"I was deeply shocked by James' performance."
Walking out of the Warner building, Duke stood beside James Franco. When reporters swarmed over, he said a few simple words, "Indeed, we rehearsed, but it was only the first time I saw James in the scene that I realized his performance was remarkable, unprecedented."
It was all for publicity, and Duke also had a very good impression of the witty and humorous James Franco. "I worked with him in Inception, and I know his talent is outstanding. So when casting for The Dark Knight Rises, I immediately thought of him."
When the reporters turned to James Franco, he cooperated very well, saying, "Working with Duke is very inspiring. I'm happy to collaborate with him again, especially since it's Batman. I've always been a huge fan of Batman, and I've watched all previous Batman works."
"James, I heard you're shooting a new project?" a reporter turned to Duke. "I heard it came from your recommendation."
"Yes." James Franco replied first, "It's a comedy I'm co-starring in with Seth Rogen."
Duke spoke somewhat formally, "James is not only an actor but also full of creative talent. I really admire that talent, and I merely recommended him to Warner Brothers."
After saying these few words in front of the Warner building, the reporters gathered even more closely. Duke's bodyguards immediately formed a corridor through the crowd. Duke gave James Franco a look and led the way through the reporters to the waiting car. James Franco didn't leave; his new project had already begun filming and would be released by the end of the year, needing publicity.
As the car started, Scarlett complained, "Darling, why are you supporting James Franco's project?"
As a politically active figure, Scarlett Johansson naturally saw the implications this project, called The Interview, could bring.
Tina Fey in the passenger seat also turned her head. "This really isn't your style."
In a film, taking a so-called stance of justice to openly assassinate a country's leader—even in a nation like North Korea, condemned by the whole world—would inevitably stir controversy.
Duke was fully aware of this, yet he still chose to support James Franco.
"I did this after careful consideration." Duke's eyes showed a hint of thought. "If the benefits didn't outweigh the risks, how could I support this project?"
Scarlett knew what kind of person her boyfriend was: besides being excellent to those around him, he was completely profit-oriented. In her view, it was precisely this principle that brought Duke to his current position.
Looking at all of America's successful people, who isn't profit-driven?
Still, she felt this was somewhat ill-considered. "I don't see where the profit comes from. A comedy selling on crude humor—at best, even if it sells well, it won't make over $100 million."
Tina Fey added, "Even $50 million would be good. And as a major shareholder in Warner Brothers, the dividends you'd get would be at most $10 million."
Such an amount wasn't impressive for either Duke or Tina Fey.
Duke looked first at Scarlett, then at Tina Fey, and slowly said one word: "China."
China?
Tina Fey and Scarlett both frowned. Scarlett, with her sharp political senses, was the first to react.
"Are you signaling your position?" she cautiously asked.
Duke nodded slightly. Tina Fey looked at Scarlett in confusion.
"He's been to China too many times, too close to their official media and certain departments." After Duke's reminder, Scarlett understood. "Actually, in politics and high society, many people are already talking about Duke…"
Tina Fey also caught on. "Duke is now the most representative figure of American culture. Being too close to China could indeed cause some issues."
Politics has never been separate from Hollywood. Unlike James Cameron, Duke was born and raised in California, Los Angeles—a standard native American in some people's eyes. With a twenty-year directing career and cumulative box office over $10 billion, his influence worldwide was unparalleled.
If such a person sympathizes with or endorses certain things, problems are inevitable—one could even say it would shock all of America.
Indeed, society is more open than before, but ideology remains a major issue, like religion and race.
In some ways, putting his name as producer on The Interview was also a signal to mainstream American society about certain stances.
Of course, this was mainly concerning North Korea; he did not want to give up the Chinese market.
The Interview was, after all, a low-budget film. Creating a sensational effect wouldn't be easy. Back at his Duke estate villa, Duke called Tina Fey to the study and formally instructed her on several matters, having her personally coordinate with Doug Walter and Jamie Johnson.
"Wait, Tina."
As Tina Fey prepared to leave the study, Duke called her back. "Remember to notify Warner Brothers to strengthen security for The Dark Knight Rises premiere."
He vaguely recalled a serious accident during the film's release.
However, the film would screen in over 4,400 theaters in North America, all independently owned. Even if he wanted to intervene, there was no way.
How could theater companies allow an outsider to interfere with their operations?
All Duke could do was enhance security at the premiere; he couldn't recall whether the previous incident happened at the premiere or another theater.
As long as the premiere went smoothly, everything else was manageable.
Tina Fey nodded lightly. "Warner Brothers has hired two professional security companies. I'll coordinate further with Jamie Johnson."
The study door opened and gently closed. Scarlett Johansson, who had been silent, curiously asked, "Darling, what are you worried about?"
"Just being prepared." Duke sighed lightly.
Heath Ledger's death had undoubtedly turned the Joker into a myth, creating a mass of crazed fans. He was truly worried some people might imitate the Joker's actions…
The consequences could only be described as unthinkable.
There are so many movie fans across America. Beyond taking proper precautions, Duke had no other solution. He couldn't possibly screen every single person buying tickets for The Dark Knight Rises, right? That way, The Dark Knight Rises would definitely flop completely.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Duke stood up and said, "Let's go downstairs for dinner."
Scarlett shrugged, came over, linked her arm with his, and left the study, slowly walking down the stairs toward the dining room.
Over the past year, Duke had been strictly following the nutritionist's prescribed diet. Whether it was psychological effect or the results of resumed fitness, he felt much healthier than before, especially his sleep quality had greatly improved.
Dinner was basically vegetables and fish. Duke and Scarlett didn't eat much. After finishing, Duke returned to the study to review the latest Star Wars reboot plans sent over by Lucasfilm.
Currently, Kathleen Kennedy had flown to China for the second time, promoting the Star Wars series in the world's second-largest film market. After over a year of adjustments, Lucasfilm began drafting concrete plans for the new Star Wars, but several screenplay outlines had already been rejected by Duke.
These outlines were creative and innovative, but Duke could not approve them. He was very clear: the first film of the reboot carried enormous significance, directly affecting subsequent plans. Creativity and novelty were almost synonymous with risk. What the new Star Wars first installment needed was not these, but steadiness and conservatism.
The newly submitted plan was once again rejected by Duke. He planned to meet Lucasfilm executives before the release of The Dark Knight Rises and tell them to directly reference the characters and settings of the first Star Wars, drafting the outline and character design in a nostalgic style.
The influence of the Star Wars series in North America and the entire Western world could only be described as incredible, and Duke understood this very well. The new Star Wars first film must prioritize the North American market and audience, then consider other overseas markets.
As for the Chinese market, he could only prepare groundwork as best as possible. Whether it could achieve the explosive success of films like Transformers or Avatar, Duke had no confidence.
However, he would not change the concept or direction of the first new Star Wars for this reason. Regardless of market size or profit share, North America remains the world's number one film market today.
Regarding merchandise, from today's perspective, the once-beloved R2D2 was undoubtedly a bit old. Although it could bring nostalgia to many, for merchandise to thrive, a new growth point was necessary. Adding a new generation of adorable robot god would undoubtedly be the most suitable choice.
Thinking of this, Duke picked up a pen and, in his reply to Lucasfilm, sketched the outline of two robots, one large and one small, stacked together.
But Duke's drawing skills were very average. He could only produce conceptual sketches; the detailed review and design work still had to be handled by Lucasfilm's professional engineers.
As the release date approached, the presale for The Dark Knight Rises gradually began. Meanwhile, after nearly a year of screening, The Avengers had basically completed its North American and overseas theater run.
.....
Hi For access to additional chapters of
Director in Hollywood (40 chpaters)
Made In Hollywood (60 Chapters)
Pokemon:Bounty Hunter(30 Chapters)
Hollywood:From Razzie to Legend(40 Chapters)
The Great Ruler (30 Chapters)
Join pateron.com/Translaterappu