Chapter 52: Action Movie Superstar

"Turn left, it's the villa just ahead." Following Shania Twain's directions from the passenger seat, Duke turned the steering wheel. The car drove onto a quiet, tree-lined avenue and slowly came to a stop in front of a small, teal villa.

"Here?" Duke asked, glancing at his passenger.

"This is the house my agent rented for me," Shania Twain said, unbuckling her seatbelt. "He thinks I should have a residence that matches my future status. The rent is absolutely terrifying. If my album doesn't sell well next year, I'll definitely have the banks chasing me for debt."

"The location is nice, and the security is good," Duke remarked casually. "It's far from the slums and black neighborhoods. Living here will be good for your future."

The villa was situated on the outskirts of Beverly Hills. Shania Twain's agent had clearly put some thought into renting the place. Despite the endless prosperity of the upscale neighborhoods in Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and North Hollywood, one only needed to take a few laps around the slums and minority communities to realize this country was absolutely no paradise.

"Goodbye, Duke." Shania Twain opened her door and waved to him. "Thanks for driving me home."

Turning his head, Duke looked at the hot beauty preparing to get out. After a moment of hesitation, he asked tentatively, "Shania, aren't you going to invite me in for a cup of coffee?"

"Sorry, Duke." She stepped out of the car, turned to lean against the door, and smiled. "It's too late today. Maybe another time."

Duke shrugged nonchalantly. Just as he was about to start the car, Shania Twain suddenly paused, opened her handbag, and pulled out a card. Ducking back into the car, she slipped it into his hand.

"This is my number." She winked at him. "Keep in touch."

"Keep in touch."

Glancing at the numbers on the card, Duke slipped it into his pocket and waved goodbye to the sexy beauty standing by the curb.

Although politely rejected by the beauty, Duke wasn't discouraged. He drove back to his apartment in North Hollywood, took a cold shower, and lay down on his firm mattress, trying to summon some drowsiness.

Whenever he entered work mode, deep sleep became a luxury he could only occasionally afford. An invisible yet omnipresent pressure constantly surrounded him.

It wasn't until midnight that Duke finally drifted into a groggy sleep. In his dreams, he once again saw himself shouldering a Steadicam, screaming himself hoarse amid the orange-red flames and the noise of crashing cars, as if desperate to record the entire world exploding and crumbling through his camera lens.

Despite his poor sleep, his biological clock woke him right on time the moment the sun peeked over the horizon. After a quick wash, he grabbed a simple breakfast from the restaurant downstairs and rushed to the set, full of energy.

"John, your camera lens needs to track the bomb."

On the soundstage, Duke stood on an elevated platform, pointing at the miniature set of Alcatraz Island below as he spoke to John Schwartzman next to him. "I want the shot to closely follow the bomb's descent. The bomb is your first-person perspective."

What they were about to shoot was the final sequence of the film where an F-18 Hornet mistakenly bombs Alcatraz Island. Duke planned to use a "bomb point-of-view" shot, presenting the scene from the bomb's perspective as it fell from the sky to its explosive impact on the ground.

Having weathered the most difficult period following the suspension, the crew's overall condition was slowly rebounding, and they were gradually finding their pre-suspension rhythm. The most explosive scenes were successively beginning to shoot on set. Everyone spent every waking moment surrounded by the noise echoing across the soundstage, their exhausted faces bathed in the light of soaring explosions.

The two production managers brought good news and bad news simultaneously. Charles Roven brought word that the Interview with the Vampire crew had restarted production, while Robin Grande had secured the filming permit from San Francisco City Hall.

The former was exactly as Duke expected, and the latter meant the crew could go wreak havoc on the streets of San Francisco.

"Duke, the suspension a while back..."

During a break in shooting, Nicholas Cage specifically came looking for him. "As an actor, there are certain industry rules we have to abide by."

"It's fine." Duke knew he was talking about the Screen Actors Guild coming over to investigate, and made a gesture for Cage to take a seat. "If the Writers Guild called for a strike, I'd answer the call too."

Both of them laughed, and the topic gradually shifted to Cage's character.

"To be frank, I'm not really a fan of action movies."

Taking the coffee Sofia brought over, Cage said his thanks before turning back to Duke. "I think art films and independent productions do a better job of showcasing acting skills."

"Nicolas, I don't know if you've noticed the changes happening in Hollywood right now?"

This kind of idle chatter helped relax the nerves wound tight by work, so Duke simply set aside what he was doing for the moment. "Art films can definitely bring artistic achievements, but Hollywood is becoming more and more commercialized. If you want to become a top-tier superstar, commercial box office returns are a hurdle you can't bypass. Without commercial success, you will never squeeze into that uppermost circle."

"Unless you only want to be an actor," Duke added.

Perhaps there really were people in Hollywood who only wanted to be actors, but there were far too few of them. Nicholas Cage was absolutely not a man who only wanted to be an actor.

"That's true." Cage nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "That's why I chose you and The Rock."

"Trust me, it's going to be a wise choice." Duke shot a subtle glare at Sofia, who was covering her mouth and giggling nearby, before pointing at Cage's sturdy physique. "You have solid muscles and look full of strength. You're highly suited for action movies. Moreover, you possess a very unique aura that is simultaneously undisciplined, crazy, and tough. Compared to those pure action stars, your performance feels much more relaxed and interesting."

"If you can focus on both action movies and art films at the same time..." Duke held up an index finger, speaking in a teasing tone. "When you look back twenty years from now, you might just be the representative figure of Hollywood action movies in the nineties."

"Is this the kind of speech you used to convince Lee and Harris?" Cage clearly took it as a joke.

"Lee and Harris just thought their roles were very interesting." Duke shrugged.

Of course, there was also the fact that the production offered them a 2 million dollar salary that they couldn't possibly get elsewhere at the moment.

Checking the time, Duke stood up and walked toward the set. The break was over, and the curtain was once again rising on the shoot.

The southeast section of the soundstage had been arranged into the morgue of Alcatraz prison. The place was littered with clutter and trash. Underneath some props next to a table lay a dummy; whether the props department was checking the dummy's mechanics or not was unclear, but as Duke and Cage walked past, it was still twitching incessantly.

Standing beside the upright poison gas missiles, Duke carefully surveyed the surroundings, checking the props, sets, and camera positions one by one. Only then did he speak to Christopher Lee, who was walking over. "Lee, this scene revolves around Goodspeed."

Turning around, Duke looked at Nicholas Cage to give him his final instructions. "Next, you're going to be dismantling lethal poison gas."

"I'll be extremely nervous." Cage nodded.

"But you have to maintain your humor even while you're nervous." Duke patted Cage's arm and walked toward the monitors. "Nicolas, it's time to show off your deadpan humor."

After checking with all the departments, Duke made a ready gesture to another assistant.

"Scene eighty-five, take eleven, action!"

"Listen, I'm just a chemical weapons expert. I'm cooped up in a lab all day. My life is boring..."

On the monitor, Cage's expression was exceptionally serious, but paired with the current environment and his tone, it somehow made people want to laugh. "Right now, I have to deal with the most lethal substance in the world, so please, do not mess with me."

He gathered his focus and opened the missile in front of him, pulling out the poison gas component lined with little green orbs...

"What does this thing do?" Mason asked.

"If the missile vaporizes it, it can kill the entire population of a city."

Hearing Goodspeed's words, Mason was slightly taken aback and asked, "Really? What if you drop one?"

"If we're lucky, it'll only kill the two of us..."

With Christmas approaching, the crew had completely found their best rhythm. Meanwhile, having endured the baptism of shooting Speed and The Rock, Duke had gained more experience. His ability to adapt was noticeably strengthened. Whether it was integrating the various departments of the crew, directing the actors' performances, or rallying their emotions, he had made substantial progress.

Christmas was one of the most important holidays in this country, so the crew naturally had to take time off. Before the Christmas break began, Duke successfully finished the scenes scheduled to be shot at Warner Studios just as he had hoped. Once the holidays were over, the crew could head straight to San Francisco.

During the three-day break, Duke also welcomed a rare moment of relaxation. Tossing his work aside for the time being, he returned to his home in Santa Monica to spend Christmas with his mother.

"I heard you got another girlfriend."

Only the mother and son were sitting at the two ends of the long dining table. Mrs. Leah put down her knife and fork. "Why didn't you bring her along?"

"Mom..." Duke said, rather helplessly. "If I find a girl I truly approve of, I'll definitely bring her over."

"Duke," Mrs. Leah said, staring at him earnestly. "A relationship without effort will never yield any returns."

"The right one will show up eventually." Duke didn't seem to care.

"Next week, Saintphia will be hosting a New Year's cocktail reception." Mrs. Leah stood up and walked out of the dining room. Duke picked up a napkin, wiped his mouth, and followed her. "Sorry, Mom. I have to go to San Francisco after Christmas. I probably won't have time."

Waving her hand, Mrs. Leah didn't say anything more.

Just as Duke had said, after Christmas, the entire crew relocated to San Francisco and began their busy location shoots. Because the filming required blocking off streets, time became exceptionally tight. There were also the Alcatraz scenes; because San Francisco City Hall had suddenly encountered a financial crisis, they were forced to temporarily close Alcatraz Island to tourists.

Fortunately, the crew could film as normal, and without the onlookers, the shooting proceeded even more smoothly.

Amidst all the hustle and bustle, Duke ushered in the year 1993.