In the period leading up to Christmas 2010, Murphy concentrated on filming his movie. According to the updates from Gal Gadot, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, and James Franco were actively networking in Hollywood, leveraging the influence and appeal of the Stanton Gang to attract some big-name stars for cameo roles in their film.
These stars appearing in small roles might not significantly boost box office sales, but they would undoubtedly increase the movie's buzz.
With enough buzz, marketing and promotion would become much easier.
A week before Christmas, during a phone call with Seth Rogen, Murphy was informed that several well-known stars had agreed to make cameo appearances.
Among them, the most notable actor was Emma Watson; also joining would be Rihanna, who had a close relationship with Seth Rogen.
This film was independently financed by Stanton Studios. Though the investment wasn't large, Murphy was particularly concerned because a well-executed film could yield substantial profits, while a poorly executed one would be a total flop.
Nobody wants their investment to become a flop, including Murphy.
Therefore, during the Christmas holiday, he gathered several key members of the film's team at Wave Manor. It was a grand gathering of the Stanton Gang and an opportunity to get the latest updates on the project.
On Christmas Day, James Franco and Lily Collins, Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill, Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey, Margot Robbie and Carla Faith, along with agents led by Bill Rosisis, arrived at Wave Manor for the Christmas party meticulously prepared by Gal Gadot.
"Our wedding?"
Faced with Gal Gadot's inquiry, James Franco smiled helplessly, "It can only be postponed until next year."
Susan Downey asked with concern, "Why?"
Lily Collins explained, "James has to work on the project with Seth and the others, so we decided to push the wedding to next year."
The main topic of the party was the new project. Gal Gadot took the women to the entertainment room, while the men discussed *The End of the World*.
Gathered around a large round table in the banquet hall, Murphy, as the host, poured tea for everyone. "Try this. It's top-grade Longjing tea from the other side of the Pacific. Compared to the red tea we usually drink, it's fresher and more refreshing."
He set the teapot down, took his seat, and asked, "How did you manage to get Emma Watson? And get her to agree to a cameo for just one dollar?"
If he remembered correctly, they didn't have much of a connection with Emma Watson or the Harry Potter crew, and this British girl was currently very popular. Persuading her wouldn't be easy.
"It wasn't me," Seth Rogen shook his head, "It was Bill who invited her."
Bill Rosisis, putting down his teacup, chimed in, "Emma Watson has been a CAA client for years. I recently became one of her co-managers."
"Nice move, Bill!" Jonah Hill gave Bill Rosisis a thumbs-up.
Getting a managing position for a client like Emma Watson was no easy feat.
Bill Rosisis smiled, "She's a smart girl. I merely suggested it, and she agreed."
"Oh?" James Franco mused, "Seems like she's not just a pretty face."
"I've dealt with Emma Watson," Robert Downey Jr. refilled his cup, "She's a very clear-headed girl, almost like the second coming of Natalie Portman."
Hearing this, the others turned to Murphy, who shrugged, "What does that have to do with me?"
Jonah Hill flipped him the bird. Everyone knew about Murphy's past issues with Natalie Portman.
"Emma Watson is indeed clear-headed," Bill Rosisis agreed with Robert Downey Jr., "She knows the potential challenges she'll face in the coming years."
As insiders in Hollywood, they understood what Bill Rosisis meant. With the *Harry Potter* series nearing its end, a young actress with a fixed image would face a challenging transition period.
Everyone realized that with Bill Rosisis' guidance, Emma Watson likely wanted to build a good relationship with the Stanton Gang, especially Murphy, the leader.
"And what about Rihanna?" Robert Downey Jr. asked with interest.
"Uh..." Seth Rogen hesitated, but Jonah Hill spilled the beans, "Seth and Rihanna are friends with benefits."
Everyone burst out laughing, staring at Seth Rogen.
"Seth, your taste is heavy."
"Wow, Rihanna's taste is heavy."
Unconsciously, the group split into two camps.
In the mouths of Murphy and his friends, both Rihanna and Seth Rogen became connoisseurs of unusual tastes.
After some laughter, they continued discussing *The End of the World*. Bill Rosisis mentioned, "There are some other signed clients who are interested in making cameos."
Murphy suggested, "Give Seth a list and let him choose."
He then remembered something, "Seth, contact Nicolas Cage."
Nicolas Cage still had three films left on his low-fee contract with Stanton Studios. Initially, Murphy planned to use him in his next film, but with the changes Margot Robbie brought to her role, Murphy decided to cancel that character, leaving him for Seth Rogen.
Murphy delegated most of the project's authority to Seth Rogen, the director and producer. Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and James Franco were primarily responsible for the project.
Of course, with Franco's habitual laziness and Hill's occasional unreliability, the bulk of the responsibility fell on Seth Rogen.
"Seth, you've already started preparations," Murphy asked with concern, "When can you start filming?"
"The earliest..." Seth Rogen thought for a moment, "The earliest we can start is mid-January next year. I plan to complete all production by October next year. 20th Century Fox wants to release it in the Thanksgiving or Christmas slot in November or December."
"Okay," Murphy nodded, "Seth, communicate with Carla Faith on this."
In reality, neither Carla Faith nor 20th Century Fox paid much attention to *The End of the World*. For 20th Century Fox, a $30 million investment wasn't a big deal.
Aside from Seth Rogen, Murphy would also have Gal Gadot oversee the distribution of *The End of the World*.
The primary market for this film was North America. In fact, all Stanton Studios projects, including Murphy's new project, were mainly targeted at the North American market.
Even five years later, North America would still be the world's largest movie market. If considering the entire industry chain revenue, North America would remain the largest movie market for a long time.
Therefore, Murphy's films were primarily made with North American audiences in mind, followed by other markets.
For example, during the negotiations between Stanton Studios and Wanda, Wanda initially demanded that a Chinese actress replace Margot Robbie as the lead in Murphy's film.
Initially, Murphy didn't recognize the actress's name due to the transliteration. Later, he realized it was a very famous actress.
Who the actress was didn't matter because Murphy had no intention of using her. He knew that his incredibly dark film would likely face severe censorship in China, resulting in limited audience reach and modest box office returns.
As for Hollywood's lucrative merchandise market, Murphy didn't even consider it, as it was negligible for this film.
However, Murphy was curious about the background of the actress Wanda proposed. She had always puzzled him, managing to secure significant roles despite being relatively unknown, yet consistently delivering box office flops.
Despite this, her career continued to flourish, landing her in major Hollywood blockbusters, which was nothing short of a miracle.
Even more astonishing was that no media dared to report her true background, and there was no concrete information about her online.
An actress achieving this level of mystery indicated a powerful backing.
Both the old Murphy and the well-informed current Murphy believed this actress was a unique anomaly.
Since Murphy had no intention of using Chinese actors, he outright rejected Wanda's precondition, leading to the inevitable breakdown of negotiations. Murphy's plan to invest in Wanda Cinemas fell through, potentially affecting his film's approval in China. 20th Century Fox also prepared for the possibility that the film wouldn't pass Chinese censorship.
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