*Chapter 238: Learning to Reconcile with Opponents*

In early June, Richard arrived in Marseille.

Marseille is in southern France, near the Mediterranean Sea. The opening scene of the film features a group of fishermen in the Mediterranean encountering Bourne, who is floating on the sea.

After being rescued, Bourne, having lost his memory, lived with the fishermen on the boat for a while before coming ashore to investigate the question, "Who am I?"

"Hey, Richard!"

Outside the production office in Marseille, Richard ran into the producer, Patrick Crowley.

Crowley was very enthusiastic when he saw Richard. From the beginning, he supported Richard playing the role of Bourne.

The reason was simple: Richard was a superstar boxer and a big-name actor, yet a highly skilled action performer proficient in combat and firearms. His salary was also less than Matt Damon’s $20 million, making him a cost-effective choice.

Now, Crowley was even more convinced of his initial choice. The Fast and the Furious had been a box office smash, defeating the Matt Damon and Ben Affleck-led Pearl Harbor in its second week, further boosting Richard's fame.

The Fast and the Furious was also a Universal project.

Through this film, Richard had proven his value, influence, and strong box office appeal.

In June, Vanity Fair's commercial value ranking placed Richard 20th among male actors, not much lower than Matt Damon.

This showed that the production team's choice was correct, and it also validated Crowley’s insistence.

"Pat, how’s the crew's preparation going?" Richard asked with a smile as he shook Crowley’s hand.

"Very smoothly!"

The crew had come to Europe over a month ago for preparations, and Crowley had been involved the entire time. With the preliminary work nearly done, they were ready to start shooting. He glanced at the director’s area,

"Richard, Director Liman didn’t support you at first, not because he had any bias against you, but due to differing visions. So don’t take it to heart, especially since you already have the role."

"Pat, I understand. I’ll have a serious talk with Director Liman later, to hear his opinions and guidance."

Richard smiled.

"Haha, that’s great. You two are the key to this project. If you can understand and support each other, the filming will go much more smoothly."

"Exactly!"

Richard chuckled. In Hollywood, the support of the studio and production team was crucial, but within the crew, the director’s support was most important. If the relationship with the director was not harmonious, the actor could face significant difficulties during filming, possibly even being pressured to quit, which would be a major hassle.

Richard just wanted to quietly shoot the movie without causing unnecessary trouble on set, so building a good relationship with Director Doug Liman was essential.

Arriving at the director’s workspace, he knocked on the door.

The door opened, and the room was filled with smoke. A group of heavy smokers were gathered, chatting and smoking. Among them were Director Doug Liman, Assistant Director Félix Baudouin, Assistant Director Dimitris, Cinematographer Oliver Wood, and Screenwriter Tony Gilroy.

A director’s script, the movie’s shooting outline, was on the table in the middle, and they were discussing filming issues.

"Hey, everyone, good afternoon!"

Richard greeted them.

"Hey, Richard, you’re just in time. We were discussing the character setup."

Screenwriter Tony Gilroy said, "Initially, our character design was for an ordinary-looking civilian agent, someone who could blend into the crowd—this was more in line with Matt Damon’s look.

But you’re a boxing champion, handsome, with a strong physique—you stand out in a crowd. So, the director’s team wasn’t sure about you at first; I hope you understand."

"Is that the reason?"

Richard smiled. "I thought you didn’t think my acting was good enough. Well, I admit that my acting experience is relatively lacking, but I’ll work hard to do my best and bring out the best Bourne. I just hope we can put aside our differences for now and focus on making this movie great."

"Haha, of course! We’re all on the same team now; we should deepen our cooperation. Doug, what’s your take?"

Tony Gilroy, the screenwriter, laughed.

As a screenwriter, Tony was actually satisfied with both Richard and Matt as candidates. Richard excelled in action scenes and had a cool appearance that fit the role of a tough agent, while Matt had strong acting skills and could bring depth to the character.

If Richard could elevate his performance, giving Bourne more depth, then choosing Richard would undoubtedly be the perfect decision.

Cough, cough~Director Doug Liman took a drag from his cigarette and coughed twice. "Richard, Tony was right earlier. Your appearance is indeed too striking. Originally, our plan was to portray Bourne as a civilian hero, a type of agent that seems like someone who could be around anyone."

"But you," Liman continued, "clearly don't fit that mold. Your agent is closer to the style of '007'. Now that we've cast you, we need to make some changes to the script. This isn't a small task. Since you're here, I’d like to invite you to join the creative team to design a new, distinct version of Bourne that aligns with your image. How about that?"

"Thank you, Director Liman," Richard replied, "I'd be happy to participate, but I believe the original script's civilian hero concept is great and doesn't need major changes. I can play a civilian agent."

Facing the skeptical looks from the group, Richard lit a cigarette and added, "I’m originally a civilian—always have been. I’ve encountered gang members, even been involved in gang fights. I've also met real agents, both overt and covert."

"I don’t think my appearance will affect the character’s setup because I’m not as cool as you think. On the boxing ring or in films, fans like me to be cool, so I play the part. But that’s not the real me. The real me is a laid-back, confused, and utterly ordinary person."

Richard shrugged.

The group stared at him in surprise. Until now, their perception of Richard had been based on his on-screen and in-ring persona—cool, with a sharp, cold aura, like a gleaming blade. When he entered the room earlier, he exuded the vibe of a ruthless agent, not the more relatable Bourne from the script.

However, as Richard picked up the cigarette and spoke, his image began to shift. He appeared more relaxed, somber, and even a bit lost. He transformed from a twenty-something idol to a mature, steady middle-aged man with deep, soulful eyes, seemingly filled with life stories.

The most surprising thing was how naturally this change occurred. It didn’t feel forced at all. It was as if this was the real Richard, not just another persona he was acting out.

"I think the idea of a more relatable agent is great," Richard said. "If we change it too much, the film will turn into something like 'Mission: Impossible' or '007,' losing its unique flavor. So I hope everyone will reconsider."

The group exchanged glances, agreeing that perhaps they could keep Richard's character more grounded. A little extra charm wouldn’t hurt as long as the emotions and essence were spot on.

"Maybe we can give Richard a more ordinary hairstyle, something like a short, choppy cut," suggested Assistant Director Félix Baudouin.

"Yes, Richard, you could grow some stubble, go for a slightly unkempt look," added Assistant Director Dimitris.

"Richard, your eyes could be more melancholic, deeper. Your profile is very artistic; it would look fantastic on screen," Cinematographer Oliver Wood chimed in, framing Richard’s face with his fingers.

Cough, cough Director Doug Liman shook his head. "Oliver, don’t get carried away. This isn’t an art film. Richard's appearance does need some adjustment, but let's leave that to the professionals."

"Alright, then does the director’s script need major revisions?" asked Screenwriter Tony Gilroy.

Director Liman thought for a moment, frowning. "For now, no. Let’s shoot a few test scenes first."

"That’s great. I also think changing it would lose the movie’s unique quality. It’s better to keep it as is. Plus, we should have more confidence in Richard," Assistant Director Félix Baudouin said.

"Alright, let's start with some test shots."

—

(End of Chapter)