Chapter 116 – "Losing the Dragon Right at the Start?"
October 2nd, 1993. On the third morning of Joker's New York shoot, the production officially rolled cameras on a street in Brooklyn. Police had already cordoned off both ends, and since it wasn't a bustling commercial district, there weren't many bystanders crowding around.
There was no media event; Wayne had chosen to begin shooting quietly.
From the moment the crew got into position, the scarred pavement remained eerily silent. Only the flashing red-and-blue lights of two patrol cars added a touch of motion to the stillness.
All crew members kept a deliberate distance from the director. Even Wayne's assistant, Nina, made sure not to hover too close—no one wanted to risk stepping on a landmine today.
Seated in his director's chair behind the monitor, Wayne wore a dark, cold expression. His patience long worn thin, he checked his watch again. It was past ten in the morning—and the male lead still hadn't shown up.
The road had been closed off since 8 a.m. With Zack Snyder coordinating, the crew had been fully prepped and ready. But just as everything was set, they realized something troubling:
Nicholas Cage was missing.
Wayne had initially assumed there'd been a delay—traffic, maybe. He'd even waited patiently at first. But after an hour of silence, he'd smashed a teacup in frustration. Now, more than two hours had passed. Still no sign of the lead actor.
No one dared speak above a whisper. But with over a hundred people standing idle on set, a strange, oppressive tension began creeping across the street. For the lead actor to no-show on the first official day of filming—it was a direct blow to the director's authority.
"Zack. ZACK!"
Hearing his name, Zack Snyder set down his camera and jogged over.
"Call Nicholas Cage's agent again—Susan. Find out what the hell is going on!" Wayne's voice was ice and fire, his fury barely contained.
Zack caught a glimpse of the director's face, then quickly looked away. "John and I have been calling Cage's phone nonstop—no answer. His agent says she doesn't know where he is either. He's not responding to her calls either."
"F**k!"
THUD! Wayne hurled his production binder and shooting schedule to the ground. A disaster on day one—completely blindsided—he felt like he was about to explode.
Bending down, Zack silently picked up the two black folders and set them back on the monitor desk.
Unexpected delays were part of filmmaking. Zack had prepared for many things—but this? No one expected the male lead to vanish into thin air just before the cameras rolled.
"Zack, go calm the crew down. Tell everyone to rest for now. We'll pause here," said John, walking over with a professionally dressed woman in tow. He patted Zack on the shoulder before turning toward the director's station.
"This is Susan Levin, Cage's agent. I'll let her explain," John said to Wayne, who was sitting silently with an expression like storm clouds.
Susan was dressed in a neat, conservative skirt suit, her ash-blond hair pulled tightly into a ponytail. Wayne noted the faint lines around her eyes and neck—she was likely over 35. Even with expertly applied makeup, crow's feet hinted at her real age. Her expression was anxious.
"Director Garfield, I've been trying to reach Nick since I heard from your crew," she began, sounding genuinely concerned. "His phone goes through, but no one's answering. Could you confirm—was he definitely at the hotel last night?"
Wayne looked to John, who wore a confused expression.
"Susan," John said, "we booked him a suite. We know he checked in, but no one saw him come or go after that. Wait—you didn't go with him last night?"
John and Wayne both looked puzzled. As Cage's agent, she should have accompanied him. The suite was booked with enough space for his assistant and his rep.
"We already sent someone to check," Zack reported earlier. "Room's empty. No sign of him. And no one saw him leave."
Susan's face turned red with embarrassment. "I… dropped him off and went home. I'm a New York native—my family lives here. My parents and brothers threw me a little welcome-back party last night…"
Seeing Wayne stand up and begin pacing, Susan trailed off.
"…Call the police," Wayne finally said.
He was forcing himself to speak the words he least wanted to say.
No one knew when Nicholas Cage disappeared, or what had happened. If this turned out to be something serious, it wouldn't just delay filming—it would become a massive liability for Warner Bros. and everyone involved.
"We don't have a better option. Goddamn it…"
Wayne kicked the nearby chair with a loud bang. His face was flushed with rage—he wanted to smash everything in sight.
"Don't call the cops!"
"Please—don't call the police!" someone cried.
Wayne had barely finished speaking when both Susan Levin and producer John spoke up in unison, voices tight with urgency.
They all understood the stakes of calling the police—once the authorities got involved, the media would smell blood in the water. Reporters would descend like sharks in a frenzy, drowning the entire crew in scandal.
"We can't just sit here doing nothing," Wayne said coldly. "No one knows what's happened to him. If this turns out to be something serious…"
His sharp gaze locked onto Susan Levin. He understood John's hesitation—after all, calling the cops could halt production entirely and trigger an investigation from the actors' union. But Susan? Her reluctance seemed rooted in something else.
"Susan," Wayne narrowed his eyes, "is there something you're not telling us? If you really care about your client's safety, you'd better speak up—now."
Under the pressure of his unrelenting stare, Susan hesitated for a long moment. Finally, she glanced around nervously before murmuring, "There's a chance… he might have gone to a bar. The kind that, uh… sells certain substances."
Wayne's expression darkened instantly.
"Zack! ZACK!"
Zack Snyder ran over again.
"Round up a team. Head to the bars near the hotel—bring a local guide who knows the kind of places where people go to indulge in illegal substances. Move fast!"
He raised a hand to stop Zack from sprinting off.
"Wait. One more thing—this can't leak to the press. There are too many people on this set, and someone's bound to talk, but you need to find him before the media does. And remind everyone—absolutely no interviews. Got it?"
If Cage still didn't turn up, Wayne would have no choice but to report it. But by then, it would no longer be a minor delay. It would become a crisis.
This was way past a simple case of tardiness.
He turned back to Susan with a frown. "Susan, has Nicholas Cage been using illegal substances—weed, cocaine, or anything like that?"
Wayne hated this part of the industry more than anything else. But no matter how much he loathed it, he couldn't change the environment. In Hollywood, practically everyone dabbled in something.
"Absolutely not, Director Garfield," Susan said quickly—too quickly. "He's just… been immersing himself in this role. It's a very intense script, and occasionally he uses certain things to relieve mental pressure."
Wayne didn't need a confession to know she was lying.
He wasn't going to get the truth out of her, but her refusal to involve the police made it clear what she was afraid of—that Cage would be found with drugs on him.
Wayne sighed and sat back down, dragging his hand across his face in frustration. When he looked up, he noticed his assistant Nina and Halle Berry peeking out from behind the makeup trailer.
He raised a hand and gestured for Nina to come over.
Both women walked up, cautiously noting that Wayne's anger seemed to have simmered down for now. Nina took a deep breath and asked, "Boss, what do you need?"
Rubbing his temples, Wayne let out a weary breath. "I broke my mug. Can you find me something to drink?"
Hearing this, Halle Berry quickly turned around and dashed back into the trailer. A moment later, she returned with her own water bottle.
"Here, take this. I promise I haven't taken a sip!"
She handed it to him, and Wayne unscrewed the lid, drinking deeply without hesitation. The two women exchanged a glance, then quietly walked back to the trailer.
As they slipped away, Halle leaned toward Nina and whispered, "Nina… is Wayne always like this on set? I mean, does he always act like some kind of tyrant?"
(End of Chapter)