After the press conference, the entire King of Espionage crew headed to Moscow to start the official filming of the movie.
The film required shooting in multiple locations, including Moscow, Dubai, and New York.
Director Cohen chose to start in Moscow because deep autumn was approaching, and filming later would mean dealing with the harsh cold.
So, Cohen decided to wrap up the Moscow scenes first before moving on to other locations.
...
...
Moscow, The Kremlin.
The logistics of coordinating with the Kremlin were handled behind the scenes, so we'll skip those details.
Preparations for filming were underway, moving along smoothly.
Today's scene featured Luke and Depp sneaking into the Kremlin to steal classified data from the mastermind behind the plot.
This scene was a critical part of King of Espionage, packed with high-tech gadgets and Luke and Depp's hilarious yet gripping performances.
Director Cohen was giving Depp some notes: "In this scene, you need to hold back a bit. Nail that, and you're golden."
Depp nodded, taking a moment to get into character. "Got it. I need to play it like I'm super tense, trying to talk my way out of nerves but barely keeping it together."
He glanced over at Luke, who was standing off to the side. "Man, I'm jealous of him. His acting is unreal—he doesn't even need to prep. He just becomes the character."
Cohen chuckled and patted Depp's shoulder. "I get it. Luke's the kind of talent that's so good you can't even be mad about it. Don't compare yourself to him—just do your thing. Let's get started!"
With the director's command, the crew got into position, and filming was about to begin.
"Action!"
The shoot kicked off with a sweeping shot of the Kremlin's grandeur: the striking red walls, lush trees inside, and ornate domed palaces, all set to dramatic Soviet-style background music that instantly set the tone.
The camera zoomed in, showing groups of soldiers patrolling the Kremlin's entrance with precise, synchronized steps, emphasizing the tight security.
Luke and Depp approached from a distance, both dressed in standard Russian military uniforms, their faces adorned with fake mustaches, clearly in disguise.
"I can't believe I'm actually crazy enough to sneak into the Kremlin," Depp muttered, his voice buzzing with excitement.
Luke didn't respond, his eyes sharp and scanning their surroundings.
"I thought you'd look out of place in that uniform," Depp went on, "but I forgot they've got plenty of Asian officers here, like Mongolians or Tatars. You blend right in with that disguise."
Luke stayed silent, his expression carrying a hint of playful mockery.
"We've prepped for this. Today's gonna go off without a hitch. This is huge!" Depp kept rambling.
Finally, Luke stopped walking and shot him an exasperated look.
Depp gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry, man, I'm just so nervous. When I get nervous, I can't stop talking."
Luke clapped a hand on his shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze.
Meanwhile, on the Kremlin's outer plaza, Yuffie, disguised as a tourist, was holding a DV camcorder, casually filming like any other visitor.
But a closer look at her DV's screen would reveal footage being transmitted from high above.
She had just released a red balloon equipped with a camera and hacking device, now drifting toward the Kremlin.
When the balloon reached a building's chimney, Yuffie pressed a button on her device.
Pop!
With a soft sound, the balloon burst, and the hacking equipment dropped down the chimney into the building.
"That should take care of the signal range," Yuffie said, breathing a sigh of relief.
She smiled and casually walked away, carefully avoiding the plaza's security cameras.
Back inside the Kremlin, Luke and Depp continued their approach.
Depp grabbed two briefcases from the security conveyor belt, still muttering under his breath. "Alright, seven layers of security. X-ray scanners, cameras, metal detectors… just like we expected. We've got this!"
His nervousness was painfully obvious, but he was trying hard to play it cool, which only made him seem more comical.
Behind the camera, Director Cohen nodded approvingly. "Depp's killing it! He's got that balance of restraint and energy. Great actor!"
Vin Diesel, who wasn't in this scene, chimed in from the sidelines. "He's way better than me, but still not on Luke's level. The guy hasn't said a single word—just using his eyes and movements. And yet, he's nailing the character's calm and collected vibe. It's unreal how far Luke's acting has come in such a short time!"
Cohen nodded in agreement. He'd watched Luke's career from the start. Back in Fast and Furious and Jurassic Park 3, Luke's acting was noticeably raw, but now, his near-miraculous performance was jaw-dropping.
The two actors finally reached a heavily guarded gate.
Luke didn't even glance at the guards, striding forward with the casual confidence of someone walking into their own home.
Depp trailed behind, whispering to himself, "Come on, come on, just keep walking!"
The guard hesitated, then saluted and called out, "General? I'm Major Igorov. Please show your credentials!"
Dressed in a general's uniform, Luke turned to face the guard. Lowering his voice with commanding authority, he said in Russian, "You don't even recognize your own superior?"
As he spoke, he placed his credentials on the table, tapping them lightly with his finger before slowly sliding them forward.
The move was oozing confidence and dominance, putting immense pressure on the guard.
The guard's mind raced: Who is this officer? How could I forget someone like this?
What he didn't know was that Luke's every move was calculated to buy time.
Although Yuffie had deployed the hacking device, it still needed a moment to breach the database.
Faced with Luke's imposing presence, the guard faltered, unable to meet his gaze.
He took the credentials, glanced at them briefly, and slid them into the reader.
The screen flashed: Reading…
Meanwhile, Depp discreetly checked his own hacking device. The screen showed: 81%.
Luke's data still hadn't been uploaded to the database.
Sure enough, a moment later, the guard's screen displayed: No such information!