The Best Director

Chapter 405: Chapter 405: Lucky Charm

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Although the action crime film “Extremely Kidnappers 2” had poor reviews (Rotten Tomatoes 51%48%/68%), it still won the North American box office weekly championship for September 2-8, with guns and car chases shining on the screen once again. Seeing a burnt-out popcorn flick performing decently, the movie distributors who had fallen with big flops in the summer were naturally green with envy, knowing well that popcorn sells! Consequently, they were even more puzzled by Wang Yang’s recent actions, wondering why seek such big trouble?

Having Christopher Nolan direct a popcorn-style “The Dark Knight” might do even worse than Michael Bay’s total flop “Escape from Clone Island”; having him direct a “Nolan-style” “The Dark Knight,” the fate would be like Ang Lee’s “The Incredible Hulk” and Darren Aronofsky’s “Batman Begins”…

Ang Lee had an Oscar Best Director nomination (73rd, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), and Nolan had an Oscar Best Director nomination (77th, “Mr. Hughes 2”), but it is well known that a commercial film is a commercial film, and Michael Bay, a frequent candidate for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director, couldn’t even get a nomination for “MTV Best Director,” if such an award existed. In today’s scenario, where “Escape from Clone Island” is a catastrophic failure, Bay still stands firm, steering the already contracted “Transformers,” since he no longer needs to prove his commercial prowess—the movie could either make a comeback or plunge into the abyss.

However, the genre labels exhibited by “Memento” and “The Mr. Hughes Duology” point to Nolan as a niche director. He has his cinephiles; he has his fans; but this quirky Englishman hasn’t proven himself to be the kind of commercial blockbuster director who can sweep the globe, even his upcoming new film “The Prestige” isn’t expected to do well at the box office, lacking the credentials! Simply put, he’s a man who deals with art films; how can he revive Batman?

Who can imagine Martin Scorsese or Alfred Hitchcock directing “Spider-Man”? God knows if it could work, but it doesn’t seem fitting anyway.

“Jonathan, many people say we can’t do it… but we can,”

On a bright weekend, the Nolan brothers were still diligently discussing the work for the movie. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

A film starts with the script. After signing the contract with Firefly Films and Warner Brothers, with people like Alan F. Horn reluctantly accepting reality, Wang Yang quickly announced the new writing team structure. Aronofsky got the boot, leaving David S. Goyer, the Nolan brothers joined in, and everyone would build the core story structure together. Then Jonathan Nolan would be responsible for writing the script, with Wang Yang giving the final polish.

The group had already had a thorough discussion about the script. Since the story would continue on from the critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful first installment, no matter how dark, Wayne had endured a painful past he wished to forget, emerging from the tormenting memories and surpassing the person he had wanted to become. They must find new trials to torment him, both narratively and intellectually, so the sequel introduced the new major characters of District Attorney Harvey Dent and Batman’s arch-nemesis, Joker.

Unlike other sunny superheroes, Batman Wayne is a dark hero who, in achieving his goals, can be ruthless, yet like a knight, fights criminals and maintains law and order in Gotham City. However, as soon as Batman appears, chaos and disorder ensue around him, making it difficult to discern right from wrong with a clear moral view; he’s an anarchist. When another anarchist emerges, tilting the balance towards evil —Joker— and the just government-official-turned-evil-anarchist Two-Face, how does Batman face this? This is a clash and choice between faith, good and evil, right and wrong.

“I want to truly reflect on some issues through a story, starting from realism, where no one can be above the law, not even as a ‘vigilante.'”

In the bright and quiet study, the Nolan brothers sat around a small round table. Without much discussion, both knew that “The Dark Knight” would inevitably be a film styled in dark realism. The question was its commercial viability.

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Few people know that Christopher Nolan is also a fan of Michael Bay, and he never looks down on commercial and popcorn films. From “Following” to “Memento”, those could indeed be called niche CULT films; “Mr. Hughes” once brought him great confusion about how to deal with the relationship between story, storytellers, and the audience which watches it. Wang Yang’s words inspired him, and by “Mr. Hughes 2” he felt increasingly closer to finding that balance between commerce and art he had long sought; perhaps with “The Prestige”, perhaps “The Dark Knight”, he might taste that wonderful flavor.

“Batman and Two-Face both have to go through choices and trials, created by The Joker…” Jonathan Nolan said, nodding as he typed and recorded script thoughts on his laptop. Across from him, wearing a white shirt, the elder Nolan pondered and said, “What would Batman become if he lost his power? What kind of impact should The Joker have when he first appears? We need to excite the audience… First off, what kind of personality should our Joker have?”

The work of character setting was not solely the responsibility of the two brothers, as David S. Goyer, with unparalleled expertise of the original comics, was a key person in this regard; however, he was not present at this “family meeting”.

“Evil, insane, destructive, clever, manipulative…” Jonathan muttered these traits while typing, having had a direct portrayal of The Joker from a previous conversation with Wang Yang, which undoubtedly clarified the group’s thoughts as if the clouds had parted to reveal the sun.

Reflecting on Wang Yang’s words, the elder Nolan looked entranced at the stack of Batman comics on the table and said, “Yang is right. We must awaken some memories that have been buried deep, which are the essence of the original comics that have accumulated and sedimented over time. This is what people truly think of Batman, and it’s also what can most excite and resonate with them. The Joker is not just a criminal; his main motive is to transform Gotham City into that state because of his deep-rooted anarchism… ”

Both brothers knew they needed to read all of the Batman comics thoroughly to find that essence transcending the comics; but the team’s tacit agreement was not to be faithful to the comics. For the sake of their story, comic characters could be changed, including their gender. Comic books were like parts in a market; they took the elements they needed to serve the story, which was a major difference from “Batman Begins”. Their priority was not to explore issues or reproduce comics, but to tell a story.

Making the audience feel excited and tense is a major element of a blockbuster’s success, so the clever and evil Joker must make a heart-shocking appearance, enhancing the audience’s interest and patience to watch further, allowing enough flexibility to develop the story.

Regardless of the script, the elder Nolan needed to find a deeper sense of direction, including watching some classic films for inspiration and analysis, such as “Firefly”, “Blade Runner”, and the ’89 Batman. The approximate theme of “The Dark Knight” was part of “Firefly”, and Batman VS Joker was a bit like Blue Glove VS The Predator’s boss; the discussion of political views and good and evil was also highly perceptive. He needed to contemplate the grand cinematic control exhibited by “Firefly”, the style and tone of “Blade Runner”… he needed to slowly accumulate some energy and feelings.

The clock on the wall ticked second by second, minute by minute, and the Nolan brothers’ discussion did not stop, no matter how the outside world doubted, ridiculed, or even mocked them. The brothers had only one thought: seize the opportunity, do their job well, and absolutely turn “The Dark Knight” into a critically and commercially successful classic film in cinema history, not to let the magical Wang Yang down, nor themselves! They had to show the world their capability, to know Wang Yang’s decision was not the slightest bit wrong!

Although Wang Yang could provide many mature ideas, filmmaking is team work. One person’s understanding isn’t enough – others need to grasp it too. The most straightforward words could only create a hazy and ethereal atmosphere; everyone needed to find the same page, so script development would still be a lengthy process; especially for Nolan as the director, who required time to transition. But neither Wang Yang nor the Nolan family were in a hurry; they had to first finish another project, “The Prestige”, which was in its final stages of preparation.

Another project recently launched by Flame Movies, “Oldboy”, was also fraught with skepticism. Wang Yang had no interest in participating in its production affairs, not wanting to deal with twisted and perverted ideas as his daughter’s year-end approached. Not every FF project would have Wang Yang’s involvement; the newly appointed Vice President of the production department, Lin Wei, would act as the executive producer for “Oldboy”, managing script, casting, production, and other affairs, and pushing the project forward.

Having been dubbed “Popcorn-Lin” by the media for the physics-defying “Furious Cars”, Lin Yibin was now ecstatic about receiving a dream directing opportunity. He was not going to be discouraged by external skepticism; it would only fuel his motivation! And from Flame Movies came full encouragement and confidence, a truly invigorating work status. He was almost ready to throw away the microphone for “Furious Cars 2”, though of course, he wouldn’t really do that.

However, in interviews with the media, Lin Yibin made no effort to hide his joy and confidence: “I don’t know why everyone thinks I’m just a commercial director; in fact, that’s not the case. I come from an independent film background, and I’ve never stopped pursuing independent films, never and ever. The experience of making mainstream commercial films has even refined my thinking on art films. ‘Oldboy’ is a very complex story, and I am grateful that Jessica entrusted it to me, as now I can make the revenge movie that I really want to make.”

Lin Yibin’s comments published in the Los Angeles Times did not garner much support. Besides the fact that ‘Better Luck Tomorrow’ did not achieve a definitive success, lacking social impact and awards; ‘Furious Cars’ also suggested that he was a director willing to concoct stories purely for the thrill of adrenaline. With such an attitude, how could his work be considered artistic? Clearly, popcorn movies seemed to be the more suitable path for him. As for where the road with ‘Oldboy’ would lead, people would only find out when it was released in 2008.

“Jessica is considering Jon Favreau to direct ‘Iron Man'” — Yahoo Entertainment

In the past few days, the media had revealed fresh news not only about ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Oldboy’ but also Wang Yang’s other production plans. He had set his sights on Jon Favreau as the director for ‘Iron Man,’ which was slated for release in the summer of 2007.

Jon Favreau, who has not yet turned 39 (born on October 19, 1966), is from New York. After graduating high school, he ventured into society, trying jobs ranging from a garage cleaner to an office clerk on Wall Street. After a few years, he realized that what he truly wanted was to be an actor, so he moved to Chicago and then to Hollywood. However, despite many years in the acting business and roles ranging from extras to supporting characters—his most significant television achievement being a six-episode appearance in season four of ‘Friends’ as “Pete Becker”—he didn’t make a notable name for himself as an actor. On the contrary, he discovered his own talents in scriptwriting, directing, and producing.

In 1996, Favreau’s screenwriting debut, the crime comedy ‘Swingers,’ made on a budget of $200,000, achieved an excellent box office performance of $5.455 million, which also began to push his friend and lead actor, Vince Vaughn, to stardom. This small commercial miracle caught the attention of independent film companies, and in 2001, the new independent production company Cardiff Giant invested $5 million for him to write, direct, produce, and star in ‘MADE.’ Unexpectedly, the global box office ended up at $5.48 million, and to this day, Cardiff Giant has not produced a second film.

Since Artisan Entertainment was the distributor for ‘MADE,’ and Flame Films had acquired Artisan, this loss-making movie became a part of Flame Films’ catalog.

Nonetheless, an undaunted Favreau still received an opportunity to direct a fantasy comedy with a production budget of $33 million. The movie ‘Elf,’ funded by six independent companies including New Line, was released in November 2003. The film grossed $173 million in North America and $222 million worldwide, not only establishing Favreau as a sought-after commercial director but also becoming one of New Line’s rare recent successes. Following that, Jon Favreau splendidly directed ‘Zathura: A Space Adventure’ for Columbia with a production cost of $66 million, set to premiere on November 11 of this year.

Although Favreau’s talents beyond comedy remain to be tested by time and the market, at least for now, this appears to be the most normal and correct decision Wang Yang has made in a while, to the extent that even detractors found it hard to criticize. No one knew what ‘Iron Man’ would look like, as there was not even a script at the time, but Favreau seemed like a very promising choice. Both comic book fans and movie enthusiasts had every reason to be highly anticipatory.

New Line was also very happy with Wang Yang’s selection, with chairman Robert Shaye and CEO Michael Lynne praising that “Favreau is our lucky charm!” The two gentlemen in their sixties could finally sleep soundly, fearing the possibility of James Wan directing. A comedy version would surely sell better than a horror version, right?

In fact, this was not the turn of events that Wang Yang had hoped to see. It wasn’t about whether the two gentlemen would have nightmares, but rather, Wang had intended to contact Favreau after the release of ‘Zathura: A Space Adventure’ because he knew the movie had bombed at the box office…

$29.25 million in North American box office, $64.32 million worldwide! According to the Future Film Information Database, Wang Yang was aware that ‘Zathura: A Space Adventure,’ despite receiving a fresh rating from critics, had alienated the audience. With only $13.42 million from 3,223 theaters on its opening weekend (an average of $4,166 per theater), there was no need to think too hard to understand that Jon Favreau had suddenly gone from red-hot to a hot potato after the catastrophic returns that left Columbia in the red.

The contract that New Line signed with Firefly stipulated that Wang Yang must at least be the producer and screenwriter for “Iron Man,” and Firefly had also added a clause that gave Wang Yang absolute say in the production, essentially allowing him to decide on the director.

Originally, Wang Yang intended to keep it a secret, but seeing that Justin Lin was no longer available and Joss Whedon showed no interest, combined with the bizarre decision that seemed to suggest that ‘Magical Yang’ had bumped his head, Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne were extremely anxious. They kept asking incessantly, and the two old men would not give up until they got an answer, even if Wang Yang said, “There’s no candidate list for now,” they refused to believe it. Harassed to near breakdown, Wang Yang simply revealed his plan, to the satisfaction of the two veterans who also thought that one could never have too much publicity. So, taking advantage of the release phase of “Zathura: A Space Adventure,” they decided it wouldn’t hurt to draft off Jon Favreau’s rising wind. Therefore, New Line let the news slip.

“I just knew it!” When Wang Yang heard the news, he really felt a bit of a headache. He had instructed them not to spread rumors under the pretext of not having a final decision yet. Did “Iron Man” lack a few rumours to buzz about? He didn’t want to say it wasn’t about bargaining with Jon Favreau, but rather, post “Zathura: A Space Adventure,” he would inevitably face a misjudged glance, he wasn’t bothered for himself. The key issue was that the external skepticism towards Nolan and Lin Yibin would intensify, thereby causing unnecessary pressure on them.

Blaming himself for the trouble he had brought upon the two, Wang Yang could only shake his head. It was his fault for thinking that the two old men would keep the secret. His own attitude had been rather casual. He didn’t know whether, when the time came, Shaye and Lynne would still say, “Favreau is our lucky charm?” However, as things had already taken place, Wang Yang had no intention of changing his choice and thus formally reached out to invite Jon Favreau, who expressed his interest but needed time to think it over. He would wait until after “Zathura: A Space Adventure” was released and after reading the “Iron Man” script before making a decision.

The good news that weekend was that after more than a month, the cast could finally be removed. Wang Yang had another X-ray taken at the hospital, which showed that the broken bones in his right hand had healed, and from now on, he would be focusing on functional training and maintenance.

“Huh, huh!” Under the bright, warm morning sun of an early autumn Sunday, Wang Yang threw several punches with his right hand on the back lawn of a residence in Palo Alto, frowning deeply as the bones in his hand ached slightly. However, his main concern was with the same strength; his punches were not as fast as before. There always seemed to be something not quite right. Having trained in martial arts and fought for many years, he had sustained many injuries, but this was his first bone fracture. He knew recovery would require patience and time. What if it didn’t heal properly?

Feeling a surge of irritability at these thoughts, he couldn’t help but throw a punch with even more force: “Damn it!” He also kicked the grass on the lawn: “FUCK!”

“Yang…” Jessica called out softly, standing to the side with a look of worry and affection on her face. She understood how he felt. Not far away, Danny tilted his ears in curiosity and walked over to nudge Wang Yang’s shin with his mouth and nose. Wang Yang bent down to gently stroke it with his right hand, then looked up and smiled at her, “It’s nothing.” Jessica also smiled, offering comfort and encouragement: “Master, take it easy, it will get better.”

Wang Yang nodded silently, looking up at the blue sky and white clouds above. The dazzling sunlight caused him to squint, while the tenderness of his beloved soothed his mind. He said, “I shouldn’t be like this. What right have I got to complain? Think about the people in the Katrina affected zones, while we are comfortably basking in the sun.” Jessica also looked up at the sky: “Yes, we need to be grateful. Hey! How about this?” She suggested with a smile: “I won’t hit you anymore, and even if I do… I’ll let you use one hand!”

“You’ve reminded me,” Wang Yang said with a smile as he stood up, putting his right hand behind his back and hopping about on his feet, swinging his left hand at her haphazardly: “I can still beat you with one hand. It’s okay! As long as I can beat you, that’s enough.” Jessica turned around, presenting her swollen belly to his fist and asked in puzzlement, “Why?” Taking the opportunity, Wang Yang caressed her belly and winked mischievously, “I’ll tell you why tonight… or now?” Jessica rolled her eyes and let him pull her towards the house, reluctantly laughing and yelling, “NO! I said NO! I’m going to watch TV.”

As days passed, the weekend ended and production on “500 Days of Summer” resumed, while the footsteps of the 57th Emmy Awards in 2005 gradually approached. (.)