From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

"I can't confirm the accuracy of the information, but the previous performance venues, cinemas, theaters, bars, and clubs, had everything. Naturally, the audience was diverse. In some cases, especially with drunk patrons, they might flirt with the performers, regardless of gender."

"Yes, yes, yes, from my research it seems to be the same. Even Elvis Presley was no exception. Back then, Frank Sinatra faced many similar situations."

"I have a guess, it's also related to the type of music."

"How so?"

"If it's country, then the audience might mainly be farmers or blue-collar workers. In the fifties, most of them were probably illiterate, and vulgarity was unavoidable; but if it's swing or rock and roll, women who had been suppressing their emotions might indulge themselves by screaming and shouting wildly in the theater."

"Ah ha, so Elvis Presley's stage was called vulgar and obscene back then? And he was even banned from television for a long time?"

"This might require in-depth historical research, I'm not professional enough, but I guess it's a possibility. So, you can imagine the audience that June Carter and Johnny Cash faced."

"But, this content doesn't appear in the script."

"Yes, indeed. But just because it doesn't appear doesn't mean it doesn't exist. When June Carter appeared in these performance venues, she knew what she was facing. Perhaps in the memoirs and scripts, they beautified those memories; but back then, her attire, her demeanor, her expressions might have revealed these details. I think this is very important for you to understand the character's state."

"Ah, unfortunately, the recording technology wasn't advanced back then, it's hard to find video footage."

"My agent found some audio recordings. Although there are no visuals, at least you can feel the atmosphere of the scene and the performers' state from the sound. In addition, I believe the director and producer also have some materials, you can refer to them."

"Ah, ah, ah, really? I thought I wouldn't be able to find anything at all."

Chatter, back and forth—

Reese didn't realize that, unknowingly, the atmosphere had completely changed, and the heated discussion couldn't stop.

In the end, it was Anson who first realized the time.

"Sorry, I need to go to my guitar lesson, I might need to leave first."

Reese was very surprised, "Guitar lesson?"

Anson nodded, "Yes. Mainly learning country music, especially Johnny Cash's. The director should have told you, he hopes that the movie can use real voices throughout, not only will the actors sing themselves, but it will also be a live synchronized soundtrack. They even hope to use the equipment from that era to complete the filming."

Reese's eyes widened, "What?"

Anson shrugged lightly, "Indeed, they hope that the actors can perfectly reproduce Johnny Cash and June Carter's performances. I'm not sure if this is dedication or madness, but at least, I hope I'm well prepared, and don't bring a knife to a gunfight."

Reese stood there blankly, watching Anson drive away—

Something seems to be a little bit wrong.

Until Anson's figure completely disappeared, Reese finally came back to her senses. She should have secretly followed Anson and questioned Anson's qualifications to perform. She should have tried to persuade Anson to withdraw from the crew, but how did things develop to this point?

The whole atmosphere is completely wrong.

Who am I, where am I, what am I doing, three direct hits to the heart.

But, what exactly is that suppressed joy and excitement all about?

Anson ignored Reese.

He was serious about the guitar lessons.

Whether as an actor or a singer, Anson always maintained a learning and adventurous attitude, and rather than looking forward to success, he enjoyed life.

Therefore, Anson had never really systematically studied acting and music—

He had enrolled in an acting academy before, studied two courses intermittently, but ultimately didn't persevere, and it ended up fizzling out.

But this time, the situation is slightly different.

It's not just singing skills, Anson is preparing to study Johnny Cash's performance style, his singing style, his interpretation, his interpretation.

Not to imitate exactly, but Anson hopes that he can grasp Johnny Cash's energy and style, and then present a brand new charm through his own understanding.

Nervous? A little bit; but more than that, it's curiosity, excitement and joy.

This is another brand new challenge, and Anson is really looking forward to embracing everything that is about to happen.

So, "Spider-Man 2" had just finished filming, and Anson was already busy again.

Two weeks later, TMZ broke the latest news:

Following Anson Wood, Reese Witherspoon has also confirmed to join "Walk the Line", playing June Carter in this Johnny Cash biopic.

According to Hollywood news, the production cost of this work, invested and produced by Forest Pictures, is budgeted between 20 million and 25 million US dollars.

For a biopic, this is a very low number.

For reference, the production cost of "The Hours" was 25 million US dollars, and the production cost of "The Aviator" was as high as 110 million US dollars—

The gap is obvious.

One of the important reasons is the scenes and styling, because this is a biographical film, the crew often needs to restore a past time and space, the more investment in this area, the more sophisticated the effect will be; but at the same time, this is also a bottomless pit, and it can always be improved.

Of course, actor salaries are also an important expense for biographical films.

For a brand new company, it is a large investment to inject 20 million US dollars into the first investment project.

According to various rumors, the crew will invest most of the cost in scenes and styling, and both actors will reduce their salaries, taking on the project with a posture of less than one million US dollars, to ensure that all production costs can be used where they are most needed, and ensure that the film perfectly restores the essence of the fifties and sixties.

It is precisely because of this that the "Walk the Line" crew has been recruiting troops in Hollywood, encompassing talents in scenes, styling, design, makeup and hair, which has indeed attracted a lot of attention.

The momentum is not smaller than "The Aviator", a collaboration between Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio.

However, everything is as Reese expected—

No one cares.