Gilbert knew nothing about Jackie Chan's confusion or Guo Fan's hopes. He was busy continuing to build Night City and had also been pulled in by James Cameron to participate in actor auditions.
James Cameron had a particular approach when selecting actors: he didn't like using famous, big-name stars.
Back when Titanic was filmed, Leonardo DiCaprio was still a fresh-faced newcomer and had none of the status he had now.
The few big-name actors he had worked with were probably limited to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The same applied to Avatar. James Cameron still didn't plan on choosing big-name actors, even though many had submitted their audition resumes.
"Gilbert, can you take a look and tell me which actors are suitable? I need your help," James Cameron said.
Gilbert had been brought to James Cameron's production company somewhat reluctantly. But there was no choice—after all, Cameron was speaking as a producer too.
"Were these selected through preliminary screening?" Gilbert asked, looking at the actor resumes in his hand.
"Of course. Take a look and see who seems suitable."
Gilbert flipped through them. He didn't quite remember who had played the male lead in Avatar in his previous life, but he did remember the female lead: Zoe Saldana.
Zoe Saldana had played a female pirate in his directed film Pirates of the Caribbean 1: The Curse of the Black Pearl and had mostly played minor roles in recent years.
Gilbert's impression of her was mainly from Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy. After meeting her in person, he concluded that Gamora looked better than the actress herself.
Sure enough, he saw Zoe Saldana's name on the audition list and pulled her out.
"I think she's good," he said.
James Cameron looked at her resume and nodded in agreement. "Not bad. How did you pick her?"
"Because she was in my movie, I only know her," Gilbert explained.
"Alright, then add her to the final audition list!"
Thus, Zoe Saldana was hastily added to the final audition list. If she knew, she would probably be excited enough to jump for joy.
But according to Gilbert, compared to the influence of Avatar, this film didn't provide as much exposure for the actors. And for Zoe Saldana playing an alien, the boost would be even less.
"What about the male lead? Who do you have in mind?"
"Henry Cavill," Gilbert said.
James Cameron looked at the photo: a young actor with a wide face and a slightly immature appearance.
"Explain your reasoning," Cameron asked.
"I think he looks like Superman," Gilbert's reason was simple.
Cameron laughed heartily. "Don't tell me Warner asked you to pick Superman's actor?"
"Hahaha, Warner is indeed considering someone for Superman, and I think Henry Cavill is good," Gilbert said.
Since Gilbert approved, Henry Cavill smoothly entered the audition list. For the 23-year-old Henry Cavill, this was huge news.
Back when Cameron made Leonardo DiCaprio famous at 24, he could very well do the same for 23-year-old Henry Cavill—provided Henry stood out.
Cameron had brought Gilbert not only to discuss actors but also to explore technical aspects.
"I heard that during the filming of Batman: Begins, you chose to use IMAX cameras. How was the actual shooting experience?"
"Very labor-intensive," Gilbert replied. "IMAX cameras are extremely heavy. We usually use mechanical arms to film.
But in some scenes, the cinematographer had no choice but to shoot handheld with the IMAX camera.
The results speak for themselves—John got really lean."
John Schwartzman was Gilbert's cinematographer, recommended by Sophia. He had been overweight before but built up muscles after shooting with the IMAX cameras.
"Difficult to use, but the final effect in theaters is unparalleled," Cameron said. "I thought you would be the first to use IMAX combined with 3D."
Gilbert smiled. "James, I prefer using mature technology. I used IMAX in Batman Begins because it's sufficiently developed.
But if I add 3D, I guarantee the audience won't like it."
"Alright," Cameron said decisively, "looks like Avatar will be the first 3D film then."
"Congratulations in advance on your success, James," Gilbert said supportively.
In fact, 3D does enhance films like Avatar. But not all films are suitable for 3D. The problem 3D cannot solve is scenes that are too dark.
In the previous life, the Chinese special 3D version of Jason Bourne 5 was widely criticized. Dark visuals and chaotic editing made many viewers feel nauseated.
Therefore, whether to use 3D depends on the suitability of the film itself; otherwise, it's better to produce it in 2D.
Under the joint promotion of Gilbert and James Cameron, Avatar was greenlit relatively quickly. However, following Cameron's usual style, there was no hope of seeing the film before 2009.
Perhaps it was precisely this long production period that ensured Avatar's global success.
After working a few days as a temporary crew member on Cameron's side, Gilbert returned to the EdgeRunners production team. Although it was a series, the team showed no signs of struggling to adapt.
During pre-production, there were dozens of issues to solve every day. Often, after discussions, everyone could come up with an effective solution to tackle each problem.
Of course, what Gilbert paid the most attention to was the prop production.
Cassie, the head of prop design, introduced the situation to Gilbert: "We've made models of various cybernetic implants, such as the Mantis Blade, molecular ray, and all kinds of firearms."
Gilbert casually picked up a prop on the table and pressed a button. The Mantis Blade hidden inside popped out.
"This would sell well as merchandise," Gilbert said, then fiddled with one of the model guns, which had a satisfying weight.
"Not bad," Gilbert said. "Communicate with the merchandise team promptly. Not only do we need to use these props, but the audience should also enjoy the convenience brought by cyber technology."
"No problem, Director," Cassie replied immediately.
In addition, Ford had sent over a few prototype cars for the crew to test.
Andrew Garfield, a luxury car enthusiast, drove one of them and excitedly said, "I want one of these."
Gilbert then pointed at a nearby van. "This one's actually yours."
Andrew Garfield hung his head in disappointment. "Why? That's unfair. I'm the strongest mercenary in Night City."
In fact, David Martinez had become powerful after finding the S.A.W. system, but later, with so many implants, he started showing signs of turning into a cyber-psycho.
Before fully turning into a cyber-psycho, he was killed by Adam Samsher, which might have been David Martinez's luck.
In contrast, V was much more formidable: fully equipped with advanced implants, yet their main consciousness still controlled the brain. Of course, this might have something to do with the chip that modified V.
Gilbert was very satisfied with the actors' training. In another month, the series would be ready to begin filming.
...
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