Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm Chapter 757 - 743: The Joker Approved, a Dark Script

The presidential race was in full swing.

As September gave way to October, the final debate lood on the horizon.

McCain was fuming.

"That little punk Martin," he growled in his office. "Has he forgotten he's a white guy? Throwing his all behind Obama like that—damn it, does he really think I'm dood to lose?"

His chief aide quickly interjected, "Mr. McCain, you absolutely cannot let that kind of talk slip out in public."

"Relax, I'm just venting to you guys," McCain scoffed. "I'm not an idiot."

His aide, deadly serious, pressed on: "It's best not to say it even among us."

McCain raised an eyebrow. "What, you think there's a traitor in my campaign?"

"I don't know," the aide replied. "I just know that the closer we get to crunch ti, the more careful we need to be. Even the tiniest slip could be weaponized by the other side. And I worry that if you get too comfortable saying it here, it might co out sowhere it shouldn't."

McCain chuckled. "Alright, alright, I'll save my rants for the bedroom."

He took the advice but couldn't resist muttering under his breath, "Damn Martin. Damn Obama."

...

Obama's strategy to provoke McCain seed to be working.

In mid-September, as the election hit a critical phase, McCain stepped into another ss.

This ti, it was during an interview with a Spanish journalist. McCain didn't realize José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was Spain's pri minister and even mistook Spain for a Latin Arican country.

When asked if he'd invite Zapatero to the White House for talks, McCain conflated "Zapatero" with xico's Zapatista movent, calling Spain a "major Latin Arican nation."

Though his foreign policy advisor, Randy Scheunemann, scrambled to cover up the gaffe, and McCain himself clarified that Zapatero was Spain's pri minister while the Zapatistas were ard revolutionaries fighting xico's governnt, the damage was done.

The blunder spread like wildfire.

For McCain's supporters, it was a grim day. Many weren't exactly Zapatero fans, but it was disheartening that their hero couldn't even place Spain on a map.

Obama and his team watched the interview together, erupting into laughter in their office.

...

McCain's camp struck back swiftly.

On September 19, at an Obama rally, over twenty Black protesters stood up, shouting and waving signs accusing Obama of betraying Black communities. The signs read: "Ku Kux Klan Supports Obama."

(GodOfReader: The famous KKK.)

They were quickly booed and escorted out.

Obama's team brushed off the attack, dismissing it as a desperate move from a floundering McCain campaign.

...

By late September, McCain, the Republican nominee, proposed delaying the first presidential debate, scheduled for September 26. He cited the financial crisis as his reason.

Obama, the Democratic nominee, shot down the idea. "The Arican people need to hear both candidates' plans," he insisted, "especially now, when the crisis isn't just financial."

...

On Monday morning, Martin and Drew headed to Warner's headquarters in Burbank.

Martin's new project, The Joker, required his personal pitch. Though it was an original story, the character tied back to DC Comics, creating so complications.

He could strip away the comic book elents entirely, but that would dilute the film's impact, and Martin wasn't willing to compromise. So, The Joker couldn't be independently financed by yers Pictures. Partnering with Warner was inevitable, at the very least to secure the rights.

Truthfully, Martin preferred a second option, though it was a long shot.

In the eting room, Alan Horn, Warner's head, personally attended the pitch discussion. No amount of enthusiasm for Martin's projects seed excessive.

After quietly reviewing the script outline, Alan asked, "Martin, this story—it's about the Joker's origin?"

Even as a rough draft, the script left Horn stunned. It was... staggering. Through the character of Arthur, the Joker, it subtly tackled pressing social issues.

With the financial crisis erupting and an unemploynt wave looming, the story carried a raw, soul-shaking power.

"Exactly," Martin said with a smile. "The Joker wasn't always the Joker. Nobody's born a villain. I want to tell an origin story—a tragic, traceable core that unpacks this character through narrative."

"Forgive my bluntness," a Warner executive interjected, setting down the script outline and proposal. "This script is too dark. It makes the new Batman trilogy look like a fairy tale. Its box office potential is... questionable at best."

Martin's smile widened. "Is that so? If Warner feels that way, we could go with the second option in my proposal—I'll buy the TV and film adaptation rights for the Joker outright. How's that?"

"I think—"

"No!" Alan Horn cut off the executive, his gaze sharp. Turning to Martin, he said, "I'm greenlighting this project. Warner will provide the character rights and invest $10 million for a 50% stake."

"Ten million's too low, and 50% is too high," Drew, who'd been silent, chid in. "Twenty million for 20%."