Chapter 311: The Best Choice

"Starting with the revelations from Natalie Portman, we've gradually come to understand the truths about the world over these years!"

Whether it was through traditional media or the internet, Natalie Portman briefly became the focal point of media attention, with similar news emerging constantly. Not only the mainstream media with actual evidence but even the previously divided tabloids unified their front, planning to drown Natalie Portman in a deluge of criticism.

Indeed, Natalie Portman is Jewish, and her mother's family holds some influence, but with the push from 20th Century Fox and CAA, and the concrete video evidence in Murphy's hands, she had no chance to clear her name.

Ultimately, she is just an ordinary Jewish person, and the media neither has the obligation nor the inclination to help her clear her name.

"Natalie Portman, in order to secure the lead female role in Murphy Stanton's new film, did not hesitate to seduce the director..."

There were many similar stories, and Murphy's aim was not just to counterattack but also to promote. With clever guidance from interested parties, his new film "G" became a media focal point just like Natalie Portman.

The public was also curious about what kind of film "G" actually was, that it could attract the esteemed Queen Padmé Amidala, and even make her set aside all decency to proactively offer a blow job to Murphy Stanton...

Of course, there were also influential Jews in the industry who subtly expressed their dissatisfaction through CAA.

After getting his revenge and clearing the air with Gal Gadot, Murphy communicated with Bill Rossis and Kara Faith, and the media hype did not linger on Natalie Portman for long, instead linking the scandal with the new film to pique curiosity.

Even so, Natalie Portman's reputation was significantly affected.

"What should I do?"

Still in the same suite, Natalie Portman was at her wit's end, "Martin, what should I do?"

"Do not show up, do not speak, do not respond," Martin Miller said indifferently, "Let this matter quietly pass."

Natalie Portman anxiously said, "Doesn't that mean I can't take on any work for a long time?"

Martin Miller nodded, "At least not within the next six months, do not appear in public."

"And my career..." she frowned deeply, "Our Oscar plans..."

"Have to be delayed!" Martin Miller said without hesitation, "A temporary disappearance is the best choice."

Natalie Portman fell silent, her mind was clear once she calmed down. Now, not only the media but even her fans had started to turn away en masse, and the blog was filled with vile comments, which she did not even want to look at, let alone respond to.

Using time to dilute this matter was the best choice. Natalie Portman knew this, stood up, and took a deep breath, "Martin, contact the school in Jerusalem for me, I want to go back to Israel for further studies."

"A very smart choice," Martin Miller praised.

Natalie Portman forced a grim smile; this would not only help her avoid Los Angeles and Hollywood, the center of controversy but also subtly reaffirm her commitment to her Jewish identity, thereby regaining favor from some industry magnates...

She walked to the window, looking towards Century City, where the Death Star building was faintly visible.

"Murphy Stanton!" she muttered the name with a dark undertone.

After the press conference, Murphy no longer dealt with the matter directly, leaving it entirely to his agents Bill Rossis and Grace to handle, while he returned to his primary work.

As the narrative shifted, Charlize Theron's team responded immediately, her agent called to expedite signing the contract so that Charlize could join the production early and prepare for the role of Amy.

Without a press conference, promotional hype, or signing ceremony, the parties quietly signed an acting contract in Murphy's office.

"Welcome to the cast."

In the presence of representatives from the actors' union and attorneys, they signed the official contract, Murphy stood up and extended his hand, "I've finally waited for my ideal leading actress."

"It's an honor to work with you, Murphy," Charlize Theron gripped his hand firmly, "I'm thrilled to be part of an outstanding team."

With the contract signing complete, all that remained was the lawyers' and agents' work. Charlize Theron flashed a bright smile, "Could you show me around? I'd like to get to know the people in the production team a bit sooner."

She knew her previous hesitation might have left a somewhat unfavorable impression on Murphy, who, unlike most Hollywood directors, wasn't just a puppet in charge of filming but a director with real power. It was crucial to foster a good relationship with him.

Even though she was an Oscar-winning actress, Charlize Theron was not delusional. With the full support of 20th Century Fox, he couldn't be treated like just any young director.

In a Hollywood production team, unless you can truly overpower the director, it's wise to maintain a good relationship.

"Let's go," Murphy led the way out of the office, and once Charlize Theron caught up, he said, "I'll introduce you to the other leads and members of my filming team."

After Charlize Theron signed the acting contract, all the main actors for "Gone Girl" were confirmed.

Taking Charlize Theron around the set, they eventually reached the actors' rehearsal area, where they met James Franco and Amanda Seyfried, who was playing Nick Dunne's mistress. After a brief introduction, he watched the rehearsal with Charlize Theron.

Murphy pointed to the short hair Charlize Theron had been maintaining since their last meeting, "You'll need to wear a wig during filming."

"No problem," Charlize Theron nodded and then expressed a slight concern, "Will close-up shots be a problem?"

"In post-production, the special effects team will refine all your wig lines," Murphy was not worried, "Digital technology will make it flawless."

Due to the plot and specific editing needs, the female protagonist Amy had to be likable to the audience. Now, with Charlize Theron's more rugged short hair, Murphy had arranged for a long wig to be prepared for her. Almost all her scenes would require post-production effects to refine the wig lines. Since the Shakespearean era, wig technology had hardly advanced, and Murphy hadn't thought of a better solution for this film, but fortunately, digital post-production technology was available.

After James Franco and Amanda Seyfried's rehearsal ended, Murphy handed Charlize Theron off to James Franco and continued with his own work.

The external disturbances were put aside by Murphy, even the collaboration on "Saw III" was entirely handed over to Bill Rossis to handle, and the first episode's script outline for "Game of Thrones" written by two screenwriters hired by George Martin and Stanton Studios was temporarily set aside, all to focus on preparing for "Gone Girl."

Murphy wouldn't leave the production team to an assistant director or producer, as no successful director would do that. From props to set design to location selection, he needed to oversee it all. Although he didn't need to handle the specifics, he would be responsible for the final approval.

Additionally, some scenes in the script needed further refinement. This was not a pure romance film, and since it had a strong element

 of mystery, the fewer bugs, the better.

For instance, in the scene where Amy is imprisoned by a wealthy ex-boyfriend, Murphy added a bit of dialogue where the ex-boyfriend tells her upon entering the mansion that the surveillance system was just activated and that there were no cameras in private areas like bathrooms and bedrooms.

Some things can be explained through dialogue, thus reducing audience confusion or questions.

Murphy meticulously considered many dialogues in the film, even bringing in Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill to find loopholes and areas for improvement, while also listening to suggestions from the main actors who had begun rehearsals.

The dialogue in this film was extremely important.

Murphy knew that dialogue is one of the most conspicuous elements in a film because when dialogue unfolds, the audience's attention is completely focused on it. The fundamental purpose of dialogue is to advance the plot and explain the characters' actions and motivations.

Creating explanatory dialogue also has a major problem: it's difficult to write lines that the audience finds believable and convincing—the core issue is that in the real world, two people who know each other well do not explain things they both understand.

Thus, it's often more effective to convey information to someone outside the film than to have characters reiterate information they already know.

A carefully crafted character's every word can reflect their personality, but Murphy also knew that movie dialogue isn't the same as real-life conversation: real-life conversations are meandering. So what he needed wasn't a real-life chat but concise yet genuine dialogue.

Ultimately, the quality of the dialogue is determined by the characters, which is why it's so important to reveal characters through their lines. If these characters are well-crafted, their words will naturally be appropriate and reasonable.

With his rich preparatory experience, even after the controversy stirred by Natalie Portman, the preparation for the production team progressed very smoothly, even exceeding the original schedule. By mid-December 2004, Murphy was ready to begin shooting.

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