Chapter 167: Brotherhood

Crossing the green-tree surrounded courtyard, Murphy approached the main building's entrance, where two tea-colored glass doors were adorned with a large movie poster, placed backwards so its white side faced outward. The scribbled handwriting on it with a carbon pen was noticeably messy.

Just a glance at those words made Murphy furrow his brows, as the suppressed irritation and anger due to work instantly surged.

He walked over, tore the poster down with a swift motion, and the tearing sound of the poster, stuck with transparent tape, was unpleasant. The corners remained attached to the door, while the rest fell into Murphy's hands.

After a second look at the poster, Murphy set down his luggage, and with both hands, tore it completely apart.

The message on the poster fragmented along with it—Murphy Stanton, it's over between us!

Pushing open the glass doors, Murphy entered the house and toured it from top to bottom, finding it utterly empty. Not only was Kerry Mulligan gone, but her clothes and luggage had disappeared too.

It seemed that after a period of conflict, the British girl had made up her mind.

Returning to the living room on the first floor, Murphy pulled out his phone and sat on the sofa, dialing Kerry Mulligan's number. Like before, the call went unanswered. After sending a text message, he thought for a moment and then dialed Bill Rossis's number.

After a brief conversation with Bill Rossis, Murphy waited, his exterior still calm but his furrowed brows reflecting his current mood.

Having lived on both sides of the Atlantic for over twenty years, this was his first love.

Most people have an unusual attachment to their first love, and despite Murphy's unique experiences, he was no exception.

Now, with his first love on the brink of collapse, his mood was understandably poor.

A few minutes later, Bill Rossis called back, "I just found out she moved from Santa Monica. She's now in the city, staying temporarily with Elizabeth Banks. She also asked me to help her find a suitable place to live."

He advised Murphy, "You know her personality. Don't make futile efforts and let this affect your work too much. A few days ago, Erica Stanberg reached out to me. He didn't say much, but hinted that I should remind you not to let personal feelings affect the whole crew."

As Murphy had said, there weren't many fools in the crew. Jessica Chastain swallowed her grievances for the sake of this rare leading role opportunity and the director, but that didn't mean others couldn't see through Kerry Mulligan's antics.

Ultimately, thanks to the success of "Saw," most people were giving Murphy, the director, the benefit of the doubt.

Murphy turned his head, the torn poster lying on the floor with the word 'over' still vaguely visible. He slowly exhaled the frustration he'd been holding in for a long time. It was time to make a decision.

"Bill, I know what to do."

Saying these words felt like there were needles in his chest, "You... help her as much as you can during this time. I'll cover all the expenses. If, if she wants..."

"Murphy, there are no ifs!" On the other end of the line, Bill Rossis's tone was unusually serious, "You know her character. She's fallen out with her parents and doesn't communicate with them. Do you think she will regret it? Or do you think she will return?"

Murphy was silent.

Bill Rossis gave him a few more words of advice before hanging up.

In the office at Star Tower, Bill Rossis was also worried, not wanting to see Murphy get hurt.

Without a doubt, his most important client always maintained a clear head at work, understood most situations and interpersonal relationships enough to see through many complex issues, and showed enough potential and capability. Even in CAA meetings, he was considered one of the most promising young directors in recent years.

Bill knew Murphy had a strong inner self, a firm personality, and didn't lack the drive to learn and pursue goals, almost without any apparent weaknesses.

Now, Bill was somewhat concerned about Murphy's emotional intelligence.

In Hollywood, being too obsessed with a relationship often has serious consequences.

He was well aware that in this circle, one shouldn't take emotions too seriously. Taking them too seriously only leads to self-harm.

That afternoon, Bill Rossis introduced Kerry Mulligan to a real estate agent, but contrary to Murphy's instructions, he didn't put his best effort into it, instead downgrading her future prospects by two levels.

Initially, he became Kerry Mulligan's agent for the sake of his old friend Julian Feros. Now, with Kerry Mulligan having fallen out with Julian and primarily being valued for her relationship with Murphy Stanton, her recent fallout over a trivial matter—because Murphy didn't comply entirely with her wishes—complicated things further.

Although unsure about Murphy's EQ, Bill was certain that the British girl's EQ was problematic.

Such individuals, even with remarkable talent, are unlikely to achieve great success, especially since her talent was far from extraordinary.

Bill was more concerned about Murphy, fearing the impact on his current work.

This was an $8 million production. If Murphy failed, it could lead to a downfall; if the film earned double or triple its budget in North America, he would steadily progress toward becoming a second-tier director.

In this regard, he and Murphy shared the same calmness, understanding that a 50-fold return on investment like "Saw" couldn't happen every time.

The next day, the "Planet Terror" crew resumed shooting in a Venice warehouse, and Bill Rossis made it a point to be there early.

"David, your eye light is too bright,"

Just arriving at the busiest part of the set, Bill heard Murphy's commanding voice, "These are two dying men, can they have such bright eyes? And Phil, have your assistant capture close-ups of Jonah's face!"

His voice was robust, no different from the Murphy he knew, "Jonah, Seth, this isn't the place for your humor. You're brothers, about to die! Where's your brotherhood?"

Bill noticed a difference; Murphy seemed a bit more irritable.

"Jack, touch up the makeup for the actors! We'll reshoot in ten minutes!"

Seeing Murphy return to the director's monitor, Bill approached and asked, "Not going smoothly today?"

"It's okay," Murphy replied, taking a big gulp of water, "Jonah and Seth are too relaxed. This is a movie set, not a playground."

Indeed, this film had its fair share of playfulness and absurdity, but as a commercial film aimed at the market, these elements needed moderation. Going overboard could have severe consequences.

Past directors like Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez perhaps pursued these effects too deliberately. Saying they overdid it might be an exaggeration, but their impact on market reception was real.

After speaking with Bill, Murphy resumed shooting. The crew, having adjusted well after four weeks of outdoor shooting, completed the subsequent scenes in one take.

Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen, the two "chubby guys," delivered an emotionally charged brotherhood scene.

In this aspect, Murphy incorporated many suggestions from Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen, employing numerous clichés verified by Hollywood and the North American market, essentially blending crude humor with brotherly bonds.

Of course, these elements had to perfectly integrate with the film itself, which required considerable effort from Murphy.

And then there were the actors. No matter how well a director plans, it requires suitable actors to bring those plans to life. Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen were always able to perform comedy seriously, then showcase an uncommon brotherhood within the humor.

After completing this scene, Hill and Rogen's work for the day was done. After removing their makeup, they made a point to greet Murphy.

"We're planning a party at Jim's tonight," Seth Rogen, aware of Murphy's habits, stood by the monitor instead of crowding close, "Got time to come over?"

Knowing Murphy had been feeling down, Jonah Hill encouraged, "Come on, it's been a while since we've gathered."

"I'd like to, but I can't," Murphy shook his head helplessly, "Mila Max needs to confirm the Cannes Film Festival schedule, and Harvey Weinstein is coming over tonight."

This was a legitimate reason, and both Hill and Rogen understood. Rogen's honest voice chimed in again, "Then some other time. We'll have a barbecue party at your place."

"Sure!" Murphy agreed readily.

He knew these guys were worried about him, clearly wanting to help him through this tough period.

Over the past year, Murphy had grown to truly appreciate Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, and James Franco. Despite each having their flaws and being disdained by some moralists, they were loyal friends.

To Murphy, that mattered more than anything else.

Thus, their group not only continued but also welcomed Robert Downey Jr., another figure scorned by moralists.

After lunch, Murphy continued shooting. Harvey Weinstein arrived earlier than expected, bringing another heavyweight individual, a director Murphy had once greatly admired.

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