Echoes of Hollywood

"Britney Spears?"

Hearing Gal Gadot's words, Murphy was a bit surprised. "Why would she invite me?"

Although broadly speaking, Hollywood includes the pop music scene, the film and music circles have fairly distinct boundaries. Directors like Murphy, who aren't known for shooting music videos or commercials, rarely intersect with the pop music world.

Moreover, Murphy couldn't recall ever meeting Britney Spears.

Britney Spears, known for not being the sharpest tool in the shed, could be unpredictable.

"She invited some other people too, for a vacation in Madagascar."

Before Murphy could ask, Gal Gadot continued, "Including Joe Jonas, Taylor Lautner, John Mayer, Conor Kennedy, Jake Gyllenhaal..."

Gal Gadot rattled off a dozen names, but apart from Jake Gyllenhaal, Murphy didn't recognize any of them.

"Who are these people?" Murphy was curious. "I barely know any of them. Why is Britney inviting them?"

"They all have one thing in common." Gal Gadot shrugged. "They're all ex-boyfriends of Taylor Swift or have been rumored to be involved with her."

"Wait!" Murphy realized something was off. "I have nothing to do with that country singer."

Gal Gadot pursed her lips and said, "Recently, Taylor Swift admitted in an interview that her dream lover is Murphy Stanton."

Murphy's eyes widened in disbelief. "Why am I not aware of this?"

"You're always busy," Gal Gadot explained, knowing Taylor Swift was just using Murphy for publicity. "You don't have time for fashion and gossip magazines."

"Am I being shot while lying down?" Murphy felt quite helpless.

In fact, countless people had used him for publicity over the years, but none had the fame or audacity of Taylor Swift.

"Lying down and getting shot?" Gal Gadot laughed. "That's an apt description."

Taking a rare moment to relax during their break, Murphy curiously asked, "Why is Britney Spears inviting Taylor Swift's exes to Madagascar? Is she crazy?"

Gal Gadot just smiled and said nothing.

Murphy shook his head, thinking Britney Spears inviting all of Taylor Swift's exes to Madagascar to admire the scenery together was quite an image...

This could very well be just for publicity. Having been in the industry for a while, Murphy knew Britney Spears' reputation wasn't as bad as the media portrayed.

From a certain perspective, the media builds up stars only to tear them down to create news. Michael Jackson was the biggest victim of this, and Britney Spears was no exception.

The main difference was that Michael Jackson was Black, while Britney Spears was White, leading to vastly different outcomes.

A calm analysis would reveal many of Britney Spears' issues were set-ups. But her not-so-bright mind not only failed to notice but also amplified the impact of these traps.

Supposedly, while preparing for a performance at an MTV awards show, Britney saw the host Sarah Silverman would say after her act, "Britney's two kids are mistakes. Beautiful mistakes, they're cute just like a woman's shaved privates."

Although Sarah Silverman was known for her crude humor, attacking someone's young kids was clearly intentional.

During the performance, Britney almost tripped twice in the first ten seconds due to faulty high heels, which led to a lackluster dance and heavy criticism from the media and audience.

But the media never mentioned why the high heels malfunctioned.

If this scenario were true, how could the event's organizers provide such shoddy outfits for a major performance? The only plausible explanation was sabotage.

If the outfits were provided by the stars themselves, then high-profile stars like Britney Spears would never wear low-quality items that would break on first use.

The only reasonable explanation was deliberate tampering.

Fame attracts trouble, especially in the competitive Hollywood circle.

Such things were just passing distractions for Murphy and Gal Gadot.

Murphy quickly forgot about this while focusing on the shoot. Whether Britney Spears planned a collective romp with Taylor Swift's exes on a Madagascar beach wasn't his concern.

Thanks to Robert Downey Jr.'s preparation, filming his scenes went smoothly.

In fact, all the main actors, including James Franco and Jonah Hill, had prepared well for this film, and their performances were excellent. Each scene rarely needed more than a few takes.

Compared to them, Margot Robbie, fresh from the "Game of Thrones" set, was less prepared. Murphy knew it wasn't entirely her fault. She had just shed her role as Sansa Stark, was preparing for Harley Quinn, and now had to dive into another character, which was tough.

Murphy realized he had miscalculated. This role shouldn't have gone to Margot Robbie, but since filming had started, he had to help her adjust.

Once the crew got into the groove, filming proceeded as planned, and after a week, Murphy was back on schedule.

He didn't rush; as long as the film was completed on time, that was enough.

Compared to previous shoots, Murphy was closer to the actors this time. Most were his friends, and the only somewhat unfamiliar actor, Tyrese Gibson, maintained a good attitude and caused no trouble.

"'Suicide Squad' hasn't started prepping yet..."

During lunch, the group chatted about Margot Robbie's new role. She looked a bit resigned, "I spent a lot of time and energy researching this role, even visited mental health facilities and talked to several psychologists..."

She laughed and pointed to her head, "I felt like I was going crazy. Then Warner Bros. and DC Comics told me they're changing directors and scripts, so the project is delayed."

Murphy frowned, "So, 'Suicide Squad' won't be out next year?"

"Not just next year," Margot Robbie shook her head. "It might not even start filming for another year."

"Warner Bros. and DC Comics have such great cards..." Robert Downey Jr. seemed contemplative, "but they're playing them badly and it's getting worse."

"They deserve it!" Jonah Hill openly mocked, "If they'd kept working with Murphy, they wouldn't have these problems. Maybe DC's superhero films would be crushing Marvel's."

He got more excited, "If Murphy were still in charge of DC's superhero films, maybe we could play superheroes. Like The Flash, I think I'd be perfect for that role."

"You..."

Margot Robbie gave him a thumbs-up and laughed, as did everyone else.

Jonah Hill as The Flash was unimaginable.

Murphy was aware of DC's superhero film issues. The overwhelmingly negative reviews and underwhelming box office of "Batman v Superman" had left Warner Bros. and DC Comics hesitant and indecisive. "Suicide Squad" had great potential, but making a standout film wasn't easy. Warner Bros. knew this and kept wavering on directors and scripts.

Margot Robbie looked worried, "I hope this role doesn't become another 'Superman Returns'."

"Superman Returns" had also faced numerous changes in directors and scripts before Bryan Singer took over, delaying the film for years and inflating the budget.

"What about your new film?" Margot Robbie asked Seth Rogen, "When will it be released?"

Seth Rogen knew she was referring to "This Is the End" and replied, "20th Century Fox has slated it for a weekend before Thanksgiving."

Initially, 20th Century Fox considered releasing it during Thanksgiving, but competing with a "Twilight" sequel with a strong fanbase was unwise.

After two weeks of filming in the studio, Murphy led the crew to downtown Los Angeles for location shooting.

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