October 14.
Peter Jackson was exactly the sort of man no one had in mind when they imagined a producer or a director, and now he had become someone who scarcely slept because of the work that consumed him day after day in a way that was anything but admirable. He would even forget to eat, to sleep, or to go to church if he had ever intended to attend at all. Such was the life of a man whose dream was materializing with precise clarity, with so many people under his command and a cast that resembled that of a television series: at least nine characters sharing forty to fifty minutes of screen time according to rough estimates, and fifty-nine secondary characters whose appearances ranged from thirty-nine minutes on screen to merely two minutes. Each of them, by excellence, was an actor in their own right, someone who belonged to the craft in their own way, and the story evoked so many characters that it created a clear and simple sense of scale.
Meanwhile, Weta Workshop, through the different shots, was building the landscapes—twenty-seven unique settings that ranged from technical structures such as vast castles, villains, orcs, fortresses, and dragons. They modeled everything one by one, a process that took six months, and they expected to continue editing for the next two years, refining every frame with meticulous detail. At the same time, following Billy's designs, they created replicas at scales of 1:100 and 1:50 to craft visual plans that would sculpt the shots with greater precision and clarity.
There was still time ahead, but the key was allowing the work to take the time it needed. It was almost irreverent, because the opportunity of complete creative freedom granted by Billy always went against conventional logic. Three hundred million dollars simply to carry out a project—without communication, without publicity—just the act of telling a story in the way one truly desired. It was an overwhelming undertaking, and perhaps an extraordinarily complete one.
—Yes, he will play Tom Bombadil, and I think it's best to use these people —commented Billy, simply guiding the work that seemed to grow stronger by the day.
He himself wanted to appear in the film and be part of The Lord of the Rings, but he knew his schedule could not bend for eight full months of continuous filming. That alone would make The Matrix look like a great film—but not a production odyssey—because this film would require at least five hundred people in the dubbing system alone. Perhaps even more, perhaps a thousand people. Some actors would be hired from Australia, and there would be at least that many individuals who could be brought in, gathered, and paid—young men between twenty and thirty who simply wanted to earn a salary. It was not extraordinary pay, but it was a respectable offer.
—Thank you for allowing me to come. —whispered Franz Walsh, Peter's partner.
She was almost the one who handled the financial side of the project together with Jim Gianopulos, and it was a strong arrangement that allowed them to estimate how everything might ultimately come together. It was unfortunate that some scenes had yet to find their own way of becoming part of the whole.
--Well, you were persistent. - commented Billy.
He was wearing an Ichabod costume, and the meeting took place at night. He was utterly exhausted; his head burned, especially the part of his forehead that struggled to process any more information.
--Yes, we have an established schedule. Filming will begin in November of 1998, and everything is ready. Almost with a minimal group; only three key characters are still missing, as they have refused to participate. We sent the notices according to your instructions. I'm afraid there is an issue that bothers us: Viggo Mortensen and Ian McKellen already have commitments for those dates, although I understand that you will speak with CAA. —replied Franz Walsh.
--You have been persistent. - Billy asked.
--Very much so, perhaps too much. I fear I have been so persistent that the doors may now be closed to me. —replied Franz.
--In fact, I will do everything I can. —answered Billy.
--But that's not all. With the new additions we would like to add the cost of a fourth film, though it would be more directed toward a series—one that explores Aragorn's reign. A series that could cost at least another fifty million to produce. We would use some of the existing characters, but we also want to hire additional staff for Digital Domain. —whispered Franz Walsh.
Billy hesitated. The project was becoming more ambitious each day than he had expected. It demanded a great deal, and he wanted everyone to share that same ambition. The Lord of the Rings itself was ambitious by nature. They had also been examining several books published after the trilogy; many of them contained stories worthy of being told. Tolkien himself had begun writing The New Shadow after finishing the trilogy, showing how a society could once again fall into corruption after the fall of evil, revealing how the flaws of mankind slowly return as a deeper problem.
What was the story about? The fragment centered on two characters, Borlas and Saelon, set in one of the cities near Minas Tirith, with a dark and somber tone. Peter wanted a miniseries that would focus on that narrative—a story of fifteen or perhaps sixteen episodes explaining what happened in Middle-earth after the war, gradually building the imagery that already existed. A shadow, a way of expanding Middle-earth for the future, while they prepared to eventually film The Hobbit as the next chapter, which was already being considered for around 2008 or 2009.
--I approve it. I will give you the money. But I want an additional fifteen percent in your visual effects company, and I want some control over its development. —replied Billy.
Both of them fell silent.
--In addition, I want us to have an exclusive relationship for three films unrelated to The Lord of the Rings. I see real talent here for large productions, and if we can do it, I will invest in the series as well. —commented Billy calmly.
When you give something, you must receive something in return. In the world of business that is always the rule: everything must be negotiated with a third solution in mind. Billy knew they would produce three different films, each one good in its own way, and he did not need further persuasion to take the risk.
--I will make it simple. We will create a series that truly matters. I don't want a series that is simply forgotten. We will hire two writers to refine and polish the script, together with Tolkien's own son, and then I will use that to my advantage—to bring in recognizable faces who will live and die within a single breath of the story. —replied Billy calmly.
It was well understood that the challenges ahead resembled an immaculate production in scale. Billy was counting his projects carefully: The Matrix would have new concepts, perhaps three or four films; Harry Potter would receive an original series along with at least four additional films and two more series.
And there was also the fact that Star Wars would expand even further, and Marvel would tell many other stories. X-Men, Avengers, and Spider-Man would each have their own universes and different films, along with other characters—enough to make room for supernatural heroes, the Illuminati, S.H.I.E.L.D., the Fantastic Four, the Inhumans.