Made In Hollywood

"Are they talking about The Matrix protagonist Keanu Reeves? Is he really that bad?"

On a small path at the California Institute of Technology, a young couple was discussing a piece of gossip they had just seen. "I think his personal life is just too messy," said the young man.

The girl shook her head, rolling up the newspaper in her hand. "I used to feel sorry for him not landing any good projects these past few years. Now I think he deserves to spiral down."

It was a gossip magazine with significant influence across the United States, and it prominently published a heavyweight scoop.

"The Hidden Side of Hollywood Stars — Keanu Reeves' Double Life On and Off Screen!"

The gossip piece was clearly aimed at Keanu Reeves, focusing on his history of drug use and exaggerating claims that he was still using heroin. It also mentioned that he had once had a drug-fueled argument with Duke on set—notably true of the Speed set, though they shifted the timeline to make it sound like it happened during The Matrix. Other claims included abandoning his severely ill sister, and nearly all the content was negative.

The article was cleverly crafted, with 80% truth mixed with 20% fabrication. For example, Keanu Reeves had indeed struggled with substance abuse but quit after River Phoenix's death. His sister was indeed seriously ill, and while his busy work schedule meant he couldn't visit her often, he covered her medical expenses, providing the best care possible.

Gossip media thrive on ignoring humanity's brighter sides, instead focusing on scandals.

Media can guide public opinion, gossip outlets included, and the purpose of these attacks wasn't just to target Keanu Reeves.

"You said you wanted to watch The Matrix, didn't you?" The girl turned to her boyfriend. "I don't think that's a good idea. We shouldn't watch films starring such actors."

As time went on, more media outlets picked up the story and dug further into Keanu Reeves' alleged scandals. These included outlets affiliated with DreamWorks and Sony Columbia, as well as neutral ones like Disney and 20th Century Fox, and those that simply chased sensationalism.

While studios like Disney, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, and Universal Pictures had no direct competition with The Matrix, they couldn't resist an opportunity to both see competitors falter and boost their own sales.

Duke and Warner Bros. quickly realized the attacks were a targeted effort to undermine The Matrix. They immediately launched a counteroffensive.

First, they had Keanu Reeves and his sister publicly refute the claims. Then, they mobilized media to promote positive narratives about him, with Duke stepping forward to voice his support and publicly denounce those spreading misinformation.

"Keanu is the most grounded actor I've ever worked with. He doesn't act like a celebrity at all. During the most intense filming periods, he repeatedly asked for time off to visit his sister. If he's considered an irresponsible brother, then there aren't any responsible ones left in the world!"

Some ill-intentioned media tried targeting Duke as well, but aside from his reputation as a playboy, there wasn't much to criticize—and such topics hardly faze the public or Hollywood.

After all, he wasn't foolish enough to pull a Morgan Freeman and target his step-granddaughter.

This was the "gift" Warner Bros. had prepared for their competitor, Deep Impact!

Time Warner's tabloid outlets followed up their support of Keanu Reeves with an even bigger scandal:

"Morgan Freeman and His Sixteen-Year-Old Granddaughter!"

The shocking headline took the U.S. by storm. Freeman, a veteran actor and a symbol of gentlemanly conduct in Hollywood, particularly for the Black community, was now under fire.

The report alleged an illicit relationship between Freeman and his step-granddaughter E'Dena Hines, who was his second wife's granddaughter. The article claimed that Freeman had pursued her since her teenage years and finally succeeded last year. The piece detailed how the two allegedly engaged in sexual activity in a California hotel, fully showcasing the tabloid's flair for the dramatic.

In the U.S., actors with major scandals don't usually derail an entire movie's release. However, this particular scandal crossed societal and ethical boundaries, challenging mainstream sensibilities. Society had not yet reached the desensitized state brought about by numerous online revelations in later years.

Even though the allegations originated from a tabloid, Freeman was immediately thrust into the spotlight.

Not one to back down, Freeman quickly issued a rebuttal. The next day, major outlets carried his statements, and his lawyer announced plans to sue the tabloids for defamation.

However, Warner Bros. had prepared meticulously for their counterattack, armed with concrete evidence.

Sometimes, revealing everything at once doesn't yield the best impact. A steady stream of revelations often works better.

Less than an hour after Freeman's lawyer's statement, Yahoo's entertainment section dropped another bombshell: a former nanny confirmed Freeman and Hines' inappropriate relationship.

That evening, Fox Entertainment broadcasted footage from last year showing Freeman and Hines entering a hotel room separately and leaving two hours later.

At this point, the damage was done. Freeman could offer a thousand explanations for what happened in that room, but public opinion was already aflame, and mainstream media's tolerance for such stories was wearing thin. Though media outlets often lack moral boundaries, they like to claim they're the watchdogs of society.

In just one night, media outlets that had previously targeted Keanu Reeves shifted their focus entirely to Freeman's scandal. Even those who first exposed Reeves' story redirected their best paparazzi and reporters to Freeman's doorstep.

Fox Entertainment upped the ante, parking live broadcast vans in front of Freeman's home.

"Why are media tied to the Big Six reacting so quickly?"

In the living room, Tina Fey asked Duke as they watched Fox's live coverage of the chaos outside Freeman's house. "And why are they so enthusiastic—especially Sony Columbia? Aren't they collaborating with DreamWorks?"

"When DreamWorks aims to grow into a major force, it inevitably threatens the existing balance," Duke explained, considering Tina's future role. "In Hollywood's history, giants only disappear—they don't emerge anew."

He continued, "In a sense, competition among the Big Six is internal conflict within traditional powers. But DreamWorks entering the game introduces an external conflict. When the timing is right, the traditional powers naturally unite to suppress it, like this time."

Simply put, Freeman was just a scapegoat in the Big Six's collective effort to suppress DreamWorks.

Tina quickly grasped the implications but probed further. "What if our Duke Studios grows too big in the future?"

"Either get acquired by Warner Bros. or another company," Duke answered without hesitation, giving a direct answer, "or face a fate similar to DreamWorks or the already bankrupt Carolco Pictures and Orion Pictures."

"So, we need to deepen our cooperation with Warner?" Tina Fey nodded knowingly.

"Tina, you've been in this circle for a while, so you should have seen it by now." Duke's eyes returned to the TV screen, where countless paparazzi and reporters were harassing a worker from Morgan Freeman's house who came out to throw away the trash. "Some issues simply cannot be solved by having a movie become a box-office hit!"

Take DreamWorks this time, for example. Deep Impact can be considered very suitable as a summer blockbuster, but when Warner threw out a lead, other forces followed up to suppress them. Morgan Freeman's scandal may not deal a fatal blow to the film, but it can affect a considerable number of viewers' movie choices, causing some degree of box-office impact.

At this stage, DreamWorks may have a certain level of strength, but when facing the encirclement of traditional forces backed by conglomerates such as Time Warner, News Corporation, Viacom, and Sony Entertainment, it has no ability to fight back. Morgan Freeman is doomed to be entangled in scandals for years, and Deep Impact is destined to be dragged down by this key actor.

From the one-day ordeal DreamWorks, Deep Impact, and Morgan Freeman experienced, Duke could also infer that if he ambitiously and recklessly tried to fully grow Duke Studios with just excellent films and some funding, he would face significant suppression in the future. Striving to break into the top forces in Hollywood is simply not something that can be resolved through films alone.

In the following two days, the mainstream media backed by the six major film companies also joined the ranks of criticizing and sensationalizing Morgan Freeman's scandal. This veteran Black actor became a household name across the United States at an even faster pace than before. Warner Bros. and other companies also took advantage of the situation, working behind the scenes to suppress Deep Impact as much as possible.

Suppressing DreamWorks can be said to be the Hollywood version of political correctness.