Made In Hollywood

As the end of June approached, California's radiant and scorching sunlight couldn't dispel the cold in Mel Gibson's heart. The box office performance of *Braveheart* was undoubtedly a severe blow to him. If he had been narrowly defeated by his main competitor *Saving Private Ryan*, he might have felt some frustration, but the current situation was far worse. Five weeks after both films' release, *Saving Private Ryan* had grossed an impressive $235.78 million in North America, while *Braveheart* had a meager $21.57 million, not even a fraction of the former's earnings.

The two films were not even comparable!

Even someone as headstrong as Mel Gibson had to admit now that, in this competition against Duke Rosenberg, he had lost miserably!

Sitting across from him, Martin Bob's face was full of uncertainty. The *Braveheart* project had fallen far short of expectations, and he was under enormous pressure. Even within CAA, there were whispers that the failure of the projects he had led reflected poorly on his abilities.

These slanders from competitors had stoked Martin Bob's recent anger. He couldn't understand why his projects, when pitted against Duke Rosenberg, always collapsed so miserably. Was it really impossible to defeat Duke Rosenberg in the summer box office season?

Hollywood's most promising commercial director—why wasn't he a part of CAA?

As these thoughts simmered, Martin Bob felt his temper rising again. Loosening his tie, he sighed inwardly. If only he had taken Duke Rosenberg a bit more seriously from the beginning, maybe things wouldn't be so embarrassing now, and the projects of the past few years might have been one success after another.

"Martin, we haven't lost yet!"

Breaking the silence in the office, Mel Gibson suddenly spoke up. "The film hasn't been widely released overseas. Overseas..."

"Mel!"

Martin Bob raised his hand to cut him off. "Do you really think a film that performed poorly in North America will be a huge success overseas? Don't forget that, aside from Scotland, the major markets in Europe have all refused to screen it anytime soon."

Mel Gibson opened his mouth but then reluctantly closed it. He was well aware of the challenges the film faced overseas.

Aside from Scotland, *Braveheart* had not been released in any major Western markets. England, New Zealand, and Australia, all members of the Commonwealth, had delayed the film's release to the quieter months of September and October. Even France had jumped in, accusing the film of defaming Princess Isabelle, pushing the release date back as well.

Moreover, due to the film's dismal box office performance in North America, distributors in Germany, Spain, and Italy had refused to release it during the highly lucrative summer season. In terms of release dates, *Braveheart* was already a tragedy overseas.

CAA and Paramount Pictures were indeed powerful, but in the summer season, where commercial performance speaks volumes, the box office results of *Braveheart* couldn't convince any distributors or cinema chains.

Let's not even mention others—Mel Gibson knew that Paramount Pictures had largely abandoned the extensive promotion of *Braveheart* after the second week. After all, the numbers were clear, and any additional marketing investments would be a sunk cost.

Was there still hope for the film? This was the question Mel Gibson was grappling with.

Was there any way to salvage it? This was the thought spinning in Martin Bob's mind.

The failure not only brought financial recovery issues but also a series of cascading effects on reputation, CAA's standing, and personal credibility. It could even affect Mel Gibson's fledgling directing career and the packaging projects led by Martin Bob.

The two men remained silent for a few minutes before, as if with mutual understanding, they looked at each other and arrived at the same answer—Oscars!

Yes, if *Braveheart* could secure several Oscar nominations, it might just save the film. The recent success of *The Shawshank Redemption*, which flopped during its initial release but later became a hit in the home video market, was a prime example!

As industry veterans, they both knew why production and distribution companies were willing to spend a hefty sum on Oscar campaigns. Was it really for the sake of art? Don't be ridiculous. It was to garner more attention for the film, which would bring in more revenue!

"Martin, *Braveheart* could be pulled from theaters any day now," Mel Gibson said candidly. "I need you to work with Paramount to pressure the theaters, especially the independent cinemas in the greater Los Angeles area, to keep the film playing, preferably until the awards season."

"That would require a substantial budget," Martin Bob knew how important this strategy was for an Oscar campaign. "I doubt Paramount will be willing to invest much more in the film..."

After a moment's thought, Mel Gibson made a decisive offer. "If Paramount fully supports me in my bid for Best Director, I'm willing to forgo the remaining third of my directing fee that Paramount hasn't paid yet."

He was aware that Fox and other parties were already preparing Oscar campaigns for *Saving Private Ryan*, including nominating Duke Rosenberg for Best Director. Although Duke's age was his biggest disadvantage, his Jewish background was a powerful factor—no one could predict whether Hollywood's Jewish elite would crown a young Jewish director.

Having lost to Duke Rosenberg commercially, Mel Gibson intended to win back some ground through the awards, to best his younger rival in that arena.

More importantly, if *Braveheart* could sweep the Academy Awards, it would vindicate him—poor box office returns would be seen as a result of the audience's lack of artistic taste, rather than a reflection of his directorial skills!

Meanwhile, not far away, in another office, Eno Martin was also discussing Oscar-related matters with Tom Hanks.

"Tom, it's highly unlikely you'll win Best Actor three years in a row," Eno said seriously, looking at the man across from him. "But getting a nomination for playing Captain Miller is possible, though not easy—it's not a solo performance like *Forrest Gump*."

"I understand," Tom Hanks, always affable, wore a shrewd smile. "Besides the necessary promotional work, I'll spend the next six months in L.A., attending all the right events."

After seeing Tom Hanks off, Eno Martin picked up his custom-made phone and dialed a number. "Hey, Duke, it seems I owe you a thank-you."

In his Malibu mansion, Duke held the phone, waved to Tina Fey and Nancy Josephson, and walked past the floor-to-ceiling windows to the ocean-facing terrace. "Martin, no need for thanks—let's talk about something more practical."

"I've heard a rumor, but I can't guarantee its accuracy."

The voice on the other end sounded mysterious. "Mel Gibson is planning something against you. I don't know the details, but it seems to be related to the Oscars."

"The Oscars?"

Hearing this, Duke was largely unconcerned. "I don't have any specific plans for the Oscars. Mel Gibson's competition should be with the co-producers."

After hanging up, Duke returned to the living room and sat down on a single sofa, signaling for Nancy Josephson to continue.

"This is Sony's new DV camera, the DCR-VX1000, which will officially launch next month."

Nancy took out a small, well-packaged gift box and pulled out a compact camera, pushing it toward Duke. "This is a high-end version Sony Electronics has customized for Hollywood directors and stars. It uses tape for recording."

"Are they trying to use Hollywood for promotion?" Duke fiddled with the device, noting its small size, though it paled in comparison to future models. "Or did they know Hollywood stars love to take selfies and prepared this as a special gift?"

This thing was practically a must-have for "Professor Chen."

He wondered if he could use it to record something. Decades later, it would be fascinating to look back.

That thought quickly dissipated. Duke wasn't interested in secretly recording anything. After all, his relationships with those actresses were merely for mutual pleasure, not with the intention of fighting them as enemies.

Of course, if they were enemies, there'd be no need for courtesy—but who would sleep with their enemy?

Duke handed the DV camera to Tina Fey, instructing her to put it aside, then returned to the main topic with Nancy Josephson.

"Nancy, the script for *Chicago* is complete."

As Duke spoke, Tina Fey handed the finished script to Nancy. "I need an outstanding choreographer. Does ICM have anyone signed who fits that profile? If not, you'll need to look to Broadway or somewhere else to find one for me."

Nancy nodded immediately. "I'll take care of it as soon as possible."

"And..." Duke gestured toward the script. "There's a list at the back. I need you to get the script to these people. Remember the British actress I mentioned? Don't forget to notify her... oh, and Naomi Watts."

There was also Tom Cruise, but Duke didn't mention him, planning to discuss things with him in person later.

"Naomi's been preparing for your film."

Nancy, who represented Naomi Watts, spoke up for her. "She's made tremendous progress in both dancing and acting."

"We'll see during the auditions." Duke gave no guarantees. "You can tell her she has six months left to prepare."

Jotting down everything Duke had instructed in her notebook, Nancy couldn't help but ask, "Are you dumping all the work on me again? Planning a vacation?"

"It's been almost a year since my last break." Duke turned to Tina Fey. "Book a ticket to Spain and reserve the best suite on Ibiza."

"With a female companion?" Nancy was a little surprised. She knew that Duke and those female celebrities were just playing around.

"A beautiful princess," Duke replied with a pun.

....

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