Chapter 313: Adults Only Weigh Pros and Cons

Tom Cruise and his wife toured New Zealand's South Island and North Island. By the time they reached Wellington, Duke had just moved into his newly renovated villa. He invited members from both film crews over for a party, doubling as a housewarming and a welcome for the couple.

Given Duke's approach to business, no matter how bitter his past conflicts with Tom Cruise had been, they were now partners bound by shared interests. In the face of enough profit, old clashes were trivial. He could afford to look forward and see just how far their collaboration could go.

It was mid-October, and New Zealand was entering summer. Every light in the villa's massive garden was turned on, illuminating the entire five-acre estate.

"Beautiful house."

Sitting at the edge of the party, Nicole Kidman asked Duke, "When did you get it? The architecture and decor are very distinctive."

"Just got it in August."

Duke glanced at the villa hidden among the trees not far away. "Aside from a few simple changes to the interior decor, I didn't actually adjust much. It was all left by the previous owner."

The other partygoers could tell Duke and the couple had business to discuss, so they steered clear. Only Tina Fey, who had just flown back from Los Angeles, walked over with a bottle of local New Zealand red wine and four glasses. She poured a drink for each of them, then took a seat beside Duke, remaining silent as she usually did.

"Mary and I took a tour around New Zealand."

After they shared a drink, Tom Cruise slowly spoke up. "The scenery here is quite nice, perfect for a vacation. Seeing your house makes me want to buy property here too."

"The houses here have one advantage." Duke set down his wine glass and smiled. "They're cheap."

Compared to the maddening real estate prices in Greater Los Angeles, properties here in Wellington were practically dirt cheap. The port city wasn't large—its population hovered just over four hundred thousand—and New Zealand didn't have much heavy industry. Whether in climate or air quality, the densely populated, hot, and dry Greater Los Angeles area was a full tier worse.

Still, the city was only good for a vacation. Expecting Hollywood's stars and socialites to stay away from the global entertainment capital was completely impossible.

"Tom, do you plan to make a sequel?"

After a bit more small talk, Duke shifted the topic to movies. "Do you have any plans for it?"

Tom Cruise didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked, "What do you think, Duke?"

"If the project gets greenlit this year, the earliest it could start shooting is next year."

For some reason, Duke felt a hint of hesitation in Tom Cruise's words, but he continued anyway. "As for a release, the earliest would be in 2000. Releasing a sequel two years after the first film is perfect timing."

Looking at Cruise, Duke added, "Tom, you have my full support in making a sequel."

"Duke, I want to make the sequel too."

Hesitating slightly, Tom Cruise frowned and said, "But..."

"Can I know what happened?" Duke couldn't help but feel curious; this didn't seem like the arrogantly confident Tom Cruise at all. "If it's inconvenient to say..."

"No, no..." Cruise interrupted him, speaking very seriously. "All of Hollywood knows your instincts for film, Duke. We're partners, right?"

Seeing Nicole Kidman's hand gripping Tom Cruise's arm the entire time, Duke roughly understood the situation. He nodded and said without hesitation, "Yes, we are close partners now."

"I thought you might be able to give us some advice."

Nicole Kidman chimed in at just the right moment before falling silent again. Cruise continued, "I received an offer—an offer from Stanley Kubrick. It's very hard to turn down."

He explained, "The Mission: Impossible sequel can be made a little later, but an invitation from Kubrick is incredibly rare."

Nicole Kidman added, "Stanley Kubrick invited both of us. We would be playing a married couple in the film as well."

Duke looked at the couple, gradually understanding their meaning.

Perhaps this was all a ripple effect from delaying Mission: Impossible. Two highly successful collaborations had shown Tom Cruise the bright prospects of working with him. An offer Cruise would have once accepted without a second thought was now making him hesitate.

How should he advise them? That was actually the simplest part: his advice had to align with his own interests.

As to whether Tom Cruise and his wife would listen? That was entirely out of his control.

Duke was certain of one thing: Tom Cruise and his wife starring in Stanley Kubrick's film absolutely did not align with his interests. Only by maintaining their pristine image as Hollywood's golden couple could Cruise's superstar effect be fully maximized, generating far more profit for the Mission: Impossible franchise.

Why would the Cruises eventually divorce? Because of a movie? Or because of Scientology? Aside from the couple themselves, along with their agents and publicists, probably no one else could say for sure. As for the rumors he had once seen on the internet regarding Kidman's fertility, anyone with half a brain knew they were fake.

Even his past self had easily recognized those rumors as nothing more than fabrications concocted by certain people on the internet across the ocean.

If Nicole Kidman had genuinely suffered pregnancy and fertility issues because of Stanley Kubrick's film, did her two later children just pop out of a rock? Sure, one of them was a surrogate birth, but consider Keith Urban—would a man who managed to become a country music superstar really be that stupid?

A director could get away without an image, but a superstar couldn't. For a megastar of Tom Cruise's caliber, his image was the very foundation of his career.

The longer it took for his marital crisis with Nicole Kidman to erupt, the better it would be for the Mission: Impossible sequel.

In Duke's mind, it would be best if their marital crisis held off until after Mission: Impossible 2 hit theaters.

No one could predict how long the couple would last, but putting out Mission: Impossible 2 while they still maintained a close relationship was undoubtedly the best move for Duke's investment interests.

In just a few seconds, these thoughts rapidly spun through Duke's mind. Whether Tom Cruise and his wife accepted it or not, he had to try. They had come to him, after all, which meant they definitely wanted his input.

"Tom, Mary, have you heard?"

After thinking for a moment, Duke slowly spoke up, his tone flat. "Stanley Kubrick hasn't been in good health these past few years. He apparently suffered a serious illness in the first half of this year. What if he can't finish this film?"

Though he phrased it delicately, the reality was that Stanley Kubrick's health was terrible, and he could pass away at any moment.

Tom Cruise was clearly considering it, a hint of hesitation appearing on his face.

Duke looked at the couple. "Tom, what do you lack the most right now? A massive box office smash and recognition from the School Faction awards."

He shrugged and added, "As everyone knows, Director Kubrick's films aren't known for box office performance or winning awards. Instead, ever since 2001: A Space Odyssey, he has leaned increasingly toward the unconventional. Tom, with your status today..."

Some things didn't need to be spelled out entirely. Tom Cruise wanted to work with Stanley Kubrick merely to elevate his own prestige, but as an established A-lister, he had absolutely no need to do that. The film's box office wouldn't expand his influence, and Stanley Kubrick's usual style wouldn't offer him any help with the School Awards either.

Tom Cruise fell silent for a while, clearly weighing the pros and cons. After a few minutes, he finally said, "I heard Pat mention that Stanley Kubrick's illness is quite severe. If we take the roles, and he fails to finish this film..."

He seemed to be convincing himself, or perhaps convincing Nicole Kidman.

"Tom, let's be frank," Duke chimed in at the perfect moment. "We're partners now, and our interests are closely tied together. The greater your influence, the more profit the Mission: Impossible franchise can bring me. I don't want to see a Tom Cruise who wastes time and ends up with a failure. I want to see a Tom Cruise who constantly succeeds."

"But Brian De Palma has explicitly stated that he won't continue directing Mission: Impossible."

At this point, Tom Cruise suddenly looked at Duke. "The franchise needs a new director..."

"Tom, you should be able to see that I can't be in two places at once."

Spreading his hands in a helpless gesture, Duke said, "If you make a decision, I can recommend a director with a suitable style."

Tom Cruise didn't plan to make a decision immediately; this kind of thing definitely required careful consideration. Still, he asked, "Can I know which director it is?"

"John Woo."

Seeing Tom Cruise's slight confusion, Duke reminded him, "The director of Broken Arrow and Face/Off. His shootout and action sequences are highly marketable. I won't hide it from you, some of the gunfight scenes in The Matrix borrowed from his style."

Hearing Duke say this, Tom Cruise nodded solemnly. "I'll consider it."

With that, he suddenly changed the topic. Looking at Nicole Kidman beside him, he asked, "Do you have any roles here that would suit Mary?"

From the look in their eyes, Duke could somewhat tell that the couple's relationship seemed better than before. However, Nicole Kidman was highly ambitious. Even if Scientology and other factors didn't appear, it was impossible to say how long the two would ultimately last.

However, Duke had no intention of using an actress with a relatively high salary but terrible box office appeal. He simply smiled and replied, "If there's a role suitable for Mary, I'll give you a call."