Becoming famous at a young age isn't always a good thing; sometimes it can make people lose their heads. The Transformers series had undergone many changes under Duke's direction, one of which involved the leading actress, Amber Heard — who could be described as red-hot to the extreme, undoubtedly one of the most sensational idol actors in the world in recent years.
Like most young stars who rose to fame early, Amber Heard inevitably suffered from self-inflation and did some rather inappropriate things.
For example — she couldn't control her mouth.
Originally, Transformers 4 was supposed to continue the previous storyline, featuring Amber Heard and a Chinese actor in the lead roles. But plans never keep up with changes — once Amber Heard was kicked out, the entire story returned to Michael Bay's familiar rhythm.
Because of her stunning performances in the Transformers trilogy, Amber Heard had gained immense attention and was even hailed as one of the sexiest women in the world. Although she publicly claimed that she left Transformers 4 to pursue better opportunities, this time, her downfall truly came from her own mouth.
During an interview, Amber Heard described Duke's direction on the Transformers set as dictatorial — "like the tyrant Hitler," she said and claimed it was enough to give people nightmares. The moment the interview was over, her name vanished from the Transformers 4 production list.
At that time, Duke only made one phone call to Michael Bay: "Fire her. Replace her."
Just like Megan Fox, whose career collapsed after leaving the Transformers series, Amber Heard's future path in Hollywood was destined to grow narrower and narrower.
"Why did Michael Bay choose Nicola Peltz?"
In the garden of the Duke Manor, Scarlett Johansson asked curiously as she accompanied Duke on a walk. "She doesn't seem to fit Michael's usual standards for a female lead."
Linking his arm with Scarlett's, Duke walked slowly between the palm trees and said, "Maybe Michael Bay wants to make a change."
At first glance, many fans were bound to feel disappointed seeing Nicola Peltz's photos. The baby-faced heroine wasn't sexy at all. But after talking with Duke, Michael Bay decided that Nicola's youthful and innocent image perfectly matched the rewritten script of Transformers 4, in which the female lead was a high school girl.
After that discussion, Nelson Peltz's company, Snapple Beverages, not only became the main sponsor of Transformers 4 but also invested twenty-five million dollars in the film. Duke and Michael Bay had no reason not to choose Nicola Peltz.
And such an investment would certainly bring returns. Michael Bay cast the acclaimed actor Mark Wahlberg to play Nicola Peltz's father, while Irish actor Jack Reynor would play her boyfriend. With two tough guys reduced to supporting roles, there was no way the young girl wouldn't become famous.
Strictly speaking, as a child star, Nicola Peltz naturally had more opportunities in Hollywood than ordinary actresses.
Among Hollywood's child actors, being a celebrity's child or a rich second-generation isn't rare. But someone like Nicola Peltz — both a star kid and a rich heiress — is truly rare. Born in 1995, Nicola Peltz might not have been very famous yet, but in terms of family background, she was the very definition of a "super-privileged rich girl born with a platinum spoon."
Her father, Nelson Peltz, needed no introduction, and her mother, Claudia Heffner, was a former supermodel — giving Nicola natural advantages in Hollywood.
After Duke and Scarlett Johansson took a lap around the garden, they saw that the time was about right. They returned to the villa, changed into slightly more formal attire, and waited in the living room. It didn't take long before Irene Lauder, who had come from New York to Los Angeles, arrived right on the agreed time.
"My dear, it's been so long."
After Scarlett greeted Irene Lauder, Duke gave her a gentle hug and joked deliberately, "Your net worth just keeps getting bigger."
Irene Lauder chuckled softly. "Nowhere near yours."
Once Duke guided Irene to the sofa, Scarlett asked at the right moment, "Would you like something to drink — tea or coffee?"
"Tea, please." Irene accepted the cup Scarlett handed over, took a sip, and praised sincerely, "Scarlett, your tea-making skills are getting better and better."
Scarlett poured tea for herself and Duke, smiling slightly at Irene. "The doctors and nutritionists have all advised Duke not to drink coffee, so I had to find ways to make tea more interesting."
Irene set down her cup and looked at Duke. "I really envy you and Scarlett."
Before Duke could respond, she changed the subject. "I just learned a few days ago that my cousin contacted you on Nelson Peltz's behalf. Did that cause you any trouble?"
"Don't worry, none at all." Duke shook his head lightly. "Nelson Peltz actually helped me."
A puzzled look crossed Irene's face. "Helped you? What kind of help?"
Scarlett took over the explanation and briefly summarized what had happened. Irene couldn't help laughing. "You're wasting your talent not going into business."
Everyone laughed together.
After chatting for a while about their respective investments and ventures, the conversation gradually shifted to Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
"The female lead will be a British actress, and the male lead will be a Chinese-American actor…" Duke briefly explained, "The second male lead is a Latino American. The original trio — Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford — will all be returning."
Negotiations between the Star Wars: The Force Awakens production team and the cast had entered the final stage, with Daisy Ridley, Daniel Wu, and Oscar Isaac basically confirmed as the new "Star Wars trio."
Duke also allowed the actors nearly three months to prepare — a tight schedule, no doubt, but necessary to fit the promotional timeline. The start date for the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens had long been set by Duke and Lucasfilm — it would begin filming on Star Wars Day.
Star Wars Day comes from the film's iconic line, "May the Force be with you."
This special day dates back to 1979, when Margaret Thatcher had just been elected as Britain's first female Prime Minister. To celebrate her victory, the ruling party published a half-page advertisement in The London Evening News that read: "May the Fourth be with you!"
Since then, on every May 4th, loyal Star Wars fans all over the world have shouted, "May the Force be with you!" Over time, the date was officially designated as Star Wars Day, forming a global tradition of celebrating and revisiting Star Wars culture.
Scheduling the start of filming for Star Wars: The Force Awakens on this day would undoubtedly attract countless fans and media attention.
Originally, Duke and Scarlett planned to invite Irene Lauder and Sofia Coppola, among other friends, to go sailing the next day. However, a problem occurred with a section of The Force Awakens special effects being supervised at Industrial Light & Magic headquarters. Duke had no choice but to rush to San Francisco. Fortunately, Irene Lauder herself had been a passionate movie fan in her youth and was quite interested in the legendary Industrial Light & Magic. Duke simply took her along to San Francisco to visit the ILM headquarters as well.
Industrial Light & Magic headquarters is located on a small hill within Presidio Park in San Francisco, a place full of pastoral charm and one of the most important military bases on the U.S. West Coast. At the company's main entrance, a statue of Master Yoda stands calmly in the center of the courtyard, seemingly greeting the employees and visitors passing by.
Behind the statue stands a series of interconnected, well-lit renovated buildings. These structures are the greenhouses where world-renowned visual effects blockbusters are born, laboratories exploring the development of future technology, and also a museum dedicated to honoring the company's own history and cinematic achievements.
Inside the buildings, many familiar faces can be seen — Darth Vader, R2-D2, E.T. sitting in a bicycle basket — along with a dazzling array of trophies. In terms of technical achievement alone, Industrial Light & Magic has won 26 Academy Awards, and the corridor walls are covered with an enormous collection of privately owned, valuable movie posters.
Of course, these posters are by no means ordinary decorations. The cinematic art they represent is precisely what brought these like-minded people together to form Industrial Light & Magic.
"Movies are more important than technology" — this belief has now evolved into ILM's core philosophy, guiding its continuous growth and development.
While Digital Domain and R&H have stumbled repeatedly, Industrial Light & Magic has never taken a wrong step. Yet they still face fierce competition from other leading visual effects companies such as Weta Workshop, Framestore CFC, DNeg, and MPC.
Together, these rivals and collaborators are shaping the future landscape of the visual effects industry.
As competition intensifies, ILM's prospects are filled with challenges. Their technological superiority is undoubtedly their greatest strength. Industrial Light & Magic remains the only visual effects company ever to receive the U.S. National Medal of Science and Technology — a testament to its extraordinary technical prowess. Rather than merely being a visual effects studio, ILM can be regarded as a technical research and development hub for the American film industry. Many of the latest innovations in computer graphics and imaging technology were first applied to filmmaking by ILM.
However, ILM has never allowed itself to be constrained by technology. For its members, there is no effect that cannot be achieved. What truly matters is close collaboration with the director and production team, fulfilling the director's vision to the fullest, and maintaining their unwavering attitude toward visual effects quality.
In ILM's future technological development, the Star Wars series will once again play a driving role.
Every film marks a technological revolution, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be no exception. Each new installment represents another leap forward — this has already become an indispensable part of ILM's growth process. Every new technology developed will later serve other films, and all the techniques ILM has developed in recent years will appear in The Force Awakens in various forms.
Subsequently, negotiations between the production team and the main cast were completed, and Lucasfilm officially announced the list of actors. At this particular time, with the Academy Awards ceremony just around the corner, the announcement inevitably shattered a few fragile hearts.
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