Director in Hollywood

After finalizing all the filming locations, Gilbert and Kane returned to Beijing.

Kane would now be stationed in Beijing to oversee the construction of various set pieces. Meanwhile, art director Serena Haifei also set aside her work on The Matrix and brought part of her team to China.

Their next major task was to train and raise warhorses for the film.

Gilbert requested a specialized unit to participate in some of the large-scale battle scenes.

This kind of arrangement wasn't unprecedented, but it had mostly been limited to domestic productions. Having the military involved in a Hollywood film could present additional challenges.

However, given the special nature of the project, an exception was made. The authorities agreed to provide a team of 1,500 personnel to assist with filming.

Serena's responsibilities included designing the interior layout of Minas Tirith, constructing Hobbiton and Bag End, as well as designing armor, weapons, and costumes for both elves and humans.

These were highly complex tasks. If they were done in North America, the cost of production and materials would be exorbitant.

But in China, both material and labor costs were significantly lower, allowing the production to save a substantial amount of money.

After ensuring that everything was in place, Gilbert returned to North America to resume work on The Matrix.

From then on, he would communicate with Kane, Serena, and the team via fax, phone, and email to coordinate the production's progress and details. Additionally, he would travel between North America and China once a month to personally oversee The Lord of the Rings.

Over the next two years, most of the team would gradually relocate to China.

Upon returning to Los Angeles, Gilbert learned that he was being protested by The Lord of the Rings book fans.

Robert Iger even came to comfort him. "Don't worry, Gilbert. These people have no vision and are always so conservative, refusing to look ahead.

"We all believe this project will succeed. You've never let us down."

"Bob, no one can guarantee success forever—not even me," Gilbert replied.

"You're right about that. But for this project, I don't believe you'll fail," Robert Iger said with unwavering confidence.

In reality, the protests were inconsequential. The production would move forward regardless, and filming would proceed as planned.

The only real concern was whether these die-hard book fans would continue their opposition after the film's release, potentially impacting its box office performance.

Fortunately, history had already proven one thing: Peter Jackson had demonstrated that as long as the film was made well enough and aligned with the imagination of the original fans, those same fans would become the most devoted supporters.

They would rally behind the film and even defend its reputation fiercely.

Simply put, the critics would turn into fans, and those fans would transform into the film's most vocal promoters. If anyone dared to badmouth the movie, they would be met with fierce backlash and protests.

While The Lord of the Rings was being prepared, The Matrix was also moving forward simultaneously. Compared to The Lord of the Rings, which was an enormous undertaking, The Matrix felt much simpler by comparison.

After months of rigorous training, the cast had finally reached Gilbert's expectations.

The film officially began shooting in early October at Warner Bros. Studios.

At the same time, The Sixth Sense was reaching the end of its North American theatrical run, finishing with a total of $317 million at the domestic box office—a new personal record for Gilbert in North America.

Currently, the second-highest domestic box office for one of his films was Men in Black, co-distributed by Sony Columbia and Universal, with a total of $231 million.

Although Men in Black was still in theaters, it was already past its peak. It was unlikely to surpass The Sixth Sense.

In third place was Steven Spielberg's The Lost World: Jurassic Park, which grossed $229 million domestically.

Despite ranking third in North America, The Lost World had dominated the global box office, raking in $932 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of the year.

Meanwhile, The Sixth Sense wasn't far behind, securing the second spot with $754 million globally.

At this rate, Gilbert was on track to claim the North American box office crown once again, while Spielberg would take the global box office title.

The two, master and apprentice, ruling the movie industry together—it was a story in itself.

However, things rarely go as expected.

James Cameron's Titanic had just released its official trailer and was set to hit North American theaters on December 19.

At the time, no one truly understood what this meant—except Gilbert.

To be honest, Titanic's massive $200 million production cost, plus marketing expenses, had pushed its total budget beyond $250 million. Most of Hollywood saw 20th Century Fox, Paramount, and Gilbert as complete fools.

This reaction wasn't surprising. Even 20th Century Fox and Paramount themselves considered the project a reckless gamble.

Had it not been for James Cameron's strategic maneuvering—demanding additional funding midway through filming, gradually increasing financial commitments, and ensuring that investors couldn't back out—20th Century Fox would have abandoned the project long ago.

Although James Cameron had declared in a pre-release press conference that if the film lost money, he would forfeit his $8.5 million director's salary and even castrate himself, his bold statement didn't change the financial reality.

It was a dramatic pledge, but if Titanic flopped, an $8.5 million salary wouldn't even make a dent in the losses, and James Cameron sacrificing himself wouldn't help either.

An enraged 20th Century Fox and Paramount might very well decide to help James Cameron "commit suicide" with eight shots to the back.

However, Gilbert had absolute confidence. He had managed to get an early look at the final cut of Titanic, and it was nearly identical to what he remembered from his past life. The film was bound to be a massive success.

Encouraging James Cameron, Gilbert said, "These people are short-sighted. They have no idea about the true potential of this movie.

"I believe we're about to create an unprecedented cinematic milestone that will astonish the world."

James Cameron was equally confident. He had never once believed the film would fail. "Relax, Gilbert. We're going to be a huge success."

In a subsequent media interview, James Cameron stated, "Gilbert has high hopes for Titanic. You should trust his instincts—this is going to be a phenomenal film."

Most people dismissed his words. Gilbert wasn't God. Just because he said something would succeed didn't mean it would.

If Titanic had been directed by Gilbert himself, the industry might have had more confidence. But with James Cameron at the helm, there was skepticism.

It wasn't that Gilbert was inherently better than James Cameron—it was simply a matter of recent track records. Their salaries reflected the difference.

After True Lies, James Cameron's directorial fee was still only $8.5 million, whereas Gilbert's had already risen to a top-tier $15 million.

Given Gilbert's market value, demanding a $20 million salary wouldn't be an issue—studios would gladly pay it.

However, salaries were just one part of the equation. The real earnings came from box office revenue shares and merchandising rights.

James Cameron had loudly declared that he would forgo his $8.5 million salary if the film flopped—but he never said anything about giving up his share of the box office profits.

If Titanic turned out as successful as Gilbert predicted, James Cameron would end up earning several times his base salary from profit participation.

Still, James Cameron had to wait patiently for the film's release to prove himself.

Aside from Titanic awaiting its premiere, another standout film of the year was Contact, starring Naomi Watts.

The film had grossed $152 million in North America so far, ranking fifth in the domestic box office for the year. Its global earnings had reached $395 million, once again proving Naomi Watts' box office appeal.

Gilbert remembered that in his previous life, Contact had barely surpassed $100 million at the North American box office. He hadn't expected that simply changing the lead actress would boost the numbers so significantly.

Naomi Watts, whose career trajectory had been altered, was now shining brightly and seemed well on her way to becoming Hollywood's top actress.

And she wasn't slowing down. After securing a role in DreamWorks' Deep Impact to earn some extra cash, she also started training in dance at Gilbert's suggestion.

In reality, Naomi Watts had already been practicing dance for several years. Ever since Gilbert had hinted at that project, she had dedicated herself to refining her skills.

In Naomi Watts' mind, if she could win an Oscar for Best Actress, she would surpass Julia Roberts and claim the title of Hollywood's number-one leading lady.

This was an unparalleled honor—one she was willing to work tirelessly for.

Gilbert was pleased to see that even after reaching A-list status, Naomi Watts had not grown complacent. She remained as hardworking as ever.

Gilbert was always willing to support the women in his life—but only if they worked hard enough and had the talent to back it up.

Take Charlize Theron, for example—her looks were only part of the equation.

If she had ignored Gilbert's feedback on that project and failed to put in the necessary effort, he wouldn't have chosen her as the lead actress in The Matrix.

One actress who was also trying to change her fate was Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Encouraged by Gilbert, she had mustered the courage to attempt her fourth Hollywood breakthrough.

Before leaving for North America, Catherine Zeta-Jones sold her London home to show her commitment.

Then, carrying her luggage, she arrived in Hollywood alone, prepared to start from the bottom as a supporting actress.

Of course, Catherine was no fool—she knew how to leverage her advantages. She had received a recommendation from Steven Spielberg and had previously met with Gilbert in London.

During auditions, she subtly hinted at her connections with two major directors, which helped her secure roles.

This tactic worked quite well—at the very least, it allowed her to establish herself in Los Angeles.

Though she hadn't landed a lead role yet, she was already being offered several supporting parts.

Upon hearing that Gilbert's new film had begun shooting, Catherine came up with a plan. She decided to visit the set under the pretense of a friendly drop-in.

She couldn't allow Gilbert to forget about her. She needed to remain in his line of sight, ensuring that he always kept her in mind.

On the set of The Matrix, the film had entered full production after an initial adjustment period.

Compared to The Sixth Sense, which was a psychological thriller, Gilbert was undeniably more adept at handling action films.

Although The Matrix was filled with sci-fi elements, at its core, it was still an adrenaline-fueled action movie—just one wrapped in a sci-fi aesthetic.

Catherine Zeta-Jones had no trouble getting into the Warner Bros. Gilbert quickly noticed the British actress but, being busy with filming, only exchanged a brief greeting.

"Hey, Catherine, you're in Los Angeles now?"

"Yeah," Catherine nodded. "After what you said, I decided that if I couldn't make it in Hollywood, I wasn't going back."

"That's the right decision," Gilbert nodded approvingly. "Feel free to look around—I need to get back to work."

"No problem, go ahead!"

Watching Gilbert immersed in his work, Catherine wandered around the set with curiosity.

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