Made In Hollywood

"Is this your yacht?"

Crossing the long pier and reaching the yacht docked at the marina, Zack Snyder ended his casual chat with Sofia Coppola and looked up at Duke, who was standing on the yacht, saying loudly, "Isn't this thing a bit small? I thought it would be at least a hundred feet long."

Sofia's monotone nasal voice sounded, carrying a faint hint of sarcasm. "Zack, do you think a yacht over a hundred feet long could dock in a shallow beach area?"

She turned her gaze towards Duke on the yacht and teased, "Duke, why don't I see your girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?"

Standing at the elevated helm station, Duke, who was checking the equipment for the outing, turned around at this moment, looking at Sofia. "What girlfriend? Darling, you know I've always been single."

"Tina, please hand me the bag with the fishing gear," Duke said to his assistant.

It was the weekend. After nearly three weeks of busy work, Duke decided to invite two friends to relax by going out to sea.

Carrying several fishing gear bags, Tina Fey walked past Sofia Coppola and whispered, "Ms. Zeta-Jones was asked to move out by Nancy and Panny back in March."

Seeing Tina Fey boarding the yacht, Duke waved to Zack Snyder and Sofia Coppola below. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up, we're about to leave."

Zack Snyder and Sofia Coppola boarded the yacht, sitting in the open-air cabin below. Although the yacht was only forty feet long, it was more than sufficient for four people.

Although he had learned under an instructor for a while, Duke's piloting skills could only be described as average. Fortunately, the sea around here was a flat sandy beach with plenty of space for him to maneuver. The yacht drew a particularly large arc, gradually picking up speed and leaving the shallow beach, heading toward the distant Pacific Ocean.

However, as this was just a nearshore sports yacht, Duke wouldn't venture too far. He added a pair of sunglasses to his nose. After moving several hundred feet away from the coast, he turned the yacht around, following the nearshore route and cruising along the coastline.

"I originally thought we'd have to swim back," came Zack Snyder's voice from below. Duke glanced back and saw him pouring drinks for Tina Fey and Sofia Coppola. "But it turns out Duke's piloting isn't bad."

"Zack, if you want to swim back, I don't think anyone will stop you." Duke gradually slowed the yacht. "You can jump off right now; I'm sure there are sharks in the water waiting for you. Maybe even a female shark."

"As long as it's female," Zack Snyder raised his glass towards the helm. "I have confidence in taming her!"

This remark made everyone on board laugh. Sofia picked up the bottle of red wine, poured a glass for Zack Snyder, and teased, "One day, you'll fall at the hands of a woman."

Zack Snyder remained indifferent, clinking glasses with Sofia. "I hear you're preparing for an experimental film? Need me to recommend a few actresses for you?"

"If I need them, I'll give you a call," Sofia said indifferently.

After saying this, Sofia Coppola couldn't help but ask, "Be honest, Zack, how many women are you currently dating at the same time?"

"Not many, just a few, purely for fun." Zack Snyder smiled lightly, clearly seeing through a lot of things. "I know why they're around me. If their careers improve even slightly, I'll quickly find myself dumped."

"You could try dating an A-list actress," Tina Fey, who had grown familiar with these people, chimed in. "With your assets, it wouldn't be hard."

"Date an A-list actress?" Zack Snyder shook his head decisively. "Then I'd lose my freedom. Do you think those big-name actresses would tolerate me dating others? Plus, I'd have to constantly guard against them cheating on me. I might even discover in the end that the person stealing my girlfriend could be a woman."

"Zack, it seems you've had some painful experiences," Duke interjected.

He made some adjustments, stopping the yacht in an open area of the sea, jumped down from the helm, took the glass Tina Fey handed him, and sat next to Sofia Coppola.

"Yes, I've had painful experiences," Zack Snyder clinked glasses with Duke and drank a sip, honestly admitting, "I was once madly infatuated with Jodie Foster and even tried to pursue her. Who knew she turned out to be a lesbian?"

"Why not try to 'straighten' her out?"

Hearing Duke's teasing, Zack Snyder looked puzzled. "Straighten her out?"

Duke explained simply, "I mean, restore her to a normal orientation."

"I don't think I have that kind of charm," Zack Snyder shrugged. "That would be an impossible mission."

After finishing a glass of red wine, the four took out their fishing gear and sat by the boat's railing.

While fixing his fishing rod in the boat's holder, Duke asked Sofia beside him, "How's your movie coming along?"

"I've acquired the film rights to the novel," Sofia Coppola replied while holding her fishing rod. She thought for a moment before saying, "Once the experimental film is finished, the project will start. My father has agreed to be the producer, and if everything goes smoothly, the film can be completed next year."

Duke nodded, "If you need any help, just ask."

"I will," Sofia didn't hesitate. "I'm currently negotiating with Warner Bros. for distribution."

"I'll give them a call."

Being one of the few friends he had, Duke wouldn't refuse a small favor within his capacity.

On the other side, Zack Snyder had just cast his fishing line when he heard Duke and Sofia's conversation. He said loudly, "Sofia, did you secure funding so quickly? I thought you'd ask Duke for help."

Sofia Coppola turned and shrugged towards him. "Actually, some people do believe in me."

Of course, everyone knew that the funding for Sofia's new film mainly came from the Coppola family.

"What about you, Zack?"

These matters had long been discussed openly, so Sofia didn't hold back and directly asked, "Have you found a suitable project yet?"

"I'm different from you," Zack Snyder waved his finger at her. "I'm not interested in low-budget art films. I'm waiting for a big-budget, high-investment opportunity."

"Actually, it won't be long," he winked at Sofia.

Duke had limited time himself, and some film sequels might take too long to produce. Zack Snyder had worked with him for over five years. Their concepts aligned, and Zack had been deeply influenced by him. Now, Zack's abilities were essentially not an issue, making him the most suitable person to take over.

Although they were supposed to be relaxing, the topic turned to movies, and work became the focal point of their discussion.

"I heard you guys negotiated Keanu Reeves' pay down to below a second-tier level?" Sofia asked.

"$7 million isn't low at all," Zack Snyder replied. "It's quite high for a second-tier actor. Don't forget, 'Speed 2,' which he starred in, has only made over $20 million at the box office after two weeks of release in North America. Plus, the box office for his past few films hasn't been great either."

As Zack Snyder said, after several movies with mediocre box office performance, especially the flop of Speed 2, even Keanu Reeves' agent couldn't demand an A-list male star's pay. The initial offer of $10 million plus 10% of the net box office profit was immediately rejected by Duke and Robin Grand.

If this had been Keanu Reeves after Speed, he would've been worth that price. But after nearly five years of decline, his market appeal had greatly diminished. Ultimately, both parties agreed on $7 million.

Keanu Reeves became the highest-paid actor in the cast, with his $7 million exceeding the combined salaries of all the other actors.

"When are you heading to Australia?" Sofia asked again.

Adjusting his sunglasses, Duke replied, "Next week. All the actor contracts have been finalized, except for signing. As for Industrial Light & Magic, I'm waiting for their special effects team. Once they're ready, the entire crew will move to Sydney."

The special effects for The Matrix were still outsourced to Industrial Light & Magic.

"Uncle Lucas and his crew are also in Australia," Sofia explained, noticing Duke's inquiring gaze. "I went to San Francisco a while ago, and Amanda Lucas mentioned it. The Australian government offered substantial tax incentives to Lucasfilm. The Star Wars prequel could also find suitable jungle and desert locations there, so they decided to shoot most of the film in Australia."

She smiled playfully, "The Star Wars studio scenes will also be shot at Fox Studios in Sydney. Judging by the timeline, they should start filming soon."

"That'll make communication with George much easier for me."

Hearing Sofia's explanation, Duke quickly understood. A production like Star Wars would be highly sought after by any country.

The group chatted for a while about George Lucas's new Star Wars before gradually shifting to Duke's upcoming film.

"Duke, Charlize Theron called me this morning," Tina Fey reminded Duke. "She said she couldn't understand the script."

This didn't surprise Duke. Most Hollywood stars had fairly average education levels. Sean Connery once rejected the role of Morpheus because he couldn't understand the script, paving the way for the iconic performance by Laurence Fishburne.

"No problem. Let her know that it's okay if she doesn't understand. She just needs to know what her character should do in each scene," Duke instructed.

As the sun sank closer to the horizon and the sea breeze intensified, Duke decided to return to the estate's dock before sunset. That evening, he invited more team members to a small relaxing party on the beach at his home. Next week, the entire crew would move to Sydney, and for the next year or more, most of them would spend their time in Australia.

....

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