicting the most grievous aspects of America's slums repeatedly before the audience.

The Joker in this film by Martin Scorsese can resonate with so many ordinary people.

The Joker, a lowly office worker, has a difficult job, annoying colleagues, a boss who is like an oil press, and a chaotic living environment where he can be robbed even when walking on the street.

All the suffering he endured drove a living person to madness.

So, at the end of the first official trailer, the Joker picks up a gun, quits his job, kills his boss, and splatters the brains of the wealthy elite who mocked him!

Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult for ordinary viewers to appreciate such a film.

However, the social environment has changed. Since 2008, the North American economy has been declining, the gap between the rich and the poor has been widening, class solidification has become serious, and the number of bankrupt families has increased dramatically.

The things the Joker suffers in the trailer are things that many ordinary people have encountered in their real lives and work.

However, most people still have to work as corporate slaves.

The heavy family pressure, including mortgage and car loan payments, forces them to suppress all their emotions and dissatisfaction, consuming themselves day after day like cattle until they collapse.

(End of this chapter)