Hollywood: The Greatest Showman - Chapter 292: Settling the Mess

Chapter 292: Settling the Mess

James Correl looked at the furious Nathan before him, and for a moment, he felt an impulse to flee. It took all his effort to suppress the urge, regain his composure, and seriously say, “I’ll investigate thoroughly right away and severely punish the one responsible.”

“Fired. There’s no other option,” Nathan’s words were resolute, leaving no room for negotiation. He had just learned that someone had secretly replaced the prop sheets in three places with real material, causing him to erupt in anger.

Once again! This was the second time!

Last time, it had merely resulted in Renly waiting for three and a half hours in vain. But now, they had swapped props directly. What would happen next?

Back when ‘Brandon Lee’ was filming “The Crow,” a prop gun was mistakenly loaded with a real bullet, leading to his death on set. This was a horrifying reminder.

“This is murder.” Nathan was shaking with fury. After reaching the peak of his anger, he didn’t need to vent. Every word he uttered was like a hammer striking James.

James wanted to argue but swallowed his words under Nathan’s sharp gaze. “Thirty minutes. You have thirty minutes to investigate. The crew owes Renly an explanation, or we’ll see you in court with the Actors’ Guild.” His tone was firm and left no room for doubt.

Things had spiraled out of control. This wasn’t just a prank—it was a case of real physical harm. No matter who did it or why, it wouldn’t be easily resolved.

Being fired? That was just the first step!

James felt aggrieved. Since when did a no-name assistant get to talk to him like that? But he had no grounds to retort, so he hung his head in frustration, cursing those responsible under his breath. Whoever tampered with the props was about to face serious consequences.

Without a doubt, the culprit’s career in Hollywood was over. No crew would hire someone who posed such a danger.

But that wasn’t the main issue. If the incident reached the guild or leaked to the press, the entire production team’s reputation would take a hit, facing accusations of poor management and staffing. Even Ron Meyer would likely blow up. Vin Diesel was bound to face a significant setback this time.

However, James wasn’t concerned about Vin at the moment—he needed to worry about himself. He prayed that Renly was okay, that there were no scars left on his face. The thought of the media storm that would follow made James’ scalp tingle.

Damn prop team!

The set was in chaos. The props team was investigating the “accident,” while the camera crew and directors reviewed the footage of the scene. Meanwhile, the medical team rushed in to check on the two actors.

Paul Walker stood still, watching Renly surrounded by medical staff. Nurses were tending to his external injuries to prevent infection, while doctors checked him for signs of a concussion. But what about Renly?

With a cigarette dangling from his lips, Renly cooperated with the doctor’s examination, his demeanor calm and collected. Paul couldn’t help but recall the time Renly hung off a cliff—he had the same relaxed air then as he did now. Paul stood there in awe, admiring Renly, aware that he could never be like him.

This familiar scene made Paul shake his head, a smile tugging at his lips.

“So, you don’t plan to light that cigarette, do you?” Paul asked as the doctors and nurses moved away. His mood had lightened compared to earlier.

Renly shrugged without answering.

“What did the doctor say?” Paul asked, concerned.

“All good, everything’s fine,” Renly replied casually, still resting with his eyes closed. “It’s just a little scratch. I didn’t break any bones or lose consciousness. Nothing to fuss over.”

Paul couldn’t argue and chuckled, resigned. “The filming earlier, though, was different.” Normally, they wouldn’t go all out during fight scenes; the truly dangerous parts were left to stunt doubles.

Renly smiled slightly, the cigarette in his mouth tilting upwards. “This was simpler than free climbing.”

Paul was both amused and exasperated. “You don’t have to go all out; it’s just a movie.”

“At least that guy won’t mess with me again,” Renly said cryptically, leaving Paul to ponder for a moment before he realized what he meant.

Turning, Paul spotted Vin Diesel at the makeup station. The doctor had just finished examining him. Vin seemed dazed, his previous aggression and agitation gone, replaced by confusion.

Paul shifted his gaze back to Renly, who was now completely at ease. If it weren’t for the still-visible bloodstains from his disinfected cheek wound, Paul might’ve thought Renly was enjoying a vacation in the sun.

The stark contrast made Paul chuckle. “Renly, you know, you’re truly crazy.”

“Thanks for the compliment,” Renly replied with his usual tone, making Paul laugh aloud. He knew Vin was no longer a threat. However, no one could’ve predicted that Renly would resolve the situation by confronting it head-on. Vin’s mental state had clearly taken a hit.

“Which parts of the scene were choreographed by the stunt coordinator, and which weren’t?” Paul, being an insider, could tell something was off. Both Renly and Vin had veered off the planned path.

Renly, however, dismissed it lightly. “Does it matter?”

Paul laughed again. Indeed, it didn’t. What mattered was that Renly and Vin had created an irreplaceable, iconic fight scene that would undoubtedly electrify the big screen.

For the stunt coordinator, though, it was a critical question. When the director asked him about it, he was at a loss, unable to explain how the scene had played out or which parts were planned. His confusion only grew as he tried to make sense of the improvisation. Watching the director leave regretfully, he wanted to call him back and offer some explanation, but the words stuck in his throat.

Tears welled up in his eyes.

Justin returned to the monitor, reviewing the footage intently before shaking his head. “There’s no way to recreate this. The scene was too unique; it can’t be duplicated.” Looking around, he added in a low voice, “Even if it could, I wouldn’t want to risk it again.”

“But we need close-ups and tight shots. The current footage isn’t enough for editing,” the cameraman suggested. “Did you notice Renly’s performance? At the last moment, Hobbs had the chance to kill Dominic, but a flicker of clarity crossed his eyes.”

“And in the final clash, Hobbs swung the wrench, but his gaze never wavered, suggesting that deep down, he had aimed at the empty space. This subtlety was so significant for Hobbs’ character. It’s incredible. If we rely only on medium shots, the audience might miss this, and it would be a huge loss for the film.”

Justin nodded in agreement. Renly had indeed delivered an extraordinary performance, with surprises in every moment. The intense fight scene had already sent everyone’s adrenaline skyrocketing, yet the surprises kept coming.

Justin’s camera style and sharp editing demanded numerous shots from different angles to build the rhythm of the action and racing sequences. Unlike Michael Bay’s abundant use of slow-motion and long shots, Justin preferred a more dynamic approach.

So, the fight scene had been filmed primarily with medium, wide, and long shots to capture the entire flow of action, focusing on the overall feel. The current footage was flawless. But Justin needed more close-ups and tight shots to complete his editing, especially to highlight Renly’s nuanced portrayal of Hobbs.

“Should we reshoot with different angles?” Justin hesitated, his nerves on edge. “What if something goes wrong again?” After pondering, he answered his own question, “We’ll break the scene into parts. The seamless take is already done. Now we’ll shoot the close-ups and inserts in segments.”

Looking around at the crew, he added, “It’ll be fine, right? No issues this time, right?” But seeing no reassuring response, he clenched his fists for courage. “Everything will be fine.” Then he added cautiously, “Keep everyone on standby. If anything seems off, don’t wait for my signal—stop the filming immediately. We’ve already got a perfect shot, so there’s no need to risk anything for perfection.”

There was a somber mood among the crew, but everyone nodded earnestly. With determination, they resumed filming.