Hollywood What If-Chapter 426

With Kazir and Enrico, the decision regarding the role of Batman ended with Christian Bale as the protagonist. They were the director and producer of this project, and it was hard for people to disagree with their decision. Besides, it was also true that Christian Bale fit the role.

All of the actors prepared for the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman, but Christian stood above them.

In Hollywood, handsome appearance was the norm, and most actors who auditioned were undeniably handsome. But Kazir just had to choose Christian to secure the future he knew.

Of course, this decision was not yet finalized. The production had to negotiate with Christian Bale's side regarding salary, an important aspect for both sides.

If Christian Bale's side didn't agree with the terms that Warner Brothers gave, then the production had to choose another actor to replace him.

If that happened, Kazir had a few actors who could play the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Hugh Jackman could fit the role. His physique as Wolverine worked well with Batman.

Jake Gyllenhaal. His acting range was wide, and being Batman seemed like a possibility for him. In fact, Jake actually auditioned for the role, and the crew had a copy of his credentials.

Keanu Reeves and Colin Farrell. Each of the two had the swag to be Batman. Although the crew might have to side with Colin Farrell more, since hiring Keanu would be a huge slump in their budget.

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After ten days, Enrico Pusi miraculously pulled most of the cast into the project. Most of the cast had already signed their contracts.

The first who officially joined was Liam Neeson as Ra's Al Ghul. Warner Brothers had to pay the actor $12 million just to hire him. Liam was famous now that the Continental Cinematic Universe was thriving. Usually, the actor would settle for $15 to $20 million, but since he was invited by Director Grey, he decided to take the role.

Christian Bale also didn't hesitate to sign the contract. Christian and his agent understood that this was their opportunity to hit it big. If Christian became Batman, then his road to stardom would be sure. He was actually surprised when he found out that the management had chosen him. After negotiating with Warner Brothers, Christian's salary was $8.5 million, with a 30% to 50% salary increase for every sequel. Christian Bale had already starred in some movies, so his salary was not low.

It might be disheartening that Christian's salary was smaller than Liam Neeson's, who was only a supporting character. Well, this is how Hollywood works. They pay the top money for more famous actors and directors. The best answer to why studios were ready to pay the actors and directors top money was because of their box office appeal.

Besides, the competition for the role of Batman was tough, so Christian's side didn't fight for more money because of the fear of getting replaced by another actor.

In all honesty… $8.5 million and $12 million were both huge amounts of money. Ordinary people would surely find it nerve-wracking that actors would ask for more. Life is unfair.

As for the role of Rachel Dawes, Scarlett Johansson miraculously got the role despite competing against Katie Holmes, Rachel McAdams, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Reese Witherspoon… Yes, Reese also auditioned for the role.

Kazir and Reese were professional when the audition happened. None of them invited the other to dinner or anything. They both knew that their relationship was done a few years ago.

However, the people inside the audition room felt awkward when Reese showed up. They couldn't help it. They kept glancing at Kazir and Reese. Even Enrico felt awkward looking at the two, since he knew about their history. For the record, Kazir was the one who gave Reese her role in The Hangover.

Anyway, Scarlett Johansson passed the audition and negotiated a contract of $2 million. Salvatore made sure to give his clients a satisfying salary. Yes, $2 million for someone like Scarlett Johansson was already top money. After all, she was still not the Black Widow, and her fame was average at best.

Other than the three, Enrico also pulled in:

Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's loyal butler.

Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon, the police officer who remained true to his job despite the corruption in Gotham City.

Cillian Murphy as Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow. Cillian actually auditioned for the role of Batman, but he got the role of a villain instead.

Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, the person who provided Bruce Wayne with all of his hi-tech equipment.

Stating that the cast was packed with veterans was an understatement. The cast was filled with amazing talents that would surely level up the production… Warner Brothers didn't want this project to get fucked up, so they didn't have a problem spending money.

The cast alone had a strong box office appeal to pull so many audiences into the theaters.

The filming would start in November, to give the cast time to prepare for their roles. Particularly the actors who had action stunts in their roles.

Most of these action stunts would be performed by stunt doubles, especially the dangerous ones. But actors still had to participate in training to minimize accidents once the filming started.

As for Kazir, he was just listening to the everyday box office of his movie Spider-Man 2. Also, he was waiting for the release of Mr. and Mrs. Smith in October.

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[Third chapter of the day.]