In a small conference room at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Manhattan, Murphy, Gal Gadot, Philippe LaSalle, and Helena Espora sat with furrowed brows, facing two representatives from the New York City Hall. The lead representative was a middle-aged man with graying hair. It seemed they were there just to deliver a notice without any intention of negotiating further cooperation for the filming.
"Why?" Murphy asked the middle-aged man, "Mr. Bloomberg, we had already reached an agreement on the filming. Why are you overturning it now?"
As a crucial location for Hollywood films, numerous crews shoot in New York weekly, and the City Hall usually cooperates as long as normal social order is not disrupted. They had readily agreed when Gal Gadot visited before, and both sides had signed a preliminary filming agreement.
"It's not that we're against you filming in New York," Bloomberg replied with a formulaic smile. "Small-scale shoots are still possible, but large-scale ones…"
He shook his head.
"Small-scale shoots?" Murphy's frown deepened.
This was a crime action film, and most of the exterior scenes in New York were large-scale action sequences.
Gal Gadot glanced at Murphy and spoke, "Mr. Bloomberg, I had already discussed this with your side, and we signed a preliminary agreement."
"Apologies, Miss Gadot," Bloomberg seemed sincere. "We cannot honor that agreement, and we regret the inconvenience it causes your team."
New York City Hall had a good reputation for reliability in these matters. Murphy and Gal Gadot exchanged puzzled looks, unsure why the city was reneging.
"You must have a reason?" Gal Gadot asked.
Bloomberg nodded and explained, "It's because of Director Stanton's significant influence."
"Me?" Murphy was even more puzzled, pointing to himself. "What does this have to do with me?"
"You might not be aware," Bloomberg seemed unsure where to start and paused before continuing, "Director Stanton, you and your works have a tremendous influence. Last year's 'The Wolf of Wall Street' exacerbated public dissatisfaction with Wall Street…"
Murphy and Gal Gadot nodded slightly. They were aware that after the release of "The Wolf of Wall Street," especially following a series of marketing campaigns, public discontent with Wall Street had grown louder online.
Bloomberg wore a somewhat helpless smile. "Currently, many people and organizations are planning a protest against Wall Street here in New York and Manhattan. Based on our information, this protest could be quite large, and many of the participants were influenced by 'The Wolf of Wall Street.'"
Murphy spread his hands, indicating that this had nothing to do with him.
Occupy Wall Street was already a movement; perhaps the film and its related hype had accelerated the protest's timing.
"The City Hall has made significant efforts," Bloomberg continued, "but with limited success. If these people do gather, there's little we can do to control it."
His message was clear. Bloomberg candidly said, "Many of these people are fans of you and 'The Wolf of Wall Street.' The City Hall fears that if you film publicly in New York, it will further incite their emotions. Especially since your filming plan includes many scenes on Wall Street, it could send the wrong signal and make the situation more uncontrollable."
For most government departments, stability is paramount.
Bloomberg added, "Moreover, this could entangle you, Director Stanton. I believe you wouldn't want that, right?"
Indeed, Murphy didn't want to get too deeply involved with the Occupy Wall Street movement. The film was one thing; his personal involvement was another matter entirely.
"So, we hope Director Stanton will reconsider the exterior filming plans in New York," Bloomberg's words were diplomatic. "Although we can't cooperate this time, the City Hall's unilateral cancellation of 'Black New York' will bring many unnecessary troubles to your team. But the City Hall can promise that when you come to New York to film in the future, the entire city will welcome you."
Gal Gadot looked at Murphy again. It was up to him to decide.
If the crew insisted on filming in New York, legally, the City Hall couldn't cancel it, but without their support, filming would face numerous restrictions and become extremely inconvenient.
Especially for necessary street closures, it would be nearly impossible.
Murphy understood this too. He had absolute authority within the crew and could make the decision about filming in New York.
After deliberating and weighing the pros and cons, Murphy stood up and extended his hand to Bloomberg. "I accept the City Hall's suggestion. I hope we can cooperate in the future."
Bloomberg quickly stood up and shook Murphy's hand. "Of course, New York needs Director Stanton's great works too."
Murphy smiled, and Bloomberg smiled back.
With this consensus, other matters were easier to address. For instance, Murphy mentioned needing some background shots in New York, and Bloomberg immediately offered strong support.
After sending off Bloomberg, the team returned to Murphy's suite to discuss this unexpected situation. Filming in New York was no longer feasible.
"We must adjust the filming plan," Gal Gadot said, preparing coffee for the team. "And notify 20th Century Fox immediately."
"Right." Murphy nodded. Although he had the authority, maintaining communication was essential. He told Gal Gadot, "You handle the communication with 20th Century Fox."
Then he turned to Philippe LaSalle. "We need a significant adjustment to the filming plan."
Philippe LaSalle took the coffee Gal Gadot handed him and said to Murphy, "If we don't shoot on location, there's no need to use film cameras."
Murphy walked a few steps, quickly making a decision. "Besides the IMAX shots, all other scenes will switch from film to digital cameras. All New York scenes will be shot on set with green screens and replaced with real backgrounds in post-production."
"Agreed," Philippe LaSalle, experienced as he was, nodded. "That's the best alternative."
"Helena," Murphy turned to his production designer, "prepare the set design as soon as possible."
"Got it." Helena Espora was concise but reliable. "I'll have the plan ready as soon as possible."
Murphy then told Philippe LaSalle, "Replace all film cameras in the crew with digital ones and ensure seamless integration between IMAX and regular shooting."
His mind was racing. "Gal, list all cost changes due to the plan change and communicate promptly with the third-party guarantor."
Finally, Murphy said, "Cancel all filming plans related to New York, except for background shots."
Unexpected situations like this had occurred before in Murphy's projects, so he handled it without much difficulty.
With the New York filming plan canceled, there was no need to stay in the Big Apple. As Murphy and Philippe LaSalle had agreed, all New York exterior scenes would be shot on set with green screens.
Murphy was not a stubborn director who resisted change. If film wasn't feasible, digital technology and CG could achieve the same results.
Film was never an absolute necessity for movies.
Back in Los Angeles, Murphy's team returned all 35mm film cameras and rented Sony's latest digital cameras.
20th Century Fox quickly approved Murphy's plan, finding digital shooting and production beneficial for distribution.
In the following weeks, the crew faced other challenges, but under Murphy's leadership, they resolved them smoothly. Departments like actors, sets, lighting, sound, props, equipment, and special effects all worked in harmony. By mid-September, preparations were nearing completion.
Simultaneously, Murphy officially decided on the film's title. "Black New York" was replaced by "Chaos City," and 20th Century Fox began early promotional efforts.
Murphy left this entirely to 20th Century Fox's professional team.
Before filming began, Murphy met with Hans Zimmer to discuss the soundtrack. The series suited Zimmer's musical style perfectly.
Having worked together before, communication was smooth.
With Zimmer on board, the preparations were nearly complete. Any unfinished sets could be built during filming, as the two tasks didn't conflict.
On September 30, 2010, the "Chaos City" crew officially began filming at the warehouse set outside Venice. They held no press event, as Murphy intended to start shooting immediately.
However, by 10 a.m., shooting hadn't started. Murphy kept checking his watch because his cinematographer, Philippe LaSalle, hadn't shown up, and his phone was unreachable…
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