Director in Hollywood

Joking around with Gilbert helped Sophia relax a lot. The two turned their attention back to Good Will Hunting.

After watching the entire film in a small screening room, Sophia nervously asked Gilbert, "How is it?"

"Not bad," Gilbert nodded in satisfaction. "The quality is excellent; it's a solid drama film."

Hearing Gilbert's words, Sophia was relieved.

Gilbert continued, "Sophia, be prepared. Next, we'll work with Touchstone Pictures to organize internal screenings, followed by previews for the media, critics, and theaters.

"After that, we'll conduct small-scale limited releases before the official wide release."

Seeing Sophia tense up again, Gilbert reassured her, "Relax. I've seen the film—it's great. Audiences will definitely love it."

Despite his reassurance, Sophia couldn't help but feel anxious.

As a novice director, her performance was already outstanding.

Gilbert still remembered how nervous he had been when his first film was about to premiere in his previous life. He couldn't even speak coherently, becoming a stuttering mess.

The production of Good Will Hunting had gone smoothly, and Gilbert was confident it would replicate the success it had in his past life, bringing him another pleasant surprise.

---

After the New Year, 1997 arrived. In January, Gilbert needed to attend the Golden Globes to lay the groundwork for the Oscars.

On January 19, the 54th Golden Globe Awards were held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The event was broadcast live on NBC and simulcast in over 70 countries and regions worldwide.

Although the Golden Globes didn't carry the same weight as the Oscars, they were still a significant event in North America.

This time, Gilbert chose not to bring a date. Instead, he attended the ceremony with Leo.

Leo had specially returned from Mexico to join Gilbert on the Golden Globes red carpet.

During their conversation, Leo mentioned that Titanic's filming was nearing completion and would wrap soon.

"Leo, my movie wrapped ages ago. I can't believe Titanic is still in production," Gilbert teased for once.

Leo gave a helpless smile. "Can't help it. Cameron's a perfectionist. Unlike you—Hollywood's fastest shooter."

Compared to James Cameron, who was known for pushing studios, crew members, and actors to their limits, everyone seemed to prefer working with Gilbert.

Leo had been thoroughly exhausted during the filming of Titanic. Even his cheeks seemed a bit thinner.

"By the way," Leo added, "Kate asked about you."

"Me?" Gilbert was puzzled. "What about me?"

"Maybe she's interested in you!" Leo guessed. "Your charm is irresistible, after all."

"Really?" Gilbert gave Leo a skeptical look. "She must be blind to ignore a handsome guy like you and take an interest in me. We've only met once."

"Handsome?" Leo looked at himself, then at Gilbert. "I heard Cameron originally wanted you for the male lead, but you turned it down and recommended me. If we're talking about looks, you're no less handsome than I am."

"I don't think so," Gilbert shook his head. "When we walk the red carpet later, the cheers for you will definitely be the loudest."

Leo disagreed and proposed, "Let's bet $10 and see whose cheers are louder."

"Sure," Gilbert agreed cheerfully.

After Tom Hanks, Gilbert and Leo stepped onto the Golden Globes red carpet together. The sight of two handsome men walking side by side instantly thrilled the fans.

"Ahhh! Gilbert, I love you!"

"Gilbert, look over here!"

"Can you two pose together?"

"I think Gilbert and Leo are such a great pair. Why is that?"

The photographers were frantically pressing their shutters, trying to capture this rare moment. The combined presence of the two men was no less powerful than that of Hollywood's leading actresses.

As they walked, Gilbert noticed that most of the fans were shouting his name, with only occasional mentions of Leo's.

Though he had anticipated this outcome, Leo hadn't expected his popularity to fall short of a director's, leaving him slightly disappointed.

After they finished the red carpet, Leo took a $10 bill from his pocket and handed it to Gilbert.

Gilbert couldn't help but laugh as he accepted the money. He patted Leo on the shoulder and said, "Don't be discouraged, Leo. Soon, everyone will know your name."

Leo, still dissatisfied, replied, "I expected this, but I didn't think the gap would be so big."

Gilbert shrugged helplessly. "I didn't expect it either. For a behind-the-scenes director, my popularity is surprisingly high."

It made sense, though. Gilbert's youth, good looks, and immense success naturally made him a media darling.

His appearances on the covers of men's fashion magazines always sold well.

On top of that, his frequent rumored relationships with Hollywood actresses—true or not—kept him in the public eye.

Even Julia Roberts once jokingly spread a rumor about an ambiguous relationship with Gilbert during the filming of Hook.

All this attention from the media, fans, and the public gave Gilbert the popularity of an A-list star.

Before Titanic, Leo had only been a rising star with potential, so he couldn't compete with Gilbert's fame.

As they took their seats, Leo still seemed a bit down.

Tom Hanks, noticing this, asked Gilbert, "What's up with Leo?"

Gilbert explained their bet and the events on the red carpet. Tom Hanks, surprised by Leo's reaction, tried to comfort him.

"Don't lose heart, Leo. When I first walked the red carpet, no one paid attention to me.

"There was a Tom Cruise ahead of me, and compared to him, no one noticed Tom Hanks."

Tom Hanks began recounting his past experiences with great enthusiasm. Gilbert, holding his head, mentally complained about the "motivational speech king" launching into another lecture.

While the ceremony had yet to begin and the hall was already bustling, Gilbert decided to take the opportunity to network.

After exchanging pleasantries with a few familiar faces, Gilbert quickly spotted someone—or rather, an older man.

"Hello, Ian."

Ian McKellen, engaged in conversation, turned to see a young man approaching him. Although Ian wasn't deeply involved in Hollywood circles, he recognized Gilbert immediately.

"Hello, Director Landrini," Ian said, shaking Gilbert's hand and wondering about his intentions.

Gilbert didn't beat around the bush. "I've seen your work. Richard III and Gods and Monsters are both excellent."

"Thank you. I'm also a fan of your films, especially Saving Private Ryan," Ian replied courteously.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to them, Gilbert leaned in slightly and said, "I've always wanted to work with you. What do you think? Interested?"

Though already 58, Ian felt his acting career was far from over. Knighted in 1990, he still had dreams to fulfill.

With a young, successful director like Gilbert seeking him out, Ian naturally agreed.

"Of course. If it's your invitation, Director Landrini, I'd never refuse," Ian said.

"Really?" Gilbert smiled mysteriously. "The project I have in mind is rather ambitious. Many have told me it's impossible, but I'm determined to make it happen."

Intrigued, Ian asked, "May I know what it is?"

Gilbert leaned closer and softly uttered, "The Lord of the Rings."

Ian froze. The Lord of the Rings—the epic fantasy novel widely regarded as one of the hardest stories to adapt. Was Gilbert really planning to tackle such a monumental project?

Leaving Ian deep in thought, Gilbert said, "Think it over. You have plenty of time to decide. We have a lot of groundwork to cover first."

With that, Gilbert walked away, leaving Ian to process the magnitude of what he had just heard.

For Gilbert, the next steps in his filmmaking journey were already taking shape. Adapting The Lord of the Rings would require meticulous planning, enormous resources, and a lengthy pre-production phase.

Gilbert decided to follow Peter Jackson's approach and adopt a strategy of shooting three films back-to-back.

For such a massive project, it would inevitably require significant investment, complex project management, and extensive preparatory work, all of which needed to be done step by step.

Unlike his previous films, where preparations took only two or three months before hasty filming commenced, such an approach would obviously not suffice for The Lord of the Rings.

During his upcoming vacation, Gilbert planned to visit New Zealand with Kane Wexman to scout locations and begin planning the preliminary work.

According to Gilbert's estimations, The Lord of the Rings would need one to two years of preparation before it could enter the filming stage.

Over the next few years, his workload would increase substantially.

Some might wonder, "Isn't the original The Lord of the Rings already in your head? What's so difficult about it?"

Such thoughts would only come from amateurs. Just like Titanic, this project required an extended period of preparation before filming could even begin.

Even James Cameron, despite his expertise, had faced numerous challenges while working on Titanic.

Films are not just films, especially those with high budgets. They are complex projects involving countless aspects. Diving headfirst into filming without thorough preparation is absolutely inadvisable.

Any director who attempts that, even one who's been reincarnated with prior knowledge, would simply be a fool rushing to their doom.

However, Gilbert wouldn't be idle during The Lord of the Rings's preparation phase. He intended to bring The Matrix, which had already been in his plans, to the big screen.

He also had a promise to fulfill to Naomi Watts, who aspired to compete for an Oscar, by directing a small-budget musical film, Chicago.

As for why Chicago and not Moulin Rouge, the reason was simple: Chicago was an American story, while Moulin Rouge was not.

Given the exclusivity of the North American market, American audiences tended to show little interest in stories that didn't take place on American soil.

It had taken Godzilla decades to break into the North American market, and even then, its reception wasn't particularly enthusiastic. Of course, the poor quality of many Godzilla films was also a contributing factor.

That said, there were exceptions. Stories like The Lord of the Rings, set in Middle-earth, were warmly received by North American audiences.

If word got out that Gilbert was adapting The Lord of the Rings, it was likely that passionate fans of the books would erupt in protest, worried that he might ruin this epic masterpiece.

Additionally, Chicago was chosen because, in its original timeline, the film achieved impressive box office results and won several awards.

The original lead actor, Richard Gere, had been disappointing, so Gilbert planned to replace him with someone more charismatic and influential.

As Gilbert pondered these matters, he happened to see Tom Cruise walking in.

Immediately, he put on a warm smile and walked over to greet him. "Tom, we meet again! It's great to see you. How have you been lately?"

Tom Cruise gave him a somewhat resentful look. "Gilbert, when are we finally going to work together?"

Gilbert plastered on a big smile. Seeing Tom Cruise almost looking like a lovesick admirer, he responded, "Soon, very soon. Next time, for sure. We'll definitely work together…"

Tom Cruise rolled his eyes. "You said that last time, too."

.....

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