Today's filming ended earlier than usual; typically, everyone clocks out at 8 PM.
However, due to road closures, MGM only secured the time slot from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
The Municipal Government also had to consider residents' commutes, avoiding rush hour and minimizing inconvenience.
So, while a day seemed long, after deducting preparation and rest time, only about five hours were truly available for filming.
Before the evening rush, the crew loaded props onto trucks and evacuated; the exploded cars were taken for repair and would be replaced with a new batch of scrap cars tomorrow.
Anyway, General Motors was supporting them, and they had plenty of these.
At this moment, residents started emerging from surrounding shops and apartments, approaching their favorite celebrities for photos, even though there weren't many big names among them.
Since the filming was in Los Angeles, most people chose to go home after wrapping up, while those without homes, like the British trio, had to stay in hotels.
Not far away, Ryan Reynolds walked over with the British trio. After training together in the army for a month with Tom Hardy and Michael Fassbender, the three quickly became brothers, having 'carried guns and visited brothels' together, so to speak.
Tom Hardy and Michael Fassbender had a great relationship with James McAvoy, so Ryan Reynolds and James McAvoy also became close, and with Chris Evans, the five now formed a small clique.
"Eric, are you free tonight? Want to grab a drink?" Ryan Reynolds asked.
"Sure, where to?"
Eric agreed, thinking he had nothing else planned for the evening.
"Let's find a quieter bar. We have filming tomorrow, and getting drunk like last time would be a disaster."
"Then you pick the place and text me the location. I'll be a bit late."
Seeing Eric agree, Ryan Reynolds happily left.
Blues Bar.
Unlike the wild nightclub vibe of Avalon, this was an artistic bar. A young white man in his twenties played guitar and sang on stage, accompanied by a Black woman on piano.
Ryan Reynolds and the other four sat in a corner booth, drinking and chatting, their conversation naturally inappropriate, discussing how their takeout orders were last time and whose was better quality.
"Michael, why are you staring at the stage?" Chris Evans asked.
Ryan Reynolds had also noticed his gaze was off. "I know the singer is good, but you don't have to stare at him constantly, do you? You're not bisexual, are you?"
As Little Mercenary's words fell, the others simultaneously shifted away, especially James McAvoy, who instinctively clutched his butt.
His features were inherently delicate, and being from a 'rotten country' (a playful term for the UK), he often received declarations of same-sex affection since high school, even when he had a girlfriend. He was always highly wary of such things.
Sensing his friends' strange reactions, Fassbender showed a speechless expression.
"Please, look at this face. Am I someone with peculiar tastes? I'm not looking at the singer; I'm looking at the girl playing the piano. My god, she's beautiful!"
"Who?"
"That Black girl?"
Just then, Eric arrived at the booth, led by a waiter.
With the boss's arrival, the others quickly stood up and motioned Eric to the middle.
"Hmm? Why are there only five of you? Where's Ben Foster? Didn't he come?"
"Foster went to find his girlfriend. He's a man with a commitment," Ryan Reynolds said.
"Kirsten Dunst? I remember his girlfriend was Dunst, right?"
"No, they broke up while we were training in the barracks. But he doesn't seem too sad. There was quite a gap between them, and Ben Foster has strong self-esteem. It's probably better they broke up early; they were always arguing anyway."
Little Mercenary's words resonated with everyone. Regardless of the circle, even among the most ordinary working-class people, a good match is important; otherwise, problems are bound to arise sooner or later.
Eric gulped down half a glass of beer. "The sooner you break up, the sooner you're free. By the way, what were you just chatting about? It sounded lively."
Tom Hardy pointed to the stage. "Michael has his eye on the girl playing the piano."
Eric looked over and saw it was a Black girl, immediately losing interest.
From his aesthetic perspective, among the world's three major races, Black people were absolutely the least attractive, and the closest to apes and monkeys.
How could those thick lips, sunken nose bridge, and protruding forehead inspire desire?
Halle Berry was beautiful because she was mixed-race. The probability of pure-blooded Black people producing handsome men and beautiful women was definitely the lowest.
But Michael Fassbender clearly didn't think so. Recalling the news about him before the transmigration, this guy indeed had a soft spot for Black women; his taste was unique.
However, he eventually married a white woman, and the reasons for that are open to interpretation.
Eric patted his back. "Michael, if you like her, go for it. Before you become famous, you won't have this much freedom. I don't see any interaction between the singer and that girl, so they shouldn't be a couple."
Michael Fassbender quickly shook his head. "No, I'm just appreciating; I don't mean anything else."
"Haha, I don't believe in pure appreciation in this world, guys. Let's raise our glasses and cheer Michael on!"
Yeah!
Ryan Reynolds, Chris Evans, and McAvoy raised their glasses, but Tom Hardy only raised a glass of juice.
"Wait, wait, what are you doing, Tom? There are so many drinks at the bar, don't you like any of them?"
"No, I'm just quitting alcohol recently. That month in the barracks helped me a lot, but the doctor told me to stay away from alcohol for at least three months," Tom Hardy quickly explained.
Eric then remembered that at this stage, the other party indeed had drug dependence and alcohol addiction issues.
He wasn't the kind of boss who liked to bully people into drinking, so he let it go.
With everyone's encouragement, once a song ended, Michael Fassbender bravely walked over to the Black girl.
Meanwhile, the others continued chatting and joking, eventually circling back to movies.
Eric looked at McAvoy and asked, "James, after we finish filming transformers, are you interested in working together again?"
The other three immediately showed envious looks, and James McAvoy was also surprised. "What movie? What role? Can you reveal anything?"
"It's an art-house film, from the female lead's perspective. I want you to play the female lead's lover. Although the role isn't big, it's very challenging for acting and can be quite brilliant if performed well. Interested?"
McAvoy nodded repeatedly like a pecking chick. "Of course, I have no objections. I like this kind of movie."
"Then it's settled. We'll notify you before the film starts shooting."
Having inexplicably landed a role, the bill for the night naturally fell to James McAvoy.
When they had drunk enough, everyone departed. Michael Fassbender was with the Black girl, Little Mercenary, young Captain America, and Tom Hardy each had someone, and James McAvoy was being hugged by someone.
Opening the car door, Eric slid into the lamborghini's passenger seat.
"Where to?"
Chloë Sevigny's voice came from the driver's seat.
"Anywhere, find a secluded hotel."
Ring!
Just then, the phone rang.
Looking at the number, Eric answered.
"Sorry, Gadot, I have to work overtime tonight. Yes, I need to plan the shooting schedule, check the lenses, anyway, you get some rest early."
Cough, cough!
"What? You're asking whose voice that was? It's Patty, she choked on her coffee."
"Oh no, coffee spilled on the machine, I need to deal with it quickly."
Hanging up the phone, Eric glared fiercely at Chloë Sevigny. "Madam, you did that on purpose!"
"Hehe, my throat was just a little itchy."
"Is that so? Then get ready with an ice pack."
"What's the ice pack for? It can't ice my throat," the woman asked, puzzled.
"While it can't ice your throat, it can be used to reduce swelling."
Chloë Sevigny laughed heartily. "Is that really necessary?"
"Perhaps not for now, but it's for later. You must bear the consequences, Madam!"
A new day. As soon as Eric arrived on set, Chris Evans ran over with several newspapers.
"Director, we were secretly photographed!"
"What! We were so careful and still got photographed? Wait, could it be those girls from last night who leaked it? I told you to keep it confidential, you're going to be famous stars after all."
"Uh, you misunderstood, Director. It's not about going to the bar; it's about yesterday's filming."
Eric then realized, took the newspaper, and saw that the entertainment front page featured photos of several cars being blown into the sky.
He flipped through it, and most of the content was similar, with some focusing on the actual filming, some on the actors, and some on him, the director.
However, there were no negative comments overall, and the content was fairly balanced, neither overly praising nor criticizing.
At this moment, Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot also walked over. Seeing them together, Eric couldn't help but notice their expressions, glancing a few times, and they seemed quite normal.
"We were so well-guarded, will there be spoilers?" Gadot asked, a little worried.
"It's fine, this kind of thing is unavoidable. You can guard against paparazzi, but you can't guard against the people upstairs," Eric said, pointing to the surrounding apartments.
"Yeah, after they secretly photograph, they can completely sell the photos or videos to reporters. I heard some people specialize in this business."
"Alright, don't worry about the media. As long as there are no negative reports, it's fine. It's not bad as free publicity."
Soon, Chloë Sevigny also arrived, but her walking posture was a bit strange.
"Sevi, what's wrong?"
Chloë Sevigny gave an awkward laugh. "I accidentally sprained my ankle last night."
Patty Jenkins immediately moved to call the set doctor, but the latter quickly refused. "I've already seen a doctor. It's nothing serious, and I'll recover quickly."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course, it won't affect filming, and I don't have any action scenes, ahem..."
Saying this, Chloë Sevigny suddenly coughed a few times.
Beside her, Gadot frowned, instantly finding the voice a little familiar, and couldn't help but glance at Chloë Sevigny.
The latter, however, looked completely calm. "Are there newspapers? Did anything interesting happen?"
She reached for a newspaper, and using it as a screen, her finger gently slid across Eric's palm.
Feeling the tickle, Eric composed himself, turned, picked up a bottle of mineral water, and unscrewed it. "Chit-chat over, let's get to work!"
With the director's command, everyone dispersed.
Seeing no one around, Eric called Patty Jenkins to the monitor screen.
"Eric, what is it? So mysterious."
"You know what I want to ask."
The two looked at each other. Patty Jenkins covered her mouth, her eyes narrowed, and she teased with a strange tone, "Yes, you're very safe, Director. I'm not a woman who likes to talk out of turn."
"Gadot just asked me if I worked overtime with you last night. What could I say? But please don't use me as an excuse for such things in the future."
Hearing this, Eric gave her a thumbs up. "You are a great person!"
"No, I don't want to be a great person. I'm just afraid that some trivial issues will delay the filming progress."
"You're absolutely right, that's exactly what I think. I'll add a million dollars to the budget for monster."
Patty Jenkins' eyes lit up. "Really? Then please make sure to use me as a shield more often in the future. I love helping people cover things up."
"Uh..."
As Patty Jenkins said, Eric wasn't worried about Gadot getting angry. After all, they hadn't formalized their relationship, so why should she control him?
However, even if he didn't take it seriously, if her mood affected filming, there was no time to waste.
Based on his experience, these underage girls were most prone to emotional decisions, whereas people like the Olsen Sisters or Sevigny, who had been through a lot, would just laugh it off if they knew.
As the filming of transformers progressed, these secretly taken photos and videos circulated, sparking considerable discussion.
The focus of the discussion shifted from the large-scale practical effects and the actors' appearances, eventually converging on one point: Did Eric Cooper even understand directing?
Recalling a month ago, when MGM's official website announced the director's name, it instantly caused an uproar among movie fans, or more accurately, widespread ridicule.
Then, when the transformers special effects video was released, it brought fans' expectations back up, and for a time, not many people paid attention to Eric's directing anymore.
However, seeing him in the video wielding a megaphone, giving orders everywhere, and the entire crew operating incredibly smoothly under his command, was strange, magical, and utterly perplexing.
Netizens discussed all sorts of theories, some believing it was a publicity stunt, others thinking Eric was a genius, leading to heated arguments.
The media naturally wouldn't miss such a good opportunity. To determine who could judge this question, it would, of course, be Hollywood's big-name directors.
So, paparazzi from all quarters sprang into action, trailing and cornering these prominent directors.
First and foremost was Spielberg, who currently held the top spot in the world director box office rankings. Judging by his filming speed, it was foreseeable that he would long dominate this position.
Spielberg adjusted his glasses. Since their last conversation during catch me if you can, he and Eric had become much more familiar.
Regarding the other party's collaboration proposal, he was currently discussing it with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen.
If DreamWorks could truly align with MGM, especially in gaining greater benefits from the overseas distribution rights, which DreamWorks currently lacked most, it might have hope of escaping its current predicament.
Therefore, seeing that the questions were about Eric, the veteran director naturally knew what to say.
"Indeed, I have seen the news, and from it, one can tell that Eric Cooper possesses a certain level of directing skill."
"From my personal perspective, directing requires long-term learning, but geniuses do exist in this world, and no one can deny that!"
The Wachowskis, who were currently making the matrix, were also caught by reporters.
Since their schedules didn't conflict, the Wachowskis understood that MGM's scheduling was deliberately avoiding theirs, so their attitude wasn't bad.
Larry Wachowski, the elder brother, said, "I haven't interacted with Eric Cooper, but I know his father, Harry Cooper. He's a very capable man."
Andy Wachowski, the younger brother, added, "Yes, what we mean is that the Cooper Family people are all very capable. This young man came from the Ivy League, and it's full of talented and creative individuals."
Then, the Coen Brothers, also renowned sibling directors, briefly accepted an interview. These masters of suspense had a unique perspective.
"I think the public might have been played a joke. Perhaps Eric Cooper had already taught himself directing, but no one paid attention to him at that time."
"So these videos just prove his ability. If you want to know the truth, you should delve into his past."
"Go find his friends, his classmates, the answer is there."