With the new box office report released, Duke was the first to leave England, while David and Panny Kallis stayed behind for now, continuing to maintain the rumors with Manchester United. With the help of Warner's UK division, they planned to delay the negotiations as much as possible to attract more attention.
Duke wasn't very interested in Manchester United. If the club was really willing to sell for around £300 million, he wouldn't mind going ahead with the purchase. After all, the future of the Premier League would be the age of big money, and he could always sell it to the wealthy Arabs later, a guaranteed profit.
However, such a price might not be enough to persuade Manchester United's shareholders, and with the continuous news hype, the Glazer family from North America also entered the fray.
This would surely anger some loyal Manchester United fans in England, but Manchester United's fanbase in England was already small. Who outside England would care where the new owner came from?
Compared to the worldwide reactions the purchase could generate, the dissatisfaction from the diehard fans in England was negligible.
Meanwhile, with Pixar's big release Finding Nemo set for the upcoming weekend, even though the target audiences of the two films were vastly different, the Lord of the Rings studio still increased its promotional efforts in North America, hoping to push the film's box office to surpass $500 million.
The Return of the King again graced the cover of Premiere. With the trilogy nearing its end, the press focused entirely on nostalgia, hoping to inspire audiences to return to theaters.
"Do you remember the first time you saw The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring three years ago? Did you feel like you were immediately transported into a magical world? Did you feel as though you were on a long but thrilling adventure with the Fellowship of the Ring?"
"From the gentle and peaceful green fields of the Shire to Rivendell's graceful autumn leaves, to the ancient, pristine white walls of Minas Tirith, the beauty of The Lord of the Rings trilogy shines through. The themes of concern for the world, unwavering belief in light triumphing over evil, and the eternal devotion to love resonate deeply!"
"A film series lifted a masterpiece, created a fanbase, and left an indelible mark on the film industry. The filming of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, its intricate details, breathtaking scenes, and imagery, all invite film enthusiasts to revisit the films again and again, eagerly awaiting new content—three years later, it seems as though The Lord of the Rings series has never ended, as if the Fellowship, though broken, still marches forward, never disappearing from our lives!"
"The Lord of the Rings trilogy has given us more than just stunning technical achievements in visual and audio effects; it is something we should savor over and over again."
"Dreaming of Middle-earth, the legend lives on!"
Not only Premiere, but Time Magazine also featured Duke on its cover this week!
The cover shows a photo of Duke sitting at the bottom of the hill with a striking headline—Seven Years of Dreaming in Middle-earth!
"Duke Rosenberg shares with audiences his seven-year journey of creating Middle-earth!"
Sitting on the terrace of their villa facing the sea, Ivanka flipped through Time Magazine, looking at Duke with dissatisfaction. Duke quickly shifted his gaze from the ocean and flashed a bright smile at her. "Darling, continue, I'm listening."
All the praise in the magazine brought Ivanka joy, and her voice, though quiet, had a slight trace of pride.
"From the moment he began preparing the Lord of the Rings trilogy to the final chapter of The Return of the King, Duke Rosenberg and his team have traveled an incredible seven-year journey, bringing Tolkien's magnificent and enchanting Middle-earth to life on the big screen."
"Bringing beloved works and endless imagination to life on the screen has always been Duke Rosenberg's dream. However, the Middle-earth dream created over seven years also has its own share of struggles and hardships. It is hard to believe that every time Duke Rosenberg begins a new project, this top Hollywood director experiences extreme anxiety."
"From the first day of filming, I would have the same nightmare every night," Duke said in an interview in Los Angeles earlier this year. "I dream that I'm lying in bed, with the crew members surrounding me, waiting for me to tell them what to do. But I don't know what the film should look like. I'm not sure about the plan, and they're just waiting for my direction. I'm so tired, so drained, it's hard to think."
"I'm not lying. Every night I had nightmares from the first day of filming until the final shot. Only then did the nightmares end. It was like hell, but it eventually passed. Although the Lord of the Rings trilogy was ultimately a huge success, Duke Rosenberg endured countless sleepless nights."
"Now Duke can finally breathe a sigh of relief—every film shoot comes with immense responsibility, because you're spending vast amounts of money, and that creates a lot of pressure. You have to carry that weight and be accountable for it."
Reading this, Ivanka put down the magazine, leaned in, and gently kissed Duke on the cheek. With a tender voice, she said, "Darling..."
"It's all behind us now, Ivy," Duke kissed her hand and said, "There was some pressure, but not as exaggerated as the magazines make it seem; it was just part of the promotion."
But Ivanka, who had once been Duke's assistant, knew that the pressure he faced was much greater than what the magazines described.
However, Duke clearly didn't want to discuss it further, so she didn't press him, instead following his lead and asking, "For the promotion?"
"The box office won't be much of a problem," Duke stood up, walked to the edge of the terrace, and rested his hands on the railing, gazing out at the vast Pacific Ocean. "This is all to prepare for next year."
Ivanka understood what Duke meant and walked over to join him. "Starting this early?"
"We're already late," Duke turned and looked at Ivanka, "Do you know about Sophia's new movie?"
"The one with Scarlett?"
Hearing the name, Ivanka slightly furrowed her brows before relaxing. "I think it's called Lost in Translation?"
"Yes, Lost in Translation." Duke briefly explained, "Sophia's been taking Lost in Tokyo to various film festivals since the start of the year to build a reputation among professionals. She's aiming for next year's Oscars."
Strictly speaking, the plan for The Return of the King's Oscar campaign was already falling behind. Looking at the recent Oscar-winning films, most of them take about a year of preparation to campaign for awards, attending major film festivals across North America and Europe, gathering professional reviews, and spending huge sums on publicity and promotions.
By the time the North American awards season arrives, many films already have spent millions of dollars on their campaigns.
Of course, with the Weinstein brothers involved in the race, spending millions is just the starting point for the Oscars.
The Oscars, like the film industry, require significant investment to yield satisfying returns.
The footsteps at the terrace door interrupted their conversation, and Duke turned to see their housekeeper, Emma, entering with Nancy Josephson.
"Sit down, Nancy."
Ivanka warmly invited her to sit, while Emma served coffee.
"How's everything going?" Nancy asked, as she added sugar to her coffee.
"Last week, I met Frank Pearson at an event," Nancy continued. "Although he didn't give a clear answer, the implication was clear."
Duke nodded slightly. Even the old-timers in the academic circles wouldn't easily make their stance known.
"The Royal Albert Company in the UK has completed our order," Nancy continued. "By November, the Middle-earth-themed porcelain will be shipped to Los Angeles. Apple has also accepted the order and will make a batch of players for us. The announced cost is under $100. Sony's latest DVD players are ready, and they should arrive next week."
"What about the deluxe DVD sets?" Duke asked.
Nancy thought for a moment before replying, "The latest batch will be ready by the end of July, with 100,000 deluxe DVD sets."
"Well done, Nancy." Duke praised her work.
"It's part of my job." Nancy laughed. "I'm just happy to have a client who might win an Oscar for Best Director."
"And Warner?" Duke asked.
"Warner is fully supporting you." Nancy gestured as if to make a phone call. "Doug Walter said Warner's resources will be at your disposal. If you need anything, just give him a call."
The Weinstein brothers are good at Oscar campaigns, but other companies are no slouches either. However, the way different companies operate determines their approach to awards season. While the big six may not have the Oscars, they still thrive; the Weinstein brothers, on the other hand, make it their business to win Oscars, making them one of the biggest winners in recent years.
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