Gilbert's personality, which makes him immediately bite back like a husky with even a slight provocation, also gave countless competitors headaches. No one could quite grasp where Gilbert's bottom line for "losing it" was. If they really angered him and he initiated another televised debate or something else, Gilbert wouldn't be scared, but everyone else would be terrified. After all, what is Hollywood about, besides the profits, if not the outward glamor?
He's a director, he speaks through his work, but those movie stars and actors can't; their public image is very important. Pat Kingsley has already warned the arrogant Tom Cruise not to conflict with Gilbert. Furthermore, she has convinced Martin Bob to change the release date of Interview with the Vampire so it wouldn't compete with Gilbert's new film. They were genuinely intimidated by Gilbert, fearing he wouldn't play by the usual rules. He was such an unpredictable character, and they had no counter-moves.
Normally, Hollywood companies and media outlets would naturally team up to deal with such an unruly character. But Gilbert was different. He was a "squid" (a term that seems to refer to a person of Jewish background, often associated with influence in media and finance), and these "squids" who controlled media groups rarely attacked their own. Moreover, Gilbert was smart to ally with Warner and Disney, two giants. With the protection of these two giants, he had nothing to fear. It was undoubtedly true that until Gilbert lost his value, the two giants would protect him meticulously. In Hollywood, they don't fear your arrogance or your erratic behavior; they fear you being arrogant without capability.
This meant that Gilbert, fresh from a public relations storm, was not as unlucky as the animal protection organization and CAA; instead, he was thriving. Of course, he also knew his limits. After that, he didn't jump out again but honestly focused on filming. Once his goal was achieved, it was time to be more low-key.
---
At the Warner Bros. studio, the debate incident eventually quieted down, and the Real Steel crew was diligently filming. Jackie Chan's scenes were very few, only a few minutes of footage. After finishing, he had already returned to Hong Kong to film Drunken Master II. Meanwhile, Charlize Theron's scenes, playing a rich second-generation character, were just about to begin.
"Cut! Charlize, your expression, there's no arrogance on your face. You look like a maid, not a young lady of means. Bring out that haughty attitude..." Gilbert shouted into the megaphone.
Charlize Theron, in the center of the set, was timid. This scene had been shot four or five times, and the entire crew was watching her, making her very nervous. The more nervous she became, the worse she performed, creating a vicious cycle. Gilbert frowned, holding back from yelling. Yelling now would only make Charlize Theron perform even worse. He left the monitor, walked onto the set, holding the script, and patiently explained the scene to Charlize Theron.
Charlize Theron felt a bit touched watching Gilbert squat down to explain the scene to her. She had come to Los Angeles and worked on other sets, but those directors either tried to hit on her or had no patience, immediately launching into a tirade if she didn't perform well. Nowhere was anyone like Gilbert, so gentle, so much of a gentleman...
Bruce Willis watched Gilbert gently explaining the scene and complained to Dr. Dre beside him: "Oh! I didn't see Gilbert so gentle when I wasn't performing well." Dr. Dre wrote several songs for the film, including the theme song. Considering the film needed a Black character, Gilbert, being efficient, simply cast Dr. Dre.
Dr. Dre's retort was spot-on: "Bruce, that's because you're not a beauty." Sofia Coppola even nodded in agreement: "Indeed, our Director Gilbert has always been very patient with beautiful women and has limited patience with non-beautiful women." Her own experience was quite clear: Gilbert was very gentle with Naomi Watts and Charlize Theron but quite blunt with her. Sofia Coppola had long wanted to punch Gilbert's obnoxious head, but unfortunately, she still needed this job, so she dared not.
After explaining the scene and ensuring Charlize Theron understood, Gilbert announced they would start filming again. This time, after relieving the psychological pressure, Charlize Theron's performance was much better, and they got it in one take. Charlize Theron hadn't attended a professional acting school, and her previous acting workshops hadn't been very effective; she had only been improving little by little during the filming of Real Steel. After all, she was a future Oscar winner. As long as she put in the effort, she had the talent, and her performance was quite good.
---
Back at the hotel that evening, Gilbert held a meeting with the heads of the crew to discuss the next day's shooting schedule, then returned to his room. However, he couldn't rest there; he continued to work. Because of the film's potential for merchandise, Disney and Warner had already planned to produce related products. Characteristic robots like Atom, Zeus, and Twin Cities Fighter would all be turned into merchandise.
The merchandise for Star Wars sold incredibly well, and Disney's animated merchandise was also highly profitable, so movie companies certainly wouldn't miss any opportunity to earn dollars. Although Gilbert's Melon Studio was an investor in the film, holding an eighth of the investment share, it was difficult for Melon Studio to break into the merchandise market. At most, they would get short-term merchandise revenue, and that was already considered Disney and Warner being "conscientious." The plotlines in online novels where protagonists suddenly appear, gain leverage with a script out of thin air, then hold copyrights, interfere in merchandise revenue sharing, and earn maximum profits, simply couldn't happen in Hollywood. Unless the protagonist had an illustrious background, was the owner of a large media group with their own channels and resources, or was the "Emperor of Earth." Otherwise, in an area where even Wall Street vampires couldn't penetrate, why would a director's studio think that a film company would open up copyright and merchandise markets to them? Just because of their "talent"?
Hollywood has produced countless talented filmmakers. Therefore, talented people who play by the rules are lauded. Once they break the rules, they will be boycotted. Even if you are extremely talented, without resources, channels, or money, you simply won't get opportunities. Gilbert believed that people who try to fly before they've even found their footing couldn't succeed in Hollywood, even if they were reincarnated. Because they would be "shot down on the beach" before their so-called opportune moment arrived.
After two or three years of hard work since his "reincarnation," Gilbert had managed to establish himself in Hollywood. As long as his films were good and box office hits, he believed that film companies would soon have to make greater concessions. Gilbert was past the impulsive age; taking this route was much more stable than immediately breaking rules and being aggressive.
Gilbert was planning the next day's work content while pondering these thoughts. Just then, a knock sounded at the door. It was Charlize Theron: "Director Gilbert, are you asleep?"
Gilbert opened the door and asked, "Charlize, why aren't you asleep so late?"
Charlize Theron said, "I can't sleep. I was thinking of coming to chat with you."
"Come in!" Gilbert invited Charlize Theron to sit inside.
"Tea or coffee? No, that'll make you sleep even less. How about some alcohol!" Gilbert said, opening a bottle of whiskey from the bar, adding ice, and pouring a glass for Charlize Theron and himself. Gilbert's room was quite luxurious, with a bedroom, a living room, and a bar in the living room stocked with alcohol. In the crew, only Gilbert and the lead actor Bruce Willis were qualified to stay in a room of this caliber. The two producers usually didn't stay at the hotel; they drove to the set in the mornings and drove home in the evenings. Clearly, the producers understood that good rest would allow the director and lead actor to maintain abundant energy and dedicate themselves to filming. It was precisely because the roles of directors and actors in a film were becoming increasingly important that their compensation kept rising.
"Thank you," Charlize Theron took the glass, her gaze sweeping around the room. Not seeing Naomi Watts, she asked Gilbert, "Where's Naomi?"
"Oh, her," Gilbert clinked glasses with Charlize Theron, "The Australian contingent had a party tonight, hosted by Mel Gibson. She went to socialize."
"Oh," Charlize Theron knew Gilbert was a "squid," and curiously asked, "Do you Jewish people also have similar gatherings?"
"I suppose so," Gilbert said, indicating he wasn't entirely sure. "But I've never received an invitation; I guess they forgot." In reality, Gilbert had received many invitations from Jewish elite groups—countless invitations to galas and parties. A nationally recognized genius director joining a certain group was an opportunity for that group to gain exposure.
However, Gilbert's father had been severely wronged by a certain Jewish elite group, which was one of the indirect reasons for his withdrawal from Hollywood. So his father had taken all those invitations and then helped Gilbert decline most of them. But there were some invitations his father couldn't refuse. One was an invitation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hosts the Oscars, and then invitations from the Producers Guild and the Directors Guild. These were deeply entrenched Hollywood circles. If Gilbert wanted to make a living in Hollywood, or even make a mark at the Oscars, he had to engage with these circles. And many people in these circles were powerful "squids." Sometimes Gilbert didn't want to get too deeply involved with the "squids," but he couldn't help it. When you're making a living in this land, some things you can't just avoid.
The conversation with Charlize Theron was enjoyable. Charlize Theron shared her life experiences with Gilbert. She started learning dance at six and became a fashion model at fourteen. Later, due to family changes, she and her mother came to Los Angeles, and finally, encouraged by her agent Diana, she decided to try her luck in Hollywood. After getting more comfortable, Charlize Theron's address became a bit more casual: "Gilbert, if I want to establish myself in Hollywood, what else do you think I need to do?"
Gilbert looked Charlize Theron up and down, then said, "If you want to be like Meryl Streep, you should strive in the independent film scene." At this time, Meryl Streep had already won an Oscar and many other acting awards, practically accumulating awards effortlessly. However, in discussions of Hollywood's top actresses, people mentioned Julia Roberts, Julianne Moore, Jodie Foster, and even Gwyneth Paltrow, but never Meryl Streep.
Having come to Hollywood, Charlize Theron was naturally unwilling to be just a so-called "实力演技派" (talented acting powerhouse) – who in Hollywood doesn't want to reach the top? So, she decisively shook her head: "I hope that when people look back at Hollywood history in the future, they will put my name alongside Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor."
Gilbert smiled: "To become a legendary actress like that, you really have to put in a lot of hard work."
"Do you have any suggestions?" Charlize Theron stared intently at Gilbert, her eyes full of anticipation.
"Hmm..." Gilbert pondered for a moment before saying, "To become such an actress, fame and awards are both indispensable. Charlize, you need to be a lead."
Everyone wants to be a lead, but how many actresses in Hollywood actually become leads? Especially the leads in big commercial productions—every time there's an audition, it's a fierce competition. It causes a storm. Even deaths over a role have happened in Hollywood. Without a powerful figure watching over her, Charlize Theron didn't know when she'd get her big break. She got this role because Cameron Diaz whispered in Gilbert's ear. So why not take it a step further and become Gilbert's bedmate herself, and do the "whispering"? It must be said that Charlize Theron, at just eighteen, had many strange and unusual thoughts in her head. But ultimately, she was still too young and couldn't bring herself to be so forward. If it were other struggling actresses who had been in Hollywood for a long time, they wouldn't hesitate for a second.
The two chatted late, until it was almost time to sleep. As he saw Charlize Theron out the door, Gilbert suddenly asked out of the blue, "By the way, do you know about kung fu?"
"Kung fu?" Charlize Theron shook her head. "I don't know much about it, but I've heard of it, and I know Bruce Lee."
"Kung fu is very interesting. I love watching many kung fu movies from Hong Kong," Gilbert said.