Chapter 63: San Diego Naval Base

The shooting in the studio ended quickly. What followed would be the film's centerpiece: the scenes aboard the warship.

However, when the entire crew arrived at the San Diego Naval Base filming location, the scene before them left Henry stunned.

Knowing that most of the scenes in Devil Warrior would take place aboard warships, securing an actual warship for real-life filming was the most advantageous option.

Because doing so not only allowed the setting to be authentically reproduced—it was genuinely real—but also saved enormous costs on building sets.

But it required cooperation from the U. S. Navy.

Before Henry's transmigration, this film was a top action movie of the year. Undoubtedly, it was the ideal genre for men without girlfriends.

Because he liked this movie, he had specifically looked into some of its behind-the-scenes stories. Moreover, during its theatrical run, constant news bombardments aimed at boosting box office numbers naturally gave him plenty of related information.

For instance, the film's main stage was the USS Missouri, the U. S. military's only active battleship. But for interior shots, they actually filmed aboard the USS Alabama, a decommissioned warship now serving as a museum vessel.

The submarine used by the villains was portrayed by the USS Drum, a Gato-class submarine that had served during World War II and was now also preserved as a museum ship.

The USS Missouri appeared in the film only in exterior shots of it sailing near Pearl Harbor, the Pacific Ocean, and San Francisco Bay.

As for the final battle's command center, which suffered heavy damage, the military would never allow the production team to arbitrarily install explosives in what was essentially the ship's heart.

Even on a decommissioned museum ship, leaving behind bullet marks from explosions was unacceptable.

Moreover, actual filming raised concerns about exposing military equipment.

Don't assume these were just WWII-era relics and that exposing them wouldn't matter. Some equipment's value wasn't just in its core components—its very layout was a classified secret.

Thus, the command center scenes were filmed on a separately constructed set, based on data provided by the military—the same part previously shot in the studio.

Other onboard scenes involving explosions or destruction were handled the same way. Just because the U. S. Navy lent out a warship as a filming location didn't mean the production team could do whatever they wanted on it.

Under these conditions, Henry had assumed the crew would travel to Mobile Bay, Alabama, for filming, since the USS Alabama, as a museum ship, was stored there.

Whether reactivating the stored battleship or merely towing the Alabama to San Diego with tugboats, the cost would far exceed transporting the entire crew and equipment to Alabama, filming there, and then shipping everything back.

But to Henry's astonishment, he saw in San Diego Naval Base a monstrous vessel—270 meters long, with a standard displacement of 45,000 tons, painted with hull number 63—the Iowa-class third ship, the battleship USS Missouri.

Aside from the hull number making it unmistakable, another obvious feature was the modified secondary gun positions on both sides of the bridge, now converted into missile launchers—the very spots from which Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired in the film's climax.

This was the result of modernization, not the original Iowa-class design.

Seeing familiar crew members hauling camera equipment onto this active battleship instantly shattered any thought that the ship's presence was coincidental. Henry, the Kryptonian transmigrant, could only stare in disbelief.

This world was too surreal. Just making a movie—and they were using an active battleship!

Not some decommissioned hulk with most of its weapons stripped away. But a war machine with roaring cannons, a bloodthirsty, land-based behemoth. Aircraft carriers were merely platforms—they couldn't even be compared.

It was like making a counterterrorism film and actually bringing the U. S. military to the Middle East to beat up some local armed group, all while letting the production crew film it.

Is this movie-making or a documentary?!

Seeing a familiar assistant director walk past, Henry asked in surprise: "Bro, are we really filming on that monster?"

"Yes. We owe this opportunity entirely to our lead actress."

The assistant director was unloading boxes from his car. Seeing he couldn't carry them all alone, Henry grabbed two boxes—one in each arm—and followed beside him, quietly asking:

"I heard Mr. Siegel and other producers have used the lead actress's position to hook up with plenty of women. Is Erica not involved with them?"

People feel distance simply because the topic is wrong, and they avoid speaking too freely with acquaintances. That's the difference between social anxiety and social confidence.

Henry wasn't particularly close to this assistant director—just a colleague on the same crew. But when it came to gossip, especially about girls, who didn't enjoy a little chat?

Especially since Henry had helped carry the boxes and spoke with skill. He didn't directly ask, "How many women have your producers slept with? Who are they?" Asking that would make others fear he'd sell the info to reporters or tabloids.

But since it was just about "dating," it was safe to talk. So the assistant director stepped closer to Henry and lowered his voice: "Actually, Mr. Siegel originally favored another actress who could cooperate. Erica wasn't his first choice.

"But you know, without military support, we'd have to build sets or use models. Not only would the film's appeal drop drastically, but production costs could skyrocket.

"To establish contact with the military, we found the right person. She directly convinced the U. S. Navy to lend out an active battleship as a filming location.

"In exchange, the lead actress's position… you know. So as the only female star on the production team, excluding the stunt doubles, who wouldn't be interested in her? But who in Hollywood would dare reach out?"

Hollywood's sex-for-power deals had devoured countless women with得天独厚 conditions, forcing them to treat themselves as bargaining chips on an unexposed table.

But if a woman's backer was someone who could pull out an active U. S. Navy battleship, trying to touch her was practically a prelude to an on-set accident.

If you've got main guns that fire, then a main gun misfiring and eliminating someone? That's just a perfectly natural accident. No one could find fault.

In the end, all you need is a credit at the beginning or end: "We specially remember 【Name】," or maybe just "Thanks for his contribution," and the matter is neatly closed.

The incident could even be exploited by the studio to boost the film's exposure. Turning a funeral into a celebration—truly a two-birds-one-stone opportunity!

(End of Chapter)