Chapter 241: A Brand New Experience

Carrying a large suitcase in each hand, Duke walked out of the detached house Catherine Zeta-Jones was renting. He crossed the front lawn, stepped around to the back of the SUV parked by the curb, and popped the trunk to load the luggage. Soon after, Zeta-Jones and her agent, Vivian, walked over, each carrying two large tote bags. Anyone with a bit of experience could tell at a glance that they were moving.

The surrounding reporters and paparazzi kept a short distance, constantly snapping pictures. Some reporters even had DV cameras, recording Duke and the others' movements in full.

This was the exact result they wanted, and there were undoubtedly reporters contacted by Penny Kalis among the crowd. As long as they didn't push too close, Duke wouldn't even spare them a glance. He ushered Zeta-Jones and Vivian into the car, started the engine, and drove toward Malibu.

Before the SUV even turned out of the intersection, a long string of motorcycles and sedans was already tailing them. There was no way the paparazzi, convinced they had just caught a massive scoop, would let them go so easily.

"It looks like we're going to steal the headlines from Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman." Duke checked the rearview mirror and said to Zeta-Jones in the passenger seat, "They just made the entertainment front pages today, so I doubt they'll mind."

The news being most wildly hyped by the gossip media today was the Cruises' trip to the hospital. The scoop those guys dug up was that Nicole Kidman might be pregnant...

This was absolutely explosive news. Everything concerning the couple had immediately become a hot topic. The media's frantic hype even made Duke wonder for a moment: was Nicole Kidman actually pregnant?

If Nicole Kidman really was pregnant, would the destiny of Tom Cruise and his wife change from here on out?

Frankly speaking, after working together on Chicago, Duke's inherent impression of Tom Cruise had changed quite a bit. Having found fame at a young age, Tom really didn't know how to conduct himself well, and his arrogant personality made it extremely easy for him to offend people. However, no one could deny his hard work. On the job, Tom was a completely competent and even exceptionally diligent actor.

Conflicts between people were often triggered by competing interests and deepened by misunderstandings. Working together over a long period brought about changes—perhaps the conflicts would grow sharper, or perhaps they would soften through mutual understanding.

The two men shared common interests in Chicago and had once joined hands to lay a trap for Mel Gibson. Their relationship had eased significantly, and with no obvious conflict of interest now, Duke's thoughts of screwing Cruise over gradually faded. As long as Tom didn't infringe upon his interests in the future, the two of them could maintain their current status quo.

As long as he didn't get arrogant enough to do something foolish, they could just go their separate ways.

Chicago would expand its theatrical release this weekend. It wasn't enough to just let the Cruises monopolize the entertainment headlines, so Duke was also working hard to grab the front pages.

The string of reporters and paparazzi trailing behind followed them straight to the Malibu beach villa district. It seemed they wouldn't give up until they saw Catherine Zeta-Jones move into his house with their own eyes. But when Duke arrived at the gates of Duke Manor and saw the Fox Television broadcasting truck parked nearby, he rolled his eyes.

This was Twentieth Century Fox returning a favor.

The Fox Television broadcasting truck had naturally been called in by Penny Kalis. Duke had delayed collecting a portion of his box-office cut for Saving Private Ryan to ease Twentieth Century Fox's financial pressure, leaving the studio owing him a small favor. Furthermore, this kind of hype-driven promotion was the usual style of Fox Television's entertainment channel, so they simply decided to make a bigger spectacle out of it.

Captured by countless camera lenses, Duke drove the SUV into the estate. The vehicle parked directly in front of the Eye-Shaped Villa. Penny Kalis and Nancy Josephson were already waiting there, while the housekeeper, Emma, led a few servants over to take the luggage Duke unloaded from the car.

"Did everything go smoothly?" Kalis asked as she came over.

Duke took the lead toward the villa, saying to Penny Kalis and Nancy Josephson as they caught up, "Other than bringing a swarm of flies with us, it's no different from the past."

Outside of his film production periods, Duke generally kept a low profile. But once he entered the working phase, he would find every possible way to promote his work.

His past experiences, both in his previous life and this one, told him with absolute clarity that film quality was merely the foundation of success; sufficient promotion was the necessary tool. He never wanted his works to end up like The Shawshank Redemption, waiting years before someone finally vindicated his name. This was an industry with a short memory and an extremely high elimination rate. A single failure could bring about unimaginable negative consequences.

Duke and the others walked in front, while Catherine Zeta-Jones and Vivian followed at the very back.

"Kate..." Looking at Duke's tall back, Vivian lowered her voice. "Work hard. Your future is right in front of you."

Catherine Zeta-Jones kept her eyes focused straight ahead and said firmly, "Now that I'm in, I have no intention of ever leaving!"

Entering the living room, Duke had Tina Fey help entertain the guests while he led Zeta-Jones and the servants carrying the luggage up to the second floor. The second floor was primarily the living quarters, and Duke had prepared a room for Zeta-Jones long in advance.

Pushing open the door to a newly rearranged guest room, Duke turned to Zeta-Jones beside him. "Kate, this is your room."

"We aren't staying in..."

Before Zeta-Jones could finish her question, Duke pinched her cheek and interrupted her. "Kate, you are my honored guest. Naturally, I have to give you a grand reception."

Having the servants take the luggage inside, Duke jerked his head toward Zeta-Jones, whose eyes were flickering with thought. "Let me show you around."

After circling the second floor, Duke took her up to the third. Throughout the entire process, Zeta-Jones spoke very little. Duke could roughly guess what was on her mind, but he completely ignored it. He firmly believed that female stars harboring unrealistic fantasies—just like her and Charlize Theron—existed in the past, existed now, and would continue to exist in the future.

As long as they weren't idiots, everyone knew the benefits that latching onto a top-tier director would bring to their future acting careers.

Walking slowly down the third-floor corridor, Duke stopped in front of a door. He turned to Zeta-Jones and said seriously, "Kate, you can go anywhere in the manor, except for two places."

Zeta-Jones didn't speak, but simply looked at him.

Duke tilted his head toward the room right next to him. "This is my mother's bedroom. She doesn't like other people entering her room."

With that, he pointed at another door at the end of the hall. "That is my study. Aside from Tina and Emma, no one else is allowed inside."

"I understand," Zeta-Jones said, giving a light nod.

"Let's go back down." Duke took the lead toward the stairs. "Since it's your first day moving in, Emma has prepared a party for you. Zack and John will be coming over with their dates in a little bit."

Just like the gossip surrounding Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, Duke and Zeta-Jones became a focal point for the tabloids this weekend. According to the promotional plan drawn up by Penny Kalis, this was also the final step. Once the news had gradually fermented, her next consideration would be how to find the right opportunity and excuse to have Duke officially end this relationship, which existed solely for publicity.

In terms of conventional promotion, Warner Brothers was also stepping up its efforts. The two types of marketing strategies formed an effective complement to each other. In the theaters screening Chicago this weekend, the nostalgic crowd still maintained tremendous enthusiasm, while the proportion of younger viewers had also noticeably increased.

Furthermore, the heavy investment in marketing snatched away a considerable number of viewers from other films playing during the same period.

This was especially true for Miramax's The English Patient. The film expanded its theatrical run, yet its attendance rate suffered a massive plunge. Because the movie's subject matter was inherently heavy and dull, almost no teenage audiences were willing to watch it. With no heavyweight films opening this weekend, and with the buzz for Star Trek: First Contact rapidly wearing off, many young viewers—swayed by the constant barrage of hype—chose Chicago instead.

Just as the media reviews had stated, Chicago was absolutely not boring. If someone held a prejudice against musicals, that was an unsolvable problem. But if they genuinely sat down and watched it, they would be drawn in by its gorgeous musical numbers and thick black comedy. Moreover, the pacing of the film was sufficiently tight and fast.

In a Los Angeles theater, a screening of Chicago came to an end. Jones walked out of the auditorium with some companions, still discussing the movie they had just seen.

"Shamelessness was depicted as an art form through Duke's dark touch, while kindness was completely ignored by everyone."

"Murder is an art, and lawyers are top-tier actors," Jones said to his companions as he walked. "That era was terrifying."

His companion reminded him, "Don't forget, the story is set in Chicago, the city of sin."

Just then, Jones's phone rang. He picked it up, exchanged a few words, and his voice gradually rose. "You guys went to see The English Patient? How was it? Really boring? Haha, what about me? We just got out. Chicago is exactly like the promos said, very interesting. I highly recommend you go see it."

By Sunday afternoon, after nearly ten days of word-of-mouth fermentation and intensive marketing hype, the latest statistics revealed that teenage audiences accounted for nearly forty percent of the viewers attending the afternoon screenings of Chicago.

At a time when the enthusiasm of the nostalgic demographic was on the verge of fading, this was undoubtedly good news. Even if the film's initial heat died down, it wouldn't lack an audience.

Chicago also demonstrated formidable staying power. Although its 1,800-plus theaters couldn't remotely compare to the scale of Star Trek: First Contact, its attendance rate had remained far ahead throughout the weekend. Not only did the total number of viewers not fall behind, but it also firmly crushed Star Trek: First Contact.

When the new week began, Chicago achieved a counterattack that completely exceeded everyone's expectations.