Frank Marshall repeated a few words of persuasion, and the cautious Spielberg and others refused to let go of the schedule of "The Matrix 3" in early November. He had no choice but to give up, and at the same time couldn't help sighing .
Thinking of the last time he discussed with Microsoft about the second capital injection to Amberlin Films but was rejected by the other party on the grounds that the company's cash flow was tight, Frank Marshall once again had the idea of leaving.
How could Microsoft, with a market value of more than 200 billion U.S. dollars, be short of money? Obviously, the other party found that the development of Amberlin Films was far below their expectations, and they no longer had expectations for this company.
In the past, DreamWorks can also be said to have been tossing around with great momentum for several years, and was once regarded as a threat by traditional Hollywood studios.
But only a few years later, the three partners, David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Katzenberg, although still wearing the name of DreamWorks on the surface, actually parted ways. Yes, the continuous losses have also made the capital that was frantically chasing and trying to buy shares at first avoid it.
Although the composition of the current Amberlin Films has changed in various aspects, it is obviously still on the old path.
While Amblin Films was arguing about the release schedule of "The Matrix 3", Playa Vista Firefly Studios, Eric and Cameron were also arguing.
Today was originally the audition day for the heroine of "Spider-Man", and Firefly has been following up on this project, so as soon as Cameron expressed his intention to start filming, a lot of work was advanced very quickly.
The audition was supposed to start at nine o'clock, but it was already half past nine, and more than 30 candidate girls were waiting in the corridor outside the audition, nervously or excitedly. Put everyone aside.
It turned out that in recent days, Cameron suddenly had the idea of directly using a 3D camera to shoot "Spider-Man".
Cameron has always been very keen on Firefly's RealD plan, so he also put forward many suggestions in the process of advancing this plan.
According to the production schedule, "Spider-Man" will naturally be released in 3D and IMAX formats.
While continuously improving and perfecting the 3D conversion technology, the digital field is also developing corresponding dual-camera 3D cameras, but the progress in this area is far less than that of the RealD projection system.
Therefore, Eric was naturally very upset when he heard Cameron's thoughts.
"Spider-Man" has already been delayed for a whole year. If we have to wait for the development of the 3D camera to be completed, it will be the year of the monkey. Although the two have a good relationship in private, when it comes to movies, they are different. Concessions inevitably lead to disputes.
"Jim, although the current 3D conversion technology in the digital field is definitely not perfect, there is nothing perfect in this world. Moreover, a complete set of technical specifications from production to projection in the digital field will not fall behind even after ten years , this is definitely the most suitable industry model for 3D movies.”
"Eric, I don't deny that the dual-camera polarized 3D in the digital field is infinitely stronger than the traditional red and blue 3D, but it is not real 3D after all. Only the 3D pictures shot by 3D cameras are more perfect. Don't you Don't you want to make it more perfect?"
If he didn't know much about 3D movies before, Eric might agree with Cameron's point of view, but now, his understanding of 3D movies is no less than the other party: "Jim, in my opinion, there is no What is true 3D and fake 3D? If you have seen the prototype of a 3D camera, you should know that the shots shot with a 3D camera also need to be converted. What’s more, those CG shots with pure special effects cannot be shot with a 3D camera. 3D The foundation of a movie is 3D visual reconstruction. Whether it is 2D conversion or direct use of 3D camera material, as long as it can present a shocking stereoscopic visual effect to the audience, it is good 3D. Using a 3D camera is more like shortening the production process. 2D conversion is equivalent to using wheat to make bread step by step, and 3D camera shooting is equivalent to directly taking flour to make bread."
Cameron gestured in his hands, and raised his voice to retort; "That's not the case at all. There is a big gap between the two methods. In the clips of "Jurassic Park" you converted, the proportions of different characters in some pictures are completely out of order. , If you use a 3D camera to shoot, this kind of problem will not occur."
Due to the need to divide the original image into two and recreate the stereoscopic depth of field, the 2D conversion does have the flaws that Cameron said, and some scenes in the converted shots will appear out of proportion.
"This kind of problem is not obvious at all, and it can be completely eliminated through technical improvement. The conversion studio has set up a technical public relations team. Moreover, you didn't use a 3D camera to shoot the movie. How can you be sure that it is not The same problem will occur, not to mention, with the current technical level of 3D cameras, if this method is forced to shoot in a short period of time, the possibility of problems will be higher. If the 2D conversion score is 80 points, the 3D shooting technology in the short term is at best It can be counted as 60 points. It takes at least two or three years to obtain fully mature 3D photography technology, do you plan to wait another three years?"
Cameron understood that what Eric said was basically the truth. Facing a guy who knew better than him, it was impossible to fool him.
So the momentum finally weakened slightly, and he also knew that "Spider-Man" could not be delayed for another three years.
Eric indulged him to spend more than 200 million on the filming of "Titanic". Although the film finally created a box office miracle, he always remembered this kindness.
Although he pursues perfection, Cameron is not unreasonable. On the contrary, he is a very loyal person.
However, Cameron didn't want to admit defeat for a while, poked his neck, and said angrily: "I can afford to wait."
Seeing Cameron's appearance, Eric hid a smile in his heart and said, "Okay, we'll talk about this later, so many people are still waiting, so audition first."
Saying that, without waiting for Cameron to answer, Eric said to the casting director: "Let's start."
Everyone in the room was relieved. Although it was quite insightful to hear the two big brothers arguing, even Jon Landau, who was sitting next to him, was worried that the two would really fall out or something.
When the casting director heard Eric's words, he went out without any hesitation. After a while, the first audition girl walked in, but it was Kirsten Dunst.
Kirsten Dunst was born as a Hollywood child star, regardless of age, appearance or acting experience, all meet the audition criteria. In fact, this is basically the case for girls who can enter this round of auditions. Opportunities at this level are rarely open to newcomers.
Although she waited for more than half an hour inexplicably, Kirsten Dunst didn't see anything unusual on her expression, and introduced herself gracefully: "Mr. Williams, Mr. Cameron, Mr. Landau, Good morning everyone, I'm Kirsten Dunst…”
In Hollywood, everyone is not unfamiliar. After a brief introduction of myself, the audition officially started.
Compared with Lolita in "Interview with the Vampire" back then, Kirsten Dunst's figure at this time was slim and tall, but her face didn't quite fit Eric's aesthetics.
The former Mary Jane is still Kirsten Dunst's first impression in Eric's mind.
However, none of these can have much impact on today's audition.
Whether Kirsten Dunst is also suitable for the role of Gwen Stacy depends on factors such as her audition results today and her fit with the leading actor Stuart Runkel.
Although it is a superhero movie that does not pay much attention to emotional drama, if the male and female protagonists have a good sense of CP, they can still bring unexpected popularity bonuses.
After patiently watching a few parts of Kirsten Dunst's performance, several people asked some questions, and the audition ended quickly.
Today, there are more than 30 girls to go through, and it is naturally impossible to leave too much time for each girl.
When Kirsten Dunst left the room, Cameron seemed to have completely forgotten about the dispute with Eric just now, and commented professionally: "The appearance is good, and the acting skills are enough, but I think her temperament and Gwen Stacy is not suitable, but is more suitable for Peter Parker's other girlfriend."
Eric smiled and said, "Mary Jane?"
Cameron nodded and said, "If she wants, this role can be handed over to her directly."
In the newly set script, although Gwen Stacy is definitely the first heroine, Mary Jane, who is Peter Parker's neighbor, also plays a part.
According to the long-term plot setting, after Gwen Stacy's death, Mary Jane's role may increase. However, this is not absolute, after all, the future plot must conform to the arrangements of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.
However, at this time, Cameron said that Kirsten Dunst is suitable for Mary Jane. Naturally, it is not the same reason as Eric, but in the comic setting, Mary Jane is a relatively ordinary girl. , but Gwen Stacy belongs to the school beauty level. In this way, Kirsten Dunst is not beautiful enough.
After discussing a few words, Eric naturally would not object to Cameron's proposal, and Mary Jane is not a role that needs to be discussed repeatedly, so this matter has been settled.
As for whether Kirsten Dunst would agree to play this supporting role, no one present was too worried.
Although Kirsten Dunst is well-known, strictly speaking, her current status in Hollywood can only be considered as a second-tier celebrity. If she plays the leading role in "Spider-Man", the other party can only get a 300,000 yuan Base remuneration in US dollars.
What's more, after "Titanic", there are not many stars in Hollywood who would refuse to participate in Cameron's film, even if it is a small supporting role.
After finalizing this matter, the audition continued until noon. When the last audition girl walked in before lunch, Eric's eyes couldn't help but brighten.
The girl in front of her was not too tall, but her figure was well proportioned. She was wearing a pink jacket and blue jeans, with beautiful blond hair, and the most important thing was her sweet face with a bit of a baby face.
Well, Eric is not immune to babyface.
The girl stood still in front of the camera, and introduced herself generously: "Hi everyone, I am Keri Russell. I have had several years of performance experience in the Mickey Mouse Club. In recent years, I have also participated in "Wood "Dr. Dragon" and other films, I have loved reading comics since I was a child, and I really hope to try some characters like Gwen Stacy."
In the profile in hand, Keri Russell can be said to be a pure Disney child star. "Dr. Oolong" was also a Disney comedy in the past two years, but she is several years older than Britney and others.
At the beginning, Eric invited several children from the Mickey Mouse Club to the Pointe Manor, but Kelly Russell was not among them. Thinking about it carefully, the rehearsal that day was a children's play, and Kelly Russell might be too old. Did not participate.
Looking at the girl in front of him, Eric remembered that the other party seemed to have starred in "Mission: Impossible 3", but that character was unlucky and was killed by a miniature bomb implanted in the brain.
After Keri Russell introduced herself, the room was quiet for two seconds. Jon Landau turned his head and took a look. Cameron happened to be writing something quickly in a notebook. Eric looked down at the document in front of him. The folder also seemed to be in deep thought, so he spoke first: "Then, Miss Russell, first tell me your understanding of the role of Gwen Stacy."
Keri Russell was also a little dazed. She was full of confidence at first, but the two most important figures in this room obviously deserted, which made her nervous and flustered inevitably.
Keri Russell didn't know much about Cameron, but she still had some contact with some partners in the Mickey Mouse Club. She even knew some of Christina's close relationship with Eric Williams.
Originally, I took the initiative to mention my experience in the Mickey Mouse Club in order to improve my relationship with Eric Williams, but now it seems that it didn't seem to have any effect.
"I don't know about the script of the movie, but as far as the comics are concerned, Gwen Stacy is a very smart and confident girl, but at the same time, like many comic characters, she also has her own shortcomings..."
Due to the preparations made in advance, Keri Russell still answered Jon Landau's questions fluently, although her emotions were disturbed. However, her mood was no longer relaxed, and her tone of voice inevitably became a bit dry.
Influenced by the last audition girl, Cameron suddenly came up with some script revision inspiration, worried that he would forget, and just wrote it down in a notebook in a hurry.
Putting down the pen, he turned his attention to the girl in front of him, and he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when he heard the other party's obviously unstable performance.
Eric also came back to his senses quickly, and looked at Kelly Russell together with Cameron. He also noticed the other party's problem, but Eric would not take the responsibility on himself and Cameron.
Being calm about changes should be regarded as the basic quality of any interviewer. If you can't do it, you can't blame others for anything that happens.
For Kelly Russell, Eric only became interested in it for a short time, and naturally he would not make any plans to open the door just because the other party has a cute baby face.
After Keri Russell finished her understanding of Gwen Stacy's role, Eric signaled the assistant to randomly select a page of lines, handed it to the other party, and said, "Kelly, let's try a performance first." .”