Actually, the Director choosing Nolan is quite good.
While the big Directors in Hollywood are famous and have box office appeal, their high prices are one factor, and their difficulty to control is also a very important reason Aoki Haruhi considered.
Just think, if the movie were given to Cameron, he would completely shoot it according to his own ideas.
Although he is very talented, and Aoki Haruhi believes that with his ability, he could also shoot a different kind of sci-fi blockbuster, would it deviate too much from his vision? And in terms of casting, would Cameron have other ideas and not use Keanu Reeves?
These are all major variables.
The bigger the name of the Director, the more personal characteristics and ideas he has, and the harder it is to shoot according to a pre-set plan.
Especially since Moon River is a Japan company, although Moon River International Film Distribution Company has also started in the United States, it is ultimately not a local film industry.
Towards outsiders, these Hollywood people are somewhat disdainful and exclusive.
If Ichihashi Fumie hadn't lobbied, Aoki Haruhi estimated that he wouldn't even have had the chance to step into their domain.
But Nolan is different.
Nolan is still a new Director, the kind who is completely unknown.
He has a wealth of talent, and he is just struggling because he has no way to display it.
If he were to be uplifted at this time, and such an important trilogy were handed over to him, Nolan would, no matter what, feel grateful to Moon River.
This is the kindness of a benefactor; moreover, Moon River is truly wealthy and powerful.
Everyone gets what they need, and it's a perfect match.
Aoki Haruhi can make some adjustments based on his talent to ensure that the movie does not differ too much from his imagination.
Moreover, according to Ichihashi Fumie's account, he actually trusts Nolan's ability very much.
This guy has directed various Batman films and Inception; in terms of style, Nolan's The Dark Knight is somewhat similar to The Matrix.
...
Regarding the filming of pokeni, the choice of Director has been widely publicized by various media outlets during this period.
Although this is a Japan-led company, because it has been linked with Cameron, Quentin, and Martin Scorsese, many people are still very interested in who will ultimately be chosen as the Director.
The most surprising thing is that these big Directors seemed to have gone crazy, actually agreeing to accept the invitation.
Especially Cameron, this person had just finished producing titanic and hadn't even thought about taking a break before immediately throwing himself into the next shoot, which is enough to explain the problem.
Although Cameron didn't explicitly say so, he just smiled very happily when facing the media, stating that anything is possible, and if he encounters a good script, why not consider it?
The media and many audiences speculated that it might really be as Cameron said, that the script was indeed too good, which moved him.
Another possibility is that the price and treatment offered by Moon River were too generous, reaching a level that Cameron and Quentin could not refuse.
Although Directors have their own ideas, sometimes they also have to consider money.
Especially now that titanic has not yet been released, many outsiders are not optimistic about this movie. Cameron spent nearly 200 million dollars before and after, emptying 20th Century Forbes to complete the film, and it is very likely that financial problems will arise.
So, from the public's perception, the latter possibility is greater.
...
However, not long after, Cameron received a call from Ichihashi Fumie at Moon River.
During the call, Ichihashi Fumie expressed her admiration for him, and also stated that due to Moon River's reasons, a cooperation agreement could not be reached.
"Yes, yes, I'm sorry, I look forward to working with you next time."
Cameron hung up the phone, half-buried in thought.
This situation is actually understandable; after all, the Producer choosing a Director is also a two-way selection, and it doesn't necessarily mean that it will be finalized in the end.
If they didn't use him, there's a high probability there's a better candidate, right?
Ichihashi Fumie successively called the other Directors to apologize and stated that although they could not cooperate this time, they were still very much looking forward to it in the future.
Every time Ichihashi Fumie made a call, her heart bled.
Although choosing Nolan was also her responsibility, after Aoki Haruhi made the final decision, there was still a slight feeling of discomfort.
So many big-name Directors, given up just like that.
Changing Directors is commonplace in Hollywood.
Especially since this can't even be called changing Directors; the Producers originally had the right to choose their preferred candidate among multiple options.
...
Just as everyone was wondering whether the Director of Moon River's new movie would be Cameron, Quentin, or Martin Scorsese, these rumors were soon debunked by official Moon River news.
Because in Moon River's official website and released news, it was announced:
They have found a very suitable film Director. Although this person is still relatively young and has only directed one film before, after in-depth discussions between the Producer and him, they were ultimately moved and convinced by the other party's talent, and thus decided to hand over the Director's scepter to this young man.
And the young Director's name is—
Christopher Nolan
Cameron was completely stunned.
"Moon River didn't use me, that's fine."
It's just that—
"They chose a Nolan, who is Nolan?!"
Whether they chose Quentin or Martin Scorsese, Cameron would have found it acceptable.
After all, everyone is relatively familiar, and they are prominent figures in Hollywood; everyone knows each other's talents.
Their fame is also established.
But—
What the hell is Nolan?!
Moon River ultimately didn't choose any of the three big Directors, opting for a new person who couldn't be newer?
To say Nolan is stronger than him, Cameron would be the first to disagree.
...
Not only was Cameron stunned, but Quentin and Martin Scorsese also looked incredibly surprised.
"Nolan, who is this person?"
Why not Cameron?
Why not Quentin?
Why not Martin Scorsese?
The big Directors were all full of questions.
There seemed to be no reason to choose a young, almost inexperienced new Director over them.
Directing itself requires a lot of experience, and they can also guarantee box office success; at least, entrusting the film to any one of the three would ensure a good movie.
While feeling dissatisfied with Moon River's choice of Director, several people also felt pity for The Matrix.
"Alas... this is such a pity. Such a good script, wasted because Moon River doesn't know what it's doing." Martin Scorsese felt extremely upset.
This feeling was one of heartache over a good thing being ruined.
It wasn't entirely anger at being abandoned by Moon River.
In fact, Quentin and Cameron probably had similar thoughts.
...
Not to mention the three big Directors found it incredible, the media and audience were also completely shocked when they saw the relevant reports and Moon River's official news.
Who is Nolan?
This was the first question, and quite a few reporters had already started digging into Nolan's history.
However, after digging, they all found it particularly ridiculous—
Christopher Nolan, he was as clean as a blank slate.
In 1996, this guy used only $6,000 and his "16mm" club friends to shoot his first truly meaningful film, Following.
And this little-heard-of film was this young Director's only achievement to date.
There was no way he could possibly direct a big-budget film exceeding 150 million dollars.
Although no one knew what the content of the film Moon River was about to shoot would be, the Producer had revealed something about the budget.
Ultimately, amidst widespread shock and gossip, the only conclusion reached was—
Moon River is truly a foreign company with more money than sense.
The entry of outsiders into the film industry was already enough to raise questions and seem laughable, but now it was even more dramatic.
An inexperienced company using an inexperienced Director.
No matter how much money they had, it would probably end in a loss.
Countless people were already prepared to watch Moon River become a laughingstock.
...
After the Director for The Matrix was confirmed, the next step was casting.
If things went well, along with the preparation time, filming should be able to start by the end of this year.
And the earlier film, my robot girlfriend, was already in production.
Relatively speaking, the filming process for my robot girlfriend would be much easier, and not just a little bit easier; essentially, my robot girlfriend is a romance film with a sci-fi exterior but a romance core.
Many scene elements are very everyday.
Ichihashi Fumie's estimated filming schedule is that it should be fully completed by October this year. Even with post-production special effects, it shouldn't take much time, and it should be finished by December.
Then, setting the release date for March, April, or even earlier in February of next year would be good.
Aoki Haruhi stated that my robot girlfriend should follow the current process, and it would be better to release it in April next year.
The main reason is that while my robot girlfriend and The Matrix both appear to be movies and are both sci-fi films, they have fundamental differences.
If it's primarily a romance, the game should be released first, because the game mainly focuses on character design and plot, and the gameplay of galgames is relatively weak. If even the plot is spoiled by the movie, no matter how good the movie is, it's actually difficult to provide enough attraction.
Therefore, Pokeni's galgames are usually made into related animations only after the game has been released for some time, about half a year to a year later. "proposal daisakusen" also had a TV series only after the game came out.
However, "The Matrix" is different. If "The Matrix" movie is released first, it can instead stimulate players' curiosity, because the main selling point in the game is no longer the plot, but various gorgeous action and gunfight sequences. Gameplay is the core.
Making it a third-person action-shooter game with action-adventure elements as its core, this is the main selling point of the game.
Of course, there are also the gorgeous special effects and brand-new engine effects in the game, which are the biggest reliance of "The Matrix" game.
Different cards are played differently in Aoki Haruhi's hands.
Ichihashi Fumie, who deeply understood this point, expressed that the Producer is truly a design genius. Not only can he create such an excellent script, but he has also considered the future sequence of promotional strategies.
...
The production of the movie is being actively carried out. During the remaining time, Aoki Haruhi will focus his main energy on the game.
August 29, 1997.
Tokyo.
Arts Vision Talent Agency.
Kotono Mitsuishi finished her voice acting work early and returned to the company.
Hayashibara Megumi, a senior next to her, looked at her strangely.
Kotono Mitsuishi appeared exceptionally calm, blinking her eyes occasionally. The sunlight outside shone on Mitsuishi's face, giving off a serene and peaceful vibe.
After a while, Hayashibara Megumi couldn't bear it anymore and walked behind Mitsuishi, embracing her.
"Huh?"
Mitsuishi was stunned for a moment and asked, confused, "Senior, what are you doing?"
"Kotono-chan, if you want to cry, just cry. There's no one else here. I'll comfort you well."
Hayashibara Megumi, as a senior, said gently and considerately.
"Huh?" Mitsuishi looked surprised, "Why would I cry? Senior, did something happen?"
The next second, Hayashibara Megumi, who had carefully examined her, widened her eyes in surprise, "Didn't you go to voice act for Pokeni's new game?"
"Yes, that's right. The voice recording went very smoothly this time. It finished in the morning."
Kotono Mitsuishi looked particularly happy.
For this "Fate/Stay Night" voice recording, Aoki Haruhi basically found the original cast.
Saber, also known as Arthur Artoria, was voiced by Ayako Kawasumi, and Matou Shinji was voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya...
Only the other two female protagonists, Sakura and Tohsaka Rin, couldn't find their original voice actors, mainly because they were too young and hadn't debuted yet. So Kotono Mitsuishi was asked to voice Tohsaka Rin.
Matou Sakura was voiced by another of Pokeni's regular voice actresses, Tomoko Kawakami.
Anyway, voice actors are all monsters. After listening a few times, Aoki Haruhi was personally very satisfied. Although there were slight differences in timbre, it was undeniable that—
Kotono Mitsuishi could still interpret the character of Tohsaka Rin very well.
However, what puzzled Hayashibara Megumi was why Mitsuishi could be so calm after doing the voice acting.
"How did you do that?
Voicing for Pokeni's game must be very hard, right?
Don't you feel any emotional impact?
Or have you gotten used to it?"
At this point, Hayashibara Megumi felt a pang of heartache.
If one gets used to it, this sorrow becomes even heavier. Moreover, for a voice actor, if their emotions collapse due to voice acting, and they pretend that nothing happened to numb themselves,
it will be difficult to get into character in the future, and their career will end there.
A voice actor, after all, is just reinterpreting a character through their voice. Like an actor, they need to fully immerse themselves, even more deeply than the actor themselves, to truly perform and experience the character's feelings. Only then can they become a qualified voice actor.
Therefore, voicing for Pokeni's game is a huge shock and damage to the voice actor's soul every time.
If this continues, Hayashibara Megumi would naturally doubt Kotono Mitsuishi's mental state.
However, Kotono Mitsuishi just blinked and looked at her, puzzled.
After a brief thought, Kotono Mitsuishi laughed out loud.
"What's wrong?"
Oh no, this person is going crazy!
Hayashibara Megumi couldn't help but feel sympathy. Poor child.
Kotono Mitsuishi reached out and took her hand, "Senior, this Pokeni game isn't cruel at all."
"Huh?"
"Well, I can't say it's not cruel at all, but it's not what you imagine. The female characters in the game are actually quite strong, and they all have their own ideals and missions.
The character I voiced actually has a pretty good life throughout the game."
How could it not be good?
Tohsaka Rin is Nasu Kinoko's legendary biological daughter!
Throughout the game, Tohsaka Rin is the only one who hasn't suffered any harm and has a loyal guardian. No matter which route it is, Tohsaka Rin is the happiest one.
Not only does she have the protection of Heroic Spirits, but she also has her sister's love, and the male protagonist Wei Gong Shirou's love...
She's simply a girl surrounded by love.
Although there were some twists and turns in between, from the overall perspective and the ending, Kotono Mitsuishi felt that—
Pokeni was too good to her this time.
After so many years of cooperation, Aoki Haruhi almost treated her as Pokeni's exclusive voice actress, a standard female protagonist.
And not only in the game, but she is still the voice of the original female protagonist in the TV anime as well.
After Kotono Mitsuishi's explanation, Hayashibara Megumi initially couldn't quite believe it, but after multiple confirmations and inquiries, and understanding the game's plot, she finally believed what Mitsuishi said.
Hayashibara Megumi was utterly shocked. Is this still the Pokeni I know?
"How could this be? They're actually so kind?"
"Has Pokeni changed its ways? Or have they had a change of heart, feeling that they were too cruel to you before, so this time they specifically gave you a female character with a good experience?"
"Hmm... well..."
Kotono Mitsuishi tilted her head, carefully pondering what to say next.
"Whether it's a change of heart, I can't confirm, and as for changing their ways, probably not."
If Pokeni really had a change of heart, it would feel like the sun could rise from the west.
Kotono Mitsuishi herself couldn't believe it when she said it.
"Should I say they're expanding their audience? It's hard to say."
Kotono Mitsuishi hesitated for a moment, then suddenly remembered, "Oh, that's right! It seems like the production team has changed this time. Both the script Author and the Producer are new!
The script Author's name is super funny, something like Nasu Kinoko.
I remembered it right away."
Kotono Mitsuishi laughed happily.
"No wonder..." Hayashibara Megumi finally completely relaxed and nodded seriously, "So it's new people, huh? It seems the new people aren't very harsh. They should be good kids, right?
I hope this 'Nasu Kinoko' won't be led astray by Furuhara Tsubaki, Gen Urobuchi, and Maeda Jun."
...
...
Starting in September, Pokeni's new work, "Fate/Stay Night," officially entered the promotion and distribution phase.
Various channels, media, television, and advertisements were fully rolled out.
On September 5th, the FSN PV was broadcast on TV Tokyo:
This day happened to be a weekend. After Yamada Masaharu finished work, he sat at home, waiting punctually for the broadcast of Pokeni's new work PV.
Before this, he had already learned through advertisements and media magazines that—
This would be a galgame produced by Pokeni.
For someone without a girlfriend, Pokeni's galgames truly had no resistance.
Although Old Thief Furuhara abandoned good galgames to make strategy games, in Yamada Masaharu's mind, Pokeni's galgames were still the gods in that field.
With highly skilled original artists, strong technical programmers, and script Authors whom people both love and hate, as long as Pokeni's high-level management doesn't mess up, there won't be any problems with their galgames.
To this day, Yamada Masaharu still believes this.
He had already seen the poster, and he had to admit that Pokeni's original artists were truly amazing. The character design and the tension of the combat portrayal in the poster were enough to attract him.
He had originally thought the new work would be a school romance-style galgame, but judging from the poster, it didn't seem to be what he had imagined.
But it also didn't look much like onmyoji, more like a modern warfare game.
In short, he was still very curious about the new work, not only about the characters but also the world-building.
Therefore, Yamada Masaharu was very much looking forward to the PV that was about to be broadcast today.
At 7 PM, the FSN PV played on time:
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