Chapter 117: So sour

It wasn't until he was sitting on the plane back to the country that Chen Nuo told Qi Yuntian what Nolan had said to him.

"Damn, damn, damn." Qi Yuntian was very angry and said "damn" three times. Even the excitement of sitting in business class disappeared by more than half. "If I had known you needed to destroy your image to play that damn Joker, I wouldn't have let you take this role even if I killed myself."

Looking at Chen Nuo's expression, Qi Yuntian looked pained: "Don't you feel sorry?"

I'm not gay, I'm a dignified man, why would I feel sorry? Although having looks and a figure is good, that's just icing on the cake. Do men rely on these?

Chen Nuo, who had been handsome for two lifetimes, had long since stopped caring about his looks and asked back: "Sorry for what?"

"Sorry... for your face, your figure?"

Chen Nuo *hehe*d: "It's just gaining weight, not disfigurement. What's the big deal? You can lose it after gaining it. I think Nolan makes sense. If I don't gain weight, I won't be able to play the role of Joker. First of all, the image doesn't fit, so no matter how you perform, it's useless. Besides, it's too late to regret now, isn't it?"

It was indeed too late.

Just when these two were on the plane from LA to HK, Warner Bros. announced the second film title and main cast list after the *Batman* reboot.

The film title was officially set as: *The Dark Knight*.

The director was no surprise, still Christopher Nolan.

The actor for Batman hadn't changed either, still played by the lead actor of the first film, Christian Bale.

However, in the highly anticipated casting for the Joker, Warner Bros. seemed to have played a big joke on the world.

Every American who saw that name couldn't help but be dumbfounded, and all said the same sentence: "What the fuck, who is Nuo Chen?"

It takes 15 hours for a plane to fly from the US West Coast to the East Eighth District, but information transmission in fiber optics only takes one second.

Warner Bros. announced this news at 10 AM LA time, which was 2 AM Beijing time.

Shi Ningwei probably knew this news in the top 10 in the country, because as a film critic, paying attention to foreign film news and forwarding it to the country was part of his job.

When he was staying up late browsing American film forums to see if there was any news, he suddenly saw Warner announce the cast list for *Batman 2*.

He was watching it listlessly.

Then, he found a strange name sandwiched between "Batman: Christian Bale" and "James Gordon: Gary Oldman."

"Joker: Nuo Chen."

Shi Ningwei stared at this name for at least ten seconds, his mind turning rapidly. He wanted to believe it, but didn't dare to believe it.

Immediately afterward, he sent a message in his film critic group.

Shi Ge: "【Screenshot】, do you think this Nuo Chen is Chen Nuo?"

It was already the middle of the night, and not many people in the 200-person group were online. But this message was like a deep-sea bomb. After entering the water, it only took five seconds to blow up even the deepest lantern fish.

Rows of messages refreshed rapidly on the QQ group interface.

"Damn, damn, damn, damn!"

"Is the screenshot real?"

"!!!!! Chen Nuo?"

"Crazy, Chen Nuo is going to play the Joker???"

"Shi Ge, where did you screenshot this?"

"Isn't Chen Nuo filming Wong Kar-wai's movie?"

"Are you sure it's Chen Nuo?"

"Chen Nuo and Warner collaborating?"

"I'm exploding."

"Midnight bomb, damn!"

The messages in the group were still refreshing, and no one questioned whether this Nuo Chen might not be Chen Nuo.

Shi Ningwei made up his mind.

Although there was no photo on the screenshot, no nationality, nothing, only a name that looked like pinyin.

He was very likely to make a mistake and make a big joke.

But so what?

Wealth is sought in danger.

Shi Ningwei logged onto his blog.

"*Midnight surprise: Chen Nuo is about to collaborate with Warner to play the biggest villain, Joker, in Batman 2! *"

Shi Ningwei knew that time is money. The title was written roughly, and the main text was almost an expanded version of the title. The total time was less than a minute. He pasted the screenshot of the Warner official website on top and published it immediately.

One stone stirred up a thousand waves.

After Shi Ningwei's article was published, the click-through rate was counted by the second. Even in the middle of the night, the growth was like opening a cheat code.

This quickly attracted the attention of major media and portal websites' editors who were working overtime.

Everyone was energized. Afterward, while cursing, they started making trans-Pacific calls. Countless radio waves across the two sides of the Pacific Ocean connected in this middle of the night, and the two names were finally linked together by everyone.

The editors who were working overtime started writing news drafts.

At 2:30 AM, the entertainment news headlines on various portal websites welcomed the first wave of refreshes.

*NetEase Entertainment*: *Batman 2* officially announced, Chinese actor Chen Nuo will play the role of Joker!

*Sina Entertainment*: After Wong Kar-wai, collaborating with Warner again, Chen Nuo will play the Joker in *Batman 2*.

*Sohu Entertainment*: A historic step! Chen Nuo will play an important role in the superhero film *Batman 2*.

*Tencent Entertainment*: Officially entering Hollywood, Berlin Film Festival Best Actor Chen Nuo will play the main villain in *Batman 2*.

By the time it was dawn the next day, more and more details were excavated by reporters from major websites stationed in the US and sent back to the country, making many people who had just woken up instantly energized.

"*My Blueberry Nights* just finished filming, rushing to audition for Warner? Chen Nuo, what are you rushing for?"

"Hollywood's rising talented director Nolan personally appointed. The ins and outs of Chen Nuo playing the Joker exposed."

"Full record of the casting process, Warner internal vote, 88% agreed with Chen Nuo playing the Joker."

"Conquering Hollywood with acting! Warner Vice President Michael Slane said: Chen's Joker is worth everyone's expectation."

The media in China were all reporting in a positive tone of sharing the honor.

However, the entertainment news in the US was in a completely different tone.

*The Hollywood Reporter*'s headline was: "Chinese actor plays Joker, Warner loses its mind for the overseas market."

The article content wantonly criticized Warner's high-level: "Michael Slane, as the long-term producer of the *Batman* series, found Christopher Nolan as the director of the *Batman* reboot and achieved success in the first film. This made him think he had become God. He thought that wherever his finger pointed, he could turn decay into magic. Even if he pointed at a 19-year-old Chinese actor on the other side of the ocean."

"Warner's indulgence of Michael Slane only shows that for the sake of the overseas market, everyone from the CEO to the board of directors of Warner Bros. has lost their minds. They have been high and mighty for too long and have already thought they are omnipotent. Perhaps, only the final dismal box office will wake them up."

*Variety*: "Nuo Chen, a 19-year-old Chinese actor, is about to truly destroy Batman with the Joker." This article focused on Chen Nuo, and the commentator clearly spent a lot of effort investigating him, knowing some of his things like the back of his hand.

"After Warner announced the cast list for *Batman 2*, I believe countless *Batman* fans are exclaiming one question: who exactly is Nuo Chen? He is actually not American. Just like his name, he is a 19-year-old actor from China... The above is his entire resume since he started acting. And can we see any point in it that proves he is suitable for playing the Joker? The answer is obviously NO! Let us wait and see, Warner will surely pay the price for their paranoid choice."

*The Los Angeles Times* also reported on this matter, but it was from the perspective of social news. "Over 50 *Batman* fans protest at the gate of Warner company, refusing a Chinese actor to play the evil Joker."

The report also interviewed several protesters, and the tone was much the same: if Warner insists on going its own way and uses this Chinese actor to play the Joker, they will refuse to walk into the cinema.

However, it wasn't that there were no people singing the opposite tune to these media.

For example, the famous American film critic Roger Ebert published a viewpoint article that was completely different from the mainstream media on his account on the largest blog website in the US, Blogger.

"Ignorant LA media, ridiculous *Batman* fans, when you are mourning and think *Batman* will face decline, I think Warner's high-level has simply changed into a brand new brain in the past two years. Everything they do is beautiful."

"First of all, when they dared to hand *Batman* to a British director like Nolan, it made me exclaim that *Batman* was about to revive (attached the link to the article from that year https: //...)."

"When I heard today that their second film chose Nuo Chen to play the Joker, I was shocked beyond measure. I even felt they peeked into my heart. Because I fell in love with Nolan through *Memento*, they chose Nolan. Recently, I fell in love with Chen through an award-winning film at the Berlin Film Festival. They actually chose Chen again."

"Anyone who has seen Chen's performance will not say that Chen will destroy *Batman*."

"This young Chinese actor completely conquered me with his performance in that film called *Dumb*. I can see how much plasticity this actor has. I am very much looking forward to his performance in *Batman 2*. I believe he will surprise those audiences who don't pay attention to art films."

"Finally, a word to those 3K party members who will leave messages under my blog. Your racist remarks full of stench will turn into lumps of shit under the box office of *Batman 2* and Chen's wonderful interpretation, and finally let you eat them yourselves."

While Chen Nuo was still sleeping soundly on the plane, these news on the internet had already started flying everywhere.

By the time he woke up, various media in China had already dug out that he would land at Hong Kong International Airport at 3 PM.

But he and Qi Yuntian were 30,000 feet in the air, sitting in comfortable business class seats, completely unaware of the stormy seas he was about to face, and were even talking about the schedule for the next period of time with great spirit.

Qi Yuntian had a blanket on his legs and held a steaming cup of coffee in his hand, whispering: "We will stay in Hong Kong for one day, return to Beijing on the night of the 25th, and leave one day for you and Wen Yingshan. Is that okay?"

Chen Nuo nodded and said: "My parents and I might go to your house to pay a New Year's call in two days. You tell Teacher Li. Because this year we are going to my mother's side for the reunion, so we will go a bit earlier."

"Good."

"Also..." Chen Nuo thought for a moment, but still decided to say his plan. "You'd better go and tell Teacher Li in advance. I want to ask for leave for all the classes in the next semester."

Qi Yuntian was slightly surprised: "Why?"

Chen Nuo took a sip of black tea, his eyes looking at the tea water gloomily. "Nolan gave me a notebook, he called it *Joker's Diary*. He wants me to fill it before filming starts. Now there are 4 months before I join the group. If I go to school to study for a month after the Chinese New Year in China, I definitely won't be able to fill it."

Chen Nuo had seen reports in his previous life that when Heath Ledger was preparing to play this role well, he stayed alone for more than a month before joining the group. After the makeup artist painted the Joker makeup on him, he didn't even take it off for the first three weeks.

Later, from joining the group to filming to the end, Heath Ledger didn't even change his clothes. No one knew how he spent every night, and didn't even know if he slept at all.

Then what about him? What can he pay for this role?

Heath Ledger's Joker is undoubtedly a towering mountain standing in front of him. Can he cross it? Can he create a Joker as great or even greater than Heath Ledger's?

Or is it that he, Chen Nuo, through plagiarizing the other party's makeup, stole the opportunity to shape a classic role, but finally performed it into a piece of shit, and he personally destroyed this originally classic and great role, making himself a truly despicable, shameless, and self-unaware Joker?

Two paths were placed in front of him at this moment.

How should he walk?

He had already thought about it.

"I've decided. During the Chinese New Year, I will start gaining weight. After the New Year, I want to go to a place alone, maybe abroad, and stay until before filming starts. This time, I want to be completely immersed, 100%."

Qi Yuntian stared at him blankly. "Chen Nuo, are you crazy?"

Chen Nuo said seriously: "Don't be so nervous, I'm not crazy, and I'm not mentally disturbed. I just want to play it well. I think this time is a particularly good opportunity. As you said, if it succeeds, Hollywood will open its doors to us, won't it? Haven't you always wanted us to enter Hollywood and make big money?"

"No, it doesn't matter if you don't make money. If you lose your life, that's miserable." Qi Yuntian shook his head. "I can listen to you on other things, but I don't agree with your arrangement this time. I think you are not normal now. If something happens to you, how can I face your parents, how can I face my parents? I can only commit suicide to apologize. But I haven't lived enough yet, so I don't agree."

If it were any other actor, Qi Yuntian would be right. Using nearly four months to immerse in a role is a huge adventure for any actor.

But Chen Nuo himself knew that he was different.

If his rebirth brought a golden finger, it was giving him a heart strong enough to be persistent, allowing him to immerse in the role without worrying about suffering huge internal friction.

He doesn't need to take psychiatric drugs like Heath Ledger to alleviate the pain in his heart, or hide in the Irish countryside like Daniel Day-Lewis to be a carpenter to calm the restlessness of his soul, or like Leonardo DiCaprio, who holds yacht parties day and night after filming, using alcohol and beauties to anesthetize himself.

Give him a little time and space, give him a short experience to soothe his soul, and he can climb out of the deepest hell.

"Don't worry, it's really okay."

"No!"

The time difference between LA and Hong Kong is 16 hours. Chen Nuo and the others were on the plane at 9 AM on January 23rd LA time. After 16 hours of flight, they arrived in Hong Kong at 3 PM on January 24th.

Chen Nuo talked to Qi Yuntian for a long time, but the other party still didn't agree, and he couldn't help but have a headache. Then, just as the plane landed, more headaches came.

Just as the two turned on their phones, a pile of text messages swarmed in immediately.

Chen Nuo only read two, and his hair stood up. Before he had time to say anything, Wen Yingshan's phone call came in, and the first sentence was: "Darling, there are so many media outside who want to interview you, and so many of your fans, you are so popular!"

Damn it.

Chen Nuo said hurriedly: "You wait."

He turned his head and prepared to talk to Qi Yuntian.

Qi Yuntian was also looking at his phone at this time. Before Chen Nuo could speak, he raised his head with a foul expression and said: "Warner announced the matter of you playing the Joker before we got on the plane. Now it seems the whole country's media are looking for you. You wait, I'll call and ask what's going on."

Chen Nuo took the phone to his ear again and asked: "Yingshan, are there many people outside?"

Wen Yingshan thought Chen Nuo was happy. She explained very seriously on the other side: "Darling, there are really a lot of people, you are so amazing. The newspaper didn't lie, you really have so many fans in Hong Kong. I see at least dozens of them, they are all holding your signs, they are here to pick you up, and there are so many media... Darling, I heard from Fanny that you are going to Hollywood to film? Is it true?"

As soon as Chen Nuo heard it, he knew this woman didn't understand the situation.

Indeed, it is difficult for ordinary people to understand why someone would suffer from fan phobia.

Unless he had also been killed by a fan's husband.

Chen Nuo said irritably: "I'll call you later." After saying this, he hung up the phone.

Qi Yuntian was still arguing with someone on the phone in English: "... Why didn't your person in charge tell us in advance... Sent me an email?... Shit! I will complain about you to your manager!"

Qi Yuntian hung up the phone and said with lingering anger: "It's really bullshit, saying they sent me an email before announcing it. I was over the Pacific Ocean at that time, where the hell was I supposed to see the email?"

Afterward, he calmed down a bit and said: "Chen Nuo, we can't stay in Hong Kong. There are too many paparazzi in this place. You can't see her this time. My opinion is that we immediately transfer to the mainland. Don't even go to Beijing, you go directly back to Sichuan."

Chen Nuo, who was bitten by a snake once and was afraid of the rope for ten years, had no opinion on Hearing Qi Yuntian suggestion. Before the plane even landed, Qi Yuntian started calling to book the next round of tickets.

But when things came to a head, how easy was it to book tickets?

Hearing Qi Yuntian phone was almost out of battery before he finally found a temporary refund ticket for Shenzhen Airlines.

"You withdraw first, I don't care, no one will pay attention to me." After clearing customs and taking their luggage, the two dragged two suitcases and slipped directly into the airport toilet.

Qi Yuntian said: "That plane will take off in more than an hour, but if we go to the lobby like this, it's definitely a dead end. I'll contact Wen Yingshan and let her observe the movements of those people outside. I'll find a way to lure them away, and you take the opportunity to go through customs."

Chen Nuo said without hesitation: "Good!"

Thinking that tomorrow is Sunday and everyone is not at work, just release it in the middle of the night.

These three chapters were released in one breath because I feel they need to be read together to look good.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 118 =====