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Chapter 94: The Squids
🕑 Added 2024-10-24 17:10:31 +0000 UTCWhen Gilbert gets a little provoked, he just has to retaliate, like a Husky with his unpredictable temperament, which gives countless competitors headaches.
No one can figure out where Gilbert's breaking point is. If they push him too far, and he goes for another television debate or something else, Gilbert doesn't mind, but everyone else is terrified.
In Hollywood, beyond the internal benefits, it's all about maintaining a glamorous public image! Directors can rely on their work to speak for them, but for actors, their public persona is crucial.
Pat had already warned the arrogant Tom Cruise not to cross paths with Gilbert. She also convinced Martin Bob to change the release date of Interview with the Vampire so it wouldn't clash with Gilbert's new film.
They were genuinely scared because Gilbert doesn't follow the usual rules. Such an unpredictable figure leaves everyone with little recourse. Normally, if someone like him started acting out, Hollywood studios and media would naturally band together to take them down.
But Gilbert was different. He was part of the squid community. The squids who control media conglomerates rarely attack their own. Plus, Gilbert was smart enough to align himself with the two industry giants, Warner and Disney. With their protection, he had nothing to fear.
As long as Gilbert remains valuable, these two giants will undoubtedly protect him fiercely. That's a given. In Hollywood, being bold and unpredictable isn't the problem—being bold without the talent is.
So, after enduring a public storm, Gilbert wasn't at all down on his luck like organizations such as the Animal Protection Agency and CAA. On the contrary, he was thriving.
Of course, Gilbert knew how to rein himself in. After stirring things up, he settled back down to quietly focus on his filming. Once the objective was achieved, it was time to lay low.
At Warner Studios, the debate storm had finally settled, and the Real Steel crew was hard at work. Jackie Chan only had a few minutes of screen time, and after completing his scenes, he had returned to Hong Kong to film Drunken Master II.
Meanwhile, Charlize Theron's scenes as the wealthy heiress were just beginning.
"Cut! Sally, your expression isn't right. You're not showing the arrogance on your face. You look more like a maid than a young heiress. I need you to show that haughty attitude," Gilbert shouted through the megaphone.
In the center of the set, Charlize Theron was visibly nervous after multiple takes. The whole crew was watching her, and the pressure made her performance worse, creating a vicious cycle.
Gilbert furrowed his brows but resisted the urge to lose his temper, knowing that yelling would only make Theron perform worse. He left the monitor and walked onto the set, patiently going over the script with her.
Looking at Gilbert crouched down, explaining the scene to her, Charlize felt a bit moved. Since arriving in Los Angeles, she had worked with other directors, but they either had ulterior motives or lacked patience, quickly lashing out when she didn't get it right.
But Gilbert was different—so gentle, so gentlemanly.
Bruce Willis, watching Gilbert's soft demeanor while talking Theron through the scene, complained to Dr. Dre beside him, "Oh! He wasn't that gentle with me when I messed up."
Dr. Dre, who had written a few songs for the film, including the main theme, laughed, "Bruce, that's because you're not a beautiful woman."
Sofia Coppola nodded in agreement. "True, our dear Gilbert has always been more patient with beautiful women. Not so much with the rest of us."
Sofia had felt this herself. When Gilbert worked with Naomi Watts or Charlize Theron, he was always tender and kind, but with her, not so much.
She had long wanted to punch Gilbert in the face, but unfortunately, she needed the job, so she couldn't dare.
Once Gilbert was satisfied that Theron understood the scene, they began filming again. With her nerves calmed, Charlize performed much better, nailing it in one take.
Though Charlize hadn't attended any professional acting schools, and her earlier stints at acting workshops hadn't helped much, she was slowly improving on the set of Real Steel.
After all, as a future Oscar winner, she clearly had the talent, as long as she worked hard enough. Her performance was starting to look quite promising.
That night, back at the hotel, Gilbert met with the department heads to plan the next day's shoot before returning to his room. But even then, he couldn't rest, as there was still work to be done.
With Warner and Disney both seeing potential in the film's merchandising, they had already started planning related products. There would be merchandise for the robots, like Atom, Zeus, and the Twin Cities warriors, all with distinctive designs.
With Star Wars raking in huge profits from merchandise and Disney's animated franchises proving to be cash cows, the studios weren't about to miss another chance to make money.
While Gilbert's Melon Studio held a one-eighth share of the film's investment, the merchandise market was a different story. It would be difficult for Melon Studio to break into that space. At most, they'd receive a small portion of short-term merchandising profits—quite generous, given Disney and Warner's usual practices.
The idea that the protagonist of some web novel could come in, wave a script around, and negotiate for full rights and a share of the merchandising profits was pure fantasy. In Hollywood, unless you were the head of a major media conglomerate or an emperor of the earth, no one was handing over those kinds of rights just because of your "talent."
Hollywood had birthed countless talented filmmakers, so if you played by the rules, you'd be embraced. But if you tried to break them, you'd be shut out, no matter how talented you were. No resources, no connections, no money—how could anyone like that expect to succeed?
The notion of starting a revolution right out of the gate was just a delusion. Gilbert believed that people who thought that way wouldn't last long in Hollywood. They'd be swallowed by the system before they could get anywhere.
Having worked in Hollywood for two or three years, Gilbert had finally found his footing. As long as his films continued to perform well and draw in huge box office returns, the studios would have no choice but to start offering better deals.
At this stage in his life, Gilbert had outgrown youthful impulsiveness. Following this steady path was far better than barging in, breaking rules, and stirring up trouble.
While planning tomorrow's schedule, Gilbert found his thoughts wandering. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Outside stood Charlize Theron.
"Director Gilbert, are you still awake?" she asked.
Gilbert opened the door. "Sally, why aren't you asleep yet?"
"I couldn't sleep. I thought maybe we could talk for a while," Charlize said.
"Come on in!" Gilbert invited her in. "Tea or coffee? Actually, never mind—those will just keep you awake. How about some whiskey?" he suggested, pulling out a bottle from the minibar. He poured two glasses, one for her and one for himself.
Gilbert's room was quite luxurious, with a bedroom, a living room, and a minibar stocked with drinks. The only people in the crew staying in rooms of this caliber were Gilbert and Bruce Willis.
The two producers didn't stay in hotels; they commuted to the set every day from home. They understood the importance of good rest for the director and lead actors to ensure peak performance during filming.
"Thanks," Charlize said as she took the glass and glanced around the room. Not seeing Naomi Watts, she asked, "Where's Naomi?"
"She's at a gathering tonight. Mel Gibson invited the Australian group for a get-together," Gilbert replied.
"Oh," Charlize nodded before asking curiously, "Do you guys in the Jewish community have gatherings like that?"
"Maybe," Gilbert said, feigning uncertainty. "But I've never been invited. They probably forgot."
In truth, Gilbert had received countless invitations to join Jewish elite gatherings, with offers of parties and events flooding in. After all, being a universally recognized genius director made Gilbert a coveted guest at such events.
However, his father had been burned by one such elite Jewish group, which indirectly led to his withdrawal from Hollywood. The old man intercepted most of the invitations, rejecting them on Gilbert's behalf.
But there were some invitations even his father couldn't turn down—like those from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Producers Guild, and the Directors Guild.
These were deeply entrenched Hollywood circles. If Gilbert wanted to make it in Hollywood, and especially if he wanted to achieve anything at the Oscars, he couldn't avoid them. And many members of these organizations were powerful squids.
Gilbert didn't necessarily want to get entangled with the squids, but in this town, some things were impossible to avoid.
The conversation with Charlize flowed smoothly. She shared stories of her life, from learning dance at six, becoming a model at fourteen, to the family tragedy that led her to Los Angeles with her mother. Eventually, with the encouragement of her agent Diana, she decided to pursue a career in Hollywood.
As the conversation became more familiar, Charlize's tone grew more casual. "Gilbert, what else do I need to do to establish myself in Hollywood?"
Gilbert looked her over before replying, "If you want to be the next Meryl Streep, you should start in the indie film scene."
In discussions among Hollywood's A-list actresses, names like Julia Roberts, Julianne Moore, Jodie Foster, and even Gwyneth Paltrow were mentioned, but never Meryl Streep.
For Charlize Theron, making a name in Hollywood meant not settling for being just a so-called talented actress. Who in Hollywood didn't want to rise to the very top?
So, she shook her head decisively and said, "I hope that when people look back on Hollywood history, my name will be placed alongside Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor."
Gilbert smiled and said, "To become a legendary actress like that, you'll have to put in a lot of effort."
Charlize Theron looked at Gilbert expectantly and asked, "Do you have any advice?"
"Hmm..." Gilbert thought for a moment before replying, "To become a star like that, both fame and awards are essential."
"Sally, you need to be the leading lady."
Everyone wanted to be the leading lady, but how many actresses in Hollywood could really achieve that?
Especially for the lead role in a major commercial production. Every time one opened up for audition, there was intense competition, sometimes leading to underhanded tactics and fierce rivalries.
In Hollywood, it wasn't unheard of for someone to lose their life over a role.
Without someone powerful backing her, Charlize Theron had no idea when her breakthrough would come.
She got this role because Cameron Diaz whispered some sweet nothings to Gilbert.
So why not take it a step further and become Gilbert's confidante herself? That way, she could influence him directly.
It must be said, at just eighteen years old, Charlize Theron already had some rather curious thoughts running through her head.
But in the end, she was still too inexperienced and wasn't ready to lower herself to that.
If it had been another actress who had been in Hollywood longer, they likely wouldn't have hesitated for even a second.
The two talked late into the night, and it was almost time to go to bed.
As Gilbert was seeing Charlize Theron out, he suddenly asked an out-of-the-blue question: "By the way, do you know about Kung Fu?"
"Kung Fu?" Charlize Theron shook her head and said, "I don't know much about it, but I've heard of it. I know Bruce Lee."
"Kung Fu is very interesting. I love watching many Kung Fu movies from Hong Kong," Gilbert said.
Charlize Theron was confused as to why Gilbert was telling her this.
But her curiosity was piqued, and she planned to check out a Kung Fu movie when she had some free time.
