Opinions

@MarvelFanboy4Lyfe: "Marvel's already 10 steps ahead, DC is just copying our blueprint. The Avengers will blow anything DC has out of the water! #MCU #DCisLate"

@DarkKnight: "LOL, Batman Begins alone will crush The Avengers at the box office. #DCForever #BatIsBack"

@IroWins: "Please, Marvel is setting up a whole interconnected universe. DC is just trying to catch up. Good luck trying to top Iron Man 2. #MCUMasters #DCisDesperate"

@CaptainFan: "Yeah, but who's actually running DC Studios? A dude who wrote Toy Story."

@ThorIsGodOfThunder: "LMAO! Ackles is a CW actor! Meanwhile, Marvel's out here casting ACTUAL stars. DC is scraping the bottom of the barrel. #MCU #DCWho?"

@WonderWarrior: "Like anyone even cared about Iron Man or Thor before Marvel Studios. DC has LEGENDS—Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman—Marvel's playing catch-up with their C-list. #DCIcons"

@MCStan94: "C-list? HA! The Avengers is going to make history while you're still watching mopey Bruce Wayne cry about his parents for the millionth time. #AvengersAssemble"

@DCStUnite: "LMAO, Marvel fans are so pressed when Batman Begins takes the crown. You all know the DCU is going to run Hollywood once we get started. Marvel's just the warm-up. #DCOverMarvel"

@WorldsFinest: "Yeah, we'll see who's in second place when Batman Begins breaks the internet, and Justice League destroys everything Marvel has ever done. Stay salty. #DCforLife"

"Shouldn't people be excited about your big announcement?" Mitchell asked, leaning back on the couch as I scrolled through my phone.

"Yeah, they are," I answered, not looking up.

Mitchell glanced at my phone, watching as I scrolled through the chaotic barrage of tweets about the Comic-Con announcement. "Well, it doesn't look like it," he said, confused.

"This is good, actually," I said, still focused on the screen. "Let the hardcore fans fight about whose brand and heroes are better. It'll only create more buzz around the movies."

"Even Cam was asking me what the big deal was with this," I added.

"Yes, yes I was," Cam chimed in, walking into the living room with a coffee in hand. He handed it to me. "Here you go, Daniel."

"It's all some students at school are talking about," Alex said from her spot on the couch.

"Yeah, mine too," Manny added, nodding along with Alex.

"Not you?" Mitchell asked, looking over at Manny.

"Oh no," Manny replied, taking a sip from his drink. "I have more sophisticated taste in movies."

"Well, that's why I'm here," I said, standing up and turning toward them all. "You all know why I've called you here. I want to gauge the interest in my new book series." I gestured to the manuscripts in their hands. "You all have the early drafts I gave you—Cam, Manny, and Alex. You've read the incomplete manuscripts of the first book in my Elden Ring series."

Mitchell sighed dramatically. "Daniel, you have focus groups for this at the company."

"Shut up, Mitchell," Cam interjected, swatting him.

"Cam is new to this," I continued. "But Alex and Manny—you've both given me several ideas for my previous books. So, what's your opinion on this one?"

Alex began, "It's darker than I expected. I thought it was going to be more like Percy Jackson, but... it's different."

"Good different or bad different?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Good," Manny said immediately. "I really enjoyed reading from Lyra's perspective. You made her very likable."

"Also," Alex chimed in, "thank you for making the main character a woman." She smiled. "I could really connect with her. She's a lot like me, ostracized because of how different she is."

"Well, if you like female leads, we've got a good book coming out soon. I think you're going to love it," I said.

"Is it any good?" Alex asked, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Yeah, it is. I think it's going to start a whole new subgenre of teen girls fighting a dystopian government."

Cam, who had been quietly flipping through the pages, finally spoke up. "It needs more romance though. It's all doom and gloom."

I raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's only half done."

"Oh please," Cam pleaded. "Let it be that Caelan character. I love the way you wrote him."

I laughed. "Well, I am considering him."

"Nah," Manny shook his head. "He's too cliché. Lyra needs a better love interest."

Alex crossed her arms, leaning forward. "Or better yet, no romance at all. A powerful woman like Lyra doesn't need a love interest to define her."

"Come on," Cam cut in, giving Alex a look. "Every good story has a romance. And Caelan's got that brooding, mysterious look."

Manny scoffed. "Brooding and mysterious? Lyra deserves someone better than the standard 'tortured soul' trope."

"Better? Or just more boring?" Cam shot back. "Caelan's the perfect match for her. He challenges her—makes her question everything. That's what makes romance interesting, not just some bland 'perfect' guy."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Or she could just not have romance. It would make her stand out more as a character. Why does every female lead need a love interest to be interesting?"

"You know what, I agree with Alex. She doesn't need it," Manny said. "Let her focus on her mission. Romance would just distract from that."

"You guys are missing the point," Cam insisted.

"It's a distraction," Alex said firmly.

"It's essential," Cam countered.

"Guys—" I started, trying to intervene, but they were too far gone in their argument.

"It's a crutch for female characters!" Alex said, her voice rising.

"No, it's a way to show they're not one-dimensional!" Cam shot back, equally passionate.

"Alright, alright, everyone chill!" I said, raising my hands, trying to stop the back-and-forth.

Just then, Mitchell, who had been watching it all from his chair, leaned back and smirked. "Focus groups, Daniel. Focus groups."

"You're not helping, Mitch," I said, annoyed.

The argument subsided after some time, and I was even able to gather some good suggestions from everyone. Alex pointed out a few issues she thought the story had so far, which I found to be acceptable criticism.

"Well, thank you for your help. This has been very enlightening," I said with a smile.

Mitchell glanced at his watch. "Well, I think it's time we leave, Daniel. We have to meet with Mr. Steiner, remember?"

I blinked, realizing I had almost forgotten about the meeting with Sam. "Ah, right. I almost forgot."

"Is this about that movie?" Cam asked, looking at me curiously.

"Oh, Mitchell told you?" I replied with a smirk. "Are you a fan of Stephen King too?"

Cam crossed his arms, his face twisting in mock disdain. "No. That man turned clowns—the purest, happiest things in the world—into monsters."

'Fizbo,' I thought, realizing Cam might be offended by Pennywise.

"Please don't tell me you're making a movie about that," Cam asked.

I shrugged with a grin. "Sorry, Cam, but there's a lot of money to be made there."

"You're making a movie based on It?" Alex asked, her eyes widening in curiosity.

"Yeah," I said confidently.

Alex nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I've read the book. Mom will love it, for sure."

Manny, still looking puzzled, chimed in. "What's so scary about clowns anyway?"

"Nothing," Cam said firmly.

"Cam, you do know people are scared of clowns, right?" I asked, trying to suppress a grin.

"Those people are crazy," Cam replied, crossing his arms defensively.

"Phil's afraid of clowns, Cam," I pointed out, which made Cam pause.

"What? No, he's not. He loves Fizbo!" Cam said, but his voice faltered as he glanced over at Alex and Mitchell, who slowly nodded in agreement with me.

Cam stared at them in disbelief. "Then this movie will make even more people afraid of clowns!"

I patted his shoulder, grinning. "I'm counting on it."

Cam's eyes widened in shock as Mitchell and I grabbed our jackets and headed toward the door.

.

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I looked at the storyboard for Batman Begins sprawled out across the board. The scene I was focused on was where Bruce Wayne, under the influence of Scarecrow's fear toxin, spirals into a world of dark hallucinations. The illustrations captured it perfectly: shadows stretching unnaturally long, distorted images of bats swarming, and Bruce's face twisted in horror as he struggled against the psychological assault.

"Daniel, what do you think of the Tumbler?" Nolan asked from across the room, pulling me from my thoughts.

I glanced over at him. Christopher Nolan and Nathan Crowley, his production designer, had been working on the design of the Batmobile—something they called the Tumbler. I knew the design well, having seen it before in my previous life. It was bulky, militaristic, and fit the vision of a Batman who was just starting out, using prototype military equipment developed by Wayne Enterprises.

"As long as it's totaled in the next one," I said with a grin. "I need something different for the later movies."

Nolan chuckled. "Fair enough."

Pre-production was in full swing, and while we had the script locked down and most of the major casting and initial location scouting done, there was still a ton of work left. The sets had to be built, costumes needed final touches and testing, and we still had to go through the painstaking process of storyboarding each scene. Pre-visualization would give us a clearer picture of how everything would flow together.

There was also the fight choreography. The action scenes were going to be a big part of this movie. Rehearsals would be intense, especially for Jensen.

It was overwhelming, to say the least. This was the biggest movie I'd ever been a part of, and the scale of it all hit me as I stood there, taking in the dozens of moving pieces that had to come together.

I walked over to the table where Nolan and several others sat, poring over the storyboard. They were discussing the logistics of filming the fear toxin scene, particularly how to blend practical effects with CGI to make Bruce's hallucinations feel as immersive and terrifying as possible.

I picked up the tentative schedule from the table and scanned through it. We had a long way to go, but if everything stayed on track, we'd be ready for the grueling production that lay ahead.

Principal photography for Batman Begins was slated to kick off in March 2012, and we were starting strong with an ambitious plan. Our first destination was going to be Iceland, specifically the Vatnajökull Glacier.

The vast, icy expanse of Vatnajökull was going to be our stand-in for the Bhutanese mountains, where Bruce Wayne trains with Ra's al Ghul. The location was perfect—its sheer scale and cold, unforgiving beauty mirrored the challenges Bruce would face both physically and mentally in the film.

After Iceland, we'd move on to the UK in April and May. London, Liverpool, and Glasgow would provide the rich architectural diversity we needed for Gotham City. Shepperton Studios would serve as our home base, where the Batcave, Arkham Asylum, and several other key interior sets would be constructed. We'd also film other minor but essential sequences within the UK.

By June and July, we'd be tackling the massive street-level action sequences. Chicago and New York would be our playgrounds. Chicago's towering skyline would lend itself to Batman's epic Tumbler chase scenes, while New York would provide the gritty street-level imagery we needed for several crucial fight sequences between Batman and thugs.

August and September would be used for any reshoots, pickups, and fine-tuning of the film's final scenes. It would be a fast-paced, high-energy period where we'd make sure everything was perfect before moving into the post-production phase.

Six months of shooting, followed by six to eight months of post-production to perfect the visual effects, sound design, and final edits, would give us just enough time to meet our release date of May 2013.

I also had to finalize the script for Superman, plan the sequel for this, and start shooting Wonder Woman sometime next year as well.

The enormity of it all crashed into me.

What the fuck have I gotten myself into?