Director in Hollywood

Although, aside from Farewell My Concubine, most of Chen Kaige's other films were rather average, his city-building skills were quite impressive. Gilbert genuinely admired him.

The scale of White City wasn't larger than the Qin Palace, and constructing a city from scratch wasn't an outrageous endeavor for them.

The negotiations went smoothly, as both sides were eager to collaborate. An agreement was quickly drafted and signed in principle.

For such a significant project, media coverage was inevitable.

Following Western customs, the authorities organized a signing ceremony and invited numerous journalists to report on the event.

For Gilbert, once Chinese media covered the signing, it wouldn't take long for North American media to pick up the story. Before long, the whole world would know about it.

At this stage, secrecy was no longer necessary.

So, Gilbert agreed to the signing ceremony and cheerfully posed for photos with a leading official while holding the cooperation agreement.

After signing the deal, Gilbert and Kane, accompanied by experts arranged by Tian Congming, began touring various scenic locations in China to select filming sites.

Their first priorities were finding the perfect locations for Hobbiton's Shire and the White City.

As expected, North America quickly reacted after the signing ceremony.

Once Chinese media reported that a major Hollywood film project had landed in China, their North American counterparts swiftly caught on and spread the news.

> "Gilbert Heads to China—Major Film Project in the Works?"

> "Sources Say Gilbert Plans to Bring Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings to the Big Screen—This Trip to China Is for Scouting Filming Locations."

> "The Lord of the Rings Is Considered the Hardest Novel to Adapt—Even with Gilbert at the Helm, Can He Pull It Off?"

> "Filming a Story Rooted in Western Culture in China—Is This Appropriate?"

> "Due to Difficult Negotiations with New Zealand, Gilbert Ultimately Chose China—What Kind of Incentives Did He Receive?"

As expected, the initial media coverage in North America was filled with skepticism and leading narratives.

The doubts stemmed from the immense challenge of adapting The Lord of the Rings, making people question whether Gilbert could maintain his track record of success. The leading narratives were intended to stir public discontent.

However, Warner Bros. and Disney-affiliated media were well prepared. As soon as the skeptical and agenda-driven reports started setting the tone, these media outlets immediately countered with strong support for Gilbert.

> "If Anyone Can Successfully Adapt The Lord of the Rings, It's Gilbert."

> "Filming in China Provides an Opportunity to Promote Western Culture and Enhance Its Global Appeal—Gilbert's Vision Is Far-Reaching."

> "If Not for Washington's Interference, Gilbert Would Have Chosen New Zealand. Now, He's Making a Huge Contribution to Western Cultural Influence, Yet Some Media Are Unjustly Attacking Him."

This narrative quickly ignited a firestorm in North American media, sparking heated debates across various outlets.

However, the discussion didn't focus on China as the filming location. Since Gilbert framed the project as promoting Western culture, critics found it difficult to outright oppose him.

Instead, the central debate was whether Gilbert could successfully adapt The Lord of the Rings and whether the film would be a success.

On this issue, the media were divided.

Warner Bros. and Disney-backed outlets firmly believed Gilbert would triumph. Other media outlets, however, remained skeptical.

Of course, it was unrealistic to expect competitors to speak positively about Gilbert, especially in the cutthroat summer blockbuster season.

Yet the biggest reaction didn't come from the media—it came from the Lord of the Rings fanbase.

There's a reason The Lord of the Rings is known as the most difficult novel to adapt. Its vast and intricate world has captivated countless fans.

Tolkien even created an entire Elvish language and script, meticulously crafting the lore and world-building of Middle-earth.

His poetic and vivid descriptions painted an awe-inspiring landscape, leading many fans to believe that no real-world location could ever match the beauty of the books.

Now, someone intended to bring their beloved world to life on film—an act they saw as desecration.

How could Lord of the Rings fans possibly accept this?

Noel was one such devoted fan.

As the head of the New York Lord of the Rings Fan Club, he organized weekly gatherings where members discussed the intricate world of Tolkien's masterpiece.

That magnificent and breathtaking world was his greatest longing.

He often lamented being just an ordinary human on Earth.

How he wished he could be part of Middle-earth!

To become a noble and elegant Elf or a fearless Rider of Rohan…

To marry a beautiful Elf maiden, father a great many children, and carve out his own legendary destiny.

Countless times, he had dreamed of this scene. And each time he woke up, he couldn't help but resent the fact that dreams weren't reality.

With such fantasies and emotions in mind, when he heard that The Lord of the Rings was going to be adapted, even though the director was a Hollywood genius with an unbroken record of success, Noel still felt that his cherished vision was being desecrated.

At the latest weekly gathering of the fan club, Noel stood up and declared, "We must protest! We must oppose this! We should unite all Lord of the Rings fans and stop Gilbert from going through with this!"

His words were met with overwhelming support from the fan club. They quickly took action, reaching out to fans across various regions and forming a large-scale protest movement.

> "This is Fox News. As you can see, over a thousand people are sitting in protest outside the headquarters of Warner Bros. They are holding signs and chanting slogans."

> "These people are all Lord of the Rings fans, and they have gathered here to protest director Gilbert's decision to bring The Lord of the Rings to the big screen..."

Turning off the television, Jeff Robinov rubbed his temples in frustration. "The scale of these protests is massive. I even heard that some fans have traveled all the way from Europe to join in.

"Looks like our competitors are enjoying the show this time."

"I think it's the opposite," Doug Walter disagreed. "I believe other studios are actually envious of us.

"This proves that The Lord of the Rings is a project with immense public attention. If we succeed, the louder the opposition is now, the louder the praise will be in the future.

"Jeff, do you really think Gilbert will fail?"

"Of course not. I have complete confidence in him," Jeff Robinov responded.

"Then there's no need to worry. I know Gilbert well. If he didn't think the chances of success were high, he would never have taken the risk of starting this project," Doug Walter said confidently.

The same situation was unfolding over at Disney.

However, the protests there were entangled with internal boardroom struggles against Michael Eisner. As Eisner's health visibly deteriorated, some board members began making moves against him.

Robert Iger was aggressively lobbying the executives to support Gilbert's project, but since the board members saw him as one of Eisner's loyalists, they didn't trust him.

Frustrated, Robert Iger slammed the table during a high-level meeting. "Your hesitation is giving Warner Bros. the perfect opportunity to pull Gilbert—Hollywood's hottest director—completely into their camp!"

Some board members remained indifferent. One of them even scoffed, "There are plenty of talented directors in Hollywood. If Gilbert doesn't want to work with us, that's his loss."

Everyone turned to see who had said such a foolish thing.

It was John Disney—the incompetent scion of the Disney family.

That explained everything. No one in the boardroom ever took his words seriously.

Though the board opposed Eisner's authoritarian rule, they were just as unwilling to let a fool lead the company.

Realizing Gilbert's importance—and considering his outstanding track record—Disney ultimately passed the resolution to fully support him, despite objections from certain board members.

After the meeting, Robert Iger vented his frustrations to Michael Eisner. "These short-sighted people are going to ruin Disney someday."

Eisner, noticeably exhausted, remained silent for a while before saying, "Bob, prepare yourself. I plan to push you forward as Disney's next CEO."

"Mr. Eisner, this…"

Before Robert Iger could finish, Eisner interrupted him. "I know what Gilbert told you—he supports you becoming Disney's CEO, doesn't he?"

Without waiting for Iger's confirmation, Eisner continued, "My health is no longer capable of handling the demands of this job.

"Disney has been my life's work. I built it up step by step into what it is today. I hope you won't disappoint me—lead Disney to even greater heights."

With Eisner speaking so plainly, what could Robert Iger say? He could only bow his head and accept.

In a way, this was the best outcome.

Robert Iger wouldn't have to turn against his former boss, while Michael Eisner could retire with dignity.

At the same time, Iger would inherit Eisner's legacy at Disney—but along with it, the hostility of the board members who had opposed Eisner.

It was a necessary price to pay, and Iger understood that.

This was a major development, but in just a few short words, Eisner and Iger had reshaped Disney's future.

"What's Gilbert up to right now?" Eisner asked curiously.

"He's traveling across China, visiting its most famous mountains and rivers—seems to be having a great time," Iger chuckled.

"Think he'll bring back a Chinese beauty with him?"

"Very possible," Iger joked. "Gilbert once told me he's a die-hard fan of someone called 'Da Mi Mi.' I still don't know who that is, but she must be a famous Chinese actress.

"I imagine that once Gilbert flashes his Hollywood director status, this 'Da Mi Mi' will definitely follow him back."

Iger laughed as he spoke.

Little did he know that at that moment, Da Mi Mi was just an eleven-year-old girl—not yet the star she would one day become.

.....

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