America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

Morocco, Astra Film City.

The "Inception" crew rented six sound stages for setting up scenes, which still weren't enough for Nolan, the real-shot fanatic. There were three additional groups in Paris, Los Angeles, and Canada, constructing other real-life sets for filming.

With Martin and Mene arriving from France, the main cast was now complete.

In the morning, just as the crew started work, Michael Caine and Tom Hardy got out of their car, ready to head to the office building for a meeting.

From the opposite Cadillac, two people got out.

Tom Hardy scratched his face and asked, "Is that Martin?"

Without waiting for Michael Caine to reply, Martin came over with a smile, "Long time no see."

Seeing that familiar smile, Michael Caine felt a pang in his heart and nodded slightly, "Long time no see."

Martin quickly walked out of the parking lot.

Tom Hardy curiously asked, "Is this the man who caused Bale to have a psychological barrier?"

Michael Caine suddenly became very serious, "You've been working hard in England and might not be clear on some situations. Tom, in this crew, it doesn't matter who you provoke, even if you anger Nolan, at worst you'll get replaced."

He warned solemnly, "But absolutely do not provoke Martin Davis, remember that!"

Tom Hardy, previously not very involved in Hollywood, "Is he really that frightening?"

Michael Caine said, "He's the real-life Joker, or perhaps even scarier than the Joker."

Tom Hardy was puzzled.

Michael Caine, not wanting this junior to become the next Bale, said, "The Joker, you know he's a bad guy just by looking. Martin, most people think he's a good person, even a great one, after seeing him."

Now Tom Hardy understood and said, "Just work normally, without interfering with each other."

Michael Caine said, "Let's go."

On the other side, Martin went straight into Nolan's office.

Nolan opened his arms and warmly embraced him, "Congratulations on winning at Cannes again."

Martin laughed, "I got lucky this time."

Nolan invited him to sit and said, "When we promote this film, besides the Oscar winner label, we can also use the Cannes Best Actor slogan, which will have a greater impact in Europe."

Martin said, "I hope we can achieve great success once again."

"Success doesn't just depend on the film itself." Nolan, after "The Dark Knight," felt this even more keenly, "We need to think of more strategies for marketing and promotion."

Martin wholeheartedly agreed, "Chris, you always have inspiration in that regard."

The two had worked together on "The Dark Knight" and had an understanding, Nolan said smilingly, "Be active in the crew, stir up some events; that way, you can inspire my creativity."

Writing the true behind-the-scenes for "The Dark Knight" seemed easy, but the ease was due to everything that happened in the crew, which always sparked his creativity.

Without inspiration, it's hard to write true behind-the-scenes.

Martin wasn't shy at all, "You can count on me, I'm always the most active one in the crew."

Nolan had even more confidence in Martin's antics than in his acting skills, smiled, and nodded. He took a small box out of his desk drawer and handed it to Martin, "Your key prop. Get familiar with it as soon as possible."

Martin opened the box and found a metal top inside. He spun it, and the top began to rotate on the office desk.

Nolan watched, "You play it well, seems like you don't need to get familiar with it."

"Chris, I have an idea about the top," Martin said, recalling a previous film's ending after seeing the script's typical Hollywood happy ending provided for the top.

That film ending for Nolan was like Tom Cruise to Nicole Kidman, something always brought up first for promotion when needed.

Martin offered proactively, "About the ending, I have an idea that perhaps could be used in marketing and promotion."

Nolan, having collaborated with Martin before, knew he was reliable, "Let's hear it."

Martin suggested, "At the end, would it be possible to have Cobb's top keep spinning?"

As a typical marketing-oriented director beyond film production, Nolan immediately grasped Martin's idea, "If we handle this ending well in our marketing and promotion, could it spark widespread media discussion and interpretations, giving the audience more space for imagination and opportunity to think?"

He slowed his speech, his brain in overdrive, and pressed down on the top, "Making the film more profound and impactful!"

Martin was well aware of where the boundary between the lead actor and director was, "The specifics still need your decision."

Nolan, however, grabbed Martin's arm, "Exactly, choosing Martin Davis is never a mistake."

Martin laughed heartily, slapping Nolan's hand, "Choosing Christopher Nolan is eternally correct!"

A few minutes later, the two joined Emma Thomas and entered the meeting room together.

The other main actors had already arrived.

Martin glanced around; aside from the lead supporting actor Mene, there was the often-employed Michael Caine and Cillian Murphy by Nolan, and several other actors were also familiar faces.

There was Marion Cotillard, who played his wife, the recently seen Tom Hardy, and others like Ellen Page and Ken Watanabe.

Martin pulled out a chair and sat at the first position on the right side of the conference table.

Opposite him, Marion smiled at him.

Martin nodded in response.

Next to him, Ellen Page reached out her hand, "Martin, we meet again."

Martin remembered they had talked at the Oscar ceremony and said, "Red Riding Hood in 'Hard Candy,' Shadowcat in 'X-Men,' are both roles that I really love."

He gently shook Ellen's hand, "I didn't expect we would be able to work together so soon."

Ellen was petite but a seasoned actor in Hollywood, and she willingly leaned toward Martin, "I'm your dream architect assistant."

Martin chuckled, "You're a good assistant."

On the opposite side, Tom Hardy slightly curled his lips, showing disdain for Ellen's behavior.

Forming cliques within a crew was nothing unusual, with Michael Caine, Cillian Murphy, and Tom Hardy, the trio of English actors, sitting together and forming an English group.

Martin, Mene, and Ellen Page formed the American group.

Director Nolan now sat at the head of the conference table and said, "In the coming months, we'll be working together, and I hope everything goes smoothly."

He picked up the script, "Let's start reading the script now."

The script reading didn't go too smoothly. The plot of 'Inception' was too abstract on paper, and there was little to expect from the literary accomplishments of the stars.

Apart from Martin and Mene, who had been specially trained by Emma Thomas, the others had endless questions.

The script meeting planned for the morning had to be postponed and lasted an entire day.

Nolan, not worried about actors leaking spoilers, carefully answered all sorts of questions to reduce difficulties during shooting.

Besides these, including Mene, members of Cobb's team needed to undergo necessary physical and firearms training, as there would be many intense confrontations in the dreams.

For Martin, these action scenes were easy, nothing compared to the filming of 'John Wick.'

Mene had been mingling with Martin for a long time, and in terms of both gun use and physical movement, he was above the average male actor.

After training ended for the day, Martin showered, changed clothes, and when he came to the office, he ran into Ellen Horn, the CEO of Warner Bros.

After greeting him, she said, "Got time? Let's have a chat."

Martin pointed toward the entertainment rest area and asked, "When did you get here?"

Ellen Horn replied, "I arrived in Morocco this morning and immediately came to the set. This is Warner Bros.'s biggest project for next year."

Unlike 'The Dark Knight,' which was co-produced by Legendary Pictures and DC Comics, 'Inception' was both predominantly produced and invested in by Warner Bros.

Martin joked, "Worried we might have issues?"

"With you and Nolan teaming up, how could there be any issues." Ellen Horn mentioned 'The Dark Knight,' which had concluded its global screenings, "Your last film grossed a final worldwide box office of 1.25 billion US dollars."

She added, "Second only to James Cameron's 'Titanic.'

Hearing James Cameron, Martin exclaimed, "That's a miraculous director, managing to make an original film the top grosser worldwide."

There was only one James Cameron in Hollywood.

Ellen Horn then said, "Your 'John Wick' did well too. If I remember correctly, the production cost was only 40 million US dollars, right? Now it's made 200 million US dollars at the North American box office!"

Martin spoke the truth, "The market potential is almost exhausted; the North American box office will just be a little over 200 million US dollars."

He wasn't underestimating himself, "Overseas, we expect some more earnings. If the global box office surpasses 400 million US dollars, I will surely praise God."

Ellen Horn inquired, "Started working on the sequel?"

"It's in the planning stages." Martin speculated and specifically mentioned, "Ellen, Daniel has already got involved ahead of time."

Ellen Horn sighed, "That guy, always so quick to act."

Martin just smiled without a reply; he and Daniel had collaborated many times in distribution along with Louise, and without major conflicts, of course, they would continue their partnership.

At that moment, Ellen Horn asked, "Have you been following the North American summer box office recently?"

"I first attended the Cannes Film Festival and stayed in Cannes for half a month. After the festival ended, I flew directly to Morocco." Martin had been focused, "I haven't paid much attention to the North American summer box office."
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"Warner Bros.' major investment project premiered last weekend." Ellen Horn referred to 'Terminator 2018,' which almost led to a fallout with Martin.

At the time, he offered Martin the role of savior John Connor, which Martin politely declined; later, Christian Bale was invited to take the part.

Hearing this, Martin knew what she was talking about but didn't ask proactively.

Ellen Horn continued on her own, "'Terminator 2018' failed, both critically and at the box office, not meeting Warner Bros.' expectations."

The Rotten Tomatoes freshness was only 33%, and the average CinemaScore from audiences was C+.

She was quite upset, "North America's opening weekend brought in only 42.25 million US dollars in box office revenue."