Compared to the seemingly smokeless awards season, the competition in theaters was far more direct and intense. After the release of Pixar Studio's blockbuster Finding Nemo, it predictably broke the monopoly of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and ended its four-week summer box office dominance.
This animated feature centered on the ocean once again showcased Pixar's strength to all of Hollywood. Opening in 3,374 theaters in North America, it grossed $70.25 million, with a per-theater average exceeding $20,000—marking the best opening weekend for both Pixar and animated films to date.
Unsurprisingly, Finding Nemo became the second box office champion of the 2003 summer season.
The Return of the King, which had previously achieved four consecutive victories, also concluded its hottest screening phase. Both its theater count and showtime allocation began to decline, but it still secured second place on the box office chart this week, earning $14.22 million across 3,458 theaters in North America.
No movie can remain red-hot forever, especially during the summer blockbuster season.
To avoid clashing with The Return of the King, many big productions opted for June release dates. With Memorial Day arriving, May drew to a close.
From June onward, a series of blockbusters were released successively, including X-Men 2, Terminator 3, and Bruce Almighty, all of which achieved impressive opening figures. By the end of June, The Return of the King had disappeared from the top five of North America's weekly box office rankings.
Even after nearly two months of screening, the film remained in the top ten. By July 1, its North American box office had finally surpassed the $500 million milestone, reaching $515.87 million.
Globally, The Return of the King also broke the $1.3 billion mark, with total earnings of $1.35277 billion!
As the movie's popularity waned and other major productions were released in both North America and overseas, its global daily box office slipped below $4 million, entering a stage where long-term screenings were necessary to accumulate further revenue.
By the third month of its release, the global Lord of the Rings craze had largely subsided, but the Matrix fever returned.
Last year's Matrix Reloaded grossed $795.5 million worldwide. While its audience reception dipped slightly compared to the first film, it remained within the acceptable range for sequels. The simplification of the story and removal of philosophical elements worked in its favor.
The new installment, The Matrix Revolutions, also performed well overall, earning $92.12 million in its opening weekend—enough to ensure strong commercial results.
With two successful sequels, Duke's former assistant Zack Snyder quickly became one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood.
Several studios even offered him "1+2" contracts, inviting him to direct films.
This is Hollywood: when you're struggling for success, you're often overlooked—even if you're overflowing with talent. The industry's giants won't notice you, and even if they do, they won't easily loosen their purse strings.
Once you succeed, however, invitations come flooding in—even if you just stand still.
"Any new plans?"
Inside Duke's studio, Duke looked at Zack Snyder. "For the future or your next movie?"
"I desperately need a vacation."
Zack Snyder's face, framed by a scruffy beard, was gaunt to the point of looking skeletal. "Back then, I could see how much pressure you were under while independently managing a project. But stepping into it myself, I realized just how overwhelming that constant pressure truly is."
He let out a long sigh. "Since taking over, I haven't had a good night's sleep."
"You'll get used to it eventually," Duke said, opening a drawer and handing Zack a graphic novel by Frank Miller. "Take a vacation, and check out this book while you're at it."
"300?" Zack Snyder glanced at it briefly. "I read it years ago."
"Interested in adapting it into a film?"
Such matters cannot be forced, so Duke added, "If you're not interested, I'll have to find someone else."
Having been friends and collaborators for over a decade, Zack Snyder didn't hold back. "Leave it with me for now; I'll study it."
Duke didn't plan to interfere much, so he nodded. "DC Comics has only given me a five-year adaptation license. Don't take longer than that to decide."
Zack Snyder chuckled. "I'll give you a definite answer after my vacation."
There was a light knock at the door. Tina Fey entered, saying, "Mr. Neeson is here."
"Then I'll take my leave." Zack Snyder stood, nodded at Tina, and walked out of the office. Once he disappeared, Duke turned to Tina and said, "I'll meet him."
Leaving his office, Duke stepped into the conference room on the same floor and saw his guest.
"Hi, Duke."
The tall actor approached to greet him. "Long time no see."
"Indeed, Liam."
Duke invited him to sit and ordered fresh coffee to be brought in. Without any preamble, he asked, "Are you free later this year?"
Although he'd received a notification from his agent and had some idea of what was coming, Liam Neeson's eyes still lit up when he heard Duke's words. He answered without hesitation, "Yes!"
"Tina." Duke called out, and Tina Fey handed a folder to Liam Neeson.
"What's this…" Liam looked at Duke.
Duke gestured for him to open it while saying, "This is my next project, set to begin filming later this year. It's an action film about a retired agent and his daughter."
Liam Neeson nodded, opened the script, and started reading. Duke continued, "I think you're perfect for the lead role."
Although he couldn't make a final decision without his agent present, Liam Neeson browsed the script briefly and said, "Duke, no one could refuse your invitation."
In his view, the script was fairly average. If it had come from another director, he wouldn't have considered it. But the man sitting across from him was one of Hollywood's top directors, and only a fool would think he'd produce a mediocre film.
Even though formal negotiations were still to come, Liam Neeson didn't want to miss this opportunity.
"Your role will be that of a skilled but retired agent," Duke explained briefly. "If we collaborate, you'll need to undergo specialized training."
"No problem," Liam Neeson agreed.
Duke only established an initial agreement with him. Subsequent negotiations would be handled by Charles Roven and Liam Neeson's agent. After a short chat, Liam Neeson left Duke's studio.
Since the Independence Day holiday, Duke had officially put Taken into production. The project passed Warner Bros.' approval process at record speed, with a production budget of $40 million—modest by current standards.
Duke didn't intend to pursue large-scale scenes or high investment. Warner Bros. fully funded the $40 million budget, of which $10 million went to Duke's base salary.
Once the project was officially greenlit, Duke's core team members ended their vacations and returned to work. By now, individuals like John Schwartzman had become leading figures in their respective fields, inevitably drawing interest from other companies or projects. While most chose to continue collaborating with Duke, some left for other opportunities.
For instance, former casting director John had exited Duke's team.
This kind of personnel movement is normal, and Duke didn't mind much. Finding suitable replacements wasn't particularly difficult, but he wasn't quick to trust newcomers, so he temporarily assigned casting duties to Wallace Lee.
Hollywood casting, despite oversight from actors' guilds and other systems, cannot entirely avoid behind-the-scenes dealings. Consensual transactions often go unnoticed. Anyone who thinks Hollywood is free of such unwritten rules or believes casting is purely merit-based must be utterly naive.
Duke never held his team to such idealistic standards—it's impossible in Hollywood. As long as they met his requirements, he didn't care who filled minor roles.
Major roles like the father, daughter, and mother in Taken, however, were outside the influence of casting directors and assistants.
"Lee, I need a lot of Eastern European actresses."
During a preparation meeting, Duke instructed new casting director Wallace Lee, "And Eastern European men with distinctive appearances for the gangster roles. As for the prostitutes, they need to be beautiful."
"No problem, Duke. I promise!"
Wallace Lee was eager to take on this role. On the one hand, it was an opportunity to prove himself to Duke; on the other, it was a coveted position in Hollywood.
He knew that for the Eastern European actresses and prostitute roles, he'd have full authority over the selection.
As long as the candidates met Duke's basic requirements, the final choices were entirely up to him. Such a position made him highly sought after by aspiring actors and their agents.
"Anna," Duke turned to Anna Prince, "Take over Zack's previous responsibilities."
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