Chapter 454: 454: Old!?

On February 4, the 58th Writers Guild Awards (WGA) were unveiled, and the three major film awards found their respective homes. “Brokeback Mountain” secured the Best Adaptation (Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana); “Good Night, and Good Luck” achieved Best Original Screenplay (George Clooney & Grant Heslov), while “Firefly” fell short; “The Smartest Guys in the Room” won Best Documentary Screenplay (Alex Gibney). In the television category, although “Desperate Housewives” and “The Big Bang Theory” both garnered nominations, they failed to bring a trophy home for Flame Family Entertainment.

As the sun rose high and the sky was clear, with a refreshing breeze, Wang Yang turned 26—it was as if he had crossed a boundary line. Although everything was beautiful, he still felt a hint of melancholy. 26 years old! Eight years had passed since he left the University of Southern California, and the days of young naivety seemed to be drifting farther away.

“Just a bit sentimental, why? I don’t mind growing old, I like it—it makes me more handsome, haha! Actually, I think one shouldn’t cling to youth. I despise those who refuse to age, why not? The charm of 18 is different from that at 28, and 38… Are you still 18? I appreciate the part about having a youthful heart. It’s not about physical appearance; I’m wondering if this is truly the life I want. Not family, but career, of course, I love movies! I am absolutely passionate about them. But could there be something else that brings this much fun, passion, challenge—or more? Remember? I’ve thought about being a zoologist, an explorer, a basketball player, a wandering bard… I guess not like this.”

In the bathroom, Wang Yang was engrossed in talking to the man in the mirror, both figures sporting stubble on their faces.

This wasn’t about happiness or contentment, it was just that he found his passion for filmmaking had changed. He was genuinely interested in “I Am Legend,” but with the recent submersion into nature, the emotional drive to direct “Firefly” and “500 Days of Summer” was fading fast, yet he still lacked that thrill of engagement. It seemed to turn into a steady stream of warmth, with an understanding and grasp of characters and stories. He knew what the set needed but just couldn’t find that excitement! This wasn’t the directing emotion he wanted.

Was it an inevitable part of maturing? Or were his successes consuming his drive? That was the terrifying aspect of aging: both successes and failures tend to weaken a person’s fighting spirit, and he didn’t want that…

“Damn it!” Wang Yang punched the basin hard, grimacing in pain. How could this be? The chuckling voice of Robert Zemeckis from the other day echoed in his ears.

“Of course, it’s like this. After ‘Back to the Future,’ I took almost a year off; after ‘Forrest Gump,’ I took two years; after ‘Contact,’ I took another year. When filming ‘Cast Away,’ I was shooting ‘What Lies Beneath’ at the same time, which was very exciting, and the thrill came back; afterward, as you know, I took two more years off before shooting ‘The Polar Express.’ Yang, the passion for making your first film and your eleventh can’t possibly be the same. You’re already incredible—don’t be too hard on yourself. Ten movies at 26, I only have thirteen now, and I’m 55 this year.”

Take a year, two years off? The man in the mirror stroked the stubble on his chin and cheek, and Wang Yang for the first time seriously entertained the idea of taking an extended vacation. Maybe just take a few months off, spend time with the kids, and search for that feeling? That way, Jessica could host the MTV Movie Awards ceremony…

“Yang, it’s completely normal to be tired. You’re young, but you really are an old-timer, your 11th film! Just crossed 1.8 billion at the box office, 14 Oscar nominations,” Zemeckis emphasized with increased intensity. He had lived through it himself. ‘Forrest Gump’ with its 677 million global box office, 13 Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. Witnessing such pinnacle success brought immense joy and satisfaction, once satisfied, a sense of calm would follow. Moreover, the exhaustion from the awards season prompted him to take a very long break after ‘Forrest Gump’.

Zemeckis shared his experience from back then and added, “There’s no shame in it, we all go through this. You need time to take it all in. But rest is rest, you must find some enjoyment for yourself, some novelty. Like how I filmed my 11th and 12th movies at the same time, and since I haven’t yet mastered motion capture technology and IMAX-3D technology, I’m not resting. Find some fun for yourself, old-timer! Hahaha!”

His hearty laughter still ringing in his ears, Wang Yang reached for the shaving cream and pondered while squeezing some out—taking an extended break really wasn’t shameful. He’d been non-stop busy for years now…

“Honey, what are you doing? Hurry up, we need to leave!” Jessica’s voice came from outside. It seemed a bit inappropriate to indulge in this fuss and contemplation during one’s birthday, especially since Jessica had meticulously planned a “Wonderful Birthday Day.” With his face covered in shaving cream, Wang Yang called out, “I’m shaving.” Or maybe!!! Suddenly a thought flashed through his mind. Film simultaneously for real? His heart suddenly skipped a beat. That was the feeling! The man in the mirror showed a playful, surprised smile. It indeed felt novel… Wang Yang started shaving with the razor buzzing, and he smiled, “I’ll find the answer.”

“Haven’t you finished shaving yet? How long has it been? Baby, you really are vain!” At the bathroom doorway, Jessica leaned in to tease him, sticking out her tongue and making a face, laughing and then turning to walk away. Wang Yang continued shaving while murmuring with a smile, “Not as vain as you are.”

The day was indeed splendid—scenic views along the coastline, picnicking, going out to sea to fish, watching the sunset… Returning to the hotel restaurant for a birthday dinner, Wang Yang’s 26th birthday wish was for “Keke to grow up healthy and happy.” And that night, the love-filled birthday gift from Jessica was really great.

As the weekend came to a close, so did the holiday, and Wang Yang’s family returned to Los Angeles happily to start his life at 26 back at work. He decided to skip the various award ceremonies whenever possible, because if he became too mentally and physically exhausted, he might truly need an extended break. However, that had not happened yet. Although his heart did not beat as passionately and intensely, when Wang Yang threw himself into work, he still gave it his all.

The most important task at hand was the preparation for ‘I Am Legend.’ The filming location had been fixed on New York, and Akiva Goldsman was naturally very pleased. But with the decision made, the challenges of location scouting were laid out on the table.

“We must secure as many filming permits for famous areas and landmarks as possible. I know it’s tough, but do your best!”

Producers and executives filled the sides of the office meeting table, with Akiva Goldsman, Michael Tadross, and others nodding in agreement. Then, from the head of the table, Wang Yang continued, “This is not about picking scenes for the script; it is about what places we can secure the right to block off for filming. I have no issues with that. Grand Central Station, Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn Bridge, Washington Square Park, Madison Square Garden…”

Listening to Wang Yang, everyone looked at their laptops and files, and he pointed at Tadross, introducing, “Michael is our main lobbyist.” Michael Tadross humbly took over the conversation, “I just happen to know some people at the New York City Hall. We should be able to secure parts of Fifth Avenue and Washington Square Park, but other places are not guaranteed; Times Square is definitely not possible.”

“Yes, it’s too difficult.” Wang Yang never harbored the insane thought of blocking off Times Square; it just wasn’t feasible, unless New York somehow turned into a ghost town. Otherwise, “The Crossroads of the World” would always bustle with activity. But he wondered, if it had to be done, how could it be accomplished?

He actually came up with a crazy idea: place a regular package at the location he wanted to film, then have it discovered as a “suspicious package.” The police would secure the area, the bomb squad would arrive to inspect the package, which turned out to be just a box of flowers, and the blockade would be lifted…

One, while the police had Times Square blocked off, he would take the crew to “risk their lives” and capture a few shots of Neville moving around, some empty shots; ten minutes would suffice, five even. The problem is the police would never agree, and the crew would not take the risk; two, the crew would already be filming on location when the incident occurred. Once the police cleared the area and everyone left, the crew would finish filming the desired shots before leaving—the problem is the same as in the first plan, but this one is more feasible; three, as soon as the crew “learned” that Times Square was blocked off, they would rush to the site and, once the blockade was lifted, quickly start filming. This was the most viable plan.

But in reality, the biggest problem was the parcel suspected of being left by a terrorist, or something like a bomb… If it leaked out that he had orchestrated this “prank,” he might have to return to Rek Island, with unthinkable and terrible consequences, so it was best not to consider it.

“Do you guys have any ideas?” Wang Yang asked, looking around at everyone, hoping someone would come up with a viable, normal way. He dreamed of securing Times Square as a location! It would be a hugely beautiful, iconic shot.

Nevertheless, everyone shook their heads; not even a crazy idea, other than lobbying the government. Seeing Wang Yang’s frown of frustration, Goldsman advised, “Yang, give up the idea of on-location shooting, there are plenty of shots techniques, special effects methods.” Of course, Wang Yang understood, but he did not want to settle for a set that was just “vaguely recognizable,” he wanted the post-apocalyptic look of New York, as well as the highest possible level of immersion—an authentic Times Square! Wang Yang sighed, “Alright, if it doesn’t work, we’ll try a combination of miniatures, green screens, and CGI removal effects.”

The visual effects work for “I Am Legend” would be considerable, including some of the animals shown, as well as the new human race infected with the virus. However, he had not decided what the infected would look like; if makeup alone sufficed, CGI wouldn’t be necessary. But if CGI was used, he would not tolerate it being textureless like the WB adaptation.@@novelbin@@

“Yang, I’ve been thinking, securing locations might cause quite a bit of public annoyance. The media will also be paying attention.” Tadross reminded him, as this could impact “I Am Legend,” the film crew, Wang Yang, and Flame Pictures, and given his celebrity status, New York media would not miss out on these controversies. Perhaps by then, many would come out to criticize him, and if Wang Yang’s attitude was even slightly arrogant or negative, it would be precisely the scenario the New York media desired.

“Not might, definitely will.” Wang Yang nodded in agreement. He had attempted blocking off locations before, the earliest during filming of “The Pursuit of Happyness” in San Francisco’s Chinatown—just half a day’s closure, and one disgruntled uncle made it clear that was his turf! New York was different. But these situations were unavoidable; blockades would invite controversy. Wang Yang contemplated and then said, “When the time comes, we’ll need to be careful with our attitude, and furthermore, we could do some charity work for the blocked-off neighborhoods and other New York communities.”

This was perhaps the best way to soothe public discontent, and everyone agreed, moving on to discuss the next item of pre-production. The clock on the wall ticked away, and after a considerable time had passed, Wang Yang assigned tasks for the preparations, and the meeting was finally adjourned.

Although “I Am Legend” had only Will Smith as the human lead, his salary eclipsed the production budget of a mid-to-low budget film; the budget for “I Am Legend” was between $150 million and $200 million, depending on how many scenes would eventually be shot with an IMAX camera. This could rival or even exceed that of “Firefly.” However, unlike the expenses for “Firefly,” which were mostly due to special effects, the high costs for “I Am Legend” were anticipated due to the prolonged filming causing doubled crew wages, location fees, and other expenses. Unless filming moved to a Hollywood studio, which would drop the budget to around $100 million, but that was out of the question.

“Kristen, hello! Please have a seat. It’s great to meet you,” Wang Yang said as he returned to the chairman’s office and met with Kristen Wiig, who had made an appointment.

Kristen Wiig, dressed in a light purplish-red top and black slacks, had a friendly but nervous expression. Although she grew up in an artistic household and majored in art in college before dropping out to struggle in the industry for years, meeting Wang Yang, who was seven years her junior, still felt unnerving. It could be a pivotal moment in her acting career! She laughed, “Hehe! It’s my pleasure, Amazing Yang. I kind of feel like I’m on ‘SNL’ right now, like I’m in a parody. Wow.”

“Ha, not at all,” Wang Yang said with a smile and got straight down to business. “You know, I’ve always watched ‘SNL,’ and I’m amazed by your comedic talent. It’s fantastic!” (

The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!