Imressed?

"Nic, I think it's precisely because of the failure of a war film that I need to take on this project with a similar theme. To prove myself to those critics and fans who love you..."

"The reason why I can make this film well is not only because of thorough preparation but also because of my confidence. I may not have a deep understanding of war, but I understand human nature, I know what indifference is, and what camaraderie means..."

At night, Nicholas Cage sat quietly on a large and comfortable sofa, scenes from his meeting with Lyman in the afternoon flashed through his mind.

On the mahogany table next to him, there were many sheets of paper, providing more detailed descriptions of the concept of the movie "Fury". Filled with sincerity and earnestness, the well-organized plan and the analysis of market prospects were also convincing.

Although he had already reviewed these papers at least three times in the past period of time, every time he finished reading, a kind of excitement would surge in his heart, as if saying, "Just agree, and then join this project." But his remaining rationality and hesitation promptly stopped him.

Nicholas felt annoyed, smoking cigarette after cigarette without relief. Amidst the smoke, he remembered Lyman's farewell words, "Believe me, "Fury" will be a good film." He said it seriously and left with an air of indifference, making people subconsciously feel that he was right.

Moreover, after lighting another cigarette and taking a drag, Nicholas looked at the well-organized character script next to him. Besides sincerity, there was this character that troubled him.

An ordinary person who sympathized with his subordinates, appeared serious and practical, with a gaze solely focused on completing the mission, but actually despised war and just wanted it to end quickly—a pitiful person forced onto the battlefield, caught in a whirlpool; he had witnessed the deaths of many comrades, but he had to stay strong. War only had positions, without discussing right or wrong, but every confrontation meant the loss of countless lives. Underneath the shells, all lives were equal.

He had to be honest with himself, this was a script that greatly attracted him. The story didn't talk about grand principles, only the fate of the members of this tank crew. Starting with the small details, it was profound, the kind of excellent work that would make him eager to perform after reading it once.

Compared to "Windtalkers", it was a rare war drama that focused on characters and highlighted them even more. This was the type he liked, performing in it would bring a sense of accomplishment and the joy of immersing oneself in the role, providing him or any actor with more room to shine. The more Nicholas thought about it, the more he couldn't resist. He opened the script again and looked at the scenes annotated with shot descriptions.

"Wardaddy" silently looked at the main battlefield covered with corpses after the war, the destroyed tanks, the land plowed by the fierce artillery fire from both sides, and the fleet of their own bombers roaring in the sky, each one telling the brutality of this battle. At this moment, he seemed like an outsider, observing it all...

The design of this shot was fantastic! Nicholas silently sighed. He was moved by it the first time he read the script. That sense of helplessness, the insignificant feeling like an ant in the grand scheme of things, was conveyed vividly.

An excellent script, interesting characters, plus the director's sincerity, all made it difficult for him to decisively reject this invitation. So, during the meeting, he repeatedly said he needed to think about it, think about it again. But the more he thought and pondered, the more he wanted to take it on.

However...

Sighing, Nicholas irritably ran his hand through his hair. He only had one concern now—would "Fury" have good market performance?

With the same war theme, he couldn't make up his mind. Should he ask his agent? Nicholas shook his head self-deprecatingly. The wrong choice for "Windtalkers" had a reason related to his cooperation with the director of his other movie "Face/Off", but wasn't his agent also partly responsible for misjudging the film's prospects?

Moreover, if it were up to him to judge, he would probably just refuse. In his opinion, it would be better not to take on commercial films in the second half of the year, and even if he did, he wouldn't choose war themes. Cage knew his agent very well, being extremely cautious.

Actually, he had a subconscious desire to take on this film, but he couldn't get over the hurdle of the failure. Reason and emotion were constantly conflicting, neither completely overpowering the other.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

A few knocks on the door interrupted Nicholas' thoughts. He turned to look towards the door, where his wife Lisa Marie pushed it open with a concerned expression on her face and said, "What are you doing? Aren't you going to sleep?"

Nicholas felt a bit weary. "I'm reading a script, but I can't make up my mind."

"Is the script terrible? Can't you make excuses?" Lisa Marie asked. Being in this industry, there were always these unavoidable things that came up.

But it seemed like she guessed wrong. Nicholas shook his head and said, "It's a good script, in my opinion, it's really good. Lisa..." After explaining his dilemma, he furrowed his brow and asked, "What do you think, should I agree to Lyman?"

Lisa Marie shrugged. "I don't know, I'm not an actor, how can I judge?"

"You don't need to judge, just tell me what you think," Nicholas' tone carried a sense of urgency.

"But in the end, it's up to you to decide, isn't it? If I say reject or agree, would you just follow that? Nicky, you're the one involved, we are all outsiders, you should ask yourself, do you want to do it?" Lisa Marie said casually, "It's an option that's easy to judge. If you want to do it, accept it; if you don't want to, politely decline. Why so much hesitation? It's late, time to rest." With that, she turned and left.

Seeing his wife Lisa's figure disappear from his sight, Nicholas' gaze returned to the script of the movie. Yes, it was a very simple judgment. What was he hesitating about? Whether it succeeded or not, that was something for later. Right now, what he wanted most was to agree immediately, right away. He knew Lyman was in a hurry. He couldn't wait for this role.

Nicholas looked at the large English word "Fury" on the cover of the script, picked up his phone from the nearby desk, and without hesitation, dialed the number, speaking with a relaxed tone, "Alright, Lyman, I've thought it through clearly. I want to join your crew."

"I think this is a cause for celebration!" In a suite in a hotel in Los Angeles, Lyman was thinking about whom else to invite. After all, Nicholas Cage's hesitant appearance in the afternoon had made him nervous. "Fury" couldn't wait, and neither could he. But now that it was confirmed, it was enough to make him feel relieved. "Nic, you made the best choice."

"Is that so? I feel the same way." Once a person truly makes up their mind, they become calm. Cage humorously responded without fretting.

"Pleasure working with you."

"Pleasure..."

When Lyman hung up the phone, the smile on his face hadn't faded. He now felt a kind of unprecedented relaxation enveloping his whole body. Brad Pitt's excessive demands, the difficult decision of casting, all of it seemed to have cleared up with Nicholas Cage's expression of willingness to join. The anxiety and frustration vanished, replaced by excitement and joy. This time, his efforts paid off.

The next day, a negotiation team consisting of George, Sandy, and a staff member from the legal department of Paramount Pictures quickly began contract negotiations with Nicholas Cage's agent regarding on-set benefits.

Although Nicholas Cage's agent didn't recommend him taking on this project, since the person involved agreed, what could the agent say? He only had the power to make suggestions, not the power to make decisions. The only thing he could do was to strive for better conditions in this negotiation and secure his own commission.

After two days of discussions, Nicholas ultimately signed a contract with a salary of $12M, plus a 5% share of the North American proceeds, which also included a bonus mechanism. As long as the total box office exceeded $300M, he would receive a generous upfront cash bonus.

It was hard to say who benefited more from this contract. For a top-tier actor like Nicholas Cage, taking a share of the box office was customary, but he voluntarily compromised on the salary. Initially, his agent insisted on $15M, but due to budget constraints, Lyman could only offer $12M, or else the funds would be too tight, which wouldn't be conducive to the subsequent filming.

After signing the contract with Nicholas, Lyman couldn't wait to gather all the main actors together and send them to the Marine Corps in Florida, USA. Originally, the plan was to have them undergo intensive training for two weeks to enhance their understanding of tanks and cultivate teamwork. But now the shooting schedule was tight, and they probably only had a week for training.

However, it didn't matter. Lyman believed that the high-intensity physical training and the devilish method of spending time in the tanks, aside from eating, drinking, and using the restroom, would greatly benefit this group of people.

After all, wasn't he also a devil?

As for the instructor's proposal to quickly foster camaraderie among the men through fighting, Lyman also adopted it. He even wondered if one fight would be too little—how about having one every morning after warm-up exercises? The two men looked at each other and smiled.

And so, under the guidance of the instructor hired by the crew, the group of actors went to the military camp for training.

Bust a gut or lay cold in a rut!