Chapter 94

Friday noon after 12 o'clock, it will be released, and it will explode at that time. I beg for recommendation tickets!

Kerry-Mulligan lay on Murphy's shoulder, just crying, her tears quickly soaking Murphy's clothes. He gently patted the girl's shoulder, but didn't know what to say.

Whether living on the other side of the Pacific or coming to America, he was always alone. Understanding human nature was one thing, but truly comforting a young girl was another, and he didn't know how to do it.

He had no experience in this area at all.

"Alright, dear," Murphy could only gently pat Kerry-Mulligan's shoulder and whisper, "It's okay, everything will be fine."

Not far away, James Franco faintly heard these words and couldn't help but cover his forehead. This guy wasn't as smart as he imagined.

"I'm scared, Murphy..." Kerry-Mulligan finally lifted her head, "I'm really scared."

Murphy forced a smile, "It's all over."

This was Kerry-Mulligan's last scene, and it had already been approved.

"Get up," Murphy tilted his head and gestured to the people around, "They're all watching. This isn't how a lady should act."

"I don't want to be a lady."

Despite her words, Kerry-Mulligan wrinkled her nose, pushed herself up from Murphy's body, stood up, and wiped the tears from her face. The needles still stuck in her body made her look quite bizarre.

"Beck! Jack!" Murphy instructed the two people nearby, "Help Kerry get her makeup off."

After saying that, he gently patted Kerry-Mulligan's hand and walked toward the director's monitor.

Kerry-Mulligan turned to look at him, and the corners of her mouth, which had been drooping, involuntarily curled upward. The feeling of being cared for was wonderful.

Even if she had to grab a pig's intestine again... Kerry-Mulligan quickly shook her head. Such a disgusting thing should not happen again.

After watching the recently shot scenes, Murphy had the crew move to a new location to shoot other scenes. Tobin Bell, who played Jigsaw, also appeared on the set.

Originally, Murphy wanted to find a substitute actor for Tobin Bell, but after auditioning a few people, the results were unsatisfactory. Preconceived notions sometimes deeply influence people, so he had Bill Rosi contact Tobin Bell. Fortunately, Tobin Bell had played many minor roles in various films, making him easy to find and not too expensive.

Since the conditions were suitable, Murphy naturally had no reason to look for anyone else. In his mind, Tobin Bell was the embodiment of Jigsaw.

Days passed, and the shooting had entered the third week. The entire project was only two-thirds complete. Perhaps his abilities were indeed insufficient, as he couldn't finish the shooting in less than twenty days like the online information suggested.

Another important reason was that he was not only the director but also the producer of the project. Besides directing, he had to handle many daily tasks for the crew.

For example, safety management and logistics management.

Safety for personnel, the set, equipment, and finances didn't need to be detailed, as each aspect was crucial for the smooth progress of the shoot and couldn't be taken lightly.

This also made Murphy realize the importance of a professional producer. He could handle the director's title, but if he had to take on the actual role in a larger project, he would be exhausted.

Originally, he had a suitable candidate, but his project and company were too small, and the other person's goals and ambitions were too large.

By mid-May, actors came to the set one by one, shot their scenes, and then left. The crew, including Murphy, had almost all the behind-the-scenes staff make cameo appearances. Murphy planned to move back to the Stanton Studio for shooting, but before that, he gave the crew a two-day break. After a long period of shooting, most people were tired, and actors like Lily, who hadn't yet shot their scenes, needed to use these two days for necessary rehearsals.

During these two days, besides James Franco leading a few actors in rehearsals, the other behind-the-scenes staff mostly took a break. However, Murphy only slept in and still came to the warehouse set in Venice to handle some work.

He needed to review and sign off on some budgets for logistics and finance, and adjust the shooting schedule for the next few days based on the actual shooting situation.

Sitting in the office at the warehouse entrance, Murphy put the revised shooting schedule aside and picked up a financial report to review. By now, the project had about $150,000 left in the account. The remaining shooting could be completed in a few days, and if the post-production could be done quickly, the initial budget of $800,000 might be enough to complete the entire film.

The dollar was continuously depreciating, and by bringing the film out a few years earlier and removing some large scenes like car chases, Murphy had basically controlled the budget.

The office door suddenly opened, and Kerry-Mulligan, with her hair dyed back to blonde, poked her head in. Seeing Murphy, her eyes curved, and she pushed the door open and walked in.

Murphy looked up at her but said nothing, continuing to read the financial report.

Kerry-Mulligan took two bottles of mineral water from a box behind the door, placed one on Murphy's desk, opened the other, and drank two large gulps. She then brought a chair and sat opposite Murphy.

She just looked at Murphy without speaking, as if afraid to disturb his work.

After a while, seeing Murphy close the stack of documents, she said with a slight complaint, "I knew you wouldn't rest. If you keep this up, your head will hurt again."

Murphy looked up and smiled at her, putting the financial report aside, "Aren't I starting to rest now?"

"Really?" Kerry-Mulligan's eyes widened, and she jumped off the chair, moving to his side, "Come on, let's go for a walk. The scenery in this small town is beautiful."

She reached out and pulled Murphy's arm, leading him away.

They had been collaborating since the previous film, and Kerry-Mulligan knew that once Murphy got too busy, his headaches would easily flare up. This time, she came to take him out for a walk to relax.

"Wait a moment, just a bit longer," Murphy broke free from Kerry-Mulligan's hand, gathered all the documents, and locked them in the iron cabinet behind him before following her out of the office.

As soon as they stepped out, they exchanged surprised glances and then turned to look at the warehouse set.

Someone was there!

The warehouse had been simply renovated by the crew but was still dilapidated. No shooting was scheduled for today, and the set was dimly lit, appearing dark from the office. Strange sounds were coming from there, like someone crying or laughing.

"I'll go check,"

Murphy whispered and walked over. Kerry-Mulligan quickly caught up and grabbed Murphy's arm, "Don't leave me behind."

The two walked quietly to the edge of the set. The sounds seemed to be coming from a part of the set near the back wall of the warehouse. As they got closer, they could hear that it was a little girl's voice, and it sounded familiar.

Kerry-Mulligan leaned close to Murphy's ear and reminded him, "Lily Collins."

...

(End of the page)