In a temporary office located by the Santa Monica beachfront, the recent surge of entertainment agents had been a frequent occurrence. Some even made it to Murphy's office door, only to be stopped by Rosa Rodriguez, who was acting as a temporary director's assistant. With her formidable physique, this Latin woman deterred those entertainment agents and opportunistic actors and actresses looking to squeeze into the production team.
Since the project's formal initiation, many had tried to leverage connections to gain a position within the team.
There were even those who claimed to be distant relatives of Gal Gadot.
This was common in Hollywood, where it was difficult to avoid relational politics. The best strategy was to avoid seeing them, which is why Murphy specifically enlisted the hefty Rosa Rodriguez as the gatekeeper.
However, this only applied to outsiders.
As the head of the lighting crew, David Robbie could easily meet with Murphy, although this time his visit wasn't work-related.
"Something on your mind?" Murphy sat behind his desk, noting David's hesitancy. "David, have a seat, and just speak your mind."
Within his team, David Robbie might not have been the most skilled, but he was among the most straightforward, much like Seth Rogen.
David pulled out a chair across the desk, sat down, and began, "Murphy, isn't the production team recruiting a large number of actors?"
"Yes," Murphy nodded, smiling as he anticipated David's next words. "Have someone to recommend? Go ahead."
In Hollywood, it was common to rely on familiar faces rather than seeking new talent. Murphy wasn't oblivious to such norms, especially when key team members recommended someone—he would at least offer them an audition.
"There is someone I'd like to recommend..." David scratched his head sheepishly. "My sister took a long break to study acting in Los Angeles. It's been a while, but she hasn't had any real acting experience. Could you maybe give her a minor role?"
There were plenty of roles that merely required an actor to appear without lines, and casting for such roles was straightforward.
Without a second thought, Murphy responded, "Take her to Seth Rogen."
"Thank you, Murphy," David stood up, relieved and grateful.
"You're welcome." Murphy smiled and then frowned slightly, asking, "Your sister, Margaret, right?"
He vaguely remembered the blonde girl who used to ride horses across the farm and had even played a young Nancy in "Sin City."
It had been years since he last saw her, and her image had faded somewhat.
Seeing that Murphy remembered his sister, David quickly confirmed, "Yes, that's her, Margaret."
Recognizing someone he knew, Murphy pondered briefly then added, "Tell Seth to find a more prominent role for Margaret."
After concluding their conversation, Murphy returned to his work, and a jubilant David went to find Seth Rogen.
The preparations for "Game of Thrones" were progressing step by step according to plan. Currently, the most crucial task was casting. Like David Robbie, Murphy used recommendations for many roles, such as Joffrey Baratheon, confirmed to be played by Dave Franco, James Franco's younger brother.
Though slightly older for the role, Dave's youthful appearance, aided by makeup, suited the part well.
Another confirmed actor was Sean Bean, a British actor who quickly agreed to audition and was among the highest-profile actors in the cast.
Naturally, his salary was substantial, at $400,000 per episode.
This was a normal market rate, especially as the buzz from "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, where he played Boromir, was still strong. It could be considered the peak of Sean Bean's acting career.
Another important male character, Jon Snow, was cast through extensive auditions from CAA's pool of lesser-known actors.
When conditions were equal, Murphy naturally preferred 'his people.'
This practice was commonplace in Hollywood.
For the key female roles, Lena Headey, who had not yet starred in "300," was relatively unknown and was easily secured by the production team due to her modest fame and credentials.
The role of Daenerys Targaryen was also left to an acquaintance.
With the intention to attract male viewers and sticking to familiar actors, Murphy, after two auditions, chose Jessica Alba for the role.
Though the original character, Daenerys Targaryen, was petite and delicate, Jessica Alba was not particularly tall nor imposing like Charlize Theron. Her slender, attractive appearance suited the role, and George R.R. Martin had no objections.
As for acting skills, that was hardly an issue. Television acting did not require the explosive presence sometimes necessary in films, and Jessica Alba was more than capable of handling the role, which did not demand exceptional acting prowess.
In fact, Murphy's limited memory suggested that the original Daenerys Targaryen's acting was no better than Jessica Alba's.
Beyond casting and other preparations, Murphy worked
with George R.R. Martin on the final script revisions, mainly concerning one character—Daenerys Targaryen.
Her main storyline wouldn't change, and the character was based on the original book, but Murphy wanted to address the overly apparent 'Mary Sue' traits of Daenerys Targaryen.
In discussions with Martin, Murphy learned that Daenerys was one of his favorite characters, which inevitably led to some bias in her portrayal. Unlike other main characters who faced continual misfortune, Daenerys's narrative was more like a series of increasingly fortunate events—if she ever experienced setbacks, the plot would compensate her immensely soon after.
In contrast to other protagonists, Daenerys Targaryen's story arc could generate a significant sense of imbalance.
Of course, Murphy's role was primarily to suggest and review changes, but he respected the opinions of George R.R. Martin, the original author.
If the series could be successfully established, its future was long, and it wasn't necessary to create excessive conflict with the author—a compromise often led to better outcomes.
Martin wasn't stubborn and appropriately incorporated some of Murphy's suggestions to make Daenerys Targaryen's journey a bit more challenging.
As time progressed, most of the main actors were confirmed. Apart from Sean Bean and Jessica Alba, Murphy didn't use other well-known actors, preferring seasoned yet unfamed actors, which helped keep costs down and allowed more funds to be allocated to production.
After several production meetings, Murphy decided that after the initial period of adjustment, the crew would split into one large and two smaller filming units, giving Paul Wilson and Seth Rogen autonomy to shoot separately.
Preparations in North America were wrapping up, and Murphy planned to lead the entire crew across the Atlantic to Northern Ireland.
Given Murphy's string of successes, many in Hollywood were keenly watching his moves. When they heard he had abandoned film to direct a high-risk fantasy TV series, most skeptically awaited this audacious newcomer's potential downfall.
"Do you think he'll succeed?"
In a luxurious office at the top of the Burbank Warner Building, Diego Harris looked at the new CEO, Bruce Rosenbloom, and asked, "There's never been a successful fantasy series before."
His confusion was palpable. "Why would he choose such a genre?"
"This man's thoughts are always unlike others'," Bruce Rosenbloom crossed his arms. "Did you ever imagine, after being rejected by Warner and DC, he'd choose a marginal comic character like Deadpool? Could you have predicted Deadpool would gross $300 million in North America?"
Diego shook his head. "I couldn't have."
"And," Bruce continued, "could you have imagined that after Deadpool, he would direct 'Gone Girl,' mocking Hollywood's golden rules throughout, and that such a movie, normally expected to be boycotted by audiences, would instead..."
He spread his hands. "'Gone Girl' made over $220 million in North America, proving that Hollywood's movie-making values can indeed be broken."
"Such a person..." Bruce raised his voice slightly. "Even if he picks the least popular subjects and goes against mainstream values, I believe he has a high chance of success."
Diego thought for a moment and nodded firmly.
"You all didn't seriously review that proposal," Bruce continued. "I skimmed it and still believe that Murphy Stanton is the one who could lift DC superhero movies out of their slump and restore their former glory."
"The failure of 'Superman Returns' allowed him to seize the CEO position at Warner Brothers. The fate of DC adaptations doomed Bruce Berman's career, which also ties to his own career fortunes."
"What should we do next?" Diego asked.
Bruce spoke calmly, "I'll go talk to Murphy Stanton again."