Chapter 325: Rubber Protagonist

"Wu, what prompted you to restart *Batman*? Many directors in Hollywood don't dare to touch it."

Facing the reporter's question, Wu Yuchen walked and smiled as he said:

"The difference between Batman and other superheroes is that he doesn't possess any superpowers, but relies on willpower and determination to train himself into a messenger of justice who fights crime.

So Batman is also a hero figure that ordinary people yearn to become and have the possibility of becoming. Because ordinary people absolutely cannot become Hulk, and even less can they become Superman, but as long as they receive enough training and put in the greatest effort, anyone can become Batman."

"Then why are you creating the *Batman* trilogy all at once? Will it be the same as the *Pirates of the Caribbean* and *Spider-Man* trilogies?"

"Because the time of one film is far from enough to show Batman. I hope to present a complete Batman to the audience, show how Batman changes from an ordinary person into a superhero, and explore the responsibilities he has to bear and the meaning represented by Batman and the hero himself.

*Pirates of the Caribbean*, *Spider-Man*, and *Batman* are all different; each protagonist has their own unique charm, and I won't walk a repetitive path."

Wu Yuchen now would be asked about *Batman* whenever he went out; it was really because this big-name director plus Batman, the superhero famous all over the world, were superimposed together, which was too attractive to the audience's attention. After the news was made public, the discussion among Batman fans hadn't stopped.

Especially in '97, when the film *Batman & Robin* failed miserably, its reputation fell to the bottom, and until now, everyone was still cursing incessantly.

However, because Wu Yuchen had a glorious track record in the past, and whether it was *Pirates of the Caribbean* or the first two installments of *Spider-Man*, they currently made the vast majority of the audience satisfied, so everyone was still very expectant of the *Batman* trilogy.

"Christian, if I announce to the outside world that I've chosen you to play Batman, and then match it with your current photos, I think the fans will definitely curse me incessantly~"

Wu Yuchen looked at Christian Bale in front of him, who wasn't just thin as a rail but also very gaunt; one look gave people a sickly and unhealthy feeling, and he couldn't be linked to Batman at all.

Christian Bale had just acted in a film called *The Machinist* this year—not the *Mechanic* series by Jason Statham, but a thriller film in which he had reduced his weight to 99 jin.

Think about it: a big guy over 1.8 meters tall, only 99 jin. Of course, he eventually got his reward; his brilliant performance in the film would win him the "Best Actor of the Year" award from the London Film Critics Circle.

Bale hurriedly said: "Wu Dao, if you are willing to trust me, I will definitely be able to train my body to any state you want within the deadline you require!"

If someone else said this, it might still have a certain amount of water in it. But Bale saying this, Wu Yuchen believed it one hundred percent!

This guy had a nickname in his past life: Hollywood's Rubber Man. It didn't mean Bale had the same ability as Luffy from *One Piece*, but that he truly seemed to be able to control his weight at will, making himself reach any state for a role.

In the previous two years, Bale still had a height of 184, 81 kilograms of lean muscle all over his body, and a perfect figure with beautiful contours.

But this year, shooting *The Machinist*, he had quickly lost 63 pounds in two weeks, which was equivalent to 1/3 of his body weight. His weight dropped from 173 pounds to 110 pounds, and he even wanted to reduce it to under 100 pounds, until the doctor warned him that if he got any thinner, he might die young, and Bale stopped this terrible body-sculpting training.

And in his past life, after Bale took on *Batman 1*, he quickly recovered to 86 kilograms, trained back his muscle armor, and became the mighty superhero everyone saw.

Thought that was the end of it?

Just when everyone thought he was going to act in *Batman* peacefully, he acted in another film in 2006, *Rescue Dawn*, as an escapee, and his weight dropped back to 60 kilograms, then immediately shot *Batman 2* and returned to 86kg. *Batman 2* was released and achieved great success, but in 2010 he acted in *The Fighter* and returned to 62 kilograms again; by the time of *Batman 3*, he became the 86kg Batman again.

The following year, 2013's *American Hustle*, he quickly rose to 98KG, with no muscle on his body at all, a fat man full of fat...

To be honest, Wu Yuchen was still very impressed by Bale's professionalism; did he really think he had superpowers? Didn't it rely on super-resilient willpower? In all of Hollywood, counting all these stars above the 3rd tier, how many could do what he did?

Wu Yuchen nodded with a smile and then said to Bale: "Christian, you once participated in the audition for *Batman Forever* in '94, right?"

"Yes, I auditioned for Robin at the time, but unfortunately, I didn't succeed."

Wu Yuchen smiled: "Do you know what I appreciate most about you? It's your willpower. For Batman to be able to become a superhero with a mortal body, he must have a quality of perseverance that surpasses ordinary people; I can see more of this in you than in others!"

Bale revealed an expression of joy upon hearing this; it seemed the suffering he had endured before hadn't been in vain, as he had actually won Wu Yuchen's favor because of this!

"Christian, I will give you more than half a year, so you don't need to be so anxious; follow a scientific plan to slowly gain weight; the body is the first priority! During this period, I hope you can turn yourself into the Bruce Wayne I want!"

Wu Yuchen wasn't as anxious as in his past life's *Batman 1*, rushing for a release next year; he could give Bale sufficient time to recover.

To be honest, according to Wu Yuchen's understanding of some traditional Chinese medicine theories, although Bale had nutritionists for both weight loss and weight gain, he still felt that this process of rapid weight loss and gain would cause damage to the body. However, everyone had their own choices, and he respected Bale's professionalism.

"Wu Dao, thank you! I really didn't expect to receive such praise from you; Batman is also a cultural symbol for me, and I was really a bit fearful of whether I could act it well, but your recognition has given me confidence!"

After determining the male lead, Wu Yuchen went to see another person—not any actor, but the costume designer he had invited, Lindy Hemming, who had served as the costume designer for *Harry Potter* and *Lara Croft: Tomb Raider*.

"Lindy, you are very important to us; whether we can design a Batman suit that satisfies the audience all depends on you; I don't want the film to be cursed incessantly by the audience before it's even released~" Wu Yuchen said with a smile.

"Wu Dao, I won't make that ridiculous Batman suit from '97 that makes the audience criticize; I don't want to become a laughingstock in the industry either!"

What the two were talking about was precisely the Batman suit from the '97 *Batman & Robin*. When the film was still in the promotion period, as soon as the Batman poster came out, it already caused fans to curse. Because this Batman suit added two pimples to Batman's chest; the two points protruding from the chest of the Batman suit looked like... that thing...

This design was simply ugly to the extreme; all the fans cursed the costume designer for having water in their brain. Facing such a look, it was hard not to be distracted, and it also caused the film to carry a shadow before it was even released.

Therefore, this time the Batman suit must be done well; even if it was just mediocre, it couldn't be criticized or complained about. This Batman suit would have multiple functions like waterproofing and heat preservation, and it would be kept as a souvenir in the future.

And the Batmobile; in the story, the Batmobile was actually a military vehicle prototype named "The Tumbler." It was developed by Wayne Enterprises for carrying personnel and equipment to cross trenches and facilitate passage in open areas, but because it was expensive, Wayne Enterprises couldn't put it into mass production, but it was discovered by Batman, thus developing into a tool for maintaining justice.

Wu Yuchen put forward various requirements based on his own description, and then the designer proposed a hybrid concept of a Lamborghini and a Hummer, combining the agility of a sports car with the sturdiness of a tank. They designed 5 model effects, and finally let Wu Yuchen choose.

Just when Wu Yuchen was busy, Kate Beckinsale, the English rose who had once had a one-night stand with Wu Yuchen, came knocking on the door.

Her purpose was self-evident; after entering Wu Yuchen's manor, she directly nestled into Wu Yuchen's arms. Wu Yuchen didn't refuse anyone, but he didn't take this wild rose into the house either, but went directly to the garden, causing Kate to pout at him, loving to do things with flair.

At night, when the two had washed up and were lying on the bed, Wu Yuchen said: "Kate, I don't want to lie to you, but the female lead's screen time in the film isn't that much."

Kate asked with a smile: "Is it as much as the female lead in *Spider-Man*?"

"Should be about the same." Wu Yuchen nodded.

"That's enough!"

For Kate, although *Batman* was a man's play, it was a super big IP that Wu Yuchen knew would be popular all over the world. As long as she acted as the female lead in this one, she could gain sufficient exposure and traffic.

Wu Yuchen smiled upon hearing this; in fact, he was willing to let Kate act, not only because of their friendship, but also because she was very suitable for this role.

The female lead, Rachel, as Batman's lover, was an important existence; she witnessed Batman's growth and change. As an assistant district attorney, she not only had the toughness to face criminals but also had a natural, intellectual side—and of course, she had to be beautiful.

And Kate could perfectly meet all these requirements. Back then, being able to be chosen as the female lead for *Pearl Harbor*, Kate's appearance was still very capable, and the film *Serendipity* she starred in previously was also a very successful romance film.

With the male and female leads determined, this play was actually about there. As for the other characters—Commissioner Gordon, the old butler, and the villain Ra's al Ghul—Wu Yuchen would also have people contact them one by one, first setting their schedules.

In this way, most of the time-consuming preliminary preparation work could proceed as usual even without him, so he could leave the United States and return to the country with peace of mind.

Wu Yuchen's hand slid across Kate's delicate waist, stopping at a high position and slowly twisting and picking, while in his mind, he was suddenly startled: it seemed that whether it was Spider-Man's girlfriend or Batman's lover, they had all become subjects under his, Wu Dao's, crotch.

Oh right, if you count Jessica Alba, the future Wonder Woman, that's one more!

Wu Yuchen thought of Black Widow again; in that case, should he also find an opportunity to eat Scarlett Johansson, the Widow, when the time comes? Make it a complete set?

Oh, and there's Pepper Potts in *Iron Man* later!

Thinking of Pepper Potts, this could actually be given to Jennifer Connelly; whether it was age or temperament, she was very suitable.

And Peggy Carter in *Captain America*! And the female scientist Jane Foster in *Thor*...

Hey, it seems his, Wu Dao's, stamp-collecting journey still has a long way to go!

On August 6th, Wu Yuchen went to attend the premiere of *Step Up*. In fact, for such a low-budget film, normally no premiere would be very grand, and generally, no big stars could be invited. Wu Yuchen's arrival immediately made the premiere lively, causing reporters to ask questions one after another.

"Wu, how do you view *Pirates of the Caribbean 2* breaking 900 million in box office in four weeks?"

"Wu, what do you think the final box office of *Pirates of the Caribbean 2* will be?"

"Wu, *Pirates of the Caribbean 2* is about to break 1 billion; do you have anything to say?"

That's right, *Pirates of the Caribbean 2* had been released for four weeks, and the North American box office had already reached 416 million, while the overseas box office had also risen after being released in various regions one after another during this period, completing a reversal of North America and reaching 567 million, for a total global box office of 983 million; it was soon to reach the 1 billion US dollar mark!

Wu Yuchen smiled at the reporters and didn't answer these questions, but said: "Today is the premiere of *Step Up*; I hope everyone will focus the topic on this film.

This film was created by inspiration I got from seeing some street dancers before; Jessica has a brilliant performance in it, which really made me look at her with new eyes!"

And Jessica Alba, standing beside Wu Yuchen, also revealed a bright and charming smile at the reporters. At the same time, she also had a feeling in her heart: this feeling of having a backer is really good!

In his past life, the film and distribution parties didn't pay enough attention to this 10 million low-budget film *Step Up*, but it still achieved a global box office of over 100 million.

This time, with Wu Yuchen, it was naturally different. As the screenwriter and credited producer, he had already attracted the attention of cinema chains, and under Wu Yuchen's arrangement, the distribution party also gave a more perfect promotion strategy, especially targeting teenagers and ethnic minorities.

Therefore, after *Step Up* was released, it achieved a good result of 33.43 million in the first weekend. This also made Jessica Alba happy; this was her best result so far. As long as this box office didn't collapse later, it was very possible to break 100 million in North America.

Just like her Wu Daddy said, this film would make her famous and become her representative work! ===== CHAPTER 326 =====