Although there was no live TV broadcast, the number of reporters waiting in front of the Sacred Citizen Grand Hall was no less than that at the Oscars ceremony. In fact, the number of fans gathered on the red carpet far exceeded that of the Oscars, making the scale and momentum of this awards ceremony extraordinarily grand.
In Hollywood, no awards ceremony could compare in weight to the Oscars, but when it came to the number of fans present, the Oscars were not necessarily the largest.
Because the films nominated for the Saturn Awards had a far larger audience than those nominated for the Oscars, coupled with the lack of live broadcast, many fans would often rush to the scene specifically to support their favorite films.
In terms of market and audience, the sci-fi, fantasy, and action films occupying the Saturn Awards nominations were truly mainstream.
When the scaled-down model of Optimus Prime was pushed onto the red carpet by Duke, the atmosphere on site was almost frenzied. This film, which barely made the Saturn Awards nomination list at the last moment, was undoubtedly one of the strongest contenders for many awards this year.
Duke couldn't even remember how many times he had been nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Director. This time, pushing the Optimus Prime model onto the red carpet was not only to promote the still-running film but also because the leader of the Autobots had received a Best Actor nomination!
Since most of the main cast and crew of the Transformers team were busy with promotion tours around the world, only Duke and Anna Prinz attended the awards ceremony.
Compared to the Oscars, the Saturn Awards ceremony was more cheerful. The films presented here were types that fans were very familiar with, avoiding the situation at the Oscars where professionals applaud but few audience members respond.
"We will be the biggest winners!"
Sitting in her seat, Anna Prince said to Duke, "You, the director, personally attending the ceremony, the organizers will definitely reserve several heavyweight awards for Transformers."
Just like the Oscars and the three major European film festivals, fairness in awarding the Saturn Awards had never been a thing. The organizers always prioritized big-name stars and directors who came to the event. With Duke's current status and identity, having promised to attend the ceremony, the jury would surely take that into consideration.
This was a very normal phenomenon in film awards worldwide.
The ceremony had only just begun when Anna Prinz, as part of the crew, had already been on stage several times.
Transformers consecutively won Best Editing, Best Visual Effects, and Best Film Music. A representative from Hasbro also accepted the Best Actor award on behalf of Optimus Prime.
Of course, the heaviest prizes were still Best Director and several popular genre Best Film awards.
With almost no suspense, Duke smoothly took home the Best Director trophy. He didn't say much because he had prepared only one acceptance speech. After a brief thank you, he walked off the stage.
Just as he returned to the front from backstage, he saw a brown-haired actress standing on stage reading out loud, "The Best Sci-Fi Film goes to... Transformers!"
Amid a wave of applause, Duke walked back onto the stage and gently embraced the brown-haired actress responsible for presenting the award. "Thank you, Miss Portman."
Natalie Portman said nothing, merely maintaining the smile on her face as she handed the trophy to Duke.
After the polite exchange, Duke no longer looked at the former idol and stepped up to the microphone. "As the representative of Optimus Prime and Megatron on Earth, I thank the fans for their support!"
He raised the trophy in his hand. "This award is the best recognition of the hard work by me and the entire crew over the past year. We worked tirelessly and poured our hearts into making this film precisely so you would appreciate it! The audience's love will always be my greatest motivation!"
"Thank you!" Duke waved to all directions.
The hall erupted in warm applause once more. Natalie Portman stood to one side of the stage, also smiling and applauding, but in her heart, she kept criticizing the other party's eyes were always on the audience's wallets!
Though they hadn't seen each other for several years, Natalie Portman was very clear that they shared many common traits, such as carefully crafting a stellar public image and never revealing their true intentions.
They both wore a thick mask of pretense!
Even after all these years without contact, Natalie Portman was sure of this.
After the applause died down, Natalie was the first to turn and walk backstage, but her brown eyes still flicked toward the left rear, where a tall figure was walking a little behind on the left.
Holding the trophy, Duke looked at that petite figure. It had been several years since they last met, but Natalie Portman looked more like the memory he had.
Years ago, he had seen this girl's scheming mind clearly, and now he had no intention of continuing their acquaintance.
Just as he entered backstage, Martin Miller came over. He nodded at Natalie Portman first, then warmly greeted Duke.
"Nat is your award presenter?" Martin Miller said, standing with Natalie Portman in front of Duke, "That's incredible."
People came and went backstage. Duke didn't rudely ignore Natalie Portman and smiled, saying, "I didn't expect it either."
He extended a hand, "Long time no see, Nat."
"Hi, Duke." Natalie gave a light shake of his hand, showing a somewhat stiff and restrained smile.
Compared to her, Duke was no different from usual, casually chatting, "It's been years. You've grown up."
Martin Miller knew a bit about their past. He remembered Duke and Natalie once had a good relationship but didn't know why they had lost touch.
"When are you preparing your new film?" Martin Miller naturally asked. "I heard people mention there will be an extraordinary female character in your new movie?"
Duke did not deny it, nodding lightly.
Martin Miller's eyes fell on Natalie. "What do you think of Nat?"
"Sorry." Duke dodged and directly refused, "I already have a lead actress selected."
On the other side, a trace of disappointment appeared briefly in Natalie's eyes.
Since the Star Wars series ended, her career had been quite unsuccessful. Everything seemed stuck at the Padmé Amidala stage. The films she starred in afterward, whether in box office or influence, were very ordinary completely different from what she had imagined.
Although Hollywood's Jewish forces recognized her as one of their own and would prioritize her under equal conditions, without good works and good roles, these were not enough for her to realize her dreams.
Natalie was well aware that the success of the Star Wars prequel series had little to do with her. Inside or outside the industry, no one would credit her for it. To become a top-tier star in Hollywood, she had to prove herself.
But so many actors in Hollywood wanted to prove themselves. How many of them were lucky?
The most typical example was Hayden Christensen, who starred with her in the Star Wars prequels. Once a wildly popular idol, now he could only muddle through in some low-profile films.
That was not the life she wanted. Becoming a winner was even harder than she had imagined.
She looked at Duke. If he wanted, making an actor famous was almost effortless.
If she had been as mature back then as she was now, she would not have made such a low-level mistake.
To succeed in Hollywood, one could not care about face, especially for agents. Martin Miller showed no sign of giving up. "What about the other female roles? Are there other major female parts?"
Duke couldn't afford to linger here any longer. He said directly, "They are all just trophy roles. Martin, if Natalie is interested, you can contact Tina to attend the audition. You should have her number."
After speaking, Duke glanced at his watch. "I have other matters to attend to. Excuse me."
Watching Duke turn and walk away, Martin Miller frowned slightly, then turned to Natalie and said, "Nat, I don't know what kind of conflict you have with him, but I guess it's not sharper than the one he had with Tom Cruise. In this circle, there is no conflict that cannot be resolved."
He sighed, "I've seen the lead role script over at Warner Bros. Although it's an action film, this role is indeed rare. If the film can reach even one-third the success of 'Transformers,' it would be enough to break your typecast as Padmé Amidala."
Gently patting Natalie's arm, Martin Miller said no more. He knew he was facing an extremely realistic and smart woman.
Stepping out of the backstage, Duke completed a routine interview in the interview area, then returned to the auditorium. He deliberately ignored the earlier encounter. He had made the same mistake years ago and did not want a repeat. The former idol was just a symbol of the past now. He could not view her with past eyes, just as he liked Sean Connery's later films but unhesitatingly went all out against him.
Natalie Portman was only the past.
Compared to Charlize Theron, Natalie did not fit the new project's female lead image. As for the other trophy roles, it was not about whether she was suitable. With Natalie Portman's personality, would she accept such dispensable roles?
Those parts were more suitable for Victoria's Secret Angels.
Awards were still being handed out one after another. Whether the Saturn Awards were truly fair or not, all winning films shared one characteristic—they were winners in the box office market with extremely broad audiences.
Films like "Sweeney Todd" and "I Am Legend," which were not favored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, took home major Saturn Awards.
The biggest winner at this Saturn Awards was still "Transformers," which won the most awards. This also became Warner Bros.' latest promotional highlight, re-energizing the film's box office momentum, which had been gradually slowing down.