Director in Hollywood

"Charlize, how's the training going?" Seeing Charlize Theron finishing her session, Gilbert took over the assistant's task and handed her a towel.

Charlize Theron wiped her sweat, panting as she joked, "Darling, I'm asking for a raise."

"You should address me by my title when working," Gilbert teased.

"Alright, Director Gilbert, I'm asking for a raise." Charlize Theron complained, "This is exhausting. I've never been this tired before."

"Are your legs okay? I remember you got injured back when you were learning dance," Gilbert asked.

"Thank you for remembering, but don't worry, it's not affecting my training," Charlize Theron replied happily. She appreciated how much Gilbert cared about her.

"That's good. If you have any issues, let the doctor know right away. Don't push yourself too hard," Gilbert reminded her.

"Would you feel bad if I did?" Charlize Theron asked.

"Of course, darling."

Overjoyed, Charlize Theron threw herself into Gilbert's arms and kissed him.

The crew wasn't surprised at all—everyone knew Charlize Theron was one of the three mistresses of Melon Manor and shared a special relationship with Gilbert.

The people from Hong Kong who had come over also weren't surprised. A director having a relationship with his leading actress was nothing unusual in Hong Kong's film industry either.

To reward the hardworking actors and crew members, Gilbert decided to give them a break after two weeks of pre-production. He invited some of the core members to Melon Manor as guests.

"Eat more. These are desserts from Japan, made by our housekeeper Anko. They taste great," Naomi Watts said.

Ever since finishing Contact, Naomi Watts had mostly stayed home, except for business engagements.

Now, she took on the role of hostess, entertaining the guests.

"Naomi, I heard you took a role in Deep Impact, a DreamWorks project," Gilbert asked.

"Yes," Naomi Watts replied. "I heard that at first, Spielberg wanted you to direct it. He even had the script revised, which affected my part."

"Then Uncle Steven must have been disappointed. I have my own projects to work on, so I don't have time for that," Gilbert said, not sounding the least bit regretful.

"Yeah, when he found out you had started a new project, Spielberg was disappointed. But he quickly brought in Mimi Leder to direct and didn't change the script further," Naomi Watts explained.

Since Deep Impact was a commercial blockbuster aimed at making money, Naomi Watts didn't hesitate to demand a $20 million salary.

After some back-and-forth, her pay was reduced to $15 million, but DreamWorks made concessions on box office revenue sharing.

Recently, Naomi Watts had been performing even better at the box office than Julia Roberts, forcing DreamWorks to compromise in order to secure her for the film.

Gilbert then turned to Cameron Diaz. "Michelle, what project did you take?"

"I'm working with Ben Stiller on There's Something About Mary," Cameron Diaz said.

"That suits your style. Not bad." Just from the title, it was clear that it was a romantic comedy. Cameron Diaz was following in the footsteps of Julia Roberts, who was known for her big smile.

Earlier this year, she had starred alongside Julia Roberts in My Best Friend's Wedding, and perhaps that experience had inspired her to take There's Something About Mary next.

With a few close friends gathering at the manor for the party, Leonardo DiCaprio went straight to check out the construction of the seaside dock upon arrival.

"Hey, Gilbert, why don't I see your yacht?" Leonardo asked.

"It's still being built. It probably won't be ready until next year," Gilbert answered.

Sofia, with her usual nasal tone and a hint of mockery, commented, "Leo, you might be disappointed. I've seen the yacht's design—it's not very big.

"Gilbert, I think you should cancel the order and get a bigger yacht instead."

"There's no need. I'm not planning to sail around the world. As long as I can go fishing in the nearby waters, I'm happy," Gilbert said, tossing a water gun to Leonardo. "Leo, let's have a battle!"

"Alright!"

The two of them eagerly ran toward the beach, raising their water guns and starting a playful fight. Soon, several other guys joined in.

Watching the grown men having fun with kids' water guns, Sofia shook her head speechlessly and went back inside the manor to enjoy her coffee.

After this brief relaxation, the crew returned to work on pre-production.

At that moment, Kane Wexman returned from New Zealand with bad news.

"Because Washington took a hard stance, our negotiations ultimately fell apart. The New Zealand authorities have withdrawn all incentives and even raised the prices.

"Shooting in New Zealand now costs more than filming in North America," Kane reported.

Gilbert frowned. "What the hell is Washington doing?"

He didn't care about politics, but that didn't mean politics couldn't affect him. The breakdown of negotiations was clearly the result of political interference.

"So what do we do now? Do we wait for Washington to ease up, or wait for New Zealand to compromise?" Kane asked.

"Let's change locations. We have to start pre-production this year, or the schedule will get delayed," Gilbert decided.

An initial investment of $100 million had already been received. At this stage, every day of delay was a problem, and the production couldn't afford the loss.

Moreover, Warner Bros. and Disney were both determined, each preparing $100 million and ready to step in at any time.

Just as Gilbert and Kane were struggling to find a suitable filming location in North America, a special group arrived.

On the recommendation of Tian Congming, a delegation of young directors had been organized to visit Hollywood for study and exchange.

Upon arriving in Los Angeles, these Chinese directors—most of whom had little exposure to such a bustling metropolis—were completely stunned by its grandeur.

They had no idea how big the gap was until they saw it with their own eyes. The contrast was overwhelming.

However, they were here to learn, not to enjoy the luxurious lifestyle, so they hadn't had time to experience any of Hollywood's indulgences yet.

Since Gilbert had a good working relationship with the Chinese side, he invited the visiting directors to tour The Matrix set.

Upon stepping onto The Matrix set, the young directors were like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden—completely in awe, their mouths hanging open in amazement.

Though called "young directors," most of them were actually older than Gilbert.

Some of them weren't familiar with Gilbert, but after hearing others introduce him, they were shocked to learn that this famous Hollywood director was so young.

Indeed, only Hollywood could produce such a genius. It was the only place with the right environment and opportunities for talent to thrive.

While the directors toured the set, Tian Congming caught up with Gilbert.

"I originally thought you'd come to China, and I could treat you to some Chongqing hotpot. But you didn't show up this summer!" Tian Congming teased.

"I couldn't make it," Gilbert sighed. "I was in New Zealand negotiating some things."

"Judging by your expression, it didn't go well," Tian Congming noted.

"It didn't," Gilbert admitted. "The talks fell apart."

"Can I ask what it was about?"

Gilbert didn't hide anything. "I'm planning to bring a project to the big screen with a budget of $300 million. Since New Zealand offered attractive incentives, I planned to shoot there. But they suddenly changed their stance, and the negotiations didn't go well."

$300 million? A filming location? Tian Congming, with his sharp instincts, immediately caught onto these key details and realized an opportunity was at hand.

"Gilbert, I have a proposal. I don't know if I should say it."

"Go ahead. You Chinese always like to beat around the bush," Gilbert joked, even making himself laugh. After all, his soul was Chinese too.

Tian Congming spoke directly. "Why not shoot in China?"

"In China?" Gilbert had considered this before but ultimately chose New Zealand.

The reasons were complex. First, he worried that the crew wouldn't adapt well. After all, New Zealand was part of the English-speaking world, making logistics and communication easier.

Second, The Lord of the Rings was a purely Western cultural story. Shooting it in China felt like an odd fit.

Audiences might react negatively if they found out.

After all, North America was highly exclusive when it came to cultural influence. They could accept regions with shared cultural roots, but they were always wary of places with different cultural backgrounds.

That said, if Gilbert did move the production to China, it wouldn't be impossible. The Lord of the Rings was set in a fictional world.

In theory, it could be filmed anywhere since all the sets would be built from scratch.

Middle-earth and the Middle Kingdom did have certain commonalities.

If the movie could also showcase China's breathtaking landscapes and boost tourism, Gilbert would feel like he was honoring his past life's identity.

After explaining these concerns to Tian Congming, the latter replied, "Leave it to me. I'll handle all the necessary approvals.

"If your production moves to China, it'll immediately become a nationwide sensation. Everyone will be watching."

"If you're willing, I'll push this forward with full force."

"Let me think about it…" Gilbert didn't make a decision right away.

That evening, Gilbert discussed it with Kane. "Would it be feasible to shoot in China?"

"China?" Kane wasn't very familiar with the country and didn't know what made it special.

"Most of New Zealand's landscapes can also be found in China—some even better," Gilbert explained. "I spoke with Mr. Tian, and he's willing to secure full support for us.

"Plus, labor costs there are lower. If we move production and pre-production to China, we could save tens of millions of dollars."

Kane frowned. "I'm mainly concerned… If people find out we're filming in China, will it cause any trouble?"

"I've thought about that too. Hear me out." Gilbert proposed a justification. "We can frame it as a cultural exchange.

"By filming there, we're essentially bringing Western culture to that region. Washington loves this kind of narrative.

"With Warner and Disney backing the media spin, we won't face major backlash."

Kane's eyes lit up. "That's a good angle. Alright, let's do it!"

The whole "cultural exchange" and "bringing Western culture" rhetoric was just a convenient excuse to smooth things over.

Gilbert wasn't worried about actually promoting Western culture in China. The people there had their own deeply rooted cultural identity, built on 5,000 years of history—far from being easily swayed.

At the end of the day, those who wanted to leave would find a way no matter what. Gilbert might as well help them make up their minds faster and refine the process.

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