Chapter 336: Opposition and Unity

Chapter 336: Chapter 336: Opposition and Unity

Victor Delacour leaned back in his chair, teasing Lisa with a smug look: "You’ve got some nerve, buying a piece of ’trash’ from Universal for 12 million without Irene’s consent." He raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying its usual disdain, "Didn’t Irene hold you accountable? After all, dumping the company’s liquid capital into this would make anyone’s heart ache."

Lisa had already prepared her excuse according to Irene’s instructions and immediately pulled a long face, pretending to be depressed: "Don’t even mention it. The boss was furious over in the Caribbean Sea."

She sighed, deliberately showing a troubled expression, "Almost all the company’s liquid capital has been invested. Fortunately, she’s not in Los Angeles, or it’d be hard to say if I could even keep my job. I’ll have to be cautious in everything I do from now on. I don’t dare be so reckless again."

Changing the subject, she looked at Victor with a sense of urgency: "By the way, when is Fast & Furious 3 expected to start filming? If the timing is too tight, our capital has just been tied up, so we probably won’t be able to participate in the co-production of this installment."

Hearing this, Victor assumed she really was short on funds and lacked confidence, his disdain deepening: "What’s the rush? The specific date hasn’t been set yet." He didn’t think much of it, simply feeling that Future World was indeed a small company that couldn’t withstand even this much financial turbulence. "This installment will be filmed in Japan, and the theme is geared toward a younger audience. It’s fine if you can’t make it. There will be plenty of opportunities to cooperate on subsequent sequels."

Little did he know, this was exactly Irene’s plan.

Fast & Furious 3 was originally the lowest-earning installment in the series. Universal’s decision to film in Japan was inherently foolish. They simply used the purchase of the Hulk rights and the excuse of cash flow issues as a natural way to skip this "pitfall," saving their energy and resources for the more promising sequels.

Lisa pretended to look relieved and nodded: "That’s good to hear. Please notify us as soon as there’s any news. We’ll definitely prepare in advance."

The contract was finally finalized, and both parties shook hands and said their goodbyes.

Throughout the process, Lisa didn’t see Universal’s CEO, Ron Meyer, appear. He was either delegating full authority to the team or still had reservations about this rights transaction. It was hard to say what he really thought about this divestment.

But she quickly brushed aside these thoughts. Regardless of what Ron Meyer was thinking, their follow-up plan had been successfully launched. The next move was to figure out how to win over Marvel.

At this moment, on the Caribbean Sea, the sunlight spread across the water like crushed gold, and the waves slapped against the side of the filming vessel with a rhythmic sound.

Irene leaned against the deck railing. Having just archived the contract email on her phone, her brow furrowed again unconsciously.

She raised a hand to rub her temples, and the scenes they had just filmed involuntarily flashed before her eyes. Elizabeth, played by Keira Knightley, stood by the ship’s rail, looking at Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny, with a complex gaze. The sharpness in the lines and the hesitation in her eyes had never perfectly aligned.

"Opposition is not hostility, and unity is not compromise," Irene muttered to herself. This was already the tenth NG of the day. It could be said that since filming the second installment, this was the scene with the most NGs, aside from the complex action sequences.

She turned and walked toward the filming area. Johnny was leaning against the mast, playing with Captain Jack’s signature compass. Seeing Irene approach, he raised an eyebrow: "Irene, should we take a ten-minute break? Keira almost turned her lines into an apology just now."

Irene smiled and walked over to Keira Knightley, finding her repeatedly pondering the script with a furrowed brow.

"Actually, you don’t need to worry too much about the concept of ’tension,’" Irene sat down beside her, her voice softening. "Elizabeth’s feelings for Jack are a mix of knowing he’s untrustworthy yet being unable to resist his wit and free spirit. She hates his selfishness but sees his hidden kindness in certain moments. Your performance just now leaned too much toward ’hate’ and lacked that bit of hesitation where one ’can’t help but look back’."

Keira Knightley looked up, her eyes filled with confusion: "But there’s no romance between them. I’m afraid that if I show even a hint of hesitation, the audience will mistake it for falling in love."

"Quite the opposite," Irene shook her head, picking up the script and pointing to a section. "Look here. When Elizabeth exposes Jack as cold-blooded and heartless, her speech is fast and her tone is firm, but her hand unconsciously grips the railing. That detail is the tension. While she’s negating Jack, she’s also negating her own sliver of recognition for him. This contradiction is what’s most real."

Johnny leaned in as well, saying thoughtfully: "So Jack’s response shouldn’t be too flippant either? It should carry a bit of the helplessness of being seen through, along with an appreciation for this ’opponent’?"

Irene’s eyes lit up: "Exactly! Jack knows Elizabeth has seen through him. He’s not angry. Instead, he finds it interesting. There should be teasing in his eyes, but more so a kind of openness that says, ’To think there’s someone in this world who understands me so well. Since you understand me, I don’t need to pretend.’"

She stood up and clapped her hands: "I’ll give you another ten minutes to adjust. This time, we’re not aiming for perfection. Just act out that feeling of ’seeing through each other yet being helpless about it’."

Ten minutes later, the crew was back in position, and the lights refocused on the two people by the railing.

The clapperboard snapped shut with a "clack." Elizabeth turned around, her gaze fixed on Jack, her hand tightly grabbing Jack’s collar, her voice clear and sharp: "You never stay for anyone. All you care about is yourself and that wretched ship."

This time, there was a little less anger and a little more disappointment in her tone.

Jack was pulled forward and stumbled a bit, but a half-smile still played on his lips. He was only a fist’s distance from Elizabeth’s face, his voice low and languid: "Dear Elizabeth, you’re right. But you forgot, it’s precisely this ’cold-bloodedness’ that has kept us both alive until now."

There was no flippancy in his eyes, only a knowing openness, and even a faint, almost imperceptible hint of approval.

Irene stared at the monitor—this was the feeling! A tacit understanding hidden within the opposition, recognition within the negation. That indefinable sense of tension was finally being transmitted through the screen.

She whispered "Passed," and a light cheer broke out on set.

Keira Knightley let out a long breath and gave Johnny a victory sign. Johnny smiled and returned a goofy face.

With that, the principal photography for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest officially came to an end.

The filming vessel slowly sailed away from the waters that had witnessed countless NGs and cheers. Irene stood on the deck, watching the crew busy tidying up the equipment, their faces beaming with sighs of relief.

For all these days, everyone had been on edge. They filmed under the scorching Caribbean Sea sun by day and checked scripts and adjusted props by night. The non-stop pace had nearly drained everyone’s energy.

"Pass the word," Irene turned to her assistant and said, "Everyone gets a half-month long vacation. Go back and get some good rest. The follow-up reshoots and the preparation for the third installment will start after the holiday."