America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

"No way, he's still sticking to the old tricks."

In the Brooklyn Studio soundstage, Nicholson looked at the halted film set and said to Martin, "At this rate, he still won't stand a chance for Best Actor."

Martin stated a fact, "Everyone knows Leo is gunning for the Oscar; he himself wants that Oscar to prove himself, which has led to a situation where the jury's expectations for him are extremely high—much higher than for the average actor."

Nicholson agreed, "The same role, the same acting, the same PR—if someone else could win Best Actor, Leo couldn't."

Jennifer Lawrence stood by serenely, not saying much.

By their side, three crew assistants stared at Martin and Nicholson as if they were guarding against thieves.

These people were all Scorsese's confidants.

Scorsese, sitting in the director's chair, also glanced this way from time to time, obviously not quite trusting Martin and Nicholson.

Martin said, "The director doesn't seem to trust us."

"He doesn't trust you!" Nicholson asked, "Was the butter your doing?"

Martin looked innocent, "What butter?"

Nicholson pointed at him, "The butter on my pants, and on Leo's butt."

Martin's mouth dropped open in shock, "Jack, did you really use butter on Leo? God, how could you do such a thing, Leo sees you as a boss!"

Possibly due to the convincing performance, Jennifer Lawrence was influenced and turned to Nicholson, her eyes filled with undisguisable shock.

Nicholson said angrily, "I swear you and Leo, these two idiots, will be the death of me."

"Don't worry, don't worry," Martin quickly reassured, "I trust that Leo will take good care of Lorraine."

Nicholson grimaced, "You do have a way with words, can't you just stop talking?"

Martin made a zip-the-lip gesture and glanced at his wristwatch, "I've got an appointment, gotta go."

Nicholson waved him off, willing the jerk to leave quickly.

Once Martin had left, Jennifer Lawrence came over.

Nicholson was still concerned about his reputation in such matters, "I never contemplated using any butter or anything like it."

Jennifer Lawrence nodded mechanically.

"I believe you." Lawrence leaned in a bit, lowering her voice, "If you want to use butter, just let me know, you can try it on me."

Nicholson paused, then waved his hand dismissively.

It was a distinct state of mind, but the person who had triggered that special state of mind had already checked in with God.

On set, thanks to Martin's special treatment, Leonardo's condition had completely recovered, maybe even a bit overstimulated by the butter incident, as most of his scenes today passed in one or two takes.

This also afforded him more rest.

While the female supporting actress Michel Williams walked by from nearby, Leonardo, thinking of that jerk Martin, found a chair to sit in, "Mixia, your counterpart performance just now was spot on."

"Thank you," Michel replied graciously, "It's mainly because you found your form again."

Leonardo smiled, "You might have heard, that jerk Martin cured my fear with fear itself," he then changed the topic, "Do you have a tiny misunderstanding with Martin?"

Michel didn't deny it, and after thinking for a moment, said, "A little bit, yeah."

Leo, with devilish intent, "Martin and I are very good friends—as are you and I. I don't want there to be misunderstandings between friends. How about this, I'll set up a meeting with Martin, and you two can clear the air over this little misunderstanding?"

Michel looked at Leonardo, seeming to ponder for a few seconds, "That's not necessary, my misunderstanding with Martin was due to my ex-boyfriend Heath Ledger; now that Heath Ledger and I have broken up, there's no misunderstanding to speak of anymore."

Leo, undeterred, "Well, we can address it when the opportunity arises."

Michel nodded with a smile.

...

Leaving Brooklyn Studio, Martin returned to Manhattan, where he met with Bradt, a screenwriter under contract with Davis Studio, in a hotel café.

During the filming of "John Wick," Scorsese's producer Graham had introduced novelist Chuck Hogan to Martin, from whom Martin had purchased the adaptation rights to "Prince of Thieves."

After filming, Graham and Chuck Hogan went to the novel's setting, Boston, and immersed themselves in the local life for a long period, adapting the novel's screenplay based on their observations and experiences.

The screenplay had just completed its first draft.

Bradt handed the neatly arranged screenplay copy to Martin, "Chuck Hogan and I had major creative differences when adapting the screenplay. He wanted to dig into the roots of Charlestown, the setting of the story, to explore its underlying causes, and delve into deep topics like the complexity of human nature."

Martin furrowed his brow slightly, "I recall the novel itself leaned more towards entertainment."

"Perhaps influenced by other writers around him, he believed artistic achievement and storytelling depth should outweigh entertainment." Bradt shrugged, "I persuaded him to cut out a lot of the complexity. Charlestown is simply a backdrop, with the focus on bank robbery, ensuring the screenplay retains ample entertainment and storytelling value."

Martin nodded, "You did well, it's a commercial film first and foremost, and everything else second."

Bradt said, "A director who understands the Boston area would be more suitable for shooting this film, maybe Director Scorsese..."

Martin slowly shook his head, "Forget it, the budget for this project isn't that high."

Scorsese's most commercially successful film to date is "Infernal Affairs".

Most of the time, the esteemed director's films rely on the offline market to slowly recoup and turn a profit.

How could you hire Scorsese without a budget of around a hundred million US dollars?

Martin flipped open the screenplay and briefly skimmed the beginning, which kicked off with a bank robbery scene that was full of highlights.

The three-act structure of the plot was very compact, with a special emphasis placed on the male protagonist's role.

Over the years, Bradt's screenplay writing skills had improved notably. Although his last work, "John Wick," barely allowed for any creative room and merely involved stringing together action scenes conceptualized by the director, this time, his adaptation was commendable.

Martin was not much of a scholar, but having read numerous screenplays, he could generally tell the good from the bad.

The script's story resembled an intriguing derivative, mixing multiple elements together.

Having briefly flipped through it, Martin put the draft aside and said, "The overall story doesn't have a problem. I'll have a detailed look at the other aspects later. This project might not be executed until next year; you still have time to refine it."

Bradt replied, "I will go back to Boston and live there until the crew is formed; being immersed in the local atmosphere will give me more creativity and inspiration."

He believed there was still room to adjust the script: "There are many elderly people in the area who lived through that crime-ridden era, and they are willing to talk to me. From their stories, I can glean more interesting tales, some of which might make it into the screenplay."

Martin pointed at the script, "So, you've already used some?"

Bradt said, "Yes, I've incorporated some into the male protagonist's character."

Martin said, "Alright, you continue staying in Boston."

Bradt took his leave.

Martin carefully examined the script, contemplating which director would best suit this style of story.

Choosing a director whose style is completely at odds with it would be asking for trouble.

Like David Fincher, for instance, if you asked him to make a film full of warm sunshine and positive energy, he might produce something utterly amorphous.

If it were the nineties, a story like this would be perfect for Michael Mann, but in this fast-paced era, Michael Mann's films are as slow as his name suggests.

After leaving the coffee shop, Martin called Nicholson, and they agreed to catch a flight together back to Los Angeles the next morning.

The mission to save Leonardo was a great success. With Scorsese guarding against them like a thief, there was no need for them to stay in New York any longer.

...

In Burbank, Los Angeles, Christopher Nolan returned to Warner Bros. Studios from the backlot streets.

As soon as he arrived at the director's office, a female assistant knocked and entered, saying, "Director, David Goyer is here, waiting for you in the lounge."

David Goyer had previously collaborated with Nolan, serving as a credited screenwriter and producer for "The Dark Knight," and he was also a director with a certain reputation in Hollywood.

As he arrived, Nolan went forward to shake his hand, "David, what brings you here today?"

Goyer sat on the sofa, "I was just passing by and heard you were back from Morocco, so I decided to stop by and see you."

Hearing Morocco, Nolan's gaze subconsciously landed on Goyer's prominent nose, reminding him of something – Goyer was a typical Jew.

He dissembled, "Discuss the plot for the third Batman? It's still early for that; let's talk after I finish shooting this film."

Goyer didn't beat around the bush, and got straight to the point, "It's not about that. The media has been reporting about your crew's kidnapping incident recently. I'm really glad nothing happened to you."

Nolan emphasized, "I was lucky, we caught them on the scene. They had kidnapped an important scientist from Morocco. Had anything gone wrong, my crew and I would have faced very serious consequences."

"It's a relief that you all are safe." Goyer had previously worked closely with Nolan, and had been approached by certain individuals to make a special trip, "Those people should receive the harshest punishment. I heard that Morocco is dealing with the matter and planning to deport them, reaching out to their country of citizenship, having them sent back to serve time."

Nolan feigned confusion, "I heard they were French?"

Goyer said, "No matter where they are from, this matter requires your approval."

A fuss from Nolan, with his stature and supporters, would ultimately be a troublesome affair.

"Is that so…" Nolan kept a neutral façade, but inside, he was displeased.

When he left Astra Film City, he had told the Moroccan authorities to just follow normal procedures.

The resulting punishment was definitely not severe.

Yet these people were trying to pull off a deportation and repatriation stunt.

Sent back to serve time in their home country? They were kidding themselves.

Goyer smiled at Nolan, "Of course, you caught four criminals and avoided an international incident; they will offer their sincere thanks."