Duke was now not only a major shareholder of Warner Bros, but also the backbone of its film division. Warner Bros quickly agreed to his investment demand of $120 million, after all, the revenue his films brought in could only be described as terrifying. By the end of August, Transformers had grossed $432.25 million in North America, with a global box office exceeding $1.1 billion. After a two-month run, the film was pulled from theaters in China in early August, ultimately raking in 1.41125 billion RMB at the box office, becoming the only film in the Chinese market to ever surpass the 1 billion RMB mark.
Duke's name, along with Optimus Prime and Megatron, spread even further across China.
Whether it was investment or distribution in China, China Film Group made a killing off Transformers, and naturally wanted to invest in his new film. However, when their Hollywood representative saw a small portion of Fury Road's script, they couldn't help but hesitate. This type of film had never been publicly released in the domestic market. Whether there would be an audience was one question, but whether it could pass the scrutiny of the "big scissors" was a more critical issue.
A post-apocalyptic world? Did that mean China also perished?
Even with their toes, China Film Group's representative in Hollywood could guess that some grandpa among the "big scissors" might have such thoughts.
In the end, China Film Group did not invest in Duke's new film Fury Road, and instead set their sights on the already preparing Transformers sequel.
That's right, under the persuasion of Nancy Josephson, Michael Bay took over the series. Just as Duke had predicted, Michael Bay's choices were quite limited now.
He needed a successful, explosive blockbuster to re-enter the ranks of A-list directors, and Transformers was undoubtedly a perfect opportunity.
From late August, Duke gradually returned to work. In addition to Fury Road soon officially starting production and notifying team members to end their vacations, he focused most of his energy on editing and reviewing Transformers.
The theatrical run of the film was nearing its end, and the DVD release had to be scheduled. The DVD market in North America was clearly being hit hard by online streaming. Declines were visible every year, even every month. Transformers was widely considered in the industry to be the "last hurrah" for DVDs.
To ensure decent DVD sales, box office performance was the foundation, and adding bonus content was also crucial. Behind-the-scenes footage and director's cut versions were big reasons fans would willingly buy DVDs.
Duke had filmed over a hundred hours of material, so adding different content was no challenge.
By the time Duke completed the review of the DVD version of Transformers at the end of August, his team members had all returned to Los Angeles. Tom Cruise and Charlize Theron had officially signed on as the lead actors, and the film had reached a point where it could enter pre-production.
On September 1st, Fury Road held its official project launch press conference.
As the three most well-known figures involved in the film, Duke, Tom Cruise, and Charlize Theron all attended the press event. Their collaboration was also a major promotional focus for Warner Bros.
With two superstar actors and a super-director, the cast was enough to attract all media attention.
More than 500 reporters packed into the press hall at the Warner building. Not only were all seats filled, but even the aisles and corridors were standing-room only. To prevent any incidents, the head of Warner Bros.' security department had to deny entry to reporters who arrived late.
In addition, outside the front entrance of the Warner building, hundreds of fans who had gotten wind of the news gathered, holding posters of Tom Cruise and Charlize Theron in support of their idols.
This was part of the capital that comes with superstardom something ordinary actors simply couldn't compare to. Once a Hollywood actor transformed into a superstar, they could no longer be measured by the standards of an ordinary actor.
By using these two powerful superstars, Duke could offset some of the innate shortcomings of the film's subject matter.
To say that a film like Fury Road could become as globally popular as Transformers was as unreliable as claiming that The Man from Earth could be a box office hit.
Even if Duke made appropriate changes, Fury Road would still be a genre film.
When Duke, Tom Cruise, and Charlize Theron sat on stage, the flashbulbs lit up the room so brightly that it almost blinded everyone. To the press, this was undoubtedly the most attention-grabbing entertainment news of September.
The collaboration of the three ignited massive enthusiasm among the reporters, many of whom couldn't wait to ask questions.
But the first question was reserved for the Los Angeles Times, with whom Duke had a strong working relationship. A young female reporter, after being called on, stood up and asked, "Director Rosenberg, can you tell us the genre of your new film?"
"It's a sci-fi film set in the future," Duke said simply. "But it's different from the current sci-fi action movies—I hope this film brings viewers a revolutionary viewing experience."
A revolutionary viewing experience?
Many reporters were baffled. The currently popular sci-fi action films were all deeply influenced by the director on stage. If he were to upend the existing sci-fi action genre, wouldn't that mean overturning his own successful formula?
More reporters raised their hands, but Charles Roven, who was hosting the press conference, pointed to a journalist in the front row.
"Director Rosenberg, you rarely collaborate with established superstars," the reporter stated, voicing an industry consensus. "But this time, you're working with Mr. Tom Cruise and Ms. Charlize Theron. Can you tell us why?"
Duke looked at Tom Cruise and Charlize Theron before replying, "Because I know how outstanding the two of them are."
This kind of setting was, after all, made for mutual praise.
"Can we know what kind of characters they're playing?" Another reporter stood up, "What's the relationship between Tom and Sally's characters in the film?"
"Two very interesting characters…"
It wasn't the right time to reveal this yet, so Duke simply gave a vague answer and added, "They'll go from being enemies to fighting side by side comrades till death!"
After that, the reporters turned their questions toward Tom Cruise and Charlize Theron. They were both top-tier stars and just as eye-catching.
The reporters asked them similar questions—Why choose to work with Duke?
Tom Cruise answered, "Any actor would be thrilled to receive an invitation from Duke. Everyone knows he's a great director. I've previously collaborated with Duke on Chicago, and we've co-invested in the Mission: Impossible series. Our partnership and friendship have stood the test of over ten years, so when he extended the invitation—even though there wasn't a script yet—I agreed without hesitation."
As long as someone gave him the right reminder, Tom Cruise was definitely a smart guy.
Compared to Tom Cruise, Charlize Theron had deeper ties with Duke, and her words came across as more sincere.
"My admiration for Duke was the biggest motivation to join," she didn't hide her attitude at all. "From the moment Duke first talked to me about this film and the female lead, I felt this had potential. This is a Duke Rosenberg film! After I read the character's script…"
She offered Tom Cruise a small compliment, "Knowing there's a female lead fighting side by side with Tom, that kind of role is the opportunity every actress dreams of."
Charlize Theron then turned the focus back to Duke.
"Director Rosenberg never lets actors down. He described the direction and concept of the film to me, and I believe he can truly bring it all to life. He's never strayed from the world he imagines."
She paused briefly to find the right words and added,"For me personally, being able to show, as a woman, all that women are capable of in this film—and earn the respect of other women in this world—being able to convey real messages through my performance in the story, that kind of opportunity is just too rare."
Hearing her words, many reporters exchanged glances and couldn't help but think could it be that Duke's new film Fury Road is a feminist work?
The film indeed had traces of feminism, but they weren't too obvious, and it wouldn't provoke any backlash. Duke was well aware that now wasn't the right time to overtly showcase feminism in films.
The development of feminist cinema always requires a process, and a rather long one at that.
Moreover, the meanings, reflections, or ideologies a film might convey had never been things Duke particularly cared about. This film would be no exception.
To put it bluntly, it represents the purest old-school car chases.
No digital tech navigation, no aerial firepower support—what matters is the number of people, the armor, the ammo, and the horsepower. Also, how high the lead can jump, how fast he can run, how accurate he can shoot, and how hard he can punch.
Duke's past chase scenes wouldn't feel right unless a vehicle was airborne for ten-plus seconds and did a few dazzling steel gymnastics tricks.
This time, it's a complete overhaul.
He would strip the film of everything beyond the "dressed-to-kill car chases"—every impurity removed. The leads are either on the road or getting ready to hit the road. The characters' motivations are highly streamlined:
Some want to survive with dignity, for themselves or others;
Some long for illusory glory, chasing it until death or disillusionment.
Possession and escape, reproduction and being born free these are the oldest motives of all.
According to Duke's vision, none of the characters will have too much dialogue. Even if the film were turned into a silent movie with no subtitles, it could still be understood by audiences all over the world.
It is a sci-fi film, true, but it won't contain a trace of high-tech.
The sci-fi elements all lie within the characters' hearts.
They're surreal, savages nourished by an anarchist future wasteland. They don't need much stimulation to fight to the death.
This is a story that could only exist within a sci-fi setting.
....
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