Chapter 242: The Most Important Trash Talk

"Is the director confirmed?" Murphy flipped through some papers and then asked, "Is there a script?"

"The director is almost certain. It's probably Ridley Scott," Cara Fess replied, searching through her desk before coming over with a script and handing it to Murphy. "This is the first draft. It's not finalized yet."

She sat down and raised an eyebrow. "Why? Are you interested in this project?"

"This isn't your project, is it?" Murphy replied nonchalantly, opening the script and noticing that many parts were similar to what he remembered.

"How could such a project fall on my head?" Cara shook her head. "This is a project personally pushed by department head Dave Scolar."

Murphy briefly flipped through the script and handed it back to Cara. "A blacksmith's Crusade journey..."

"You think there's a problem with the project?" Cara knew Murphy well.

"Who knows if there's a problem," Murphy shook his head. "But don't you think, after the success of 'Gladiator' and 'The Lord of the Rings' series, Hollywood has too many big-budget epic films following the trend? Every time Hollywood experiences this kind of trend, there will be a batch of unfortunate losers."

"It does seem that way." Cara pondered. "From what I know, there are epic films like 'Alexander', 'Troy', 'King Arthur', and this project, all with budgets around 150 million dollars and released within a year or two..."

"It could easily lead to audience fatigue?" Bill Rossis chimed in.

"These things are unpredictable," Murphy spread his hands. "But judging from Hollywood's past, it's very likely."

He had this thought when he first saw these materials, otherwise, he wouldn't have asked Cara. "I heard Dave Scolar likes to meddle in his projects?"

Cara nodded. "Yes, he's very assertive."

"Even if the director is Ridley Scott, he probably won't get the final cut, right?" Seeing Cara nod again, Murphy propped his chin and said, "Cara, with your methods, it shouldn't be hard to subtly encourage Dave Scolar to interfere with this crew, right? You know, Ridley Scott's work is hit or miss. If someone interferes..."

"I was thinking the same thing," Cara laughed. "Why else would I look for these materials?"

Hearing this, Bill Rossis glanced at Murphy and then at Cara. These two were cut from the same cloth, especially Cara Fess, completely disregarding the interests of 20th Century Fox and using a major investment project for her own gain.

But he didn't say anything. Anyone aiming for higher positions must face fierce competition. In a business company, such legal competition is too common.

"Bill," Murphy suddenly said, "Remember Mike?"

"Uh?" Bill was puzzled, not understanding why Murphy brought him up. "Does this have to do with Mike?"

"The project hasn't started yet." Murphy stated flatly. "You can try to get him involved."

Cara looked at Murphy. "You have a grudge against this Mike?"

"He's hired a private detective to investigate me," Murphy vaguely said. "It was the news I provided you, and he might have been behind the Director's Guild's investigation of 'Sin City'. But we have no evidence, so we can't do anything to him yet."

"They want to investigate us?" Cara's smile turned cold. "He's too naive."

The media industry is full of secrets, with very few exposed. Every company has this tacit agreement, ensuring their secrets and the privacy of news creators, or else the work can't go on.

"So, your plan is to drag him into this project," Bill gradually understood. "Then, we find a way to drag the project down?"

"Not us." Murphy raised a finger. "Dave Scolar."

He believed in Cara's capabilities and methods, and her unscrupulous ways to achieve her goals.

After some more discussion, the topic returned to business.

"I was mercilessly rejected by DC Comics and Warner Brothers," Murphy was frank with Cara. "So, I have to come back to you."

"Still Marvel Comics? Which character caught your eye?" Cara was straightforward. "X-Men? The Fantastic Four?"

"X-Men!" Murphy was to the point. "Didn't I tell you? X-Men can be split into separate movies."

"Do you want to make a film about Wolverine? Magneto? Or a standalone movie about Professor X?" Bill also didn't know which superhero Murphy was interested in.

Murphy shook his head. "Not those. Dave Scolar wouldn't let Cara get those A-list characters. I want Wade Wilson, Deadpool!"

Cara thought for a moment before recalling the character. "The talkative one?"

"Exactly, the talkative and unconventional one in X-Men," Murphy asked Cara. "He's currently a second-tier character in X-Men. Can you secure the movie rights for him?"

Bill looked at Murphy, realizing this wasn't a spur-of-the-moment idea.

Cara didn't immediately respond, pondering for a while before nodding. "I'll handle the rights issue!"

Now was different from before. Previously, she tried persuading Murphy to stay in the news industry, but after four movies, she had full confidence in his talent and capabilities in filmmaking.

Their collaboration in the news industry had once stirred up the Greater Los Angeles area. Cara believed they could also succeed in the film industry.

However, securing rights wasn't just about talking. Cara added, "You have to give me a script and a plan to persuade the higher-ups."

Murphy nodded. "Give me ten days."

After settling the most important matter, Murphy left Fox Tower. Bill Rossis drove him back to Stanton Studio in Santa Monica, where Murphy began preparing the script and plan Cara needed.

At this point, Deadpool's popularity couldn't compare to ten years later, but he was definitely a unique presence among Marvel's superheroes.

His capabilities were astonishing, mainly because he differed from other heroes in two major ways.

First, he was a very, very talkative character. If one reads the 'Deadpool' comics, it feels more like reading a novel filled with nonsensical ramblings than a comic.

This is because Deadpool loves to babble, using his indestructibility to spout nonsense, driving many heroes away. His sharp tongue is evident.

Secondly, Deadpool knows he's in a comic book world, hence living in a "I'm awake while others are drunk" state.

Also, Deadpool loves enjoyment and money. He often says, "As long as there's money, I'll do it." With this mindset, he becomes a "hero or villain depending on the highest bidder." In his series, he has saved humanity multiple times, but many heroes refuse to acknowledge it, not that Deadpool cares. Thus, his reputation in the superhero world stinks, but it doesn't stop his antics.

If a movie is made, the most important aspect of Deadpool is his trash-talking.

Therefore, it's crucial to find an actor who can embody this aspect. If the two complement each other well, it will greatly enhance the character's and the film's charm.

Actually, now isn't the best time to make this film. The original success of this unconventional superhero movie owed much to the fatigue from formulaic superhero movies. When audiences got tired

 of the "with great power comes great responsibility" trope, a "great power with no responsibility" superhero brought a fresh viewing experience.

Currently, the only really popular Marvel movies are 'X-Men' and 'Spider-Man', not the era of Marvel heroes dominating the big screen. Murphy was aware that making this film now would face certain challenges.

However, he also knew that a film like 'Deadpool', with its dark humor and edgy content, always has an audience in North America. Maybe it won't be as explosive as before, but with good production quality and marketing, it will still be a big hit.

Moreover, such a film doesn't need a huge budget, reducing the pressure for profit and break-even.

After setbacks with Marvel and DC, Murphy's foray into mainstream cinema needed to make a big impact, leaving him with few choices.

To secure the adaptation rights for Cara, an exceptional script and plan were necessary. Murphy devoted almost all his time to this, aside from calling Gal Gadot several times a day.

The script he envisioned for Deadpool was unlike typical movie scripts. While the latter is story-based, the former focuses on the character!

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