Chapter 47: Complications

In the days following the showing of the sample reel, the restlessness and dissatisfaction among the crew of "Run Lola Run" vanished without a trace. Everyone was energized, and there were no further complaints about Simon's unconventional directing style.

The reason was clear.

Had Brian De Palma visited? Known for "Carrie" and "Scarface."

Yes.

Had David Geffen seen it? Known for "Alien" and "12 Angry Men."

Yes.

Had Robert Redford seen it? Known for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "Out of Africa."

Yes.

These figures were giants in Hollywood, and they had all visited the unassuming set of "Run Lola Run."

Moreover, aside from Brian De Palma, both David Geffen and Robert Redford had offered to serve as executive producers for "Run Lola Run."

This was even more extraordinary.

Had everyone known that Brian De Palma would be involved as an executive producer, there would have been no discontent at all. Josh Wickman, that fool, definitely would not have left rashly.

Now, two more influential figures had joined.

Who was Simon Westeros?

Who cared.

But being involved in a project where Hollywood heavyweights like Brian De Palma, David Geffen, and Robert Redford were executive producers? That was real prestige, a significant boost to anyone's resume and a potential ticket into the mainstream commercial film circle.

Simon had learned about the events at the Fox Studios screening room from Ron and Catherine, and he had gone to view the sample reel himself the following day.

He was equally astonished by his own work; he hadn't anticipated that he could achieve such quality. For his first directorial project in Hollywood, Simon had simply tried to maximize the potential of the more than a dozen ideas he had.

Watching the shots of "Run Lola Run," Simon felt he might even have overachieved.

Nevertheless, Simon did not hold back.

Now that he had made a name for himself, why not shine even brighter?

With the backing of the three industry giants, Simon quickly found commanding the small crew much more manageable.

Busy days always flew by.

In no time, it was the last day of October, the fourth week of shooting "Run Lola Run."

Tonight was Halloween, a significant holiday in America, and coincidentally a Friday, leading into the weekend.

Thus, the festive atmosphere was even more intense.

The scenes for the past two days had involved Lola entering a casino.

Los Angeles had casinos, and Simon had even visited one downtown.

However, there was none in Santa Monica.

Of course.

That was not a problem.

The director said there needed to be a casino, so there was a casino.

The crew had rented a ballroom in a hotel in downtown Santa Monica and quickly set it up as a casino.

Compared to other scenes in "Run Lola Run," the casino scenes definitely counted as a large-scale production, and the crew had recruited over fifty extras for these two days.

Despite this, with the help of Ron, Catherine, and others, Simon maintained a good grip on the shooting pace.

However, with more people, some complications were naturally bound to arise.

Shooting had just started in the afternoon when Sandra discovered that her prop ring was missing.

In the original "Run Lola Run," Lola wore various bizarre ornaments on both hands. But in this new version, Simon had designed just a single broad ring for the lead actress—a silver ring, one centimeter wide, engraved with a conspicuous butterfly motif, marking Simon's third hint at a 'butterfly effect.'

For such a small prop, Simon naturally had not just one made.

After receiving all three completed rings, Sandra was so fond of them that Simon let her keep all three, planning not to take them back after filming. Although they were pure silver, the three rings together weren't worth much.

Now, this small item had gone missing, complicating matters.

Sandra had never expected to lose the ring she always wore and had not brought a spare.

All the afternoon's shots involved Sandra, and Simon did not want any inconsistencies in these details. Thus, he hastily sent an assistant director to Sandra's apartment in West Hollywood to retrieve the prop.

Sandra stayed behind to touch up her makeup.

Then.

Another twist occurred.

Sandra had kept the spare rings in a small safe she bought, and not wanting to give the combination to a stranger, she instructed the assistant director to bring the entire safe to the set.

Imagine.

A burly man breaking into a woman's apartment and then carrying out a safe.

What kind of scene was that?

Then, the neighbors called the police.

After a lot of hassle, by the time Ron and Sandra went to the Hollywood police station to retrieve the unfortunate assistant director, nearly an hour had passed.

Perhaps affected by this incident, the subsequent shooting didn't go smoothly.

Reluctantly, the crew had to announce two hours of overtime.

With only a few simple shots left, paying costly overtime

 was still cheaper than renting and setting up the scene again next week.

Under normal circumstances, working overtime wouldn't be an issue.

But tonight was Halloween, eagerly anticipated by many. While the crew was somewhat flexible, many of the extras were less willing. After some negotiation and promises of additional compensation, they grudgingly agreed.

Fortunately, by nearly seven in the evening, the casino scenes were successfully completed.

After wrapping up, Simon was overseeing the crew packing up the rented casino props when Ron approached with a Caucasian man in his thirties.

The man was about six feet tall, casually dressed in a shirt and trousers, with brown hair and some stubble, giving him a somewhat unkempt appearance.

As they approached, the man extended his hand to Simon before Ron could introduce him, smiling and introducing himself: "Simon Westeros, hello, I'm Peter Butler, a reporter from the 'Los Angeles Times.'"

Simon shook his hand, slightly surprised: "I know you. I read your article about 'The Butterfly Effect.' Also, Joe called me a couple of days ago, but I think I refused, right?"

With Brian De Palma and the others now publicly attached to the project, and with Sandra's striking appearance on set inevitably drawing attention, Hollywood was becoming increasingly aware of "Run Lola Run."

Then, Jonathan Friedman, Simon's agent, had called to say that Peter Butler from the 'Los Angeles Times' wanted to interview him and the crew of "Run Lola Run."

Simon had been too busy to deal with this. Plus, it wasn't the right time for media exposure, so he had declined.

Unexpectedly, the reporter had shown up on set today.

Hearing Simon's response, Peter's smile remained, and he subtly changed his approach: "Simon, it was Mr. McMullen who invited me. Actually, I've been here all afternoon, you just didn't notice. Also, I was wondering if you might have some time to chat?"

Simon glanced at his producer.

Though he understood Ron's intention to garner some publicity for the film, he was slightly annoyed by the presumption.

Sensing Simon's irritation, Ron intervened: "Simon, this could be a good opportunity, right? We still need to distribute our movie."

Simon still shook his head firmly, turning back to Peter: "Mr. Butler, I'm sorry, I'm very busy lately, so let's forget about this for now."

Unfazed, Peter lifted the camera hanging around his neck, a sly look in his eyes: "Actually, Simon, I already have enough material to write an article. However, I understand now is not the best time for 'Run Lola Run' to gain exposure. So, if you agree to sit down for an interview, I can hold off publishing the article until after the Sundance Film Festival early next year."

Simon paused, considering. November was approaching, and the Sundance Film Festival in January was precisely when he planned to bring "Run Lola Run" into the spotlight.

He hadn't expected this reporter to guess his intentions so accurately.

After a moment's hesitation, Simon relented: "Tomorrow, noon to one o'clock, at Fox Studios. You have one hour."

Peter immediately extended his hand again, smiling: "Then, I look forward to our meeting tomorrow."