Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm

Just the thought of having to compete with Martin again gave Zack Snyder a headache.

Martin had already become synonymous with "success" in Hollywood. No matter the genre—horror, sci-fi, fantasy, comedy, romance—whatever he touched turned into a gold mine.

It was downright terrifying.

But Zack Snyder wasn't the type to give up so easily.

From a commercial director to one of Hollywood's top names, Zack had always been fiercely determined, full of unyielding spirit.

Even if his opponent was Martin, he was willing to give everything he had to defeat him and secure control over DC's flagship superhero film projects.

What Zack didn't expect was that, when he presented all his carefully prepared material for "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" to Warner's CEO Alan Horn and a group of executives, after a moment of silent glances, they told him that Martin had chosen another DC property—a relatively minor branch: "Suicide Squad."

That's right. After Drew Barrymore relayed Martin's request to Warner, Alan Horn and the other executives decided to hand "Suicide Squad" over to Martin to direct, while also agreeing to let Meyers Pictures co-invest in the film.

From Warner's perspective, "Suicide Squad" was a niche IP with a small fan base and much lower chances of success compared to "Batman," "Superman," or "The Flash." If Martin wanted to invest, that was simply him sharing the risk.

Besides, if Martin actually managed to turn "Suicide Squad" into a hit, Warner would gain another valuable IP without losing anything.

"So… Martin chose 'Suicide Squad.' That means 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' still belongs to me?"

Zack Snyder's face froze in disbelief, like he had just thrown a punch into thin air.

On his way back, passing by a comic store, Zack had his manager pull over. He went inside and bought every issue of "Suicide Squad" he could find.

He was dying to know: why would Martin Meyers choose to direct such a "minor story"?

Was it just for fun?

Suicide Squad, a team of antiheroes in DC Comics, first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #25 (September 1959), created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru.

The team was led by government agent Amanda Waller. Its members were mostly supervillains captured by heroes. Waller would implant explosives in their bodies and order them to carry out missions—tasks too dangerous, too dirty, or too secretive for the government to officially attempt.

Back in the car, Zack Snyder skimmed through the comics. The story was decent, but not particularly dazzling. Compared to "Superman," "Flash," or "Batman," it felt more violent and bloody.

If this were filmed, it would probably end up rated R, right?

And everyone knew that R-rated films, with their restricted audience, had far less box office potential than PG-13 or all-ages blockbusters.

Zack felt a little relieved.

...

"Martin, Warner agreed to our demands."

"Oh? They accepted the 50% investment split too?"

"They did."

"And the 30% merchandise share?"

"Also agreed."

"Haha, looks like they really don't value 'Suicide Squad,' this little band of antiheroes!"

Martin laughed happily.

He was certain that once the film was released, Warner's executives would regret their decision.

In his memory, after "Suicide Squad" was released, even just Harley Quinn merchandise alone sold explosively. That once-overlooked character surpassed "Flash" and "Wonder Woman" to become DC's third best-selling character in merchandise—right behind "Batman" and "Superman."

Clearly, this was going to be a gold mine.

But that was all for later.

First, he needed to finish shooting Get Out.

Inside the conference room of Meyers Pictures—

"Drew, when are the screen tests for the main supporting roles scheduled?"

"Three days from now."

"Ivanka, is the viral marketing plan for the film on the internet ready?"

"It's done. I'll send it to your inbox right away."

"Scarlett, Daniel, you two need to get familiar with the script and your characters quickly. I don't want my handpicked actors criticized for poor acting."

"Don't worry," Scarlett Johansson replied confidently.

"Boss, I'll definitely give it my best," Daniel Bruhl said earnestly.

...

Three days later.

At the Burbank studio of Meyers Pictures, once Martin had confirmed the soundstage, the filming location was officially set.

Most of the movie's indoor and courtyard scenes would be built and shot on that soundstage. For the simpler outdoor scenes, Martin simply rented one of his grandfather's suburban villas.

To be honest, if his father Grant hadn't mentioned it, he wouldn't even have known his grandfather owned such a remote holiday house.

But then again… was it really safe out there?

On that day.

In the hallway outside a temporary office at the studio, a group of actors sat waiting on benches. They were there to audition for supporting roles in the film.

Among them, the most confident was a Black actress wearing a wig—Jada Smith.

Nearby, Halle Berry listened to Jada boasting shamelessly about how close her husband was with Martin, and couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

Because of her age, Halle felt her own chances weren't high. But she also didn't believe Jada Smith had much of a shot either.

Sure, Will Smith might have a good relationship with Martin, but Jada wasn't Martin's woman.

Haha—if Martin really wanted her, he wouldn't have asked her to audition at all. He would've done as he did with Scarlett, and given her the role directly.

Clearly, Martin didn't think much of her acting ability and still needed an audition to make sure.

Besides, Will wasn't necessarily going to speak up for his wife either.

As a fellow Black star, Halle Berry knew that Will Smith, in private, harbored plenty of resentment toward his wife.

"Just wait—you're going to embarrass yourself," Halle thought to herself with a quiet sneer.