After her birthday, Jennifer Connelly looked even more radiant, and her energy soared, making her performance noteworthy.
The other actors were also in excellent form, allowing the crew to maintain a very fast pace and keep the filming on schedule.
However, just before Christmas, the crew encountered an unexpected incident.
As everyone knows, Chicago is a city rife with crime. Robberies, drug trafficking, and protection rackets happen constantly, and the police can hardly keep up.
There is a saying in Chicago: the day belongs to the police, the night belongs to the gangs.
Generally, gangs keep their members in check to avoid drawing police attention and becoming a primary target, maintaining a strange balance between the two sides.
But occasionally, independent criminals or unruly gang members commit severe crimes, and that's when the Chicago Police must intervene.
The Batman:Begins crew faced this exact situation while filming in South Chicago. This area is a civilian district with chaotic law and order.
To ensure the crew's safety, Gilbert's private security team, armed and elite, guarded the set, and the Chicago Police also dispatched a SWAT unit to assist.
South Chicago's maze of small alleys and streets made the situation complicated. Anyone could suddenly appear from a side street.
Of course, most of the gangs and criminals in Chicago are reasonable.
Robbing ordinary citizens is risky but manageable.
But daring to rob a Hollywood crew, especially with a super-famous billionaire like Gilbert involved, would be suicidal.
Not only was Gilbert protected by legal authorities, but several Chicago crime bosses were also his fans.
Despite all these precautions, accidents still happen.
At 4 p.m., a private bank on Monté Street was about to close. This branch belonged to the Rowe Brothers Bank, a typical mid-sized private bank common in North America.
The bank manager, as usual, finished daily operations and organized the records.
Staff were wrapping up the day's work, and the vault door was temporarily open. A few clients remained in the lobby, conducting their business.
At that moment, a group of five armed robbers in a pickup truck loaded their automatic rifles, put on masks, and rushed in, taking down the few security guards at the bank entrance.
"Rat-a-tat-tat-tat…" The lead robber fired into the ceiling, causing the terrified clients and bank employees to scream loudly.
Through their masks, the robbers' eyes glared fiercely, showing no hesitation—clearly seasoned at this.
"Listen carefully! We're only here for money," the leader shouted through a megaphone, holding his gun aloft. "If you don't move, you'll be safe."
Some continued screaming in panic, and the leader shouted again, "Anyone who screams, I'll shoot!"
Immediately, the remaining terrified people crouched on the floor, holding their heads, obeying the threat.
At that moment, a hand quietly pressed the alarm.
The bank's alarm blared. Within twenty minutes, Chicago police would arrive.
The lead robber was furious. He dragged the employee who pressed the alarm outside and shot him, terrifying everyone further.
The robbers forced the remaining people into the lobby and began planting timed explosives throughout.
Holding the detonator, the leader reassured, "Don't worry, after we leave, the remote will be returned to you. I'm a moral robber, can't you see?"
Moral robbers? Shooting people? Planting bombs?
The hostages were internally incredulous but dared not speak, shivering and waiting for rescue.
Since the vault door was open, the robbers didn't need to break it—they simply loaded money into their bags.
Outside, two robbers tied the hostages together to restrict their movement.
"All done…" one said.
Hearing police sirens outside, the leader, holding the detonator, strode out with the rest of the gang, bags in hand.
"The building is rigged with bombs I made," the leader said. "If you don't want this building to go up in flames, let us leave. Otherwise…"
He raised the detonator, "I'll press this button and it will explode immediately."
Police negotiators tried to reason, but the robbers ignored them. The police had no intention of risking lives for a small monthly salary.
Thus, the gang boldly got into their vehicle and drove off under police watch.
The detonator was thrown aside, but the bombs inside were already active.
Hearing the hostages' screams, the police had to dispatch bomb disposal experts and mobilize forces to pursue the robbers.
The gang, familiar with Chicago, changed vehicles multiple times, evading police repeatedly. Eventually, police traced them to the South Chicago alleys.
Coincidentally, these alleys were right by the Batman: Begins filming site.
Gilbert was directing on set, preparing for a gunfight scene. The stunt team was ready for the complex action sequences Christian Bale couldn't perform.
The Batmobile sat menacingly at the street corner, wild under the night sky.
Anyone unfamiliar would be intimidated by it.
"During the gunfight scenes, follow instructions, don't just shoot randomly," stunt coordinator Luca Farias instructed the actors.
"Luca, are we ready?"
"Almost, director. Give me five more minutes."
"OK, wrap it up quickly."
At that moment, Ivanka received a call. She walked over to Gilbert with a serious expression and said, "A gang of robbers just hit a bank and are fleeing toward South Chicago."
Gilbert was momentarily stunned and quickly asked, "Will they pass through our area?"
"I'm not sure. The police have temporarily lost track of them."
Gilbert didn't hesitate. "Finish this shot, then we wrap up. We don't want any accidents. Also, notify Paul to pay extra attention to security."
"Got it," Ivanka replied and went to handle it.
"Gilbert, it should be fine, right?" Charles Rowen asked nearby.
"Of course it's fine. They're just after money. As long as we don't interfere, they probably won't clash with us," Gilbert said, instructing the crew to prepare and finish the current shot before leaving.
Although he was alert, he didn't assume the robbers were heading in their direction. But even low-probability events can happen.
Coincidentally, the gang was moving straight toward the Batman crew's set.
Gilbert was calling for readiness, counting "One, two, three…" when suddenly the sound of gunfire erupted.
"Who's firing?" Gilbert shouted angrily. "We haven't even started, and someone's using prop guns?"
A crew member rushed over in panic. "Director, a group of robbers stormed in from an alley on the right. That gunfire just now was them, scattering the crowd."
"Ah?" Gilbert froze for a moment, exchanged a glance with Charles Rowen, and shouted, "What are you waiting for? Get down and hide!"
"What about the props? The cameras?"
"Forget it. Lives come first. Hide first."
The crew and even the security personnel scattered like startled birds, finding places to take cover.
When the robbers reached South Chicago, they switched to motorcycles, carrying five large bags and guns, racing through the alleys.
Then a bizarre scene unfolded. The lead robber, nervous and in the dark, suddenly entered the street and froze at the sight of the Batmobile parked at the intersection and a life-size Batman figure nearby.
"Ah? Batman?"
"What? Batman?"
All five robbers stared at the Batmobile and the Batman figure in the center of the street, frozen in place. The motorcycles screeched to a stop.
Batman might not be universally known in North America, but most know him as a crime-fighting superhero.
The thrill of robbing a bank had them on edge, and in their agitated state, they mistakenly thought Batman was coming for them.
The lead robber's aggression flared. "Batman? Keep shooting!"
He raised his gun and opened fire on the Batmobile. The other four joined in, riddling the expensive prop car with bullets.
A hidden camera assistant recorded the chaos on a handheld camera.
Charles Rowen peeked out the window, exclaiming in dismay, "Our Batmobile's ruined!"
It was Gilbert's first time witnessing such a scene, yet he stayed calm, listening to the robbers' reactions with a mix of amusement and disbelief.
"Looks like our Batman can now run into reality and catch criminals," he remarked.
Ivanka rolled her eyes. Even now, he still had time to joke.
"Ivanka, have the police been informed of the location?"
"Yes, they've been notified."
"OK, don't show yourselves. The robbers are tense. One wrong move and they'll shoot." Gilbert instructed.
Everyone, valuing their lives, stayed hidden.
After a while, the robbers realized they had been firing at nothing—the Batmobile and Batman figure were just props. Smoke rose from the ruined vehicle.
"F*cking hell," the lead robber spat.
He knew a film crew was shooting in Chicago but hadn't expected to crash their set.
The crew had surely hidden by now, and he had just scared himself with a strange Batmobile and a Batman model.
Escape was the priority. The five robbers mounted their motorcycles and fled.
The delay allowed Chicago police to pinpoint their location and ultimately capture the gang on the highway leaving Chicago.
On the crew's side, aside from two unlucky members who sprained their ankles while rushing away, no one was injured, though everyone received quite a scare.
....
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