February 27.
For a long time, work had been fairly measured, while Billy immersed himself in his characters, performing a true wave of roles he considered the best of the era. To be a trademark even in the age of eccentricities was to understand the course of events.
–For some time now, I've been wondering how much you talk to Raimon. Are you quitting work until June? –asked Monica, surprised. –You haven't stopped making films, and now you're thinking of taking a break... over a negotiation?–
–There's nothing you need to know right now, but in the coming days, you might get some good ideas... or some bad ones. –said Billy, kissing her lips, while the two got lost in yet another night of tangled legs and love sparked by how deeply each of them felt truly indulged, drawn to the colors and the blooming desire that seemed unquenchable.
–You're distracting me. –said Monica.
–It's the opposite... when you're the one doing it. Lately, you've been sleeping almost naked, Monica. –Billy replied, pulling her closer, pressing against her completely.
–I'm afraid that's your fault. You're such a good partner. What can a woman like me do—so helpless in the face of flattery and promises? When you're cold or seem distant, that's when you show me all the care I once dreamed of in my youth. You make love to me like it's the first time we ever met. –Monica whispered.
The two lovers looked at each other, naked in bed, sharing the quiet certainty of every feeling, bound as if by the souls of old souls.
–People always say you're unattainable, and maybe they can barely understand how you draw others in. But the more I got to know you, and saw your nostalgia, those half-closed eyes of a woman completely vulnerable when she loves... and then, not long after, you emerge like a full-blown celebrity—heels clicking, every trace of you exuding layers of seduction. –Billy said, caressing the curls that danced down her bare back, the shapes seeming to drift to one side.
–That poetic side of you is so charming. Sometimes people just see the businessman, the actor, and forget that you're an even better artist. Your comics are the best—I've tried to read all your books, and you're really good. –Monica said. They shared fragments of their lives, talking until nearly dawn, when the crushingly long days left them utterly drained. And truly, words could sometimes be a cure-all balm for the soul.
***
David Fincher held a commercial proposal in his hands, one entirely tied to what looked like a high-impact series. His next closest project was a video game, but with the freedom of 1998 and 1999 on the horizon, the idea of creating a Star Wars miniseries was perhaps a magnificent prospect.
–The Sith, Asajj Ventress. –David Fincher said.
–Yes. I want you to do a miniseries—from her beginnings to her end. I'll provide some key elements to help shape your understanding of the series. –Billy said.
–It's a good idea. I'd like to see...–
–You'll have complete creative freedom, as long as you stay within the bounds of the official story. Star Wars should feel like a rhythmic song, hitting the right notes every time. And I want the series to have a dark tone—filtered through your lens—with one goal: to make a series with cinematic quality. –Billy said.
–I assume the budget matches that of a film. –David added.
–It does. We expect to hire the same people from the films, along with a few extras who might be key to developing the series. That's why I estimate each series to match the cost of a mid- or low-budget film. –Billy explained, calculating that the two series he had in mind would cost between $10 and $20 million. He also wanted to give screen time to the villains—make them beloved—where the Republic, known as the side of light, had its place, yet where conflict reigned and darkness spread. Transactions between hate and love—with the Force at the center.
–The way you've got it all mapped out is brilliant. –David Fincher said. –I promise to be part of the Asajj Ventress and Darth Vader series—those are the ones that intrigue me. You can take care of the rest when the time comes.–
–I don't think I could agree more. –Billy replied, knowing that bringing this story to life through the Star Wars IP would serve a purpose beyond mere entertainment. It was a solid recipe to pave the way for the Marvel series, far more delicate in all its nuances. He would need different actors because of an early-started plan, and while the change was a good opportunity, it was also a real challenge—finding the best people for each role, the kind of well-known actors who brought both performance and charisma and could draw in an audience.
–Thank you again. Without you, my work would look completely different. You've helped me land roles in major films and now a series. –David Fincher said, knowing just how hard it was to be chosen as a director for certain high-profile projects, especially those with such fascinating elements like creative freedom behind the camera or the chance to add characters.
–What surprises me is that you agreed to the ending of Se7en, the kind where everything ends most unpleasantly and leaves people deeply unsettled. –Billy commented.
–It's true. Having your character die was framed as a form of punishment. It took me a while to realize that wasn't the right message. –David Fincher said, recalling that for those final scenes, there had been a total shift—where the killer "won" in a miserable way: envy defeating pride, punishment prevailing over the relentless pursuit of revenge. The "good guy" who always carried the weight became the discarded detective who lost everything. A very outdated notion. Billy's performance had been subtle in some ways, but rough in others, with added theatrical drama and gestures that belonged to someone who couldn't afford to fall one step behind. In Fincher's mind, that had been a great performance—and a glimpse of what he considered true cult cinema.
–We're going to have great work ahead of us in the coming months. –David Fincher said, now that most of the final sequences had been shot, leaving only the last few scenes to be filmed in front of a green screen and on the rooftops of Century City. A Los Angeles neighborhood that seemed to take on a character of its own. These locations had dramatically lowered production costs.
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