"What a great show. I wonder if they'll fight over Duke?" Leaning back in a high-backed chair, Leonardo said to the blonde woman beside him, "Charlize Theron is not a simple woman."
The blonde model reminded him, "You're just watching the show?"
"Of course I'm not just watching." Leonardo picked up a bidder number. "I'm going to rescue our explosion maniac from an impending explosive crisis."
He raised the number. "One million dollars!"
"Mr. DiCaprio has bid one million dollars!" the auctioneer on the stage announced loudly.
Scarlett Johansson saw that the bidder was Leonardo DiCaprio and instinctively withdrew the number she was about to raise.
Sofia Coppola looked at Charlize Theron. Everyone in the industry knew that this woman was not easy to deal with, and there were always rumors floating around that her relationship with Duke was quite ambiguous.
Of course, Sofia knew those rumors were fake, but others might not.
A clever move, wasn't it?
Seemingly ignoring Sofia Coppola's gaze, Charlize Theron thought for a moment but didn't continue to raise her paddle.
The experimental reel was finally won by Leonardo for one million dollars.
Subsequently, items offered by George Lucas, Spielberg, and others were also sold for high prices.
The auction lasted for more than an hour. Over a hundred items were auctioned without a single one left unsold, and the entire charity gala raised more than 40 million dollars.
This could be called a very successful charity event.
As the auction ended, guests began to take their leave one by one. Those who remained until the end were basically people with a close relationship with Duke.
For example, Sofia Coppola.
However, just as she saw Duke standing alone and walked toward him, Charlize Theron also came over.
"Long time no see, Duke."
Seeing Charlize Theron reach out her hand, Duke lightly shook it, "Hi, Sally."
Sofia deliberately winked at Duke, then looked at the people gathered around George Lucas on the other side of the banquet hall and said, "I'm going over to say hi to Scarr."
Seeing her walk away, Duke gestured to a chair by the round table, "Have a seat, Sally."
"Thanks."
Charlize Theron slightly lifted the hem of her dress and sat down on a high-backed chair, asking, "What have you been busy with lately? Got time for New Year's? You can bring your new girlfriend. We can go on vacation together."
"The filming for Transformers hasn't finished yet." Duke politely declined. "I can't find the time right now."
"Is your schedule fully packed again?" Charlize Theron asked naturally.
Duke shrugged slightly. "Darling, you know this is my profession. It's also my greatest interest and passion. To be precise, if I'm not making films, I wouldn't even know what to do with myself."
A life of idle comfort isn't something everyone desires.
Knowing Duke's working style, Charlize Theron didn't beat around the bush and smiled as she asked, "I wonder if there's a place for me in your future plans?"
Duke wasn't surprised that Charlize Theron would ask this. Though they had less contact in recent years, he still knew a bit about her situation.
Like most Oscar-winning actresses, Charlize Theron hadn't escaped the "Oscar curse." In recent years, the films she starred in had neither good reviews nor strong box office returns. Although she maintained her A-list status through fashion and luxury endorsements, her commercial asking price had inevitably fallen out of the twenty-million-dollar club.
"In one of my planned new films…" Duke thought of the sci-fi movie he'd mentioned to Tom Cruise and said, "It needs a very powerful female presence."
Charlize Theron glanced at the group still chatting nearby and asked directly, "Duke, I've never refused any request from you."
"What if your pay is halved?" Duke brought up something entirely different.
"Halved?" Charlize Theron showed a surprised expression. She knew she no longer held any novelty for Duke, but she didn't think she had completely lost her appeal either. She frowned slightly. "I can't answer that right now."
Just like how greenlighting a project isn't something a studio executive or CEO can decide alone, an actress can't determine her salary all by herself either.
And that wasn't all. Duke pointed to her beautiful evening gown and said, "And you'd need to destroy your image again."
"Like in Monster?" Charlize Theron hesitated a little.
Duke nodded. "Pretty much."
Hearing that, Charlize Theron's hesitation turned into indecision. After all, she wasn't the same Charlize Theron from back then. She had already won the Best Actress Oscar, and though she hadn't had a major box office hit in recent years, her status in Hollywood hadn't declined either. Destroying the fashionable, powerful, and unique queen-like image she'd carefully built over the years was understandably concerning.
In fact, Duke had another female role very suitable for Theron, but he didn't plan to use her. These scripts were already filed with the Writers Guild, and some of the content had even been leaked by Warner Bros., so there was no need to worry about related issues. They could be filmed slowly in the future.
People naturally play favorites. In this female-led movie, Duke's first choice was Scarlett. He couldn't let her be forever stuck in the Black Widow mold.
"You have more than half a year to think it over."
Compared to other actresses, Duke still leans towards Charlize Theron. After all, when they were seeing each other, she left a very good impression on him. "After the Oscars, I'll have the script for the role sent to you. Give me an answer before July next year."
Charlize Theron didn't doubt Duke's words at all. Just like in the past, he had absolutely no reason to deceive her.
"Hey, Duke."
Scarlett Johansson's voice suddenly came from the side. She then sat down next to Duke, glanced at Charlize Theron with a curious expression, and asked, "Did something happen?"
Charlize Theron stood up, made a gesture indicating a phone call, "Let's keep in touch. I'll treat you to dinner sometime."
She also waved at Scarlett, "Bye, Scar."
"Bye." Scarlett politely waved back.
Then she looked at Duke and curiously asked, "Are you two back in touch again?"
"Back in touch?" Duke didn't quite get what she meant.
Scarlett took his arm and said, "Like before. Don't worry, I won't mind. Monogamy…"
Duke shot her a glance and couldn't be bothered to respond. He just stood up and said, "Darling, you're overthinking it."
With that, Duke walked over to George Lucas's side.
Scarlett also stood up and followed, though her blue eyes occasionally drifted toward the banquet hall exit, where the tall figure was slowly walking out.
After leaving the Duke Manor, the car didn't head toward Charlize's mansion in Malibu but instead went eastward, arriving in front of a small standalone villa. This used to be Charlize Theron's residence.
She opened the car door, lifted her dress hem, and slowly walked into the villa. It had always been maintained by a professional housekeeping company and appeared particularly tidy under the bright lights.
Charlize Theron remembered clearly—during those years at the turn of the century, Duke often drove here to meet her. Their relationship continued until he got a girlfriend.
Passing through the living room and onto the terrace leading to the small garden, Charlize Theron sat down on a rattan chair. It was here that she first learned Duke was casting her as the lead in The Matrix. That series successfully catapulted her to the top ranks of Hollywood, creating the South African Diamond she is today.
Later, when she starred in Monster, she had consulted Duke as well. Though he didn't say much, his words were full of encouragement and support. Perhaps it was that confidence he gave her that made her determined to go ugly for the role and win her first Oscar.
One memory after another flashed through her mind. Charlize Theron rested her arms on the chair's armrests, propping up her pale chin. All those memories told her that while Duke was indeed a jerk when it came to relationships, he was the most reliable and trustworthy jerk in all of Hollywood. From the time they met to when their relationship ended, Duke never truly did anything to harm her. Compared to what she gave, she received just as much.
If their relationship hadn't been inherently unable to go further, Duke would be even more reassuring than her mother.
Though his mind was hard to read and after The Dark Knight was released, many in Hollywood privately called him a two-faced man Charlize Theron knew very well that as long as she didn't stand against him, Duke would never deliberately hurt her.
She believed what Duke said about a self-destructive performance. Maybe it was a good opportunity for a comeback.
This is Hollywood, where countless people scramble forward. Standing still means falling behind, and falling behind means being eliminated by fierce competition.
Her next film would be with Sofia Coppola, who certainly had a unique perspective in the art film realm. But just acting in art films couldn't restore the influence she had during The Matrix era. It couldn't guarantee her further advancement either.
To truly enter the super-A-list tier, she needed to prove her box office draw with commercial success to prove she wasn't outdated yet.
Just cutting her pay in half…
That condition was indeed a bit difficult. It wasn't just about her agent—it also involved the salary for the next film. If this one flopped, cutting her pay would be career suicide.
Sitting in the rattan chair and thinking for a few minutes, Charlize Theron suddenly laughed and said to herself, "So I can still be foolish still be blinded by short-term interests. How could a Duke film possibly fail?"
She stood up, walked back into the house, picked up the phone, and dialed her agent's number.
....
Hi For access to additional chapters of
Director in Hollywood (40 chpaters)
Made In Hollywood (60 Chapters)
Pokemon:Bounty Hunter(30 Chapters)
Douluo Dalu: Reincarnated as Yan(40 Chapters)
Hollywood:From Razzie to Legend(40 Chapters)
The Great Ruler (30 Chapters)
Join pateron.com/Translaterappu