Roman Sionis killed Sal Maroney with a powerful unexpected blow. There was a brief silence in the abandoned warehouse. Maroney's men drew their guns one after another, but Roman Sionis took it out faster than them. Two dark pistols with silencers fired rapidly.
Missless shots.
After a burst of the unique swishing sound of the silenced pistol, most of the minions around him who had no time to take action had already fallen down, and the rest did not dare to make any extra moves.
The two figures in the darkness still showed no reaction.
After the last glance of the gun, Roman Sionis nodded with satisfaction and said: "From now on, I am your boss."
As he spoke, he kicked Sal Maroney's body away, sat down on the chair, and looked down at the information on the table.
A gangster in the warehouse saw Roman Sionis turning his back to everyone, and looked at his companion next to him. The two of them drew their guns at the same time and wanted to make a sneak attack. Just as they made a move, Roman Sionis picked up the silenced pistol at hand. Two shots to the back. With the sound of his body falling to the ground, Roman Sionis looked through the information in front of him as if nothing had happened, and said: "Death Shooter, Crocodile Man, good, very good."
After speaking, he raised his head and finally looked at the two figures who had been calm just now: "So, are you willing to work for me?"
The camera finally focused on the two figures and slowly pulled in.
The audience was also able to see clearly the appearance of the two people. One of them wore a prosthetic eye that emitted red light, and the other's stooped figure in a hoodie gradually straightened up, and soon revealed a huge figure of more than two meters. , grinning in response, revealing a ferocious face and sharp teeth like a crocodile.
Although the two of them did not speak, Roman Sionis got the answer he wanted, so he nodded again and said, "Very good."
As he spoke, he turned another page of the information in front of him, and the camera panned to the word 'Batman' on the page. Sionis said: "Then, let's start with this bat."
At this point in the plot, in front of the big screen, Shirley Lansing raised her wrist and glanced at her watch again.
7:30.
really.
Simon Westeros perfectly and accurately used these thirty minutes to completely lay out the plot of the film.
Usually, such as the scene where Sally calls for bed in the restaurant in "When Harry Met Sally", the humorous details of Jones killing the swordsman in "Raiders of the Lost Ark", or the classic swing in "Pulp Fiction" Dance, etc. A movie with one or two classic passages is enough to be remembered by the audience and largely contribute to its box office success.
At this time, this "Batman" only lasts for these thirty minutes. The stunning wedge at the beginning, the impactful kick of Catwoman, and the terrifying pencil of Black Mask can all leave a deep impression on the audience. With the film skills Simon Westeros has shown in recent years, Shirley Lansing does not think that the next plot will be any less than the opening thirty minutes.
The circle has long started to spread the unusual features of Simon Westeros' new film. Shirley Lansing originally thought it might be exaggerated, but now, she has no doubts at all.
Although it was Simon Westeros who helped her become the CEO of MGM-United Artists, Shirley Lansing was not completely attached to Daenerys Entertainment, and no one wanted to be a vassal. Now, she feels that in the future, Hollywood will make the wisest move by clinging to the thigh of Simon Westeros.
Thinking this, Shirley Lansing couldn't help but look somewhere in the front row, and quickly found the figure of Westeros. The other party seemed to say something to his girlfriend next to him, then stood up and quietly left the hall and went backstage.
It seems like a good opportunity to communicate with the other party.
However, after hesitating for a moment, Shirley Lansing did not get up, but turned her attention to the big screen again.
The movie that was being played had given her a lot of inspiration in just the first thirty minutes, and there would definitely be more surprises to come.
Just because Shirley Lansing didn't get up and take action doesn't mean others won't.
There were more than 1,200 people in the screening room, and there were definitely many people who came for Simon Westeros, the Hollywood tycoon and super rich man.
Backstage at the Holy Civic Auditorium, Simon had gone to the bathroom and just returned to the rest area when he saw a tall girl walking from the entrance of the hall as if nothing had happened.
"Hey Nicole, where are you going?"
Nicole Kidman listened to Simon's active greeting and pointed in the direction of the bathroom behind her, and subconsciously nodded: "Well, yes."
After hesitating for a moment, he saw that the man had no intention of returning to the hall immediately, but instead walked to a sofa in the corner of the rest area, so he didn't rush forward to talk.
She pretended to go to the bathroom to touch up her makeup, and when she came back, there was another woman beside Simon. Judging from her skin color, she should be a Latina girl, and her figure was obviously much hotter than hers. Moreover, there was obviously a sofa next to her, but the woman was sitting right next to the man on the armrest of the single sofa, with one arm still on his shoulder.
I didn’t know whether I should step forward to interrupt, but after a pause, Nicole walked over anyway.
Simon saw her coming and introduced: "Nicole, this is Sabina. She is from Italy. Sabina, this is Nicole."
Sabina Forelli stood up, extended her hand to Nicole, and said in English with an obviously not standard Italian accent: "Hello, Miss Kidman, I really liked your performance in "Pulp Fiction"."
"Thanks."
Nicole shook hands with her, but couldn't remember who the other person was. She wanted to praise the other person for speaking good English, but it seemed unreasonable.
Sabina Forelli did not let this awkward moment happen. After saying hello to Nicole, she turned back to the man and leaned into his ear and whispered in Italian: "I'm staying in Valerie these days. Where’s the apartment, Simon, you can call me anytime.”
Sabina Forelli and Valerie Golino are both Italians. They met at the Gucci show at the last Milan Fashion Week and quickly became good friends. Sabina just explained that she came here specifically to support Valerie Golino, and she has signed a contract with WMA and wants to try her luck in Hollywood.
Simon looked at the infinite scenery in the dress when the hot girl leaned towards him, and said: "It's a pity, Lina, I'm going to Australia tomorrow."
Sabina Forelli was a little disappointed, but she didn't bother any more. She said goodbye, nodded to Nicole who was still standing next to her, and walked towards the hall.
There were many other people backstage, but Nicole was not as open-minded as Sabina Forelli. Seeing the other person leave, Nicole sat down on the sofa next to Simon.
Simon asked the backstage staff to bring two glasses of mineral water, looked at Nicole and said, "How do you feel about this movie?"
Nicole said: "The pencil shot just now was so scary. I won't dare to touch a pencil again in the future."
Simon smiled and said: "Actually, the original shot was more scary. There would be blood flowing out. I was worried that it would be hindered by the rating, so I had to remove the blood stains."
The final rating of "Batman" is PG-13.
Although Simon changed the bloody details, some judges during the film rating process believed that this scene was too violent and might leave a psychological shadow on the audience. However, due to the strong influence of Daenerys Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures, the version Simon finally submitted for review received a PG-13 rating without any changes.
As for the PG rating, Simon never considered it from the beginning.
Nicole leaned forward slightly and listened to Simon's behind-the-scenes talk with a very interested expression. She nodded and said, "Why don't you go back to the lobby? Are you worried about the film's box office?"
Simon gestured toward the hall where the sound came from the stereo and said: "I can memorize the entire movie now. It doesn't matter whether I watch it or not. As for the box office, I am still somewhat confident."
After more than half a year of busy work, and even longer preparation time, almost every scene in the film is engraved in Simon's mind.
In terms of box office, regardless of the minor dramas in film and television in the 1960s, "Batman", which has become one of the American cultural symbols, is the first serious big-budget live-action movie since its birth half a century ago. There was no concern about how it would perform commercially in the first place.
As a childhood memory of countless Americans, as long as the film is not too bad, the only thing that needs to be considered is the issue of making more money or less.
Of course, if the film cannot satisfy the audience, then if you want to make it into a series, the result will only be like Tim Burton's version of Batman in the original time and space, which sold out the feelings, the box office is not as good as the previous one, and ultimately it is unsustainable. . Therefore, Simon is not worried about the commercial performance of this first "Batman" movie. He is thinking more about how to continue the DC superhero IP in his hands and create a complete and long-lasting DC movie universe series.
Speaking of which, after Terry Semel saw the sample for the first time, he had already confirmed that he would fully realize Warner Bros. Pictures' investment share in the sequel. During this time, Warner has been exploring whether Simon will direct the sequel himself.
Simon has not yet given a final reply to Warner, but he has no intention of continuing to direct. He would rather be a character like Kevin Feige of Marvel Comics in the original time and space, taking control of the overall situation and not having to do everything personally. What's more, if the DC movie universe is fully expanded, he won't have so much time to do everything himself.
The staff brought two bottles of water. Nicole took it and handed one to Simon. She opened it and took a small sip. She closed the lid and put it back on the round table in front of her. After a moment of hesitation, she still looked at it with some resentment. To the man, he said: "Me, you, actually, I could have tried the role of Catwoman back then."
Just that cool kick on the big screen just now, Nicole is sure that the image of Catwoman played by Valerie Golino will definitely be deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. If she had been able to get this role, then, besides Mia, she would now have a second very classic screen image.
Simon looked at Nicole and shook his head with a smile: "You are not suitable for this role."
Simon actually had Nicole in mind when casting the character.
However, in my memory, Nicole seems to have never appeared in an action scene, and she even turned down the contract to be the heroine of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith".
Moreover, Simon hopes that the character of Catwoman will play the role of Black Widow in the original time and space in the Marvel Cinematic Universe of his own imagination, so it is inevitable to refer to Scarlett Johansson during the casting process.
In this regard, Valerie Golino and Scarlett Johansson still have many similarities. Both of them have very good acting skills. As an Italian, Valerie Golino has a good appearance and has the same personality as Scarlett Johansson. Carrie Johnson similar hot body.
In addition, compared with Nicole, who is 1.8 meters tall, Valerie Golino is also about the same height as Scarlett Johansson, which makes it easy to find a suitable stand-in for her during the filming of action scenes.
Last but not least, Valerie Golino does not have any background in Hollywood, so she is obedient enough to endure hardships and can withstand the training and filming of high-intensity action scenes. In comparison, Nicole is still the sweet girl of the Kidman family. She has been pampered since she was a child, and it is difficult for her to make action movies.
As for appearance, Nicole is indeed better.
However, in Simon's current position, appearance is not the first priority when choosing a role in "Batman". Suitability is more important.
In this regard, the appearance of the heroine of the original Marvel Cinematic Universe has always been the target of complaints from many fans, especially compared with DC's high-end vases and long legs. However, in business, Marvel, which has no vase and no long legs, can destroy DC and leave nothing behind.
Of course, Simon will not completely refer to Marvel when choosing the heroine, and he will not make a decision like in "Thor 3" where a Valkyrie character who was originally supposed to be blonde, white-skinned, and long-legged was replaced by a crude one for the sake of political correctness. A scumbag black girl, but at the same time, he will never allow some obviously inappropriate vases to appear in the movie universe he created for the sake of appearance.
Nicole just complained a little. She heard Simon say that she was not suitable, but she could not know the detailed reasons. She only thought that some of her own little actions that were good at making decisions had annoyed the young man in front of her.
After thinking for a while, Nicole said: "Simon, isn't Daenerys still planning to film "Wonder Woman"? Maybe, I can give it a try."
Simon looked at Nicole again and said with a smile: "You don't know that the role of Wonder Woman has been confirmed, right?"
"I know a little bit about that, Famke Janssen," Nicole nodded, but not willingly: "She is not as famous as me."
Simon gestured to the hall where the movie was being played and said, "Adam and Valerie are not as famous as you, but that won't necessarily be the case after "Batman" is released."
Nicole recalled the performance of the two on the big screen just now and did not doubt this. Therefore, thinking of Famke Janssen, Nicole felt an even stronger threat.
The woman, like her, was of the tall type, and also very beautiful. If she becomes more popular than herself in the future, she will definitely take away a lot of resources that should belong to her. There are not many roles left for tall actresses in Hollywood, not to mention, she will also have Simon Westeros. support.
Thinking of this, Nicole's expression turned resentful again, with a kind of pity that made men's hearts move, and said: "Simon, let me try the role of Wonder Woman, I promise that I will listen to you very much in the future. "