….
December 12, 2014 | Afternoon
The conference room at LIE Studios had been transformed for the occasion.
Six chairs arranged in a comfortable semi-circle, each with its own microphone, while the camera crews positioned strategically to capture both wide shots and individual close-ups.
This wasn't a standard press junket.
This was something Regal had proposed two weeks ago - a round table discussion featuring the creative leads from all three major LIE Studio projects currently in various stages of completion.
For Superman: Regal and Henry Cavill.
For Deadpool: Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy.
For The Matrix: Keanu Reeves and Alexander Tobias.
Six people, ninety minutes, one film already released and breaking numbers, one nearing release, and one that had just wrapped shooting.
The moderator was Jessica Chen from Entertainment Tonight.
Regal arrived first, settling into his chair with coffee.
Henry came next, relaxed in a casual blazer, looking far more comfortable than he had during Superman's promotional cycle.
Then Keanu and Alexander, both carrying the focused energy of people deep in post-production.
Ryan and Shawn arrived last, mid-conversation and laughing, immediately dragging their chairs closer together and throwing off the careful symmetry of the setup.
"Excuse me." Jessica said, settling into her position. "Before we start recording, I would like to set one thing straight. Let's keep this a general conversation - not individual interviews. Jump in whenever you want, respond to each other, challenge each other if needed. Does that work?"
Everyone nodded.
"Great. Thank you for that. And Mr. Ryan Reyn—"
"It's just Ryan." he cut in smoothly, eyebrows raised. "You did say 'general conversation,' remember?"
That earned a round of laughter, and just like that, the room relaxed.
The cameras started rolling.
….
Jessica began.
"Welcome. We are here with six people who are collectively shaping what superhero cinema looks like in 2014. Regal Seraphsail and Henry Cavill from Superman: Man of Tomorrow, which just crossed $850 million worldwide."
She continued smoothly. "Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy from [Deadpool], currently in post-production for a February 2015 release. And Keanu Reeves and Alexander Tobias from [The Matrix], set to release on March thirty-first."
She paused, then added. "If there is one common thread connecting all three projects, it's Regal Seraphsail. From producing to writing, he has left his imprint on each film at very different levels."
Alexander let out a short laugh. "Man… hearing that out loud makes me wonder if I am even working. But yeah, I have to remind myself not to compare myself to this workaholic - for my own mental health."
After a beat, he added dryly. "What's worse is that with everything he does, he somehow doesn't mess things up."
Keanu turned toward him, amused. "You are complaining about someone not messing things up?"
"I am complaining about him being right so consistently." Alexander said. "It's intimidating."
A few heads nodded in shared agreement, which drew a small chuckle from Jessica.
Regal, for his part, said nothing. He just let them complain.
Jessica turned to Henry. "You are the only one here who has actually finished a film and seen it released. What's that experience been like, watching your co-stars still deep in production?"
Henry considered it for a moment. "I am not sure that's entirely fair." he said. "It's not as if they are new to this. Everyone here has been in the industry long enough to know how it goes."
He continued, more thoughtfully. "Still, no matter how much experience you have, that final stretch is always nerve-racking, the test screenings, the last edits, the press cycle. At the same time, it's exciting, because you finally get to show the world what you have been building."
He smiled slightly. "So, fingers crossed for everyone. I am genuinely excited for their releases."
Jessica followed up. "Have you seen Deadpool yet?"
"Regal showed some footage." Henry replied. "It's… very different from Superman."
Ryan leaned in immediately. "That's the most polite way I have ever heard someone say, 'What the hell is this?'"
Jessica smiled, sensing the opening. "Alright, let's get into that. Deadpool is R-rated, which already sets it apart from the other superhero films in this lineup. Ryan, what was it like convincing the studio to go that route?"
Ryan shook his head. "Oh, I didn't convince anyone. Regal did."
Jessica turned to Regal. "So why was the R-rating non-negotiable for you?"
Regal didn't rush the answer. "Because Deadpool only works if you commit fully to what makes him distinct. A PG-13 version is like–"
He paused, searching. "Like alcohol-free beer. You can make it, sure. But it defeats the point."
Ryan lit up instantly. "I'm stealing that. That's going on a poster. Deadpool: Not Alcohol-Free Beer."
Keanu tilted his head, considering it. "That's… a bad tagline."
Ryan nodded, completely unfazed and even confused. "What are you talking about? It's a perfect tagline."
Jessica laughed, then shifted gears. "Speaking of distinctive approaches - Alexander, your film is the last of the three to be released. How much can you actually say about it? Beyond the obvious fact that it's action-heavy, what keeps it from being just another action movie?"
Alexander took a second before answering, glancing briefly at Keanu as if checking the line they had agreed not to cross.
"Not much." he said, half-smiling. "And that's not me being difficult - it's genuinely hard to talk about without giving things away."
He leaned back slightly. "Yes, there is action, a lot of it. But the film isn't built around spectacle first, it is about choices, consequences. Every set piece is there because a character pushed something too far, or didn't push hard enough."
Keanu nodded, picking up the thread. "The action comes out of philosophy."
Alexander added. "If you stripped the fights out, which you obviously shouldn't, you would still have a story about identity, control, and what happens when people realize the system they trust doesn't actually need them anymore."
Jessica raised an eyebrow. "That's… surprisingly restrained."
Alexander smiled. "That's me behaving."
Ryan leaned over toward Keanu. "So it's an existential crisis with explosions."
Keanu gave a small shrug. "That's not wrong."
Regal, who had been quiet, finally added. "If it feels like 'just action,' we failed somewhere earlier in the script."
Alexander nodded once. "Yeah. That is what makes The Matrix different from traditional action films. The spectacle has purpose beyond spectacle."
Ryan jumped in immediately. "Which is very different from Deadpool, where the spectacle mostly exists because it's fun."
Shawn shot him a look. "Hey, why are you underselling our own movie?" He shook his head. "Our action serves character too. It's just that Deadpool's character philosophy is basically, 'What's the most ridiculous thing we can do here - and can we joke about it while doing it?'"
Henry smiled, listening to the back-and-forth. "Honestly, that's what's interesting about this room. Every film here treats action differently. Superman's action is about protection - saving people. The Matrix's action is about questioning something. And Deadpool's action is about–"
"–maximum violence with maximum wisecracks." Ryan finished without missing a beat. "It's a very focused creative direction."
Jessica laughed, clearly enjoying how easily the conversation had slipped into rhythm. "That might be the cleanest breakdown of three very different action philosophies I have heard."
She glanced around the circle. "And honestly, listening to all of you, it doesn't feel like competing films so much as different answers to the same question."
"And what question is that?" Henry asked.
She didn't hesitate. "Why action still matters."
For a brief moment, no one jumped in. Then Alexander spoke, simply. "Because it reveals character under pressure."
….
Jessica nodded slightly. "I did my homework before coming here, especially on Deadpool. I read a few of the comics, surprisingly there aren't many comics actually. And what I have noticed is, how meta it is, the fourth-wall breaks and all. How do you make that work without it turning into a gimmick?"
Shawn smiled, genuinely appreciative. "First off, thank you for taking the time to get familiar with the character, that already puts us on good footing."
He continued. "The key is that the meta stuff serves the character. It's not there just to be clever. Deadpool uses humor and fourth-wall breaks as a defense mechanism. That's how he copes with trauma."
Jessica nodded along. "That makes sense. And speaking of pushing boundaries - you mentioned earlier that the film is R-rated. How does that translate internationally?"
Ryan leaned in with a grin. "It is R in the U.S., which is already unusual for anything even adjacent to MDCU. In the UK, it's a fifteen. And in China…"
He paused, smiling wider. "It's rated 'go fuck yourself.'"
"Ryan–" Shawn warned.
"I am not exaggerating." Ryan said. "They won't certify it because of the content, so there is no Chinese release. But honestly? I would rather make the right movie and lose that market than sand the character down for box office math."
Regal spoke up calmly. "Some films are better off being exactly what they need to be for their core audience."
Henry nodded. "Superman plays everywhere because the character is built on universal themes. Deadpool is meant to be subversive, it's targeting a very specific appetite."
"And The Matrix sits somewhere in the middle." Keanu added. "Philosophical enough to travel, but still rooted in a Western action framework."
The group fell into a brief, thoughtful pause - less like a panel, more like colleagues finishing each other's sentences.
.
….
[To be continued…]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
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