Made In Hollywood

Oga Shinobu looked at Michael Ovitz with a somewhat cold gaze. "Don't you know why, Michael?"

Gone was the welcoming smile he used to show when facing Ovitz; instead, his face was tightly drawn.

"Yes, I know. Godzilla's box office performance wasn't as good as expected."

Michael Ovitz had faced this kind of gaze countless times. His thick skin was immune. "But I'd like to remind you, Godzilla's North American box office is nearing $100 million, and it's about to surpass it in the next few days. We still have international box office earnings and merchandise sales. Within a year or two, recouping costs and even making a profit is entirely possible."

As he spoke, Oga Shinobu's gaze turned from indifferent to mocking.

Michael Ovitz pretended not to notice and continued, "Now that the first Godzilla has gained a certain level of recognition in North America, the chances of success for a sequel have significantly increased. This is not the time to terminate..."

Everyone in Hollywood knew Sony Entertainment was ambitious about turning Godzilla into a series like Jurassic Park, handing the project to Michael Ovitz for packaging. If the sequel was halted, it would send a clear signal to the industry that Ovitz's attempt at packaging this project had failed completely, a result he couldn't accept.

After listening to Michael Ovitz's persuasive and compelling arguments, Oga Shinobu remained unmoved. He simply asked indifferently, "Michael, just state your purpose directly."

"To continue the Godzilla series." Michael Ovitz declared firmly. "To have it entrusted to me for further packaging and management!"

Oga Shinobu suddenly laughed. Tapping lightly on the desk, he said, "Actually, in Sony Entertainment's high-level meetings, the project wasn't entirely rejected. The chairman's opinion is quite clear."

"What opinion?" Michael Ovitz asked eagerly.

"Michael."

Oga Shinobu stared at him intently, his tone unusually serious. "As long as you can get Duke Rosenberg to direct the sequel, Sony Entertainment will not only continue with the Godzilla sequel but will also entrust this project to you for packaging!"

Get Duke Rosenberg? Michael Ovitz frowned.

Thick-skinned as agents are, begging Duke Rosenberg was no issue for him. But who in Hollywood didn't know that Rosenberg was currently preparing The Lord of the Rings trilogy? A colossal project of such scope, perfectly aligned with his style, would undoubtedly demand vast amounts of time and energy. How could he possibly take on Godzilla, especially a sequel?

After all the back-and-forth, the issue circled back to square one. The answer Ovitz ultimately got was to find the man who had caused his failure to solve the problem.

Would he really have to go to New Zealand?

Leaving Sony Columbia Pictures, Michael Ovitz thought to himself.

Regardless of whether Michael Ovitz would travel to New Zealand, Duke's busy schedule there remained unchanged. After returning from North America, the first thing he did was visit a villa recommended by a real estate agent. Shortly afterward, he bought it. For the next few years, he'd be residing in New Zealand, and living in hotels daily would drive anyone insane.

With his residence sorted, Duke returned to the Wellington outskirts studio. This modest studio had been entirely taken over by The Lord of the Rings team and Weta Workshop. Various preparations were progressing methodically. Duke, who frequently commuted between locations, was involved in every stage and made adjustments as needed.

For instance, instead of using Queenstown as the filming base, the team decided on Wellington, prioritizing locations in its surrounding areas.

Over the past year, every preparatory detail for The Lord of the Rings trilogy eventually converged on Charles Roven and Tina Fey before Duke made the final decisions.

From the moment Duke approached Weta Workshop, more than a year of preparation had passed. Yet the enormous, intricate tasks were only halfway done.

Upon his return to Wellington, Duke focused on casting key roles, especially members of the Fellowship of the Ring. Jimmy Carter had already brought in a Scottish swordsmanship expert and an archery coach. Over the next several months, they'd train Aragorn, Legolas, and others.

Casting for The Lord of the Rings wasn't particularly challenging. The production wouldn't feature any A-list stars. Its ensemble format didn't require major celebrities. Moreover, Tina Fey reported that every actor invited to audition had accepted without exception. They would begin arriving in New Zealand this week for auditions.

Strictly speaking, except for Orlando Bloom, the invited actors, including the young Elijah Wood, had relatively extensive acting experience. Their skills were undoubtedly above the average standard. As for Bloom, though his acting skills were unremarkable, his formal training as a professional ensured he wasn't entirely incompetent. Legolas needed to appear cool and stylish more than anything else.

If Tom Cruise popularized the concept of a male heartthrob, Orlando Bloom's portrayal of Legolas brought the appeal of a male heartthrob to its peak.

Following the release of the first film, Peter Jackson convened the crew for reshoots. Nearly half the scenes shot involved Legolas drawing his bow and firing arrows…

Within a week, Duke reviewed these actors' auditions and quickly finalized casting choices like Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, and Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins.

He then delegated further auditions to casting director John and assistant director Anna Prinz, letting them and the other two producers select smaller roles. Duke turned his attention to auditions for a new project.

The project, already named Critical Emergency, had a dual meaning: the urgent situation of a bank heist involving police and the tense relationships among the characters' families.

As Duke envisioned, it would be a film wrapped in the guise of a heist but focusing on the influence of familial dynamics.

"Don, if you were a police officer," Duke asked a Black actor named Don Cheadle in front of the audition camera, "what would you do when facing two heavily armed robbers?"

"Ensure my own safety," Don Cheadle answered without hesitation. "And call for backup."

Don Cheadle wasn't working with Duke for the first time. Years ago, he'd had a small role in Independence Day. Over the years, he had struggled in Hollywood. Unlike Will Smith and other comedic Black actors, Cheadle boasted considerable talent.

Duke nodded toward Tina Fey beside him. The female producer spoke immediately, "Mr. Cheadle, the audition is over. We'll notify your agent with the results soon."

After Don Cheadle left, Tina Fey leaned in. "Is it him?"

"Notify Dario to begin negotiations with his agent," Duke instructed. Dario, of course, referred to the production manager Warner Bros. assigned to this project.

Since the film was set up as a multi-narrative, ensemble drama, the Black police officer would be one of many central characters.

In most Hollywood mainstream productions, Black characters are indispensable and often play significant roles.

Careful observation reveals the formulaic nature of Hollywood's assembly line. For example, in major commercial productions, you'll often find an indestructible male protagonist, an attractive yet vapid female lead, a kid or two causing trouble, and a Black character who proves crucial at a critical moment but miraculously survives...

In short, unless aiming for a cult or alternative vibe, some formulaic elements are almost unavoidable.

Next, Duke met with Liam Neeson, discussing his role in detail. As the biggest name in the cast, Neeson's acting skills were beyond question. Willing to lower his salary for this project, he agreed to a reduced fee of $1.5 million.

Though still costly, Duke decided to cast him as the most prominent police officer in the story.

"The script will be in your hands soon," Duke assured Neeson at the studio while overseeing the construction of the U.S. Bank's Los Angeles branch set. "Your character is a single father dealing with family crises and an unruly teenage daughter."

"And my character is based on?" Neeson asked, aware of the infamous robbery.

"I'll provide the reference material along with the script." Duke clarified, "This is a film based on the North Hollywood bank robbery, so some discrepancies between characters and real events are inevitable. The material is just for inspiration."

Hollywood has produced countless biographical and event-based films. Yet, how many truly adhered to facts?

If a film manages to retain even 50% accuracy, it's considered remarkable.

In reality, many such productions merely borrow names or incidents and rewrite them according to Hollywood conventions.

"Oh, one more thing, Liam."

As Neeson prepared to leave, Duke reminded him, "Once your contract is finalized, I'd like you to return to Wellington for police training."

Despite the distance, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department showed great enthusiasm for the film. They provided professional firearms experts and trainers, aiming to influence the media, public, and state government to authorize semi-automatic or automatic weapons for regular officers.

While walking toward the production office, Duke suddenly remembered something. "Tina, contact Victoria's Secret management later. I want their Angels to make an appearance in this film."

...

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