Made In Hollywood

In the banquet hall of the Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, the lights were bright, and men and women in formal attire were either standing or sitting, filling every corner of the space. Duke held a champagne glass, constantly clinking glasses with people who came over to greet him. Under Nancy Josephson's reminder, he nodded in acknowledgment or shook hands for small talk, depending on the status of the guests.

Since he entered this enormous banquet hall, people had surrounded him, as if he were fresh blood that could attract flies.

Executives or representatives from major studios like Paramount, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros, Sony Columbia Pictures, and 20th Century Fox, along with those from smaller companies like Carolco and Miramax, all came to congratulate Duke while also probing for potential future collaborations.

Although it was unlikely that these companies would invest immediately upon Duke throwing out a film project, they would certainly expedite the review and preliminary research processes as quickly as possible within the procedural bounds.

This was the halo effect that continuous success brought.

Perhaps this land didn't have the concept of "superstition," but it was undoubtedly one of the countries that crazily chased after success.

"Even though Duke Rosenberg has only made three films,"

Cook Dick stood not far away, watching Duke socialize, searching for the right opportunity. He said to another Disney executive beside him, "But each of those films has had higher box office success than the last. 'Independence Day' was a complete blockbuster. Our market department predicts it can hit $350 million in North America and $800 million worldwide."

"Bob, Duke is worth our attention!" he continued.

Robert Iger nodded, "Duke's commercial abilities are beyond doubt; it's just that the films' critical reception…"

"Professional acclaim? Is that really important?"

Seeing Duke temporarily unoccupied, Cook Dick exchanged glances with Iger and walked briskly towards Duke.

"This is Cook Dick, who is responsible for Disney's live-action films."

As they approached, Nancy Josephson leaned close to Duke's ear, quietly reminding him, "The other one is also a Disney executive named Robert Iger; he prefers being called Bob."

"Hi, Duke."

"Hi, Cook. Hi, Bob."

They greeted each other warmly, shaking hands as if they were very familiar friends. Duke recalled having met these two at other events but didn't have a deep impression. As always, he maintained an attitude that was neither arrogant nor overly modest.

"Congratulations on your film's success."

Clearly, Cook Dick took the lead in the conversation, "This is truly an astonishing achievement."

"Thank you!" Duke smiled, raising his glass.

Cook Dick took a small sip of his drink and, after another actress passed by to greet them, he got straight to the point, "I hear you have another script? When do you plan to turn it into a formal film project? We'd like to consider it first at Disney."

"Soon," Duke tilted his head towards Nancy. "If Disney is interested, Nancy…"

"We are very interested."

After shaking hands with Nancy Josephson, Cook Dick said, "How about we find a place to discuss this in detail after the party?"

"Sure," Nancy displayed excellent professional etiquette.

In a nearby corner, Jeff Robinov from Warner Bros. was watching, his brow furrowed tightly, seemingly devoid of joy after the film's success.

Watching Disney's executives shake hands with Duke and then seeing Sony Columbia's people approach, Jeff Robinov realized that such a successful director would undoubtedly be a target for the entire Hollywood community.

If a director whose film grossed over $300 million in North America was not sought after, that would be the biggest folly in Hollywood!

With this thought, Jeff Robinov lightly tapped his index finger against his middle finger. The current CEO of Warner Bros. was about to step down, and after the successes of "Independence Day" and "The Rock," he had won the internal competition at Warner Bros. and was the uncontested choice for CEO.

His next consideration was how to solidify his position and deliver impressive results.

He had read Duke's new script, which was about the Normandy landings and rescue missions. The content was not only explosive but also incorporated a degree of humanistic concern that had been absent from Duke's previous films. Given that next year marked the 50th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, a film like this, if released on D-Day, Germany's surrender day, or Memorial Day, could become a box office powerhouse…

While this type of film might not gross as much as "Independence Day," it had inherent Oscar potential. If it performed well at the Oscars, subsequent television broadcasts and video rentals could greatly increase profits!

How to maintain collaboration with Duke? Jeff Robinov couldn't help but rub his chin.

Indeed, according to the original agreement, Warner Bros. had the right of first investment, but that was contingent on equal terms. It would be the most naive and foolish joke in Hollywood if other companies were completely disinterested in Duke's film projects and watched Warner Bros. take it without opposition!

Most importantly, Duke Rosenberg was only 24 years old, with potentially limitless prospects. What kind of achievements had Spielberg made from "Jaws" to now?

Just thinking about that made Jeff Robinov eager to tie the young director to the Warner Bros. train.

But how to do that was worth considering.

"What do you think about monsters?"

Standing opposite him was Mitch Schurhoff, vice president of Sony Columbia Pictures. Unlike the verbose and insincere Japanese executive beside him, he was a typical American businessman. After some brief pleasantries, he got straight to the point, "That's a massive creature with destructive capabilities."

"Is it Godzilla?" Duke immediately understood his implication.

"Yes, that's the monster from Japan," Schurhoff noted that Duke was familiar with it and continued, "Sony Entertainment acquired the film rights for Godzilla back in 1992 and has been planning a movie adaptation, but we have yet to find the right director—someone who can fully unleash Godzilla's power!"

Duke nodded, waiting for him to elaborate.

Mitch Schurhoff organized his words slightly, "To be honest, Duke, 'Independence Day' only destroyed North America; don't you want to destroy more places? Like Japan?"

"Japan?" Duke's eyes immediately lit up. "I've always really wanted to sink Japan or completely wipe it out. Godzilla…"

Hearing Duke's words, the Japanese executive beside him looked somewhat embarrassed.

Despite the teasing, Duke wouldn't be rude in such a setting. "What I mean is to destroy Japan in the movie. I hope Mr. Hara wouldn't mind, right?"

"Of course not."

The Japanese executive immediately flashed a brilliant smile. "I really enjoy Director Rosenberg's works and love seeing those earth-shattering scenes."

"Thank you…"

After a casual exchange, Duke looked back at Schurhoff. "Mitch, I have my own plans coming up, and I'm afraid I can't collaborate with Sony Entertainment."

"Duke, think about it some more." Mitch Schurhoff lowered his voice, "Sony Entertainment has proposed a $120 million production budget for this project. If you agree to direct, we can increase that budget…"

Furrowing his brow slightly, Duke directed him toward his agent. "You should talk to Nancy first."

Directing a Japanese monster movie? That was not in Duke's plans. This wasn't a matter of bias but practical consideration. The North American film market was one of the most closed markets; it was too difficult for outsiders to achieve success. Would a Japanese Godzilla fit the aesthetic of the North American mainstream audience? Don't be ridiculous.

If they altered Godzilla's appearance, they might attract some North American viewers but would lose the film's largest revenue source— the Japanese market!

This was inherently an ungrateful subject!

If he were to make a monster movie, Duke would rather create an original one than use Godzilla.

After dealing with the Sony Columbia duo, Duke finally had a moment of free time. His gaze scanned the spacious banquet hall, where the confetti and flower petals scattered at the party's start were everywhere, and guests shuffled around, stepping on them, completely forgetting the party's celebratory theme, which inevitably transformed into a business gathering.

Aside from Duke himself, several main actors from the crew were also the object of attention, especially Will Smith and Naomi Watts. These two were arguably the biggest beneficiaries from the film; the former was the most popular among teenagers, while the latter had received significant praise for her acting.

"Looking for suitable prey?"

Hearing the monotonous nasal voice behind him, Duke knew it was Sofia Coppola. He purposely said, "Do you have any recommendations?"

Sofia stepped forward, standing side by side with Duke, her eyes shifting towards a woman thirty feet away. "Madonna is over there; with your skills, you could definitely catch her interest. I'm sure she'd be interested in someone like you."

"I'm not interested in her." Duke felt the alcohol churning in his stomach.

Although Madonna appeared to be in her thirties, Duke was certain she was born in the 1950s. Plus, she was cold and indifferent. He wasn't that heavy-handed yet.

Just thinking about how Dennis Rodman often hung out with her made Duke lose interest.

Suddenly, Sofia Coppola dropped her playful expression and reminded him in a serious work tone, "Duke, Thomas Rothman is coming over."

Walking toward them was Thomas Rothman, CEO of 20th Century Fox. They had collaborated on two films, so there were no formalities between them. After sharing a glass of champagne, when asked about his recent plans, Duke got straight to the point.

"I plan to vacation in Europe after the party."

This is not the situation before when there was no capital. Duke smiled deliberately and said, "Townsend, I haven't found the travel expenses yet. I wonder when the share will arrive?"

.....

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