Chapter 320: Training Actors

The turn of the century inevitably arrived. Just as 1999 began, the doomsday rhetoric that had been simmering among the public and the media erupted into a full-blown craze. Such theories had always found a ready market in Western religious societies. Predictions of demons returning to the world and Satan descending to Earth were constantly tossed out by prominent religious figures, only to be heavily hyped by the gossip media.

Even America's saving grace—the booming internet and computer industries—was plagued by rumors of the Y2K bug. Computers had already penetrated every sector of the country. If the Y2K bug actually struck, American society would inevitably collapse into chaos.

For the business and financial sectors, however, these were negligible concerns in the face of commercial profits.

Especially in Hollywood. The industry kept churning exactly as it always had. As the old year gave way to the new, it wasn't just the stars, directors, and major studios staying busy. Publications dedicated to Hollywood—like Vanity Fair, Entertainment Weekly, and Hollywood Reporter—also released their New Year's special editions, summarizing the industry's past year.

Vanity Fair put out its annual Hollywood income rankings, Entertainment Weekly released its tenth annual Hollywood Power List, and Hollywood Reporter published the 1998 North American box office chart.

Duke not only made all three lists, but he also ranked near the very top of each.

On Hollywood Reporter's 1998 North American box office chart, The Matrix took the indisputable number-one spot with $327.58 million. Michael Bay's Armageddon sat in second place with over $189 million, bringing in barely half of what the champion earned.

Box office aside, Hollywood Reporter also offered a review of the film.

"During last year's Summer Season, we witnessed a breathtaking film—The Matrix. We relished in 'Bullet Time,' 'Explosion Time,' and ultra-cool moves like the 360-degree flying kick. We experienced the most revolutionary moment in cinematic history."

"Today, director Duke Rosenberg and his film, The Matrix, are worshipped by fans globally. They watch every detail over and over again, parse the metaphors in every line of dialogue, and dive into discussions of 'existentialism' and 'nihilism.' The most influential contemporary philosophers are striving to explore the film's philosophical depths, with books like The Matrix and Philosophy continually hitting the shelves. Its religious subtext is receiving increasingly rich interpretations, and debates over human self-awareness in a future digital world have even become a trend within religious circles."

Although North America still had Thanksgiving and Christmas releases playing in theaters, no one expected films like The Waterboy and Shakespeare in Love to rake in $300 million domestically. There was zero doubt that The Matrix was the annual box office champion.

Beyond topping the box office chart, Duke also seized first place on the annual income list.

Vanity Fair's annual income list only tracked direct compensation from industry roles; investments and other asset appreciation were not factored in.

Thanks to his base director's fee and his cut of the box office and merchandise for The Matrix, Duke sat securely in the number-one spot with $125 million in pre-tax earnings.

James Cameron followed close behind. Just as before, though the former truck driver had forfeited his upfront directing fee, he certainly hadn't given up his backend points. From the terrifyingly massive box office and merchandise revenue of Titanic, he hauled in a total of $85 million pre-tax, placing him second on the list.

Vanity Fair wrote: "Duke Rosenberg is setting a new benchmark for commercial director earnings in Hollywood. Not only has his upfront salary reached the highest peak in industry history, but he also continues to push that ceiling ever higher. According to insiders, for the upcoming The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Duke Rosenberg's combined fee as screenwriter, director, and producer is a staggering $45 million, while his tiered backend points cap out at twenty-five percent—a figure utterly unprecedented in Hollywood!"

On another list, however, James Cameron managed to flip the tables on Duke.

On Entertainment Weekly's newest Hollywood Power List, James Cameron took a commanding first place thanks to the colossal success of Titanic. The list factored in a complex web of income, fame, and overall influence. Sitting in second place was the globally beloved Jack—Leonardo DiCaprio. Following in third was Tom Cruise, who had further consolidated his status with Mission: Impossible. Keanu Reeves rode the massive hype of The Matrix and the ultra-cool aura of the Savior to land in fourth, while Duke, as the film's director, rounded out the top five.

Since Titanic was a 1997 release, Duke was the only figure to crack the top five across all three heavyweight lists for the year.

Meanwhile, the media was churning out all sorts of bizarre rankings, and people or elements associated with The Matrix ended up winning quite a few of them.

For instance, Charlize Theron cracked the top three of FHM's 100 Sexiest Women; in the New York Times' Top Ten Classic Movie Shots of '98, 'Explosion Time' comfortably seized first place...

Duke was even ranked in the top fifty of the World's Sexiest Men by a gossip magazine.

Having decided to treat himself to a long vacation, Duke stayed in New York from just before Christmas through the New Year. Aside from working out, he spent most of his time reading books and newspapers, or chatting over tea with Aerin Lauder. He even made a special trip down to Philadelphia to visit Sofia Coppola on set.

The first feature film of her career, The Virgin Suicides, was shooting at a high school near the Wharton School of Business in Pennsylvania.

"You don't look any different than before."

During a break in filming, Sofia Coppola chatted with Duke. "I was on the phone with Tina a little while ago, and I heard you weren't doing so well physically or mentally."

"I'm much better now."

Sitting next to Sofia, Duke glanced at the students gathered around to watch the shoot before pulling his gaze back. "It's probably the fatigue that built up over the years, finally triggered by all the high-intensity work. Right before Christmas last year..."

He sighed. "It wasn't just my body and mind. I felt like my drive had taken a hit, too."

"Darling, you're too hard on yourself."

Gripping Duke's arm, Sofia said earnestly, "You constantly push yourself forward. You refuse to stop and relax for even a moment. Over the past few years, even on vacation, your nerves have been wound tight. Out of all the directors in Hollywood, no one pushes themselves as desperately as you do—not even Spielberg, who is universally acknowledged as the hardest working."

Duke accepted a hot coffee from Sofia's assistant and thanked her. Leaning back against the low chair, he said, "I always have this sense of urgency. I want to keep succeeding. I've known since I was very young that success doesn't happen by chance. If you want it, you have to put in the work."

Sofia rolled her eyes at him. "You're already successful enough."

"Which is why I've temporarily dropped all my work," Duke said, taking a sip of his coffee. "I'm giving myself a long vacation."

Duke then shifted the topic to Sofia's film.

"Is the shoot going smoothly?" he asked.

"Overall, it's not bad."

Pointing out a few actresses who were getting their makeup touched up, Sofia Coppola said, "I spent two years preparing the script and the pre-production plan, and both you and my father gave me plenty of advice. The cast's performance is brilliant too, especially Kirsten Dunst. She's in great form—truly worthy of being one of the best actresses born in the eighties."

Hearing Sofia Coppola mention the actresses, Duke suddenly realized he had overlooked someone.

"Where's Scar? Why haven't I seen her?" he asked.

"She doesn't have any scenes today." Sofia Coppola checked with the assistant beside her, then added, "She was here this morning but left before lunch. She probably went next door to tour the Wharton School of Business."

Someone walked over and exchanged a few words with Sofia. Turning back to Duke, she said, "Take a look around on your own. I need to start shooting."

Duke was here to visit the set, not to disrupt Sofia Coppola's filming, so he tactfully distanced himself from the shooting area and strolled around the vicinity alone.

In truth, there wasn't much to see. Sofia Coppola had chosen this high school to film a story set in Michigan purely for its long history and relatively old-school architecture. After circling the library once, Duke couldn't help but feel a bit bored, so he simply pulled out his mobile phone and dialed Scarlett Johansson's number.

She was his mother's goddaughter, after all. Since he was in Philadelphia, he had to see her at least once.

"Mary and I are having coffee at the Wharton School of Business cafe. Do you want to come over? All right, I'll wait for you..."

Hearing the name of the cafe Scarlett Johansson gave him, Duke hung up the phone and left the high school. He had one of the crew's drivers drop him off at the Wharton School of Business. Walking onto the campus, he asked a few students for directions and spent nearly ten minutes finding the place.

He pushed the door open and stepped into the cafe. Immediately, he spotted a blonde girl standing up near the window toward the front left, waving in his direction. He strode over.

"Hello, Director Rosenberg..."

Scarlett Johansson's agent, Mary, quickly stood up to greet him. Duke gave her a nod, pulled out a chair, and sat down across from the blonde girl.

"Did you come all this way just to see me, Duke?" Scarlett asked expectantly.

"Ah, yeah." Duke nodded casually. "I came to visit you and Sofia Coppola on set."

The space in the cafe was a bit cramped. Duke scooted his chair back and told the approaching waitress, "A latte, please."

The waitress was unusually tall. She suddenly stared intently at Duke and asked, "Why are you here?"