Chapter 81

Please collect and recommend!

In Murphy's memory, the former director had completed the preparation in less than a week and finished the shooting in just over two weeks. He didn't know how the director managed to do it, but he guessed that Lionsgate Pictures played a significant role behind the scenes. After all, it was a second-tier Hollywood company with undeniable strength.

A studio like Stanton Productions couldn't compare to Lionsgate Pictures. Apart from Bill Rosi, Murphy had little support and often had to rely on his own strength.

By the end of March, with Bill Rosi's assistance, Murphy had basically secured all the crew positions. Most of the people came from CAA. Unlike the small crew of over ten people for "Hard Candy," the new project had nearly thirty behind-the-scenes staff members, not counting the interns introduced by Paul Wilson.

Paul Wilson brought three classmates, and even as graduates of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, they didn't often get the chance to participate in the production of a full-length feature film.

In addition, Murphy's lawyer, Robert, would continue to serve as the legal advisor for the crew.

With the team in place, the preparatory meeting was officially held at Stanton Productions. As the director, Murphy needed to communicate and discuss creative ideas with the main creative personnel to ensure a unified artistic vision guiding the preparation work. He also gave a director's statement to the entire team to unify their creative thinking.

After the meeting, Murphy kept the already confirmed actors to discuss some matters related to the script.

He had been revising the script, but there were still some things he wasn't satisfied with, and he wanted to hear the actors' thoughts.

In the second-floor study of the studio, Paul Wilson temporarily served as a waiter, pouring coffee for everyone. Murphy sat behind the desk, with James Franco and Seth Rogen, who had been close to him recently, sitting on the opposite sofa. Bill Rosi stood under the shelf where the camera and other equipment were placed, and Carey Mulligan moved a chair to sit next to the water cooler on Murphy's left.

"Everyone has read the script," Murphy lightly tapped the desk to attract everyone's attention and said, "There will be various methods of mechanical murder in the film, which are also very important parts of the movie."

He pointed to his head and said, "I can only think of so much on my own. Do you have any more novel ways of killing?"

This statement was ambiguous, causing the others to look at each other in confusion.

James Franco crossed his arms, with a surprised expression, and deliberately said, "You want to kill someone? Who? Go ahead, I'll call the police right now."

"Jim, this isn't a joke," Murphy glared at him, "I'm serious, about the mechanical murders in the movie."

"I have one!" Carey Mulligan raised her hand, "I thought of a way."

Murphy nodded at her, "Go ahead, Carey."

Carey Mulligan's eyes turned to James Franco, "We can design a chair and bind the victim... for example, Jim, I mean Jim's character, to the chair."

James Franco's lips trembled, sensing something bad was about to happen.

"There will be a combination lock on the chair," Carey Mulligan continued, "If he can't open it within a certain time, a knife will pop out and... "

She smiled at James Franco, "Castrate him!"

Instinctively clenching his legs, James Franco felt a chill in his lower body, as if a knife had really popped out. He stood up involuntarily.

After standing up, he realized everyone was staring at him with strange looks. He opened his mouth and forced a smile, "I... my legs were a bit numb, I just needed to stand up and walk around."

Murphy turned his head and looked at Carey Mulligan, who had a serious face but couldn't hide the laughter in her eyes.

"Any more ideas?" he asked the others.

To cover his embarrassment, James Franco walked a few steps, his eyes darting around. Suddenly, he said, "Murphy, don't you think Carey's role is too minor?"

It sounded like he was really concerned about Carey Mulligan, "Her character passes the test too easily, and the way she finds the key involves hurting others, not herself."

Murphy looked at James Franco and nodded slightly. What Franco said wasn't without reason.

He gestured for him to continue.

James Franco's mind quickly came up with an idea, "I think we can set up a passage between Carey's character and the person hiding the key. The passage can be filled with..."

This character was supposed to survive, so knives and such were definitely out. He had read the script and had to admit that Murphy was biased. So many people died, but Carey Mulligan's character was the one who survived.

"The passage can be filled with..." he had a sudden idea, "needles. Carey would have to crawl through the needles to survive."

After James Franco finished speaking, Murphy picked up a pen and quickly wrote it down. He didn't care if it was a competition; as long as it helped the script, he would use it.

Carey Mulligan glared at James Franco for a while, then glanced at Murphy. Seeing him writing, she swallowed her words and smartly chose to remain silent.

Anything that might affect Murphy's opinion of her, Carey Mulligan would never do.

"Can I share my thoughts?" Seth Rogen raised his hand.

Murphy smiled, "Seth, feel free to share."

"Once in a chemistry lab," Seth Rogen touched a scar on his hand, "dilute sulfuric acid accidentally splashed on my hand. The burning pain is still vivid in my memory."

He organized his thoughts, "I think we could set up a device where a person is locked in a life-threatening situation, and the key to save them is in a bottle of sulfuric acid next to them. To survive, they would have to put their hand in the acid..."

Paul Wilson, James Franco, Bill Rosi, and Carey Mulligan all looked at the fat man. No one expected this seemingly gentle guy to come up with such a twisted idea.

Seth Rogen adjusted his new glasses and gave an embarrassed smile, "I... I'm just suggesting."

Murphy also took it down seriously.

Although the main attraction of the first film in the series wasn't the mechanical murder show, it was still a good way to attract the audience.

The brainstorming session turned into a murder discussion, with even Bill Rosi suggesting several twisted methods, such as hooking people, chainsaw cutting, and needle piercing. More and more ideas kept popping out.

Many of these ideas were valuable, and Murphy would appropriately adopt them, continuing to revise the script.