The three days of Christmas went by quickly.
After the holiday, Kevin resumed his busy filming schedule.
As it was a realistic adaptation of a comic, the movie didn't involve much action but focused more on dialogue scenes, with the core of the story revolving around Batman and the Joker.
With each scene completed, the plot gradually progressed to the most exciting parts of the film.
Aware that this kind of performance couldn't be rushed, Kevin had Jim Carrey as the Joker and Christian Bale as Batman rehearse their scenes over and over again.
Under the pressure imposed by Kevin, every rehearsal made the movie even better.
For two whole months, Kevin stared intently at their performances, repeating them over and over again.
Not only was he going crazy, but Jim Carrey himself had started to embody the Joker's characteristics even in his daily life, showing signs of getting too deeply into the role.
In such circumstances,
Finally, they finished filming their scenes.
...
"Thank you all for your dedication on this production. Today, I announce that the shooting of 'Batman: The Dark Knight' is officially complete."
"Crock Hotel, a small party awaits you all. Let's celebrate tonight."
After the film shooting was over, Kevin finally showed a smile.
This was a scene that no one could witness during the filming. After going through multiple productions, Kevin gradually gained a reputation on set.
His nickname was the "Dark-faced God," implying that he had a serious expression throughout the filming.
Once the other crew members were settled, Kevin didn't idle around. Instead, he took Jim Carrey and went to Robert Downey Jr.'s favorite bar.
...
"Director Kevin, you finally found time to come over."
Robert Downey Jr., who was enjoying himself in the bar, quickly approached Kevin and playfully remarked.
With their relationship, Downey wouldn't feel any jealousy towards Kevin's success in Hollywood. He would only feel happy for him.
Seeing Kevin and Jim Carrey approaching, Downey was also delighted.
After the banter, Downey casually ordered two bottles of alcohol from the bar and sat down with Kevin and Jim.
"Kevin, you don't come to the bar often. There must be something going on."
Kevin laughed heartily.
"I'm here to introduce a friend to Jim Carrey. I think he needs someone like you, Robert."
Kevin was very satisfied with Jim Carrey's performance in the movie, but he was also concerned.
He could sense that Jim Carrey, after portraying the Joker, was not in a good mental state.
As a responsible director, Kevin believed that he had an obligation to help Jim Carrey through this.
And Kevin believed that apart from physiological factors, having an extroverted friend could be a great support for someone with depression.
"Hello, I'm Jim Carrey."
Jim Carrey shyly introduced himself.
It was hard to believe that the Jim Carrey, who left such a strong impression in movies, was actually a bit shy when facing strangers in real life.
In short, he had weak social skills.
"Hello, I'm Robert Downey Jr. Today, you and Kevin are on my turf. Leave everything to me, and I guarantee you'll have a blast tonight."
Opposite to weak social skills, Robert Downey Jr. was known for being outgoing, gregarious, and talkative.
"DJ, change the music. Kevin, join us too."
To help Jim Carrey quickly shake off the influence of his character, Kevin also joined this special night's gathering.
The music started, and it was the head-bobbing dance that Jim Carrey would perform on the 'Saturday Night Live' in '96. Kevin brought it to life ahead of time.
Jim Carrey could never have imagined how many views his future skit would garner in the mainland.
...
The dance began.
At first, Jim Carrey was a bit hesitant, but being sandwiched between Kevin and Robert Downey Jr., along with the mesmerizing music and energetic head movements, Jim Carrey couldn't help but join in and bob his head.
Then, this scene ignited the entire nightclub. Hundreds of customers in the nightclub started dancing this unique dance to the mesmerizing music.
Jim Carrey, who rarely felt happiness and relaxation in his daily life, suddenly realized that he was enjoying the feeling of dancing with friends in a nightclub.
At the same time, he silently made up his mind to come here often to unwind.
...
After introducing Jim Carrey to Robert Downey Jr. as a friend, Kevin felt relieved.
He believed that Robert Downey Jr.'s personality would definitely prevent Jim Carrey from falling into depression again.
He even entertained the idea of having both of them co-star in a movie.
Of course, it was just an idea for now.
What Kevin needed to do now was to start the initial editing of the footage for 'Batman: The Dark Knight'.
Then he would work on the music, special effects, and other post-production tasks gradually.
Speaking of it, it had been a while since he visited MGM. He could already imagine MGM's opinion on his latest movie.
As a major shareholder of MGM, it was certain that many executives would have objections to him not involving MGM in the project at all.
But this was also intentional on Kevin's part. Through this method, he wanted to make the people at MGM realize who their business relied on.
Without him, Steve Kevin, MGM would be a mess right now.
And starting from this year, after 'The Dark Knight', he would basically sever ties with Warner Bros.
He would wholeheartedly focus on shooting films for MGM and Dawn Studios, increasing his influence at MGM while making money, always ready to swallow up MGM.
...
Half a month later, both parts of 'The Dark Knight' were released.
The workload for the two movies was exceptionally massive, and it really exhausted Kevin.
As for the music and other aspects, Warner Bros. had rich experience. Kevin practically went through the production of 'The Dark Knight' with the most relaxed attitude he had ever had since he started making movies.
On March 20, 1995, Kevin finally completed the production of 'Batman'.
In the production office, undisturbed, he took a day to rest.
Kevin then woke up in high spirits, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and disposed of the clothes he had worn for several days.
Stepping out of the production office, Kevin casually called over an employee guarding the door and instructed them to notify the high-level executives at Warner Bros. to come and see the final result of his 'Batman' film.