Chapter 565: The Hardworking Downey

The soundstage, converted from a large hangar at the Hughes Aircraft Plant, was dressed to look like a cave. Three cameras were cleverly mounted in their designated spots at angles that would not interfere with one another, their lenses all focused on the haggard man standing before a dilapidated workbench.

Eyes glued to the director's monitor, Duke watched Robert Downey Jr.'s performance. To some extent, the early-nineties Hollywood prodigy shared a rather similar trajectory with the character he was playing, Tony Stark.

Both were geniuses facing the most difficult periods of their lives. In the script, Tony Stark faced adversity and ultimately chose to save himself. And Robert Downey Jr.?

He had been with the production for over four months, and almost all the feedback Duke received about him was positive. It was as if the prodigal son had finally awakened. Though the no-longer-young genius retained his erratic personality, he had put in the effort. From his physique and mindset down to his acting skills, he seemed completely prepared.

In Hollywood, the importance of opportunity went without saying, but opportunities were reserved for those who were prepared.

On the monitor, Robert Downey Jr. picked up a hammer and brought it down heavily on the metal sheet in front of him. His expression was solemn, his gaze resolute. It was not just the terrorists in the script; it felt as if Satan himself descending from hell could not stop his salvation.

The hammer struck the sheet metal again and again. These were not props; both were solid, genuine materials. Seeming entirely immersed in Tony Stark's world, Robert Downey Jr. swung with immense power, the loud clanging echoing through every corner of the soundstage. The recoil from those blows could not be comfortable.

Yet Robert Downey Jr. seemed completely unaffected. As long as Duke did not call cut, he would keep hammering. Months of fitness training were paying off; his newly built muscle ensured he not only had the strength to swing the hammer but could also withstand the resulting recoil.

"Cut!" Duke called out. "That's a print."

This was the very first shot of the production, and Robert Downey Jr. had gotten into character remarkably fast. After just one trial take, it was finished.

"Next setup!"

Duke glanced over at Robert Downey Jr. The actor was gently rubbing his wrist as he walked toward the rest area.

Duke was extremely satisfied with his performance. This was a man who knew how to cherish an opportunity.

"Need some water?"

A familiar female voice suddenly came from behind.

Duke turned around, took the water glass Scarlett Johansson handed him, took a sip, and asked, "Why did you come over here?"

"I'm a member of the production too," Scarlett said, taking the glass back. "Today is the official start of filming, so of course I had to come take a look. Besides, Tina is busy right now. Someone has to look after you."

Duke gave Scarlett a glance but said nothing. He directed the crew to transition to another constructed cave set and began shooting the scenes with the terrorists.

Throughout the morning, apart from one scene with Tony Stark, the rest of the time was spent filming the terrorists. Thanks to ample pre-production preparation, the shoot went smoothly. Even with the inevitable outtakes, they completed the morning's schedule before noon.

Lunch was held at Hughes Airport, where the production had rented the internal cafeteria. Duke and Charles Roven never cut corners in this regard. Only when the crew's food and accommodations were taken care of would they have abundant energy for work. Furthermore, even in October, midday in California could hardly be considered cool. An air-conditioned cafeteria at least guaranteed adequate rest.

People were not machines, after all, much like how Duke would only direct a maximum of one movie per year.

After grabbing his tray, Duke had just sat down when Scarlett Johansson carried her lunch over and sat across from him.

Duke glanced at her tray. Unsurprisingly, it was entirely vegetables, fruits, and similar foods. In Hollywood circles, even Scarlett, who claimed to never diet, actually paid strict attention to what she ate.

"Sorry to interrupt you two."

A man's voice came from the side, and Charles Roven stepped up to their table.

Scarlett knew very well that he must have business to discuss with Duke, so she smiled and said, "It's fine, Charles, grab a seat."

Duke gestured to the seat on his left. Charles Roven sat down, took a sip of his coffee, and said, "We just got word from Warner Brothers. The exact North American box office figures for Batman Begins have been finalized."

"How much?" Duke asked.

The film had officially ended its theatrical run in North America the day before yesterday, having screened for over five months.

Scarlett Johansson looked interested as she asked, "Did it have a massive final surge at the end?"

"I would love for it to have surged..." Charles Roven joked before switching to a serious tone. "But my dear, that's impossible."

He paused to recall the number and said, "The final North American box office is 282.56 million dollars."

Hearing this figure, Scarlett muttered, "So it didn't break 300 million dollars."

"Breaking 300 million dollars in North America is never that easy." Duke shook his head. "It's already well past my initial expectation of 250 million dollars."

"What about the global box office, Charles?" Scarlett asked. "How much is it at now?"

"562.78 million dollars." Charles Roven sighed softly. "The film's reception in the overseas market has been a bit lukewarm."

"It's a matter of style." Duke picked up his fork, speared a piece of diced apple from Scarlett's lunchbox, popped it into his mouth, and said, "It's perfectly normal for a dark, gritty superhero movie to get this kind of overseas reaction."

Compared to North America, overseas audiences preferred superhero films that were relatively straightforward.

Still, Duke was quite satisfied with breaking 550 million dollars globally. It also laid a strong foundation for the sequel.

"What about our competitors?" Scarlett Johansson asked. "Especially the film financed by that annoying guy named Ellison. What was its final box office?"

"Flyboys?" Charles Roven laughed. "So low you wouldn't believe it."

He did not keep Scarlett waiting and explained, "Flyboys was forcefully pulled from theaters after just seven weeks. The North American box office was only 23.09 million dollars. Overseas wasn't much better; it has basically finished its international run with only 13.44 million dollars. There's no way the film's global box office will cross 50 million dollars."

"What about merchandise?" Scarlett continued.

"I haven't paid attention to those specific numbers," Charles Roven said after a moment's thought. "However, it couldn't have made more than two million dollars so far. It can't even compare to Batman Begins and its 300 million dollars in merchandise sales."

No matter how you looked at it, Flyboys had suffered a crushing defeat against Batman Begins.

It wasn't just that movie; Kingdom of Heaven, which had premiered around the same time as Batman Begins, hadn't fared much better. Ridley Scott's epic war film ultimately scraped together 27.11 million dollars in North America, with a combined global box office of 47.39 million dollars. Even if the subsequent television and DVD rights sold for a decent price, the film was doomed to lose money.

In fact, if it hadn't been for George Lucas's Star Wars Prequel 3: Revenge of the Sith, Batman Begins definitely would have claimed the North American box office crown for the Summer Season.

"Duke, with Star Wars Prequel 3: Revenge of the Sith in the picture..." Scarlett Johansson put down her knife and fork, picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth, and said, "It's going to be tough for you to take the annual box office champion title this time."

"There will be plenty of opportunities in the future." Having finished his meal, Duke checked his watch and stood up. "You guys rest here. I'm going to check on the preparations for the afternoon."

With that, he left the cafeteria. Scarlett waved goodbye to Charles Roven and hurried after him.

The afternoon shoot began shortly after. Filming primarily focused on Robert Downey Jr., capturing several scenes of him building the Mark I Iron Battle Suit. Once the set on the other side was ready, Duke transitioned the crew and started shooting scenes of Tony Stark wearing the armor.

Meticulously crafted by the model and visual effects department at Industrial Light and Magic, the Mark I suit had a rugged aesthetic. Just as Duke had requested, it looked like a humanoid tank.

Of course, even though the suit was primarily made of lightweight Polystyrene, wearing it could not be described as comfortable in the slightest.

Even though Robert Downey Jr. had practiced in the armor several times before filming, shooting remained incredibly difficult. After every few minutes of footage, he had to take a break to rest.

Fortunately, Duke had prepared two identical prop suits and hired a stunt double specifically for Robert Downey Jr. With the two taking turns, they easily maintained the production schedule. Furthermore, even if the practical footage had minor flaws, they could adjust and polish it with CGI in post-production.

A minor accident occurred during the shoot. After finishing one of the cave scenes, Robert Downey Jr. accidentally took a tumble and landed headfirst. Luckily, the Mark I suit made by Industrial Light and Magic was sturdy enough that it didn't break, protecting Robert Downey Jr.'s head from any injury.

But Robert Downey Jr. was not very fond of the suit. When the afternoon's work ended, he jogged over to complain to Duke.

"I've been acting for years, and I'm in decent shape, but the first time I put on the Iron Suit, I felt like my personality was splintering. I don't have claustrophobia, but after wearing this costume for a few hours, you start getting a bit anxious, just hoping the stunt guy hurries over to save you."

He was, in part, using this banter to close the distance between him and Duke.

"The main thing is, this suit is way too ugly. When do I get to go back to being my tall, rich, and handsome self?"