Chapter 264: Going All Out

In the studio, two cameras were positioned on the same side, with Murphy and Phil-Rachel each operating one. The lenses were aimed entirely at Deadpool and Colossus, shackled together. Krakow used a pair of prop handcuffs to shackle Robert Downey Jr. to his arm, dragging him forward. A flatbed trolley clung to the constructed highway bridge above, moving forward under the pull of an electric motor, with Robert Downey Jr. in tow following Krakow.

Phil-Rachel's main camera slid along the track, keeping up with Robert Downey Jr. and Krakow, primarily capturing close-up shots of Deadpool, while Murphy stayed put, managing the secondary camera to capture wide shots of both Robert and Krakow.

"In 'The Empire Strikes Back,' Luke Skywalker's arm was severed by Darth Vader, and then he got a prosthetic hand that he could control with the Force."

Shooting proceeded to the point where Robert Downey Jr. once again switched to his motor-mouth mode, "Entering spoiler territory now, my hand will also get chopped off, but I don't need a prosthetic because it can grow back..."

Robert Downey Jr. pulled out a knife from behind and started slicing through the fake hand attached to Colossus's wrist.

Lily Collins glanced over, and Murphy's controlled camera followed her gaze towards Deadpool.

"¥%¥..." Lily Collins blurted out a string of expletives, "That's disgusting!"

As Robert Downey Jr. took out the knife, the flatbed trolley beneath him was lifted by a pressure device. Krakow, following the rehearsed routine, raised his arm. From the camera's perspective, it looked as if Robert Downey Jr. was hanging from Krakow's arm.

"Darling, this is a facial... Enjoying it? Oh God, are you there? Come see this, I'm Robin, and I've just given Batman a facial!"

"Cut!" Murphy shouted, "That's too much."

After he called cut, the shooting temporarily ceased, but the production didn't stop. They began preparing for the scene where Deadpool facializes Colossus with his severed wrist.

Murphy continued shooting the highway bridge fight scene until the eve of Thanksgiving, finally announcing completion. After spending Thanksgiving together, Gal Gadot ended her Australian journey and flew back to Los Angeles.

During Thanksgiving, 20th Century Fox launched another promotional campaign for "Deadpool," still focusing on Robert Downey Jr. and Deadpool himself.

On Thanksgiving morning, "Deadpool" released promotional photos on its official blog and Robert Downey Jr.'s personal blog. The photos showed Deadpool sprawled on the Thanksgiving dinner table, with a turkey and other foods in the background, in a very seductive pose, accompanied by the text, "I forgot, was it three pieces of meat stuffed inside the turkey, or four? Happy Thanksgiving."

Meanwhile, Jessica Alba was interviewed by a Fox TV entertainment program, revealing that her role would span the entire film and stating, "Vanessa and Deadpool's relationship will occupy a significant portion of the movie." The unusual process of their meeting and falling in love, starting with Vanessa, a prostitute, simply wanting Wade Wilson to pay for pleasure, but then they began competing over who had a more miserable life, and thus fell in love.

After Thanksgiving, a video began circulating online, sparking a major discussion about "Deadpool."

This time the theme was "Deadpool's Guide to Self-Examining Your Testicles to Prevent Testicular Cancer..."

In the video, Deadpool sits on a chair, making gestures and earnestly teaching people how to prevent the disease.

"How much do you know about your scrotum... Take turns holding your two 'meat berries,' and don't get too excited, oh please remember, before you furiously rub the cucumber, you need to squeeze the two little tomatoes..."

These risqué promotional materials spread quickly through the interactive media platform of the internet.

"Deadpool" is one of the few R-rated superhero movies. So, achieving high box office revenue necessitates effective marketing.

With the pre-release promotions yielding impressive results, 20th Century Fox fully embraced Murphy's recommendations. The subsequent promotional activities revolved around the character of Deadpool.

The best advantage of character promotion is that audiences can get to know the character during the promotion period, especially for a relatively unknown, emerging character. After all, Deadpool's history is short, and he's not considered a mainstream superhero yet.

The images and videos from this series of promotions feature Deadpool directly interacting with the audience, resonating with fans and sparking curiosity among bystanders. 20th Century Fox's marketing department found Murphy's approach to be highly effective. Using Deadpool's ability to break the fourth wall for promotions was deemed a stroke of genius.

Deadpool isn't afraid of self-deprecation and doesn't embody the serious superhero archetype. Similarly, the "Deadpool" movie isn't like the traditional superhero films such as "Superman," "Batman," or "Spider-Man."

As the film's shooting neared its end, "Deadpool" ads appeared on many billboards and buses, along with the fourth-wall-breaking videos and risqué online posters, ensuring most audiences were informed about the movie.

Subsequently, 20th Century Fox launched a major promotional move. Many bloggers posted photos of Deadpool's expression billboards, composed of a skull + poop + L, symbolizing "deathpool."

This self-deprecating strategy was undeniably a clever tactic.

Meanwhile, Murphy's shooting in Australia was wrapping up. He led the crew away from the Fox Studios in Sydney to an abandoned power plant in New South Wales to shoot the climax battle scenes.

The final battle's setting featured many destructive scenes. Robert Downey Jr. and Dwayne Johnson's disproportionate physiques, engaged in close combat, along with their constant banter, created a starkly contrasting spectacle.

Dwayne Johnson's character, not prone to quipping, is serious by nature, the complete opposite of Deadpool's character.

The power plant had been abandoned for some time, and the crew spent a considerable amount of time redecorating. Murphy planned to mix partial sets with a fully CG environment to create the background scenes.

When Deadpool and Ajax began fighting, Murphy used various marker balls for camera positioning to add more explosive scenes in post-production CG.

Moreover, most of the gory scenes during the fight weren't physically depicted, mainly being added via CG to simulate blood splatter.

This movie is bloody, a crucial aspect of "Deadpool" that Murphy emphasized. The crew indeed needed to immerse the audience in the film's world without making it feel unrealistic. Increasing the brightness was an effective way to handle the battle scenes.

From the start, Murphy discussed Deadpool's tone and the bloody scenes with the crew. Increasing the brightness, a common Hollywood technique, now showed excellent results, offering an interesting way to depict blood and gore.

Additionally, he employed a lot of high-speed slow-motion filming techniques.

Shooting continued into December 2003, with the weather in New South Wales getting hotter. The "Deadpool" crew's shooting entered its final stage.

"Jessie, run towards Downey..."

In the prepared scene, Murphy, standing in front of a pile of scrap metal against a green screen, instructed Jessica Alba on the next scene's focus, "You've just discovered Deadpool is Wade..."

He walked along the planned route, stopping not far in front of Robert Downey Jr., then pointed to an area covered with soft sand, "You need to fall here."

"Fall?" Jessica Alba, following behind Murphy, asked in confusion, "Why do I need to fall?"

Murphy glanced at her and explained, "It's to enhance the allure of your character. Jessie, you need to fall in the most seductive way possible, understand?"

Jessica Alba, while not the sharpest tool in the shed, was far from stupid and quickly caught on, "I know what to do now."

Indeed, she wasn't foolish. She knew that the attention and praise for her previous film were not due to her acting skills but because the role maximized her physical appearance and figure.

To become the universe's top trophy, mere beauty isn't enough. One must be a brave woman of the 21st century. Yet, being avant-garde isn't sufficient; at critical moments, a fearless spirit and determined gaze are required.

During this period, Murphy needed such an actress, and Jessica Alba was the perfect choice.

Of course, to be Hollywood's top trophy, one must create So.Hot moments in the film.

In previous shootings, Jessica Alba had already grasped some of Murphy's ideas, never hesitating to strike poses in front of the camera that defied ergonomics to show off her allure.

So, when Murphy provided her with an opportunity to "go all out," Jessica Alba executed it with unwavering determination.

After the scene was called to start, Jessica Alba quickly ran towards Robert Downey Jr. Reaching the specially prepared sandy area at the right moment, she fell in a way that defied normal physics.

Amidst the ruins, the universe's top trophy didn't fear the obscured path ahead. Flipping her hair and fake-falling, her protruding buttocks and the ample bust dangling from her blouse were captured by the camera in the most seductive pose possible. This strategically calculated fall was designed to flaunt her figure and attract male attention.

Outsiders couldn't understand why the universe's top trophy, aside from showcasing her great body, would choose to fake-fall.

"Cut!" Murphy's voice echoed on set, "Well done, Jessie! Absolutely perfect!"

He even planned to dedicate a poster to this scene for post-production promotion.

Jessica Alba, aspiring to be the universe's top trophy, still had a long way to go. And without winning a few awards, how could she claim to be the top trophy of the universe?

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