The Best Director

Chapter 293: Chapter 293: What Kind of Set Was That?

Without the exclusive angel of the marvelous Wang Yang, seeking out other beautiful angels he had unearthed didn’t seem like a bad idea. Scarlett Johansson and Rachel McAdams had “replaced” Jessica Alba as the leading ladies in “Sin City” and “Fantastic Four” respectively, which became a hot topic among the media and fans, especially since both films along with “Firefly” were released in 2005—there would be quite a show to watch then.

Even Natalie Portman from the same year’s blockbuster “Star Wars: Episode III” and Anne Hathaway from the homosexual-themed movie “Brokeback Mountain”… These upcoming Hollywood leading ladies—whose choices were more correct, who was more stunningly beautiful, whose performance was more acclaimed, and who would win or lose… all would have an answer.

In terms of appearance, the “visual girl” Jessica Alba was the definite winner; in terms of acting skills, “universal girl” Natalie Portman was the undeniable champion. The titles were provided by People Magazine’s 2003 Hollywood Top 100 Women rankings, with Jessica at the 32nd and Natalie at the 33rd position.

“Brokeback Mountain,” which started shooting at the beginning of January, was set to wrap up in two months by early March; however, before the wrap-up came the announcement of “Assassin’s Creed” & John Woo. Fiona Hassan, spokesperson for Flame Films said, “This is a very exciting project. John Woo will have the opportunity to take his personal style to the extreme. He is always the master of aesthetic violence, and we believe ‘Assassin’s Creed’ will be a very thrilling, very cool, and highly rewatchable gunfight action film.”

Original comic author Mark Miller expressed his happiness: “I’m thrilled to see John Woo directing, ‘Assassin’s Creed’ needs a director with such sharp style, who can turn shooting into an art form.” The low-profile John Woo hasn’t said much at this point; moreover, it is understood that Wang Yang will serve as the film’s planning producer.

Another “Bulletproof Monk”? Haven’t MGM and Paramount learned their lesson, if “Windtalkers” was due to it being a war film, then “Bulletproof Monk”, designed as a “tailor-made” thriller action film, and the abysmal failure of “Paycheck”, the blame lies squarely with John Woo. Can’t Flame Films see it? No one in the industry, nor any media, has any optimism for it.

“This is just Wang Yang stubbornly dragging John Woo out of his coffin to sit in the director’s chair,” many producers secretly sneered, especially eager to see MGM and Paramount lose their shirts. This was much more absurd than having Steve Oedekerk direct “Kung Fu Panda,” or Ang Lee direct “Brokeback Mountain.” The former at least had the merit of the “Bruce Almighty” script, and the latter had genre-defining works like “Sense and Sensibility.” John Woo also had “Face/Off,” but the “trilogy of failures” sold him out.

“He is really asking for it,” the media cried out for what seemed like the umpteenth time. Wang Yang often managed to turn things around, but not this time; undoubtedly he would fail, and fail miserably. This time, the key to victory was not in his hands. Moreover, now he himself was like the “clay Bodhisattva crossing the river”—what made him think he had the strength to support other Chinese directors? A good movie takes more than just money.

However, there’s no doubt that a significant portion of the fans of gunfight action films, and the remaining fans of John Woo, are looking forward to Flame Films’ claim of “the coolest gunfight action film.” Perhaps John Woo could really bring back the glory days of the doves and dual guns? The answer would come in 2005.

Another film waiting for its 2005 verdict, “Brokeback Mountain,” was in the midst of shooting in Canmore, Albreta, Canada, and was less than a week away from wrap-up.

“Phew!” The sky was a clear and brilliant blue, the white snow laid a blanket over the rolling mountains, and the forest by the lake was verdant and lush, resembling the gorgeous scenery of a postcard. The “Brokeback Mountain” crew was busy setting up equipment as Ang Lee directed from the side. Heath Ledger, dressed in a blue denim outfit and sporting a white cowboy hat, walked to the lake’s edge and quietly exhaled, feeling a heavy pressure all over.

Looking at his reflection on the lake, the cowboy, Heath Ledger, couldn’t help but feel a bit confused—was he really acting well?

Director Ang Lee seemed very gentle. At the end of last year, during the film’s preparation phase, he cared for the actors like a kind father, his queries always answered, and the encouragement and praise… it all felt really good. Heath Ledger shook his head self-deprecatingly. He admitted to himself that he was a person lacking in confidence and security and was very emotional. He really hoped that while working on set, someone would tell him “good job,” as that would give him more energy.

Once the shooting of “Brokeback Mountain” began, Ang Lee’s idea was that, in order to match the film’s atmosphere of loneliness and oppression, the actors should be given a greater feeling and easier entry into their roles. So, it seemed he deliberately treated the actors as distant props, not only refraining from jesting but also intentionally or unintentionally making the set atmosphere very stiff.

The feeling of being treated like a prop was annoying, especially the stark contrast between a kind father and an indifferent machine… Heath Ledger truly felt somewhat suffocated.

“HEY, Heath!” While experiencing the unsettling feelings that matched the film, Heath Ledger heard someone call out behind him. Turning around, he saw Michelle Williams approaching with a smile. Seeing this sunny blonde woman immediately lifted his spirits. If someone was going to tell him “You’re doing a good job” over the past two months, it would be Michelle Williams.

Michelle came over and stood next to him, taking a deep breath of the fresh air from nature, glanced at him, then looked out to the calm and clear lake, “We’re almost at a wrap.”

“Yeah,” Heath Ledger nodded. After “Brokeback Mountain” wrapped up, he could fully commit to the work on “Firefly,” something he was looking forward to but also a bit scared of. During the preparation period of auditions and calls, Miracle Yang certainly wasn’t like a kind father, but he was better – the director, a year younger than him, gave him a feeling of missing a friend he had just met, including horseplay and jokes among peers. He thought working on such a director’s set would definitely be enjoyable.

What he feared was not knowing what changes might come after the shooting began. Would Miracle Yang create an awkward place of the set to facilitate an atmosphere for getting into character? Although, based on his script for the role, “Firefly” was not generally an oppressive atmosphere, there was still the Blue Gloves… He had heard that during the shooting of “District 9,” Wang Yang and Little Robert Downey Jr. had to fight every day; Anne Hathaway reported that the set of “Juno” was filled with laughter and cheer.

He was going crazy! Heath Ledger thought as he furrowed his brows. Michelle, attentive beside him, laughed quizzically, “What’s wrong? If you can, tell me, about ‘Firefly’?”

After nearly two months of getting to know him, she knew that this guy was shy and resisted crowds. When there were too many people, he would behave frivolously and crazily, portraying the image of a drunken loafer to mask his unease. Several times the crew had media interviews, and each time, he would inadvertently touch his head and face, awkward like a newcomer, which made it hard to believe that he could speak eloquently on stage like Miracle Yang.

But his behavior was much more outrageous than the “good man” Miracle Yang, at least in terms of love life – a womanizer with a penchant for older women, Christina Coakley, Heather Graham… and most recently a breakup with Naomi Watts last September after a relationship of one year and five months.

Why was Michelle so aware? Because she was interested in him. He could turn down the male lead in “Spider-Man,” take on “Kelly Gang” for a $50,000 fee because he liked it, and get drunk… Naomi Watts called him immature, almost everyone thought he was a profligate scoundrel, but Michelle saw something different. To her, Heath Ledger was a good man at home.

The kind of person who was very unnatural in front of crowds but actually very talkative and interesting in private; the kind who would talk non-stop if you took a few steps forward and proactively gave him some confidence and encouragement, even sharing his shoe size; the kind who yearned for a motherly or sisterly embrace… Even though Michelle was over a year younger than him and not as pretty as his ex-girlfriends, she knew she had him within her grasp.

The ones truly difficult to pursue were people like Miracle Yang, the kind who truly understood how to steal hearts, knowing exactly what to do and say at any given time—serious, moving, humorous, quirky, frivolous, steady, tough, tender… Just from the few times she had interacted with him during “Brokeback Mountain” preparations, she was amused despite their strangeness, an unforgettable feeling. And what about Anne Hathaway’s opinion of him?

In any case, Michelle felt that if he really put his mind to it, he could easily woo any type of woman, making it hard for them to resist.

If he sent her an invitation to a date, she didn’t know if she would accept it. Of course, it would be a pleasure to date such a good man, but she feared that type of man. She had no confidence in keeping him bound for marriage like Jessica Alba had done. Of course, this was her understanding from a few conversations and what she’d heard on the grapevine. Heath Ledger acted cool, Miracle Yang was actually cool, and she needed to act cool too, with this man right in front of her.

“Uh…” Heath Ledger looked at her, a sunshine-filled smile with a touch of shyness on his face. He laughed and said, “It’s nothing. You know, after ‘Brokeback Mountain,’ I’ve got to work on ‘Firefly.’ I’m a bit scared that Wang Yang will be as… cool as Ang.”

Watching Michelle’s uncontrollable smile, he hurriedly explained, “I’m not really scared! Anyway, I will give it my all in ‘Firefly.’ The blue gloves, that’s my character. He’s very, very awesome… What I meant by scared is that kind of nervousness you get in a new environment, like when you transfer to a new school and you have to meet new teachers, new classmates, it’s so troublesome… To be honest, I’m not really a cowboy…”

“Haha, Heath, honestly, you’re quite cute,” Michelle chuckled, causing Heath Ledger to join in with a silly laugh, “Thanks…” Michelle tucked her hands in her pockets and cocked her foot, her face brimming with encouraging smiles as she said, “Don’t worry, Heath! Although I haven’t worked on set with Wang Yang, I’ve made inquiries, don’t ask me from where! I have my sources.”

Heath Ledger chuckled again, “Okay, Hathaway, right?” Michelle shrugged, earnestly stating, “Don’t underestimate me, I know a lot of people. They all say Wang Yang is very kind and funny, and when you are with him, you’ll be laughing all day. There won’t be any pressure, nor will he stimulate you deliberately to get into character.” Heath nodded, “Yes, he’s very kind. I have no doubt about that. But on set, let’s drop it… Thanks anyway.”

Michelle said ‘OK,’ then smiled again, “So can you tell me your plans after you wrap up here? I’m going home.”

“First, I have to go to Vancouver for a month-long team training with the ‘Firefly’ cast, some Kung Fu, and martial arts combat training, I don’t know.” Heath Ledger paused, adding that all actors with an action role in the film were supposed to participate in this training camp. Michelle yelped in affirmation, and Heath continued, “The shooting starts in April, but my scenes aren’t until May, so I have a month to… think.”

He planned to lock himself away, free from outside interference, using that month to deconstruct and analyze the character “Blue Gloves,” bit by bit, every word, every action, Blue Gloves’ thoughts, his way of thinking, his emotions, the tone and intonation of his speech, small gestures…

But right now, I am Ennis! Heath Ledger shook his head vigorously, clarifying to the puzzled Michelle, “I can’t let myself think about ‘Firefly’ and Blue Gloves yet. If I do, I’ll be out of this place.”

Michelle nodded silently. She looked at the cool facade of the big boy’s face and offered spontaneously, “Hey! After we finish shooting today, let’s go have a drink? Just a date.”

“Oh! Uh… ” Faced with the sudden invitation, Heath was momentarily stunned. It had always been him pursuing girls. When had it been the other way around? Looking at Michelle’s smiling face, his heart thumped wildly, but he shook his head, “No, I need to keep this lonely, oppressive mood going, we still have several days of shooting…” Michelle raised an eyebrow, slightly disappointed, “Oh, okay then.”

“But!” Heath Ledger quickly called out, glancing over at the crew, touched his forehead, and earnestly said, “After we wrap up in a few days, let’s go have that drink.” Michelle’s lips couldn’t help but curl up into a smile, “Of course.”

‘Brokeback Mountain’ was wrapping up, while ‘Firefly’ kept moving forward with its preparations, not pausing even as Wang Yang went off on his honeymoon because much of the work had been designed and decided upon way ahead of time, or didn’t need the director’s direct involvement. And Wang Yang kept up with, responded to, and managed the crew’s emails daily, also contacting them directly by phone when necessary, ensuring everything was advancing methodically towards completion. During this time, two more lead actors were announced to join the cast.

In fact, the other four crew members of Serenity had been auditioned and confirmed in January, with the announcements just being staggered.

Alan Tudyk would play Serenity’s pilot “Hogan Wash,” with his character concept art unveiled, revealing an image of a cockpit filled with precision instruments and electronic screens that seemed outdated, with one cracked screen appearing particularly shabby. Dinosaur toy models as decoration scattered about instruments and seats. Sitting in the pilot’s seat, wearing a mismatched Hawaiian shirt and beach shorts, Wash looked back with a smile.

Born on March 16, 1971, in Texas, Alan Tudyk graduated from high school and studied drama performance for two years at Juilliard School. He had notable supporting roles in films like ‘The Nutty Professor,’ ‘Wonder Boys,’ ’28 Days,’ and ‘Knight’s Tale,’ and was also the voice of Oscar the Dodo in ‘Ice Age.’ Wang Yang knew him as the original Hogan Wash from the 2002 TV series ‘Firefly,’ canceled by a butterfly effect, whose performance had been outstanding.

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Wash’s wife, the African American first mate “Zoe,” was also played by Gina Torres from the 2002 TV series. In the character concept art revealed on the official website, she stood beside the Serenity spaceship with curly hair, dressed in Western cowboy attire, holding an antiquated-looking long pistol in her hand, her face serious with a deadly aura.

Born on April 25, 1969, in New York to Cuban parents, Gina Torres’s husband is none other than “Morpheus,” the black, portly character from The Matrix, played by Laurence Fishburne. Aside from her supporting role in The Matrix series, she’s also an accomplished actress known for her roles in various TV shows and movies.

“So disappointed!” Many fans were already losing patience. To them, these were just two bit parts! Why not cast Halle Berry as Zoe? It’s just that Empire Productions is known for being thrifty, boasting an unprecedentedly powerful cast, yet now only Robert Downey Jr., Jessica Alba, and Heath Ledger are worth mentioning. Looking at these two actors’ names, what does it matter who plays Wash and Zoe?

But there were many more who didn’t judge the film by its cast lineup, and who were clear fans of Empire Productions. They noticed more and more unusual elements—a toy dinosaur model, beach shirts, beach pants—all indicating that Serenity was a very casual place, definitely not Star Trek. They had heard about it before, but cowboys, cowboys! Why is Zoe styled as a cowgirl?

Connecting the other concept art, the answer becomes clear—Firefly really is a space sci-fi movie with a Western cowboy style.

“Daniel Wu joins ‘Firefly’, set to play the Serenity’s mercenary, Jayne.”

Approaching the end of February, Flame Movies announced the latest casting news—the close associate of Empire Productions, Daniel Wu, also known as Daniel Wu Yanzu.

Another haughty genius with high intelligence? Apparently not. The character section of the official Firefly website was filled with question marks for the “Alliance, Independents, Reavers, World” options. Fans of Serenity who clicked on the Independents found that, after Jayne’s info was unveiled, there was only one character concept marked with a “?” left, while Jayne’s picture looked quite imposing.

Standing in front of the Serenity, Jayne wore a vest and long pants, his burly figure and bulging muscles almost bursting through his pale yellow vest. He was draped with ammo, holding a pistol in his left hand, a rifle in his right, with a Gatling gun set at his feet, and boxes of ammunition piled beside him, along with a few scattered grenades. Jayne’s face was tense as if facing a formidable enemy, and the conspicuous logo in the background read: Serenity.

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