Irma Vep

Hello, Mrs. Harberg. Welcome to Paris.

-Hi. -Would you please follow me?

Mira, this is yours.

-Sorry we kept you waiting. -No worries.

Oh, wow, thank God this is our last stop.

I am so sick of discussing "Doomsday,"

and why Nausicaa sliced her superhero husband's throat

and cut off his testicles.

It's the strongest scene in the film.

-Creepy as fuck, though. -Yeah, but point is,

it feels good when he dies.

I mean, it's shocking. No one expects it.

And he's the lead. How often does a lead die halfway through the movie?

-Driver: Are you okay with the AC? -Yeah, it's fine. Thanks.

I mean, honestly, that's why the film's a hit in the U.S.

-And it will be in France, too. -Yeah. Good for Herman.

And good for you. You needed a hit.

Regina, I don't need a hit. I need a good movie.

Yeah, but blockbusters let you make the movies you love.

And spend the next two months in Paris

-shooting "The Vampires." -Yeah, with René Vidal.

I worshipped him in film school.

You should tell him. He'll be thrilled.

-I wouldn't dare. -Then I'll tell him for you.

I can't believe I finally get to meet René in person tomorrow.

I'm so sick of Zoom.

Hey.

-(speaking French) -Hello, hello.

-Nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you.

-Ah, this is Mira. -Hi.

-Welcome to the Plaza Athénée. -Mira: Thank you.

May I show you to your suite?

-Mira: Ah, y-- -Oh, is it possible to look

at the schedule before you rest?

Uh, yeah, sure.

Shall we go to the lounge?

-Yeah. -Bellman: This is your key.

-Thank you very much. -Bellman: Pleasure.

Have a nice day. See you later.

So...

we start with the "Vogue" photoshoot.

Remember? They want you in your "Doomsday" spacesuit.

I asked you. You said it was fine.

-Did I? -You did, but, I mean, we can still tell them

-you're not comfortable with it. -No. It's fine, it's fine.

Then, as agreed, we do TV.

Simple network spots.

Here's the list.

Thank you.

Wait, what's the second one? Did we agree on that?

Yes, we discussed it. It's a real big deal.

Two and a half to 3 million viewers a night.

We give them 15 minutes.

Then, uh, we come back to the hotel,

and you have one hour to prepare for the premiere.

You'll introduce the film on stage.

Herman will be there as well.

-Ooh, Herman. -Michelle: Yes.

The director's in town with his new wife.

Laurie?

So, uh... no one was gonna tell me Laurie is here?

It's our last European premiere date,

and Herman thought that you'd like to celebrate together.

-Oh. -I only heard

Laurie was comin' an hour ago. I'm sorry.

Michelle: He brought Laurie because they wanted

a romantic weekend in Paris before going back to LA.

Regina, did you know about this?

No, absolutely not.

I swear.

Laurie used to be Mira's assistant

for three years.

I had no idea.

-Yeah. -She and Herman met on set,

-and they married a week after wrap. -Excuse me?

Is there something you want me to do about it?

-No... Yeah, it's fine. -No, okay.

Regina: At least Herman made it this time.

Well, he skipped most of the premiere dates.

He promised to come to Stockholm and Rome... but he bailed.

Well, he's working on a new project. Marvel.

-Oh, of course. -A sequel.

A sequel to what?

I don't know. I lost track.

Sequel to a whole bunch of them.

-Saw it in the trades. -Okay, the set is ready.

You can come with me.

-Photographer: Hello. -Hi.

So, production sent me a few, and I brought a few, so, okay.

-Mira: Double guns? -Photographer: Yeah, whatever you feel comfortable with.

All right... On the cross.

Face me completely. Open a little bit more the feet.

And, yeah, good.

-(laughter) -No, uh, when we were shooting "Doomsday," uh,

none of us imagined it would be so big.

Maybe Herman had another perspective.

-(laughter) -No, I-I-- We were just,

you know, trying to make it as good as we could,

as believable as possible,

which is a challenge when it's about superheroes.

Don't you think it struck a nerve

because of present-day politics in Europe?

What kind of politics?

The rise of populism.

-Gender equality. -Gender equality?

Um... feels ever-present to me.

Cutting off Ragnar's testicles

was a pretty radical act.

-It was in the screenplay. -(laughter)

-But you sold it. -Yeah, but I try my best

to be as, as honest as possible,

and try to channel the woman I play.

But yeah, this... was a tough one.

-Especially for Ragnar. -(laughter)

In an interview you said

you were concerned with the future of Europe,

and the unraveling of democracy in Hungary.

I shot a film there. Love Budapest.

Um, but European politics?

I, I, I can't say I-- I don't know much about that.

Maybe Herman said something.

Yeah, but, uh, you approved.

Maybe I nodded, uh.

I-I-- No, but honestly, I don't have a clue.

The only thing I can say is that, um,

Herman's set is not exactly a democracy.

-(laughter) -What do you mean by that?

I was joking. Don't make me say things I'll regret.

Thank you.

Hi.

Of course, of course. What's your name?

-(fans shouting "Mira") -We should go, sorry.

Okay, I'll, I'll, I'll come after, after the show.

Photographers: Herman, Herman!

"Doomsday," bitch.

Photographer: Herman, Herman!

-Isn't she beautiful? -(photographers shouting)

"Doomsday"!

-I'm so sorry. -Hold on. Just two more.

-Just two more. -We have to cut it short.

I'm sorry. Thank you.

Photographer: Herman, please!

Right this way.

("Six Red Cannas" by Jenny Hval playing)

We're gonna skip the audience, but this is David,

a journalist from a major cable network.

-Okay, great. -David: Hi.

-Bonsoir. -Bonsoir.

Is it true you'll be shooting a series in Paris soon?

That is true.

I start shooting in a few days,

and I'll be here for a while.

I heard it's a remake of a French silent film.

"The Vampires."

Uh, it was shot by Louis Feuillade in 1916,

and I'll be Irma Vep.

She's, uh, like the evil muse of a criminal gang.

Uh, René Vidal is directing.

I know. I'm thrilled. It's such an unexpected match.

Why do you say that?

Well, you usually do bigger commercial movies.

Which makes it then... the more exciting, right?

-Have you seen the original serial? -I have.

Three times...

and I love to brag about it

because it's, uh, seven hours long.

-Bravo. Thank you. -Thank you. Have a good night.

Merci.

Thank you. Have a good night.

I'll take some more "dre pierre," though.

But seriously, it's one of your best films.

I mean, it's the closest to your earliest,

like "Dawn of the Slasher."

"Dawn of the"-- That was shit.

What?

Man, we was broke when we shot that.

We shot that in an abandoned factory in Detroit.

-(French accent) Detroit. -Yeah, I mean, it's pretty extreme.

Bruh, when you got 15 days to shoot a feature,

-you gotta be radical. -Miguel: Mm.

I mean, some young exec from Disney just happened to like it.

That's how I got "Gorgon."

Twenty-eight years old and all of a sudden...

the sky's the limit.

Woman: Hi! Welcome, Miss Harberg.

-(applause) -Excuse me, pimp.

Miss Doomsday herself.

-Hey... -Oh, so great to see you.

So happy you could make it.

-Hey. -How you doin'?

Finally got here. Oh, I'm sorry I missed Stockholm.

That's okay... We managed.

The journalists, they wanna see the stars.

Nobody care about meeting directors.

But, you know, I wanted to surprise you by showin' up for the last day.

Yeah, no, um, it's so nice to be together one last time.