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Chapter 188: Big and Lasting
🕑 Added 2025-01-10 18:00:43 +0000 UTCAs a film with relatively simple scenes and minimal special effects, The Sixth Sense wasn't particularly challenging during post-production.
With the original movie serving as a reference, Gilbert had a clear standard for shot selection.
"Mahdi, shorten shot three and extend shot four. Let's see how that feels."
"Stop, keep the close-up on the face here."
In the editing room, Gilbert and editor Mahdi were making steady progress on the film's edits.
Producer Charles Roven waited patiently until Gilbert wrapped up his day's work before discussing promotional strategies with him.
"This film's trailer isn't suited for airing during the Super Bowl. It's a movie that requires patience, one that draws the audience in gradually."
This was Gilbert's response when presented with the idea of leveraging the Super Bowl for promotion.
Charles Roven nodded in agreement and then asked, "What release date do you think would be ideal? My suggestion is to avoid going head-to-head with Jurassic Park 2. A direct confrontation would only end in mutual losses."
As a sequel to a blockbuster hit, Jurassic Park 2 was highly anticipated. Competing against it would likely be a no-win scenario.
Although avoiding it might come across as timid or weak, the ultimate goal was to maximize profits. Gilbert decisively agreed with Charles Roven's proposal.
While Titanic was expected to dominate the box office, James Cameron had already informed Gilbert that a summer release was impossible; the earliest it could hit theaters was October.
Gilbert suggested a Christmas release, specifically the week before Christmas, to capitalize on the entire holiday season.
In North America, the Christmas season is second only to the summer blockbuster season in importance. The summer season in North America is somewhat akin to the Chinese New Year period in China, though it lasts longer. The Christmas season, by comparison, is similar to China's National Day holiday.
China's summer season has also seen its share of blockbuster films, but it doesn't carry the same weight as the New Year and National Day periods.
Of course, Gilbert wasn't involved in the Chinese film industry; his focus was solely on the North American summer market.
A popular saying in Hollywood goes, "Conquer the North American summer, and you've conquered the world."
This saying holds truth. Movies that dominate the North American summer market usually perform well in overseas markets, barring exceptional circumstances.
Gilbert asked Charles Roven, "By the way, has Warner and Touchstone Pictures finalized the release date for Speed 2?"
"Of course," Charles Roven replied confidently. "We have high expectations for the project and believe it will perform exceptionally well in the summer market. The film is set to hit North American theaters on June 6."
"June 6? Double six for good luck? Not necessarily."
"Well, let's look forward to the results," Gilbert said.
He had heard that the director for Speed 2 was a young filmmaker who had previously worked on a few independent films and had just entered the mainstream industry.
Though labeled "young," the director was five or six years older than Gilbert.
Perhaps the success of the original Speed was too tempting, as Warner and Touchstone jointly invested $120 million in the sequel.
Keanu Reeves reprised his role as the lead and was paid $20 million for it.
To be honest, Gilbert wasn't too optimistic about the film. He even refused to have his name credited as a producer.
But that was fine. If the movie bombed at the box office, it would only highlight Gilbert's own value, making collaborators appreciate him even more as a director.
After some thought, Gilbert made a decision. "If we're avoiding Jurassic Park 2, let's steer well clear. I suggest moving the release date to May 23."
Charles Roven immediately responded, "Got it. I'll coordinate with the marketing team."
With the release date set, all preparations revolved around it.
Though the new release date for Gilbert's The Sixth Sense hadn't been publicly announced, word quickly got out that it had been pushed to May 23 instead of the usual summer opening.
Steven Spielberg even called Gilbert directly. "Gilbert, what a shame! I was looking forward to a showdown with you this summer!"
Gilbert replied helplessly, "What can I do? The film's called Jurassic Park, after all. I'm terrified of dinosaurs; I have to stay as far away as possible."
"Hahaha!" Spielberg laughed before bringing up another topic. "I hear you're aiming for the Oscars? Be prepared—it's not easy."
"Just getting a nomination for Best Director would satisfy me. Our main goal is Best Picture," Gilbert responded.
Spielberg paused before replying, "That's the right focus. Saving Private Ryan has a theme the Academy loves. Winning Best Picture shouldn't be a problem. Don't worry—I'll speak on your behalf with the Jewish members of the Academy. I trust they'll make the right decision."
Gilbert didn't hold back his gratitude. "Thank you, Uncle Steven."
"You're welcome. After all, I'm your mentor."
"Alright then, thank you, teacher."
While their conversation revolved around the Oscars, the Golden Globes came first.
Speaking of the Golden Globes, one couldn't help but recall a certain scandal involving someone stealing a football's Golden Ball award...
But that Golden Ball and the Golden Globes were entirely different things—one belonged to the entertainment industry, while the other was in the realm of soccer.
Although there's often overlap between sports and entertainment, the two fields remain distinct.
Gilbert even considered buying a Major League Baseball or basketball team someday.
He imagined owning a basketball team and drafting a young prospect like LeBron James, only to have him ride the bench as a towel-waving rookie to ruin his career.
Then again, with LeBron's playing style, ruining him might prove difficult, as he wasn't particularly dependent on technique to begin with.
But those plans were for the future. For now, Gilbert needed to focus on awards and the summer season.
Beyond his own projects, Gilbert also kept an eye on the progress of Good Will Hunting, for which he served as producer.
Good Will Hunting wrapped production earlier than The Sixth Sense and had already entered post-production. It was set for an April 11 North American release, distributed by Touchstone Pictures—a deal Gilbert had negotiated with Robert Iger.
Produced entirely by Gilbert's Melon Studio, Touchstone took on the distribution based on Gilbert's reputation.
Due to concerns about rookie director Sofia Coppola, Robert Iger reminded Gilbert that Touchstone would only ensure it didn't lose money.
Gilbert assured him, "Don't worry; this film will exceed your expectations and be a success."
When Gilbert saw Sofia Coppola for the first time in months, he exclaimed, "Sofia, what happened to you?"
She looked exhausted, with visible eye bags that were on their way to becoming dark circles. She had even started using smoky eye makeup to cover them up.
Sofia sighed. "The pressure is immense. Knowing this film is my directorial debut and that failure would mean no second chance—it keeps me up at night."
Gilbert was silent for a moment before patting her on the shoulder. "Don't worry. I championed this project, and I chose you as the director. I believe in your abilities and that you won't let me down."
"Precisely because of that, the pressure is even greater," Sofia vented, finding a confidant in Gilbert. "I never realized the weight and responsibility of being a director until now. How do you cope with the stress?"
"Stress is normal. I've been where you are—lying awake at night, thinking about the investment and expectations riding on my shoulders," Gilbert replied.
"The key is how you manage it. Go fishing, take a vacation, go skiing, surfing, or even bungee jumping. It's all good."
Taking his advice, Sofia said, "Forget it. I'm going home to throw a party and invite a bunch of handsome men."
"Wow!" Gilbert exclaimed in surprise. "Going that big? Make sure to use protection, and remind them to get tested. Be cautious of HIV."
Sophia glared at him angrily. "Get lost! Do you think I'm that kind of woman? So reckless?"
She certainly wasn't. Despite Sophia's fondness for dating handsome men, she never attended wild parties like that.
Perhaps it was due to Gilbert's influence. After all, Gilbert himself avoided such parties.
Having learned all her directing styles and techniques from Gilbert, Sophia unconsciously began mirroring his lifestyle choices as well.
That said, she truly did have a soft spot for attractive men. Dating several of them simultaneously was something she occasionally indulged in.
Gilbert had even heard from Winona Ryder that Brad Pitt had cheated on Gwyneth Paltrow with Sophia during their relationship.
Of course, Pitt likely had ulterior motives. Being with Sophia might have been more about her influential father or Gilbert, the rising director, than genuine feelings.
Winona Ryder still kept in touch with Gilbert, but after that one night at the Oscars, their relationship hadn't become physical again.
She seemed to be spiraling further out of control. On several occasions, the media had caught her shoplifting, though her agent had managed to suppress the news.
But actions have consequences. Sooner or later, her behavior would be exposed.
It was baffling. A renowned actress stealing? While it might not completely ruin her career, it would certainly tarnish her image.
Gilbert had tried to intervene, but Winona, who had once played in a rock band with Johnny Depp, viewed rebellion and freedom as noble virtues.
Gilbert's repeated attempts to steer her straight only made her defensive and irritable.
After a few failed attempts, Gilbert decided to stop meddling.
Gwyneth Paltrow, after her breakup with Gilbert, dated a series of men, her latest being Brad Pitt.
Gwyneth, with her notoriously big mouth, often compared Gilbert to her current boyfriends.
At a party, she even blurted out, "Gilbert is bigger and lasts longer than Brad," embarrassing Pitt in front of everyone.
When Gilbert found out, he immediately called Steven Spielberg.
Spielberg gave Gwyneth a stern talking-to, which made her tone down her comments.
However, the news of Gilbert being "big and enduring" spread throughout Hollywood.
No wonder the women who had been involved with Gilbert couldn't forget about him. His father had been quite the legend in his day, but it seemed the son had surpassed him in certain aspects.
That said, compared to his father's chaotic personal life, Gilbert lived with more restraint.
For instance, Naomi Watts and Cameron Diaz, both established A-list actresses, were openly living with Gilbert.
Charlize Theron, Hollywood's new sweetheart, had also moved in with him.
In the eyes of many, this wasn't unusual.
They weren't married, so there were no legal obligations, nor were there moral judgments. Why would anyone care about their choices?
