Marketing is crucial for a movie to become a blockbuster. Heath Ledger's death greatly contributed to the success of "The Dark Knight," demonstrating repeatedly that a deceased lead actor often contributes more to a film than a living one. However, Murphy did not want and would not let James Franco face any accidents. Thus, "Dark City" needed another high-profile promotional point.
Unexpected incidents often arise, disrupting well-laid plans.
20th Century Fox encountered some trouble in the UK, reportedly due to James Murdoch, which could lead to a ban on "Dark City" and other Fox films in the country. For Murphy, this would mean losing hundreds of millions in box office revenue and significant offline commercial profits.
"Has the British government gone mad?" Margot Robbie paced in the living room of Wave Manor, speaking to Gal Gadot on the sofa. "Punishing all of Fox and our film because of the Murdoch family?"
She had signed the same base salary plus box office bonus contract as the rest of the crew, meaning potential box office losses would directly affect her personal income.
"Damn it!" Margot Robbie cursed again.
Gal Gadot raised a finger to her lips, signaling for silence and pointing to the other side of the living room where Murphy was on the phone.
Margot Robbie obediently quieted down and sat next to Gal Gadot.
"It's okay, don't worry." Gal Gadot reassured her. "It's just a rumor. If the UK actually did this, they would be violating the US-UK bilateral trade agreement. Downing Street wouldn't be that foolish."
"Gal is right." Murphy finished his call and walked over. "It's just a rumor, no need to take it seriously."
"How did it go?" Gal Gadot asked with concern.
Murphy explained, "I had Bill look into it. While the phone hacking scandal has had a severe impact, it shouldn't affect 20th Century Fox films in the UK."
Margot Robbie sighed in relief, "That's good."
Gal Gadot shook her head. "The Murdoch family will use any means for news and profit."
She looked at Murphy and advised, "You need to be cautious with James Murdoch."
Murphy nodded, "I know, don't worry."
From the beginning, he had been vigilant against being wiretapped. Murphy did not want himself and Gal Gadot to become victims of the phone hacking scandal.
The rumors about "Dark City" facing issues in the UK stemmed from the negative impact of the phone hacking scandal.
Over the past year, the 'phone hacking scandal' involving News Corp had become a global hot topic. The scandal had put immense pressure on News Corp and Rupert Murdoch, even affecting 20th Century Fox.
Once thriving, News Corp had now plunged into turmoil.
As the investigation in the UK deepened, more and more British and American celebrities were found on News Corp's wiretapping list.
Scotland Yard in the UK and the FBI in the US released a list of 6,000 wiretapping victims.
The list included members of the British royal family like Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, Princes William and Harry, actress Sienna Miller, British Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell and her husband, football stars Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, and Paul Scholes, among others.
In the US, the victims included famous actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, the band Linkin Park, the families of fallen US soldiers, and several unnamed Congress members and state senators.
The British Parliament held several hearings on the 'phone hacking scandal,' with Rupert Murdoch and his wife Wendi Deng appearing to testify. During one of the hearings, an unexpected incident occurred.
As the hearing was concluding, a man in a plaid shirt seated in the back row of the gallery suddenly stood up, quickly approached the witness stand, and threw a shaving cream pie at Rupert Murdoch.
Everyone was stunned; no one realized they should stop the attacker. Even Murdoch himself froze, and the police didn't react immediately.
Wendi Deng, however, jumped up from her chair like lightning, lunging forward and slapping the attacker in the face.
The media coverage of Wendi Deng's actions dramatically changed her image, showcasing her as a loyal and protective wife.
Following the hearing, numerous media outlets reported extensively on Wendi Deng's act of defending her husband. Some praised her courage, suggesting she be named "Wife of the Year." Others noted that her quick reaction made the sluggish police look slow. Newspapers described her as embodying the ideal of a supportive spouse.
Broadcast on television and other media, the footage of Murdoch being attacked helped mitigate public and governmental anger over the phone hacking scandal. This improved the Murdoch family's and News Corp's situation, with some PR experts suggesting that hiring an American PR firm to improve their corporate image wasn't as effective as Wendi Deng's slap.
"This was an excellent example of crisis PR."
Discussing the incident, even Margot Robbie felt that there was more to the attack than met the eye.
"These events won't affect our movie." Murphy checked the time and told Gal Gadot, "I'll go to the study to review the script you brought. Make sure Kara ensures 20th Century Fox continues with the planned operations."
Seeing Gal Gadot nod, he then turned to Margot Robbie. "Stay for lunch."
"Sure." Margot Robbie wasn't shy. "I want French cuisine."
"No problem." Murphy signaled to the butler at the other end of the living room and told the two women, "You chat, I'll head to the study."
As Murphy went upstairs and the butler went to inform the chef, Margot Robbie curiously asked, "You brought Murphy a script? Is it the Mary Sue and domineering CEO love story you mentioned earlier?"
"Yes." Gal Gadot briefly explained. "I hired screenwriters to write the first draft, and I brought it to Murphy for review. After the Oscars next year, I plan to start casting and hiring a director."
"I have an idea." Margot Robbie said mysteriously. "You and Murphy should star in it yourselves."
Before Gal Gadot could respond, she hurriedly added, "You two often play those games, don't you?"
"Margie!" Gal Gadot raised her voice. "How can we put that in a movie?"
Margot Robbie raised her hands in surrender. "Just a suggestion."
Gal Gadot shook her head. "If you want, I can cast you as the female lead."
"Sure." Margot Robbie tilted her head and joked, "Change the other character to a woman and you can play her... ouch..."
She rubbed her forehead, looking at Gal Gadot's hand, "That hurt!"
"Stop with the unreliable ideas." Gal Gadot waved her finger in front of Margot Robbie's face. "You can't casually mention such quirks."
"What does it matter?" Margot Robbie didn't care. "Which Hollywood star doesn't have some quirks?"
Gal Gadot knew Margot Robbie was telling the truth, but this was different.
Having integrated into this circle, Gal Gadot had heard many strange rumors about big stars.
For instance, many Hollywood stars, despite their high fees, had a stingy side.
Julia Roberts and Danny Moder bought hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn, and cabbage at Walmart for their wedding guests, who had flown in from miles away.
Hollywood also had a famous cheapskate, Catherine Zeta-Jones, who never donated more than four figures at charity galas. At a Los Angeles charity fundraiser, she only bid $25, shocking everyone and exposing her stingy nature.
Of course, Hollywood stars' quirks went far beyond these examples.
Johnny Depp loved collecting Barbie dolls, Tom Hanks liked walking naked on his terrace, Jennifer Lopez enjoyed having breakfast naked with family and friends, and Nicole Kidman could break down if a butterfly landed on her.
Perhaps it's because Hollywood stars have too much money or too much stress, but in their daily lives, dining habits, spending habits, pet preferences, and even sexual preferences, they all have various strange quirks.
For instance, George Clooney liked sleeping with a white pig, Madonna loved eating popcorn naked in the cinema, and Robert De Niro couldn't work without salad or cold dishes.
Moreover, Liv Tyler, once a vegetarian, began binge-eating meat after a heartbreak; wealthy stars like Bruce Willis and Steven Spielberg spent excessively, with the former building palace-like mansions and the latter installing traffic lights in his villa. Loneliness led stars to adopt all sorts of pets, from insect-eating spiders to African gorillas.
If rumors about her and Murphy's unique preferences were to spread, they would undoubtedly shock many.
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