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FILM INSIDER
LILITH VILLAUMBROSIA JOINS A24’S
PERIOD PIECE ‘JOAN OF ARC’
A24’s upcoming period film entitled “Joan of Arc” that will be directed by Autumn de Wilde (EMMA.) has casted another A-lister. According to sources, Lilith Villaumbrosia (The Crow, Black Castle, The Heiress) who is a period film darling, has just been casted as Jean de Metz, a knight who was believed to be the first one to believe in Joan of Arc and join her cause. Like Mary Gunn’s character Jean d’Aulon, the character is now a woman.
It is now believed that Ava Silva’s character, Joan of Arc, besides fighting for her cause, will be in the middle of romantic turmoil between Gunn and Villaumbrosia’s character.
The film is set to start production next week in the United Kingdom and in Georgia.
youngsilva: OH HELL NAUR! AVA AND LILITH HAVE ZERO CHEMISTRY HELLO
silvasilvasilva: they are definitely taking advantage of the situation…really A24?
filmnerd: not so A24 to pull this shit. they are probably working with other executive producers who thrives on drama
avatricetruer: SOMEONE CHECK ON AVA SHE’S PROBABLY SO PISSED RN
lilithnation: romcom queen vs period drama darling… Lilith is gonna eat Ava Silva up. this is not her movie anymore lmao
welovelilithv: Lilith taking on this role is for charity. No period drama is ever successful without Lilith or Kiera Knightley
notmichael: wtf is this???
avatricenation: what the hell are they trying to do???
filmbuffed: Lilith Villaumbrosia, an A-list actress? Please. Period drama darling? Compared to Kiera Knightley, she is a fruit fly.
young4lyf: oh she’s gonna be on set waiting for Beatrice to visit ava just drooling like a lunatic
youngsters: there better be security when Beatrice is on the set. I don’t trust that feral woman. She want Bea so bad she’ll stop at nothing probably.
“Shannon, what the fuck?” Ava screams on the phone.
“I swear to you I just found out as well,” Shannon tells her.
“Why the fuck would they do this?” Ava huffs.
“They told me that we’ll going to do a screen test with a bunch of actresses today before they decide,” Shannon says. “I texted you last night, right?”
“I know,” Ava sits on the bed and massages her temple with her free hand. “And now I wake up to this shit?”
“They probably want to milk the situation even more,” Shannon sighs. “They know how vocal Lilith is about her admiration with Beatrice and they know she’ll visit you frequently on set.”
“I won’t even be surprised at this point if they offer Bea to make an original song for the film,” Ava scoffs.
“Oh shit, Mary just told me that Lilith is the niece of one of the executive producers,” Shannon tells her.
“That’s how she snaked her way in, the bitch,” Ava curses. “I swear to god, I don’t know why she’s suddenly so obsessed with Beatrice.”
“Ava, whatever happens, I want you to remain professional,” Shannon says to her. “Never stoop down to her level.”
“I’ll try my best, but I can’t promise anything. This is Lilith we are talking about,” Ava says.
“I can live with that.”
“Shannon, can you do me a favor?”
“What?”
“Please make sure I never work with the executive producers who did this. Can you do that?” Ava asks.
“I’ll find out who greenlighted this shit and will add them to your blacklist,” Shannon promised.
“Thank you.”
“Is Beatrice with you?”
“She left early,” Ava says. “Yasmine invited us to hike at the Observatory but I was too sore from stunt training yesterday.”
“Okay, just rest and I’ll see you later for the meeting.”
“What meeting?”
“I just got a message that there will be a meeting slash welcome party for Lilith later.”
“That bitch,” Ava huffs.
“Try to be cool, okay?”
“Okay. See you.”
“See you. Bye.”
Beatrice finds Ava sulking and angrily flipping channels on the TV.
“My love? Are you alright?” she asks.
“Bea!” Ava shuts off the TV and sprints towards her. “I missed you,” she hugs her tight.
“Whoa, I’m sweaty,” Beatrice laughs.
“I don’t care,” Ava kisses her.
“Shower with me?”
“Of course,” Ava smiles and pulls her to their bedroom.
After their very, very long shower, Bea sees Ava staring off into space while sitting on the bed. Her hair is dripping wet and her towel in her lap. She goes to her and takes the towel to dry her hair.
“Oh,” Ava looks at her. Beatrice smiles and continues drying her hair.
“What happened?” Bea asks.
“Lilith just joined the film,” Ava tells her.
“What? As who?”
“Jean de Metz.”
“Wait, the knight? The other one who is in love with you?” Beatrice gapes.
“In the film yes,” Ava nods. “But in real life, the one who is obsessed with you.”
“That’s fucked up,” Beatrice comments. “I thought you still have that chemistry screen test?”
“Apparently, she’s the niece of one of the execs.”
“She snaked her way in.”
“Exactly,” Ava sighs. “I’m getting more and more frustrated to this film.”
“Can you back out?” Beatrice asks her.
“Not anymore,” Ava says. “I can’t let that Lilith win.”
“Look,” Beatrice kneels in front of Ava and takes her hand. “We read the script. She’s only going to be in the film for half of the runtime. You won’t get to shoot with her that long. You can be patient and tolerate her, right?”
“Not when she tries to pull shit,” Ava says.
“Everyone knows she’s a handful but maybe she’ll be professional. Let’s manifest that, shall we?”
“Look at us,” Ava chuckles a little. “It’s you who is the positive one now. How the tables have turned.”
“Well, I’m sure you’re going to be back as your sunshine self once filming starts. I know you love to be on set. And I will be midnight rain missing you while I’m on tour.”
“Oh no, I will be midnight rain as well,” Ava smiles. “I’ll miss you terribly I’m going to have to FaceTime you every time we go on break.”
“God, we’re sickening,” Beatrice kisses her hand.
“I love you, booboo bear,” Ava lifts her chin and leans down to kiss her on the lips.
Beatrice scrunches her face with the term of endearment.
“Say you love me too,” Ava puckers her lips.
“I love you too, darling,” Bea smiles.
Later, Ava made Beatrice help her get ready. She took clothes from their shared closet and tried some on for Bea who is sitting in the ottoman.
“You are going to be so overdressed,” Beatrice can’t help but chuckle. “It’s just a meeting, love. They are all probably wearing t-shirts with blazers and some jeans.”
“I don’t want to be basic especially if the devil herself is there,” Ava rants as she sifts through the clothes.
“Baby, just be you,” Beatrice pulls her to sit on her lap. She kisses her arm then her shoulder and her cheek. “Just be the sunshine Ava everybody loves.”
“Wait,” Ava jumps up. “Where is it?” she continues to rummage around.
“What are you looking for?”
“The overalls. My favorite overalls. The one you gave me. Where did I put it? Ugh,” Ava suddenly behaves like a chicken with its head cut off.
“There’s a box there that is labeled “Cornelia” up there,” Beatrice pointed out. “I saw it when I moved my clothes.”
“Oh my god, yes! Of course, I put it there,” Ava slaps her forehead. “Those are the stuff you gave me!” She reaches for it and puts it in the counter in the middle of the closet. She rummages in it.
“You kept all the clothes I gave you?” Beatrice asks as she looks on.
“Just like the JAWS t-shirt I bought you that you were wearing when we met again,” Ava looks up to smile at her. “I just had to keep it here so I won’t have the urge to wear them.”
“Why?” Bea asks.
“Because I end up curled in bed crying,” Ava admits.
Bea could only go to her and embrace her. She peppered her face with kisses.
“Look, here it is,” Ava shows her. “The overalls I am wearing in the most popular paparazzi picture of us.”
“Oh yeah,” Beatrice laughs. “I think I have a red top,” she searches through her side. “Here,” she gives it to Ava.
“I need a black hoodie I can cut,” Ava looks around.
“Here, I have an old one,” Bea chuckles. “I’ll get the scissors and I’ll text Michael that we’re going to his house to borrow a cap. He has one similar to yours. I hope he didn’t bring it in Australia. Oh, and your Converse is with my sneakers. You were so tired the other day that it ended there.”
“God, I love you so much,” Ava tells her.
Hans let them in and they picked out the cap. He is FaceTiming with Michael to let him see the look.
“Wow,” Michael says. “It’s like I’ve been transported in time.”
“Oh, I know this look!” Hans suddenly remembers. “It’s all over the internet back then. Well, even now.”
“It’s what comes up first when you type ‘Ava Silva and Beatrice Young’ on Google. Next to their Vogue photoshoot,” Michael says. “Give the devil an even worse hell, girl.”
“I will,” Ava laughs.
Beatrice drops her off. She’s going to spend time with Suzanne and Areala while she waits for Ava.
Bea was right. Everyone is in their casual wear. Some are even wearing shorts and sweatpants. Ava felt good that she picked the right outfit. Shannon gave her a knowing look when she arrived.
Lilith was the last one to arrive. She’s wearing a Sunday dress with a lot of jewerly. She’s certainly overdressed. Ava saw how some staff exchanged looks as if they cannot believe she showed up late and like that.
Lilith started kissing the cheek and hugging the executive producers. She greeted them all enthusiastically. Way, way, enthusiastically that you know it’s phony.
“Welcome Lilith to the Joan of Arc production,” a balding man said. Shannon lightly elbowed her and she knew immediately that this is the uncle.
Everyone clapped for her and she beams.
“Hi, I’m Mary,” she offers to shake her hand and she shakes it.
“Lilith,” Ava stands up and nods at her. She smiles but it falters when she sees what Ava is wearing. Ava smirks. She successfully marked her territory.
“Hi,” Lilith composed herself and gave a forced smile.
She greeted everyone else before she settled on her seat. She’s right across Ava. She clears her throat. “Thank you everyone for the warm welcome,” she smiles. “I am so excited to be part of this amazing film. I read the script and fell in love immediately.”
“Thank you,” one of the writers says.
“And Ms. Autumn, I’m so excited to work with you. I love EMMA. so much,” she gushes.
“Likewise,” Autumn de Wilde nods.
“I hope my experience with period films be of great use,” she says looking around but lingering on Ava.
Ava tried so hard to keep a neutral face. She knows Lilith didn’t like how she chose to show up and is now wanting to get some sort of reaction from her.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” Mary comments.
Shannon clears her throat hiding the chuckle she had.
“Okay, why don’t we read some lines?” one of the producers claps his hand.
“Okay, from sequence 45 scene 3,” de Wilde tells them and they flip to the right page.
“Joan is putting on her armor in her room when Jean de Metz knocks twice and enters,” Theo, one of the producers reads.
“What do you want Jean? We must get ready for the war council,” Ava says with a perfect French accent. She knows all her lines. She has memorized it by heart just a few days after it was revised.
“Jean approaches her, exasperated,” Theo reads.
“You have been evading me all week!” Lilith reads from her script. Ava can see that a lot of the staff cringed at her accent.
“Joan turns to her.”
“We are preparing for war!” Ava answers.
“Jean sighs.”
“Don’t you think I know that? Am I not the one who first believed in your cause?” Lilith reads.
“And the cause comes first, Jean,” Ava looks intensely at Lilith, deep in character. It’s very easy to convey annoyance when the person with her in the scene is annoying in real life. “Let’s not bother ourselves with these petty feelings.”
“Joan turns away but Jean steps in front of her.”
“Petty?” Lilith reads before looking at Ava. “And what of your feelings for Jean d’Aulon? Would you call that petty?”
“She’s focused on the cause as am I,” Ava delivers the line perfectly.
“Just say you prefer her company more than mine,” Lilith stumbles a little. The emotion in her voice is off. “Bear in mind that it is I who first believe in you. It is I who stood by your side first.”
“Joan scoffs and proceeds to continue strapping her armor.”
“See? Petty,” Ava says. “We are in no situation for such things. And even if I entertain what you feel, do you think this is the right time and place for it?”
“Jean is about to say more but Joan cuts her off.”
“The divine guidance is lighting this road for me. For us. For France. We mustn’t be distracted no matter what.”
“Jean d’Aulon knocks on the open door and enters.”
“Joan, they are waiting,” Mary delivers perfectly as well, not looking from the script.
“Jean de Metz scoffs and exits. She bumps Jean d’Aulon on the shoulder and gives her a dirty look,” Theo reads.
“Just wonderful!” the balding executive producer exclaims.
The others murmur quietly.
“Lilith, we have to work on that accent a little bit,” Autumn de Wilde said. “And we need more conviction with the delivery. You are a knight.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Lilith smiles.
Ava quietly scoffs. She knows she’s pissed that she and Mary knows all the lines and has a perfect accent.
“We’ll continue tomorrow,” Theo informs all of them. “We’ll have a table read then we’ll rehearse some scenes.”
“Alright, we have some food prepared in honor of Lilith joining the cast,” one of the producers said. “Enjoy.”
“Lilith, early tomorrow, we’ll meet with your stunt doubles,” Ava hears Lilith’s assistant tells her.
“Are they going to be there for theirs too?” Lilith asks glancing a bit to where Ava, Mary and Shannon are.
“Oh, Ava and Mary are doing their own stunts mostly,” the assistant said. “They trained for it. Don’t worry, you’ll only have a few fight scenes.”
“Why? I am a knight, am I not?” Lilith is annoyed.
“Well, your character was revised last minute so,” the assistant shrugs. “And you don’t have time to do stunt training.”
Lilith rolls her eyes and leaves.
At the buffet, while Ava is picking out fruits for dessert, Lilith appears out of nowhere.
“Heard you’ll be doing almost all of your stunts, huh,” Lilith says.
“Yeah,” Ava nods.
“Going all out, huh?”
“It’s a film that deserves all out, huh,” Ava copies her tone perfectly.
“And your accent is good,” Lilith says without the ‘huh’.
“All of us had a workshop with a dialect coach,” answers absentmindedly. She picked couple of dragonfruit.
“Bea likes those, doesn’t she?” Lilith asks. “She talked about it in an article with Cosmopolitan.
“Beatrice,” Ava stresses her full name. “Yea, it’s me who introduced this to her. She thought it looked creepy but she liked it.”
“A bit bland for my taste,” she comments.
“You probably eaten a basic one,” Ava tilts her head a little. “I know a place where you can get the sweet ones. I heard that’s where they got these for tonight.”
“Listen, I know it’s your first time venturing out of rom-com,” Lilith’s tone suddenly turned sweet. “I’d be happy to help you out if you need it.”
“I’ll bear it in mind,” Ava says. “But I have Mary who’s done a couple of period films and won awards for it. But yeah, I’ll keep it in mind.” She walks away.
“Okay, bye!”
“The fucking nerve,” Ava mutters to herself.
“Are you okay?” Shannon asks when she returns to their table.
“Can you excuse me?” Ava forcibly smiles at Shannon and Mary.
Ava goes outside and takes out her phone to call Beatrice.
“Hi, love,” Beatrice answers on the second ring. “How is your night so far?”
“Fucking Lilith Villaumbrosia!” Ava whisper-screams.
“Whoa, you’re really pissed off,” Beatrice comments.
“She’s been testing my patience all night,” Ava tells her.
“Okay, breathe,” Beatrice says. “Everything will be fine. Do you want me to pick you up?”
“Are you still at your Mom’s?”
“Yeah, I’m crushing them at Scrabble,” Beatrice tells her. “But I can pick you up right now.”
“No, not yet,” Ava says. “Finish your game. I have to talk to some people too.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive,” Ava sighs. “I called you because your voice calms me down.”
“Glad to be of service,” Beatrice chuckles.
“I love you,” Ava chuckles.
“I love you too,” Bea says. “I’ll see you in a few.”
“Go win me a Scrabble trophy or something,” she laughs.
“I’ll have Mom and Areala make me one.”
“Okay, bye.”
“Bye.”
When she comes back inside, she feels so much better.
“I see you took some anti-Lilith pills,” Mary teases her.
“She can cure anything,” Ava winks.
“Love, what a magical thing, huh?” Shannon says.
“Ugh,” Ava rolls her eyes with the Lilith ‘huh’.
Mary laughs.
When Beatrice arrived to pick her up later that night, Ava made sure that Lilith saw her embracing and basically making-out with Bea outside the building.
“Whoa,” Beatrice laughs. “Miss me that much?”
“Always,” she laughs with her.
She saw that Lilith has a sour expression in her face before she got into her car.
Beatrice closes the door for Ava before she gets in the drivers.
“Was Lilith watching?” Beatrice asks as they drove.
Ava didn’t answer.
“Ava, I know Lilith is annoying and she constantly antagonizes you but you cannot let her get to you,” Beatrice tells her. “It’s not healthy. Sooner or later, you’ll stoop down to her level.”
Ava just crosses her arms.
“My love, I would never glace a fraction of a second in her way in a million years or in any other lifetime,” Bea takes her hand and kisses it. “You’re the only woman I see. The only person, really.”
“Maybe you need some glasses,” Ava mutters.
“I’ll probably break up with you if I do get one,” Beatrice teases.
“Don’t you dare,” Ava can’t help but break into a smile.
“There’s my sunshine,” Beatrice kisses her hand again.