The large conference room at the Warner Building was packed. All the main creators of FuryRoad had arrived, and even Jamie Johnson, the head of Warner's distribution department, could only sit in the corner.
Walking into this conference room, Charlize Theron noticed that Duke and Charles Roven hadn't arrived yet. Her gaze swept over the people present one by one — all very familiar faces. These were the core members of Duke's team. Some had worked with him for over ten years. Such a stable and well-coordinated team was also one of the guarantees of Duke's continued success.
Though she had a somewhat aloof personality, Charlize wasn't someone who didn't know how to get along with people. In fact, years ago, when she frequently visited Duke's set, she had already gotten to know these people well.
"Hi, John." She walked up to the big guy and took the initiative to extend her hand. "You look like you've lost some weight."
John Schwartzman immediately stood up and shook her hand, squeezing out a smile on his chubby face. "Hey, Sally, you look just as beautiful as you did ten years ago."
Charlize's lips instantly curled into a smile. This was every woman's favorite kind of compliment, even if she knew it wasn't entirely true. She did take good care of herself, but time had still left its marks on her body.
After greeting John Schwartzman, Charlize Theron turned to the person next to him. "Hannah, long time no see."
Hannah Selina pointed to the seat between herself and Anna Prinz. "Please sit, Sally."
Charlize Theron didn't stand on ceremony and sat down between her and Anna Prinz. She then greeted the assistant director who was looking down at something. "Hi, Anna, what are you looking at?"
"Oh, nothing." Anna Prinz looked up and smiled at Charlize. "Just thinking about the script."
Charlize nodded slightly and deliberately winked at Anna Prinz. "You must make sure my scenes are scheduled at the right times."
Anna Prinz nodded readily. "Of course."
There are always human considerations within the rules. Though the two of them weren't close, they were familiar enough.
Charlize was very familiar with Duke's entire team. She then stood up again and greeted the rest one by one before finally sitting down in her own seat.
Next to her was the seat for Tom Cruise, who hadn't arrived yet.
The conference room quieted down again. Many people were looking at the project plan. Just like Anna Prinz, they knew this wasn't the kind of project they were used to. It was a brand-new attempt and experience.
The door was pushed open again from outside, and the sound of hurried footsteps rang out far louder than Charlize's soft greetings earlier. John Schwartzman and Hannah Selina frowned and looked in the direction of the sound.
Tom Cruise pushed open the conference room door and strode in.
He looked around at the people inside without any expression or interest in greeting anyone. Led by a staff member, he walked directly to the seat next to Charlize Theron. He nodded slightly at the South African beauty, then sat down.
John Schwartzman and Hannah Selina withdrew their gazes and returned to their work. The others only glanced casually at Tom Cruise and then resumed their focus. No one paid special attention to this superstar.
They had that kind of confidence. This team had produced several major stars. A superstar wasn't something rare to them.
Sitting there, Tom Cruise felt a bit bored and couldn't help but glance toward Charlize Theron.
Charlize Theron gave him a slight nod but didn't say anything more.
"Where's Duke? Why hasn't he arrived yet?" Tom Cruise asked casually.
"No idea..." Charlize shook her head. "Seems like he's discussing something with Charles."
After saying that, she shut her mouth tightly.
Like many people in the industry, Charlize didn't like Tom Cruise, but she understood that he was Duke's chosen male lead and had no intention of saying anything more. After all, it was just a temporary professional collaboration. Given Duke's typically fast filming pace, there was no need to endure it for long.
Seeing that Charlize Theron wasn't interested in talking, Tom Cruise slightly raised his chin and turned his gaze away.
The conference room door was pushed open again. Duke and Charles Roven walked in together. The two of them walked to the front end of the long conference table. Duke handed the folder in his hand to Tina Fey on his left, then clapped his hands forcefully to get everyone's attention.
"Sorry to interrupt your vacation," Duke looked at the people on both sides of the table and spoke directly, "We're about to embark on an entirely new journey."
He pointed at the project plans in everyone's hands. "You should've already read it. This isn't the kind of sci-fi action film we're used to."
Duke sat down and asked, "Any thoughts?"
"This film will definitely need to be shot in the desert..." John Schwartzman spoke first. "IMAX cameras are inconvenient to operate. I request the development of brand-new tracking and filming vehicles."
These were minor issues. Duke nodded. "First, we need to finalize the exterior locations."
Hannah Selina picked up from there and said, "Are we filming overseas or in North America? If overseas, the Middle East and Africa are the best choices."
At the mention of these two places, Duke dismissed it without hesitation. "The Middle East and Africa are too chaotic right now."
"If not overseas," Hannah Selina continued, "The deserts in New Mexico are a suitable option."
Duke thought about the work schedule and said, "Next week, we'll go to New Mexico for an on-site inspection."
"New Mexico also offers tax incentives for this kind of shoot," Charles Roven clearly supported Duke's idea.
"We'll talk about those after the inspection," Duke then turned to the head of the props team. "David, we'll need at least 150 cars for the shoot. My idea is that the modified vehicles should mainly be old models. You and Hannah need to come up with a plan as soon as possible."
"Mm, I'll head to the car market for research tomorrow." The other party nodded in agreement.
After assigning some additional tasks, Duke seriously said to everyone, "This is a film with special effects that requires live-action shooting. In fact, we have no other choice. I can't make it into a CG movie—we don't defy the laws of physics. There are no spaceships or anything like that in this movie, only yellow sand and the sky. Also, we need to create chaotic and frenzied events and scenes throughout the film. There are so many details that digital software can hardly create the same realistic effect."
"And live-action is more intense. We don't have to wait!" he emphasized. "'Fury Road' is not a CG movie the future is full of stunts and danger every day!"
The meeting, like Duke's personal style, didn't last long. But at the end, he asked the two actors and art director Hannah Selina to stay.
After the others had left, Duke first said to Hannah Selina, "The cars for filming need to look cool enough. I need at least more than 150 modified models. I want each and every car to be explosive in creativity each one must be unique, bizarre, and full of aggression!"
Having worked together for over a decade, Hannah Selina naturally understood what Duke meant. "I know what to do."
After speaking, she nodded to Charlize Theron and was the first to leave the conference room.
Duke then looked at Tom Cruise and Charlize Theron. "That world is operating under an absurd order. Humanity has long been lost. In the post-apocalyptic desert, there are two fugitives yearning for freedom—one silent man and one tough woman—trying to escape their current shackles and oppression."
"The entire film will revolve around the two of you. The characters have very limited dialogue," Duke continued to the two of them. "Your character traits won't be portrayed through lines or conversations."
Charlize Theron smiled and nodded. She had a feeling her role was like a female version of Duke resolute, decisive, calm, composed, and always acting more than speaking!
This character named Furiosa had been forged through years of war. Her eyes were firm and fearless. At the pleading of women unwilling to be reproductive machines, she agreed to help them escape. Along the way, she was quiet and composed, showing no sign of panic, and when pursued, she stayed calm under pressure, solved problems cleverly, and had top-notch combat skills.
Hollywood had far too few distinctive female characters like Furiosa. Looking through the entire history of cinema, it was hard to find a similar female role.
It was precisely such a character—along with the confidence Duke gave her—that made Charlize Theron willing to cut off her beautiful long hair.
Duke wasn't too worried about Charlize Theron, but Tom Cruise was a different matter. He looked at the other man and said, "Tom, your total lines don't exceed twenty. You'll have to portray your character mainly through actions and body language."
"Don't worry, Duke." Tom Cruise said confidently, "Don't you trust me?"
Duke nodded. Tom Cruise had been in the business for decades. Even if his acting skills were somewhat lacking, it wasn't to the extent that he couldn't handle this kind of role.
This male lead indeed came with some difficulty, but Duke had made a number of adjustments to suit Tom Cruise for example, the male lead's name was simply Tom.
The short triangle meeting ended here. Charlize Theron stood up, glanced at her watch, and said to Duke, "I've got a session with my personal trainer, heading out first."
"Mm." Duke waved at her.
Tom Cruise, however, showed no intention of leaving. He waited until Charlize Theron's figure had disappeared through the conference room door before speaking. "Duke, don't you think the scenes between me and Theron are a bit unbalanced?"
Duke slightly turned his head and deliberately looked at Tom Cruise with a surprised expression. He wasn't surprised that the other party asked if he didn't ask, he wouldn't be Tom Cruise.
Tom Cruise added, "I think the relationship between me and Theron's characters could use some adjustment."
Fortunately, he had made some progress in recent years and added, "That's just a suggestion."