*Chapter 231: The New Role is Confirmed*

"Sergeant Eversmann!"

At the military shooting range, Richard was instructing a new recruit on shooting techniques. Dressed in full military gear, with a wide-brimmed hat and a whistle in hand, he walked out of the range upon hearing someone call his name.

A veteran was leading the new recruit, Todd Blackburn (played by Orlando Bloom), towards him.

"Sir, I'm Private Blackburn," Todd said.

"What's the matter?" Eversmann asked.

"I'm here to report for duty!" Todd responded eagerly.

"You should report to Lieutenant Beales; he's nearby," Eversmann replied, glancing to the side.

"The lieutenant instructed me to hand him over to you," the veteran said.

"Alright then," Eversmann agreed.

After the veteran left, Eversmann stepped closer to Todd and looked him over.

"You brought your rifle with you," Eversmann noted.

"Yes, sir! I'm not tired. Can I practice my shooting?" Todd asked with a hopeful expression.

Eversmann smiled slightly, "When did you arrive?"

"Just now!"

"Cut! Well done!"

With the dialogue scenes wrapped up, the crew moved on to filming the interactions between the soldiers during their downtime. These scenes were more common in the first half of the movie, before the start of Operation Gothic Serpent.

Since the actors were familiar with each other and had rehearsed multiple times, the filming went smoothly.

While Richard was busy with the shoot, news came from New Century Pictures.

Considering that "Rock n' Roll Barbie" was the company's first project and they had limited funds, the team decided to sell the rights to the film early to recover costs. This approach was deemed more appropriate for the company's financial situation.

This move would also ensure the smooth progression of the next project. Waiting for profits from box office shares would take at least two years.

Afterward, General Manager Frank Marshall led negotiations with distributors across various regions.

The distribution rights for the U.S. and Canada were sold for $3 million. In Europe, including countries like Germany, France, the U.K., and the Netherlands, they sold for a total of $3.2 million. Latin America and East Asia fetched another $1 million.

With a total investment of $5.5 million, the film's rights were sold for $7.2 million.

Considering it was a small genre film that managed to win awards without losing money, the outcome was quite favorable. Richard planned to distribute bonuses to everyone when he returned.

As the first project neared completion, the company began preparations for the next project, "Crash." Due to producer Copson's age, the company decided to assign this project to another producer, with Copson overseeing from headquarters, only providing final approval.

Richard agreed with this decision. If they overworked the old man, the company would lose a key pillar of support.

"Frank, how's your health?" Richard asked.

Frank Marshall, the company's de facto leader, had previously changed jobs due to cancer, prompting Richard to inquire.

"Haha, don't worry, Richard. I go for regular check-ups every month. I'm a very cautious person when it comes to health," Frank Marshall replied with a laugh.

"That's good to hear. The company is in good hands with you."

"Richard, there's another matter. The company is considering establishing a distribution department. What do you think?"

"Do we have the capacity for that? The company is only a year old," Richard questioned.

"Haha, don't worry. Distribution capabilities come in different sizes. We may not be able to handle big commercial blockbusters yet, but we can start by distributing smaller genre films like 'Rock n' Roll Barbie' and gradually build from there," Frank explained.

"In that case, I have no objections."

After chatting for a bit, Richard heard the crew calling for him. He put down his phone, grabbed his rifle, and charged into the smoke-filled set.

After two weeks of filming, the crew was in the midst of shooting urban warfare scenes.

Once the team entered the city, the locals set car tires on fire, signaling the militia.

Sergeant Eversmann's fourth squad was supposed to coordinate with other teams to destroy Warlord Aidid's stronghold once they entered the city.

However, during the operation, their helicopter came under fire from the militia.

"RPG!" Eversmann shouted from the helicopter.

A rocket was launched, and the helicopter wobbled in the air. New recruit Todd Blackburn, standing at the door and holding a rope, was about to rappel down when he accidentally fell.

At that moment, the helicopter was 70 feet above the ground, and Blackburn hit the ground hard.

Eversmann quickly assessed the situation, put on his goggles, and descended the rope to the ground. Amidst the hail of bullets, he rushed to Blackburn's side, who had fallen unconscious.

"Medic! Medic Smith, get over here, now!" Eversmann called for the squad's medic and used his radio to request backup.

"J64, this is the fourth squad. We have a man down. Get him out of here!"

"Please repeat that!" the voice on the other end crackled.

"We have a man down!" Eversmann shouted.

"Cut!"

Director Ridley looked at the camera and felt that the overall atmosphere wasn't tense enough, so he made some changes around the set.

He spread a lot of dust on the street, so that when the helicopter hovered in the air, the dust on the ground would disperse in all directions, creating a spectacular scene with billowing smoke and dust.

However, during the shooting, Richard suffered.

Under the fierce wind from the helicopter blades, there was a lot of dust on the street. He stood in the middle of it for over forty minutes, and his body, nose, and mouth were all filled with dust.

"Haha, Richard, you look like a clay figure," Orlando said, laughing as he lay on the ground.

"So do you!" Richard replied, pinching his nose.

"Actors, get ready. Scene 5, take 1, start!"

The shooting continued.

Since this film involved many ensemble scenes, the main character didn't have too many scenes. Sometimes, he had three or four scenes in a day, and sometimes he didn't need to be on set for two or three days. When he wasn't scheduled, he stayed with the crew to train, practicing boxing, and sometimes special forces members would challenge him to shooting contests.

Especially during the second shooting competition, when he defeated the Ranger Captain Dennis, many soldiers started to challenge him.

Richard accepted all comers, using up a lot of ammunition, and his shooting skills became even more proficient.

Bang, bang, bang~

At the shooting range, Richard held a Glock 18C handgun and aimed at a moving target in the distance, hitting one after another.

The Glock 18C is one of Austria's most well-known handguns, with an 18-round capacity, high shooting accuracy, strong stability, and a good feel. It is also one of the standard models used by special forces. Richard owned one of these handguns as well.

"Richard, phone call!" Mike walked over with a phone.

"Whose is it?" Richard asked, taking off his ear protection.

"Anthony."

Richard answered the phone, "Anthony, how's the role situation?"

"Haha, it's settled!" Anthony laughed.

After a period of back-and-forth negotiations, both sides finally agreed on a deal. Richard's pay was set at a $5 million base salary plus 5% of the North American box office revenue, meaning that the film would need to make at least $100 million for him to break even.

"Didn't you say last time that it was off?" Richard asked.

"You probably didn't read the entertainment news. Last month, Matt Damon and Winona broke up. They were already engaged, but recently, someone photographed Matt Damon getting cozy with Spanish actress Penélope Cruz. Winona was also seen with a bruised face going to the doctor alone, which sparked a lot of discussion. Some people accused Matt of domestic violence, so Matt quickly did some damage control.

We took advantage of the situation by proposing a revenue-sharing deal, showing our willingness to stand with the production team. At the same time, we reached out to the top executives at Universal Pictures and got their support. If Doug Liman didn't agree, the production team was considering replacing the director.

Hearing the rumors, Doug Liman had no choice but to give in, and we successfully secured the contract."

"Well done!" Richard laughed.

"Richard, the crew is expected to start shooting around June. You need to be ready; otherwise, Doug Liman might give you a hard time."

"No problem, I’ll be done here in two weeks."

"Alright, I'll let you know if there’s any new information."

"OK!"

Hanging up the phone, Richard continued shooting.

"Mr. Brad, you have a scene this afternoon. The director wants to rehearse it in advance," the crew member said, holding a file.

"Got it!" Richard returned the handgun and went back to the set.

——

(End of the chapter)