Chapter 65.

"Ian Renner?" Christian questioned the agent who had just come into the room talking about a project with a budget of hundreds of millions of dollars.

"Yes, sir. This is the file they sent," A girl wearing a high ponytail came in with a script in hand.

She was informed that it was the file with the potential role for Christian Bale and had been requested that if possible get a reply quickly because Ian wanted to know the response. It could always go two ways, Ian knew that being flexible would be the best thing for his plans.

Placing the file on the table she turned to go out, but another girl with short hair came in with a bundle of pages.

"The script came along with the file,"

They all looked at the papers which had the script of 'Batman Begins' printed on it.

Ian had sent the script to a few agencies other than Erex, which had A-grade actors. He wanted to see if Bale would perfectly be 'the role' or how any other actor would portray the role. From his thoughts, it was evident that Ian had a pretty open mind regarding the whole lead, Batman. Because, in the end, he just wanted the best Batman that he could get.

"Thank you, Christina," Bale's manager said while the two girls walked out of the office.

"Now this… this is a huge deal. Why? Because of the earnings of Ian's previous two movies. We really need to aim for the role. This will be a great comeback and this was something I was looking for you, let's hope the script is something that can suit you,"

[...] The next day, Bale and Theodore met again after reading the entire script. The morning was extremely good for the both of them as they continued to discuss the script.

"So, this role is going to be something that you will need to put a lot of effort in. Let's go over what kind of a character Bruce is," Theodore started explaining who Bruce is, to Bale. "I wrote some points from what I understood so you can go through them before talking to Ian," He said and showed the laptop screen to him so Bale could read his summary of the role.

|| BATMAN BEGINS - IAN RENNER [RENNER STUDIOS]

Story and character analysis:

The film begins with a young Bruce Wayne falling down a well and being terrorized by a swarm of bats. It ends with Bruce clothed as Batman as he begins to investigate The Joker. Between these scenes, we see the journey of a young man who is enraged by the murder of his parents and by the justice system in Gotham having dismissed their duty to the people in order to accept the bribe money of the mob boss Falcone. Bruce wants justice and seeks to find it by murdering Falcone, something that he isn't able to do.

But the experience leads him to meet his mentor and teacher Ra's Al Ghul. A man who trains Bruce to harness the rage that is within himself in order to use it for a focused purpose. But he is not in alignment with Ra's who seeks to completely destroy Gotham rather than restore it. And Bruce learns that he is nothing like the man whom he admires greatly. This creates in him a rule not to kill, but to get justice without it. It is what separates him from everyone else who does crime in the city.

And Bruce's mask is about a couple of things. One, it is a symbol of hope for the people of Gotham that they can become the change they wish to see in their city, it isn't just one person's duty: it's all of theirs. The other symbol is that Bruce is more man than he is Batman. It is his love for Rachel and his desire to love and be loved that sets him apart from the vigilante role he's dubbed.

"I even read some comics related to this, I seriously think that this would be an awesome opportunity," Christian saw how excited Theodore was for him to take the chance.

"Hmm, I can see that Batman is a lucrative character no matter what," Bale replied after reading the story plot.

"You know, Hollywood is ablaze with rumors. And from what I heard, some studios are already approaching Renner studios wanting to get a piece of the pie. The thing is, it all started with how Ian appeared out of the blue, Home Alone and La La Land, both just hit the ceiling in no time. I mean, the dude came, did a movie, it hit high, and now he is a big deal in the industry. There is like a 97% chance this movie is going to be the same, a total blockbuster. The specialty is, the superhero genre is basically untouched by any great director for now, so, it is going to be a huge deal," Theodore explained.

"Yeah, I understand all of that and this role… It looks very special, I really hope that I would fit in,"

"The movie itself would start in a budget of hundreds of millions of dollars,"

"Hundreds like?" Bale questioned back.

"To be exact, they say it is going to be a project of one-hundred and fifty million dollars. Literally, a lot is going on with Ian making Batman Begins. You know many A-grade actors are already trying to contact him and get the chance if possible, that is the intensity of the situation right now."

Hearing this, Bale knew how serious it was. He crossed his legs and listened closely to what his manager was saying.

"What more do you have in mind?" Bale asked, seeing how Theodore became silent all of a sudden.

"Well, I am pretty sure that Ian is currently looking at you as an option to meet the characteristics, persona, looks, and in short, the role. The thing is, we should hurry up, and most importantly, you need to do your best. You've gotta use whatever you learned throughout the years because this is going to be very, VERY special," Theodore put weight in his words because every attempt mattered at the moment.

-

Scarlett Johnson was called to meet Ian in Renner Studios not long ago. But during the time being Ian hadn't completed writing the script of Batman Begins, so he had called her and postponed the appointment.

After everything got settled and Ian started the pre-production of Batman Begins, the first thing he did was to inform Scarlett to meet him.

"Hey, Scarlett. It's good to see you here today, sorry it kinda took time," Ian said with a polite smile and signaled her to take a seat in front of him.

Scarlett was looking more gorgeous than ever.

"It's all fine. And, it is wonderful to meet you in person, Mr. Renner," Scarlett said.

"I have a role for you, Scarlett," Ian said.

"What?" The question popped out of her mouth in no time. Did just Ian Renner say there's a role for her?! Will she be someone who climbs the ladders of success through Ian? Thoughts, questions, and different statements of self-appreciation kept roaming in her mind in no time.

"Yeah, my newest movie. A DC movie, I bet the word is already out. There's this character, Rachel. Take a look at the script, and this," Ian pushed two bundles of papers towards her.

One was the script and the other one was a contract. A contract?!

"Rachel?" Scarlett took the document in hand and turned two-three pages quickly.

Looking at the contract, the fact that Ian Renner was really going to sign her on hit her like a truck. A moment of realization passed and now she was sure, the director who everyone talked about was offering her a role in his next big movie. That too a superhero movie. A genre that might get released as a total banger.

"I can see so many thoughts on your face, Scarlett. Don't be emotional, you will have to face screen tests and you need to pass the look of the character. I have very high goals with this movie and, I'm offering you a chance to show that you can be the one I'm expecting. You know, I saw how talented you were that day and realized that you might suit the role if you put enough effort into this, and trust me… I'm anticipating it, Scarlett," Ian said with a smile.

Ian was so nice, Scarlet thought. Because even if some directors do this and that to motivate the potential actor for the character or the role they need, someone like Ian who is a total newbie to the field saying such words were golden in the eyes of Scarlet.

"I will try my best, thank you," She said and stood up to shake his hand.

Rachel Dawes was Bruce's childhood friend. Rachel in fact was an original character who did not appear in the comics but was solely created by the original director. But, Ian made Rachel in this movie too because she was exclusively made for the trilogy.

Rachel somehow becomes Bruce's love interest, yet things won't go so well for her by the end of the trilogy. In fact, she dies. But towards the end of the movie, Batman Begins, Rachel visits the remains of Wayne Manor, finding Bruce and Alfred sorting through the wreckage. She and Bruce share a kiss, but she tells him that they cannot be together until Gotham no longer needs Batman, now fully aware of his secret.

||__A word from me__||

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