Chapter 526: The Batmobile

Ever since its simultaneous release in China and the United States in early June, Taken had played in theaters worldwide for six months. Its global theatrical run finally concluded in early December when it closed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. After finishing its North American run at $235.78 million, its subsequent international earnings had been modest, bringing in just another $34.78 million.

Still, that $34.78 million was enough to push the global box office for Taken past the $500 million mark, reaching a final worldwide cumulative gross of $517.54 million.

For a film with a production budget of just $40 million, the profits were nothing short of astronomical.

Warner Brothers had no intention of stopping there. They soon met with Duke to discuss finding a new team to produce a sequel.

Likely inspired by the profits and cultural impact of The Matrix animated spin-offs, the television department at Warner Brothers planned to produce a series before the sequel film hit theaters. It would tell the story of Bryan Mills before his retirement.

Because the timeline would shift significantly backward, the show would naturally require a completely new cast. Getting a massive star like Liam Neeson to lead a television series was practically impossible anyway; even if he agreed, the studio would have to pay an unimaginable price.

Plenty of popular movie stars might make cameo appearances in hit television shows—just look at the endless list of guest stars on Friends—but very few actors on the rise were willing to actually star in one.

In contrast, television stars with massive fame and staggering paychecks often fought desperately to break into the film industry. Yet, hit TV stars who actually managed a successful transition to the big screen were incredibly rare.

Many movie stars did get their start in television, but a little research quickly revealed that they usually only played minor, insignificant roles during those early days.

Once their shows ended, famous television actors who failed to make the jump to film would quickly be forgotten—unless they could find a clever workaround, like Jennifer Aniston constantly bringing up Brad Pitt.

Take the once-popular leading man of Prison Break, for example. After the series was canceled, he was largely forgotten. Even when he managed to snag a few film roles, they were entirely expendable supporting parts.

By the same logic, unless James Cameron was repaying a favor, Spielberg wanted to control an investment, or it was Woody Allen—whose brain simply didn't operate like a normal person's—very few film directors whose careers hadn't hit a dead end would genuinely involve themselves in television production. Even if they took on producer credits, it was usually in name only.

In truth, in most countries and regions around the world, the status and prestige of big-screen stars and small-screen stars simply couldn't be compared.

After all, there was only one Jennifer Aniston in the world.

Warner Brothers had grander plans beyond just a Taken television show. But they were waiting—waiting for Duke to revitalize Batman before they started producing and releasing television series based on DC's second-tier heroes.

After wrapping up the background explosion scenes, the crew began constructing new sets in the hangar at the Hughes Aircraft Plant. Meanwhile, Duke gathered the cast and moved into the soundstages at Warner Studios to continue filming on schedule.

Inside the soundstage, Duke sat behind the monitor, watching Christian Bale stand in the Batcave. Perhaps because Bale had previously starred only in low-budget independent films, he had little experience acting in front of a green screen. Or perhaps his five days of rest had caused the peak performance he'd reached in Iceland to slip. Whatever the reason, as he stood amid the jagged rocks of the Batcave, Christian Bale simply wasn't capturing the emotion of Bruce Wayne crossing paths with bats once again.

"Cut!"

Duke called the cut and left his monitor. He walked onto the temporary set, stepping across the Polystyrene rock floor, and approached Christian Bale. Bale's head was tilted slightly to the side; he looked completely lost in thought.

Seeing that the actor was mulling things over, Duke didn't interrupt. He simply walked a lap around the Batcave, looking the set over. He genuinely hoped Bale would find his rhythm soon. The bats were going to be added in post-production; it wasn't as if Duke could actually catch hundreds of live bats and release them onto the set.

And even if he did, they wouldn't follow human directions anyway.

Once Bale finally snapped out of his daze, Duke walked back over to him.

"Christian," Duke said directly, "this scene is incredibly symbolic. Bruce Wayne goes from fearing bats to bravely standing up and embracing them. It's a crucial psychological shift for him. Fear gives him strength. He's about to become the very embodiment of fear!"

"I understand, Director," Christian Bale said. "I'll adjust as quickly as I can."

Back in Iceland, Duke had already discussed the characters extensively with Bale and Liam Neeson, so he didn't elaborate further. He simply returned to his spot behind the monitor.

He gave Christian Bale ten minutes to adjust. Once the time was up, Duke signaled the script supervisor.

"We can start."

"Scene forty-seven, take one," the clapper loader announced, stepping in front of the main camera with the slate. "Rolling!"

Christian Bale stepped into the Batcave. He looked down and flicked on his flashlight, using its beam to peer up into the darkness. Suddenly, he closed his eyes and jerked his head away as if confronted by something utterly terrifying, dropping into a tight crouch. However, Henri Ducard's grueling physical and mental training in the Himalayas had forged his resolve, allowing him to bravely face his inner fears.

Even without the physical presence of bats on the set, Christian Bale's performance was vastly superior to his previous attempt. He slowly stood up, facing his fear head-on. He rose with courage, spreading his arms and tilting his head slightly back. The shadows of his past seemed to scatter entirely, giving rise to a man forever bound to the darkness.

"Great!"

Duke offered his praise, and before Christian Bale could fully relax, he immediately followed up, "You did well, but I know you can do even better. Take five minutes to rest, then we'll run the scene again!"

Over in the cast resting area, a fully made-up Liam Neeson stood beside Tina Fey. He watched the production for a moment before rubbing his chin.

"It looks like Duke and Christian have found a great rhythm," he remarked.

"Yeah," Tina Fey nodded in agreement. "He usually isn't this demanding with performances. As long as an actor hits the baseline, he generally approves the take. This film is an exception."

It was entirely true. Duke was adopting a far stricter approach than ever before, pushing the cast to dig deeper into their performances.

Compared to his previous films, the action sequences in the Batman Trilogy were neither as frequent nor as intense. If the cast delivered mediocre performances, the dramatic scenes—especially those focused on character development—would magnify their flaws infinitely, inevitably dragging down the entire movie.

If Bruce Wayne were anything like Legolas—just swooping in to look cool during action scenes and serving as eye candy during the dramatic beats—Duke absolutely wouldn't be pushing Christian Bale this hard.

Duke had Christian Bale run through the pivotal scene of Bruce Wayne rising from his fear five separate times before finally calling it a print.

Afterward, Christian Bale headed to the makeup chairs while Duke moved the crew to an adjacent set to film the confrontation between Liam Neeson and Bale.

Much like the dynamic between the Joker and Batman, the peculiar relationship between Bruce Wayne and Henri Ducard was one of the film's major highlights.

It was a scene where Henri Ducard used a hallucinogen extracted from a blue flower, combined with rigorous practical training, to guide Bruce Wayne in overcoming his inner fears.

While the scene did feature some physical combat, the action was almost negligible. The true focus was on Liam Neeson's dialogue and delivery.

"Feel how fear clouds your senses! Let its power twist your body and mind, let it take control of everything! Only then will the power of fear belong to you. Embrace your deepest fears, Bruce!"

Because they were shooting on a soundstage, Duke opted to record the audio live on set. Liam Neeson's tone shifted and fluctuated, making him sound like an envoy born from the shadows.

"Become one with the dark power of fear. Focus! Commit yourself entirely! Control every inch of your body..."

While the actors' performances carried an immense weight in the shoot, Duke did everything he could to foster Liam Neeson and Christian Bale's enthusiasm and manage their mental states. An actor's rhythm naturally fluctuated. On days when the duo was dialed in, filming progressed at lightning speed; when their energy slumped, it was often a struggle just to finish the day's schedule on time.

Aside from a quick trip to New York to spend Christmas with his mother, Duke spent the entirety of December bouncing between shoots at Warner Studios and the Hughes Aircraft Plant. Beginning in mid-December, both Liam Neeson and Christian Bale finally hit their stride. By the time 2004 drew to a close and 2005 arrived, the production was already running about a week ahead of schedule.

If they kept up this pace, they would be able to wrap up principal photography before late January 2005.

Of course, the remaining scenes still posed a significant challenge. Because they only had a single concept vehicle—with the rest of the Batmobiles not scheduled to arrive until the new year—Duke had purposely saved all the high-speed pursuit and driving sequences for the very end of the shoot. One massive chase sequence even required them to film on location in downtown Chicago.

Just after the new year in 2005, eight meticulously crafted Batmobiles and scale models built by Lamborghini were transported to Los Angeles and delivered straight to the hangar at the Hughes Aircraft Plant.

Exactly as Duke had requested, the fully drivable Batmobiles were absolute monsters. He took one for a spin around the lot himself, getting a taste of what it felt like to be Batman. The Batmobile wasn't exactly refined—it had a decidedly rugged, brutalist aesthetic—but it was undeniably cool.

Lamborghini and Warner Brothers were even preparing to launch a commercial street-legal version of the Batmobile once the film hit theaters.

Naturally, it would have to be a heavily scaled-back model. The vehicles used by the crew simply weren't built for prolonged driving; they burned a staggering one gallon of gas per mile!

As the brief New Year's holiday came to an end, Duke, his crew, and the eight Batmobiles packed up and headed for Chicago.