America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

"Cheers!"

In the banquet hall, the crew of "Infernal Affairs" was wildly celebrating, constantly toasting and drinking, becoming the center of attention at the Oscar night party.

"Congratulations to our director for fulfilling his dream!" Martin raised another glass of champagne and said loudly, "Congratulations to our crew!"

Nicholson, that shameless guy, also raised his champagne glass, "Let's thank Martin and Leo for running alongside us!"

The crew laughed heartily, congratulating Martin and Leonardo, who had no choice but to stiffly drink up.

Scorsese came over separately and had a drink with Martin, encouraging him, "Don't be disheartened, with your acting skills and ability to stir things up, as long as there's a suitable role, you could win an Oscar within five years."

Martin chuckled happily, "Director, you really have an eye for talent."

Leonardo was not pleased, "What about me?"

Scorsese said, "Your three-move combo has become an instinct."

Martin put an arm around Leonardo, "Buddy, maybe in a few years, you'll be running alongside me."

Nicholson teased, "Two fools destined to be also-rans."

Martin glared fiercely at Nicholson, "You have three little gold men, you're aloof, you're great!" Then he turned and said, "Leo, once we get our little gold men, I'll shove mine in Jack's mouth."

Leonardo naturally continued, "And I'll shove mine up his a**!"

Scorsese felt that these three guys together were beyond redemption and quickly distanced himself from the area.

Martin saw Emma Thomas in the banquet hall and approached her.

Emma was eating a mousse cake all by herself, apparently not needing to watch her diet, and she was eating fast.

When Martin came over, she had just started, but by the time he was close, the cake was already finished.

"Have a seat," Emma, picking up a napkin and casually wiping her mouth, said, "Congratulations, Martin, the film you starred in won an Oscar."

Martin smiled, "Thank you." He specifically mentioned, "Too bad, I can't win a personal award."

Emma, who had watched "Infernal Affairs," said, "Actually, you acted well, better than Leonardo. Just looking at the role and performance, Ellen Arkin is not necessarily better than you, but he had too great an advantage."

Martin said, "I'm still young, I have plenty of chances." He swiftly turned to the main topic, "A few days ago, I saw the script for the new Batman movie at Louise Mel's place at Pacific Pictures."

Emma clearly remembered, "Pacific Pictures is one of the investors."

Martin continued, "The script is written superbly, both Bruce and the Joker have great depth, the conflict between good and evil, the complexity of humanity, breathtaking."

Because Mene had done enough groundwork, Emma Thomas held Martin in high esteem and reminded him, "Warner Bros., Legendary Pictures and DC Comics unanimously want Christian Bale to return to continue playing Batman."

Martin said, "The script is a two-hero model, and as far as script shares are concerned, the Joker is even the primary protagonist."

Emma, who had discussed this film more than once with her husband Nolan, knew Martin had touched on a critical point, "You're right, Chris told me that Batman is just a utility character, the number one role in this film is the Joker." Read new chapters at empire

She asked, "Are you really interested?"

"Yes," Martin had no reason to deny it, "I'm very interested. It's a very special superhero movie, it doesn't even feel like a superhero movie, more like a realistic crime film."

Now that Nolan wasn't yet considered legendary and strictly speaking, was still a second-tier director, Emma was also considering the reality. If Martin could join, there would be so much to do in terms of business.

The project budget was a whopping 180 million dollars. If it failed commercially, or only made a slight profit, her husband Nolan's future would basically be doomed.

He could only return to England and struggle from the beginning with low-budget independent films.

Emma, the producer, always managed all the sundry matters outside the filmmaking process for her husband. She had her own judgments; regarding Bale, aside from Batman, his commercial draw wasn't strong.

On the other hand, Martin, as the lead actor in four consecutive films grossing over a hundred million in North America, with his latest film "Limitless" proving his ability to carry the box office on his own.

Emma said, "Next month, the crew will start recruiting actors, and the Joker is the focus. Wait for my invitation."

Martin nodded, "No problem."

This role had one major feature that other well-known superheroes lacked.

Martin could completely change his appearance; throughout the whole film, he wouldn't have to show his true face, even his personal traits and appearance could be radically changed.

Like Nicholson, he wasn't typecast by the Joker's fixed image.

Such a crazed character required a lot, but Martin had his own advantages.

When he talked about this with Leonardo and Nicholson, their advice was similar, telling him he just needed to let the wild beast locked inside him loose.

Bruce was more straightforward, saying, "Isn't this a role you're born to play?"

Lately, Martin had been growing his hair long and increasing his exercise volume to streamline his body in a healthy way, gradually reducing some weight.

With exaggerated makeup, the Joker's character and the actor became easier to separate.

Martin's concern wasn't about these things, but about the issue of death.

As everyone knows, the dead superstar actors had a surprisingly huge impact.

Living actors struggling to outshine those who have passed away is no easy feat.

That's why Martin had been planning since last year, even enlisting the help of the former Joker, Nicholson.

Emma asked, "I heard you don't have a great relationship with Bale? DC values him a lot, this is a sequel, and Bale already has a fan base, recognized by the fans..."

Martin simply responded, "I'm an actor who gives it all for the role."

Emma nodded.

The two talked for a while before Martin took the initiative to say goodbye and leave.

Not far out, someone greeted him from the side, "Hey, Martin!"

Martin turned his head to see the elegantly dressed Cody Horn coming from one side, "I saw you a while ago, since you were chatting with someone, I didn't disturb you."

"Emma Thomas, the wife of British director Christopher Nolan," Martin explained, "Just happened to run into her and talked about Director Nolan's new project."

Speaking of movies, Cody had something to say, "I went back to my parents' place a few days ago and listened to my father complain about you rejecting his offer for a role?"

Martin had to stick with his unified statement, "The schedule wasn't quite right, it clashed with when I was preparing to audition for 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.'

Cody said, "I was planning to make a cameo in that film and act in a scene with you as adversaries."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"That's a real shame." Martin appeared quite helpless, trying to steer the conversation, "I actually liked the script and the character very much, but there's so much to consider in actor selection. Ah, I wonder who will end up getting the role of the savior."

Cody seemed to know something, "Paul Haggis has basically settled it with Christian Bale's agent."

Martin couldn't help but admire, "Bale really is a lucky guy."

Cody laughed, "David Fincher's project isn't bad either, I'm going to sign up at his crew, see if I can find a role to audition for."

Martin had done his homework, "You were pretty good in 'Crisis Hotline,' no problem with acting."

As a second-generation rich kid and celebrity, Cody might lack in other areas, but certainly not in confidence, "That's what I think too."

It wasn't long before Martin returned to the 'Infernal Affairs' team.

Nicholson watched Cody Horn walk away and asked Martin, "Didn't I remember you being very dedicated? Or has your standard of beauty dropped?"

Martin simply stated, "The daughter of Warner Bros. president Ellen Horn, I asked her for some information."

Nicholson gave a thumbs up, "Buddy, you truly have standards, Leo can't even compare to you, he's just a piece of crap."

Martin said, "I just had a chat with Emma Thomas, the producer of the Batman project."

Nicholson asked, "Is the villain in the second part confirmed to be Joker?"

"Not the villain, more accurately, a main character," Martin lowered his voice, "The crew will organize auditions next month, don't forget what we agreed upon."

Nearly retired, Nicholson spent his days either seeking pleasure or on the way to find it, and readily agreed, "When have I ever held you back? To fall out and reconcile, just the thought of it amuses me."

Leonardo joined in, "Don't forget me."

Martin stressed, "You talk less! With your three-trick pony act, once you use it in front of familiar reporters, everyone knows you're acting."

Leonardo helplessly said, "I've acted for more than twenty years and ended up being the worst among us three."

Nicholson patted him on the back, "Acting is a matter of talent."

Martin added, "Exactly, Jack, the two of us are exceptionally talented, we should hang out less with ordinarily talented actors."

Leonardo deployed his trump card, "Next time there's a wild party, I'm not bringing you guys."

Martin and Nicholson immediately changed their expressions, wearing ingratiating smiles, "Just joking, take it easy, man, Leo, with your 11 seconds, you definitely need your brothers' help."

"Stop slandering people!" Leonardo defended, "Last time as a patient, I lasted 50 seconds at my longest!"

Soon after, all the key creatives of the crew gathered at the banquet hall for a photo shoot by 'Vanity Fair' journalists.

Securing an Oscar is an achievement, but the ultimate goal is still to promote the movie.

It's precisely the profits that the Oscars can bring that attracted many film companies to participate in this game of fame and fortune.

The day after the Oscars, leveraging the media frenzy and the insane level of attention, the DVDs of 'Infernal Affairs' that had been fully stocked hit the market worldwide.

Just in North America alone, DVDs sold $17 million on the first day.

The boost from the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director was indeed remarkable in that era.

On that single day, the investment in Oscar promotion and public relations was completely recouped, and there was even a substantial surplus.

In just two days, DVD sales for 'Infernal Affairs' in North America exceeded $30 million.

Even Martin, when it came to the annual settlement, would see a hefty addition to his income.

Even his leading film 'Limitless,' benefited from the Oscar buzz, with the box office rebounding: North American box office totaled $152 million, and the global box office surpassed $300 million.

The success of this movie also proved Martin's ability to carry box office sales on his own.