The show Walking with Millionaires welcomed the hottest filmmakers in North America today—the team behind The Lord of the Rings.
As the show's host, Donald had excellent speaking skills and remarkable hosting abilities.
During the show, he said to Gilbert, "You know, every Donald Tower across America is displaying posters for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. I'm a die-hard fan of this movie."
"I know, Donald. You once spent three million dollars to buy the Evenstar nightgown and then gifted it to Britney," Gilbert teased.
Spending three million on a nightgown and giving it away might make Donald seem extravagant, but in reality, it was a shrewd move. What he gained far exceeded that amount.
Donald continued, "I told my friends before, if there was anyone in the world who could adapt The Lord of the Rings, it had to be you. And now, I've been proven right."
He thought Gilbert would, like him, take all the credit for himself, but Gilbert didn't do that.
Shaking his head, Gilbert said, "That's not true, Donald. The success of this film is not just my achievement. The entire team put in a tremendous amount of effort."
Seeing Donald's surprised expression, Gilbert continued, "Let me give you some numbers. The script adaptation alone required a huge effort. The writers produced a total of two million words for the script and background expansion—twice the length of the original book.
"Additionally, during filming, we used 2.4 million feet of film, trained nearly 5,000 horses, and made 2,000 pairs of Hobbit feet.
"We crafted more than 3,000 hand-made suits of armor, over 40,000 daily life props, and 5,800 swords, axes, and shields."
The audience gasped, and Donald was just as astonished. "Oh my God, I never imagined that making a movie could be this complex."
"And that's not all. We also prepared 16,000 costumes and had as many as 30,000 extras in total."
The 30,000 extras were a cumulative number, not all present on set at the same time.
Gilbert continued, "There were over 5,000 crew members, and a 400-person VFX team created a record-breaking 1,525 visual effects shots.
"More than a hundred artisans and blacksmiths crafted the armor, weapons, and costumes. There were also 125 speaking roles and over 400 real-world filming locations in China."
These figures had already been revealed by the media, but hearing them from Gilbert still amazed the audience.
Donald was equally impressed. "This is truly a remarkable masterpiece. But let's be honest—there are very few people in Hollywood who could pull off such a complex project.
"If it weren't for you, I don't know how long it would have taken to see a Lord of the Rings movie. You absolutely deserve the credit."
This time, Gilbert didn't downplay his contribution. Managing such an enormous workload and keeping the production on track was already an achievement worthy of a top Hollywood director.
Successfully completing a project of this scale put a director in the ranks of Hollywood's elite. And making it a massive success? That was something only the absolute top-tier directors—those who could be counted on one hand—could achieve.
Afterward, Donald interacted with the other cast members, asking them questions, and then the team engaged with fans, signing autographs and taking photos. With that, the episode ended.
Once filming wrapped up, the production team split into groups to begin their overseas promotional tour.
In the new week, while The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring continued to decline at the North American box office and new films were being released to compete with it, the movie was still dominating overseas markets.
An additional dozen countries began screenings, and with the markets already showing the film, the international box office reached $225 million.
In its fourth week in North America, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring grossed another $31.5 million, securing its fourth consecutive weekend at the top of the box office.
Combined with its international earnings, the film's global box office reached $679 million.
However, its reign at the North American box office was about to end. In fact, new films had been released since its third week, but none posed a serious threat.
That changed in its fifth week when Cast Away, directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks, entered the North American market at the tail end of the summer season.
The timing of Cast Away's release was due to conflicting priorities within 20th Century Fox.
Director Robert Zemeckis wanted a December release to position the film as an Oscar contender, but the studio preferred a commercially viable release window. However, the earlier slots were too crowded, and then there was The Lord of the Rings—a massive juggernaut.
After multiple schedule changes, Cast Away finally premiered on August 11, during The Lord of the Rings' fifth week.
To Fox's surprise, Cast Away performed well, grossing $32.2 million in its opening weekend, surpassing The Lord of the Rings' $24.9 million and ending its streak at the top of the box office.
The media rejoiced, celebrating the "downfall" of The Lord of the Rings as if it were a villain that had finally been defeated.
However, when reporters asked Robert Zemeckis about this so-called victory, he shook his head. "No, this isn't a win over The Lord of the Rings.
"Our movie is in its first week, while The Lord of the Rings is in its fifth. There's nothing to be proud of here."
Despite his words, the media hyped up the narrative, portraying Zemeckis as a hero who had finally "defeated the evil overlord" Gilbert.
This only fueled The Lord of the Rings fandom's dissatisfaction.
As a result, in its sixth week, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring saw a box office rebound, surpassing Cast Away and reclaiming the top spot for its fifth box office crown.
That same week, its North American box office hit $351 million, securing the #1 spot on the domestic annual box office rankings.
Currently, Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, was in second place with a total of $183 million in North America. Although still playing in a few hundred theaters, it hadn't faced competition from The Lord of the Rings due to its earlier release.
Warner Bros.' The Perfect Storm ranked third with $176 million—a solid performance.
In fourth place was The Fast and the Furious, produced by Melon Studios. With a modest $38 million budget, the high-speed crime thriller had earned $152 million domestically.
Melon Studios made a fortune, and it looked like they had a new franchise on their hands.
X-Men held the fifth spot with $134 million. 20th Century Fox was pleased, especially since its international box office was strong, bringing its global total to $433 million.
Unfortunately, X-Men had tried to avoid The Lord of the Rings by releasing a week earlier, only to be crushed by its summer-long dominance.
Although The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring seemed secure in its #1 position, several strong contenders were still waiting.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, How the Grinch Stole Christmas starring Jim Carrey, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon directed by Ang Lee were all yet to be released.
The final rankings would only be clear next year.
More surprising than the box office, however, was The Lord of the Rings' merchandise sales.
In North America alone, the film had generated $80 million in merchandise revenue.
With international sales climbing alongside the film's overseas box office, another $40 million had been made from merchandise worldwide.
The commercial profits generated by just the first film were enough to satisfy both Disney and Warner Bros.
Disney was even planning to build a Lord of the Rings theme park in Disneyland.
Warner Bros. was not to be outdone. While Warner Bros. World was not as famous as Disneyland, adding a Lord of the Rings theme park was certainly feasible.
Moreover, Disney and Warner Bros. were considering a collaboration on a project currently under discussion in Shanghai—a Disney-Warner theme park. The two companies planned to integrate their respective theme parks into one, creating a dreamlike world.
The specific details of the collaboration would be left to the professionals on both sides to negotiate.
By the time The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring surpassed $800 million globally, Gilbert was leading Anne Hathaway on the final leg of their worldwide promotional tour.
After promoting the film in Tokyo, Gilbert rewarded Noriko Sakai and two other women, buying each of them an apartment in Tokyo along with a car, luxury goods, and other gifts.
However, according to Shizuka Kudo, the best reward would actually be leaving behind a child.
As a result, the three women relentlessly clung to Gilbert, much to the frustration of Anne Hathaway, who rolled her eyes in exasperation.
The final stop of the promotional tour was in Shanghai, China. Compared to Beijing, Shanghai had a stronger moviegoing atmosphere and was also the largest contributor to The Lord of the Rings' box office in China.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring had already grossed 1.89 billion RMB in China, and daily earnings were still significant, making it highly likely to surpass 2 billion RMB.
Such an outstanding box office performance naturally shocked Chinese filmmakers.
It wasn't that The Lord of the Rings' success was unexpected, but rather that the performance of the Chinese mainland market itself was surprising.
This proved one thing: the Chinese film market was steadily expanding, and the share of commercial films would continue to rise. The era where art films and award-focused movies dominated would no longer be the mainstream.
Gilbert's visit to China was not just for promotional purposes but also for factory project assessments.
"I've discussed this with Disney and Warner Bros.," Gilbert told Tian Congming about the matter. "Their executives all believe that outsourcing merchandise production to China would be the best choice."
Tian Congming was delighted and responded, "I've already contacted the relevant departments. We've internally conducted an assessment, and both the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta regions would be ideal locations for setting up factories.
If you choose to establish a factory here, we will offer the greatest possible incentives in terms of land and taxes."
Upon hearing about this opportunity, local officials were actively working on it. A merchandise factory project would be a major achievement for any region and would contribute significantly to GDP growth.
Gilbert, however, reminded him, "I can push for this, but whether it actually materializes will depend on your own preparations."
"I understand," Tian Congming said gratefully. "Thank you for your help. We will never forget it."
After wrapping up the promotional tour, Gilbert didn't rush back to North America. Instead, he and Anne Hathaway took the opportunity to travel around China.
When they had first arrived, their schedules had been packed with work, leaving little time to appreciate the scenery. The workload had been immense, and time had been extremely tight.
But now, things were different. Although The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was still in theaters, Gilbert's responsibilities had come to an end, allowing him to enjoy a well-deserved vacation.
Thinking back, he realized he hadn't had a proper break since the year before last. He had been constantly occupied with various projects, and the mental and physical pressure had reached its limit.
Now, he could finally put down his burdens and enjoy a leisurely tour.
Gilbert and Anne Hathaway visited Mount Tai, climbed the Five Great Mountains, marveled at the ethereal beauty of Zhangjiajie, and then relaxed on the sunny beaches of Sanya.
Incidentally, since it was now September, Beijing Film Academy had started its new academic year. As an honorary alumnus, Gilbert had also been made an honorary principal and gave a few lectures to the students.
During one of the lectures, an incoming student from the directing department asked, "Director Gilbert, it was after watching your film Real Steel that I was inspired to apply to the directing program.
I've always dreamed of making our own sci-fi movies. What advice do you have on this?"
Hearing the youthful, enthusiastic voice and looking at the student's still somewhat naïve expression, Gilbert found him familiar and asked for his name.
"What's your name?"
The student answered, "My name is Guo Fan. I just got accepted into the directing program at Beijing Film Academy this year."
Guo Fan? Wasn't he supposed to have studied law at university? Gilbert was surprised.
In the previous timeline, Guo Fan was somewhat of a legend in the film industry, and his story was well-known within the circle. When he first set out to make The Wandering Earth, everyone treated him like a fool.
No Chinese director had ever tackled this genre before. Was he even capable of making a good sci-fi movie?
When The Wandering Earth became a success, many in the industry were jealous, dismissing it as sheer luck, as if Guo Fan had stumbled upon an undeserved victory.
But when The Wandering Earth 2 also succeeded—despite facing some obstacles—some people finally acknowledged his talent.
Guo Fan's success wasn't just luck; it stemmed from his thorough preparation and relentless effort. He not only made a name for himself but also propelled Chinese sci-fi films forward.
Many directors in the industry had mixed feelings about him—envy, resentment, but ultimately, respect. After all, he had truly achieved success.
However, in this timeline, Guo Fan's trajectory seemed to have changed. He had enrolled in Beijing Film Academy…
Considering the question, Gilbert thought for a moment before answering, "Sci-fi movies can't be saved by just one or two directors. It's a matter of industry infrastructure.
Given the current level of Chinese filmmaking, it's very difficult to produce a film on the scale of The Matrix."
After class, Gilbert deliberately sought out Guo Fan, handed him a business card, and said, "I see great potential in you. After you graduate, you're welcome to come to Hollywood and work under me as an assistant director."
Guo Fan was both surprised and flattered. He couldn't understand why Gilbert would take an interest in him.
Seeing the envious looks from his classmates, Guo Fan carefully put away the business card and earnestly promised, "Thank you. I will study hard."
Gilbert didn't say much more. He simply took a photo with Guo Fan and left.
Guo Fan, of course, became the center of attention among his peers…
On the way back, Anne Hathaway asked Gilbert, "Boss, you seem to think highly of that Chinese kid?"
Looking out at the increasingly modernized streets of Beijing, Gilbert replied, "Chinese cinema won't have a future if it relies on Zhang Yimou or Chen Kaige.
I have faith in that kid. I think he has great potential—immense potential, actually."
Without having studied law, Guo Fan's path would undoubtedly be different. But Gilbert believed that training under his guidance would allow Guo Fan to develop even faster.
This was one of the few ways Gilbert could contribute to talent cultivation.
....
Hi For access to additional chapters of
Director in Hollywood (20 chpaters)
MV Director (30 chapters)....
Douluo Dalu:Breaking Clan(30 chapters)
Made In Hollywood (50 Chapters)
Pokemon:Bounty Hunter(30 Chapters)
Douluo Dalu: Reincarnated as Yan(30 Chapters)
Join pateron.com/Translaterappu