Before the premiere of The False, Gilbert's partner began giving birth.
Cameron Diaz gave birth to twins for Gilbert—a son and a daughter—which thrilled the old man almost beyond measure.
The boy was named Victarion Landrini, a stylish, distinctly Italian name.
The girl was named Felicia, after Gilbert's maternal grandmother, honoring family tradition.
Once the little girl passed infancy, she became delicate and charming, beloved by the entire family.
It is often said that daughters are their father's little jackets. Compared to his son, Gilbert clearly favored this only daughter.
The Landrini family suddenly expanded from a sparse household to three heirs in the next generation.
The sudden arrival of twins naturally drew the attention of Gilbert's close friends.
Last time, Robert Iger had snatched the godfather role from Tom Cruise, but this time he wouldn't miss the chance and became Victarion's godfather. Naturally, Nicole Kidman became Felicia's godmother.
Doug Walter even suggested his son could be betrothed to Felicia, but Gilbert did not agree.
Tom Cruise also proposed that Suri could marry Victarion, asking Suri for her opinion. Suri promptly nodded in agreement, leaving Gilbert speechless.
He opposed deciding a child's life choices from such an early age; while raising them properly, he wanted to give them space to grow independently.
In practice, though, Gilbert—an inexperienced father—felt somewhat overwhelmed.
Joy lifts the spirit, and the premiere of The False was approaching.
Apart from the children, people were also discussing topics related to Gilbert's film.
"The three test screenings of The False have received excellent word-of-mouth and high praise. A media friend of mine said it's the best crime film he's seen recently. David, you miscalculated."
In the Sky Film studio, Michael Ovitz was discussing the summer release of Van Helsing with David Ellison.
Van Helsing was the first film David Ellison produced, and now it had to compete with Gilbert's new film.
Michael Ovitz had tried to persuade him several times, but David Ellison insisted, leaving Ovitz helpless.
This time, Ovitz again tried to convince Ellison to change the release schedule to avoid direct competition with Gilbert, knowing they couldn't win head-to-head.
David Ellison understood the implication but had his own thoughts: "If we simply change the release date, doesn't that mean we're afraid of Gilbert? Wouldn't that be humiliating?"
"Good Lord," Ovitz said, pinching his forehead, "David, no one would laugh at you. People would call it a wise choice. Many in Hollywood fear Gilbert; so what if you do too? Losing a head-to-head battle would really be embarrassing, with even greater losses."
Ovitz's words were seasoned advice. If any other Hollywood director, even someone as bombastic as Bay, were in Ellison's position, they would certainly listen.
Unfortunately, David Ellison had learned Larry Ellison's arrogance but not his wisdom or judgment.
"Hmph, Michael, I think you're scared of Gilbert. You all are. But I'm not. I don't believe Gilbert is unbeatable."
Faced with the stubborn Ellison, Ovitz could only do his best to persuade him.
"But based on the test screenings, The False is truly excellent, and it features three Hollywood superstars—Hanks, Cruise, and the leading lady…"
David Ellison interrupted, "I know test screenings can be faked. And if the movie is bad, even thirty superstars wouldn't help."
Ovitz was exasperated, unable to understand Ellison's stubbornness.
Gilbert had been in the industry for many years; he wouldn't stoop to small tricks. Moreover, getting two Toms to set aside their 'king-of-kings' principles to appear in the same film could only happen because the script was outstanding.
Ovitz hoped that after this setback, David would gain some clarity, as he no longer had high hopes for Van Helsing.
Fortunately, Sky Studios had abundant capital, and most of Van Helsing's production costs had been covered through Wall Street financing, so a loss could be easily absorbed.
Meanwhile, Gilbert was not the least bit surprised to learn that David Ellison had refused to change the release date.
"Seems my reputation doesn't scare anyone at all—David Ellison won't budge on the schedule."
Sophia pulled ten dollars from her bag and handed it to Gilbert, losing the bet this time.
She still couldn't understand why David Ellison was so stubborn. "Are all young people this reckless now? Van Helsing clearly isn't a match for The False. Doesn't David realize that?"
"He may realize it," Gilbert said, "but he just doesn't want to admit defeat. Before Larry Ellison completely loses faith in his son, David can still afford the risk. So he wants to try, to gamble. If he succeeds, he'll instantly make a name for himself in Hollywood."
"That's hard. He's a disruptor; I don't think most people like him," Sophia said.
"Exactly, so the job of intercepting him falls to me." Gilbert finished his tea and stood up. "Come on, Oscar winner for Best Original Screenplay, dinner time."
Sophia followed Gilbert to the restaurant, muttering as they walked, "Why does every word you say feel like mockery?"
"Hey, Sophia, that's just your imagination."
"Really? I don't think so…"
Time slowly moved to late April. With Van Helsing refusing to change its release date, it would face a direct collision with The False.
Now, it wasn't just Hollywood watching. Given Gilbert's and David Ellison's unique statuses, even Silicon Valley and Wall Street were paying attention.
Las Vegas had even opened betting lines, but most people favored Gilbert. Only the greedy would gamble on David Ellison winning.
Larry Ellison had personally called David regarding the matter. He didn't know much about movies, but he understood the significance of Gilbert's name.
On the call, he reminded David not to underestimate his opponent and to take him seriously.
Father and son were alike; neither had considered changing the release date. The reason was the same—they couldn't back down now without losing face.
Their perspective differed from Michael Ovitz's. Ovitz, thinking as an industry insider, considered rescheduling a wise choice.
But Larry and David Ellison both believed that even if they lost, they could not reschedule. They had to collide head-on—it was a form of courage.
David explained to his father, "This is to show all of Hollywood our determination, to let those against Gilbert see that Hollywood isn't without people brave enough to challenge him. I'm an outsider, so I need allies. Gilbert is the target who can help me find them. I don't believe all of Gilbert's opponents have disappeared over the years—they're just lying in wait, and I'm giving them the opportunity."
Larry Ellison praised him, "David, your thinking is brilliant. Go for it; I support you."
With his father's support, David's confidence grew. He believed that even if Van Helsing couldn't defeat The False, it wouldn't fall too far behind.
As long as the results showed a close contest, it would signal to Gilbert's dormant opponents that there was a chance.
If David had hope, they could back him, potentially leading to Gilbert's failure.
This was the divergence in perspective. Michael Ovitz couldn't understand it, and David never explained.
But Van Helsing had to lose narrowly to achieve the effect.
If it suffered a crushing defeat, people would only mock David Ellison for overestimating himself, not see him as capable of challenging Gilbert.
The first challenge David faced was the premiere.
To avoid being overshadowed by The False, David wisely chose to hold Van Helsing's premiere in New York.
New York was the East Coast entertainment hub, but it still didn't shine as bright as Los Angeles.
The False premiere, on the other hand, had guests from across Hollywood, the red carpet dazzling under the lights.
If it weren't for Hugh Jackman having a few friends and David Ellison's girlfriend Christina Aguilera inviting some pop stars, Van Helsing's premiere would have been pitiful.
Looking toward Los Angeles, David could already imagine the spectacle there.
But he didn't feel jealous; winning early didn't count. The real test would be in the box office.
....
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