NOVPUB
Chapter 412
"This is fun."
Kazir was holding a remote control, playing with a toy car and having fun. The toy car was moving fast, and Kazir couldn't help but feel like his younger self again.
The car was zooming around the studio, circling the miniature model of Gotham City.
The toy car he was playing with was not an ordinary toy, it was a 1:100 scale replica of the Batmobile, specifically created for the film.
"Kazir, better be careful... We only have two copies of the Batmobile," Enrico Pusi, the producer of this project, said, clearly worried that Kazir might destroy the Batmobile. This toy car was custom-made, and it would take a full week to produce just one.
They intended to develop remote-controlled Batmobile cars to sell to children, but those would be made of cheaper materials before hitting the market. The toy car Kazir was playing with was one of a kind, made from premium materials and costing over $5,000.
"Hm? But I thought we had three. I even said that."
"The first one crashed into a wall and the front dented."
"I see."
"..."
Enrico didn't explain that he was the one who broke it. Just like Kazir, he had fun playing with the car and accidentally damaged it. Now, he was worried Kazir might make the same mistake he did.
"Anyway, how's the pre-production?"
Kazir had been busy and could only visit the studio once a week. The release of Spider-Man 2 was approaching quickly, and he had to attend promotional events, including TV shows and interviews.
"I already contacted the actors. Unsurprisingly, all of them wanted to audition when they heard that you would direct the movie. As for Liam Neeson, he is also interested... Although the negotiation will take some time."
Enrico sighed. Because Kazir wanted Liam Neeson to play Ra's Al Ghul, the villain in the movie, Producer Pusi had to contact the actor and begin negotiations early. After all, Liam Neeson was already a certified "Daddy" by the media, although Enrico had no idea what that actually meant. He just knew that Liam Neeson was expensive to hire now that he had a massive fan base worldwide.
"If the negotiation isn't completed before filming, we'll have to find another actor for the role of Ra's Al Ghul."
Kazir wasn't picky. Hollywood had plenty of older, talented actors. Heck, even Morgan Freeman could fit the role. However, Kazir wanted to stay true to the original version if possible.
Since Kazir took over the project, Enrico naturally became the producer. Warner Brothers wanted a smooth production, and the two had better communication since they had already worked together a few years ago.
Initially, Warner Brothers and Kazir had a verbal agreement regarding the filming of Batman Begins. Then Warner Brothers quickly moved forward with signing a formal contract.
Kazir's side wasn't greedy this time, perhaps out of a sense of indebtedness for the help they had received.
Kazir's contract was set at $25 million + 17% worldwide box office share + 3% peripherals revenue share... That was actually a huge deal, but for someone as big as Kazir Grey, it was considered average at best. Only a few studios could secure that kind of deal with him.
"The model is so realistic. It looks nice... Sadly, we have to destroy some parts of it."
Kazir looked at the miniature model of Gotham City. The artists spent three months making it look like a real city, and now parts of it had to be blown up.
The same applied to Wayne Mansion and even the Batmobile Kazir was controlling at the moment.
Still, this was better than destroying a real mansion or an actual city... That would require clearance and permits.
Christopher Nolan was known for never using CGI, which was false, by the way. He did use the technology to complement his films. He used CGI but never overly relied on it.
If he had to use a miniature model to blow up a building, Christopher Nolan would rather do that than let computer graphics ruin the scene. As for which of the two was cheaper, both were expensive. Ṙâ𝐍օ𝐛ËꞨ
Using a miniature model was costly and time-consuming.
Using CGI was also expensive and time-consuming, as the technology still wasn't mature enough.
Given that, why not combine the two? Use miniature models and CGI together to make it look realistic. This was what Christopher Nolan did.
"How about the real Batmobile? Did Lamborghini finish it? We already sent the design to them a month ago." 𝑛𝘰𝑣𝘱𝑢𝑏.𝘤𝑜𝘮
"The Batmobile arrived yesterday. It's working. Lamborghini wants to create ten copies and sell them, at a high price, of course."
Lamborghini stepped up and became one of the sponsors of Batman Begins. They also created the Batmobile.
In the movie, Bruce Wayne would use a Lamborghini Murciélago to promote the luxury car brand. Even the few copies of the Batmobile were immediately sold out after the movie's release.
Some luxury car companies like Ferrari and Porsche had also contacted them, but they ultimately decided to go with Lamborghini. In the first place, Ferrari never agreed to modify their cars, so the Batmobile would never have worked with that brand.
"... I'm interested in driving it. Do you mind?"
"Okay," Enrico agreed. The working Batmobile was meant to be used anyway.
Crash--!!
Suddenly, the toy car Kazir was playing with crashed into the wall and lost a tire.
"Oops, I messed up," Kazir chuckled and stopped playing.
"... On second thought, I think the Batmobile needs calibration. You're not allowed to use it. I also have to call the toy manufacturer to send us a new copy of the Batmobile toy."
Enrico began walking away, knowing that Kazir might ask another favor. Filming hadn't even started yet, and they had already broken two toy cars? So yeah, the life-size Batmobile was now off-limits to both Enrico and Kazir...
Kazir watched Enrico leave and laughed. He didn't have to be worried, Kazir wouldn't scratch the Batmobile... Right?
