novellhall Chapter 354 Climbing the Washington Monument
Chapter 354 Climbing the Washington Monument
Chapter 353 Climbing the Washington Monument
Atlanta's action training shed.
The soft sound of steel cables slicing through the air could be heard from time to time.
Wearing light training clothes and with a safety rope around his body, Chen Xun moved around on the vertically constructed simulated rock wall.
The moment the fingers grip the rock, the waist and abdomen exert force, the body flips lightly in the air, and lands steadily on the next landing point.
The whole set of actions flows smoothly.
To prepare for his role as Spider-Man, he began systematic training three months in advance.
Parkour, free climbing, wire stunts, and they even hired a former Olympic gymnast to learn aerial body control techniques.
In Hollywood superhero movies, actors are mostly filmed in close-up shots to capture their expressions, while high-difficulty action scenes rely entirely on stunt doubles, with special effects added in post-production.
Chen Xun had made arrangements with Jon Watts from the very beginning.
He insists on performing the action scenes himself.
"Chen, take a break. You've been practicing for three hours."
The stunt coordinator walked over with water, his face full of admiration: "Your execution of the stunts is already better than half of the professional stunt performers in our team."
Chen Xun unbuckled the safety buckle, took the water bottle and took two gulps. Sweat dripped down his forehead and down his jawline. He shook his head with a smile: "No, I still need to work on the feel for the flipping movements in the storyboard for the Washington Monument scene."
The scene he was referring to is a key iconic moment from "Spider-Man: Homecoming".
Peter Parker climbed the exterior wall of the Washington Monument with his bare hands to rescue his classmate who was trapped in an elevator.
According to Marvel's initial filming plan, this scene would be filmed in a studio in Atlanta, with a 1:1 scale model of the Monument's exterior wall built, using green screen throughout, and then composited with special effects to create a high-altitude background in post-production.
This is the most mature filming model in Hollywood.
Even if an accident occurs, it's just falling from a model a few meters high, with cushioning pads underneath, so there's no risk at all.
However, after Chen Xun finished watching the complete storyboard and then watched similar scenes from the previous two Spider-Man films, he immediately rejected the proposal.
"A green screen won't produce the effect I want."
During the creative team meeting, Chen Xun spread the storyboard on the table and said in a serious tone: "Peter Parker has only been Spider-Man for a few months at this point. He is not an experienced superhero. When he stands on the outer wall of a monument 100 meters high for the first time, he will have a physical instinctive fear. These micro-expressions and physical instinctive reactions are difficult to act out in the studio in front of a green screen."
"You can't fool the eyes of the audience."
"The sense of oppression brought by the real high-altitude environment is completely different from the tension that can be acted out in the imagination on a green screen. This scene is a key point in Peter's growth, and I wanted to shoot it on location, right at the Washington Monument."
The meeting room fell silent the moment those words were spoken.
Jon Watts was stunned, and the Marvel production team shook their heads repeatedly, immediately objecting: "Chen, this is absolutely unacceptable!"
"The Washington Monument is a national landmark of the United States. The approval process for the Administration is extremely difficult and almost impossible, not to mention the safety issues. The exterior walls of the monument are smooth with almost no footholds. At a height of 100 meters, even with wire protection, there are too many uncontrollable risks. We cannot let you take that risk."
"Risks can be mitigated with professional solutions, and we can strive for approvals."
Chen Xun's attitude remained unwavering: "The core of Spider-Man has never been perfect superpowers, but the realism of the hero next door."
After a long standoff, Jon Watts finally gave in.
He knew all too well Chen Xun's obsession with acting, and he also understood that shooting on location could bring a qualitative leap to this scene, but the risks were simply too great.
Ultimately, the decision was left to Kevin Feige.
After receiving the news, Kevin Feige only asked Chen Xun one question: "Are you sure you want to film on location?"
Chen Xun's answer was unwavering: "I'm sure!"
"good!"
Kevin Feige immediately approved: "I'll have my team develop a safety plan. Marvel will provide you with the best stunt team and the most comprehensive safety guarantees. As long as you dare to film it, we'll support you."
Over the next month, Marvel headquarters mobilized almost all its resources to push this matter forward.
They compiled a thick safety plan, stunt team qualifications, and a commitment report to ensure zero damage to the building during filming, and communicated with the National Park Service and the Washington Monument Administration time and again.
The stunt team arrived in Washington, D.C., two weeks in advance.
They repeatedly surveyed the structure of the monument's outer wall, tested every possible point of impact, designed a triple-redundant wire safety system, and even made seven or eight versions of the emergency rescue plan.
Marvel even bought Chen Xun a high-value accident insurance policy with a coverage of over 100 million US dollars, covering all conceivable risks in advance.
After more than forty days of back and forth, the filming permit was finally approved.
When the news spread, Christine was the first to panic.
During that time, she watched Chen Xun train in the training shed until he was covered in sweat every day, and watched the stunt team repeatedly rehearse the climbing route with a model of the Washington Monument. Her heart was always in her throat.
When she got home that evening, she took out her tablet, looked at the picture of the Washington Monument, and felt a pang of anxiety as she stared at the obelisk that soared into the sky.
"Is it really necessary to film on location?"
That night, Christine leaned against Chen Xun's chest, gently touching the bruises on his forearm from training, her voice full of unconcealed worry: "Filming in the studio is the same. The post-production special effects can be done perfectly. There's no need to take such a big risk. Even if we don't use stunt doubles, we can build a 1:1 scale set, even if it's only a few dozen meters high, it's still better than actually going up a hundred meters in the air."
She has seen too many news reports of Hollywood actors getting into accidents while filming action scenes.
Moreover, climbing the exterior walls of national landmark buildings, even with the best protection, is always a possibility of accidents.
Chen Xun tightened his arms, holding her even closer, and lowered his head to kiss the top of her head: "I know you're worried, but for me, this isn't just an action scene; it's the soul of the character Peter Parker."
"Don't worry, the stunt team has tested every detail. The safety measures are absolutely in place, and nothing will happen."
He pinched her cheek: "Have you forgotten? I'm Spider-Man, climbing a building is no problem for me."
Christine glared at him, but she knew his nature; once he made a decision, he wouldn't change it.
She could only reach out and hug his waist, saying in a muffled voice, "Then promise me you'll be careful. Even if the filming isn't good, it's okay to film a few more takes. You absolutely can't be reckless."
"Okay, I promise."
The news that Chen Xun would be filming a climbing scene on location at the Washington Monument was revealed by Hollywood media and instantly swept across global social media platforms.
The Hollywood industry was in an uproar.
Modern Hollywood commercial films have long since entered the comfort zone of green screen and special effects. Not to mention real-life climbing hundreds of meters in the air, even action scenes a few meters high require many actors to rely on stunt doubles and special effects.
It's extremely rare in Hollywood for someone like Chen Xun, who has already won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor, to choose to risk his life to film such dangerous action scenes when he could rely on his acting skills.
The Hollywood Reporter published an article stating, "Chen Xun is breaking the comfort zone of Hollywood actors. His pursuit of excellence in acting has surpassed that of most of his contemporaries. This location shooting is not only a test of the actors' physical and mental limits, but also a completely new breakthrough in the performance model of superhero movies."
The situation on Weibo in China was absolutely chaotic.
The hashtag #ChenXunWashingtonMonumentRealScenePhotography# instantly topped the trending search list.
The number of views exceeded 10 billion in just half a day.
Netizens flooded the comment section with messages like, "I'm stunned! They're really going to film on location at the Washington Monument? That's over 100 meters tall! Chen Xun is really going all out!"
"This is practically a replica of Jackie Chan's death-defying filming style back in the day! Jackie Chan's incredible jump at the Sydney Opera House has become a classic in film history, and Chen Xun's move is even more difficult!"
"No wonder he went from being an extra to winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. How many people in the Chinese entertainment industry can match his dedication and hard work in acting?"
""
"I'm really looking forward to the finished product, but I'm also really worried about safety! Chen Xun, please make sure you finish filming safely!"
"A Golden Globe-winning actor, instead of filming on a safe green screen, insisted on taking risks on a real location. This reverence for acting is truly rare."
The level of anticipation and anxiety across the internet has simultaneously reached its peak.
On the day of the shoot.
The area around the Washington Monument was completely cleared, and SWAT teams, emergency rescue teams, and medical teams were all in place in advance.
Marvel's stunt team checked the wire system more than a dozen times, and every safety buckle and every meter of steel cable underwent extreme load-bearing tests.
At the foot of the monument, in front of a monitor, Jon Watts held a walkie-talkie, his palms sweaty.
Even with thorough preparations, my heart was still in my throat.
Christine stood beside the monitor, her eyes fixed on the direction of the monument.
Chen Xun had already changed into his Spider-Man suit, wearing a mask, and was doing his final warm-up.
The stunt coordinator squatted down beside him, confirming the climbing route and emergency plan with him one last time. He listened attentively, nodding occasionally to confirm, showing no sign of tension throughout.
"Everything has been confirmed, and the safety measures are foolproof."
The stunt coordinator patted him on the shoulder: "Chen, relax. Your training results are absolutely fine."
Chen Xun smiled and gave an OK sign.
Standing at the base of the monument, I looked up at the building that seemed to soar into the sky.
The oppressive feeling from 100 meters in the air is overwhelming. Even after countless training sessions, standing in a real scene, you can still feel your heart tighten slightly.
And that's exactly what he wanted.
This raw sense of pressure and instinctive tension is exactly the emotion Peter Parker should be feeling at this moment.
"Attention all departments, Washington Monument climbing scene, line one ready!"
Jon Watts' voice came through the walkie-talkie, and the room fell silent instantly, with only the sound of the wind blowing.
"Action!"
The moment the clapperboard fell, Chen Xun instantly switched into Peter Parker mode.
He raised his fingertips to grip the cracks in the monument's stone wall, precisely placed his feet on the only small protrusion, pressed his body against the cold stone wall, and began to climb upwards.
In the footage, his movements weren't perfect; they appeared somewhat awkward.
And that's the state Peter should be in.
When he first missed a step, his body swayed, and he frantically grabbed the crevice again. His chest heaved noticeably, and even through his mask, you could feel his heart pounding.
He didn't stop, he just took a deep breath and continued upwards.
The wind blew from the side of the monument, causing his body to sway slightly. He pressed himself even closer, his fingertips gripping the cracks in the stone tightly. Even though the muscles in his arms were starting to ache, the determination in his eyes grew stronger.
He didn't play an omnipotent superhero.
Peter Parker was just a sixteen-year-old boy at this time.
He was an ordinary person who forced himself to overcome his fear of heights and climb upwards step by step in order to save people.
In front of the monitor.
Jon Watts' eyes widened, and he even softened his breathing.
He was prepared to shoot more than a dozen takes, and even planned to shoot close-ups first and then long shots if Chen Xun's condition was not right.
But the performance on camera at this moment was more perfect than imagined.
The realistic high-altitude environment provided Chen Xun with the most exceptional performance.
He portrayed the fear and responsibility of a young man vividly.
Even from a distance of several hundred meters, the lens can make people's hearts ache.
As he climbed to the middle of the monument, his footing suddenly slipped, and he was instantly suspended in mid-air, only able to hold on to a crevice in the stone with one hand. Even the wire harness swayed.
Christine, watching from the monitor, instantly covered her mouth, almost screaming out loud; her heart was pounding in her throat.
Using the force of the swaying motion, Chen Xun quickly grabbed the crevice above with his other hand, and used his waist and abdomen to stabilize his body again.
He took two quick breaths and then continued upwards.
He even gave a forced, composed look to the camera hidden in the window of the monument.
Jon Watts clenched his fist and almost shouted.
This unexpected slip did not ruin the play; instead, it brought the character of Peter Parker to life instantly.
Finally, he climbed to the edge of the platform at the top of the monument, supported himself with one hand, flipped himself up, took off his mask, and gasped for breath. His forehead was covered in sweat, but his eyes shone with an astonishing light.
"Cut!"
Jon Watts excitedly shouted into the walkie-talkie, his heart, which had been hanging in suspense for so long, finally settled back into his stomach.
The staff and stunt team on site erupted in thunderous applause.
Wei Ya slowly lowered Chen Xun down. As soon as he landed, Christine rushed over and hugged him tightly.
Her hands were still trembling, her face buried in his chest, her voice choked with sobs: "You scared me to death—when you slipped down just now, my soul almost flew away."
"It's okay, I'm perfectly fine."
Chen Xun smiled, removed his mask, reached out and patted her back, gently reassuring her, "It's all under my control, don't worry."
,
The stunt coordinator walked over and gave Chen Xun a thumbs-up, his tone full of admiration: "Chen, you're amazing! Many professional stunt performers might not be able to react that quickly to that accident!"
The applause on set continued.
Everyone looked at Chen Xun with admiration in their eyes.
They've seen too many actors who act like divas, even reciting numbers during dialogue scenes, and they've also seen stars who need stunt doubles for simple action scenes.
There are very few people like Chen Xun who are willing to take such a big risk for a single shot and put their performance to the extreme.
Just then!
Chen Xun saw several attribute orbs slowly fall from his body:
[High-risk live-action action scenes enhance the sense of immersion and conviction +35]
[Superhero character's dual control over body and emotions +30]
[Realism of extreme environment performances breaks through +28]
[Dedicated and hardworking approach to work: Industry influence +25]
Breakthrough in Green Screen Performances and Live-Action Performances (+20)