Chapter 168: The Knocking Stone

When Harvey Weinstein entered the warehouse set, the crew was in the midst of shooting, and Murphy merely glanced in their direction before continuing his work. Amidst the ongoing shoot, he couldn't afford to leave his tasks to greet them.

In front of the camera, Jessica Chastain, dressed in a short skirt and bustier, had the lower half of her right leg wrapped in a green screen cloth, dancing with a swaying motion. Her attire was sexy, and her figure was stunning. Her movements, meant to be sensual, came off as comically awkward due to her supposed one-legged stance.

The scene was amusing, but since the crew was filming, no one dared to laugh out loud.

Standing next to Harvey Weinstein, Quentin Tarantino watched the dancing woman on set, immediately recalling the script he had read. The script featured a one-legged woman dancing, specifically a striptease.

This recollection made him turn to look at the young man behind the director's monitor. The script didn't reveal much, yet it was clear the director had many unique ideas.

Quentin himself was once a young man full of unconventional thoughts.

After recently reading the script and project plan, Quentin became intensely interested in this project, especially its absurd setting, which perfectly matched his taste. Had he not been committed to other projects, he would have been tempted to take over the direction himself.

Learning that the crew had returned to Los Angeles for shooting, he made a special trip to see if this intriguing project would translate into an interesting film.

Throughout the afternoon, Quentin observed the crew shoot several scenes from the outskirts of the set. Whether it was the concise and impactful close combat, the female lead using a prosthetic leg as an M4A1 to mow down zombies, or the dialogue, everything was imbued with a strong cult film vibe, mingled with comedic elements reminiscent of "hoodlum" movies, making it exceedingly entertaining.

After the afternoon's shooting wrapped up, Murphy handed off the cleanup duties to Paul Wilson and approached Harvey Weinstein.

"Murphy, let me introduce you," Harvey Weinstein facilitated the introduction, "This is Quentin. Quentin, this is Murphy."

"Pleased to meet you," they shook hands.

Murphy gave Quentin Tarantino an extra glance; the eccentric director looked even more peculiar than his media image.

The set was a bit chaotic, so Murphy led the two to his director's office.

Their conversation quickly shifted to the film they were shooting, with Quentin expressing his interest, "A beautiful woman with a leg amputated using an M4A1 as a prosthetic limb to slaughter zombies is a fantastic idea."

Perhaps it was his nature, but he directly told Murphy, "If you hadn't already started shooting, I would've definitely stolen your directing spot."

Murphy didn't pick up on his jest, "I heard you're planning to shoot a martial arts film?"

Quentin Tarantino nodded, prompting Murphy to suggest, "Then it's perfect, we could swap."

Inspired, Quentin Tarantino proposed, "How about this, Murphy, I'll direct a few scenes for you. My film is about to start shooting too. Later, you can come to my set and direct a few scenes. What do you think?"

Facing the renowned Quentin Tarantino, known for his indifference to the big six studios unless truly captivated, his enthusiasm was evident only for projects that genuinely interested him.

"Absolutely!" Murphy agreed without hesitation, "I couldn't ask for more."

After pondering, he added, "Actually, I'd like to include a few trailers before the main feature of 'Planet Terror,' real or fake."

Looking at Harvey Weinstein, Murphy continued, "Harvey supports my idea, but I haven't found suitable trailers. Quentin, why don't you shoot a fake trailer to include?"

"Why fake?" Quentin Tarantino blurted out, "Aren't you guys planning to attend the Cannes Film Festival? By then, I'll have started shooting. I'll just shoot a trailer for 'Kill Bill' and place it before 'Planet Terror.'"

Harvey Weinstein smiled and nodded in agreement.

A mere eccentric couldn't make a qualified director, but Quentin knew how to leverage opportunities. If Murphy Stanton's current and upcoming films succeeded, the included trailer would serve as excellent promotion. If it failed...

He shook his head; how could a film he was involved with fail?

Before even entering the North American market, "Planet Terror" had already sold its overseas screening rights in nine countries through Miramax, not only securing funds for continued production but also recouping the initial $2 million investment.

Harvey Weinstein wasn't expecting "Planet Terror" to match the astonishing success of "Saw"; as long as it maintained a certain level of quality, profitability seemed achievable given Miramax's distribution and operational capabilities.

Moreover, Murphy Stanton's "Saw" had been well-received in many overseas markets, and as directors were increasingly stepping into the limelight, his growing fame was advantageous for "Planet Terror."

While Harvey Weinstein pondered marketing strategies, Murphy and Quentin Tarantino, both aficionados of noir cinema, found much common ground, quickly agreeing to collaborate on some action scenes, under the tacit approval of Weinstein.

"Just be careful," Murphy cautioned Quentin, humorously adding, "Don't go exploding anyone's balls. We've already got enough of that in the footage."

Quentin Tarantino, known for his penchant for graphic violence, reassured, "Don't worry, like you said, I won't go overboard."

Their discussion then shifted to the Cannes Film Festival and international distribution, with Harvey Weinstein taking the lead. Though Miramax was the producer and distributor, Weinstein's involvement indicated his belief in Murphy's potential, offering routine updates.

Especially concerning was the meeting with sales agents from the Cannes Film Festival post-production, a critical step for the film's international success. Participating in such festivals, it turned out, wasn't as simple as Murphy had thought; financial investment was the basic knocking stone for these high-art events.

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