Chapter 319: This Is Marriage

An orange-yellow light shone on the bathroom door where, with a sudden 'bang,' a slender white hand slapped against the transparent glass door and then wiped it forcefully. The condensation on the door slowly dissipated, revealing Gal Gadot's delicate face.

Her eyes closed tightly, and another hand slapped the door, as if there was an irresistible force behind her. Then, her entire body pressed against the clear glass, rhythmically moving.

As time passed, the steam inside the bathroom gradually cleared, and Murphy, tightly pressed behind her, also became visible.

After several minutes, Murphy, carrying Gal Gadot wrapped in a large towel, entered the bedroom.

He settled Gal Gadot on the couch and went to fetch a bottle of Bordeaux and two glasses. When Gal Gadot saw the wine bottle, she immediately thought of a scene in the script where Amy fakes injuries inflicted by her ex-boyfriend Collins using a wine bottle…

Catching Gal Gadot's glance, Murphy guessed her thoughts and suddenly said, "Should I go out and buy some lubricant?"

"Buy lubricant?" Gal Gadot, wrapped in the towel on the couch, asked, "What for?"

Murphy picked up the wine bottle and gestured with it, suggesting, "Should we try it?"

Gal Gadot immediately understood and grabbed a cushion to throw at him, fiercely saying, "Don't even think about it!"

It was just a joke. Murphy opened the wine and poured a glass for each of them, then handed one to Gal Gadot and sat next to her.

"You and Downey have been looking into who was behind his imprisonment."

Recalling the topic discussed on the way to the hotel, Gal Gadot curiously asked, "Did you find out anything?"

"We have some leads," Murphy took a sip of wine, "but lack enough convincing evidence."

"Who is it?" Gal Gadot's curiosity was no different from that of women her age.

Murphy shook his head, "We've narrowed it down to a circle, but it's still hard to say exactly who it is."

As Robert Downey Jr. got back on track and rose to even greater prominence, and with Murphy's own status in the industry also rising, the two began to covertly investigate some puzzling matters.

Why, out of so many people in Hollywood using and possessing drugs, was it Robert Downey Jr. who got caught?

If you were to say it was just a coincidence, neither Robert Downey Jr. nor Murphy would believe it.

But these matters are hard to prove with concrete evidence, and if someone was indeed pushing from behind, they wouldn't be foolish enough to come forward themselves.

Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. were just zeroing in on a well-known family in the entertainment industry, and while they were suspicious, they couldn't be certain.

Even if they were certain, with the capabilities that he and Robert Downey Jr. possessed now, biding their time was the best option.

They still lacked the means and power to strike back decisively.

Though this matter didn't directly involve Murphy, he was involved nonetheless, and even James Franco, Jonah Hill, and Seth Rogen made it clear they would stand firmly with Robert Downey Jr.

The Stanton clique wasn't a mere alliance of convenience; the bond and mutual support among friends were not just lip service.

"Fortunately, Downey had some backing," Murphy sighed. "If not for the other side also being wary of Downey's family, he could have ended up much worse."

"So background matters in this circle too," Gal Gadot remarked somewhat wistfully.

"Of course," Murphy shrugged, giving an example. "Do you know Gwyneth Paltrow?"

Gal Gadot nodded, "The 'famous' Oscar-winning actress."

"Gwyneth Paltrow first saw the script for 'Shakespeare in Love' at her good friend Winona Ryder's house. The original lead actress was supposed to be Winona Ryder, but Gwyneth Paltrow liked the script and the role."

Such instances were all too common, Murphy remarked casually. "Unfortunately, Winona Ryder didn't have a godfather like Steven Spielberg or a producer father. Now, even when they meet in front of cameras, Winona Ryder doesn't speak to Gwyneth Paltrow."

"That's the difference having a background makes." If he had had one, he wouldn't have had such a tough journey. "Even though everyone thinks Gwyneth Paltrow's award was a joke by the Oscars, just look at her and the current Winona Ryder. It's like night and day."

In Hollywood, many things must be seized; waiting passively gets you nowhere.

Thus, Murphy had planned the entire shooting and promotional campaign for "Gone Girl."

Starting in February, "Gone Girl," quietly initiated its second round of promotion following the stir caused by the Natalie Portman incident, yet this phase still had nothing directly to do with the film's real title and content, adhering strictly to the most stringent secrecy protocols.

To achieve Murphy's goal of "ending 15 million marriages," 20th Century Fox created a promotional website called "Secret Lake."

On this site, users could anonymously answer "What do you hide from your loved one," and their answers would "float" around the website.

This site was not yet linked to "Gone Girl," but this was only the beginning of the plan.

After wrapping up the lake villa area's shooting, Murphy completed all the exterior scenes, leading the crew back from Orange County to a warehouse set on the outskirts of Venice, where the sets had been rebuilt, allowing him to film the last few remaining scenes.

Besides a few days initially needed to adjust the crew and actors, Murphy's filming efficiency always exceeded the plan. By mid-February, they were nearly finished.

This was partly due to the well-coordinated crew and the consistently good performances of James Franco and Charlize Theron; partly it was due to Murphy's planning, which always started from the most challenging angle, and his growing experience meant he could foresee most potential issues. Thus, his planning was always more extensive than the actual filming time.

As days passed, the parts for all other actors were wrapped up, leaving only a few key scenes for the leads, Charlize Theron and James Franco.

In the penultimate shot, which Murphy reshot fifteen times, the scene where Amy returns and has a conversation with Nick Dunn in the bathroom nearly drove Charlize Theron to madness.

Murphy was seeking this effect, a near-crazed state from Charlize Theron, which produced one of the most memorable shots of the entire shoot.

When Charlize Theron was captured in close-up by the camera during the bath scene, Murphy knew from the director's monitor that this would be his favorite shot of the film. Anyone could see that in that moment, Charlize Theron's portrayal showed a character who was beautiful, strong, and mad all at once beneath a sculpturally beautiful exterior.

This was a shot you could think about as you fell asleep.

After filming this shot, Murphy ended the day's work early, allowing Charlize Theron to rest well in preparation for shooting the final scene the next day.

The last scene to be filmed was the movie's climax.

They walked through the scene once, did a rehearsal, and then Murphy started the actual shoot.

Tall and poised, Charlize Theron approached the door, her elegant clothing highlighting

 her sleek figure as she tenderly ran her fingers through her smooth hair, her neck pale and her gaze sharp, murmuring to herself.

"I don't have to teach your child to hate you!" she said ominously. "He'll do that all by himself!"

James Franco turned around, his look one of anger and unbearable frustration and depression, and he grabbed Charlize Theron and slammed her against the wall.

"You b*tch!" he almost lost control.

Charlize Theron cried out in pain but fearlessly met James Franco's gaze. "I am the b*tch you married!"

Her voice had a unique ethereal quality. "The times you liked yourself were when you were trying to be someone a b*tch like me might love. I won't give up halfway. I am that b*tch!"

James Franco paused, then involuntarily let go of Charlize Theron, who continued, "I killed for you. Who else would do that for you? Do you think those young, sexy girls are your true love? No! I am your destiny!"

"FU@K!" James Franco perfectly expressed Nick's frantic emotions, holding his head and speaking in agony. "You're delusional! You're really sick! Why do you even continue this marriage?"

He turned back to Charlize Theron. "I did love you, but everything we've done since has been about control and resentment. It's brought us nothing but pain!"

Charlize Theron looked at him, her voice eerily calm. "This is marriage!"

The set fell silent as Charlize Theron walked out the door, leaving James Franco stunned, unsure of what to do next.

When the camera finally focused on James Franco, Murphy stood up from behind the director's monitor and loudly declared, "Cut! That's a wrap!"

Everyone on the set breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, Murphy announced, "Project 'G' is officially wrapped!"

"Gone Girl," known only to the core crew as such, had been referred to externally as 'G.'

The completion of filming also meant that the crew's work could move forward significantly. After Murphy temporarily disbanded the crew, 20th Century Fox and Stanton Studios pushed the film's promotional efforts to the next phase.

A graphic novel, purportedly based on true events, was loudly launched on the book market.

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