Made In Hollywood

The content of this battle revolved around the infamous "cheating scandal" that once caused a media frenzy, leaving Kristen Stewart humiliated. In reality, people within the industry were well aware that the personal lives of male and female celebrities were often chaotic. Unfortunately for Kristen, she was caught as an example, becoming a public embarrassment. The media's intense coverage was no coincidence; it was the result of a series of behind-the-scenes maneuvers.

From any perspective, Robert Pattinson came out on top during the affair scandal with his girlfriend, while Kristen Stewart wasn't as lucky. Not only was she overwhelmed by public criticism, but her public relations team was a complete failure, handling the situation poorly, which led to a flood of negative press.

The harshest part was that Panettiere's side continually leaked information suggesting that Kristen Stewart cried daily, sending texts to Robert Pattinson asking for forgiveness, even if just to remain friends.

This indirectly reiterated to the public that the infidelity had indeed occurred and that Robert Pattinson was the real victim.

It was, without exaggeration, a highly sophisticated PR strategy, appearing sympathetic towards Kristen Stewart but actually stabbing her in the back.

Yes, the entertainment world is like that — former lovers can turn against each other, and even seemingly simple matters are often filled with intrigue and manipulation. Anyone who imagines Hollywood as a place of mutual love and support is thinking of a joke.

This was one of the reasons Duke didn't hesitate to spend heavily on public relations. He wasn't an omniscient genius; his main focus had to remain on filmmaking, and other professional matters naturally needed to be handed over to experts.

Even though the parties had reached some verbal agreement, Duke wouldn't sign the contract right away. Some side investigations and understanding were still necessary. Like investing in films, such decisions couldn't be made on impulse.

After returning from France, Duke gave himself five days of rest, mainly to take care of some personal matters.

Having preliminarily decided on an assistant and public relations person, Duke went to Malibu the next day. After meeting up with Nancy Josephson, they went to the estate in the beachside mansion area.

Nancy had been overseeing the renovation work, which was completed last month. Walking into the villa, stepping on the brand-new floor, Duke stood by the refreshed glass windows, gazing into the distance. The Pacific Ocean was a deep blue, quiet like a sleeping baby, occasionally stirring with small waves.

"When do you plan to move in?" Nancy Josephson came over as well.

"I still need to buy furniture…"

Looking back at the empty living room, Duke frowned. "And appliances. Oh, God! It seems like there's still a lot of work to do!"

"That's because the house lacks a hostess!" Nancy clearly said this on purpose. "Otherwise, you wouldn't need to worry about any of this."

A hostess?

Duke shook his head. He had no such thoughts at the moment. That would just be inviting trouble. Even if he found a temporary hostess, it wouldn't take long before everything he bought would become useless junk after she left.

Although money was no longer much of an issue for him, his mother's influence taught him to be extravagant but never wasteful.

"Did the renovation company have any good recommendations?"

Stepping out of the living room, Duke climbed the stairs to the second floor, speaking to Nancy, who was following. "If they have suitable suggestions, let them handle it all as a package."

Nancy nodded and jotted it down. "I'll have them send over some design renderings soon."

After a walk around the entire estate, Duke raised quite a few suggestions for detailed adjustments, but overall, he was satisfied. Like his home in Santa Monica, the estate was hidden behind tall evergreens, luxurious yet understated.

"Take care of the furniture as soon as possible."

As they walked towards the outdoor parking lot, Duke said to Nancy, "Help me find a good party planning company. If I'm moving in, I'll need to throw a party."

"Leave it to me." Nancy had no objections.

At this point, Duke was her biggest client, and Nancy had never felt so fortunate, grateful for gritting her teeth and signing the demanding and annoying young director in the first place.

"Oh, and…"

Just before getting into the car, Duke suddenly remembered something but then waved it off. "Never mind, I'll ask my mother for help."

With such a large estate, temporary housekeeping staff wouldn't suffice. A proper management team was necessary, and for someone like him working in Hollywood, the staff had to be reliable. It was better to get his mother's recommendations.

Driving out of the estate, Duke headed straight for the PricewaterhouseCoopers office in Los Angeles to meet his accountant, David. There were many financial matters waiting for his signature.

After the New Year, a large portion of Duke's earnings from "Independence Day" had started coming in. Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox, clearly eager to continue long-term cooperation with him, had paid part of the profit share early, even before the contract deadline.

As the North American distributor of "Independence Day," 20th Century Fox completed payment of Duke's director's profit share last month after the film was pulled from North American theaters.

With a domestic box office gross of $362.55 million, Duke was entitled to 20% based on the tiered profit-sharing agreement. Excluding the $30 million already paid by Fox, the remaining $42.51 million was also settled.

As for the overseas market, where the film had surpassed $500 million, the contract's 20% profit-sharing clause was automatically triggered. However, some overseas shares had not yet arrived, and others were temporarily withheld. Warner Bros. had only paid a share based on a $200 million box office total, giving Duke $40 million last month.

Even by Hollywood's top director and actor standards, this was an astronomical sum.

Of course, it was still nowhere near what Spielberg earned from "Jurassic Park."

Future payments would come from overseas earnings, but Duke would need to be patient. It would be a pleasant surprise if everything was settled by this time next year.

The global box office for "Independence Day" had already passed the $900 million mark, reaching $901.13 million. Though the film had been pulled from most major markets, some remote overseas territories were just starting screenings. Whether it would surpass "Jurassic Park" to claim the top spot in box office history remained uncertain.

After discussing with David, Duke contacted his stockbroker by phone. He planned to invest part of his earnings into the stock market, primarily in Apple and Microsoft. The latter's stock was hot, and it would be a matter of how much he could acquire, while the former's stock continued to plummet without any sign of recovery.

However, with "Toy Story" confirmed for release during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, Jobs was on the verge of making a comeback.

Duke wasn't expecting short-term profits but was aiming for value preservation and appreciation. Despite his stockbroker's strong opposition, he insisted on converting his cash into the corresponding stocks in the future.

At the same time, he wouldn't blindly trust anyone, and proper oversight measures would be in place.

It wasn't until evening that Duke was ready to leave the PricewaterhouseCoopers office. As he stepped out of David's office and entered the elevator lobby, he unexpectedly ran into someone.

"Sophie…" Duke raised an eyebrow and walked over. "What are you doing here?"

Sophie, dressed in a sharp suit, turned her head. Seeing Duke, she flashed a radiant yet formulaic smile. "I came to meet my accountant to take care of some things."

"What I meant was, when did you arrive in Los Angeles?" Duke could sense her polite distance. "The whole world adores Sophie, and now that she's in LA, how could I, a local, not invite you out?"

"My new movie is about to be released." Sophie seemed to be reminding him of something. "I'm here to help with the promotional work for the production."

Duke seemed to miss the hint and directly invited her, "Do I have the honor of taking you to dinner?"

"Tonight?"

Hesitating for a moment, Sophie slowly but firmly shook her head. "Sorry, Duke, I have something else tonight."

At that moment, the elevator doors opened. The two stepped in, and Duke, glancing at the mature and alluring French beauty next to him, continued, "How about tomorrow? I can show you around LA."

The harder something is to get, the more it entices people. Duke was no different from anyone else.

"Sorry, Duke." Sophie looked at him seriously. "I'm married."

"It's just a friendly invitation," Duke smiled nonchalantly. Since she wasn't interested, he wouldn't push further. "We can do it whenever you're free."

The elevator doors opened, and Duke nodded at Sophie before stepping out, heading towards his car.

Watching him leave, Sophie didn't hesitate as she walked in the opposite direction, her footsteps quickening. At the same time, a contemplative look appeared in her dreamy eyes.

Sophie knew all too well the importance of getting in good with a Hollywood director. Even if things went the way Duke expected, it wouldn't be a big deal for her. But she had decided to distance herself from the young director.

The reason was simple: she was about to sign a contract with CAA, and her future agent would primarily be Martin Bob. Though she hadn't fully broken into Hollywood yet, Sophie knew that Duke had a terrible relationship with CAA, especially with Martin Bob and his people.

Sophie was aware that, as a non-English-speaking foreign actress, establishing a foothold in Hollywood wouldn't be easy. Compared to Duke, who mainly directed male-centric films, CAA was more powerful and better suited to her future development.

Sophie Marceau has thought very thoroughly about which option suits her needs. Now her biggest reliance in Hollywood is CAA, which she is about to sign!

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