"Sean, I know you're furious, but I'm telling you, don't do anything irrational." Martin Bob's tone was still conciliatory, doing his best to soothe Sean Connery's temper. After all, the old man still had value, and Martin Bob wasn't ready to give up on him just yet.
Sean Connery visibly suppressed his rage. He challenged, "Does CAA really have no way? That bastard has repeatedly harmed CAA's interests, and you're just going to let him get away with it?"
Sean Connery's spit landed on Martin Bob's face. Martin Bob fastidiously wiped his face with a tissue. He continued, "Sean, you and I both know that Little Gilbert has grown to a point where no talent agency can manipulate him at will. He's not some struggling director waiting for a break, nor is he a small, unknown actor under CAA. He's widely recognized as a genius director across America. Disney, Warner, Fox—they're all courting him. Causing trouble for a talent like that isn't easy. We have to be careful and wait for our moment."
"So, what do you suggest we do?" Sean Connery had calmed down a bit and asked Martin Bob, curious about his plan.
Martin Bob replied, "Commercially, unless Little Gilbert does it himself, no one can really harm him. But when it comes to the **Oscars**, there's a lot we can do. While Little Gilbert hasn't explicitly said he longs for the Oscar stage, to become a top-tier Hollywood director, he needs that Oscar recognition."
Even though the Oscars are essentially a commercial PR event, an exchange of favors, and a networking opportunity, if Little Gilbert couldn't get Oscar recognition, Martin Bob didn't believe he could become another George Lucas.
Sean Connery looked coldly at Martin Bob: "I hope that's truly the case..."
After calming Sean Connery, Martin Bob returned to the CAA office in Century City.
"Martin, what's the outcome?" his confidant, Lovett, asked.
"Alright," Martin Bob rubbed his temples, a slight headache forming. "That rude, ill-mannered Scottish old man. If only he didn't have some value, hmph!" Although he didn't finish the thought, Lovett clearly knew what Martin Bob meant. If he had no value, such a crude, ill-mannered, alcoholic, and drug-abusing old man would have been abandoned by CAA long ago.
It was fortunate that this time they hadn't completely alienated Little Gilbert, keeping it within normal business competition. If Little Gilbert decided to retaliate, CAA would have no choice but to push Sean Connery out as a shield to appease Little Gilbert's anger.
It sounded great, all about CAA dominating Hollywood, but in reality, they couldn't even control a single A-list director or star. Those people, in turn, often gave them trouble. Now, Martin Bob was pinning his hopes on the Oscars. He asked Lovett, "What's the plan with Mel?"
Lovett responded, "Mel says **Braveheart** will be released on May 5th."
"Going head-to-head with Little Gilbert?" Martin Bob frowned. "Who decided this? Sherry Lansing or Tom Rothman?"
"No, Mel insisted on that release date," Lovett replied.
"That won't do," Martin Bob shook his head. "We need to move as far away from that date as possible. I'll talk to Mel."
Releasing it at the same time as *The Rock*? Martin Bob had been closely monitoring *Braveheart*'s production. He didn't think it could possibly beat the **Summer Blockbuster Prince** in the fiercely competitive summer season.
In fact, Martin Bob wasn't the only one with this thought. Twentieth Century Fox had invested in both *The Rock* and *Braveheart*. Fox certainly didn't want two of its invested films to clash at the box office, so they requested a change in release date. Paramount Pictures, as the primary investor and distributor, also didn't want to go up against Little Gilbert, the Summer Blockbuster Prince. If it were a typical commercial film from an A-list director, Paramount wouldn't be worried. But a film aiming for Oscar glory going head-to-head with a commercial blockbuster in the summer? That seemed unwise.
Mel Gibson had an excessive amount of confidence; he didn't want to change the release date. He even privately stated, "I'm absolutely not afraid of some kid. I'm going to let Little Gilbert know who the most popular person in Hollywood is."
These words quickly reached Little Gilbert's ears. He frowned but didn't respond. He understood people like Mel Gibson. If you respond, he'll just get more fired up. So it was better not to respond and find another way to settle the score. Luckily, Mel Gibson hadn't said these things during a media interview; otherwise, the situation would have become irreversible.
Despite his strong reluctance, under pressure from Paramount and Fox Studios, Mel Gibson soon admitted his "mistake," claiming he had too much to drink that day and boasted. He also said that Little Gilbert was a director he greatly admired and looked forward to collaborating with him someday. With these words, the release date of *Braveheart* also changed; the film was moved to May 24th, avoiding Little Gilbert's movie. This was better. Since *Braveheart* hadn't announced its release date previously, moviegoers wouldn't know the film had been "scared away."
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However, even though *Braveheart* made a timely retreat, Little Gilbert still had a plan. Working with the marketing and publicity department, Little Gilbert devised a promotion strategy. While Roger Moore was the third actor to play James Bond, he was past his prime. Sean Connery, on the other hand, was the first James Bond actor and, by sheer luck, was more popular than Roger Moore. So, Little Gilbert's idea was: why not have Roger Moore ride on Sean Connery's coattails?
Little Gilbert didn't know how much Sean Connery resented him, almost to the point of publicly attacking him. But even if he didn't know, Little Gilbert wouldn't pass up this opportunity. After all, Sean Connery was more famous than Roger Moore, and it would be a shame not to use his name to promote the film. Plus, Sean Connery was with CAA and a client of Martin Bob, and he also starred in *Braveheart*. It was a perfect chance to settle old and new scores.
Little Gilbert quickly discussed this with Roger Moore: "We're planning to stir up some debate about who the strongest Bond is between you and Sean Connery. We'll need your cooperation."
After starring in *The Rock*, Roger Moore, who had been semi-retired, had regained public attention. This long-missed feeling rejuvenated him. He enthusiastically said, "Tell me, Little Gilbert, I'll cooperate."
"Good," Little Gilbert nodded. "I recall you've starred in the most Bond films, and your box office numbers were the highest, quite a bit stronger than Sean Connery's. Plus, in *The Man with the Golden Gun*, you acted opposite Christopher Lee, who was a real-life secret agent. That's another promotional point."
When Christopher Lee was considered as an alternative previously, the crew had checked his resume and found, amazingly, that he had actually been a secret agent. However, for various reasons, the crew ultimately chose Roger Moore.
Roger Moore said, "Little Gilbert, perhaps you don't know, but I served in British intelligence during World War II."
"Wow!" Little Gilbert expressed some surprise. "Is that true?"
"Of course it's true," Roger Moore said. "While I never personally killed anyone, I was stationed in France and North Africa, and I was once less than fifty kilometers face-to-face with the famous Desert Fox."
In a battlefield context, fifty kilometers is quite close. Even now, many rocket launchers can reach that far. Little Gilbert marveled at Roger Moore's incredible experience: "This is perfect! The publicity department will hype this up, preferably exaggerating a bit. We'll verify with the British side. If the media asks, don't deny it, but don't confirm it either."
"Don't worry," Roger Moore gave him a knowing look. "I know exactly what to do."
After the decision was made, Little Gilbert immediately informed the publicity departments of Warner Bros. and Touchstone Pictures. The publicity department took it seriously and specifically went to the UK to verify, indeed finding records of Roger Moore's service in intelligence. Although Roger Moore held a civilian position and never performed dangerous missions, combined with his experience playing James Bond, it was legendary enough. And in those days, without the internet, whatever the media and newspapers reported about Roger Moore's experiences became the truth.
Soon, Disney and Warner's tabloids began hyping it up. First, Little Gilbert gave an interview to his trusted reporter, Sarah.
"Initially, my first choice was actually Sean Connery," Little Gilbert revealed.
"Then why did you end up with Mr. Roger Moore?" Sarah asked cooperatively.
Little Gilbert certainly couldn't say it was because Sean Connery made outrageous demands and wanted to bring in his own funding. He proceeded with the plan, showcasing his acting skills.
"Of course, it was because I uncovered some things. When I looked through the resumes of past Bond actors, I discovered that Roger Moore had actually served in British intelligence. That experience alone compelled me to choose him."
"Wow," Sarah was equally astonished. "Are you saying Roger Moore is a real-life James Bond?"
"Yes, exactly. Roger Moore hasn't talked about that past, and much of his information is classified by British intelligence, so we don't know what he truly experienced," Little Gilbert fabricated casually.
When this interview was released, it indeed captivated moviegoers. Many fans discussed privately that Roger Moore was actually a secret agent, and no wonder his portrayal of Bond felt so authentic—it was all based on real experience. Subsequently, more media outlets joined the coverage, and some even started crafting small stories about Roger Moore. Tales of dangerous missions in various locations, and whether he had ever killed anyone, frequently appeared in newspapers. At the same time, some newspapers dubbed Roger Moore the **"strongest Bond,"** surpassing Sean Connery.
If the experience were entirely true, Roger Moore would indeed be the strongest Bond, but aside from his intelligence service, most of the stories were fabricated. In Hollywood, however, the truth of a story never matters; they only chase the buzz and then hype it up.
Sean Connery, who had been quietly fuming, was already feeling unjustly treated. He hadn't even made a move, and Little Gilbert was already using him for publicity. This immediately infuriated the volatile Sean Connery. Disregarding Martin Bob's advice, he directly stated in a media interview:
"Roger Moore's experience is completely made up. He's never killed anyone, and he's never undertaken dangerous missions."
Christopher Lee, who had starred in *The Man with the Golden Gun*, quickly seized the opportunity to respond: "I also served in intelligence, and I worked with Roger Moore." This previously unknown detail, which was originally just for hype, sparked even more media interest once Christopher Lee spoke. Soon, media outlets with connections verified in the UK that both Christopher Lee and Roger Moore had indeed served in intelligence. That single detail was enough.
With the news confirmed, Roger Moore and Christopher Lee, the two old men, successfully climbed to higher prominence by stepping on Sean Connery, and their popularity surged. Why did Christopher Lee step in to help Roger Moore confirm this? Of course, it wasn't because he and Roger Moore were close friends. In reality, Little Gilbert exchanged a role for it. He promised to give the old man a role in his next movie and to consider Christopher Lee for suitable roles in future films. The old man was quite cool about it, thinking the exchange was well worth it, and since Sean Connery was no relation to him, he agreed.
Of course, a vague promise wouldn't have been enough for Christopher Lee to risk offending Sean Connery and CAA. He saw an opportunity for fame. Although he was over seventy, Christopher Lee, like Roger Moore, was unwilling to simply fade out of the industry. So, with such a publicity opportunity, the shrewd old man certainly wouldn't let it pass him by. In this industry, you're either stepping on people or being stepped on, so Christopher Lee preferred to be the one doing the stepping. After all, the world doesn't revolve around CAA and Sean Connery, does it?
So, poor Sean Connery was trampled by both the third Bond actor and the Man with the Golden Gun. CAA wasn't entirely passive either. Martin Bob contacted the media to question Roger Moore's claims, but this only fueled public interest in the matter. *The Rock*, riding on this controversy, became even more anticipated by moviegoers. After all, an old man with real-life service experience starring in a film seemed quite appealing.
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