Chapter 48: Production Halt

"The situation isn't good."

In the office of the studio, Charles Rowen supported his chin with one hand. "The actor has a fractured radius in his right arm and will definitely have to withdraw from the production."

Accidents are inevitable when shooting action scenes, and Duke understands this. What worries him is another matter. "Will this affect the upcoming shooting schedule?"

"Don't worry, Duke."

The two production managers, experienced from working on multiple sets, were clearly well-versed in handling such situations. Robin Grand said at this moment, "We've already contacted his agent, and we'll provide adequate compensation. Actors usually don't file complaints with the union; it benefits neither party."

"Yes, it's just a matter of compensation." Charles Rowen also appeared optimistic. "Duke, leave this matter to me and Robin. You should focus on directing."

This perfectly aligned with Duke's thoughts; he certainly had no reason to refuse. He didn't want such matters to distract him. If he had time, he would let Sophia represent him to check on the injured stunt performer. The two production managers representing the investors were indeed the best choices for handling the situation.

After leaving the office, Duke headed directly to the outdoor set, where the crew was still waiting for him to film.

"Joss, I want the explosion's flames to pass through the passage."

Upon reaching the set, Duke first found the pyrotechnician Joss Williams and took him into the constructed area. "The flame effects need to be bright enough, but the force shouldn't be too great; the camera will be doing close-ups..."

"I understand."

They had discussed this the previous day, and Joss Williams appeared confident. "Just leave it to me."

The injury to the actor did affect Duke somewhat; no one wishes to see safety accidents occur.

He walked around the set several times, inspecting the laid tracks, camera positions, lighting arranged by the gaffer, and the decor set up by the art director. Even if there were only minor differences from his initial vision, he would call the responsible parties over for a redo.

Although not a perfectionist to the extent of demanding absolute precision, Duke's standards for details were equally stringent. Achieving the best possible within effective limits was the shooting effect he pursued.

An hour later, with a deafening explosion, orange-red flames shot up into the Warner Bros. studio sky, coloring half of the outdoor filming area.

A gust of wind from the north swept through, carrying away the lingering smoke and heading east and south. By the time it reached Universal Studios south of Burbank, the scent of gunpowder was already gone.

Standing at the door of the studio, Martin Bob watched the scene being filmed from a distance. The little girl, just over ten years old, exhibited acting skills far beyond her age.

Thanks to the combined support of CAA and 20th Century Fox, after intense preparations, "Interview with the Vampire" had been filming at Universal Studios for nearly ten days, progressing even more smoothly than they had anticipated. Even Tom Cruise, who had faced skepticism from Anne Rice, the original author, had gained her approval after filming began.

The movie was well on track to make it for the summer release next year. Although the film's genre posed some issues, with the strong backing of CAA and 20th Century Fox, plus the participation of two major stars, Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, along with the influence of the original work, Martin Bob felt confident he could create a box office bomb for the summer season.

Perhaps… Kirsten Dunst could also become one of the highlights of the promotion?

While Martin Bob was deep in thought, an electric car stopped nearby, and Lovett jumped out, hurrying over.

"Mr. Bob, I have good news." He seemed in high spirits. "There was a safety accident on the set of 'The Rock.' A stunt performer was seriously injured and sent to the hospital."

"Are you sure?" Martin Bob turned to look at him.

"Absolutely!" Lovett nodded seriously. "The actors' union..."

After considering for a few minutes, Martin Bob slowly said, "You handle it; feel free to use the company's resources. I will contact 20th Century Fox to let them know that their dissatisfaction with Duke Rosenberg should have an outlet."

The next day, several local newspapers in Los Angeles published reports about the safety accident on the set of "The Rock," noting that an actor was seriously injured, a story that was picked up by several tabloids.

"The set of 'The Rock' has safety hazards, and several actors have been injured..."

According to insiders, "Since filming began, the production has had one actor voluntarily withdraw and three stunt performers hospitalized with fractures."

Even the "California Independent," a newspaper with considerable influence along the West Coast, reported comments from an actor on set.

"You can't imagine what our working environment is like; it's a chaotic 'apocalypse.' Every day, dozens, even hundreds, work together, with explosions everywhere. If we want to communicate, we have to shout to hear each other! I strongly urge the actors' association to intervene and investigate!"

In just a few days, the safety issues of "The Rock" set had become a hot topic for many.

Duke, focused on filming, hadn't kept up with the news. When Sophia reminded him and he turned his attention to it, members of the actors' union had already arrived at Warner Bros. Studios.

In North America, unions are sometimes a delightful presence and sometimes an irritating one. For instance, the actors' union, once an actor pays their dues to join, will intervene to protect their rights whenever necessary. If a production is reported to pose a threat to the safety of its actors, they will conduct an investigation.

Although often, the actors' union turns a blind eye to large productions—after all, injuries during filming are common—as long as the production and actors can reach a compensation agreement, they usually stay out of it. However, once they take an interest, it's never a good sign.

"Duke, this is Mr. Huntington, and this is Mr. Rufus."

As soon as he stepped into the office on set, Robin Grand introduced the two middle-aged men to Duke. They were investigators from the actors' union who had come to investigate the treatment of actors and the safety measures on set.

"My production has no safety issues during filming."

In response to their routine inquiries, Duke certainly wouldn't acknowledge any problems with filming or set safety. "All actors are dedicated to their work; the entire venue is safe, and the production will be responsible for every actor."

"But some people still got injured." One of the bald middle-aged men said.

"This was just an accident," Duke struggled to find better words. "I always demand high standards and high expectations from my crew, doing everything possible to ensure the safety of the actors."

Which action film doesn't have a few injuries during filming? But since the actors' union had come forward, Duke understood there must be some complex underlying reasons.

Today's filming schedule was thus canceled.

The two production managers accompanied the actors' union members to the set while Duke instructed Sophia to notify everyone to pause filming, then directly returned to his office. If even Warner Bros. couldn't handle the actors' union, there was no point in him sticking around.

Not long after, Sophia brought back even worse news.

"The union has recommended that the production temporarily halt filming,"

She threw a folder onto the desk and angrily sat across from Duke. "To wait for their investigation results."

Hearing Sophia's words, Duke couldn't help but frown.

Indeed, the actors' union doesn't have the power to halt filming but can only recommend it. However, they can notify the actors to temporarily leave the production. Since most of the actors, including major stars like Ed Harris and Nicolas Cage, are members of the actors' union, it was well known that members of the big unions stand united with the union.

The reasoning is simple: the union serves as a means to safeguard their own rights. It is precisely because of the union that both actors and directors can negotiate with producers and other financing organizations.

If Duke joined the directors' association, he too would stand with the union when they called for a strike.

When leaving the set in the afternoon, as Duke stepped out of the Warner Bros. studio gates, he was unexpectedly surrounded by numerous reporters.

"Director Rosenberg, is it true that 'The Rock' has experienced multiple safety incidents?"

"Some say you violated regulations by using military-grade explosives to pursue explosion effects."

"I heard a female actress got into the cast through your connections?"

"Will 'The Rock' be halted due to safety issues?"

With the assistance of the studio security, Duke finally managed to break through the journalists' blockade without saying a word and got into the car that Sophia had driven.

"Thank you." His expression was not good.

"You're welcome."

Sophia turned the steering wheel, driving her BMW onto the road heading to North Hollywood.

Things were indeed as some reporters had mentioned: due to the union's call, the production had to temporarily halt filming without enough available actors while waiting for the investigation results.

Simultaneously, Duke learned from Warner Bros. that the actors' union's involvement came after receiving internal reports about the production, which was also pushed by certain forces. Of course, as a union organization, their investigation must follow procedures and couldn't completely dismantle the production or drag it on for too long.

After a moment of analysis, Duke could also guess the intentions behind it.

They aimed to create trouble for the "The Rock" production, disrupting its filming rhythm. After all, every day of filming delay increases costs and might even cause him, as an inexperienced director, unnecessary complications that could lead to mistakes in the film.

As for who was behind this, it was not difficult to deduce. Only a handful of Hollywood studios could rival Warner Bros., and even fewer would have a grudge against him or "The Rock."

"Robin..."

After some contemplation, Duke called the Warner production manager and said, "If I remember correctly, one of the lead actors in Interview with the Vampire is a minor!"

The halt in production had left Duke seething with frustration.