In North America, in Hollywood, what happens if a film you direct grosses over 100 million at the box office?
The answer is, you'll become famous, and I mean super famous.
Gilbert was already famous, but now he was even more so. Although directors in this era tend to stay behind the scenes rather than being front and center, Gilbert was exceptionally special. He was young, and his looks were no less striking than those of Hollywood's handsome stars. It was truly astonishing that someone who could make a living on his good looks insisted on relying on his cinematic talent and achieved such great success.
However, despite the high public discussion surrounding him, Gilbert's actual popularity hadn't risen as much as that of Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. During the film's release, the two were hyped as Hollywood's new golden couple, almost as if they were falling in love and getting married. But the relationship between Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock was more like that of temporary partners, working together for the film's promotion and hype.
To celebrate the film crossing the $100 million mark at the North American box office, Disney and Warner Bros. Pictures held a grand celebration party. This was, in fact, Gilbert's third celebration party for a film.
In late May in Los Angeles, the weather was already starting to get hot. The dry, low-rain conditions always made people feel particularly irritable. Thankfully, a hint of evening breeze brought some relief from the heat, easing the restless mood a little. But in Michael Eisner's mansion, this unpleasant irritability vanished completely.
"Cheers..."
Michael Eisner raised his glass, offering a toast: "Let's thank the Speed crew for their excellent work over the past half year. Especially Gilbert, you are a truly outstanding film director, our most valuable talent at Disney."
Jeff Robinov, CEO of Warner Bros. Pictures, standing nearby, felt a slight dissatisfaction. What did he mean "Disney's"? Clearly, he was Warner's... Of course, he couldn't say that out loud.
Everyone raised their glasses again for Gilbert and the Speed crew, and then the party officially began. Outside, Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, as the lead actors, were the focus of media attention. But in the eyes of these film studio executives and producers, Gilbert was the one most worth paying attention to.
This kind of occasion was bound to attract uninvited film company executives. Universal Pictures, especially, which had missed out on Gilbert, had its president, Akio Taniguchi, once again sincerely invite Gilbert to return to Universal Pictures.
"Gilbert, at your age, no one has achieved what you have," Akio Taniguchi began with flattery, then changed his tone: "You started at Universal Pictures, why not return to where your dreams began?"
Akio Taniguchi hadn't finished speaking when Michael Eisner's voice rang out from behind: "A genius like Gilbert will eventually succeed no matter where he is. Universal is not his stage; Disney is."
Poaching a director in front of the studio they're working with, while normal, still made Akio Taniguchi feel a bit awkward. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Akio Taniguchi excused himself. As he left, he even heard Michael Eisner telling Gilbert, "In the future, have less dealings with these islanders..." It seemed Michael Eisner didn't like people from Japan.
After walking away, Akio Taniguchi suddenly realized. "Wait a minute, wasn't it Disney who poached Gilbert from Universal Pictures? Why do I feel like the thief?" But with Michael Eisner present, poaching Gilbert was clearly not feasible.
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After Akio Taniguchi left, Michael Eisner spoke to Gilbert: "Young man, I must say you've created a miracle."
"Thank you for your praise, Mr. Eisner..." Gilbert responded with neither humility nor arrogance. Although he was facing one of Hollywood's most powerful figures, Gilbert now had the capital to speak with him as an equal.
In Hollywood of previous eras, film companies held absolute dominance, controlling directors, and A-list actors. But with the advent of Hollywood film globalization, the status of directors and star actors skyrocketed. The most significant change was that, previously, directors and stars only received basic salaries, but now, top-tier directors and stars generally participated in box office revenue sharing. The most elite directors, like George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, could even participate in merchandise revenue.
The Star Wars franchise merchandise has always been a major source of profit. George Lucas only had the Star Wars franchise in his lifetime, but it was enough to make him one of the wealthiest directors in Hollywood. This would have been impossible before.
After Michael Eisner, Jeff Robinov also came over to speak with Gilbert. Compared to the assertive Michael Eisner, Jeff Robinov's attitude was undoubtedly much friendlier. The great success of Speed solidified Warner Bros.' commitment to collaborating with Gilbert.
Jeff Robinov came to ask Gilbert about new projects: "Gilbert, are you interested in directing a Batman movie?" If Gilbert directed a Batman movie, Disney would have no reason to be involved, as Batman films were entirely Warner's projects.
Gilbert was indeed interested in directing a Batman movie, but not the current iteration of Batman films, so he politely declined.
"Thank you, Mr. Robinov..."
"Just call me Jeff..."
"Alright, Jeff, thank you for the invitation, but I already have ideas for a new project, so..."
Gilbert didn't finish his sentence, but Jeff Robinov understood: "No problem, Gilbert, if you ever want to direct a Batman movie, that project will always be reserved for you. Regarding your new project..."
"Don't worry, when I get back from my vacation, my agent will talk to Warner and Touchstone Pictures."
Getting Gilbert's commitment not to exit the partnership, Jeff Robinov was relieved. Some people wanted to get on board, some didn't want to get off, so Gilbert's attitude was especially important.
After Gilbert finished his conversation with Jeff Robinov, Sheena Boone approached, linked her arm with his, acting as his companion, and introduced him to some acquaintances.
"This is Claude Gidi, a renowned screenwriter. He's recently collaborated with James Cameron on a project," Sheena Boone introduced.
A middle-aged man around forty years old amicably shook Gilbert's hand: "Hello, Director Gilbert..."
"Hello..."
After a brief greeting, Gilbert asked, "The project you're working on with Director Cameron, is it True Lies?"
There was no need to hide it, and Claude Gidi readily admitted. True Lies was James Cameron's latest work, an action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis.
In truth, Gilbert was more interested in James Cameron's Titanic. He had considered making that film once. But that movie wasn't just about a moving story; it was also a crystallization of Hollywood's industrialization achievements, a super blockbuster within the Hollywood system. Its $200 million investment, although it reached that figure through later additions, definitely placed it among the highest-budget films in history.
Such a massive project, with its complex management, would entail unimaginable pressure. Even with his foresight from his previous life, knowing what the film would eventually look like, Gilbert still wasn't confident he could complete its production. His capabilities weren't sufficient; he needed to hone them through a series of film projects.
Replacing James Cameron with Spielberg might not be a big problem, but replacing him with Gilbert himself was absolutely out of the question. Making Titanic now would definitely lead to failure; the chances of success were very slim.
But it didn't matter. Anyway, given James Cameron's personality, 20th Century Fox and Paramount, who invested in the film, would be driven crazy. He could then seize the opportunity to step in and become one of the film's investors. This was a long-term meal ticket, set to hold the top spot in global box office history for a long time; he couldn't miss it.
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