Begining of Arthur's change
The paparazzo who had pulled up the recent photo of Lucas looked at his colleagues, a mix of excitement and caution in his eyes. "Guys, we might be sitting on a goldmine here, but we need to be smart about this."
Another member of the group nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we can't just release these pics ourselves. We'd be in a world of trouble with the studio."
The first paparazzo grinned, already formulating a plan. "But we can definitely sell these to the news outlets. They'd pay top dollar for this kind of scoop."
"Not just news outlets," another chimed in. "Entertainment blogs, gossip sites, they'd all be scrambling for this."
The group huddled closer, lowering their voices as they discussed potential buyers.
"TMZ would probably offer the most," one suggested.
"Don't forget E! News," another added. "They love this kind of transformation story."
As they debated their options, the paparazzi were acutely aware of the value of their discovery. They knew that images of Lucas Knight's dramatic transformation and his role as the Joker would create a media frenzy.
"Whatever we do, we need to move fast," the lead paparazzo insisted. "Once this gets out, it's going to blow up. We need to be the first to break it."
With a sense of urgency, they began reaching out to their contacts in the media world, careful not to reveal too much but teasing just enough to generate interest in their exclusive scoop.
***
Meanwhile, on the set of the "Romeo" project, preparations for the train scene were in full swing. Crew members bustled about, adjusting lights and checking equipment. The cramped space of the train car added an extra layer of challenge to the setup.
Todd Phillips surveyed the scene, making last-minute adjustments. He caught Lucas's eye and gave a subtle nod. Lucas, fully transformed into Arthur Fleck with his clown makeup and outfit, returned the nod, a flicker of something dark passing behind his eyes.
The actors playing the drunk Wall Street men took their positions, their designer suits a stark contrast to Lucas's shabby clown attire. The woman who would catch their attention settled into her seat, looking appropriately uncomfortable.
"Alright, everyone," Todd called out, his voice cutting through the chatter. "Let's get ready for a take."
The crew fell silent, tension building as they prepared to capture what promised to be a pivotal scene.
"Sound?"
"Speed."
"Camera?"
"Rolling."
Todd took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on Lucas. "And... action!"
As the cameras rolled, the scene unfolded with intense realism. The three actors playing the drunk Wall Street men began harassing the woman, their laughter echoing through the train car.
Suddenly, Lucas felt Arthur's condition take hold. Without needing to act, he burst into genuine, uncontrollable laughter. The sound was chilling, a mix of mirth and pain that sent shivers down the spines of everyone on set.
One of the men turned to Lucas, his face contorting with mock anger. "Is there something funny?"
Lucas, fully immersed in Arthur, shook his head slightly but couldn't stop laughing.
The woman quickly exited the scene, leaving Arthur alone with the three men. One of them approached Lucas, a cruel smile on his face as he began to sing tauntingly, "Send in the clowns..."
The atmosphere on set grew tense as the actors surrounded Lucas. One snatched the wig from his head while another demanded, "Is there something funny?"
Lucas, struggling to speak through his laughter, managed to gasp out, "No, I have a condition—" But before he could reach for the explanatory card, one of the men flicked his hand away.
The actor singing abruptly stopped and delivered a punch to Lucas's face. Though he pulled the punch, the impact was still jarring.
As the other actors began to kick Lucas, they were visibly holding back, their concern for their co-star evident in their hesitant movements.
Despite their restraint, Lucas's reactions were disturbingly real. His body curled inward, protecting itself as he continued to laugh and gasp in pain.
As the scene unfolded, Todd watched intently, his brow furrowed in concentration. The drunk Wall Street men began their harassment, escalating to physical violence as they kicked the prone form of Lucas's Arthur on the floor of the subway car.
Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the set. Lucas had fired the prop gun, "shooting" one of the actors, then another in quick succession. The two men fell, their performances convincingly realistic.
The third actor, seeing his companions fall, turned to flee. Lucas, still sprawled on the floor, aimed the prop gun at the retreating figure. The "shot" missed, prompting Lucas to scramble to his feet and give chase.
The cameras followed as Lucas pursued the man through the subway station, the chase sequence unfolding with raw intensity. Finally, Lucas cornered the man and "killed" him, the prop gun firing one last time.
As the scene came to its brutal conclusion, Todd noticed something off about Lucas's demeanor. The actor seemed genuinely disturbed, holding his ear as if in pain from the loud bangs of the prop gun.
"Cut!" Todd called out, his voice tinged with concern.
As the crew began to reset for another take, Todd approached Lucas. "Hey, you okay?" he asked quietly, noticing the slight tremor in Lucas's hand.
Lucas nodded, but his eyes seemed distant. "Yeah, I'm fine. The gun was just... louder than I expected."
"Let's take five," Todd announced to the crew, his eyes still on Lucas. "Get some water, shake it off. We'll go again in a few minutes."
Lucas walked off to the side, still massaging his ear. The prop gun had been louder than expected, leaving a ringing sensation. But more than that, he felt disturbed as Arthur.
If not for his strong mental fortitude, which he attributed to his "Mind Workshop" ability, he might have long since been consumed by Arthur's mental state. He had used the Mind Workshop to simulate his role as Joker, but the character was so complex that it still required months of intense preparation and immersion.
"Mr. Knight. Here's your water," a female crew member said, offering him a bottle with a warm smile.
"Thanks," Lucas nodded, taking the water gratefully. Noticing the set was still being prepared for the next scene, he took the moment to reflect on his character.
He pulled out Arthur's notebook and began to write:
"I have long realized that life is full of suffering and disappointment. Because of it, I desire to find acceptance, love and recognition from a world that does nothing but ignore me."
Lucas paused, tapping the pen on his chin before continuing:
"I wanted everyone to understand me. I wanted to be a successful stand-up comedian like Murray, where everyone would laugh at my jokes."
He sighed, feeling Arthur's emotions well up inside him as he wrote:
"But I'm beginning to doubt that dream. I just killed three men who wanted to hurt me for no reason. After killing them, I realized that this world hates me more than ever before. And they deserved to be killed."
Lucas felt a chill run down his spine as he channeled Arthur's frustration and growing darkness. He was about to write more when Todd's voice cut through his concentration.
"Lucas, we're about to begin the next scene. Are you ready?"
Lucas looked up, quickly closing the notebook. "Yes," he nodded, pushing Arthur's thoughts to the forefront of his mind once more.
***
As the cameras rolled, Lucas stepped into the cramped bathroom set, fully immersed in Arthur's psyche. He stood before the mirror, his eyes locking with his reflection. The weight of Arthur's actions - the thrill of violence mixed with the last vestiges of his morality - played across Lucas's face.
Without a word, Lucas began to move. His dance was a haunting blend of grace and madness, each movement conveying Arthur's complex emotions. The choreography they had rehearsed served as a foundation, but Lucas improvised, letting Arthur's feelings guide his body.
Todd watched, transfixed, as Lucas twirled and swayed in the confined space. The crew stood in silent awe, many forgetting to breathe as they witnessed the raw emotion unfolding before them.
Lucas's movements were both beautiful and unsettling. His face contorted with a mix of joy and anguish, his body twisting and turning as if trying to shed the last remnants of Arthur's former self. The dance was a metamorphosis, Arthur shedding his meek persona and embracing the darkness within.
As Lucas spun, his clown shoes squeaking on the tiled floor, Todd leaned in closer to the monitor. He could see the minute details of Lucas's performance - the way his fingers twitched, the tear that threatened to spill from his eye, the subtle shift in his posture as Arthur accepted his new reality.
The bathroom, with its stark lighting and grimy surfaces, became a cocoon for Arthur's transformation. Lucas used every inch of the space, his movements growing more confident and fluid as the dance progressed.
When Lucas finally came to a stop, his chest heaving and his eyes wild, a hushed silence fell over the set. Todd realized he had been holding his breath and slowly exhaled.
"Cut!" Todd called, his voice slightly shaky. "That was... incredible..."
As the crew burst into applause, Lucas remained still, his eyes still locked on his reflection in the mirror.
For a moment, it wasn't clear if he was still in character or if he had truly lost himself in Arthur's dance of rebirth.
***
After the intense bathroom scene, the production took a short break. Cast and crew members milled about, discussing the powerful performance they had just witnessed. Lucas, still in his Joker makeup, sat quietly in a corner, sipping water and seemingly lost in thought.
As filming resumed, the energy on set remained charged. Each scene that followed seemed to build on the intensity of the last, with Lucas diving deeper into Arthur's descent into madness.
Finally, as the sun began to set, Todd called a wrap for the day. The crew let out a collective sigh of relief and exhaustion, the weight of the day's emotional scenes evident on everyone's faces.
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