Made In Hollywood

The Regent Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills was brimming with stars. Even though it was held in the same formal banquet format, this event was more luxurious and captivating than the just-concluded Golden Globe Awards ceremony because this was the Oscar Nominees Luncheon, where the nominations for the 68th Academy Awards were announced.

The announcement of the nominations had reached its final stage. On the stage, Richard Dreyfuss was reading the Best Picture nominees: "The Postman, Babe, Braveheart, Sense and Sensibility, and Saving Private Ryan."

"YES!"

Although they had already anticipated this result, the two production managers, Charles and Robin, still celebrated with a high-five. Duke glanced at them and asked his assistant sitting nearby, "Tina, have you tallied how many nominations we've received?"

Tina flipped through her notebook and replied, "Best Original Score, Best Makeup, Best Art Direction, Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound Editing, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Cinematography, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Picture, a total of eleven nominations!"

"And our competitor?" Robin leaned in and asked.

Without needing to elaborate, Tina knew he was referring to *Braveheart*. She said, "Best Original Score, Best Makeup, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Director, and Best Picture, ten nominations in total."

She added, "Apart from Best Costume Design, all the other awards are in direct competition with us."

Charles glanced over at the *Braveheart* team. Mel, who had been harshly criticized by the media and practically ostracized by everyone in Hollywood, was not present. Charles let out a snort and said, "They might win a few technical awards at most, but if they want to get the heavyweight ones, ha..."

Everyone turned to look at Duke. He innocently spread his hands, indicating that it had nothing to do with him.

Over the past few days, various pieces of news had been coming in, with the most significant ones coming from Paramount Pictures and Viacom, Mel's original collaborators. Likely provoked by Mel's recent comments, Viacom's chairman, Sumner, had personally intervened in projects involving his companies. Just yesterday, Paramount announced that Mel would be replaced as the lead actor in their new movie *Ransom*. CBS also decided to drop any programs involving Mel.

Although other companies hadn't made public announcements, word had spread privately that none of them would be considering collaborations with Mel in the near future.

These measures were not just because of the Jewish connection. Racial discrimination was a taboo no public figure could afford to touch. Anyone who did would face massive public backlash, and no company wanted to produce a film doomed to be a financial failure.

After presenting the Academy Scientific and Technical Awards to John and Steve from Pixar, the nominees' luncheon concluded.

"Robin, we need to start getting our tuxedos ready."

As the banquet dispersed, Charles turned to Robin and said, "Barring any surprises, we'll be holding the Best Picture Oscar."

The specifics of the awards campaign had always been coordinated by these two production managers with the studio and distributors. Duke looked at him and asked, "You seem pretty confident?"

"Originally, I thought we had a 60% chance." Charles smiled confidently. "Now it's 80%!"

Robin patted Duke on the arm. "You should start thinking about who to bring on the red carpet. This is the best opportunity to promote the film."

Duke knew he was referring to *Chicago*. This film would certainly miss out on a Super Bowl halftime commercial, so the Oscar red carpet was also a great opportunity for promotion. Walking the red carpet alone would be a waste. Deciding how to maximize the value of the Oscar invitation was something he, as an investor, had to consider.

After thinking for a moment, Duke decided to leave this to the professionals. Panny had far more experience in this area than he did.

While the others continued chatting, Duke's attention shifted to John and Steve. Pixar, the ugly duckling, had finally transformed into a swan, and Steve had now joined the ranks of billionaires.

He wondered when Steve would return to Apple?

After pondering for a while, Duke came up with nothing. He sighed at his own lack of memory. Apart from movie-related content and significant events like 9/11, he realized he had no recollection of many things that had happened in North America.

Soon, though, he shrugged it off. After all, his brain didn't come equipped with Google.

As they left the Regent Hotel and were preparing to part ways in the parking lot, Duke called out to Charles.

"Charles, the Oscar campaign is coming to an end." He walked over to him and asked, "I've looked into it, and it seems you don't have any upcoming projects with Warner. Are you interested in continuing our collaboration? Starting next year, I need someone reliable to head to New Zealand and begin prepping for a large project. It could take three to five years there."

"Can I think about it?" Charles didn't ask for details.

Before Charles expressed any intent to collaborate, Duke wouldn't reveal any specifics.

Leaving Beverly Hills, Duke and Robin headed to Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank. Despite all the external commotion, the production team remained unaffected. Preparations continued, with props, sets, and rentals already completed, just waiting for the actors to finish rehearsals.

Lily's choreographed performances were also approved by Duke. Based on the current pace, Duke tentatively planned to start shooting the film after the Oscar ceremony.

"Congratulations, Duke."

As soon as Duke entered the soundstage, he was greeted by Tom, who was smiling warmly. "Congrats on the Best Director nomination."

"Thank you, Tom." Duke politely returned the greeting. Ever since Tom joined the production, they had maintained a cordial relationship. "I won't forget everything you've done for me."

"No need to thank me."

Thinking of the Golden Globe night and the current situation with Mel, Tom couldn't help but feel a certain unease about Duke. "We're partners, and we should work together."

He checked his watch. "I've finished today's dance practice, but I've got some things to take care of. Let's chat another time."

"Sure, see you, Tom."

As long as Tom was around, there would never be a shortage of journalists and paparazzi. Earlier, when Duke arrived, there were already dozens of people with cameras hanging around the Warner lot. From a promotional standpoint, casting Tom in *Chicago* was a very worthwhile move.

After checking in on the training of the female cast members in the dance studio, Duke headed over to the Warner offices to meet with the head of distribution. They discussed some issues regarding the future release strategy. Compared to previous summer blockbusters, *Chicago* had a thematic disadvantage, and the overall investment in the film was relatively modest.

More importantly, the heyday of the musical genre was long gone. Even though Duke was the director, he couldn't change the fact that *Chicago* would likely open on a limited release or even in select theaters in North America.

The key focus of recent discussions between the production team and Warner Bros. was how to market the film with limited resources.

Tom was the brightest promotional point, but using him too often could lead to overexposure, which might cause backlash. Fresh promotional points were needed, so Duke called Panny and handed her the responsibility.

As the Oscars drew closer, *Saving Private Ryan*, with its eleven nominations, returned to mainstream commercial theaters. Over the weekend, it expanded from its original 115 theaters to 812 theaters.

At this time, the Oscars had far more box office influence than in the post-internet era. Fans who hadn't seen the film flocked to theaters because of the nominations, while some who had already seen it chose to watch it again in anticipation of the Oscars.

Like most nominated films, *Saving Private Ryan* saw a significant box office resurgence. In the last week of January and the first two weeks of February, it grossed $3.52 million, $2.76 million, and $2.11 million, respectively, bringing its North American total to $322.17 million!

The film had exhausted its market potential by the time the Oscars approached, and on the last day of voting, in mid-March, it was pulled from all North American theaters. Its final box office total stood at $325.79 million.

Duke had easily secured his second consecutive North American box office crown, leaving the runner-up *Toy Story* trailing by nearly $150 million!

On the same day, *Braveheart* also concluded its North American run. After receiving its Oscar nominations, the film experienced a modest resurgence, but due to the lingering effects of the Mel incident, the rebound was limited, bringing its North American total to just over $31 million, with a final tally of $31.75 million.

A last-minute surge in the North American market also gave *Braveheart* a notable boost globally. After screenings in major markets like the Commonwealth, Europe, and Australia, its box office numbers became slightly less dismal, and on March 15th, it finally crossed the $100 million mark worldwide!

Including post-Oscar video and TV rights sales, *Braveheart* would likely break even in a short time. However, the project's main sponsor, CAA, found no reason to celebrate. Its direct competitor, *Saving Private Ryan*, had nearly finished its global run, grossing an astounding $649.27 million worldwide~

That number was only topped by *Jurassic Park*, *Independence Day*, *The Lion King*, and *E.T.*, placing it fifth on the all-time box office list!

"Although Lucasfilm is preparing to re-release Star Wars, which will surely surpass Saving Private Ryan in box office, two of the top five movies in the history of box office are directed by Duke Rosenberg! A director who can rival Spielberg is abandoned by CAA. Shouldn't someone at CAA be held accountable for this?"

The cold voice echoed in the CAA meeting room, and no one could say anything to refute it

....

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