The Adventures of Jackie Chan 2 wasn't the only hot movie in July. At the end of the month, National Treasure, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and starring Nicolas Cage and Cameron Diaz, was released.
Although Cameron Diaz had gradually shifted her focus toward behind-the-scenes work—she was now serving as the second producer on Batman: Begins—she still occasionally took on a role for fun. In this case, the female lead of National Treasure, a character that required returning a favor, was played by her.
Since collaborating with Gilbert on The Rock, Nicolas Cage had become an unconventional representative of action films.
He didn't possess the explosive muscles of Schwarzenegger or Stallone, but his rugged features still brought the necessary toughness to action heroes.
Alongside Keanu Reeves and Tom Cruise, he fundamentally changed Hollywood's approach to action films, proving that actors didn't need overblown muscles to succeed in the genre.
Audiences finally realized that action stars could perform exceptionally well without a bodybuilder's physique.
Later, Keanu Reeves showcased impressive skills in The Matrix series, incorporating Chinese martial arts, while Tom Cruise began performing his own action stunts in the Mission: Impossible series, a practice that became his hallmark.
Nicolas Cage, on the other hand, though he appeared in several solid action films, never established a definitive style.
The commercial failure of Windtalkers, combined with recent financial troubles, forced Cage to take on projects indiscriminately to pay off debts.
Sophia had even complained to Gilbert about Cage, mentioning that she had lent him substantial sums of money that had yet to be repaid.
However, National Treasure was a solid project—after all, Gilbert's partner was also starring in it.
The film opened to $53.368 million in its first weekend, a very respectable performance that helped Cage shake off the shadow of Windtalkers' flop.
"Cage asked me to thank you," Cameron Diaz said, following Gilbert.
"For what?" Gilbert asked, puzzled.
"He thanked you for recommending the film on social media. Otherwise, it wouldn't have done so well at the box office."
Gilbert shook his head. "I recommended this film entirely because of you. If you hadn't participated, I wouldn't have mentioned it."
"Ehehe, then I owe you thanks," Cameron Diaz replied happily.
After the promotional cycle ended, Cameron Diaz flew directly to Iceland to join Gilbert and fulfill her duties as the second producer.
The chosen location was the Vatnajökull Glacier in Iceland. Even in August, the high latitude required wearing down jackets for warmth.
Walking along a hillside, Gilbert pointed to the glacier below and told cinematographer John Schwartzman, "We may need to bring in some large equipment. I want a panoramic shot of this glacier. Over on that side, we'll construct a village and a monastery."
Cameron Diaz quickly got into the groove: "The local government promised to cooperate in building a simple road for our crew, but local environmental groups have protested, claiming that our filming damages the glacier."
"Just donate some money and say we'll protect the local environment," Gilbert said, unwilling to haggle with the activists. Cash usually settled these issues—one of the industry's unwritten rules.
On the way back to the hotel, the crew's jeep encountered strong winds, which could potentially affect filming conditions.
However, the local guide reassured them that the real wind season came later, so as long as filming finished before mid-November, there would be no major problems.
Their hotel also had hot springs. During rest periods, Gilbert took Cameron Diaz to try them out, and the experience was enjoyable.
The local cuisine was also notable. One dish utilized geothermal resources to prepare hot spring lamb, which Cameron Diaz particularly enjoyed.
The lamb was perfectly balanced between fat and lean, with little gaminess, tender and juicy. Placing it in a geothermal pit for several hours produced a delicious delicacy.
Paired with sauce, roasted potatoes, and vegetables, it was a true culinary treat.
Besides lamb, Icelandic lobster was excellent. Using small forks to dig out the creamy pink meat, the texture was springy and flavorful, melting in the mouth.
There was also a rich lobster bisque, concentrated to perfection. Locals enjoyed it with buttered bread—one bite of soup, one bite of bread—a perfect combination.
But the most memorable dishes for Gilbert were the so-called "dark cuisine."
When they first arrived at the hotel, Gilbert asked the guide about must-try local delicacies. The guide recommended fermented shark meat.
Although Gilbert loved food and had tried exotic dishes, street snacks, and even insects, he had never eaten shark meat.
Curious, he ordered it, despite the high price.
But once it arrived, Gilbert immediately regretted it—the smell was overwhelming. Compared to this, canned herring was mild.
The odor? Like a bathroom that hadn't been cleaned for years, a true olfactory weapon!
There was also a dish that Cameron Diaz particularly enjoyed teasing Gilbert with.
When ordering it, she joked that it was a "man's power station," encouraging Gilbert to eat more for strength. Gilbert, annoyed, ended up giving her a thorough scolding that night, leaving her stuck in bed.
The dish was sheep testicles, known in China as lamb kidneys.
Chinese preparation typically involves grilling with heavy seasoning to remove any gaminess, but the Icelandic method aimed for a raw, unaltered flavor.
When Gilbert tried to swallow the dish, the strong gaminess hit his nasal passages. Eating it required fortitude; it felt even more intense than raw consumption.
After one attempt, Gilbert refused to try such dark cuisine again.
Fortunately, aside from a few extreme dishes, he enjoyed the rest of the food, including various flavors of ice cream.
Icelanders had a deep affection for ice cream—truly the kingdom of frozen treats.
If Scarlett were here, she would have loved it.
Gilbert's stay in Iceland was productive. After scouting locations, he finalized contracts with the locals, left the set design team to continue work, and returned to North America.
Back in Los Angeles, Gilbert still had plenty of work to tackle.
First was the actors' training. Christian Bale's progress was excellent, and he was gradually losing weight.
Once he dropped a few more pounds, he would be able to fit into the Batsuit.
During his downtime, Christian Bale chatted with Gilbert. He had long been aware of the dual identity of Bruce Wayne and Batman.
So he deliberately cultivated two distinct vocal styles. At work, he used a gruffer voice to simulate Batman; in daily life, he spoke naturally to portray Bruce Wayne.
Working with talented actors had many advantages. This was one: actors could intuitively understand their roles without constant direction.
Of course, communication with the director was necessary to prevent misunderstandings in character interpretation.
After reading the script, Christian Bale's understanding of the character was very thorough, though he still had questions he wanted to discuss with Gilbert.
"I've gone over the script several times these past few days," Bale said. "I realize the protagonist is much more complex than I initially thought."
"What kind of superhero movie did you expect, Chris?" Gilbert asked.
Bale replied, "I thought it would be similar to the Spider-Man series—probably not too complicated."
Although Spider-Man 2 performed well at the box office, audience reviews were just okay, not as favorable as the first film.
This was normal; sequels often show a gradual decline, rarely improving over their predecessors, with few exceptions such as the Lord of the Rings series.
But it's important to note that the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed in one continuous production, not made sequentially after the first film's success.
Bale's initial impression made sense, but after reading the script, he realized that Gilbert had added much deeper thought.
"Chris," Gilbert said, "you can think of this film as a police thriller rather than a superhero movie. Consider everything Batman does—doesn't it resemble a vigilant policeman?"
"Indeed," Bale agreed.
After discussing with Gilbert, Bale gained a deeper understanding of the script, which helped inform his performance.
Other actors joined the production smoothly. Once the full cast was assembled, Gilbert held a script reading session, allowing everyone to share their thoughts.
Script readings are common in Hollywood, meant to familiarize actors with the story and provide early communication between the director and cast.
The Batman: Begins was not a simple superhero film. Filming it in the usual way could have led to failure.
The actors' discussions centered on this challenge. Everyone agreed that the film's realistic style was excellent but worried that audiences might not accept it.
.....
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