Made In Hollywood

From quite a distance away, Duke could see the lights illuminating the sky, shining through a canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains. He parked the black Bentley in the parking lot of a luxurious club and stepped out, walking toward the entrance. As soon as he appeared at the club's entrance, someone came over to lead him toward the outdoor garden where the party was being held.

This was an anniversary celebration hosted by the Directors Guild, and as one of Hollywood's top commercial directors, Duke was naturally invited. It was also part of his obligation under his directing contract.

The party was scheduled at the end of October, a time very close to awards season. Among the attendees were directors, famous actors, and seasoned producers. Some of these people were core members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, including the current rotating chairman, Levi Rossman, who was a veteran of the Directors Guild. Every year, this anniversary party became a major networking event for actors, directors, and production companies hoping to make waves during the awards season.

The Directors Guild probably scheduled the party at this time for precisely this reason.

"Look who it is," a voice called out as Duke approached the party's edge. Thomsen Rossman, who was waiting for him, turned to Robert Iger and said, "Our two-billion-dollar director has arrived!"

"Two-billion-dollar director?" Duke asked, looking at the two men in confusion.

"Have you calculated your total box office earnings?" Robert Iger quickly did some math for Duke. "Speed made over $340 million, The Rock brought in nearly $410 million, Independence Day surpassed $900 million, and Saving Private Ryan has already grossed over $600 million. Your cumulative box office has exceeded two billion dollars!"

"You'll surpass me in no time!" another voice chimed in from nearby. "Duke, Leah should be proud of you."

Duke quickly turned around and extended his hand. "You flatter me, Mr. Spielberg."

Even though his mother had some old conflicts with Anne Spielberg when they were younger, there was no animosity between her and Steven Spielberg, thanks to George Lucas. In fact, there was some friendly rapport between Duke's mother and Spielberg.

"Just call me Steven," Spielberg said, not shaking Duke's hand but instead giving him a strong pat on the arm. "I know how hard you've worked. Otherwise, I wouldn't have agreed to let you into the Hook production team. Initially, I thought you'd take a few more years to hone your skills, but you've risen so fast. It's truly astonishing."

Spielberg's friendliness was apparent, but Duke wasn't naïve enough to take it all at face value. With a hint of humility, he replied, "In a way, I consider you my teacher. I've always been amazed by your filming speed, but I can't seem to learn it myself."

"You're both known as Hollywood's fastest directors, aren't you?" Thomsen Rossman chimed in at just the right moment.

Directing one movie per year was an impressive feat in Hollywood. While some directors might be faster than Spielberg, none could match his ability to consistently produce high-quality films that also performed well at the box office.

"Calling me a Hollywood assembly line machine might be more accurate," Duke said with some self-deprecation. "Many media outlets mock me for not creating art, but for producing films on an assembly line."

"Don't pay attention to those voices," Spielberg, clearly empathetic, adjusted his glasses. "There will always be people who are jealous of constant success. Even if you try to please them, they'll still mock you."

As he said this, Spielberg's gaze briefly shifted to the side before quickly returning. Others didn't notice, but Duke caught it and followed his glance. A group of people who had mocked Spielberg's style of production stood nearby, the most prominent among them being a short, overweight man with glasses. Anyone even slightly familiar with the film industry would recognize him—Roger Ebert, the renowned critic.

At a party so intertwined with the Academy Awards, it was only natural to find professional film critics present.

Duke looked away, not sparing them another glance. He knew they didn't care for him, so why bother acknowledging them?

"Duke, what are your plans after Chicago?" Spielberg asked in a lowered voice after Thomsen Rossman and Robert Iger went to mingle with others. "I've heard you've registered a science fiction script. Would you be interested in collaborating with DreamWorks? We can invest in your film and also serve as the distributor for Duke Studios."

Off the set, Spielberg was a standard businessman. "DreamWorks can reduce the distribution fee to seven percent."

This was a very tempting offer compared to Warner Bros.' ten percent, but Duke had no interest in Spielberg's proposal. Collaborating with DreamWorks would mean positioning himself against the big six studios, which would jeopardize the distribution and ancillary sales of his future films, significantly reducing potential profits.

Would the major studios just sit back and watch as DreamWorks distributed his films and they became blockbusters? This was Hollywood!

Even with the same genre and budget, a film distributed by DreamWorks would inevitably be shown in hundreds fewer theaters than one distributed by the major studios. Moreover, some of the tactics he had previously employed in collaboration with Warner Bros. and Fox would likely be used against him and his films in the future.

He couldn't expect Warner Bros., Fox, or Disney to make an exception for him based on their past collaborations.

In the face of profit, capital knows no exceptions.

Politely, Duke turned down Spielberg's offer with the usual platitudes about future collaboration opportunities. Then, with Thomsen Rossman and Robert Iger's introductions, he continued greeting and mingling with the other guests at the party. When he encountered major figures like Spielberg, he would stop to chat briefly.

Of course, they deliberately avoided the group of professional critics. There was no need to start any conflicts with them in such a setting, was there?

Although Duke wasn't particularly interested in Oscar campaigning, he did share in the profits from his films, so he had to fulfill some of the obligations outlined in his director contract. He wasn't some rebellious youth who only knew how to act out; he understood the importance of networking and treated it as part of his job, much like making a film.

Building connections, exchanging pleasantries, and gently reminding those with voting power to watch his films—that was the extent of what Duke could do. The rest would be handled by professional publicists.

Fox was campaigning for his film, and so was Paramount Pictures.

As Duke made his way around the garden, he inevitably ran into some people he didn't get along with.

"Hey, Martin."

Duke greeted Martin Bobb and Mel Gibson as if they were old friends, smiling as he extended his hand. "It's been a while."

"Yes, it has," Martin Bobb responded, forcing a warm smile despite his true feelings. "Congratulations on another box office hit!"

"Too bad high box office numbers usually lose out at the Oscars," Mel Gibson, standing next to him, sneered, his rebellious face almost contorted.

"You'll lose the awards season!" Gibson declared.

"Not necessarily," Duke shot back without hesitation, his smile fading. "Remember last year's Forrest Gump and The Shawshank Redemption? And if I'm not mistaken, Braveheart was also a commercial film—it just had such low box office numbers that it gave the illusion of being a more artistic piece."

Gibson glared at him, his face hardening, before finally managing to say, "You won't win Best Director!"

"True, you have an age advantage," Duke leaned in slightly and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "but don't forget, I'm Jewish. I won't have to do much; some things will naturally come my way."

Gibson's face darkened, but he didn't respond. He wasn't going to fall into the trap Duke had set for him.

"We're leaving," Gibson said, and he led the way out.

Watching the situation not unfold according to his plan, Duke sighed internally but quickly realized why—Gibson hadn't been drinking. Without the influence of alcohol...

After an hour of mingling, Duke finally had a chance to take a break. He grabbed a soda, walked toward the edge of the party, and found a seat by a palm tree, where he could quietly observe his surroundings. Most people were still networking, and the rest area was relatively empty.

Taking a large sip of soda, Duke's eyes suddenly stopped scanning the crowd. About fifty feet away, he spotted something interesting. Mel Gibson and Tom Cruise were sitting at a table, and their faces looked extremely tense. Based on their expressions and body language, they were clearly in a heated argument.

The two seemed to remember where they were, keeping their voices down, but Duke could tell they were both agitated. In a different setting, these two stars, who often played tough heroes on screen, might have ended up brawling.

A wild man versus a medieval vampire? It could have been an interesting live-action fight.

Of course, things didn't play out as Duke's idle thoughts imagined. After a few more words from Gibson, Tom Cruise's face turned even darker. He threw out a few cold words, stood up, and walked away, heading toward Duke's direction.

When Cruise passed by, Duke waved at him from about ten feet away. "Tom, over here!"

Cruise hesitated for a moment before turning and walking toward Duke.

"Have a seat, Tom," Duke said, gesturing to the chair across from him. Once Cruise sat down, Duke pointed to where Gibson had been and asked curiously, "Did that wild man do something crude again?"

"I just got provoked by him myself."

...

Hi For access to additional chapters of

Director in Hollywood (30 chpater)

MV Director (30 chapter)....

Douluo Dalu:Breaking Clan(30 chapter)

Made In Hollywood (60 Chapters)

Join pateron.com/Translaterappu