"I don't know where people got the notion that it's going to be mature," I said to Lucy, who I was FaceTiming while sitting in my office.
The table was a mess, with lots of papers thrown around and some boxes of Chinese takeout from last night still sitting open, half eaten. My laptop sat buried somewhere under notes and printed out chapters. The curtains were drawn back, letting the morning sun stream in and casting long shadows across the clutter.
Lucy sighed through the screen. "Well, maybe it has something to do with the sample chapters we released. All the characters were well over eighteen."
"Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean the books will have hardcore sex from now on," I said. "Kids are going to read this."
"The chatter began online," Lucy said. "People assumed that with how you write A Song of Ice and Fire, you're taking Percy Jackson in that direction as well."
"Well, we need to tackle that. Put all rumors to rest," I said.
"Way ahead of you," Lucy said.
"Good."
She asked, "How's the progress?"
"It's fine. Don't worry. I was actually up all night writing. I'm going to sleep on the plane to Atlanta."
Lucy frowned. "Well, don't push yourself too much."
"If you want those books this year, Luce..."
"Fine, fine," she said. "I just don't want Mary to blame me if you burn out like last time."
"Hey, that was years ago," I said, cutting the call.
Standing up, I walked out of the office and headed downstairs.
The Oscar nominations were going to be announced in a few hours, and Margot wanted to watch them together. I had received the nominees list a few days ago but hadn't looked at it, and I had a lot of reasons to do so, since I wanted to know if our push for The Thing to be nominated in selected categories had succeeded.
The Thing was not a movie the Oscars would have considered a few years ago, but times were changing. The Academy was opening up, you could say. We were expecting one or two nominations, especially after the snub from the Golden Globes. The Thing hadn't even been nominated in any category there.
I walked downstairs and found Margot in the kitchen, standing by the counter, trying to open a bottle of oil.
She saw me and held it out. "Can you open this?"
I grinned. "Good thing you asked. Don't want to lose my other eye too."
Margot rolled her eyes at that.
I opened it for her, and then she poured its contents into a bowl. She looked at me. "Did you do the eye drops?"
"Yes," I said, which was a lie, since I had forgotten. My eye was feeling better now. I'd even stopped using the eye patch yesterday, but I still needed regular medication for one more month.
Margot narrowed her eyes at me. "Oh, you did?"
"I... umm..."
"So you magically used it and then sealed it back as if it was never opened?" she said, walking over to the counter and grabbing the small bottle of eye drops.
"Okay, you got me," I said.
She walked over with the bottle, holding it in front of me. "Show me your face."
I tilted my head back as she carefully administered the drops into my eye. In this vulnerable position, she asked, "I found some interesting searches on your laptop."
"What?" I asked. She had taken it after hers was left back at our old apartment when she went there yesterday.
She paused, then said, "I saw searches for..." She tilted her head, squinting slightly as if trying to remember. "Montville. Mapleton Falls. Kondalilla National Park. And also some other very interesting stuff."
She stopped and looked at me, eyes wide. "Why were you looking for that? Feel like I ruined a surprise?"
"Aha, no. Why would we go back so soon?" I chuckled nervously. Oh fuck, I thought. That was me planning the proposal.
Margot frowned. "For what, then?"
"It's research," I said quickly, standing up. "Not a big deal."
I changed the topic immediately. "The nominations are going to be announced soon. You should give Scarlett a call. She's one of the two hosts for the announcements."
I quickly made my way upstairs again, cursing myself.
Fuck. I needed to be more careful with planning.
She knows, a voice in my head said.
Nah, she doesn't. I convinced myself.
========
I soon came back and found Margot in front of the TV. The nominations announcements had begun.
It was expected that Birdman would have nine nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.
Then there was Batman Pt. 3: Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Costume Design, and Best Visual Effects.
For Aquaman: Best Visual Effects.
And then there was The Thing. I expected Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.
The others were up in the air, honestly.
The announcements began, and so far, I'd gotten everything right. Birdman was racking up nominations as expected. Batman Pt. 3 swept the technical categories. Aquaman got its Visual Effects nod.
Then The Thing came up.
Best Cinematography. Check.
Best Production Design. Check.
Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Check.
Best Visual Effects. Check.
Best Sound Editing. Check.
Best Sound Mixing. Check.
Then Scarlett's voice came through the TV. "And the nominees for Best Original Screenplay are..."
She listed the names. Then: "Daniel Adler, The Thing."
Margot let out a scream. "I told you! I told you!" she yelled, hugging me.
I stared at the screen, pleasantly surprised. I guess the Academy really was changing.
It became even more apparent when The Thing was announced for Best Director.
And then, finally: "Best Picture."
Scarlett smiled. "The nominees for Best Picture are..." She listed them off. "Birdman... The Thing..."
"Alright, alright, alright," I muttered, shaking my head in disbelief.
Margot turned to me, eyes wide. "If you and I win, would we be the first couple to win Oscars together on the same night?"
I thought about it. Would we? No, wait.
"No, I think someone else has already done that," I said. "Yeah, when Frances McDormand won, her husband, one of the Coens, won as well."
Margot nodded. "Oh. But still, think about it."
"Honestly, Mags, I don't think they're going to keep giving me awards," I said. "I already have three."
"Still," she said.
"Yeah, it would be fun," I said, leaning in and kissing her.
Margot's phone rang. She glanced at the screen. "Oh, it's Mum," she said, standing up and answering it.
I sat back, still surprised. Really surprised. I was glad I didn't look at the nominees beforehand. This was more fun.
.
.
.
I flew to Atlanta the very same day. Justice League filming would wrap up next week, and today would be the last day of filming for Alexandra, Jenson, Henry, Alan, and Damson, while Grant, Sterling, and Lance still had more scenes to shoot. With that, the movie would wrap.
Damson would soon begin the press tour promoting Green Lantern, coming out in a month and a half. Alexandra and Alan had their own movies lined up, with Alan having a part in the next John Wick, so he would be shooting that soon.
The filming had gone extremely well and was finishing on time. After some discussion, we had decided to include a small teaser for Justice League as the end credits scene of Green Lantern.
Today, they were finishing up the final big battle scene.
I walked into a section of the studio where Henry and Jensen had cordoned off a place for them to relax. All the cast were invited. Henry called it "The Hall of Justice."
"To Daniel Adler!" Jensen raised his glass. "Once again nominated for an Oscar. Maybe he'll win his fourth one."
The others cheered. Around the table were all seven of the major cast, plus Lance Reddick and Brad Bird.
"Thank you very much," I said. "Big surprise, honestly."
Alexandra waved me off. "Oh, come on. You don't need to be humble."
"I'm serious," I said. "I never thought the Academy would nominate a movie like The Thing."
Sterling spoke up. "I loved the movie. It's good that great horror movies like this are being nominated."
The others agreed.
After a long lunch, which caused a small delay in the start of filming, a few hours later all the cast and crew were on set, ready to finish. I sat with Brad at the monitors, watching it all unfold, sometimes stepping in when advice on a scene or the script was needed.
The filming would last into the night.
Today would be the last day they shot the final big battle scene, which they had been filming for weeks. The set was massive, with blue screens towering on all sides, green markers scattered across the floor for VFX reference, and huge light rigs overhead. The ground was layered with rubble props, broken concrete and twisted metal.
Alexandra stood in the center in her full Wonder Woman costume, shield raised, sword gleaming under the lights. Around her were stunt performers in motion capture suits covered in tracking markers, representing the White Martians. She lunged forward, slashing with her sword, spinning, and blocking with her shield.
Beside her was Alan as Aquaman, his trident swinging in wide arcs as he knocked down Martians with powerful strikes.
The scene continued with Jensen arriving near them and joining the battle. It was well choreographed, and I could not wait to see it finished.
"Fall back!" Jensen shouted.
"Go!" Alexandra called back, shield bashing another stunt performer.
Some changes were made as the scene shifted to Henry flying in, cradling Sterling in his arms. The wires were barely visible, rigged to a complex pulley system controlled by the stunt team off camera. Henry descended smoothly, no cape since it would be added later.
"They're regrouping on the east side!" Henry said.
The next take included Grant with them. More dialogue followed as Damson appeared as well, all the Justice League united together.
"I can hold them off, but not for long," Damson said.
Brad called out, "Cut! Good, good. Let's reset for the next angle."
He gave a few changes he wanted, and the scene was redone once again.
The filming continued. The next major scene was Alexandra, Henry, and Damson fighting Lance's Malefic.
Lance stood on a raised platform surrounded by blue screens. He wore tracking markers on his face and hands for the VFX team.
Brad called action.
Henry flew in first, wires pulling him upward, and threw a punch at Lance. Lance caught it, his expression cold, then twisted and threw Henry to the side. Henry swung on the wires, controlled by the stunt coordinators, crashing into a padded mat off camera.
Then Alexandra and Alan's scene was shot as they both held down Malefic while Damson attacked him with constructs. Damson had to be pulled high as Alexandra and Alan acted, showing great strength as they restrained Malefic while Damson was rushed forward with motions of his hands.
Lance acted as if he caught the construct.
The take was changed, with stunt actors this time for Alexandra, Alan, and Damson, as they were all thrown away.
Brad called, "Cut! That was great, guys. Excellent work."
The final scene of the shoot that day, and also Alexandra, Jenson, Henry, Alan, and Damson's last scene, was one where all seven of them stood together. Sterling, as Martian Manhunter, was at the center, his voice urgent as he addressed the team.
"You need to get me to my brother," Sterling said, his tone grave. "Only I can stop this."
The others stood around him, battered and exhausted.
After some more smaller scenes, reaction shots, close ups, and coverage, the shoot was done.
Brad called out, "Cut! And... that's it!"
The set erupted.
Big applause rang out, crew members clapping, cheering, and whistling. The cast turned to each other, grinning, some of them visibly emotional.
I got up from my seat, joining in the applause.
Handshakes were exchanged, hugs were shared between the cast, and then between myself and them. Alexandra hugged me tight. Henry clapped me on the shoulder and pulled me into an embrace, as did Jenson.
"Hell of a ride," Jensen said.
Grant, Sterling, and Lance stood off to the side, joking.
"We still have work," Grant said with a mock exhausted sigh.
"Me too, the boring kind," Damson said, laughing.
I asked Brad to say something, but Brad loudly announced, "The boss has something to say!"
I mock glared at him as everyone gathered around. I stepped up onto an elevated part of the set so they could all see me.
"Alright," I said, looking out at the faces, cast, crew, everyone who had been part of this. "We are almost at the finish line. Only a week or so left of filming. And today, Alexandra, Jenson, Henry, Alan, and Damson have finished their parts."
Applause broke out again. I waited for it to settle.
"Now, I have to bring up our rival," I said with a grin. "Yes, our rival, Marvel. They're the Batman to our Joker. Our Ash to their Gary. Wait, no, we're Gary because Ash sucks."
Henry gasped. "What?"
"I won't argue with anyone on that," I said. "That's the truth. But I'm getting off topic."
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
"They have two ensemble movies before us," I continued, my tone shifting, more serious now. "And both did well. This is our first. So yes, there's pressure. But you know what? I am one hundred percent sure we are going to blow both of those out of the water. We have made a great fucking movie."
Big cheers erupted.
"And it's because of all of you," I said, gesturing to the crowd. "Every single person here, cast, crew, everyone, you showed up every day and gave everything you had. This movie is ours. And when it comes out, it's going to shake the world."
More cheers. Someone whistled.
The applause swelled again after I ended the speech, louder than before.
Brad spoke next, giving his own thanks and praising the crew. Then Jensen stepped up, then Henry, then Alexandra. Each of them said a few words, thanking everyone and sharing their gratitude.
It was past midnight by the time everything settled.
But safe to say, Justice League was unofficially completely done by now.