Made In Hollywood

"Jeff, I suggest you recommend it to the board of directors."

Although Duke had said a lot before, he knew he didn't have a "foolish halo," "Personally, I think this could be a series on par with The Lord of the Rings."

If someone else had said this, Jeff Robinov would have smiled and dismissed it, but hearing Duke speak so earnestly with such a serious tone had caught his attention. "I'll have the team do targeted research."

He then asked, "So, does that mean the copyright is already in your hands?"

"I'm a shareholder in Warner Bros., and they've always been my best partner," Duke spread his hands. "Let's put it this way, Jeff. No one can guarantee a series will be successful, not even me. But the potential of Harry Potter is undeniable. What it needs is our joint promotion. With the right media platform and the right film, I believe it can unleash incredible potential."

Duke knew his current importance to Warner Bros., so he emphasized, "I believe we need to establish an even closer partnership!"

Hearing Duke's obviously biased statement, Jeff Robinov smiled brightly. "That's exactly what Warner is aiming for."

Right now, Warner Bros. had two major focuses: one was the Batman series, and the other was Duke's projects.

Jeff Robinov was well aware of this, and so was Duke. However, Duke also knew something Jeff Robinov didn't—after Batman & Robin was released this year, the Batman series would temporarily come to an end, and Warner Bros. urgently needed new series revenue. They had once chosen the little wizard as their new option.

The Harry Potter series was a very lucrative opportunity. How terrifying could its effect be once successful? However, Duke's mind was clear. He knew that the cake was too big, and the production required a large, complex process. He and Duke Studios couldn't possibly take it on alone.

Could a small company with dozens or even hundreds of people, with no media platform support, trigger the Harry Potter craze?

This was a very realistic business operation, not a fairy tale!

Of course, while Duke's words carried weight, Jeff Robinov wouldn't simply listen and make decisions for all of Warner Bros. based on a few statements.

There was a large amount of mutual interest, and this was merely the preliminary stage of cooperation.

After the party, Duke quickly shifted to the preparatory work. In addition to keeping Zach Snyder, John Schwartzman, Josh Williams, and other key team members, many people were gradually sent to New Zealand to assist Charles Rowen's work. Duke Studios also began a large-scale recruitment effort, both to expand its scale and to find new suitable crew members.

Since the entire crew needed to be moved to Sydney as quickly as possible, the preparatory work in Los Angeles was extremely tight.

However, Duke's influence was far greater now than it had been a few years ago. Many people from different industries in Hollywood wanted to join his crew. The applicants almost overwhelmed Duke Studios' office building, and what he and Zach Snyder needed to do was select suitable personnel.

Under equal conditions, Duke would naturally prioritize candidates recommended by acquaintances within the industry. For example, for art direction and set design, he selected Geoff Dallo, recommended by Tom Hanks, and for weapons design, he chose John Borning, recommended by Warner Bros. These two were also seasoned professionals, so their abilities were unquestionable.

In addition, since Sofia Coppola had left, Duke handed the schedule and storyboard responsibilities to Anna Prince and her team, just as he had done in the past. All completed scripts and plans would be reviewed by him in the end.

Though some team members had gone to New Zealand and couldn't participate in the production of The Matrix, the core team remained, and the project was a familiar sci-fi blockbuster. The preparatory work proceeded much more smoothly than it had for Chicago, with everything in Los Angeles progressing methodically.

However, one aspect of the work was similar to Chicago: the actors had to arrive in advance for training, which would take about three months.

Therefore, auditions had to take place ahead of the preparatory work.

Since Duke had already announced his return for the summer blockbuster season, and the film was a sci-fi one, anyone who had a say in the auditions and could even talk to Duke quickly became a target for agents and many secondary and tertiary actors.

Even Tina Fey had become a focus for many actors' agents and publicists.

"So, someone tried to use their charm on you?"

During their break, Duke joked with his assistant. "Which role do you want?"

"I'm not interested in their charm."

Sitting across from him, Tina Fey shrugged playfully. "They're all short-sighted idiots."

Tina Fey was a smart person who knew she had earned Duke's trust with her long-standing performance. She would never actively destroy that trust. Moreover, she could tell that her employer's future development was far from over. She was one of his most trusted people, and her future was limitless.

Besides, a contract with such favorable salary and benefits—where else could she find something like that?

After chatting for a while, their conversation turned back to work. Duke directly told her, "Tina, look into the audition list. If it's not there, be sure to send a casting invitation to Hugo Weaving, Laurence Fishburne, and Joe Pantoliano."

Tina Fey nodded and made a note in her work log.

"Also, don't forget to inform Grey."

Grey was the casting director for the crew and a longtime member of Duke's team. "The male and female leads should have their auditions pushed back to the end."

The previous female lead had been a model, and her acting skills were terrible, to say the least. She wasn't very attractive either, and her figure was just passable. She didn't serve much of a purpose as a "pretty face" in a commercial blockbuster.

Actually, anyone with even a slight understanding of Hollywood knew that a competent "pretty face" was very important for a commercial blockbuster. If the performance was good enough, it could attract a large group of hormone-driven teenage viewers.

Therefore, Duke didn't hesitate for a moment and automatically filtered out the previous female lead.

Strictly speaking, besides fighting skills, the role of Trinity required only basic acting ability. On top of that, beauty and sex appeal were necessary conditions. The actress for this role needed to maintain a stern expression throughout the film, which would embody the "cool" theme. The ideal actress would be able to strike a perfect balance between looking cool and beautiful and maintaining a strong aura without compromising attractiveness.

Just like how the role of Annie in Speed was perfect for an American "big girl," a pretty face wasn't randomly chosen—it had to fit the actual needs of the film.

As for choosing a pretty woman who could strip down and shout to get the role, that was a joke in the mainstream commercial film world. What director or producer would risk tens of millions of dollars in investment for that? Which actress would be worth that much investment?

Perhaps at the peak of their careers, actresses like Jodie Foster or Julia Roberts might have been worth it, but even Duke couldn't deny that actors like Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, and Julia Roberts, who had recently bounced back, would never lack scripts or offers.

For example, Julia Roberts and Jodie Foster: the former's unsavory audition scandals occurred early in her career, but by the time she reached her prime, she didn't need to use her body to please directors or producers. As for the latter, it was when she was transitioning from a child star, needing to make a name for herself, but after becoming a top star, she became known for maintaining a spotless public image.

These A-list and super A-list stars meant huge value.

Throwing a script and role at an A-list or super A-list star, and expecting them to eagerly run to play someone's toy—that was a fantasy, or a delusion spoken by people in a mental hospital.

Superstars and actors were entirely different beings. Once they reached the superstar level, everything would change.

These people might engage in fleeting relationships or physical needs without hesitation, but using a script or role to seduce an A-list or super A-list actress into being someone's plaything was laughable. To be honest, even Spielberg and James Cameron teaming up wouldn't be able to pull that off.

Actors, especially actresses, might compete with each other in a cutthroat manner, but that was just a normal part of commercial competition. Just as the reputation and dignity of successful directors and producers should not be infringed upon, superstars also had their dignity.

The superstars Duke had worked with were Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise. Whether it was the more mild-mannered Hanks or the initially conflicted Cruise, both were given ample respect during production. Even Cruise, who had had issues with Duke, had softened his stance on the surface.

Both chose to join Duke's team because it met their needs, not for any other reasons.

Yes, Duke liked to date beautiful actresses, just like other men, but he was never foolish enough to use a script or role to seduce an A-list or super A-list star.

Of course, for cost reasons, unless necessary, he wouldn't use superstars.

With these unrealistic thoughts cleared away, Duke had already come up with the right candidate for the female lead, and he was sure the actress wouldn't turn him down.

Now, the male lead selection was up next. Keanu Reeves was the first choice, but Duke wasn't planning on extending an invitation just yet. Reeves' salary was still relatively high at this stage. It was already May, and the summer season had begun, with Speed 2, starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, set to be released soon!

....

Hi For access to additional chapters of

Director in Hollywood (30 chpater)

MV Director (30 chapter)....

Douluo Dalu:Breaking Clan(30 chapter)

Made In Hollywood (60 Chapters)

Join pateron.com/Translaterappu