The Best Director

Chapter 416: Chapter 416: Giving Herself to Him

“Lately I’ve been hearing some conflicting voices about movies like ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Iron Man’.”

When film fans visited Wang Yang’s blog and saw his latest entry, they read: “This is a good thing, we once again know how much superheroes are loved. But some of the skepticism has left my supporters, and those of a few other movies, a bit perplexed. Why is Yang so stupid? Why is he always making the wrong decisions? Do you really think so? Don’t worry, guys! Maybe they have good, or bullsh*t reasons, but all the reasons boil down to ‘they’re not up to it.’ But who says we’re not? We are.”

People like Alan F. Horn from Warner Brothers were indeed reluctant to have the Nolan brothers create ‘The Dark Knight,’ and ‘Zathura’ reignited their concerns. Taking advantage of the situation before the contract was signed, WB had a final showdown with Wang Yang. They put pressure on the Nolan brothers and Emma Thomas privately while persuading them, clearly hoping the family would bow out of ‘The Dark Knight’ on their own, thereby forcing Wang Yang to look elsewhere. They just couldn’t believe Gotham would fail without Nolan.

Since the rights to ‘Iron Man’ belonged to Firefly Films, New Line couldn’t exert much pressure, but the two old men were just as busy. They played the sympathy card tirelessly, constantly inquiring about Jon Favreau’s thoughts on ‘Iron Man,’ causing him quite a bit of trouble.

It goes without saying that Lin Yibin’s plans to direct ‘Oldboy’ were always met with skepticism. But WB’s actions had angered Wang Yang, truly ruining the festive mood!

In the past, when FF independently produced films, the biggest hassle was encountering cold stares and obstruction when inviting others to join. Now, for the first time partnering with WB, they were bent on ousting Firefly’s people, believing that with the “Miraculous Yang” reputation, it would be OK even if Wang Yang didn’t do the work himself. Although the Nolan family could still hold on, how could they not be affected? At the very least, they’ve lost any good feelings toward WB.

“I don’t know how much you’ve heard, but the next time someone says Wang Yang is no good, Christopher Nolan is no good, Jon Favreau is no good, or any other project… let them stand up, stand up now! Whoever said it, just stand up!! Let’s divide into teams for a ballgame, and then it’s IN-YOUR-FACE. They don’t know how ridiculous this is. Honestly, I’m a bit eager to see their faces when movies like ‘The Dark Knight,’ ‘Iron Man,’ etc., are released. Maybe I’m being a bit MEAN, but I’ll surely remind them, LOOK, what stupid things did you say before?”

“If he doesn’t dare to stand up, go ahead and boo him. Don’t forget who was saying ‘Firefly’ was a pile of trash two years ago, YEAH——” His words were quite provocative, and he wrote: “I reiterate once again, you’re going to see classic films that are absolutely fabulous! Of course they’ll be box office hits. We know we’re up to it, so now you know what to do, right? LOL! Remember that post-apocalyptic movie I mentioned I would make? Yes, ‘I Am Legend.’ It’s also part of today’s topic, so let’s charge!”

YEAH! Yang’s fans were stirred up, this was their beloved Miraculous Yang! At critical moments, he always gave them the utmost support, as if saying “Bring it on me!” So cool! Fans reacted quickly, with Evelyn excitedly making a bunch of phone calls: “Did you see? Yang wants you to stand up! What’s wrong? Scared? BOO! Hahahaha——that’s the sound of derision; hahahaha——that’s the sound of mockery; hahahaha…”

“IN-YOUR-FACE! Do you dare to make your stance clear on your blog? Mark it or something, in a few years, you might be praised for having foresight, or!” Clair also called a friend and paused to laugh, “Or you’re a fool, hahaha!” Alice made calls, Kate, Adam… How many skeptics would dare to come forward? Natalie cheerfully called friends she knew weren’t fond of Wang Yang’s few new plans: “Go see what Yang said on his blog, and don’t forget to reply to him.”

So ‘I Am Legend’ was indeed happening! The average North American box office for 42 similar sci-fi horror movies was 29.69 million, and the average for the TOP 10 was 80.26 million! He was walking into a dead end again! The Yang critics were thrilled. A low box office sci-fi blockbuster from Wang Yang was on the horizon! This was the beginning of his downfall! As for movies like ‘The Dark Knight,’ ‘Iron Man,’ and a few others… he spoke so unequivocally. Let him act cool for now, he’ll regret it later, but it will be too late.

As the Yang fans and anti-Yang netizens spread the news, online entertainment media began to cover the story: “Wang Yang shows great confidence,” “Marvelous Yang throws down the gauntlet to skeptics,” “Marvelous Yang vows to butcher his doubters”… Media attitudes also varied, it was clear that Marvelous Yang was angry, and it is well known that his revenge can be a terrifying affair, especially when he is brimming with confidence; obviously “Firefly” has made Wang Yang overly proud, he is digging his own grave and is bound to learn a harsh lesson! Just like the performance of “Zathura”!

In fact, Wang Yang had not announced he would be directing and producing “I Am Legend” because he wanted to attract attention after the failure of “Zathura,” and as it turned out, it was indeed effective. “I Am Legend” is entering its third filming, so who will star as Robert Neville this time? One must know that no matter how the story is adapted, there will certainly be many solo scenes for the lead, requiring a star with both good acting skills and high popularity; who could it be? This became the latest hot topic among the fans.

“We have full confidence in Marvelous Yang.” The soap opera was getting livelier, and Wang Yang’s assertive attitude finally made Warner Brothers speak up. President of Production Jeff Robinov dispelled the rumors of discord between WB and FF, telling the media, “We put a lot of effort into bringing Wang Yang to take over the Batman series, Warner is 100% confident he can give this series a new outlook. Christopher Nolan is the director Marvelous Yang designated, how could we not be satisfied? Nolan is filled with incredible talent, and coupled with Marvelous Yang, what more could you doubt? They will do the job very well indeed.” He said excitedly, “This powerhouse combination is so exciting to look forward to! There is no doubt that ‘The Dark Knight’ will be very, very thrilling.”

Warner Brothers conceded, regardless of how Alan Horn and others sighed and lamented, knowing there was no hope of a replacement, they quickly changed their stance, after all, when the film begins promotion, it’s necessary to give the fans as much confidence and anticipation as possible. On the other hand, New Line also conceded; Michael Lynne publicly supported Wang Yang and Jon Favreau to the media: “We don’t care about the situation with ‘Zathura’, there were also many who were not optimistic about Jon Favreau, but New Line gave him ‘Elf’, and we had a very pleasant cooperation, this time will certainly be the same; plus we have no reason to worry, Marvelous Yang will handle everything.”

In just a few days, it will be Thanksgiving, and before the holiday arrives, Wang Yang had won a series of battles, successfully forcing Warner Brothers and New Line to wholeheartedly support him. Although there are undercurrents, if the film fails, any accumulated tensions will erupt, but at least before the report cards for ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Iron Man’ come in, Horn, Lynn and the others can worry and have nightmares, but they won’t nag anymore, that is what he desired.

Jessica was in the 37th week of her pregnancy, and though she had not yet reached her due date, the most recent pregnancy check-up showed no signs of labor. But theoretically, the water could break at any time, so whether busy or not, Wang Yang had to find more time to accompany her.

“HEY! Sweetheart, why such a temper?”

It was a sunny afternoon, and the sycamore-filled garden was relatively quiet. On the lush lawn, Danny was dozing off by the cradle, while Wang Yang and Joshua played a game of catch with a football. Jessica sat on a chair not far away, watching the two play like children, but she felt somewhat annoyed. Since entering the 37th week, in these past few days, she would easily become emotional and anxious about everything, often for no particular reason. She suddenly recalled “Marvelous Yang vows to butcher his doubters,” and without thinking, she asked out loud. It sounded cool but…

How could one be cool without giving grounds for reproach? Jessica thought hard but couldn’t figure it out, and couldn’t help but complain: “Can you be more mature? I’m always worrying about you, and you’re about to be a father, oh my God!”

“Uh…” Wang Yang suddenly froze, his mouth agape. More mature? Boom! The football flying toward him hit his chest. Joshua, standing on the other side, burst into laughter, and when Wang Yang looked at him in amazement, Joshua made a throat-slitting gesture with his right index finger: “Cut!” Wang Yang touched his head and walked over, eying her for a moment before suddenly laughing. He bent down and pinched her cheeks with both hands: “If I hadn’t done that, things would have gotten even more complicated. Don’t worry! Everything is under control.” Jessica patted his shoulder as an apology and a sign of trust.

Wang Yang touched her swollen belly a few times and then ran off to deal with Joshua. Watching the two of them playfully tossing the football and bickering loudly, Jessica gradually became absorbed in another worry and asked, “What if the baby just happens to be born on Thanksgiving Day?” Wang Yang turned and looked: “That would be nice, actually!” Joshua jested, “Isn’t that your anniversary?” Jessica smiled sweetly yet frowned, “Yes, it is nice! But I’m afraid that if the holidays overlap or are too close, we might overlook the baby’s feelings later on, ‘Thanksgiving is my birthday?’ That’s a bit strange…”

“`

“Many people are born on Thanksgiving or Christmas, even Jesus was,” Joshua said nonchalantly, and Wang Yang led by example, “My birthday always coincides with or is close to the Spring Festival; it’s no big deal.”

“You don’t get it.” Jessica was not in the mood to bother with the two men’s furrowed brows and deep thought. The ideal time to have a baby would of course be right between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Wang Yang, feeling quite helpless, threw the ball with force, step by step, it seemed it was time to call the girlfriends to the rescue. He heard Jessica complaining, “Sometimes I think, why can’t these things be controlled? Imagine, if pregnant women could arrange this themselves, pick a date, I might even go to the beauty salon for a complete makeover and then drive to the hospital and come home with the baby at night.”

Joshua, somewhat perplexed, replied, “Isn’t there a cesarean section? Okay.” He remembered that they had chosen natural birth. He turned and tossed the ball to Wang Yang, saying, “You might as well wish that humans were… what’s it called? Like turtles, birds, dinosaurs… those kinds of animals that lay eggs…” Wang Yang said, “Oviparous animals.” Joshua looked at his sister and laughed, “Oviparous animals, you’d lie on a giant egg and incubate it for a few hours each day. When it’s sufficiently warm, it’ll crack open, and the baby will crawl out. Maybe you could even incubate together, haha!”

With the vague image of herself lying on top of a giant egg hatching in mind, Jessica, stroking her chin in contemplation and touching her pregnant belly, said, “Makes some sense.” For example, at the baby shower the other day, she could have decorated the giant baby egg to look beautiful and tie a bow on it… Kicked by the baby, Jessica couldn’t help but ask, “Would there still be fetal movements?” She looked at the knowledgeable Wang Yang, “I mean if such a scenario existed, with humans being oviparous, would there be some sort of… telepathic fetal movement?”

“That’s more fantastical,” Wang Yang stroked his furrowed brow thoughtfully, paused, and slowly said, “In terms of science fiction, it would probably be vibrational fetal movement. The baby kicks the eggshell and you feel it… through the vibrations in the shell,” Jessica nodded thoughtfully.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“I still prefer viviparous childbirth.” Jessica pondered for a while, then, as if she had found the answer, gently struck her left palm, a smile on her face as she said softly, “Although it’s hard work, and I’ve lost my figure, but that’s motherhood…” Bang! The football spinning in the air suddenly hit the cradle, scaring Danny, who jolted up in panic, and almost simultaneously, the baby doll in the cradle let out an electronic crying sound: “Waaaah…” Jessica’s eyes gradually widened as she took a deep breath, her anger flaring! She glared at the person who threw the ball, her suppressed voice growing louder, “Joshua—! Can you act your age!”

Joshua quickly spread his hands in defense, “It wasn’t on purpose, Wang Yang didn’t catch it.” He suddenly realized, it was Wang Yang; he had intentionally moved to a position with his back to the cradle! “Don’t be angry, sweetheart, don’t be mad! Don’t blame Joshua; you know he’s just a kid.” Wang Yang quickly walked over to Jessica, then suddenly turned back and winked, making a throat-slitting gesture with his right index finger: “Cut!”

“Wang Yang, you too!…”

As Thanksgiving approached, Wang Yang, as he often did, updated his blog with a very short message: “Surprise! They’ve come, thank you!” What did this mean? Wang Yang’s fans, who had guessed about the role of Robert Neville just a few days prior, immediately found out, and there were many of them—truly impressive, that Wang Yang!

“Will Smith will join ‘I Am Legend’ to star as Robert Neville”

Yahoo Entertainment, NBC News Network, and other media outlets were reporting the latest news announced by Flame Films, more than five years later, Will Smith and the amazing Wang Yang were teaming up again! Rallying around the Best Director, who was facing much skepticism! Will Smith told the press excitedly, “I’ve always been interested in ‘I Am Legend’; I almost starred in it a few years ago. When I recently heard that Wang Yang was making it, I couldn’t believe it. I knew Wang Yang would cast me; it’s like a dream, this is awesome!”

“`

“One call and we had it all worked out, last time it took too long.” Will Smith laughed heartily when recounting the past. He still treasures the invitation letter Wang Yang wrote to him. “Hurricane Policemen” gave him the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor, while “The Pursuit of Happyness” won him the Oscar for Best Actor. When asked about Wang Yang’s recent challenge to the critics, Will Smith shared the same outrage, “Those were my words too, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it or you’re not good enough; no one has that right. What did Yang do wrong? He shouldn’t have to bear this pressure, but I’m not worried; that’s how he made it, just like all of us.”

“Rachel McAdams will join ‘Iron Man’ playing Stark’s assistant, Pepper Potts”

Originally for the 2008 edition of “Iron Man”, Rachel McAdams was Jon Favreau’s first choice for Pepper Potts, but Rachel turned down the part. Now Favreau wanted her again, and Wang Yang thought she would be a good fit, so he reached out to Rachel, resulting in the recent media coverage. Rachel McAdams said, “It’s an interesting challenge. As soon as I heard Yang’s invitation, I thought, ‘Really?’ And a second later, ‘OK!’ I’m really looking forward to it.”

Regarding previous reports that she was reluctant to appear in superhero films after “Fantastic Four” was considered a letdown, including potential sequels like “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” and her desire for a fresh direction onscreen, Rachel McAdams didn’t hesitate to say, “Yes, I’m temporarily tired of summer blockbusters. I want some impressive screen performances, not to be an unattractive vase.” She added, “But it’s different when Wang Yang invites you. I think that’s not just how I feel. You can trust yourself with him.”

When asked about Wang Yang’s bold declaration of slicing up the critics, Rachel seemed to find it hilariously funny, already embodying a bit of Pepper Potts, “I’ve known that guy for 7 years, sometimes he’s stubborn to a fault. I know for a fact that if he said he’d do it, he will! So if you don’t want him to slice you up, just keep your mouth shut.”

Meanwhile, Robert Downey Jr., who had already been confirmed to play “Iron Man,” also came forward to support Wang Yang in the media: “I’m not worried about ‘Iron Man’s’ prospects at all. In two years, a lot of people will admire my choice of roles, plenty already do. Honestly, I just trust him, and this time is no different. I trust him one hundred percent, and I trust Favreau one hundred percent. He said it’s like a ball game, so ‘Iron Man’ will definitely win!”

On the other hand, Warner Bros. announced that Christian Bale has confirmed he will continue to play Batman in the sequel “The Dark Knight.” Wonder Yang was initially hesitant to take over the series, telling the media, “I was afraid of doing a sequel because I didn’t want to repeat stuff, but that fear is gone now. Seeing Wang Yang and Christopher Nolan, I knew I should stay.”

“Heath Ledger will join ‘The Dark Knight’ to play Batman’s arch-enemy, the Joker”

Heath Ledger and Wonder Yang are teaming up again! The media realized they were getting bombarded by Wang Yang on purpose, but what could they do? Not cover it? New dad Heath Ledger is the man of the hour! Let alone that damn Wonder Yang… Heath Ledger excitedly told the media, “We agreed on this long ago, and to be honest, this role really excites me. How could you possibly refuse when Yang asks you to play the Joker? You can’t, but you can confidently hand yourself over to him.”

Surprised? Of course, Yang’s fans are surprised!! (