Made In Hollywood

Recently, gossip media has been buzzing with rumors about Duke and Catherine Zeta-Jones. However, both of them have tactfully adhered to the overall plan devised by Penny Kellis. They occasionally appear in public together but never engage in overly intimate behaviors. When asked about it at events, they dodge the questions, neither confirming nor denying anything.

Of course, the initial focus of the film crew's promotional efforts remained on the fact that this was the first collaboration between Duke and Tom Cruise. The resulting attention was comparable to the buzz created when he worked with Hanks on Saving Private Ryan. Just like Spielberg teaming up with Harrison Ford, the collaboration of a top-tier director and a top-tier superstar effortlessly drew significant public attention.

During this time, Duke visited Lucasfilm once. There were a few special effects in Chicago, which were handed over to Industrial Light & Magic, with whom he had always collaborated. While chatting leisurely with George Lucas, he even heard about Lucas's new Star Wars plans.

Star Wars was set to be re-released again and would soon re-enter mainstream cinemas in Europe and North America. It might well be the film with the most large-scale theatrical releases in cinematic history.

"I've been working on new stories for the Skywalker family since 1994," said George Lucas. Across from him, Duke was flipping through the scripts for the first two episodes of the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

"So, George, does this mean the protagonists are Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker?"

Lucas nodded slightly and added, "And Obi-Wan."

Seeing that Duke was seriously reading the scripts, Lucas thought for a moment before saying, "I'm good at building world settings, but advancing story details is my weak point. Duke, give me some advice."

If it were anyone else, Duke would absolutely keep silent, but George Lucas was an exception, given the unique relationship between their families.

After nearly an hour of flipping through the scripts, Duke finally closed them and smiled at Lucas. "Shall I be blunt?"

"Go ahead," Lucas said as he signaled his assistant to bring them fresh cups of coffee.

Taking a sip of his coffee, Duke said, "Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker's relationship is a sibling-like dynamic, but in the second script, their romance feels too abrupt and unprepared. I think they need more interaction in the first film to showcase their emotional conflicts, especially Padmé's."

"And about Anakin's mother's death—if I'm not mistaken, this is a setup for his transformation into Darth Vader?"

Seeing Lucas nod, Duke thought for a while before saying, "There are too few scenes in the script depicting Anakin's psychological state. I'm concerned…"

He hesitated for a moment, then stopped talking. Lucas, however, continued, "You're worried it'll come across as a transformation for the sake of transformation?"

Lightly tapping the armrest of the sofa, Lucas chuckled. "Do you know why the script for the third film hasn't been completed yet? I've been stuck on how to handle Anakin's transition to the dark side. Duke, you've given me a lot of food for thought."

"It's just my personal perspective," Duke replied modestly.

George Lucas suddenly turned his head, looking at him seriously. "Duke, have you really given up on directing Star Wars?"

"I'm sorry, George." Duke slowly but firmly shook his head. "My work schedule is already booked through 2003; I truly don't have the time."

"What a pity! I think you've already surpassed me in the realm of pure commercial films." George Lucas was clearly not joking. "In all of Hollywood, including myself, no one is more suited to direct the new Star Wars series than you!"

He added, "Whether we admit it or not, Steven and I are already behind the times. Duke, you're going to be Hollywood's most successful director!"

The most successful director?

Leaving Lucasfilm, Duke couldn't help but think about that statement. If there's anyone who could dominate Hollywood and global cinema purely with box office numbers, it would be none other than James Cameron.

The filming of Chicago continued to encounter problems, with progress consistently slower than expected. Fortunately, encouraging news from other areas kept morale up, especially regarding profit-sharing deals, which always lifted spirits.

Duke could now openly pressure 20th Century Fox to pay up.

Saving Private Ryan earned $325.79 million in North America and $649.27 million globally, automatically triggering the 20% profit-sharing clause in its tiered agreement. Because the film was kept in theaters for an extended run during its awards campaign, by the end of June, the contractual deadline, Fox was only just preparing to pay Duke his share—and with plenty of delays. After relentless pressure from Duke's accountant, Tom Rothman personally invited Duke to Fox's headquarters in Century City.

"Tom, we've always had a pleasant partnership," Duke said, though his expression was full of dissatisfaction. "There are only three days left until June ends, yet the North American profit share from Saving Private Ryan, along with the first-month VCD, video rental, and TV rights, haven't been paid!"

VCDs and video rentals typically see their sales peak in the first month after a film leaves theaters, often accounting for more than a third of total annual revenue. According to the contract, Fox, as the North American copyright holder, was required to pay Duke his share by the end of the first half of the year—a substantial amount of money.

The film received 11 Oscar nominations and won 9 awards, including Best Picture, making it a massive winner in the video and TV broadcasting markets.

In April alone, Saving Private Ryan generated $23.5 million in video sales, $15.25 million in rentals, and even $570,000 in VCD sales—a format largely overlooked in North America. Additionally, its first-round North American TV broadcast rights sold for $4.5 million.

In just one month, the North American ancillary market for Saving Private Ryan generated a total of $43.82 million. Of this, Duke was entitled to 6%, or $2.62 million, plus his $65.15 million box office share. Together, Fox owed him a substantial sum.

Three years ago, 20th Century Fox might have freely delayed payment, but now, they had to consider the consequences.

After years of collaboration, Fox clearly understood Duke's mindset. They knew he'd soon return to mainstream commercial filmmaking, and which studio wouldn't want to work with such a commercially successful director?

But this was a lot of money, and Fox was facing difficulties.

"Duke, we'll definitely pay your share."

From the moment he sat down, Tom Rothman's brow had been tightly furrowed. "We're old friends; we trust each other's credibility. Fox has always supported you."

"Yes, I truly appreciate your support," Duke said, and it wasn't entirely a polite remark.

During the Mel Gibson incident, Fox's media outlets consistently stood by him. While this was a politically correct stance, they had indeed lent their support.

"But you know, Tom," Duke said, steering the conversation back, "our partnership has always been business first, friendship second."

"I won't hide anything, Duke."

What Tom Rothman said next was something anyone could verify with a little investigation. He simply stated it outright: "Fox is facing a serious cash flow issue. The North American box office share from Saving Private Ryan has already been reinvested into the Speed sequel and other projects. We haven't touched your share, but…"

He sighed. "You're not the only one chasing Fox for money right now."

Hearing this, Duke began recalling certain details, though his expression remained neutral. He now had the leverage to negotiate with 20th Century Fox.

"Fox hopes to delay payment of your share," Tom Rothman said slowly. "The board has already approved paying interest at the bank's rate."

"Why not seek help from the parent company?" Duke asked, probing.

Tom Rothman shook his head. "Duke, that's an entirely outsider's question. Fox and News Corp. have completely separate financial accounting systems. Although they're affiliated, there's rarely any direct financial interaction."

Duke took his time drinking half a cup of coffee before asking, "Does this have anything to do with the project you're co-producing with Paramount?"

"You've probably heard about it; it's no secret." Tom Rothman maintained his composure, though there was anger in his eyes. "Fox has invested $100 million in the Titanic! And James Cameron keeps demanding more money. We've even used funds meant for Fox's daily operations, but he's now saying the film can't be released this year!"

Over the past two years, Fox had invested in multiple projects. While $100 million for Titanic didn't seem like much, it had consumed a significant portion of Fox's cash flow. Based on his residual memories, Duke recalled that Fox executives had once remarked that if Cameron's project failed, Fox might go bankrupt.

Duke's mind started calculating. "So Fox plans to withhold my share temporarily to further invest in James Cameron's project?"

"We plan to inject more funds to salvage this project."

At this point, there was no point in hiding anything. Tom Rothman simply laid it out: "James Cameron has delayed the project too long. Both Fox and Paramount are considering replacing him as director!"

Duke wasn't surprised by this. Fox and Paramount had indeed once considered replacing Cameron mid-project.

But what Tom Rothman said next left Duke stunned.

"Yes, we're considering replacing James Cameron. He's dragged this project on for too long. We need a director who can work quickly while maintaining quality!"

Everything Tom Rothman had said so far had been leading up to this: "Duke, we'd like to invite you to take over as the director of Titanic!"

...

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