Facing the reporter's questions, Murphy always appeared calm and composed. Even when the reporter deviated from the agreed topics, he could handle it smoothly. The previous incident where he was attacked and the conflict between "Diego Rose" and the Catholic Church were the main subjects of this interview.
"I filmed 'Diego Rose' based on true events," Murphy said, shaking his head at the reporter. "I can't make major changes or cuts to the film just because someone protests a few words. Otherwise, there's no point in having a director. How will Hollywood ever make films based on real events in the future?"
"Someone protested?" Kelly Malratt quickly caught the key point in Murphy's words and asked, "Has anyone protested to you besides the person who attacked you at the signing?"
Murphy saw that this reporter was quite adept and replied directly, "Yes, Archbishop Marcos Costello of the Southern California Diocese of the Catholic Church approached me, claiming that my film desecrates the Catholic Church and demanded that I remove the relevant content."
Kelly Malratt immediately became highly alert. Religious forces directly interfering with Hollywood film production and making demands was extremely rare in the recent decades of Hollywood history.
"You refused?" she asked.
"I refused!" Murphy adopted an exceptionally serious tone. "I cannot bear the severe accusations from Archbishop Marcos Costello. If my film desecrates the Catholic Church, then what about victims like Diego Rose? How are their injuries compensated? To whom can they appeal?"
"Hmm..." Kelly Malratt quickly jotted down notes while continuing to speak, "How do you view his protest?"
"Some people commit shameful acts but do not want them exposed, and they try to cover them up and suppress them. Is this still the democratic and free United States?" Murphy appeared very angry. "I respect religious freedom, but shouldn't others also respect Hollywood's freedom? As a director, I believe that as long as we respect the truth, Hollywood has the freedom to source and film its material!"
"A great religion, which countless believers rely on spiritually..." Murphy knew exactly how to phrase it, "Has certain internal elements that refuse to acknowledge the existing issues. This is deeply regrettable."
He shook his head with a look of profound regret.
Kelly Malratt asked, "Has the Catholic Church put a lot of pressure on you?"
"Extremely high!" Murphy nodded, "They directly warned me, claiming to represent the Catholic Church! And not only did they pressure me directly, but they also tried to create obstacles for the screening of 'Diego Rose' through various channels."
"Do you know what those are?" Kelly Malratt found this interview easy. She didn't need to dig deep; she just needed to follow the director's lead to get plenty of material. "Can you tell us?"
"I have confirmed information that Archbishop Marcos Costello pressured the Writers Guild, Directors Guild, and Producers Alliance," Murphy stated, mostly sticking to facts with minimal embellishment. "He tried to use the guilds to force me to modify the film."
Kelly Malratt looked at Murphy, "Did they pressure you?"
"No!" Murphy praised, "The guilds protect the interests of practitioners like us, and they understand the importance of democracy and freedom to the film industry. As far as I know, the representatives of these guilds firmly rejected Archbishop Marcos Costello's unreasonable demands."
He smiled, "I want to thank them for their respect and support. We spent decades establishing the freedom to film in Hollywood, and every practitioner has a duty to uphold it."
Murphy understood that the widely touted slogan of freedom in the industry was crucial. Film freedom was directly related to freedom of expression in Hollywood. Only with sufficient freedom of expression could Hollywood personalities like him stand out and become unique figures in the world.
If Hollywood hadn't held tightly to the banner of so-called "freedom," Meryl Streep wouldn't have ranted against the then-upcoming White House occupant, Donald Trump, at the Golden Globes, even using profanity. The audience wouldn't have applauded collectively, and there wouldn't have been such a strong reaction on social media afterwards, with celebrities either supporting or opposing her.
Having been in Hollywood for so long, Murphy had a good grasp of the mindset of most industry figures. At the core, they believed they were different, that Hollywood should enjoy far more rights and freedoms than the average person.
The interview ended smoothly. As Kelly Malratt's assistant packed up, she left the news hall and immediately called a few journalist friends, summarizing the information Murphy had revealed. She asked them to quickly interview representatives from the Writers Guild, Directors Guild, and Producers Alliance to get first-hand information for a comprehensive feature series.
She had already decided on the series title: "The Catholic Church is Reaching into Hollywood Film Production!"
This topic would undoubtedly attract significant attention from fans and within Hollywood!
In the news hall, Murphy had just removed the mic from his clothes when Bill Rosith approached, saying, "This reporter was more cooperative than expected."
"Because we provided enough material voluntarily," Murphy shrugged, then asked, "No issues with the guilds, right?"
He knew that individual influence within the guilds was limited, especially since he had left the Directors Guild.
"Rest assured." Bill Rosith was confident. "Archbishop Marcos Costello has little understanding of Hollywood. He has already touched one of the industry's most sensitive nerves."
The creaking sound of the glass door opening interrupted their conversation. Kelly Malratt re-entered the news hall, walking over to Murphy and extending her hand with a warm smile, "Thank you, Director Stanton. It was a very pleasant cooperation."
"Thank you." Murphy, always polite to friendly faces, responded, "You're one of the best female reporters I've met."
Bill Rosith's phone rang, and he stepped out. Kelly Malratt glanced around, then lowered her voice, "Director Stanton, if you ever need..."
She handed over a business card, making a phone gesture.
Murphy instinctively took the card, which only had "Kelly Malratt" and a string of numbers, clearly her personal phone number.
"What's this?" Murphy wondered, puzzled. "Since when did senior reporters from The Hollywood Reporter double as escorts?"
Even if she wanted to do this, would anyone be willing? Hollywood stars would have to be incredibly lecherous and foolish to get involved with a reporter.
"Director Stanton..." Kelly Malratt seemed to have noticed Murphy's confused expression and clarified, "If you need some favorable coverage, feel free to call me."
"Oh, I see." Murphy put away the card and casually said, "I'll do that if necessary."
Kelly Malratt added, "If you have any intriguing inside information, we could discuss that too."
Murphy adjusted his expression, looking at Kelly Malratt. Indeed, there were no free lunches in this world, and no big pie would suddenly fall into one's lap.
Just then, Bill Rosith returned with his phone. Murphy used the excuse of discussing something with Bill Rosith to leave.
In his early career, Murphy might have needed the praise or support of a senior reporter from The Hollywood Reporter. But now, it wasn't necessary. There were many media channels he could use, and he didn't need to take risks by collaborating with a reporter, especially an entertainment reporter.
People in their positions couldn't get too close to entertainment reporters. Who knew if these reporters would turn around and sell them out for news?
Not just reporters; even editors-in-chief of entertainment magazines were unreliable.
Take Tina Brown, the former editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair, for example. In the early 1990s, she was close friends with Princess Diana and knew many of her secrets. When the time was right, she published a series on Princess Diana's untold stories, garnering immense attention, and later published a book about her experiences with Diana...
These were all cautionary tales for Murphy.
Following Bill Rosith, Murphy left the news hall and headed to Bill Rosith's office.
Once inside, Bill Rosith said, "A friend from The Hollywood Reporter just called. Their reporters are already interviewing representatives from various guilds. We should see related news by tomorrow."
"Good." Murphy pulled out a chair and sat down. "If they don't speak up, we'll force them to."
Achieving success at this year's Oscars would require more than just the film itself.
Things proceeded smoothly. The next day, the newly published The Hollywood Reporter featured a cover photo of Murphy in the news hall. The first section of the cover story was related to the Catholic Church.
Through various distribution channels, the magazine quickly reached its readers. By noon, Archbishop Marcos Costello had also received a copy, delivered by one of his aides.
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