novellhall Chapter 87 You're playing with fire!
Chapter 87 You're playing with fire!
"Should we take this role?"
Robert was undecided for a moment.
"Of course I'll accept!"
Chen Xun was resolute.
"Huh? Then what you just did...?"
"Taking on this role doesn't mean we have to passively accept it!"
Chen Xun became more and more excited as he spoke:
"Rob, please help me get this done. I'd like to see a draft of the script before the official audition!"
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.
Then came Rob's incredulous voice:
"Bro, you're playing with fire! You're questioning the script before you've even got the role?"
"That's a major taboo in our line of work!"
"This isn't questioning; it's demonstrating our sincerity and values!"
Chen Xun corrected:
"They value me because they think I can bring something new, right? Well then, I'll put that new thing on the table!"
"If they're not even willing to listen, then this project is essentially just a repackaged version of the same thing, and we don't need to jump into this trap!"
Rob was processing what he had just heard.
After a while, he replied angrily on the other end of the phone:
"Fuck it! Just do it! The bold will thrive, the timid will starve! I'm going to contact them right now, even if I get rejected, I have to give it a try!"
"You've got some nerve!"
After hanging up the phone, Chen Xun took a deep breath.
He knew this move was risky.
In Hollywood, an actor who doesn't yet have much of a foothold in the industry is easily labeled as arrogant when offering advice on A-list productions.
But he knew even better that doing nothing would likely lead to repeating the same mistakes.
That would have meant he missed the opportunity.
Chen Xun hung up the phone.
He turned on his computer and began searching for all publicly available information about this Green Lantern reboot.
At the same time, I recalled the sharp criticisms of the original movie and the improvement suggestions from some experts on the internet in my previous life.
The director is Martin Campbell.
He has acted in "Casino Royale" and "The Legend of Zorro", and is skilled in action scenes and character portrayal.
This is great news!
However, the final product depends heavily on the intervention of the screenwriter and the production studio.
A few days later, Rob brought back a reply:
"They agreed to your request!"
"Director Campbell and the producers will have an informal meeting next week!"
Rob's voice carried a hint of lingering fear:
"You startled them too! But Director Campbell is said to be very interested in you and wants to hear what good ideas this mysterious force from the East might have."
The opportunity is coming!
Chen Xun immediately began preparations.
He locked himself in his study and began to organize his thoughts.
He doesn't need to completely change the film, and the director and producers wouldn't agree anyway.
He first sorted out the criticisms of "Green Lantern" on the internet from his previous life and identified a few core issues.
The main problem with Green Lantern's failure in its previous life was that the protagonist was like a two-dimensional character, lacking his own personal charisma!
In his previous life, netizens criticized Hal Jordan as a "brave pilot" label machine, with a flat personality and abrupt transitions.
Without a main storyline, Green Lantern would be too weak!
Hal's attempt to build a successful image failed; he drifted along without a pre-determined goal, making things difficult to manage later!
After thinking for a moment, Chen Xun began typing on the keyboard:
"Lacks a convincing character arc!"
"The transformation from an arrogant test pilot to a space policeman requires more subtle inner struggle and growth, not just a few slogans!"
He remembered that in the original film, Hal seemed to have an epiphany after just one conversation, something that even short video users wouldn't be able to believe nowadays.
He typed a lot into the document!
"The early Earth scenes were too long and the world-building was dragged out, while the cosmic adventure and epic battles that the audience was looking forward to were compressed."
Chen Xun recalled that the original version seemed to have spent more than an hour telling the story of what happened on Earth, while the real battle between Oa Star and the Parallax Monster ended hastily!
They're just putting up a front for something else!
"The pacing needs to be rebalanced. It is recommended to speed up the entry into the core conflict in the early stages, but retain key emotional anchors."
And then comes the big villain!
In the previous Green Lantern story, Parallax, as a cosmic-level threat, lacked convincing deterrence and the methods of defeating it!
The design is simply indescribable!
He's been jokingly called a poop monster by netizens!
Finally, there's the action design and budget!
Action design can only be refined on set, and he has no say in the budget; he can only rely on communication with the director and producer!
Almost ready!
Chen Xun looked at the document he had written and felt it was a bit outrageous!
He actually rewrote the script for a superhero movie!
This would have been an unbelievable fantasy in my past life!
But he has no other choice now!
If the script is still the same as in his previous life, he would rather not act in it than be labeled a box office poison early in his career.
The day before the meeting, Robert called nervously:
"Hey bro, how's the preparation going? Don't actually go to teach them a lesson tomorrow, we're going to fight for a role!"
"rest assured!"
Chen Xun looked at the points he had prepared and said calmly, "I'm not going there to cause trouble!"
"That would be best!"
Rob muttered to himself, "I don't want to be thrown out by security tomorrow!"
After hanging up the phone, Chen Xun checked his notes again.
He knew it was risky, like walking a tightrope.
But high risk comes with high reward.
If he could persuade the other party to adopt even just a portion of their suggestions, the project's prospects could be entirely different.
In the evening, Christine finished recording an evening interview program and dragged her tired body back to her villa in Beverly Hills.
The room was quiet, with only a little light coming through the crack in the study door.
She thought Chen Xun was still reading a script or playing games, so she quietly pushed open the door, wanting to scare him.
However, the scene before her eyes stunned her.
Chen Xun sat at his desk with his back to the door, the light from the computer screen reflecting on his profile, making him appear exceptionally focused.
He frowned slightly, his fingers rapidly tapping on the keyboard, pausing occasionally to ponder the densely packed document on the screen.
Several printed sheets of paper were scattered on the table, covered with arrows and structural diagrams.
This doesn't feel like reading a script, it feels more like writing one!
"Hey!"
Christine spoke up, her voice tinged with curiosity:
"What are you busy with so late? Researching the feng shui of Han Li's restaurant for the next season?"
Chen Xun was startled by her.
He turned around and saw it was Christine. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, making her sit on his lap!
Chen Xun casually gathered up the several sheets of paper covered with symbols on the table:
"Nothing, just overthinking!"
Christine didn't believe it.
She leaned closer, resting against the table, her gaze sweeping over the computer screen.
The above is a Word document titled "Green Lantern: Rise of the Blue Dragon".
Green Lantern?
Christine's drowsiness vanished instantly.
She knew Warner was interested in Chen Xun, but she didn't expect him to have gone this far in his research.
She originally thought that Chen Xun was at most trying to figure out the character's personality and practice his lines.
She couldn't help but lean over and look closely at the content on the screen.
This sight surprised her even more!
The document is full of analysis of the characters and the script!
What surprised her most was that this Green Lantern script was different from all the Green Lantern comics she had ever seen before!
Christine swiped the mouse down.
At the very bottom, there's a rough diagram of the structure of a three-act play!
The text highlights the advantages of the new script and points where richer internal monologues and humorous elements can be added.