Director in Hollywood

When Charlize Theron finished her audition and stepped out, Jennifer Connelly had already been waiting outside for a long time.

Charlize Theron was pleasantly surprised. This newly acquainted friend had actually waited for her all this time.

"Why are you still here?" Charlize Theron asked.

"I thought I should at least say goodbye to you before leaving," Jennifer Connelly replied.

Charlize Theron happily linked arms with Jennifer Connelly. "Jenny, I'm so glad to have met you. You're someone worth getting close to."

Jenny was Jennifer Connelly's nickname. Her family and close friends usually called her that. Charlize Theron deliberately emphasized the word "close," but Jennifer Connelly didn't notice any hidden meaning behind it.

The two walked side by side toward the exit. At that moment, a car horn honked, and a man got out, pretending to be surprised.

"Jenny, your audition is over? Let me give you a ride home!"

Jennifer Connelly frowned. Seeing this, Charlize Theron quickly asked, "Who is he?"

Jennifer Connelly whispered, "This is David Dugan, a photographer. He... is pursuing me."

"Did you accept?"

"No."

"Good, then..."

"Huh?"

"I mean," Charlize Theron said, "You deserve a better man. He's not good enough for you."

Good thing you didn't accept, or how could I proceed with my Queen Sally plan? Hmph!

Before Jennifer Connelly could respond, Charlize Theron directly declined on her behalf. "Sorry, Mr. Dugan, I'll be taking Miss Connelly home, so you don't need to trouble yourself."

David Dugan obviously recognized Charlize Theron. His eyes lit up—two stunning women! He didn't dare imagine the possibilities.

Using sweet talk, he had deceived quite a few women before. If he could win both of them over, it would be an absolute triumph!

So, David Dugan said, "Miss Theron, if you don't mind, why don't you both take my car?"

"Sorry, I do mind. Gilbert specifically warned me never to get into a stranger's car."

Charlize Theron spoke as her assistant pulled up in her own vehicle.

Charlize Theron grabbed Jennifer Connelly and left without looking back, leaving David Dugan stunned in the wind

Then, he suddenly realized—Charlize Theron was Gilbert's woman.

Rumor had it that Mel Gibson was thrown into prison for over a decade just for looking at Naomi Watts too long at a party.

And he had actually dared to covet Charlize Theron? He was bound to end up dead in a gutter, and even if people found him, the news would say he had committed suicide or suffered an accident.

How could he have been so reckless as to provoke someone as powerful as Gilbert in Hollywood?

David Dugan then considered another issue—Charlize Theron was Gilbert's woman, and Jennifer Connelly seemed as close as a sister to her.

That meant Jennifer Connelly might also be…

The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became. Had he just signed his own death warrant by pursuing a woman Gilbert had his eyes on?

Fear crept onto David Dugan's face. He immediately drove off in a panic.

Back at his apartment, he hastily packed his belongings, preparing to flee North America and start fresh in Europe.

A friend came to visit him, looking puzzled. "David, what's wrong? Are you going on a trip?"

"It's a long story. I offended someone I shouldn't have. If I don't leave now, I might not get another chance. Once I settle in Europe, I'll send you a letter.

I'm leaving now. Please help me deal with my house and car. Goodbye…"

With that, David Dugan bought a ticket to London, hailed a cab, and fled.

His friend scratched his head in confusion. "What happened? Who did he offend?"

Charlize Theron had not expected that merely Gilbert's reputation would be enough to scare David Dugan away. But then again, if he had a clear conscience, he wouldn't have run.

So in the end, it was his own fault for having thoughts he shouldn't have had.

Sitting in the car, Jennifer Connelly thanked Charlize Theron. "Thank you, Sally. Without you, I wouldn't have known how to shake off Mr. Dugan's advances."

"Enough, no need to thank me," Charlize Theron replied. "You seem like the type who struggles to reject people. I helped you, so you won't have to deal with him anymore."

"Thanks…" Jennifer Connelly looked out the window at the unfamiliar scenery, suddenly feeling confused. "But… this isn't the way to my house."

"Why go home? Just stay at my place tonight."

"Stay at your place?"

Before Jennifer Connelly could fully process the situation, she was already being taken to Melon Manor. Naomi Watts and Cameron Diaz were both there.

"Sally, you're back. Who's this?" Naomi Watts asked, puzzled.

"This is Jennifer Connelly, a friend I met during the audition." Charlize Theron winked.

Naomi Watts immediately understood what Charlize Theron was planning. She quickly put on a warm, welcoming smile and played the hostess. "Welcome, welcome! Miss Connelly, we're happy to have you in our home."

Jennifer Connelly was confused. "Your home? You all live here together?"

"Yes, you didn't know? We've been living with Gilbert for a long time now," Naomi Watts explained.

"Yeah, we've been here a while. So of course, this manor is our home."

Cameron Diaz, though usually a bit slow, caught on after Naomi and Charlize kept signaling her. She pulled Jennifer Connelly to the couch.

"Then… I don't think I should be here,"

Jennifer Connelly hesitated. She had heard the rumors—Naomi Watts, despite being an A-list actress, willingly stayed by Gilbert's side as his lover.

Hollywood rising stars Cameron Diaz and Charlize Theron were the same, happily living under Gilbert's roof without complaints.

This was not uncommon in Hollywood, but usually, such arrangements involved unknown actresses. Established stars typically sought independence.

"Why not? There are plenty of rooms. There's definitely one for you," Cameron Diaz said straightforwardly.

Even if she had been oblivious before, Jennifer Connelly now fully understood. They were trying to bring her into the fold.

Jennifer Connelly, though approaching twenty-seven—her birthday was in December—had never encountered a situation like this.

Out of the tiger's mouth and into the wolf's den—none of this boded well.

Quickly, Jennifer Connelly tried to excuse herself. "Uh, I just remembered, I have something to do. I should go.

"Hey, why the rush? It's hard to get a cab around here. Why don't you stay for the night?" Charlize Theron suggested.

That's right—Jennifer Connelly suddenly realized. This was Malibu's wealthy district. Everyone drove their own cars. The roads were empty, let alone taxis.

With no way to leave, Jennifer Connelly reluctantly agreed to stay.

After all, they wouldn't force her, right? As long as she stuck to her principles, everything should be fine.

But as it turned out, things were never that simple…

After finishing a day of auditions, Gilbert returned to Melon Manor.

"Sir, you're back..." Head Maid took Gilbert's briefcase while Others helped him remove his leather shoes and replace them with house slippers.

"Have you eaten?"

"The four ladies have already had dinner."

"Four ladies?" The only ones who could be considered mistresses of the house were Naomi Watts and the other two. Where did the fourth one come from?

"Shall I prepare dinner for you, sir?" Maid asked.

"No need," Gilbert waved his hand. "Just make me a bowl of noodles, something simple."

As soon as Gilbert stepped into the living room, he immediately knew where the fourth lady had come from. He had seen her earlier that day during auditions. Jennifer Connelly, who had left a good impression on him, was indeed very beautiful.

"Gilbert, you're back!" Naomi Watts greeted him with a big hug and a passionate kiss—right in front of Jennifer Connelly.

Having spent so much time with these women, Gilbert could see through their tricks in an instant.

He patted Naomi Watts on the butt, signaling her to behave, then turned to greet Jennifer Connelly. "Hey, Miss Connelly, I didn't expect to see you here again."

"I didn't expect it either," Jennifer Connelly glanced at Charlize Theron, her face slightly flushed.

"You're a guest, so make yourself comfortable," Gilbert reassured her.

With no way to leave, Jennifer Connelly had no choice but to stay.

However, what she had imagined—being forcibly coerced—did not happen. Gilbert simply treated her as an ordinary guest without any special attention.

That night, Jennifer Connelly stayed in one of the guest rooms at Melon Manor.

Only the master and secondary bedrooms had private bathrooms; the other rooms required using the ones in the hallway.

In the middle of the night, Jennifer Connelly got up to use the restroom when she suddenly heard faint moans coming from upstairs. Not just one voice, but several interwoven together.

Although her rational mind told her not to go up, curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to take a look.

As she reached the upper floor, the sounds became clearer—various voices intertwining, forming an intoxicating symphony.

She walked to the room at the end of the hallway. The door wasn't fully closed—it was slightly ajar, just enough for her to see inside.

What she saw made Jennifer Connelly's jaw drop, her cheeks turning red.

She wasn't inexperienced, but she had never encountered such a scene before.

Seeing their expressions, Jennifer Connelly thought to herself, Sally must be having a great time...

As she kept watching, a strange feeling crept over her. Realizing this, she quickly fled the scene, not daring to peek any longer.

Her movements hadn't gone unnoticed—Naomi Watts had been aware of her presence. After Jennifer Connelly escaped, Naomi excitedly high-fived Charlize Theron and Cameron Diaz.

Their setup had worked. Now, it was just a matter of time before Jennifer Connelly got drawn in. Another new addition to Melon Manor.

"Hey! Isn't this a bit much?" Gilbert voiced his concern.

"What do you mean? We're just showing her our wonderful life. If she's not interested, no one can force her," Charlize Theron replied.

"Exactly. This way, instead of you bringing in some random women, we get to do the selecting," Cameron Diaz added.

"By the way, is Jennifer Connelly into this sort of thing?" Naomi Watts asked.

"Doesn't seem like it. I'll have my assistant look into it," Charlize Theron said.

"Good. If she's not into that lifestyle, there's no risk of catching anything. We need to be careful about that," Naomi Watts warned, playing the role of the responsible one. She even reminded Gilbert, "You should be careful too. Stay away from those kinds of women. Catching something would be a disaster."

Gilbert patted Naomi on the butt. "Come on, I'm a clean-living guy. How could that happen?"

"You? Clean-living?" Naomi Watts scoffed. "If that were true, there wouldn't be any bad guys left in Hollywood."

The next day, Jennifer Connelly hurriedly left Melon Manor, but the events of the previous night lingered in her mind, impossible to forget.

A few days later, Charlize Theron called, inviting her out for a day of fun. After much hesitation, Jennifer Connelly eventually agreed.

Meanwhile, The Matrix auditions concluded successfully, with Charlize Theron securing the role of Trinity.

After Keanu Reeves' audition, Gilbert didn't even consider other options—he immediately cast Keanu as Neo.

Due to the disastrous box office failure of Speed 2, Keanu Reeves, once part of the $20 million club, had seen his asking price plummet. For The Matrix, he only received a $6 million paycheck, with no profit-sharing deal.

Charlize Theron, though a rising star in Hollywood, wasn't commanding high salaries yet. Out of respect for Gilbert, producer Charles Roven agreed to pay her $3 million.

Ironically, the highest-paid person in the entire production was Gilbert himself.

A standard $15 million directing fee, plus 20% of the total box office gross, and an additional 5% on short-term merchandise revenue.

Even Spielberg's contracts weren't much better than this.

Warner Bros. and Disney each invested $20 million and handled overseas and North American distribution, while Melon Studios contributed $40 million, bringing the total investment to $80 million.

Once the lead actors were confirmed, the film's official announcement was made.

Keanu Reeves spoke about working with Gilbert again: "I'm really happy to collaborate with Director Gilbert once more.

We worked together on Speed, and it was a fantastic experience. We got along great."

Charlize Theron shared her thoughts on the script: "Honestly, when I first got the script, I didn't understand it. Gilbert told me you have to be really smart to get it.

I just know it's a futuristic story about the internet, and I have a lot of action scenes—really intense ones."

Reporters, curious about the plot, turned to Gilbert for answers.

Gilbert explained, "Back in '91, I came up with the rough idea, inspired by punk culture. That's when I drafted the earliest version of the script.

Later, as the internet industry boomed, I started pondering a question—what if our entire world was actually made up of lines of code?

The water in your glass, the pain you feel—it's all just electronic signals.

With that concept in mind, I completed the script for The Matrix."

Of course, Gilbert was just making this up, but the reporters didn't know that. Instead, they marveled at his creativity.

When pressed for more details, Gilbert refused. His reasoning? The story was unique, and until the movie was finished, it needed to be kept highly confidential.

It was all about creating a sense of mystery to grab the audience's attention.

This trick would later become overused in Hollywood, but at the time, it was still fresh and effective.

.....

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