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Chapter 67: "Speed" Premiere (Part 1)
🕑 Added 2024-09-24 18:40:17 +0000 UTCAn elder in the family is like a treasure.
Although the old man led an undisciplined life, when it came to the ways of Hollywood, he was far more adept than Gilbert.
He could gather all sorts of inside information.
You could say the old man lived a messy private life, even playing around at his age.
But most people in Hollywood are like that. You can't just cut ties with everyone, right?
If you judge by the moral standards on the other side of the Pacific, then ninety-nine percent of Hollywood stars, directors, and producers wouldn't be considered good people.
But again, making movies is both an art and a business.
Filmmaking is like doing business, and even if the person you're working with has a hundred and eight mistresses, as long as it doesn't affect your earnings, who cares if they're a good person?
Movies aren't about selecting moral exemplars. By the old standards, Gilbert should go be a missionary and cut himself off from worldly affairs.
Whether someone is good or bad is none of my business, and whether the West is chaotic has nothing to do with me either.
I only make movies, get famous, make money—that's all Gilbert cares about.
After chatting with the old man, Gilbert had a clearer path ahead.
Hollywood is a competitive place. It's impossible to expect everyone to like you.
Things were fine before, but as Gilbert penetrated deeper into Hollywood's core, the competition naturally intensified.
At this point, being a good or bad person doesn't matter—you need to be ruthless.
On April 28th, after the Super Bowl publicity and a series of scandals, "Speed" finally held its premiere in a theater in South Los Angeles.
To align with current political correctness, Disney and Warner jointly invited dozens of audience representatives from different ethnic groups, including African Americans, Asians, and Latinos, to attend the premiere.
In memory of the victims of the Los Angeles riots, the traditional red carpet was replaced with a black one, and everyone attending the premiere was dressed in black formal attire.
These were just superficial gestures to show a pretty face to the public.
The event could also be interpreted as a tribute to the late, talented actor River Phoenix.
Keanu Reeves was very moved when he heard about the premiere arrangements and thanked Gilbert repeatedly.
Today, Gilbert's father and his aunt's family would all attend the premiere.
This event was important for Gilbert, so of course, his whole family came to support him.
At the hotel before heading to the venue, the family gathered together, and Naomi Watts, one of the film's leading actors, was also Gilbert's date.
The old man looked at Naomi Watts and nodded approvingly, "Not bad..."
Aunt Meryl Streep asked, "Gilbert, is she your girlfriend?"
Seeing Naomi Watts' expectant look, Gilbert straightforwardly admitted, "Yes..."
After all, you can have many girlfriends, and saying something that makes Meryl and Naomi happy was no big deal.
Sure enough, Naomi's face showed clear delight.
And Meryl looked at Naomi like a mother-in-law assessing her daughter-in-law, subtly nodding as if satisfied.
Cousin Ellie, seeing how beautiful Naomi Watts was and knowing she was her cousin's girlfriend, softened her attitude toward Naomi, since Gilbert had always doted on her.
After changing into formal attire and fixing his hair, Gilbert asked his cousin Ellie, "Ellie, do you want to be a star?"
"Like Naomi?" Ellie asked.
"Yeah, act in movies, and you'll have countless fans who adore you," Gilbert replied with a smile.
If Ellie wanted to be a star, Gilbert would definitely help her. It would be quite satisfying to personally launch a star who hadn't existed in his previous life.
But Ellie directly refused: "I don't want to. I want to be a boss."
"Oh?" The old man laughed, "Looks like our little Ellie wants to start her own business."
"No matter what you want to do, as long as it's legitimate, your cousin will support you," Gilbert encouraged.
"Awesome, I knew you'd support me! Mom always says I'm being unrealistic," Ellie leaped into Gilbert's arms and kissed him on the cheek.
Aunt Meryl rolled her eyes and teased, "So I'm the bad guy now?"
Ellie stuck out her tongue playfully at her mother from behind Gilbert, looking mischievous and cute.
Before heading out, Naomi Watts helped Gilbert straighten his suit, which Ellie had wrinkled.
Compared to the younger Cameron Diaz, Naomi Watts, being a few years older, was better at taking care of people.
Outside the theater, thousands of fans had already gathered.
A light drizzle had started, fitting well with the overall atmosphere of the premiere.
The fans were either holding umbrellas or wearing raincoats, waiting on both sides of the black carpet.
Lewis, Sarati Merton, and about ten others had come. They had temporarily become Gilbert's fans, and hearing about the premiere, they rushed over to show support.
However, they hadn't managed to get tickets to the main event, so they had to wait outside the carpet for the creators to arrive.
"Lewis, I heard this movie is really good?" Sarati Merton asked.
Lewis nodded, "They held a media and critic screening before, and the reviews were pretty good."
"What a shame we can't see it right away. I really want to know what it's like," Sarati said regretfully.
"Don't worry, Sarati, it'll be in theaters the day after tomorrow," Lewis reassured her.
Then one of their companions shouted, "They're here! The creators are here."
The actors appeared one by one, starting with Dennis Hopper. On the carpet, he shared how exciting the film was and had some praise for Gilbert.
"All I can say is, Gilbert was born for the film industry. He brought many incredible shots and scenes. It's fantastic.
When everyone sees it in theaters, they'll know. I can guarantee the movie won't disappoint."
Next, Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock appeared, holding hands, showing a close relationship.
In fact, tabloids had been gossiping about the two, and it seemed their relationship was indeed not simple.
During interviews, Keanu Reeves said, "This film is amazing. There are many action scenes, and I did them all myself."
Sandra Bullock added, "When I knew I'd be working with director Gilbert and Keanu, I knew we'd create something incredible."
That's how things went on the red carpet: appearance, short interviews, praising the director and the actors.
Every question and answer drew enthusiastic cheers from the fans.
Those who came to the premiere were loyal fans, ensuring there would be no awkward silences.
Afterward, producers Charles Roven and Kane Wechsman were interviewed on the carpet. Charles Roven remarked, "I think Gilbert has revolutionized the action genre.
From now on, action films will be divided into 'Speed' and everything else."
That statement was a bit bold, and the fans grew even more curious about what this film that revolutionized action movies was like.
Finally, it was Gilbert's turn to make his entrance.
