A violent argument drew a crowd of onlookers, including Martin, who were all quite displeased with Christian Bale; it was quite an entertaining spectacle.
The messages conveyed during the argument unfolded one by one.
Due to "Brokeback Mountain," no one was surprised; they found it quite reasonable.
Morgan Freeman approached Martin secretly and remarked, "Deal with feathers."
Martin agreed, "It's best to like women."
Morgan Freeman raised his hands in agreement, saying, "In that regard, we're on the same page."
Martin couldn't help but laugh, and the crew around him joined in the laughter.
It was such a juicy bit of entertainment.
Suddenly, the trailer door burst open. Sibi Blažić stuffed a clown statue into his bag and shouted at the crowd outside, "Your Batman is a lousy scoundrel!"
Christian Bale remained inside the trailer, nursing a headache from the statue's impact, too angry to come out. He wasn't known for his patience.
Sibi Blažić pushed through the crowd and left. Bell slammed the trailer door shut.
Morgan Freeman shook his head and commented, "It's over for them."
In good spirits, Martin suggested, "Shall we call it a day and head back to the hotel?"
Morgan Freeman, with aching legs and a sore back, decided it was best to head back for a drink before bedtime. "Sounds like a plan. A nightcap might help me sleep."
At that moment, Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas appeared. Not far behind them was Mene, who had just arrived in Atlanta.
Emma Thomas addressed the crowd of onlookers, "Don't go anywhere!" She imposed a gag order, saying, "No one is allowed to spill today's events to the media." She knew that they couldn't prevent private discussions, but she reminded them of the contracts they had signed and the legal team's resources.
Although the crowd wouldn't blab to the media, they were eager to discuss the juicy gossip privately.
Martin suggested to Morgan Freeman, "Let's wrap up and head back to the hotel."
Morgan Freeman, who had his granddaughter with him, agreed, "You go ahead; I'll catch up."
Bruce drove a golf cart, and Martin, along with Mene, hopped in.
Mene, with his lively mind, asked, "Boss?"
Before Martin could respond, Mene exclaimed, "I get it!"
Bruce, the driver, teased Mene, "Do you get how to lose weight?"
Mene almost retched, "Pregnant? Whose?"
Bruce continued with the jest, "It can't be Emma's, right?"
Mene defended himself, "Don't accuse me; Emma and I are just good friends."
Martin, observing Mene's weight gain, advised, "You can stop indulging in sweets with her if you want."
Surprisingly, Mene insisted, "I enjoy spending time with Emma; we have great conversations."
Martin nodded, "It's your call."
Mene had officially joined the crew that day and was ready for the challenge. He asked Martin, "Boss, our adversary is Christian Bale. What's our objective?"
Martin replied calmly, "Make Christian Bale as intense and fierce as Batman."
Bruce added, "His goal is to have Christian Bale take on the Joker as ferociously as Batman."
Mene, puzzled, commented, "Bale has been our foe for a while, right? Cruelty toward himself if he holds back!"
Bruce praised Mene, "You've got a sharp mind."
Mene boasted, "I'm the uncle Mene who has to spend money to hang out with Paris Hilton!"
Martin patted him on the shoulder, saying, "You're the epitome of success."
Suddenly, Mene inquired, "Bruce, how are things with the Kardashian sisters?"
"Sisters?" Mene focused on the crucial point, "Bruce, why didn't you tell me?"
Bruce explained, "They're all under 30."
Mene shook his head and sighed, "They're not my type."
Martin asked, "What's going on?"
"kim kardashian found out about my situation with khloe kardashian and proposed a condition," Bruce explained, appearing somewhat melancholic, "If I agree to her request, she won't care about my involvement with Kohler."
Martin had a hunch.
Sure enough, Bruce continued, "Kim asked me to participate in a video shoot without showing my face..."
Martin patted Bruce on the back, offering silent support.
Bruce had been navigating the complexities of Hollywood for years, handling whatever came his way.
Mene quipped, "I'm just afraid of becoming Paris Hilton's new leading man."
Once they reached the hotel, the three of them headed to the bar. After a while, Morgan Freeman joined them.
Martin knew Mene aspired to be an actor like Morgan Freeman, so he had introduced them.
Upon noticing Mene's skin color, Freeman took the opportunity to share some valuable advice on how to navigate Hollywood as a black supporting actor.
Martin, on the other hand, assumed the role of a matchmaker for Mene to help him secure additional resources.
Over the past two years, Mene had expanded his connections and established close relationships with numerous female casting directors over the age of 50, thanks to the resources introduced by Martin.
...
At the Gray Film and Television Production Center, most of the crew departed after completing their work. Some extras, who were still changing, moved at a slower pace.
A handful of them glanced towards the now-dissipating crowd near the rest trailer.
After a knock from Nolan, Christian Bale emerged from the trailer with an ice pack on his head. Suppressing his impatience, Nolan inquired, "Are you alright?"
Christian Bale managed a forced smile and replied, "I can handle it."
As Christopher Nolan reflected on recent events involving Christian Bale, including Heath Ledger, his dissatisfaction with Christain Bale continued to grow. He reminded him, "Don't let your personal matters affect your work."
This marked the first time that Christian Bale had heard Christopher Nolan express such discontent since their collaboration on "Batman Begin's." It was evident that the director's patience had reached its limits.
Recognizing the importance of great actors working with exceptional directors, just as Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio had, Christian Bale wanted to continue collaborating with Christopher Nolan. He hurriedly clarified, "There must be a misunderstanding in this matter. I'm not gay, and Heath is. We are just close friends, nothing more..."
Nolan raised his hand to interrupt, stating, "These details aren't significant. Emma has imposed a gag order on the crew. You have a day off tomorrow to resolve these matters."
Bale could only respond, "Okay."
Nolan waved and turned to leave.
Bale sensed that his relationship with Nolan was deteriorating, but he decided to refrain from further conversation at this time, as he feared it would only aggravate the situation. Nolan was clearly growing impatient, and anything Bell said could be misconstrued.
As Nolan walked away, Bale lowered his raised hand and angrily threw the ice pack on the ground, causing it to burst and scatter ice in all directions. He let out a wild roar, entered the trailer, and slammed the door shut. Like Batman driven mad by the Joker, he picked up a folding stool and began destroying things inside the trailer. If he didn't release his pent-up frustration, he felt he might lose control entirely.
Eventually, the trailer fell silent, and Bale sat down on the sofa with his head buried between his legs. He vigorously ran his fingers through his hair, attempting to regain his composure. However, his restless heart continued to race, causing his eyes to redden.
After a while, Bale felt calmer. He took out his mobile phone and dialed Sibi Blažić number, but Hibi didn't answer; he simply hung up. Bell tried again, with the same result. Frustration overtook him, and he smashed his phone against the metal floor of the trailer, shattering it into pieces. Bale buried his head between his legs once more.
On the other side, Nolan encountered Emma Thomas and saw the screenwriter near the electric car. He waved and beckoned the screenwriter over.
"Director?"
After a moment of contemplation, Nolan's keen business sense led him to propose a creative idea: "Don't document Bale's personal issues. Write it like this."
The screenwriter promptly retrieved a pen and notebook.
Nolan continued, "Document that Bale's deep immersion in his Batman role led to emotional conflicts with his visiting wife. These emotions got the better of him, and he vented on her, causing her to leave the set in anger."
The screenwriter noted this down, gradually grasping the core of the crew's marketing strategy. The actors' unwavering commitment and the intense characters promised a strong emotional impact.
Nolan climbed into the car and declared, "That's it for today."
The screenwriter stepped aside, and as Nolan drove away, he put away his pen and notebook, whispering to himself, "This director knows how to create news and publicity. He'll undoubtedly become a major Hollywood director in the future."
On the electric car, Nolan wore a frown and remarked, "Bale keeps getting into more trouble."
Emma Thomas reassured her husband, "Don't worry; these are just minor issues and won't disrupt the crew's work." Then, she expressed her dissatisfaction with Bale, suggesting, "Apart from Batman, don't cast Bale in other projects; he's too self-absorbed."
She felt that Bale had associated her husband with Heath Ledger and was highly displeased with his behavior. "Consider the trouble Bell has caused since the auditions."
Nolan nodded in agreement, "Unless I'm directing another Batman film, Bale won't be on my list for other projects."
Hearing that her advice was well-received, Emma Thomas seized the opportunity to add, "Try to minimize the use of those people we hired in Australia. Besides their high salaries, they don't bring in the corresponding box office revenue."